7. Trait Assembles
“You insolent fool!”
Mo Yan shivers as her Grandfather’s roar resounds past his study, echoing in the Mo Family’s courtyard. Mo Chen is undeniably pissed at how things transpired. He points his index finger at her, loudly berating Mo Yan. It’s already night, but not many can sleep.
“How dare you disregard my commands?! Did I not tell you to stay out of this? Have you grown so bold? Answer me when I’m talking with you!”
Mo Yan yelps, nodding, “I’m sorry, Grandfather. It’s all Mo Yan’s fault—”
“Who else is at fault?!” Veins bulge around Mo Chen’s temples. “Stop parroting the same damn thing constantly. Do you not understand the gravity of your actions and how lucky we were? Open your eyes, Mo Yan!”
The woman hesitates, “Is it about Gu Yue Fang Zheng?
“Him?” Mo Chen sneers. “He was merely a pawn. I see. You do not understand what happened. Let me open your eyes, foolish Granddaughter. How did the Academy Elder arrive not a moment after Gao Wan stopped beating Fang Zheng? Why did he kill Gao Wan, not allowing that scum to explain his actions? The Clan Leader accepted Fang Zheng under his wing, and the boy didn’t know it. He keeps other elders and factions from approaching Fang Zheng, letting him cultivate peacefully. Yet, the Academy Elder, who favors the Leader’s faction, did not stop Gao Wan from beating Fang Zheng. Why?”
Mo Yan’s eyes briefly widen as she understands the situation.
“To suppress the Mo Family.”
“Wrong!” Mo Chen hollers. “To EXTORT us!”
Mo Yan’s expression freezes as the Elder supplants. “The Mo and Chi Families balance each other. The Clan Leader does not want the Chi Family to use this mess as an excuse to suppress us. He indirectly demanded a small fortune from the Mo Family to provide assistance.”
The Elder collapses in his chair, massaging his head. His tone and expression soften as he notices the complicated look in his Granddaughter’s eyes.
“Sigh, Yan. Even if you don’t want to think for the Family, think of your Brother. Taking a step back from the rule of seniors not interfering in the junior’s confrontations, what do you think will happen when Mo Bei’s classmates learn his Sister came forward to cover for him. Kids their age are prideful. How will Mo Bei feel and react when his rival from the Chi Family uses that to suppress your Brother?”
Mo Yan’s expression darkens as Mo Chen shakes his head.
“We can’t change what happened, but we must take precautions. Answer me, what should we do with Gao Wan’s family?”
Mo Yan momentarily contemplates. “We should execute them since Gao Wan is already painted as a traitor.”
It’s the harsh reality of this world. Gu Masters lord over mortals and only individuals with the surname Gu Yue can follow the path of Gu Masters in the Gu Yue Village.
“That would be the case ordinarily,” Mo Chen scoffs. “However, our family is under harsh judgment. We will compensate his family with 50 primeval stones before exiling them out of the village.”
Mo Yan’s gaze flickers as she questions softly, “What about Fang Zheng, Fang Yuan, and… Lo Jik?”
“Hmph, so you can still think about atoning for your actions. You’re correct in thinking that fulfilling the Clan Leader’s punishment won’t do you any good until the Mo Family sincerely compensates the affected party. The victim of your ignorance is Fang Zheng. I have some impression of his uncle, and aside from reimbursing for the healing of his injuries, a fair sum of 400 Primeval stones should shut him up. Meanwhile, Fang Yuan was the least troubled party. He will also earn a minor boon, so I will have a servant deliver 30 Primeval stones to the academy dorm.”
Mo Yan quietly nods.
“Sigh. You should be thankful for that boy, Lo Jik. Our Family stood to lose more than I had to ‘gift’ the Clan Leader. He is also the reason why your punishment is so minor. He is your greatest benefactor of the day. What do you think we should do?”
Her Grandfather’s intense glare pins her on the spot as she swallows a lump in her throat.
“Give me a chance to show my sincerity, Grandfather,” Mo Yan stammers. “Gu Yue Lo Jik will lose 15 stones due to my actions. However, he is my benefactor. I shall reimburse him ten times that amount—I will pay it out of my savings for Fang Zheng and Fang Yuan, too.”
Mo Chen’s expression finally eases. However, his granddaughter isn’t done. The recollection of the youth’s proud back distracts her again. “This Mo Yan is set to change. You have always been kind to me, yet I let my temper dictate my actions. Grandfather, I shall personally deliver the compensation to Gu Yue Lo Jik and apologize for the trouble I have caused.”
Mo Chen blinks in surprise.
Yet, he calms down after thinking about it again. Mo Yan was dangerously close to a mission that may as well be a partial exile. It’s hard for someone to not rethink their life choices.
Mo Chen’s gaze betrays his pride as he nods.
“Good,” he replies flatly. “Now leave. After you’re done with your missions, expect to stay in confinement on family grounds for a week. Also, you won’t meet Bei’er until you endure all these punishments.”
“I understand,” Mo Yan sighs sadly and leaves the study.
<<<>>>
‘I wonder if it worked a little,’ Lo Jik toys with a stone while staring at his ceiling. The short duration of his stay in this world allowed Lo Jik to learn that the tone of pick-up lines in this culture is—cheese! The heavier he lays it, the better. Though, it will take time for Lo Jik to not feel cringy. After all, if he pulled such a stunt in his homeworld, he would be branded a pathetic creep 9/10 times.
He still isn’t sure if it worked, so he will have to wait.
‘What a day,’ he exhales. ‘I should start cultivating.’
He will consume 2 Primeval stones every night during his cultivation. His sessions might be longer than others. For instance, one primeval stone has enough essence to fill an Initial Stage Rank 1 Gu Master’s Aperture completely. Lo Jik can cultivate his apertures roughly twice using two stones since his limit peaks at 48% instead of 100. However, time passes in the blink of an eye when cultivating. Each session roughly takes him 30-40 minutes, and by the time he’s done, it’s already midnight, leaving Lo Jik exhausted.
He wishes he could find a Gu worm to sustain him and substitute sleep so that he can cultivate more.
Maybe he’ll find one someday.
He smiles and sits up.
*Knock-Knock*
*Knock-Knock*
‘What now?’ Lo Jik groans and gets out of the bed. He merely opens his door for a shallow peak, blinking in surprise when he sees a familiar figure standing at his rundown doorsteps. Her gaze meets his as she raises an eyebrow, not speaking anything until Lo Jik slowly opens the door completely, allowing Mo Yan a glance into his luxurious deck, refurbished with a barebones mattress and bamboo shelf to keep his tidy whites from public view.
“Senior Mo,” Lo Jik nods slowly, letting apprehension filter into his voice as Mo Yan works her jaws.
“May I enter your house?” She questions, feeling her cheeks heat up. It’s not embarrassing for her to enter an opposite gender’s house. However, it’s unusual for Mo Family’s princess to ask for someone’s permission.
“No,” Lo Jik closes the door, surprising Mo Yan. He doesn’t return to his cabin and steps forward, almost hitting Mo Yan until she steps back with a scowl.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t think it’s right for Senior Mo to enter my house this late in the night,” Lo Jik explains quietly. “There’s some privacy in the grove behind my cabin, Senior Mo.”
Mo Yan chews her lips in frustration before nodding. Anybody aware of her character will gape if they see her like this.
She follows Lo Jik as he strolls behind his cabin into a cleared space where Mo Yan notices half-cut bamboo shoots, making her recall Lo Jik’s claim of building and repairing his home. A part of her has a sick need to joke about his financial situation. Yet the woman feels she will lose something important she gained in a few moments when watching his back cover her from every blame and doubt.
They stop near a small spring with a few large rocks around it. Lo Jik looks around before nodding at her. The two did not exchange a single word during the entire passage. Silence reigns between them, allowing the cricketing insects and rustling bamboo leaves to echo in the clearing. Fireflies buzz around, reflecting their glow on the calm spring surface.
She keeps staring at the boy. His short hair makes him look unrefined. His robes are worn and patched, and his features aren’t over-the-top either. However, she admits he looks remotely better than many in her faction. He is also slightly smaller than her, but Mo Yan knows enough about biology to understand that the youth almost her height will shoot past her any day now.
“Why do you bully my Brother?” Mo Yan questions after regaining her wits.
“I need Primeval stones,” Lo Jik replies sincerely.
“How dare you extort my brother?!” Anger flashes in her gaze. Her blue battle dress still retains signs of her struggle in the world beyond their village, making her appear fiercer than usual as Lo Jik meets her gaze, pressing his already questionable luck with as much cheese as he can grind.
“I don’t expect you to understand, Senior Mo. My inexcusable actions aren’t—”
“Answer. Me.” She demands drily.
“I don’t know how I dare extort anyone,” Lo Jik glances away. “If they surround me tomorrow and rob me, I know I wouldn’t hate them. I suppose I’m holding them upto the same standard.”
“That’s no excuse!” Mo Yan grits her teeth. The need to find justice for her brother contradicts everything she feels after the evening. The sight of her brother’s badly bruised face collides with the image of the enduring back who stood for her.
“I said it’s inexcusable,” Lo Jik glances at her again. “Senior Mo, I did what I needed to because I lacked resources for cultivation. I don’t regret my choices. If your brother continues resisting, I will keep applying pressure.”
“I should bury you right now!” Mo Yan hisses. She was—IS wrong. What she felt could not be honest. Lo Jik is a no-good, poor son of a bitch!
As she tries to keep it together, she notices a look of sincere hurt appearing in Lo Jik’s eyes after her words. He tries hiding it, but his bitter smile betrays his emotions, stunning Mo Yan’s fury. Regaining her temper, she looks away. Unbelievably, she offers him support. “I’m told it was wrong to step between your issues in the Academy. However, if it’s money you need—”
“I don’t NEED money,” he looks at the pouch on her waist. “I want it for cultivation. However, I lived without it for 15 years already. It’s a luxury for me. My needs…” He shakes his head. “Senior Mo, if you’re here to make me apologize, I don’t have any. And I can’t let up now since five weeks of my stipend are gone, too.”
“I came here to compensate you,” Mo Yan snorts, patting the pouch on her waist.
“Why?” Lo Jik frowns.
“Because,” Mo Yan stammers, unable to meet his gaze as she feels butterflies in her stomach. Many men have competed for her favor before since she’s Mo Family’s Young Miss, but Mo Yan’s never seen someone stand up for her in her darkest hour.
“... you spoke for me.”
“Oh,” he blinks. “I don’t need any compensation for that.”
Her head whips in his direction. “What? Isn’t money the reason you extort others? I’m handing you 150 Primeval stones.”
“Senior Mo,” Lo Jik frowns. “I didn’t risk my neck for you for money.”
Mo Yan’s expression slightly changes as he purses his lips.
“Do you look down on me and my family?” She snarls. “It’s a fair compensation. Gao Wan did nothing to you—”
“I don’t need your money!” Lo Jik snaps at her.
“What do you need?!” The woman barks back as he stares at her.
“I need someone like Senior Mo in my life,” Lo Jik suppresses the cringe. He’s come so far—he WILL bag it! “I told our Patriarch the same. I need someone who stands up for me.”
Exhaling sharply as Mo Yan’s expression falters, Lo Jik adds, “It’s late, Senior Mo. You should leave alongside your compensation.”
Her lips quiver when she notes the hint of disdain in his tone. He refuses to look at her as Mo Yan clenches her fists. What was she expecting to achieve by coming here against her better judgment? How will a pauper ingrate like him who dared hurt her brother ever have someone in his life? He’s a pathetic man who does not even have a better pair of sandals, letting cold mud slip between his soles and sandals at such a chilly hour.
He doesn’t NEED money?
His very existence needs it! He needs new clothes, a roof, shoes, and cultivation resources.
How dare he act so unreasonable?
Mo Yan’s expression stiffens.
It’s wrong to even think about THAT!
Another bout of silence ensues around them as Mo Yan steps forward and unstraps the pouch from her waist.
“I won’t take it, Senior Mo.”
“You must,” Mo Yan asserts, making him take a step back. He coincidentally steps against the boulder, promptly cornered by Mo Yan as he hides his hands behind his back.
“Your hands!” She demands.
“I don’t need your money. Don’t insult my actions!” Lo Jik snaps as Mo Yan bites her bottom lip, shouting, “Take it! Stop being so stubborn!”
It would be easy to threaten him through her Gu worms. However, she can’t.
“It doesn’t matter what you need,” Mo Yan yells. “A no-good bastard like you can barely afford your living. How do you expect to find someone who loves you?!”
“Who are you to say that?” Lo Jik shouts agitatedly. “Leave, Mo Yan! You’re not welcome. You’re being unreasonable!”
“Shut up,” Mo Yan stuffs the pouch inside his robe, grabbing his collars and pressing him against the rock. She hisses with her eyes reddening, “You had no right to speak for me! Who are you to beg the Clan Leader for lowering my punishment?!”
“I—” breath catches in Lo Jik’s throat before his hands return to their positions. His expression falters. “I’m nothing. At that moment, I thought—How lucky Mo Bei is to have you. I wish I’m fortunate enough to be with someone as unreasonable as Senior Mo—”
“Mo Yan!” she urges. “Like before, call me Mo Yan.”
Lo Jik takes a moment to regather himself before dropping a silk-clad bomb. “I wish— no. I NEED someone like you, Mo Yan. When I am something. When I have a better roof, sandals, and clothes.”
She takes a deep breath and frees his collar.
“What will change when you have all those things?” Mo Yan sneers. “I’m Mo Yan. Do you think there is another Gu Yue Mo Yan? You’re just a toad lusting after a swan’s flesh.”
He stares at her before pulling the pouch stuffed in his robe and tossing it at her face. She blinks in surprise as the hefty bag lightly hits her while Lo Jik mutters, “Just leave.”
The cloth pouch falls onto the damp ground as Mo Yan stands in her spot.
“Or else?” She raises a brow, barely keeping her voice from quivering.
“Or else Mo Bei won’t be your greatest source of worry,” Lo Jik smiles plainly. “Please, Senior Mo.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow for a mission,” Mo Yan whispers. “It will take me more than a week. I’ll return before the caravan.”
Lo Jik inclines his head as the woman continues. “So, you will have time to forget this ever happened.”
She leans forward, bringing her lips down upon Lo Jik’s. Her breath hitches when his hands land on her waist instinctively. Her eyes widen as he leans forward and takes the initiative to kiss her instead. Mo Yan closes her eyes, ignoring her mind and letting her unreasonable love set her path. The night does not feel so chilly anymore as she feels confident in her appraisal. He didn’t want her wealth until the very end.
He didn’t need it.
He needed her.
<<<>>>
[Mo Yan’s First Kiss (Silver): Took Mo Yan’s First Kiss. Parties Involved—Host, Gu Yue Mo Yan. Rewards Stored.]
[A Taboo Makeout (Bronze/Repeatable): Made out with Mo Yan. Parties Involved—Host, Gu Yue Mo Yan. Rewards Stored.]
Lo Jik stares at the prompts only visible to him as he tosses the money pouch before catching it.
Guess who got a sugar mommy?
To be honest, Lo Jik knows he pushed his limits here. If he let such a prime target get away, Mo Yan will get a chance to calm down and reconsider her options. However, Lo Jik identified what would make her anxious and used it to mark a lasting impression on her.
He snickers while wondering which reward he should retrieve first.
His Trait’s reward system is straightforward.
He can store the rewards until he achieves the same task again, which will override the previous prize. For example, he has a repeatable achievement—A Taboo Makeout. Lo Jik can earn this achievement once a day. However, he will lose the bronze-ranked reward if he doesn’t retrieve it before making out with her the next day.
‘I wonder what types of reward I will get.’
The earnings from his Trait are usually inclined around his partners. He recalls how he got the same autographed guitar from one of the lesser-known singers. Yes, he can get the same reward multiple times. His Trait seems to copy an item in existence before granting it to him, so he isn’t stealing anything.
The only item he cannot receive is something in another individual’s possession. It gets tricky because Lo Jik isn’t aware of all the rules.
What does another’s possession signify?
An item’s receipt?
Something present in one’s household?
Or mere acknowledgment from someone about their property?
It’s simply too diverse!
Lo Jik would always think about it until he realized how stupid it was to waste his time on such thoughts.
His Trait gets him goodies by having sexual experiences with others—and he pondered on its ways instead of achieving said experiences! Oh. What a fool he was!
Shaking his head, Lo Jik straightens his back and accepts the ascending order of retrieving his rewards.
Bronze Reward!
A mere thought invokes a soft white orb of light mere inches from his forehead before it releases a ‘pop’ sound, letting a tiny, pitch-black ladybug fall from the space onto Lo Jik’s lap. The youth slowly picks up the ladybug, being gentle about it as he observes it.
A Gu worm.
His breathing turns hurried as Lo Jik studies the creature before his eyes pop open!
A Rank 1 Black Boar Gu?!
The first thing Lo Jik does—is mentally note its worldly value to gauge the level of rewards in this world.
‘I see. The Bronze Achievements should net me rewards valued between 500-600 stones. In rare cases, I might get that much cash instead.’
It happened before, too. However, cash in the previous world had serial numbers, and Lo Jik couldn’t use the copies.
Here?
Lo Jik can use cash on his cultivation!
Thinking for a moment, Lo Jik extends his essence into the Gu worm to sense how resistant the Gu worm is to getting refined—
It’s refined instantly.
Lo Jik works his jaws.
‘If something from within me created its copy… I should have known it won’t resist my will,’ He narrows his eyes, quietly storing the Black Boar Gu into his aperture before thinking about the Silver Achievement.
‘Usually, the net difference in the rewards increases as one goes higher on the scale. I used to get Bronze-Ranked prizes worth 300 Federation Credits. Meanwhile, the Silver-Ranked rewards were anywhere between 3000-8000 Credits. However, the Golden-Ranked achievements net me items that couldn’t be valued through the credits due to their rare origins. Almost all of them were relics from museums and were considered invaluable. Finally, the Platinum Achievement decided to fuck with everything, giving me the most potent glass canon in the defensive category.’
He takes a deep breath.
Even if he can get things, it won’t be so easy. Lo Jik undoubtedly values Mo Yan more than others since he has a repeatable achievement with her. He doubts he can achieve the same with others of his age.
He quietly watches a strange Gu materialize and rest on his lap.
Its shape is broadly circular and is surrounded by green copper vines, releasing a slightly ancient aura. Its body glimmers green copper, too. While Lo Jik knows it’s a Rank 1 Gu worm, he fails to recognize it instantly.
He could name the Black Boar Gu since the Academy Elder spoke extensively about it.
‘I can always ask around,’ Lo Jik narrows his eyes. He refines the Gu worm and adjusts his mental state to cultivate—something a restless, young woman fails to do as she covers her heated face with sheets.
***
Alternate Title: Clan Head’s Scheme; Leverage on Mo Family; A Reasonable Mo Yan? *Thanos: Impossible*; Compensating; Scared Mo Bei; Correction: Mo Bei’s Bully Slaps Him Then Kisses His Sister; Mo Bei Living a Nightmare; The Cheese Is Real; Lo Jik Will Lay An Ocean of Cheese If It Gets Him What He Wants; Unfettered By Cringe; A Hot Rom-Drama; Confusing The Confused!; Lo Jik Masters Gaslighting Gu; Earning Compensation; *Narrator Voice* The Do Not Forget About What Happened In The Woods; Achievements; Sugar Mommy Acquired; Repeatable Quest; Bronze Alone Is OP! Please Nerf!; Black Boar Gu; Another Gu Worm; Stronks!; Mr. Strongman!; Gu Yue Lo Jik About To Milk More Silver Achievements From The Symbol of Unreasonable Purity!