Chapter 3: The First Lesson
Recap: Fang Yuan captured a White Boar Gu and was confronted by two disciples from Chi Cheng's faction. When they threatened him, he released his new Subject and gave a single command: Tackle.
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The White Boar Gu moved like a avalanche.
Two hundred pounds of muscle and fury slammed into the taller disciple's Moonlight Gu before it could even flash. The tiny silver insect crumpled, its light extinguishing as it hit the ground. The disciple stared, his face draining of all color.
"My—my Gu—"
Fang Yuan didn't wait. He was already moving, his hand dipping into his robe for another Pokeball. The shorter disciple tried to summon his own Moonlight Gu, but his hands were shaking too badly. Fear. Raw, undisciplined fear.
They've never been in a real fight. Only sparring. Only practice.
The White Boar Gu wheeled around, snorting clouds of mist into the cold air. Its hooves carved furrows in the forest floor. It was waiting for another command.
Fang Yuan raised his hand. The shorter disciple flinched, throwing his arms up.
"Please—don't—"
"Leave," Fang Yuan said quietly.
The word hung in the air like a blade.
The taller disciple grabbed his companion's arm and dragged him backward. Their Moonlight Gu—the one that was still conscious—buzzed frantically, its light strobing in distress. Neither of them looked back. Within seconds, they had vanished into the undergrowth, the sound of their panicked retreat fading into the forest.
Fang Yuan stood motionless for a long moment, listening.
They'll report this. Chi Cheng will know. The clan will know.
He returned the White Boar Gu to its Pokeball. The clearing fell silent again, save for the distant chirping of birds that had resumed once the danger passed.
I could have crushed them. Eliminated the witnesses. But that would raise more questions than it answers. Two disciples disappear in the forest? The clan would send investigators. The truth would surface faster than I want.
He turned toward the village, his steps unhurried.
Better they report a strange Gu. Better they spread rumors. Let them wonder. Let them fear. In chaos, there is opportunity.
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By the time Fang Yuan reached the village gates, the morning training session had ended. Disciples milled about in small groups, their conversations buzzing with the morning's gossip. He caught fragments as he passed:
"…heard something about Fang Yuan…"
"…skipping training again…"
"…Chi Cheng is furious…"
He kept his head down, his expression neutral. The mediocrity mask slid into place—the same expression he had worn for five hundred years whenever it suited him to be invisible.
But as he walked toward his quarters, a voice stopped him.
"Fang Yuan."
He turned. Gu Yue Chi Cheng stood twenty paces away, flanked by four disciples. The young master's arms were crossed, his Moonlight Gu hovering at his shoulder. His eyes were cold, assessing.
The two disciples from the forest stood behind him, their faces still pale.
So. They ran straight to their master.
Chi Cheng stepped forward, his voice carrying enough to draw the attention of everyone nearby. "I heard something interesting this morning. You skipped training. You went into the forest alone. And when my men came to bring you back, you attacked them with some… creature."
Fang Yuan met his gaze. "I was collecting Gu for the clan exam. Your men threatened me. I defended myself."
"Defended yourself?" Chi Cheng laughed, but there was no humor in it. "With what? You're a Rank 1 failure. Your aperture can barely hold a single Moonlight Gu. Where did you get a beast like that?"
The crowd had grown. Disciples whispered among themselves, their eyes darting between Fang Yuan and Chi Cheng. This was entertainment to them—a weaker disciple being crushed by the young master.
He wants me to show fear. To beg. To prove I'm beneath him.
Fang Yuan smiled. Not a nervous smile. Not a submissive smile. A cold, knowing smile that made Chi Cheng's confidence flicker for just a moment.
"Would you like to see?"
Silence fell over the crowd. Chi Cheng's jaw tightened. He hadn't expected that response. He had expected cowering, denial, excuses. Not an invitation.
"You dare challenge me?" Chi Cheng's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"I'm not challenging you," Fang Yuan said, his tone mild. "I'm simply offering to show you what I found in the forest. If you're interested."
The crowd murmured. Chi Cheng's reputation was built on his strength, his status as the clan's most promising young Gu Master. To refuse would make him look weak. To accept would mean acknowledging Fang Yuan as an equal—at least for this moment.
Chi Cheng's Moonlight Gu pulsed brighter, sensing its master's agitation.
"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Show me."
Fang Yuan reached into his robe and pulled out a Pokeball. The red-and-white sphere caught the sunlight, gleaming in his palm. The crowd leaned forward, curious.
He pressed the button.
Red light erupted, coalescing into the massive form of the White Boar Gu. The beast materialized with a ground-shaking thud, its tusks gleaming, its muscles coiled. It let out a snort that sent the nearest disciples scrambling backward.
Chi Cheng's Moonlight Gu flickered, its light dimming as instinct screamed prey. The young master himself took an involuntary step back before catching himself.
"What… what is that?" someone whispered.
"A White Boar Gu," Fang Yuan said calmly. "Rank 2. I captured it this morning."
The crowd erupted. Rank 2. A Rank 2 Gu, captured by a ten-year-old failure. Whispers spread like wildfire:
"Impossible…"
"How did he…"
"That thing could kill a Rank 1 Master in one charge…"
Chi Cheng's face had gone from pale to red. His fists clenched at his sides. He knew what this meant. If word got out that Fang Yuan—Fang Yuan, the clan's weakest disciple—had captured a Rank 2 Gu, everything would change. The clan elders would take notice. The resources, the training, the respect that Chi Cheng had always taken for granted would start flowing toward this nobody.
"That's a lie," Chi Cheng spat. "You couldn't capture a White Boar Gu. You must have stolen it. Or—or found it dead and claimed—"
Fang Yuan returned the White Boar Gu to its Pokeball with a soft click. The crowd sighed, some disappointed, some relieved.
"Believe what you want," Fang Yuan said. "The creature is mine. The clan exam is in three days. I'll be participating. You can see for yourself then."
He turned and walked away, leaving Chi Cheng standing in the middle of the courtyard, his face a mask of barely contained fury.
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In his quarters, Fang Yuan closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling slowly.
That was a gamble. But necessary. Chi Cheng won't act openly now—not with the whole village watching. He'll wait. He'll scheme. But by the time he moves, I'll already have my first badge.
He opened his Status screen.
TRAINER: Fang Yuan
Rank: 1 (Mortal)
Badges: 0/8
Primeval Stones: 14
Active Subjects: 4/6
Total Captures: 4
Subjects: Moonlight Gu, Vine Gu, Rock Skin Gu, White Boar Gu
Four Subjects. Enough to challenge the clan leader. But I need to train them first. Understand their limits. Their strengths. Their weaknesses.
He pulled out the White Boar Gu's Pokeball and studied it. Through the translucent top, the beast paced within its pocket dimension, restless.
Rank 2. It's strong, but it's a blunt instrument. The clan leader has fought White Boar Gu before. He knows their patterns. I need something unexpected. Something he won't see coming.
He opened the Subjects interface again, this time focusing on the Fusion option that had appeared after his first capture. The description was brief:
[Fusion: Merge temporarily with a captured Subject to gain its abilities. Duration scales with bond and vitality. Warning: Overuse may lead to assimilation.]
Fusion. I become the Subject. Or the Subject becomes me. Either way, it's an advantage no Gu Master in this village has ever faced.
He dismissed the screen and lay back on his bed, staring at the cracked ceiling.
Three days until the clan exam. Three days to prepare. Three days to become something this world has never seen.
A knock at his door interrupted his thoughts.
He rose slowly, his hand reaching for a Pokeball. The knock came again—softer this time, hesitant.
He opened the door.
A girl stood in the corridor, perhaps eight years old, her face smudged with dirt. She clutched a small pouch in her hands, her knuckles white.
"Fang Yuan," she whispered, glancing over her shoulder. "I heard what you did. What you caught."
He said nothing, waiting.
She thrust the pouch at him. "I—I want to trade. My father found this in the forest last week. He doesn't know what it is. But I thought… maybe you would."
Fang Yuan took the pouch and opened it. Inside, nestled among dried leaves, was a small, egg-shaped stone. It pulsed faintly with a warm, orange glow.
His eyes narrowed.
An evolution stone. But not for Fire or Water. This is something else. Something I've never seen before.
He looked up at the girl. "What do you want for it?"
She bit her lip. "Protection. When the clan exam comes. My brother is Rank 1 too. People pick on him. I want you to keep him safe."
Fang Yuan studied her for a long moment. Then he closed the pouch and tucked it into his robe.
"Done."
The girl's face lit up with relief. She bowed quickly and ran off before he could change his mind.
He closed the door and examined the stone again. Its glow was steady, patient. The system offered no description, no price tag. It was something the Shop didn't sell.
Something rare. Something valuable. Something I can use.
He placed it in his inventory and sat back down, his mind already turning.
First, the clan exam. Then the Gym Leader. Then the next capture. One step at a time.
Outside, the sun was setting. The village grew quiet, families retreating to their homes. But Fang Yuan's night was just beginning.
He pulled out his Pokeballs, one by one, and began to train.
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End of Chapter 3