Chapter 9

The sun was setting, but it had not yet fully disappeared.

The sky still had some light, but everything seemed to be shrouded in a layer of gray. Looking out the window, the distant mountains were gradually turning a heavy black.

The living room was dimly lit, and Uncle and Aunt sat in the main seats, their faces and expressions obscured by shadows, making them hard to see clearly.

Seeing the two jars of wine that Fang Yuan had brought, Uncle Gu Yue frowned and said, "Time flies, you are already fifteen years old. You both have the potential to be insect masters, especially Fang Zheng. Uncle and Aunt are proud of you. I will give each of you six essence stones. You two take them. Cultivating insect spirits consumes a lot of true essence, and these essence stones will be useful to you."

As he spoke, a servant came over and gave each of the brothers, Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng, a small bag.

Fang Yuan put away the bag and remained silent.

Fang Zheng immediately opened the bag and saw six oval, grayish-white essence stones inside. His face immediately showed gratitude, and he stood up from his seat, bowing to Uncle and Aunt, "Thank you, Uncle and Aunt. Nephew needs essence stones to replenish true essence. You have raised me to this age, and I will never forget your kindness!"

Uncle smiled and nodded.

Aunt quickly waved her hand and said to Fang Zheng in a gentle tone, "Sit down, sit down. Although you two are not our biological children, we have always treated you as our own. We are proud of your achievements. Sigh, we have no children of our own, and sometimes we wish you could truly be our children."

These words were full of deep meaning, but Fang Zheng did not catch it, while Fang Yuan frowned slightly.

Sure enough, Uncle continued, "I have discussed with your Aunt, and we want to adopt you into our family, making you truly one of us. Fang Zheng, do you agree?"

Fang Zheng was taken aback for a moment, but soon his face showed joy, and he readily agreed, "To be honest, since the death of my parents, I have longed for a family reunion. Being part of Uncle and Aunt's family is the best thing possible!"

Aunt's expression relaxed, and she smiled, "Then you will be our good son. Will you still call us Uncle and Aunt?"

"Father, Mother," Fang Zheng suddenly realized and quickly changed his address.

Uncle and Aunt both laughed.

"Good son, it's worth it for us to have raised you from the age of five for a full ten years," Aunt wiped away tears.

Uncle then looked at the silent Fang Yuan and said gently, "Fang Yuan, what about you?"

Fang Yuan shook his head without a word.

"Brother," Gu Yue Fang Zheng wanted to persuade him but was stopped by Uncle.

Uncle's tone remained unchanged, and he continued, "Since that's the case, Nephew Fang Yuan, we won't force you. But you are already fifteen years old, and it's time for you to leave the family. This will also make it easier for you to inherit your Fang family branch. Uncle has prepared two hundred essence stones for you as support."

"Two hundred essence stones!" Fang Zheng's eyes widened. He had never seen so many essence stones and could not help but show envy.

But Fang Yuan still shook his head.

Fang Zheng was puzzled, and Uncle's expression changed slightly, while Aunt's face darkened.

"Uncle and Aunt, if there's nothing else, I will take my leave," Fang Yuan did not give them a chance to speak further, picked up the wine jars, and left the hall directly.

Fang Zheng stood up, "Father, Mother, Brother is just confused for the moment. Should I try to persuade him?"

Uncle waved his hand and sighed, "Sigh, this can't be forced. Your willingness to help is already very comforting. Servant, take Master Fang Zheng to his room and make sure he is comfortable."

"Then I will take my leave," Fang Zheng bowed and left, leaving the living room in silence.

The sun had completely set, and the living room became even darker.

After a while, Uncle's cold voice came from the darkness, "It seems that little brat Fang Yuan has seen through our plans."

According to the Gu Yue clan's rules, the eldest son at the age of sixteen has the right to inherit the family estate.

Fang Yuan's parents had already passed away, leaving behind a substantial inheritance, which Uncle and Aunt had been "managing."

The value of this inheritance far exceeded two hundred essence stones.

If Fang Yuan were to be adopted by Uncle and Aunt like Fang Zheng, he would lose the right to inherit the estate. If Fang Yuan were to leave the family at fifteen, it would not meet the clan's inheritance rules.

"Fortunately, we have won Fang Zheng over, and Fang Yuan only has a C-grade potential," Uncle sighed, feeling extremely relieved.

"But Master, if Fang Yuan clearly intends to leave at sixteen, what should we do?" Aunt's tone became urgent as she thought of the inheritance.

"Hmph, since he has ill intentions, we can't be blamed. As long as we catch him in a major mistake before he leaves, we can expel him from the family and deprive him of his inheritance rights," Uncle said coldly.

"But Fang Yuan is very smart; how could he make a mistake?" Aunt was puzzled.

Uncle rolled his eyes and scolded in a low voice, "You are truly foolish! If he won't make a mistake, can't we frame him? Let Shen Cui seduce Fang Yuan first, then scream of impropriety, and we will catch him red-handed. We can then accuse him of drunken misconduct and insanity, and expel him without any trouble."

"Master, you are so clever, what a brilliant plan!" Aunt was overjoyed.

The night grew darker, and the dense night sky was mostly obscured by dark clouds. The stars in the sky were almost completely hidden, with only a few faintly shining, struggling in the sky.

The lights in the village gradually lit up.

Gu Yue Fang Zheng was led into a room.

"Master Fang Zheng, this room was specially prepared for you by Master, and the old servant has tidied it up for you," Shen Mama introduced enthusiastically, bowing and smiling obsequiously.

Fang Zheng looked around, his eyes bright. This room was twice as large as the one he had been living in, with a large bed in the center, a sandalwood desk by the window with exquisite writing tools, and beautiful wall hangings. Even the floor was not ordinary, but covered with a soft handmade carpet.

Fang Zheng had never lived in such a room before. He nodded repeatedly, "This is very good, really nice. Thank you, Shen Mama."

Shen Mama was Aunt's most trusted person, managing all the servants in the household, a true housekeeper.

Fang Yuan's personal maid, Shen Cui, was her daughter.

Shen Mama chuckled, "How could a servant deserve your thanks, Master? It's my duty, my duty! Master, please eat well and sleep well. If you need anything, just ring the bell by your bed, and a servant will come to attend to you. Master has instructed that you focus on cultivation during this period, and we will handle all other trivial matters."

Fang Zheng felt a surge of gratitude in his heart. He did not say anything more but silently resolved: This time, I must win first place and not disappoint Uncle and Aunt!

...

The clouds in the sky grew heavier, and the night became even darker. The stars in the night sky were almost completely obscured by the clouds, with only a few faintly shining, struggling in the sky.

"Uncle and Aunt are probably plotting how to expel me from the family. In my previous life, they secretly incited servants to provoke me, then framed me, and finally expelled me. I wonder what changes will occur in this life," Fang Yuan walked down the street, his heart filled with cold laughter.

He had long seen through the true nature of Uncle and Aunt.

But he could also understand.

People die for wealth, and birds die for food. Whether on Earth or in this world, there are always people who trample on family, friendship, and love for the sake of profit.

In fact, there is no such thing as family. When Uncle and Aunt adopted Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng, their main goal was to covet the inheritance. However, Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng often surprised them.

"Starting is always difficult, and it is even more so for me. I have no outstanding talent and no mentor's care, so I am starting from scratch. My parents' inheritance is a significant stepping stone. In my previous life, the inheritance was taken by Uncle and Aunt, causing me to spend two years to reach the peak of the first stage. In this life, I cannot make the same mistake."

Fang Yuan walked and thought.

He did not stay at his residence but carried the two jars of wine and headed straight for outside the village.

The night sky grew darker, and the clouds obscured the stars. The mountain wind blew fiercely, growing stronger.

A storm was coming.

But he still had to explore. He needed to reclaim his parents' inheritance, but that would have to wait until he was sixteen next year. The legacy of the Flower Wine Wanderer was something he could obtain in the near future.

The street was sparsely populated. The dim light from the houses on the side of the road revealed some scattered garbage and leaves, which were blown around by the wind.

Fang Yuan's thin clothes could not withstand the mountain wind, and he felt a chill.

He opened one of the wine jars and took a small sip. Although it was rough wine, it brought a warm feeling as it went down.

This was the first time he had truly drunk wine in recent days.

The closer he got to the edge of the village, the fewer the houses and the dimmer the lights.

Ahead, it was pitch black. The wind pressed against the forest, and the branches swayed in the night, making a roaring sound like a pack of beasts.

Fang Yuan's steps did not waver. He left the village gate and walked further into the darkness.

Behind him, the village was brightly lit.

In that brightness, there was a warm corner.

Younger brother Gu Yue Fang Zheng sat at his desk, reviewing the notes he had taken in class. The room was brightly lit, and the solid walls blocked the cold wind. A cup of warm ginseng tea was placed by his hand, with steam rising gently.

"Master Fang Zheng, the hot water for your bath is ready," Shen Cui's soft voice came from outside the door.

Fang Zheng's heart stirred, "Then bring it in."

Shen Cui, with a seductive smile, swayed her hips as she entered the room.

"Servant greets Master Fang Zheng," she looked at Fang Zheng with longing eyes. Fang Yuan was only a C-grade, but Fang Zheng was an A-grade. Climbing up to him would truly be a great fortune!