Chapter 5: The Clan Exam
Recap: Chi Cheng threatened Fang Yuan on the eve of the clan exam, promising to crush him publicly and take his White Boar Gu. Fang Yuan spent the night preparing, his six Subjects ready.
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The morning sun painted the Gu Yue Clan's training grounds in shades of gold and amber.
Disciples gathered in rows, their voices a low murmur that swelled and faded like the tide. Fang Yuan stood near the back, his grey robes freshly washed, his face a mask of calm. In his pockets, six Pokeballs rested against his hip—warm, waiting.
Six Subjects. Six chances. One exam.
Beside him, Gu Yue Ming fidgeted, his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes darting from face to face. The boy looked like he hadn't slept.
"You'll be fine," Fang Yuan said, his voice low enough that only Ming could hear.
Ming swallowed. "Chi Cheng said—he said he's going to—"
"I know what he said." Fang Yuan's gaze swept the crowd. Chi Cheng stood at the front, surrounded by his usual entourage, his Moonlight Gu hovering at his shoulder. He was laughing at something, his head tilted back, the picture of confidence. "He also said you were a nobody."
Ming flinched.
Fang Yuan looked at him. "He's wrong."
The boy's eyes widened. Fang Yuan didn't explain. He didn't need to. Confidence was a weapon, and right now, Ming needed one.
A gong sounded. The crowd fell silent.
Gu Yue Bo, the clan leader, stepped onto the raised platform at the center of the training grounds. He was an old man, his face weathered, his robes immaculate. Behind him, three elders stood in a row, their expressions unreadable.
There he is. The first Gym Leader.
Fang Yuan studied the clan leader with the same detachment he would give an enemy formation. Rank 3. Moonlight Gu, possibly a second Gu—a defensive type, based on what he remembered from his previous life. Not invincible. Not even close.
"Disciples," Gu Yue Bo began, his voice carrying across the grounds, "today is the biannual clan exam. You will be tested on your ability to command Gu in combat, your strategic thinking, and your adaptability under pressure."
He paused, his eyes sweeping the crowd. When they passed over Fang Yuan, they lingered for a fraction of a second longer than the others.
He's heard the rumors. Good.
"The exam will consist of three rounds," Gu Yue Bo continued. "The first round: paired battles. You will be randomly matched with a partner and face another pair. The second round: individual elimination. The third round…" He smiled. "We'll discuss the third round when you earn it."
A ripple of nervous laughter ran through the crowd.
"The pairings are as follows."
An elder stepped forward, unrolling a scroll. Names were called, disciples shuffling into groups. Fang Yuan waited, his expression blank.
"Gu Yue Ming and Fang Yuan."
Ming let out a shaky breath. Fang Yuan didn't react. He had known this would happen—the system had confirmed it the night before when he checked the exam details. But the other disciples didn't know that. To them, he was a failure paired with a nobody.
Perfect.
They moved to their designated arena—a square of packed earth marked with white chalk. Across from them, their opponents waited: two boys, both Rank 1, both grinning.
"Lucky us," the taller one said, elbowing his partner. "We got the dead weight bracket."
Ming's face went pale. Fang Yuan said nothing.
The elder overseeing the match raised his hand. "Begin."
The taller disciple's Moonlight Gu flashed—a blinding burst of silver light that sent Ming stumbling backward, his hands flying to his eyes. The other disciple's Vine Gu lashed out, its tendrils snaking toward Fang Yuan's legs.
Fang Yuan moved.
His hand dipped into his robe, pulled out a Pokeball, and threw. The sphere split open, and the Rock Skin Gu materialized directly in front of him, its rocky body absorbing the Vine Whip like water against stone.
"Harden," Fang Yuan said quietly.
The Rock Skin Gu's plates thickened, its already formidable defense rising. The Vine Gu struck again, but its tendrils slipped off the rocky surface, finding no purchase.
The taller disciple's Moonlight Gu flashed again—but Fang Yuan had already closed his eyes. He opened them a second later, his vision clear.
"Bind," he said.
The Vine Gu's own tendrils suddenly twisted, wrapping around its own body. It thrashed, confused, its own attack turned against it. Ming's Vine Gu—the one Fang Yuan had captured days ago—slithered forward, its thorns gleaming.
Ming stared, his mouth open.
"Your command," Fang Yuan said without looking at him.
Ming blinked, then straightened. "Vine—Vine Whip!"
The Vine Gu struck, its tendrils slamming into the distracted Moonlight Gu. The silver insect crumpled, its light flickering out. The taller disciple cried out, his hand reaching for his Gu.
"Yield!" the elder called, stepping between the combatants. "Match over."
Silence. Then murmurs. Then whispers.
"Did you see that?"
"Fang Yuan didn't even use his White Boar Gu…"
"He controlled the whole match in seconds…"
Fang Yuan returned his Rock Skin Gu to its Pokeball and walked off the arena without looking back. Ming scrambled after him, his face flushed.
"That was—how did you—"
"Don't talk," Fang Yuan said quietly. "Watch. Listen. Learn."
They moved to the sidelines as the other matches played out. Chi Cheng's match was next. The young master stepped onto his arena with the ease of someone who had never known defeat. His partner was a girl with a Moonlight Gu of her own—unremarkable, forgettable.
Their opponents took one look at Chi Cheng's Moonlight Gu and seemed to wilt.
The match lasted ten seconds. Chi Cheng's Moonlight Gu flashed, then struck, then flashed again. The other pair's Gu were down before they could even mount a defense. The crowd cheered.
Chi Cheng raised his hand in acknowledgment, his eyes scanning the sidelines until they found Fang Yuan.
He smiled. It was the smile of a butcher looking at meat.
Fang Yuan smiled back. It was the smile of a butcher who knew the meat was already spoiled.
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The first round ended quickly. Of the twenty pairs, ten advanced to the second round. Fang Yuan and Ming were among them. Chi Cheng and his partner, unsurprisingly, were another.
The second round was individual elimination. Single battle. One Gu. No substitutions.
Fang Yuan stood at the edge of his arena, watching his opponent—a boy named Gu Yue Peng, Rank 1, with a Rock Skin Gu of his own. The boy was nervous, his hands shaking as he held his Gu's sphere.
He's heard the rumors. He's already lost.
The elder raised his hand. "Begin."
Peng released his Rock Skin Gu. It materialized with a grinding sound, its rocky plates already hardening.
Fang Yuan released his White Boar Gu.
The beast materialized like a thunderclap. Two hundred pounds of muscle and fury, its tusks gleaming, its breath misting. The crowd fell silent. The Rock Skin Gu took an involuntary step backward.
Peng's face went white. "I—I yield."
The elder blinked. "You what?"
"I yield!" Peng's voice cracked. He was already returning his Gu to its sphere, his hands fumbling. "I can't fight that. No one can fight that."
The elder looked at Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan shrugged, returning the White Boar Gu to its Pokeball.
"Fang Yuan advances," the elder said, his voice carrying a note of disbelief.
The whispers were louder now. Fang Yuan ignored them. He moved to the sidelines and watched the remaining matches.
Chi Cheng's match was, predictably, a slaughter. His Moonlight Gu moved like lightning, striking twice before his opponent's Gu could even react. The match ended in eight seconds.
Chi Cheng stepped off the arena and walked directly toward Fang Yuan.
"Nice trick with the White Boar," he said, his voice low. "Scaring a Rank 1 into forfeiting. Very impressive."
Fang Yuan met his gaze. "I thought so."
Chi Cheng's smile tightened. "You won't get that chance in the final round. The clan leader doesn't forfeit. And neither do I."
He walked away, his disciples falling into step behind him.
Ming appeared at Fang Yuan's elbow. "He's going to—he's going to try to kill you. In the final round. I've seen him do it before."
Fang Yuan didn't answer. He was watching the clan leader, who stood on the raised platform, his eyes fixed on the matches below.
The final round. The clan leader. My first badge.
He reached into his pocket and touched the mysterious evolution stone. Its warmth pulsed against his fingers, steady, waiting.
One more match. Then everything changes.
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The final round was announced at midday.
Ten disciples stood in a line before the clan leader, their faces a mix of exhaustion and anticipation. Ming had been eliminated in the second round—his Vine Gu couldn't overcome a Fire Cricket Gu's ember attacks—but he had lasted longer than anyone expected. He stood in the crowd now, watching.
"The third round," Gu Yue Bo said, his voice carrying across the training grounds, "is a test of everything you have learned. You will face a single opponent. One match. No limits. No restrictions."
He paused, his eyes sweeping the line. When they reached Fang Yuan, they stopped.
"The first match," he said, "will be between Gu Yue Chi Cheng…"
Chi Cheng stepped forward, his Moonlight Gu glowing.
"…and Fang Yuan."
The crowd erupted. This was what they had come to see. The young master against the dark horse. The favored son against the nobody who had somehow become something more.
Fang Yuan stepped onto the arena. Chi Cheng stood across from him, twenty paces away, his smile wide and hungry.
"No White Boar Gu this time," Chi Cheng called out, loud enough for the crowd to hear. "Or are you too scared to face me without your pet?"
Fang Yuan didn't answer. He reached into his robe and pulled out a Pokeball. Not the White Boar Gu's. Something else.
Chi Cheng's smile flickered. "What is that?"
Fang Yuan pressed the button.
The Fire Cricket Gu materialized—a tiny insect, its body glowing like a coal, embers trailing from its wings. It was unimpressive. Small. Insignificant.
Chi Cheng laughed. "A Fire Cricket? That's your answer?"
He raised his hand. His Moonlight Gu pulsed, gathering light.
"Flash."
The silver burst erupted—but Fang Yuan had already closed his eyes. He opened them a moment later, his vision clear, his hand already moving.
"Ember," he said.
The Fire Cricket Gu spat a stream of fire. Not at the Moonlight Gu—at the ground between them. The packed earth ignited, a wall of flame separating the two combatants.
Chi Cheng snarled. "That won't save you."
His Moonlight Gu flashed again, but the fire obscured its aim. Fang Yuan moved to the side, his hand dipping into his robe.
"Wind Bird Gu. Gust."
The second Pokeball split open, and the Wind Bird Gu materialized—a streak of grey and white, its wings beating furiously. The gust of wind caught the flames, fanning them into a roaring wall that drove Chi Cheng backward.
"What are you doing?" Chi Cheng shouted, shielding his face from the heat. "You'll burn the whole arena!"
"That's the idea."
Fang Yuan's third Pokeball was already in his hand. He threw it high, over the flames, and the Moonlight Gu materialized in the air above Chi Cheng's head.
"Flash."
The silver light exploded directly above the young master. Chi Cheng cried out, his hands flying to his eyes. His Moonlight Gu, disoriented, flickered and dimmed.
The flames died. Fang Yuan stood on the other side of the arena, three Pokeballs in his hand, his face calm.
Chi Cheng blinked, tears streaming from his eyes. His Moonlight Gu hovered unsteadily beside him, its light weak.
"You—you cheated," he spat. "You used three Gu. That's against the rules."
"No limits. No restrictions," Fang Yuan said quietly. "The clan leader's words."
Chi Cheng's face went red. He lunged forward, his hand grabbing for Fang Yuan's collar—
The elder's voice cut through the chaos. "Match over. Fang Yuan wins by incapacitation."
Chi Cheng froze. The crowd was silent. Then, slowly, the whispers began.
"He won…"
"He beat Chi Cheng…"
"With three Gu… three different Gu…"
Fang Yuan returned his Subjects to their Pokeballs and stepped off the arena. He didn't look at Chi Cheng. He didn't look at the crowd. He walked directly to the clan leader.
Gu Yue Bo studied him, his expression unreadable. "You used three Gu in that match. A Moonlight Gu, a Fire Cricket Gu, and a Wind Bird Gu. You coordinated them flawlessly."
Fang Yuan said nothing.
"Where did you learn to fight like that?"
Five hundred years of war. Five hundred years of killing. Five hundred years of learning that the only rule that matters is the one you make.
"I read," Fang Yuan said.
The clan leader's lips twitched—almost a smile, almost a frown. "You've passed the exam. You've earned the right to request a Gu from the clan's reserves. What do you want?"
Fang Yuan met his gaze. "I want to challenge you."
The crowd, which had been murmuring, fell silent. Gu Yue Bo's eyebrows rose.
"Challenge me?"
"The system says you're the first Gym Leader," Fang Yuan said, his voice steady. "I want my first badge."
For a long moment, the clan leader just looked at him. Then, slowly, he smiled.
"Very well," he said. "Tomorrow at dawn. One match. No limits. No restrictions."
He turned to the crowd, raising his voice. "The exam is over. Go. Rest. Tomorrow, you'll see something worth remembering."
The disciples dispersed, their voices rising in excited chatter. Fang Yuan stood alone in the center of the training ground, the clan leader's words echoing in his ears.
Tomorrow at dawn.
He reached into his pocket and touched the mysterious evolution stone. Its warmth pulsed against his fingers, stronger than before.
One more night. Then everything changes.
He turned and walked toward his quarters, his mind already racing through strategies, counters, possibilities. The clan leader was Rank 3. His Moonlight Gu was at least Rank 2, possibly Rank 3. And he had a second Gu—a defensive type, probably Rock or Steel.
I have six Subjects. Each has a role. Each has a weakness. I need to find the combination he won't expect.
He reached his door and opened it. Inside, his room was dark, quiet. He lit a single candle and laid out his Pokeballs on the bed.
Six spheres. Six lives. Six tools.
Tomorrow, I use them all.
He picked up the Fire Cricket Gu's sphere and studied it. The tiny insect glowed within, its embers dim from the battle.
Fire. Good against grass, ice, steel. But the clan leader's Moonlight Gu is light type—neutral. His second Gu is probably Rock. Fire is weak against Rock.
He put it down and picked up the Vine Gu's sphere.
Grass. Good against Rock. Weak against Fire. If he has a Rock Gu, this is my answer.
He set it aside and reached for the White Boar Gu.
Normal. No advantages, no disadvantages. But raw power. If I can get it close, it can end the match in one charge.
He placed the sphere down and looked at the remaining three: Moonlight, Wind Bird, Rock Skin.
Support. Disruption. Defense. Each has a role. Each will be used.
He sat back, staring at the spheres.
Six Subjects against two. Numbers are on my side. But numbers don't matter if he can take them out one by one.
He thought about the mysterious stone in his pocket. Its warmth was constant now, a steady pulse that seemed to beat in time with his heart.
What are you? What do you do?
He pulled it out. The orange glow filled the room, casting strange shadows on the walls. The stone pulsed once, twice, three times.
Then, without warning, it cracked.
A thin line split the stone's surface, and golden light spilled out. Fang Yuan's hand tightened around it, his heart rate steady, his mind already cataloguing possibilities.
The stone pulsed again, brighter. The crack widened.
And in the golden light, Fang Yuan saw something that made even his five-hundred-year-old soul pause.
A shape. A form. A creature, curled within the stone, waiting to be born.
The stone pulsed one final time—and went dark.
Fang Yuan sat in the sudden silence, the cracked stone cooling in his palm. The shape was gone, but its outline was burned into his memory.
Not an evolution stone. Something else. Something the system doesn't control.
He tucked it back into his pocket and looked at the window. The moon was rising, casting silver light across the village.
Tomorrow at dawn. The first Gym Leader. My first badge.
He blew out the candle and lay back on his bed, his hand resting on the cracked stone.
One way or another, everything changes tomorrow.
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End of Chapter 5