Vol 1 Chapter 5 (1/2)
Chapter 5: Humanity & three Gu, hoping for a breakthrough
In a flash, all eyes landed on the person being called out.
It’s really getting more and more exciting, Fang Yuan mused in his heart as he forded the river and waded ash.o.r.e beneath their countless stares. Immediately, he felt a layer of pressure. Such a sensation came from the spirit spring located deep within the sea of flowers. Because it was constantly generating primordial qi, the excess qi grew dense enough to bring about this nameless pressure.
Yet soon enough, bright dots of light emerged from the flowers around Fang Yuan. They floated through the air before surrounding Fang Yuan and sinking into his body.
These would be the Hope Gu, Fang Yuan murmured in his heart. The person in charge hadn’t explained things, but he knew what was going on. Every single point of light was a Gu. The name of these Gu was Hope. One of the most ancient myths spoke of the Hope Gu. Legends had it that when the world was first formed, it was savage and filled with wild beasts. When the first human came into being, he ate the raw flesh of birds and beasts and lived a difficult life.
At the same time, there existed a species of wild beast called Predicament that loved the flavor of the human. It wanted to eat him all up. The human didn’t have tough and unyielding bodies like mountains or stone, nor did they have the same sharp teeth that wild beasts possessed. How could he fight against this Predicament beast? He lacked a stable source of food and spend all their days hiding away. In the wild, he was considered the bottom of the food chain and was on the verge of going extinct.
At this time, three Gu volunteered themselves. They said to the human, “As long as you use your life to raise us, we’ll help you overcome your difficulties.”
With no other way, the human could only agree to the three Gu’s terms. He first used his own youth to raise the three Gu to adulthood, one of whom gave him strength in exchange. With this strength, his life improved. He began to have stable sources of food and ample might. He was a brave and ferocious fighter that defeated many different Predicaments. But very soon, he met with suffering again. In the end, the human discovered that their power wasn’t limitless. He too, had to rest and renew himself and couldn’t squander their strength freely.
Compared to the Predicament beasts, the human’s strength was truly too feeble. The human drew his lessons from bitter experiences, before using the prime of their life to raise the most beautiful one of the three Gu.
As a result, the second Gu granted him wisdom.
With wisdom, the human learned how to think over problems and do introspection. He also learned how to acc.u.mulate his experiences. He discovered that wisdom allowed him to do things more effectively than with strength alone. By combining wisdom with strength, he conquered many more objectives than before and killed off even more Predicaments. He even learned to eat Predicament’s meat and drink its blood, carving out a tenacious existence for himself. But such happiness didn’t last. Eventually, the human grew older and older.
This was because he gave away all his young and middle years to raise his strength and wisdom. When the human grew old, his muscles shriveled and his mind couldn’t think as fast as before.
“Human, what else can you give us? You have nothing left to offer,” said the Strength
and Wisdom Gu. After discovering this, both of them heartlessly broke off relations and left him.
The human lost his strength and wisdom and was discovered by Predicaments anew. They encircled the human that was now too old to run away. Even his teeth had all fallen out, making it impossible to eat wild fruits or vegetables. He lay listlessly on the ground, surrounded by a crowd of Predicament as his heart despaired.
Right at this moment, the third Gu spoke. “Human, just make an offering to me. I can help you escape these Predicaments.”
The human wept tears as he replied, “Gu, what else do I have? Look, the Strength and Wisdom Gu both abandoned me. Now I have nothing else but old age before me. Compared to youth and my middle age, old age is nothing worth mentioning. But if I give my old ge to you, my life will be forfeit. Though I’m surrounded by Predicaments now, I still won’t die immediately. I still want to live a little longer, even if it’s just one more second. So you should go, I have nothing left to offer you anymore.”
The Gu replied, “Amongst the three Gu, I have the fewest requirements. Human, as long as you give me your heart, it’ll be enough.”