Fang Yuan turned the Doctor Gu back into its gu worm form and placed it in his aperture.
That covered healing even when he advanced to Rank 3. Right now, although it was difficult to use it was not impossible to rely upon it in a pinch. He still needed offense, for which he wanted to refine the Moonglow Gu. For investigative methods, storage, and movement - he would still need to either purchase or refine gu himself.
That would require primeval stones- which is why he needed to obtain his family's inheritance as soon as he could. It was a good thing that the existence of the Red Steel Relic Gu alleviated his need for nurturing his aperture right now.
Now that he had graduated, he no longer got Human Path dao marks - though he had not accepted them anyway so that was not much of an issue. But, that meant that he no longer got his regular allowance from the clan.
Instead, he had to undergo missions along with his team.
Speaking of, many people had congratulated him on being accepted to Qing Shu's team, but Fang Yuan spotted it for what it was- a trap.
Not an overt trap mind you, there was an intention to nurture him by placing him in that team. But for Fang Yuan and his goals, it was the equivalent of a trap.
While he would get 'guidance' under Qing Shu's tutelage, guidance that he did not need given his 500 years of experience, he would also be burdened with various tasks designed to drain as much of his time as possible. They would not be presented to him that way, of course, instead, they would be presented as 'tasks of honor' and would also have some decent rewards. None of which would compensate for the time that they took.
Time was said to be more valuable than gold- and to Fang Yuan, who had the Spring Autumn Cicada, equivalent to a ticking time bomb within his aperture, that was especially so.
He could've saved his Cultivation Blessing for a higher-ranked gu worm rather than using it on Green Copper Relic Gu, that was true, but he needed to advance as quickly as possible to Rank 3 and then bounce. Even now, he wanted to get to Rank 3 in order to get the Venerable Inheritance. If that lived up to its potential, it could help him become Rank 5 or even Rank 6 quite quickly. It was the same concept that a starving man would prefer a loaf of bread now rather than an exquisite banquet two days later. His Cultivation Blessing would've been better used on a Rank 4 gu worm to advance it to Rank 5, but he couldn't wait for that.
There was a reason that Qing Shu was not an elder as of yet. He was considered to have pseudo-A grade talent meaning that his aptitude was likely in the 75%+ range for that to be true. He should've reached Rank 3 several months ago - but if he did that, how could the elders make use of him? This was a form of suppression to keep him at Rank 2 Peak Stage for as long as possible. Not that Qing Shu would complain about this, as it wasn't in his nature.
Qing Shu was actually fated to die based on Fang Yuan's previous memories of what was going to happen. At some point, the wolf tide would grow to be more powerful and Qing Shu would end up using a Rank 3 gu worm despite being only Rank 2 to hold back the tide. He would 'save' the village at the cost of his own life- only for it to be destroyed regardless several months later.
Fang Yuan had no intention of following in his footsteps. No, he needed to hoard as many resources as possible and reach Rank 3. By then, the world would be his oyster.
He glanced outside his window. He saw the other students excitedly chatting as they marched away, talking about what they would do in the future.
"That which starts with the blossoming of spring,
Only withers away with the coming of autumn,
For the leaves so verdant crowned with the morning dew,
Fall to the Earth as winter winds blow anew,
Heaven watches their descent impassively,
As the Earth welcomes them in its warm embrace,
Soon to be followed by the snow and the rain,
For new life to sprout forth once again."
Their school lives were over, and new challenges awaited them all. Without a doubt, they would be excited, worried, frustrated, and happy as they marched every forward.
For Fang Yuan, who had already experienced such, it was no big deal. If anything, the aspirations and hopes of these youngsters was far too small for one like him.
The next day, when he would 'officially' graduate, he would go to the clan mission hall in order to accept the mission needed to inherit his parent's fortune.
Soon, it would be in his grasp. As a Rank 2 Gu Master, there was no longer any scheme that would work on him to prevent him from taking it.
His uncle knew the same, which is why Qing Shu found himself with an unexpected visitor that evening.
"Young Master, Gu Yue Dong Tu wishes to have a meeting with you, and apologizes that it is on such short notice," a servant said.
Qing Shu frowned. He couldn't remember that name- was it someone important? "What is this about?"
"He says it is regarding his nephew, Fang Yuan," the servant said.
Qing Shu nodded. "Bring him in then."
Qing Shu had the guest room set up as he sat down to evaluate the man before him. He was old, but somehow seemed to be more sickly than he was pretending to be otherwise, one of his arms in a sling. That was odd as a Rank 2 Gu Master should've been able to fix that kind of injury without much hassle.
"I greet Lord Qing Shu!" the man said, attempting to cup his hands, though with the sling it was obviously hard.
"No need for that, given how much older you are then I am."
"Lord is too kind!"
"Hmm... I was told this is about your nephew- my new teammate?"
"Yes, it is, Lord," Dong Tu said. He had no presence or grandeur in that moment- appearing quite pitiful on the contrary. "It is something that I have been worried about, and I was wondering if Lord could provide his generous aide in that matter."
"Oh, and what seems to be troubling you?"
"It is not an issue with Fang Yuan in actuality, rather, my other nephew Fang Zheng," Dong Tu said. "You see, he was found to be misbehaving with one of the female servants, so I was forced to kick him out. I wished that he would learn some manners from that incident, and he went back to his elder brother. Fang Yuan will soon want to claim his inheritance, and I don't doubt will become an elder one day. However, Fang Zheng, that rascal, continues to be perched upon his shoulder like a parrot. I fear that he will convince my former beloved nephew to turn against me and his aunt- who have raised them both since birth like they were our own children."
"Is that so...?" Qing Shu wondered. He could somewhat understand what Dong Tu was inquiring about. "If that is the case, you can rest assured that I will speak to Fang Yuan tomorrow." Without a doubt, that was when Fang Yuan would intend to claim his family assets- the first day that he was officially an adult!
"Lord is too kind!" Dong Tu said with a gentle smile.
"As for your arm-"
"It was an accident while sparring, ah, pay no heed to it. I'm not as young as I used to be- Lord Chi Shan actually came to challenge me the other day to a bout, though with this arm I obviously couldn't hehe..."
"Why don't you allow me to heal you?" Qing Shu asked. It was odd for the bone to be still broken after all this time, even someone like Qing Shu who was not a dedicated healer could probably mend the bone within a few days.
"Ah, the issue is that I have come to lack primeval stones to afford a healer, and I couldn't possibly impose on Lord any further than I already have! I will let it heal naturally!"
It was odd, Qing Shu thought, as Dong Tu made a hasty retreat - it seemed like he preferred his arm broken.