This news quickly spread, causing a slight stir among Rank Two Gu Masters.
The two main figures in this incident were both fairly well-known.
Man Shi was a somewhat famous Rank Two Gu Master. Two years ago, he had managed to escape with his life from Bai Ning Bing, so he wasn't to be underestimated.
As for Fang Yuan, he was the top of the current batch. During the year-end assessment, many had witnessed him defeating Fang Zheng. Afterward, he inherited a fortune and became rich overnight, making him the object of everyone's envy and jealousy.
The gap between the two should have been obvious, but the strong Man Shi had actually lost to the weak Fang Yuan. This contrast was nothing short of astonishing.
Many people inquired about the details, and Fang Yuan's reputation soared because of it.
Rank Two Gu Masters began to properly acknowledge this young newcomer.
"He made a move without saying a single word. Young people are so impulsive."
"He has wealth. He synthesized a Moonlight Gu, so he's got some ability."
"He's a madman who acts ruthlessly. I heard that after Gu Yue Man Shi fled in defeat, he spent a full three days recovering in bed!"
People discussed Fang Yuan.
Although he had struck first in his fight with Man Shi, seizing the initiative, severely wounding him, and establishing an overwhelming advantage, it seemed somewhat unsportsmanlike.
But victory was victory, and defeat was defeat.
The results spoke for themselves.
Perhaps on Earth, many people care about the process and not the result. In this world, however, life was difficult and harsh, filled with deadly dangers. Victory often meant staying alive. Defeat meant death and the loss of everything.
The principle of "the victor is king, the loser is a villain" was strongly endorsed by almost everyone.
Fang Yuan had won. Regardless of how it happened, that was the fact.
A newcomer had risen, standing on Man Shi's shoulders, officially stepping into everyone's view.
As for Man Shi, he had become a stepping stone, his reputation utterly ruined. After returning, he resigned from his position as group leader.
This was the fate of a loser.
Family members would sympathize with a loser, but they worshipped and recognized the victor even more. The victor represented strength, and strength meant that people's lives were safer.
After this incident, Gu Yue Dong Tu wisely stopped his petty schemes.
The fate of Gu Yue Man Shi finally forced the shrewd uncle to recognize reality.
Fang Yuan's growth filled him with helplessness, rage, and unwillingness.
He knew he had no chance of reclaiming the inheritance. Persisting any further was completely meaningless.
Using his network to hire people and cause trouble for Fang Yuan was just a consumption of Primeval Stones. Fang Yuan, meanwhile, was raking in money.
If a stalemate dragged on, even with his large stash of Primeval Stones, he would be the one to fail in the end.
Because he had lost the bamboo building, the tavern, and the Nine-leaf Life Grass; he was like water without a source. Once Primeval Stones were spent, they were difficult to replenish. Fang Yuan, in contrast, although he lacked Primeval Stones, saw his stockpile growing daily.
More importantly, Gu Yue Dong Tu dejectedly realized that this stalemate brought him no benefit at all.
So when he heard the news of Man Shi's defeat and retreat, he immediately ceased these pointless actions.
In truth, when Fang Zheng's rebellion was resolved by Fang Yuan, it had already signified Gu Yue Dong Tu's defeat.
As a result, Fang Yuan's tavern could operate normally again. This was a cause for celebration.
There was another piece of good news: the early arrival of the merchant caravan.
March.
The spring sun was bright and beautiful, and the light song of spring arrived with joyous beats.
The weather was warm, flowers bloomed, the grass grew, and the birds flew.
On Qing Mao Mountain, a fresh green covered everything in sight. On the sunny slopes, wildflowers bloomed in clusters, forming a colorful and magnificent sea of flowers. Gurgling streams of petals flowed, blazing like fierce fire, intertwining with the sunlight.
Newborn Dragon-pill Crickets slowly grew from tiny eggs, forming new swarms that became active at night.
During the day, large flocks of Sparrow Parrots appeared, circling in the sky and chirping noisily.
The bright spring sun spread its grace, and everything under the heavens shone with brilliance.
Against this backdrop, a merchant caravan slowly made its way into Qing Mao Mountain.
Black-skinned Fat Beetles crawled slowly, fully loaded with people and cargo.
Proud Camel Chickens with dazzling multicolored feathers pulled carts. Mountain Giant Spiders ignored the terrain. Winged Serpents twisted their bodies and slithered forward, occasionally unfurling their wings to glide a short distance.
A Treasure-aure Brass Toad, two and a half meters tall and entirely orange-yellow, led the way. Sitting atop it was the Rank Four Gu Master, Jia Fu.
Knowing that the caravan had entered the village, Fang Yuan sighed softly to himself. "It changed again. In my memories of my previous life, this caravan should have arrived in summer. According to the conventions of past years, it always arrived in summer. But now, it's two or three months early, arriving in spring. And it's on a much larger scale."
Fang Yuan's rebirth had changed not only his own situation but also affected his surroundings, causing the future to change.