Chapitre 4: Chapter 4: The Academy Elder
The Gu Yue Academy was located near the outskirts of the village, far away from the influence of the three major factions. It was small, relative to the schools I had attended at least. Only four buildings surrounded an empty field, each within the size of a one-story house. One of those buildings was a storage unit, placed at the back of the school. The Gu worms gifted to the academy students were maintained and kept in that place, guarded by stage one cultivators, just in case any students got any ideas. The other buildings weren't as important. One was the office of the academy elder, who played a strange role as both the principal and the main teacher of the academy. The building directly across from that one was the largest of the six, serving as the academy's indoor fighting ring where the students were taught martial arts. The building at the front of the school was the actual place of learning, a classroom big enough to fit fifty bodies, and the academy elder stood outside the door with his shiny head held high.
The academy elder was a short, thin man. Hunchbacked and wrinkly as a raisin. He was mostly bald other than the hair whisps still on his head. Despite being short, ugly, and old, he wasn't completely unbearable to look at. He had grown a long thick beard that fell to his waist. It was covered in scented oil, giving off a strong, pleasant aroma and a shiny gloss almost as bright as his bald head. He stood just outside the classroom, holding the door open with his foot and greeting every student who walked into the classroom with a smile and a handshake. He was especially excited when he saw my brother, greeting him with more life than I had ever seen from a man his age.
He didn't just shake his hand, he grabbed onto them, clasping them with his as if they were the most precious things he had ever held. "You must be Fang Zheng. I'm honored to have such a talented young Gu master attend my class."
"Oh, um, thank you. I'm very grateful to be here in the first place. I never thought I'd be allowed into the academy before the awakening ceremony happened." Fang Zheng stammered as he spoke, his ears turned red and his cheeks bloomed pink.
"Don't you worry, no one knows if they're made for cultivation. Talent isn't earned through merit, it's simply up to chance. I'm sure you know the story of how Gu Yue Bo became clan leader."
"Yeah, he was an orphan, raised by his aunt and awakening with A-grade talent. The clan leader at the time saw his latent potential and decided to announce him as clan heir, eventually succeeding him when the time came."
"Oh, but his talent wasn't the reason he was chosen. Gu Yue Bo wasn't the only A-grade talent born in his generation. At that time, the bloodline was still strong, and two other candidates could've become the clan leader. The reason the clan leader chose Gu Yue Bo wasn't because he was more talented, it wasn't because he was stronger and it wasn't because he was more intelligent. Gu Yue Bo was chosen because of his character. That was his most important quality."
The academy elder patted his chest and smiled. "I see that same quality in you Gu Yue Fang Zheng. You have the makings of an incredible person."
"Thank you." Fang Zheng lowered his beet-red face. "But I know I'm not that kind of person."
"We'll see. Now hurry up and get inside before class starts."
Fang Zheng quickly walked to his seat and the academy elder laughed.
It was a decent first impression. He wasn't confident, but he was humble. Showing good qualities was important, especially when speaking to an elder. He might be ugly, near dementia, and bald but he was a stage three cultivator. There were only fifteen in the entire clan and this man was important enough to have the responsibility of guiding future generations in their cultivation. This wasn't a lucrative job but an easy way to establish important connections. The academy was a melting pot of talent and second-gen Gu masters. If there was anyone who had spun a web of reliable contacts, it was the academy elder. It would be good to make a friend of him.
Strangely enough, he didn't react much when I walked through the door, despite Fang Zheng's appearance being the same as mine. He just smiled and shook my hand. I smiled back. After all, what was the harm in being friendly? Gu Yue Fang Yuan was an antisocial freak, I wasn't.
The extra missions didn't hurt either.
[You have discovered a new questline through your actions.]
[Rising The Ranks (1/?)]
[Mission 1: Graduate from the Gu Yue Academy.]
[Reward: Recipe (Moonglow Gu)]
[You have discovered a new questline through your actions.]
[Path To Gu Immortal (1/?)]
[Mission 1: Reach Stage 2]
[Reward: Recipe (Blood Moon Gu)]
[You have discovered a new questline through your actions]
[Teacher's Pet (1/?)]
[Mission 1: Reach 10 Friendship with the Academy Elder]
[Award: Moonglow Gu]
"Oh. Before you go." The academy elder suddenly grabbed my arm. I looked back and saw him staring at me with unfounded hostility. "I don't appreciate troublemakers. Don't cause any disruptions in my class. I heard what you said to Gu Yue Bo's son. Don't cause any problems for your brother."
I couldn't help but smile.
"That attitude change is incredible. Are you sure you're not bipolar? You should take up acting old man, you'd turn a crazy profit."
I lowered his arm and leaned down to his level, whispering a soft threat into his ear. "It doesn't take much money to purchase an Audio Gu, watch what you say around me, I'm the blood brother to the future clan leader, and you're just a decrepit fossil hoping to cling onto the achievements of one of your students."
I walked past him, choosing the seat to the right of Fang Zheng. He smiled and started to talk to me about something. I smiled and nodded when I needed to, occasionally giving a response that initiated another conversation but my real focus was on the academy elder. He was still there, standing with his chest puffed up, greeting the students as they came into the classroom, but he was visibly upset from our short interaction. His wrinkly face was shaking in anger, veins along his forehead contracting and pulsing with every breath he took. He didn't look at me for the rest of the day, even though I was sitting in the first row right in front of his desk. He purposefully ignored me, never picking on me to answer questions or distribute material.
I could tell it also affected how he saw Fang Zheng. There was a slight edge to his voice whenever he talked to him, and it was obvious why. Disassociating me from him was hard. We both looked the same and spoke the same way. We wore the same clothes and we had the same hairstyle at the same length of hair. We were the same, two sides of a coin. The only difference was our eyes.
[The academy elder is deeply angered by your actions. -1 to friendship.]
And with that, the first day of the academy quickly came to an end and the many nights of grinding began.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone