16. Happy New Year
Time waits for no one. Months fly by in the blink of an eye as snow covers Qing Mao Mountain, announcing the arrival of the new year and new hope through another batch of students ripe for picking and getting processed in the Academy. Unfortunately, these students won’t have Lo Jik’s insistent issue with propaganda diluting valuable information and Fang Yuan’s combined effort with Lo Jik to push the students in training beyond their limits!
Honestly, their batch might be the strongest and the most knowledgeable comprehensively among all others! They are the Golden Generation!
Yet, the students hate your guts if you acquire One Primeval stone as a weekly compensation. Since Lo Jik and Fang Yuan practically demonstrate the technique to the Class President and two Vice-Presidents, they humbly accept offerings of 8 and 3 stones, respectively.
Thick snow covers the once-vibrant grass. Beautiful flowers are nowhere to be found, and the singing insects and birds migrate or dig underground to hibernate. Yet the Gu Yue Village, with its tall Spear Bamboos, is as scenic as ever.
Children play around with clumps of snow shaped into balls, food stands, and taverns change their menus to offer warmer food that would be too hot during the summer. The number of pregnancies increases due to more prominent activity in one’s house to stay warmer at night.
The Village remains peaceful despite everything that happened.
A few months ago, a Demonic Gu Master targeted Fang Zheng, dying in the process. Fang Zheng fell unconscious for 7 days. However, he was a changed man when he woke up. It almost brought a prideful tear to Lo Jik’s eye to watch him train diligently in all aspects of Gu Master’s education. Gu Yue Chi Cheng, Mo Bei, and Fang Yuan achieved Upper Stage Rank 1 cultivation shortly after the half-yearly assessment. Bu Lo Jik only reached it a week later.
To keep pretenses, of course.
Their life continued as days flew by and extortions continued. However, Lo Jik’s primary source of accumulated income was no longer his precious Classmates.
No, it was Mo Yan.
While she stayed for longer durations in the Village to focus on her cultivation, she would meet Lo Jik weekly. Since it’s Mo Family’s rental property, they had even more privacy where Lo Jik brought her to new realms of pleasure. Of course, he didn’t earn anything besides making out with her. However, it was a pleasure to witness her gasp and heave with that lurid look on her face and a soaking cunt ready to refine his Gu when the time arrived.
Perhaps he should stop with the ‘Gu’ puns?
Nah.
Naturally, such continuous communion brought Lo Jik Bronze-ranked Gifts every week!
If one is keeping a count, they met 26 times.
It means possible earnings of 26 informative journals, Rare Gu, Rare Materials, and equivalent Primeval Stones!
It was also complicated to manage it all.
His current house is riddled with hidden treasures waiting to be unloaded and laundered within the coming Caravan this year. However, if one counted, he received two more journals. Now more savvy on the ways of Gu Master, he realizes these journals are what one may call ‘Inheritances.’
A Gu Master leaves his wealth surrounded by additional challenges for the destined one to take it all. However, since he only got information and not relevant Gu Worms, those journals can be called Pseudo-Inheritances. He memorized and burned them in the forest, learning about several Gu Recipes ranging from Rank 1 to 3.
Out of the remaining 24 meetings, 4 earned him varying amounts of Primeval Stones—380, 550, 410, and 360.
The remaining 20 meetings split the rewards into Gu Worms and Gu Materials as 4-16 in the latter’s favor.
The materials included several hundred grams of Jade Rocks, clumps of Top Red Soil, more Azure Moonshard, Sour Honeycombs, Kettle Lilies, Spear Bamboo Essence, and so forth. All these materials are rare in Qing Mao Mountain but definitely present.
Last but not the least—Gu Worms.
White Boar Gu, White Boar Gu, Jade Skin Gu, Blood Python Gu.
Yes, there’s a lot to unpack.
Two White Boars? Really?
Lo Jik would be disappointed with his Trait if it wasn’t broken when coupled with a nice woman. A Jade Skin Gu was a welcomed addition—his earlier supply of jade stones used to feed it. The strangest was the Blood Python Gu.
Blood Python Gu is a finger-long blood-red python coiled around the Hope Gu as it often spits its purple tongue, releasing sharp hisses. It doesn’t act like an ordinary Gu by providing an ability to a Gu Master. Instead, the Blood Python Gu feeds on animal blood and acts as a sapient creature under Gu Master’s control.
It’s… a pet?
The most troublesome thing about all this was the management of it.
Lo Jik can’t keep hunting three Boars and feeding three Boar Gu in hiding. He needed a scapegoat—luck.
Like a particular C-grade youth who managed to ‘flower’ Liquor Worm and Mudskin Toad Gu in one sitting, Lo Jik got lucky while practicing his archery on a Boar, retrieving a hidden White Boar Gu trying to catch a fast meal from his kill!
What? Good things can only happen to Fang Yuan, but not Lo Jik?
Still, even if the revelation surprised many, things turned to normalcy with Lo Jik now able to explain his strength of a boar despite possessing the forces of TWO boars—White and Black.
As for feeding them? Lo Jik didn’t bother more than he needed to. He already used them and would sell the third one to Caravan or the highest bidder in the village. Perhaps he can make a business out of it? Truthfully, that thought crossed his mind—to rent the White Boar Gu. However, he doesn’t have enough prestige to pull this off. Besides, the Gu World is perilous. Lo Jik already died twice! How can others guarantee their lives while using his Gu?
He only let Mo Yan use it secretly to further develop their relationship while making her swear that Mo Bei wouldn’t see the light of it. He believed her. Why?
Because he wasn’t dead. If Mo Bei saw the Gu, he’d put two and two together. Lo Jik would be dead meat.
Besides, he only shared the White Boar Gu once she recently reached Upper Stage Rank 2. The sight of her becoming a Peak Stage is not far! Her decision to spend more time on her cultivation has a direct increase at her cultivation’s pace?
That’s groundbreaking news!
So, Lo Jik’s fluid cash is 3689.
Meanwhile, his assets range between 4500-5000, excluding the jade reservoir for the Jade Skin Gu.
Nice, right?
It’s all thanks to Late Cao. Mo Yan focuses on her cultivation while ignoring her brother. Lo Jik only wanted to achieve the former. The Latter? It was a collateral benefit.
‘Aye! Don’t get cocky. It’s game time.’
Lo Jik slowly drains his Primeval Essence.
<<<>>>
Three stages stand proudly within the Academy Grounds, surrounded by an arena meant to house hundreds of viewers, with a specially raised tent area facing the middle stage. Despite the gentle snowfall, every student stands in a straight line with their chests puffed out and their noses slightly red due to the cold. Thick robes and fur collars adorn them, their faces shining with determination to face the future.
All except one.
‘Where is he?’
The Academy Elder frowns. Other students share his confusion. However, unlike the Elder, who worries about his assessment, other students are gleeful!
Gu Yue Lo Jik is missing. How can they not be happy after suffering a year’s worth of injustice? Not only that, the Clan Leader himself is present!
Does Lo Jik want to ruin his future a day before the final exam?
So be it!
They cheer in their hearts.
Academy Elder grits his teeth. A sense of Deja Vu cautions him from sending guards to Lo Jik’s new estate. The last thing the Elder wants on this auspicious day is a bloody drama.
“Continue,” The Elder commands the Gu Master on a chair. She nods, adjusting her hair before calling out, “Gu Yue Jin Zu!”
A nervous girl steps out, walking timidly and placing her hand atop the Gu Master’s extended one. The woman closes her eyes before saying, “Middle Stage Rank 1!”
This is the final assessment.
There are no more rewards-based Cultivation competitions after reaching the Upper Stage. This is the final assessment before they graduate for good.
The woman continues calling names. Most students only have C and D-grade aptitudes. The best ones with C-grade talent, including Lo Jik, only reached the Upper Stage. Meanwhile, the D-grade students remained in the Middle Stages.
“Gu Yue Chi Cheng,” the woman calls.
Shorter than most and quick with his steps—Chi Cheng confidently walks out. The woman inspects his aperture before nodding with a smile. “Peak Stage Rank 1”
“Hmm,” the observing Elders nod. “He is Chi Lian’s Grandson and one of the B-grade seeds. Good!”
A red-haired middle-aged elder, Chi Cheng’s Grandfather, nods with delight in his eyes.
“Gu Yue Mo Bei,” the woman calls out.
Unlike Chi Cheng, Mo Bei is muscular. His short hair stands like pins, and his longer nose gives his features a unique look. He lets the woman inspect his aperture before she nods. “Peak Stage Rank 1!”
Mo Bei smirks, tossing Chi Cheng a challenging look. The boy is happy due to Lo Jik’s absence.
The woman continues calling names until reaching, “Gu Yue Fang Yuan.”
The children turn tense as Fang Yuan steps out, calmly placing his hand over hers. She closes her eyes before snapping them wide open with surprise.
“Peak Stage Rank 1!”
“What?”
“Isn’t he a C-grade?”
“Are you kicked in the head? He has a Liquor Worm and kept squeezing us dry!”
“Tch! That lucky bastard!”
The Elders in the tent nod as one older woman stares at Fang Yuan for a moment longer.
As Fang Yuan returns to his location, Fang Zheng stares intensely at the youth.
‘Today is the day you’ll be forced to accept my brilliance, Elder Brother! I hoped Lo Jik to be present, too.’
Fang Zheng can barely hide his emotions.
He advanced to Rank 2!
His talent defeated the two B-grade students’ Backgrounds and his Elder Brother’s luck!
Before he can say anything, his eyes widen slightly. Not only he, but others intensely stare at one spot. The winter season brings thick morning mist that clouds everything! The Academy holds the ceremony late when the fog thins for others’ comfort. So, every student can see a shadowy figure wobble his way towards them.
He slowly steps into view, sweaty and pale despite the weather. His soft brown hair is cut neat and short, and his well-groomed, chiseled appearance WOULD attract the girls in his class had he not beaten a few till they cried fearfully. He gasps for breath, clutching his chest. Exertion is apparent on his face as everyone stares at him with confusion—including the Elders.
Lo Jik doesn’t speak. Instead, he locates the assessing woman before wobbling over. He doesn’t talk but pants. His eyes look tired, and his body appears weak despite how much muscle he put over the year. When he stands in one spot, barely handing his hand on her, the Elders witness Lo Jik’s head dipping.
Sleep Deprivation!
The seniors instantly understand the cause. However, how long did he stay up to possess such intense symptoms?
It must be known the last ten days were free for the students, and they could do anything they wanted.
A shocking thought appears in the Academy Elder’s mind.
‘Did he stay up for ten days? Is that boy crazy!’ His heart shudders. Long-term closed-door cultivation sessions don’t matter to the elders since they have the experience and know how to prepare. However, Lo Jik? How can he have the relevant Gu worm to manage excrement and feeding as they cultivate?
“Peak Stage Rank 1!”
The woman gasps in surprise, making others shocked.
A tired smirk appears on Lo Jik’s face as he loses his footing, falling face-first into the woman’s soft bosom and taking her down with him.
“Ha… hahaha… hahahaha!”
A weak chuckle fills the atmosphere before falling silent soon as soft snores replace those previous weak chuckles of utmost determination and stubbornness.
The woman under Lo Jik feels shocked, but she doesn’t move. There’s a look of understanding on her face as she cannot help but gently brush the boy’s face, noting how peaceful he looks after achieving his crazy ambitions.
A complex emotion appears on the Elders’ faces as they resonate with those weak chuckles.
‘When we give our all and achieve our goals, even the weakest voice thunders the loudest!’
‘That boy… He left a deep mark on my Grandson,’ Mo Chen exclaims in his heart, not knowing what other marks he left on his Granddaughter. ‘I can see why.’
“He’s Peak Stage?” Mo Bei’s expression grows ugly. Even Fang Zheng is in a daze. That struggling form allowed him to learn something new about Lo Jik.
‘That’s right,’ Gu Yue Bo nods. ‘Behind that arrogance and sadism against his class is a pure soul willing to give his all. He sacrificed sleep and comfort for growth. Even if his growth stops, he won’t and will continue to provide service for the clan to achieve more resources.’
‘Damn. I thought the coordinator’s breasts just looked soft. But they ARE soft!’
Now, Lo Jik only wants one thing—Oscar Gu!
After all, his acting revealed everything they would want to know. He always had resources in the form of extortion, and now he spent days—risking permanent injuries to achieve his goals.
It’s a game-set match!
He hears Gu Yue Bo's command. “Carry him away. Make sure his rest isn’t disturbed. Carry on with the assessment.”
<<<>>>
The Next Day.
Gu Masters and other Gu Yue Clansmen filtered into the arena. Hundreds of them gathered in a spot, watching ahead in anticipation. The Yearly Competition is as critical to the clan as the Awakening ceremony since the latter represents the first stage of seed planted into the soil. Meanwhile, the former represents a magnificent tree bearing fruits!
It has a deep meaning.
To bear fruit.
Why would the Clan invest resources into the Gu Masters, feeding them with knowledge and experience?
There are no free meals in this world.
If one assumes the Clan as an independent identity, all its members, including the Clan Leader, are its employees. The Academy Students are Trainee Interns. Why does a company raise and invest in interns? To make them usable in the Company’s operations.
All the Gu Masters merely stand in different positions of workload.
The Graduates are no longer unrestricted after the competition.
“Look, there’s Gu Yue Qing Shu! The number one Rank 2 Gu Master of our Clan!”
A green-haired, elegant-looking man attracts everybody’s attention as he walks with a tomboyish female companion. The man with flowing green locks nods and smiles, remaining humble despite the array of praises.
“Isn’t she Gu Yue Mo Yan in the front? I heard she already reached Upper Stage Rank 2 cultivation!”
Mo Yan occupies the front seat, revealing a flat expression. Her features look slightly more angular, unlike her peers, including her nose. But none denies her charm and skills. She ignores the whispers and chatters and focuses on two youths standing by the arena. One of them is a slightly shorter dark-haired youth. Her brother, Mo Bei.
And the other one…
‘I can’t believe that crazy bastard stopped me from coming to risk his life like that!’ Mo Yan seethes. However, who doesn’t admire the growth of such stature? Her anger is merely a mask to get him to… shower her with his affection.
The woman hurriedly thinks of other things lest she gets a reason to clench her thighs!
“Her cultivation is just like Gu Yue Chi Shan now. Look, he’s standing there.”
Unlike Qing Shu’s amicable approach and Mo Yan’s crowd, a half-naked, towering, bulky man carved out of pure muscles stands alone. He possesses red hair that sticks back like needles. His skin exudes incredible warmth as he only wears his dark trousers. His skin is seemingly perpetually flushed with rushing blood.
This man is Upper Stage Rank 2 Chi Shan!
The man boldly stands beside the front seat, crossing his arms.
These three individuals represent the peak of Rank 2 cultivation in Gu Yue Village.
The crowd watches as Gu Yue Bo presides over his seat, making a short speech filled with so much propaganda that Lo Jik would be forced to interrupt had they been in the classroom. The excitement reaches higher when Gu Yue Mo Chen and Chi Lian join the viewing stage beside Gu Yue Bo and other elders since they lead different groups of Elders.
The competition begins—57 Students, One Champion!
“Damn you, Lo Jik!” His first opponent hisses indignantly. “I’ll take revenge for everything you did to me! We can use Gu worms at this stage!”
‘I know, bud.’
Lo Jik calmly walks over as the Gu Master hurriedly shoots Moonblade, only for Lo Jik to evade them with such ease that it terrifies the opponent—of what’s to come!
“Hiee! I give up!”
The boy quickly throws in the towel once his Primeval Sea runs short.
“What was that?”
“Hey, are they cheating?”
“Wait, another girl gave up!”
Since there are three stages, the audience can view upto three matches.
However, they soon noticed a few fights shorter than usual as the opponent would give up.
“Hmph!” one of the men growls indignantly. “Those two are Gu Yue Fang Yuan and Lo Jik. They bullied the class year-round, extorting the student’s stipend! My boy never returned with his full stipend!”
“Such a thing?!”
“Amazing! I wish I had that idea!”
“You bastard!”
“What? I said I wish I did. It’s not like I did it.”
Some fights excite the crowd as a girl, and Gu Yue Mo Bei commits to a great martial arts throwdown.
“Whoa! Are they already so good at fighting? This batch is good! I mush have some in my group.”
“Hmm, this batch is promising.”
Indeed, that’s the truth. After graduating, one MUST choose a team of Gu Masters to grow in, completing missions and fostering an environment of camaraderie.
In other terms, the Company named ‘Clan’ presents limited career options for the trainees to select.
“Chi Cheng! Fight me like a man!”
Chi Cheng darts around the stage with an incredible jumping power as he laughs.
“Why don’t you man up and learn to hit?”
“Curse you!”
“Ah!” One of the spectators points at Lo Jik’s stage, noting a weirder interaction.
“Ow! Ow! I’m sorry!” A girl cries weakly as Lo Jik drags her through her ponytail. Mo Yan immediately bites her bottom lip at this sight. Her thighs surreptitiously close together as her body works up since she didn’t get her usual ‘dosage’ of the tongue this week.
They watch Lo Jik toss her off the stage as one of them gasps. “Ah! How could I forget? He was lucky to find the White Boar Gu, right? His strength isn’t something the children from the academy can counter.”
And on another stage—
Fang Yuan kicks a boy in such a way that he immediately pukes blood and passes out.
Vicious!
***
Alternate Title: Finals; Another Lucky C-Grade; Wealth!; Treasures! Treasures Everywhere; Trait Too OP, Please Nerf; The Finals; Assessment; A Deja Vu; Testing Cultivation; Proud Gu Masters; A Wobbly Figure; A Story of Determination and Utter Conviction in Minutes!; Yes, Falling On Big Titty Onee-San Was Part of The Plan; A Weak Laugh Thunders; Lo Jik WILL Refine Immortal Oscar Gu One Of These Days; The Big Three!; MHA Insert?; Making OUt Give Treasures; Name Spread Far and Wide; The Competition; Clan System; Mo Yan Wants Her Hair Pulled, Too!; The Strength of Boar x2!; Go Even Beyond!; Chi Shan Flashes His Poking Man-Nipples (It’s Cold Outside); Vicious Students; Top-Notch Batch