64 Easy to do secretly, difficult to do openly (2/2)

To him, the more he fights and the more victories he obtained, the more he would reveal more of his trump cards and make others more wary.

Wariness when accumulated to an extent, would turn into suppression and hurdles blocking his path.

Fang Yuan killed a family servant, but why did the Mo family stay indifferent? Robbing the classmates, why did their family not pursue it? Fang Yuan resisted the clan and refused to be part of the system, but why did the clan leader choose to be lenient?

It is all because he is weak, because he is C grade.

They feel strong and do not feel like bullying the weak. Under the family’s system, being petty with the weak Fang Yuan not only causes them to face humiliation, it also makes others feel that the person is cold and unfeeling, ruining one’s social relationships.

Weakness was a safety umbrella that Fang Yuan had for now.

But with his continued competition for resources, Fang Yuan would appear stronger. This would make everyone start being wary of him, and begin to try recruiting him. No matter which side he chooses, he would face suppression and troubles from the other factions.

Suppression and restrictions would drag down his growing speed.

Fang Yuan was aware of his predicament, he was in a delicate position. He seemed to have offended everyone, but he had not violated any law in reality.

Yet with time, his cultivation level will rise, and conflicts will arise and worsen.

Fang Yuan knowns that this conflict would escalate, but the later it escalated, the greater benefit he would gain.

Thus, the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance was perfectly timed!

With this strength inheritance, he would have hidden resources. Using this, he could be free of the system’s control and walk his own path, cultivating at his own speed and secretly accumulate strength.

Once he was adopted into the system, he would need to side with a faction. Even if he did not want to compete, he would definitely be dragged into the political strife.

Inside the system, one is a pawn. You first have to be a proper pawn for others to use you willingly. After they trust and use you, you have the chance to climb upwards, and even during that process, you have to be careful not to become a discarded pawn.

Fang Yuan was clear of this procedure, he knew it too well. Even with his vast knowledge, there was nothing he could do to this situation. These were the rules!

The more crucial part was his C grade talent. To the clan, there was no desire in investing in him. Often he would be treated as a discarded pawn.

The most optimum progress route was to work alone. This way, he could avoid most competition. Towards the higher-ups in the village, the image he had created earlier would be sustained.

”This world’s matters, it is always easily done secretly, but difficult to do openly. Using the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance, I can cultivate and gather strength secretly without gaining attention and suppression. But the extortion has to continue, for if it stopped abruptly, it would invite suspicion, and I also need primeval stones.” Fang Yuan considered his future plans.

He really needed primeval stones.

Other teenagers of his age had only started refining and feeding a second Gu worm. He however, had also refined the Little Light Gu and recently acquired the White Boar Gu, thus having a total of four Gu worms.

Previously, he needed around one primeval stone a day just to feed the Moonlight Gu and Liquor worm. Now after calculating, he needed more than two pieces everyday just as expenditure!

If including his cultivating needs and living expenditures, he would need to use around five primeval stones a day!

Five primeval stones was enough to feed a family of three mortals for five months.

On hand at the moment, he had several hundred primeval stones, but it was not enough to sustain such an expenditure in the long run.

More importantly, the further he got, the greater his expenditure would be. Especially after advancing to Rank two, every time he tried combining Gu worms, it would be cost a huge sum.

Thinking of this, Fang Yuan felt troubled.

The matter of primeval stones was a problem, and by relying on just extortion and the resources on hand, he could only delay this problem from erupting.

Moreover, he had another problem, and that was the White Boar Gu’s feeding.

The White Boar Gu’s food was pork.

Boar, obviously referred to pigs. The Boar Gu series’ food, was all pork.

Black and White Boar Gu had huge appetites. Every five days they would need to eat around one fully grown pig’s amount of meat.

Pork in this world was not cheap, and mortals could only afford to slaughter one during the New Year celebration, and enjoy themselves. Without the large scale cultivation technique of Earth, the price of pork and beef was not something mortals could eat often. At the same time the topography of the Qing Mao Mountain was precipitous, the area of residence narrow, how much space could be allocated just for rearing livestock?

You eat what you can procure at where you live, the villagers were able to eat pork occasionally because of the hunters hunting wild boars in the mountains.

”It seems that I have to go hunting myself from now on, for pork.” Fang Yuan’s eyes shone with a glint.

Relying on the village to purchase pork, first was the expenditure of primeval stones, second was that it would attract attention. Even if you loved eating pork, how could a person eat so much in such a short period?

If he hunted himself, it would not only resolve this problem, but also alleviate his current financial stress.

”Shop assistant, bill!” Thinking of this, Fang Yuan hesitated no more, and after footing the bill, he left the inn.

These few days the academy was on break so that the students could refine their second Gu worm. Fang Yuan decided that he could use this time well. He would leave the village and scout the mountains, and then kill some wild boars and get himself some pork.

(1) Mugwort - A kind of plant.