"I practiced basic martial arts diligently for seven days, yet I couldn't withstand more than two moves from Fang Yuan before he knocked me out again. What a disgrace, what a disgrace!" Gu Yue Mo Bei's heart was filled with shame and anger.

In the courtyard of his home, he relentlessly punched and kicked the wooden puppet, making loud thumping sounds.

At this moment, a gentle laugh came through: "Little brother, do you have a deep-seated grudge against the wooden puppet? Why are you so angry at it?"

Hearing this familiar voice, Gu Yue Mo Bei's expression relaxed. He stopped his attack and turned around: "Sister, you're back!"

"Yes, the clan assigned me a reconnaissance mission, so I was out for over ten days..." Gu Yue Mo Yan replied with a smile. She was Mo Bei's elder sister and was currently a Rank Two – Intermediate Stage Gu Master.

But her expression quickly changed, and her eyes turned sharp: "Little brother, what happened to the scars on your face? Who bullied you?"

"Ah, it's nothing. I accidentally tripped while walking and hit my face." Mo Bei's face showed a trace of panic as he hastily made up an excuse. He didn't want his sister to know about his embarrassing situation. As the future leader of the Mo family branch and the direct grandson of Gu Yue Mo Chen, he had been knocked out twice in a row.

Fortunately, he wasn't the only unlucky one; others had their share too.

"Oh, I see. Then you must be careful. By the way, if you want to practice martial arts, you can't do it like this. Without a defensive Gu, you need to wrap your hands and feet with thick cloth strips to protect them from injury." Gu Yue Mo Yan advised a few words before leaving.

"Greetings, Miss."

"Good day, Miss."

"Ah, it's the Miss who has returned. This servant greets the Miss."

Gu Yue Mo Yan maintained a cold expression as she walked briskly. All the servants she encountered along the way bowed in respect.

When she reached the study, she didn't announce herself and directly pushed the door open.

Inside the study, Gu Yue Mo Chen stood with his back to her, practicing calligraphy at the desk.

"You're back?" Gu Yue Mo Chen didn't turn around but asked directly, "After scouting for over half a month, how's the situation at the Wolf Den?"

"Grandfather, how did you know it was me?" Mo Yan was taken aback.

"Hmph, in the entire family, only you, taking advantage of my favor, would break the rules and not even knock. Who else could it be?" Gu Yue Mo Chen's tone carried a hint of reproach, but when he turned around, his expression was gentle, and his eyes were filled with affection as he looked at Mo Yan.

Mo Yan pouted, "If we're talking about favor, actually, Grandfather favors my little brother more. It's just that since he's going to be in charge in the future, Grandfather is strict with him, and others can't perceive this favor."

After a pause, she asked, "Grandfather, how did my little brother get beaten up? I asked him, and he lied. I couldn't press him, so I came to ask you."

Gu Yue Mo Chen's expression turned serious: "You haven't answered my question yet."

He put down the brush, pulled over a chair, and slowly sat down.

Mo Yan had no choice but to report: "The Wolf Den is almost full. At this rate of reproduction, although there won't be a Wolf Tide this year, there will definitely be one next year, impacting our stronghold."

Gu Yue Mo Chen asked again, "There's usually a Wolf Tide every three years, which isn't surprising. But how many Thunder-Crowned Alpha Wolves are there in the pack?"

"About three," Mo Yan replied.

Gu Yue Mo Chen nodded, feeling relieved. The Thunder-Crowned Alpha Wolf was the leader of the pack and the most troublesome presence during a Wolf Tide attack on the stronghold.

Three Thunder-Crowned Alpha Wolves weren't too many, as there were three strongholds on Green Reed Mountain. Each stronghold would handle one, significantly reducing the pressure of the Wolf Tide attack.

"Grandfather, you still haven't told me about my little brother," Mo Yan persisted.

"It's no harm telling you. Mo Bei was beaten up, once seven days ago and again today. He was knocked out at the academy gate both times," Gu Yue Mo Chen said with a smile.

"Who dared to be so audacious as to knock out my little brother?" Mo Yan's eyes widened.

"It was one of his classmates, named Fang Yuan. He did well..." Gu Yue Mo Chen chuckled.

Mo Yan's eyes widened even more, puzzled, "Grandfather, what do you mean? Mo Bei is your direct grandson!"

Gu Yue Mo Chen gave his granddaughter a deep look and spoke earnestly, "Mo Yan, you're a girl, so you might not understand. Failure and humiliation can lead to progress. Without failure, one cannot forge a mature man."

"Mo Bei getting beaten is his own failure. As soon as he regained consciousness, he started seeking martial arts guidance from the guards, which is a form of progress. And this progress was brought about by Fang Yuan, who woke him up. As his elder sister, if you truly want to protect him, don't interfere with his growth. Fang Yuan is just a poor Grade C kid, while Mo Bei has Grade B aptitude and has us behind him. Sooner or later, he'll surpass Fang Yuan."

Find the original at " pa𝑤read.com ".

"Leave this opponent to Mo Bei. In a woman's life, she needs family and loved ones. But in a man's life, family and loved ones are optional, but a rival is indispensable. Don't go looking for trouble with Fang Yuan, understand? This is a matter for the younger generation. If you get involved, it would be bullying the young, and others would look down on our Mo Clan."

Mo Yan opened her mouth several times to speak, but under Gu Yue Mo Chen's gaze, she eventually lowered her head and replied, "Yes, Grandfather. I understand."

She bowed her head and exited the study. Even Gu Yue Mo Bei hadn't noticed—the unique light that flickered in her eyes.

"Grandfather, this is your way of showing favor to your grandson. But I, Mo Yan, have my own way of protecting my little brother!" Mo Yan had already made up her mind.

...

In the inn's dining hall, several tables were occupied with people eating, creating a lively atmosphere.

A couple of shop assistants carried trays of dishes, skillfully weaving between the tables.

Fang Yuan sat by a table near the window, having ordered a few dishes. As he ate, he gazed out the window into the distance.

In the sky, the evening glow burned like fire, quietly blazing.

The sun had mostly set, casting a lingering gaze upon the earth, with the afterglow as its reluctant farewell glance.

The distant mountains were already shrouded in twilight. On the nearby streets, people were returning home. Some were barefoot farmers with mud-covered feet, others were herbalists carrying medicine baskets, some hunters carried pheasants, wild boars, and other game, and there were also Gu Masters. They often wore blue martial outfits, appearing efficient and capable, with headbands tied around their foreheads and wide belts around their waists.

These belts had significance. A Rank One Gu Master's belt was blue, with a copper plate on the front engraved with the number "one."

A Rank Two Gu Master's belt was red, with an iron plate in the center engraved with the number "two."

Fang Yuan sat by the window, observing for a while, spotting six or seven Rank One Gu Masters, mostly young people. There was also one Rank Two Gu Master, a middle-aged man.

As for Rank Three Gu Masters, they were usually elders. Rank Four was the clan leader, the head of a stronghold.

Rank Five Gu Masters were rarely seen. In the history of the Gu Yue Clan, only the first and fourth generation clan leaders had reached this level.

"In fact, assessing a clan's strength is quite simple. Just find a spot in the stronghold, sit down, and carefully observe the passersby for an hour or so. By seeing how many Rank One and Rank Two Gu Masters there are, you can gauge the clan's foundation and strength," Fang Yuan summarized from his five hundred years of experience.

As for Gu Yue Village, on the streets, out of twenty passersby, six were Gu Masters. Among these six, there was a fifty percent chance that one would be a Rank Two Gu Master.

Gu Yue Village, with such strength and foundation, occupied one of the best resource points on Green Reed Mountain, making it the dominant force on the mountain.

However, Green Reed Mountain was just a small corner of the vast Southern Borderlands. In the grand scheme of the Southern Borderlands, Gu Yue Village was only a mid-to-lower-tier clan.

"I'm just starting my cultivation journey, with a Rank One – Initial Stage level. I don't even have the qualifications to venture alone in the Southern Borderlands. At least with Rank Three strength, I could travel far," Fang Yuan sighed inwardly as he took a bite of his food.

Green Reed Mountain was too small to contain his ambitions; he was destined to leave.

"Haha, Gu Yue Fang Yuan, I've finally found you." At this moment, a middle-aged man approached with a sinister smile.

"Hmm?" Fang Yuan turned slightly to see the man with a sallow complexion and slanted eyebrows, but a tall and muscular build. As he strode over, arms crossed over his chest, he looked down at the seated Fang Yuan, a glint of coldness in his narrow eyes.

"Fang Yuan, you're in big trouble, do you know that? Heh heh heh, you actually dared to hit our Mo family's young master. Now, Miss Mo Yan is looking everywhere to settle the score with you," the middle-aged man sneered continuously. He scrutinized Fang Yuan with his eyes, exuding an intimidating aura.