Gu Xuanming was sitting by himself in his room, letting his mind settle, when he heard a knock at the door.
Knock.
Knock.
“Your servant has arrived with a support package.”
Gu Xuanming glanced at the door.
It was Lin Suwen.
‘Finally…’
Standing up, he walked to the door, unlocked it, and slid it open.
On the other side was her, holding the support package for this month in one hand with his schedule on top of it, and a basin in the other.
She was always dressed beautifully, with a yellow robe and a white strapless dress with flat shoes.
She also had her hair held high into a bun.
Despite his disinterest in Lin Suwen, she was a perfect servant.
She has been serving him ever since he was 9 years old and has learned what he likes and doesn’t like.
She knew the foods he liked, he didn’t like, and what he was allergic to.
She also knew how tight he wanted his clothes.
It was like training a dog to obey commands, only she knew exactly what was needed to.
She set the support package down and helped Gu Xuanming, stripping him of his clothes and scrubbing his body for him with the rag she brought along.
At the same time, Gu Xuanming was reading a message scroll sent to him along with the package by his father.
Lin Suwan gently placed her fingers on his leg as she scrubbed him down.
She even went as far as to ‘accidentally’ press her plump breasts on his body when she had to get close.
When standing behind Gu Xuanming, she smirked, deep down thinking about how she could seduce him.
In her mind, Gu Xuanming was simply a tough nut to crack, not uninterested.
She was ogled by many boys who wanted her body; there was no way her master would not want the same.
Right?
Gu Xuanming read the note and it explained that he would be given a monthly allowance of 800 primordial stones!
His father had written that he will receive immense support since he is a B grade talent and that if he desires, he can ask one thing of his father.
He can also ask for a servant change or a concubine if he wishes.
He is also being given his father’s old robes and tunics that he had worn when he was a junior in the Northern Plains.
These clothes have been woven with fabric that makes them act like armor, so he will be extra protected from anyone who attempts to hurt him.
Lin Suwen opened the package and pulled out the casual robe.
It came with a red long-sleeved shirt and with a black robe over it.
He then slipped into his slippers and then he had his hair brushed by his servant.
As that happened, he looked through his package, finding the primordial stones within.
“Perfect…”
“Young Master Xuanming.”
He looked behind him to see his servant with a gentle smile on her face, her mask of deception.
“Your servant would like to spend the day with other servants in the village.
Are you willing to allow me a day off?” She spoke with gentle deception, trying to soothe her way into his heart.
‘How lucky.
I won’t have to deal with her for a day.’
“Very well, you may have your day off.” Gu Xuanming said, turning his back again.
“Your servant thanks you for your generosity!”
‘Sure…’
After she finished combing his hair, she would leave shortly after, waving her master goodbye.
Gu Xuanming felt nothing, his expression cold as usual.
He took a step outside, looking to his right to see his brother stepping out too, only his servant was with him.
Nangong Xuanhe could immediately sense his brother’s stare, looking to his right to see his brother.
His expression soured with envy and anger.
Yet at the same time, he tried to calm himself, trying to redirect his anger towards the heavens for allowing such things to happen in the first place.
“…let’s go.” He stormed off, almost leaving his servant behind.
Gu Xuanming made his way over to the dining hall, which was really just a large and long pavilion, with many mats and tables for people to sit and dine.
There were also chefs nearby in the building that were cooking breakfast for any approaching disciples of the sect.
Gu Xuanming took his seat with the other disciples.
It had his breakfast, which was eggs and meat, a nice blend with some spices as well.
‘No pill was in the package, unfortunately.
That means I will have to find one at the market.
But my father did put some restrictions on certain things you can sell, so the clean market may not have it.
‘Thankfully, I know where the black market is.
Well, at least a way to get to it.’
The Black Market, an event in which people would dare go against the words of a cultivator.
They would sell items that people could only dream of selling.
Forbidden artifacts.
Abandoned recipes.
Captured spirit beasts, something considered illegal.
All of the things, but since it was illegal, this meant you needed to go through a certain network in order to find it.
Gu Xuanming had heard of this network during one of his visits to the inn in the village, a large building that sold liquor and food as well as had rooms that one could buy.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t listen any longer because they left.
Ever since that day, he’s been thinking about it and now, today was the day, he may use it.
Looking around, he noticed a few familiar faces.
Zhao Cangsheng, as usual, was practically being worshiped by everyone around him.
“Have you broken through yet, sect brother?” A disciple asked.
“Hahaha!
No, no, not yet.
Although, with the map of the meridians, it should be easy.
Obviously, I will be getting first place.”
Hearing him say that, Gu Xuanming thought about the positions.
Before, he saw no point in the challenge.
To him, it was just conditioning a dog to act a certain way, but now that he thought about it, he wondered if he should try to get at least second place.
He didn’t want to stand out so he could cultivate in peace, but you could never have too many primordial stones.
Many rich kids would often hold confidence in the amount of stones they possessed, thinking they didn’t need the extra stones, but not Gu Xuanming.
To him, there was no such thing as too many stones.
Every stone was equally valuable and must be taken.
‘What do I do?’
He pondered his situation, unsure if he wanted to stand out or not.
In the end, he decided that wherever happened, happened.
If he got first, second, or third palace, so be it, if not, then so what?
Putting the bowel down, he walked off and left the campus.
Stepping through the gate, he was greeted to the sight of a single long path that stretched deep into the wilderness.
“Young Master, do you intend to leave?” A guard asked.
Gu Xuanming looked at him with cold eyes.
“Yes.” He said.
He refused to elaborate any further and tread the path that would lead him to the village.
At the same time, Nangong Xuanhe had a jar of wine with him.
He was alone in the woods, traveling into land that was a death zone without knowing.
“Damn it!” He chugged down the bottle, attempting to wash away his heart demons.
He couldn’t stand thinking of his brother, or Zhao Cangshen, or anyone around B grade for that batter.
He was sick of them!
All he wanted was to be at the same level of his brother, yet he couldn’t even do that!
When he tried to open his meridians, he couldn’t help but feel immense pain, only to learn that it is common to feel pain when opening meridians, but only for C grade talents and lower.
Those B and higher did not feel such pain, at best a tingle.
How was that fair!?
He worked endlessly, researching anything he could get his hands on just so he could match his brother, yet now as he stood, he was nothing more than a washed-up cultivator.
He stormed through the woods, crying tears of anguish, unable to contain his sadness any longer.
He screamed into the wild, alerting the birds to his presence as they soared into the sky.
He dropped to his knees, feeling like the world was crushing him.
Growl…
Nangong Xuanhe immediately froze!
A growl came from behind.
He slowly turned his head, not wanting to make sudden movement.
Once he did, he would gaze upon a spirit beast; a tiger with white fur and yellow stripes, with feet like clouds, and an aura like lightning.
“Gaaaaah!” Nangong Xuanhe immediately ran off, sprinting like never before!
‘Why me!
Why meeeee!’
He shouted deep in his heart, throwing his jar behind him!
The jar cracked and the wine coated the beast’s face.
It roared in anger, the shockwave released from such a roar like thunder!
The wave threw him off his feet and the sound nearly deafened him, a ringing noise piercing his mind.
But Nangong Huanhe refused to stop.
He couldn’t die here!
Not now!
He still needed to surpass his brother!
Yet his heart demons wanted to mock him for his weakness.
Deep in his heart, he didn’t believe those words.
He knew he couldn’t surpass his brother.
Gu Xuanming was always one step ahead of him.
In his studies.
In his arts.
In his language.
In his crafts.
In his mathematics.
Everything!
The only thing he had against his brother was age, and that wasn’t even something noteworthy.
‘Please heavens, let me live!’
‘I’m sorry!’
He shouted internally at the bottom of his heart.
And in this distraction, the ground disappeared.
“Wha…?”
Looking down, he realized he had accidentally run off a cliff.
Time seemed to slow until it came to a halt.
He could hear the birds from afar, smell the earthly scent, feeling the blowing wind against his face, all in the milliseconds his mind had gone into overdrive.
When time resumed, he began falling.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”
He screamed echoed across the entire forest!
He begged to the heavens for mercy!
Mercy!
His tears had become uncontrollable!
His heart pounded out of his chest!
‘Is this…how it ends…?’
“I don’t want to die!”
No one was around to hear his cries.
…
Gu Xuanming had reached Gue Ming village after a long walk, approaching the gates that were guarded by 4 guards.
They were about to approach Gu Xuanming, but when he got closer, they immediately recognized who he was, straightening themselves.
They wouldn’t dare question the son of the strongest cultivator in their village, let alone confront a boy on the path to godhood.
He walked past the guards, entering into the village and glancing around.
The place was lively and filled with many residents.
There were stands stationed near the gate and all around the village.
This was because people were waiting for the young masters to come buy and indeed they did.
Class started in the afternoon, so it was a good time to buy any resources you may need for cultivation.
He recognized a few random faces he had seen from his lecture yesterday, buying qi pills and farm resources.
‘That’s a spirit root.’
Spirit roots came from trees that were infused with Ziran Qi.
With it, one could either create a powerful elixir, or they could consume it raw, which actually helped with one’s health.
Gu Xuanming strolled around, searching for any pills that may help him.
He listened intently, letting every voice enter his ear so he could pick up any clues.
‘…it seems there aren’t any.’
‘I guess I’m not too surprised.
One of the restrictions was that you could not sell any substances that may interfere with meridians.
I guess interfering also means opening them.’
‘No matter, I can still search for it on the black market.
Although, I will need to find the network first and I can’t spend too much time here.’
‘I need to be at the lecture soon.’
‘Gu Xuanming thought to himself, contemplating how to use his time.
He wasn’t sure how long he would have to wait until something about the black market came up, and he didn’t wish to get distracted.
If he kept focusing on the time, he may miss valuable intel, but if he focused too much on gathering intel, he may miss class and knowledge was power.
He still needed to understand how cultivation works.
With a sigh, he left the market, choosing the head back to the sect for class first, then come back and head to the Inn.