Chapter 25 – The light of spring is enchanting
“Is he Fang Yuan or Fang Zheng?” Some of the students were muttering; there were still people who could not differentiate between Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng, the two twin brothers.
“It’s Fang Zheng. Fang Yuan is always wearing a cold expression, he would never appear tense,” someone answered.
“Oh, then there will be a spectacle. Fang Zheng is the only A grade talent from our village in three years, after all.” The crowd casted their eyes over to the field.
Fang Zheng could feel the pressure among the gazes shot at him, and this made him feel even more nervous. Standing on the stage, his fingers were trembling slightly.
He threw out his first moonblade, originally intending to aim at the grass puppet’s chest. But because he was tense, he missed – in the end the moonblade imprinted onto the grass puppet’s neck area.
The young teens instantly let out a sound of slight surprise.
They thought that Fang Zheng deliberately did it. Instead of aiming for the easiest spot which was the chest of the puppet, he went for the neck instead – this was a showcase of huge self-confidence towards his own attacking skill.
They could not help but look forward to Fang Zheng’s next move. Gu Yue Mo Bei and Gu Yue Chi Cheng however had their complexions cast down.
Only those among the field who could see Fang Zheng’s error were the academy elder and Fang Yuan.
“How dangerous!” Looking at the moonblade, Fang Zheng exclaimed in his heart while secretly feeling lucky. He took in a few deep breaths, trying his best to calm down. Then he threw out two blades. This time he did not make any mistakes, and the two blades hit accurately on the grass puppet’s chest.
This result made the academy elder nod his head, and Mo Bei and Chi Cheng calmed down as well. Fang Zheng’s result was different from theirs, so it would all come down to how the academy elder decided to grade them.
The other students let out sounds of sighing. Fang Zheng’s later performance was not interesting, making them feel slightly disappointed.
The next few groups were not interesting either. No one was able to perform better than Mo Bei, Chi Cheng and Fang Zheng. The youngsters started to whisper around.
“At this rate, the top scorer in today’s assessment should be among the three of them.”
“All three of them managed to hit the grass puppet, I wonder who the academy elder will deem better.”
“Hold on, it’s the last group. Fang Yuan’s going up.”
“Oh, that C grade talent ‘cold genius’? Heh heh.”
Right when it was the last group, Fang Yuan finally went up stage.
“It’s that Fang Yuan….” Gu Yue Mo Bei lifted his head and looked at Fang Yuan for a moment, then he lowered his eyes uncaringly.
“Last time you got really lucky, choosing a weak-willed Moonlight Gu by accident and getting number one. Let’s see how you perform this time!” Gu Yue Chi Cheng hugged his arms, waiting to see Fang Yuan make a fool of himself.
“Big brother… This time will not be like the last. I have practiced so hard for so long, I can definitely surpass you.” Among the crowd, Gu Yue Fang Zheng pursed his lips, subconsciously clenching his fists tightly.
Previously in the assessment to refine the vital Gu, he as someone with an A grade talent actually got second position. Naturally he was not happy with this. Especially after he understood that Fang Yuan was able to win and get number one because of sheer luck, this made him even more unsatisfied. To Gu Yue Fang Zheng, being victorious over his own older brother Fang Yuan had a special and great significance.
Many gazes were gathered on Fang Yuan, and the academy elder’s sight was fixed on him as well. Fang Yuan made no emotion; his expression was cold and detached.
He stood still, primeval essence pouring into the Moonlight Gu in the heart of his palm. With a cut in the air, he struck out the first moonblade.
This moonblade flew very high. It not only went over the grass puppet’s head, but flew over the bamboo wall as well. It went on for almost fifteen meters before the light turned dim and vanished into thin air.
“Pfffft…” Someone couldn’t help but laugh out.
“This is way too outrageous, isn’t it.” Someone sneered.
“He’s indeed a genius. No wonder he managed to get number one in refining the Gu.” Another spoke sarcastically.
In the earlier years when Fang Yuan created poetry and showed early wisdom, it had already caused discontented emotions among these people. Later on when he relied on ‘luck’ and got number one in refining his vital Gu, this made them feel a layer of jealousy among their dissatisfaction.
Many of them were waiting to see a ‘good show’. They waited to see the ‘genius’ Fang Yuan reveal an embarrassing action, and this moonblade of his did not let them down.
Waves of laughter swept across the crowd.
The academy elder shook his head slightly, secretly laughing at himself. Why did he have to be so concerned with Fang Yuan for no reason? He was just a C grade and merely a boy who got number one in refining Gu because of sheer luck.
In his heart he had already made up his mind. Although Mo Bei, Chi Cheng and Fang Zheng’s results were the same, he would still pick Fang Zheng as number one.
The war between Gu Yue Mo Bei and Gu Yue Chi Cheng was the epitome of the political struggle between the two most powerful elders in the clan. The academy elder had always remained in the center and had no intention to enter the middle of the political vortex.
The academy elder was more inclined towards the clan head Gu Yue Bo, and Fang Zheng was a set with the clan leader. Add in the fact that he had A grade talent, choosing him as number one would mean showing biased care for him, and it was something the clan’s upper authorities could accept.
A warm spring breeze blew over, the smell of flowers drifting into the training grounds. The sunlight shone down on Fang Yuan’s body, sending a lonely black shadow onto the ground.
His expression was still cold as he quietly gazed at the grass puppet ten meters away. The moonblade in his palm was giving out a faint blue light.
Of course, he had deliberately thrown the first moonblade off course. Right now he only had two chances left to act. Taking into account the academy elder’s position, to acquire number one he would have to create an outcome that exceeded everyone’s expectations in the next two attacks.
“With only two chances left to attack, it’s impossible. Big brother, I have finally won over you.” Gu Yue Fang Zheng’s eyes did not flicker as he stared at Fang Yuan. From young till old, the life shadow that his older brother had brought onto him finally faded away slowly at this moment.
Fang Zheng could feel victory so nearby. His two fists were subconsciously clenched tight, his entire body so full of excitement that he trembled slightly.
“Big brother, my victory this time is just a beginning. Next, I will keep on winning over you again and again until I banish away all the shadows in my heart. I will prove to the clan, the excellence of an A grade talent genius!” Fang Zheng told himself in his heart.
But just at this moment, Fang Yuan acted. His right palm was like a knife, splitting the void.
With a sharp tearing sound, the watery blue light shrouded in his palm was thrown out. It flew in the air, turning into a curved blue moonblade, shooting towards the grass puppet.
In just the next second Fang Yuan’s right palm lit up again in a coat of blue light. He turned his palm and shot out the third moonblade. These two attacks connected smoothly like flowing water; it was a seamless combination.
The two moonblades flew out in quick succession, the distance between the two blades less than half a meter apart in the air. Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, the two moonblades accurately hit onto the grass puppet’s neck.
“This…” Fang Zheng’s pupils shrank, a bad feeling emerging from his heart. In the next moment, the students slowly opened their mouths wide as they wore astonished expressions.
They saw that the grass puppet’s head slowly tilted to one side, then it fell off the neck and dropped onto the ground. With a bounce, it rolled two to three meters away.
Fang Yuan had beheaded the puppet!
This outcome had gone beyond the expectations of everyone on field.
“Is this luck or skill?” The academy elder frowned. This doubt hovered in the hearts of the rest of the students. For a time, the entire training ground lapsed into silence.
“How could this be…” Fang Zheng murmured. He stared at Fang Yuan blankly, the surged emotions in his heart dropping instantly, falling deep into the lowest point.
Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes, acting as if he was oblivious to the gazes that fell onto him from the crowd.
Cluck, cluck…
Under the blue skies and white clouds, a group of peacock parrots suddenly flapped their wings and flew in mid-air. They dragged their magnificent, long and slender peacock tails, clucking in the air as they flew about playfully.
Fang Yuan stood in the center of the training field, looking up. Under the bright sunlight, the multi-coloured feathers of the birds dazzled even greater and gorgeous. His expression was indifferent, as if the person who just cut off the grass puppet’s head was not him.
“Ah, the light of spring is really enchanting..” He sighed in his heart.