Inside the discussion hall, Gu Yue Bo sat expressionless in the head seat, his eyes carrying a deep and contemplative look.
The dozen or so clan elders sat upright, heads lowered, occasionally glancing from the corners of their eyes to observe the room and catch subtle changes in one another's expressions.
A tense and subtle atmosphere hung in the air.
"Fang Yuan getting first place, the deeper meaning behind this is definitely not simple. He actually said he found a bag of hidden wild boar tusks, this is too unbelievable."
"This bag might've been prepared by someone, it is not possible for Fang Yuan to do it himself. That means someone is helping Fang Yuan in the dark."
"This year's mid-year exam is unlike the previous ones. We had to deploy tens of Rank two Gu Masters to invigilate the exam. Thus the contents of this examination, not only does the academy elder know, but many of the elders in the clan as well."
"If anyone wanted to prepare this bag in advance, it can only be the clan elders present here now, or even the clan leader!"
The clan elders were all seasoned veterans—cunning and sharp.
Having spent years navigating the political landscape, countless thoughts immediately crossed their minds.
Fang Zheng was an A-grade talent.
If he truly advanced to Rank Four, what would that signify?
It meant he was a clear candidate for the next clan leader.
And Fang Yuan, as Fang Zheng's biological brother—even if only a C-grade—was now a figure worth investing in due to that blood tie.
To Gu Yue Bo, aiding Fang Yuan from behind the scenes would effectively draw him into the leader's faction.
At the same time, it would also serve as a rope binding Fang Zheng more tightly to his side.
To the other clan elders, Fang Zheng, the only A-grade in years, had already aligned with the clan leader's side.
If nurtured further, it would only reinforce that faction's dominance.
However, if they could win Fang Yuan over instead, that fraternal bond could be a useful bargaining chip or counterweight in dealing with Fang Zheng in the future.
Thus, everyone in the hall—more than ten individuals—had their own reasons for wanting to support Fang Yuan.
The only question left was:
Who would make the first move?
Gu Yue Chi Lian thought deeply, "I did not recruit Fang Yuan, so who would help him secretly? Is it Mo Chen that old man, hmm, possible. Although Fang Yuan killed his family servant, but that's just a servant, even if they all died it wouldn't hurt him. The clan leader is more possible though, he took in Fang Zheng, so if he recruited Fang Yuan as well, that would increase his control over Fang Zheng! But… in previous years, the norm is to recruit them during the year end exam. Taking his action now during the mid-year, it is breaking the rules."
"Not exactly breaking the rules, but it really is throwing a curveball. Just exactly who thinks highly of Fang Yuan, even more than me?" Gu Yue Mo Chen was also thinking.
In truth, after Fang Yuan killed Gao Wan and sent back the mutilated remains, Gu Yue Bo's opinion of him changed, and he began considering the idea of bringing him into his fold.
However, such plans were typically reserved for the end of the academic year, once the students had officially graduated.
Seeing Fang Yuan being recruited ahead of schedule came as an unexpected move to Gu Yue Mo Chen.
Gu Yue Bo's attention turned toward Gu Yue Mo Chen and Gu Yue Chi Lian—the two other major power players within the clan.
As clan leader, Gu Yue Bo possessed sharper political instincts than most. Fang Yuan had openly fabricated the truth to claim first place, and did so without fear.
This bold act served as a declaration to everyone present—it was Gu Yue Bo's way of signaling: "Fang Yuan is under my protection now. He belongs to my camp. Don't even think about making a move on him."
So, the pressing question became—who exactly was this boy aligning with?
The Gu Yue clan's internal politics were dominated by three major forces: the clan leader's faction, Gu Yue Chi Lian's Chi family, and Gu Yue Mo Chen's Mo family.
Since Gu Yue Bo himself hadn't initiated any offer to Fang Yuan, the most likely culprits behind this premature recruitment were Chi Lian and Mo Chen.
"These two old fellows, their acting is improving. Seeing their expressions, I really cannot tell. Don't tell me it really isn't them, but some other small faction?"
Gu Yue Bo observed carefully as he investigated. He did not know that all the elders were like him, observing, suspecting and deducing.
The academy elder was also guessing, but he had always been in a neutral position, outside of politics, thus his thoughts were simpler, "So Fang Yuan has been recruited by a clan elder. No wonder he let go of Fang Zheng, Mo Bei and Chi Cheng while extorting, that means the one who recruited him was either the clan leader, Chi Lian or Mo Chen. This is good news! It shows that he has accepted reality and has starting integrating into the clan. No matter what, he is now a member of the clan, so once he fully integrates, he will contribute his entire life to the clan!"
After a short silence, Gu Yue Bo could not see any more clues, thus he spoke, "An eye for an eye, since the other party has started targeting Fang Zheng, our Gu Yue clan is not to be trifled with, we will show them! Dark Hall Elder, formulate a plan for this matter and report to me afterwards."
"Yes, sir clan leader." Dark hall elder immediately nodded.
"As for Gu Yue Fang Zheng, I'm afraid his heart might be damaged from such an encounter. He is an A grade talent, and to our clan, the status is monumental. From now on, I will teach him personally." Gu Yue Bo said.
No clan elders objected.
Many people knew that the clan leader had already given much benefits to Gu Yue Fang Zheng in the dark. Now that he mentioned this, even though it violated the fairness rule, with sufficient reasoning, the clan elders could not stop him.
"As for Gu Yue Fang Yuan…" Gu Yue Bo dragged his words.
At once, all the clan elders paid their fullest attention. Was the clan leader hinting that he was the one helping Fang Yuan secretly?
Gu Yue Bo looked at everyone's expression as his gaze swept through, but he was destined to be disappointed.
Thus, he could only continue, "With his C-grade talent, he managed to get first place. It is not easy. Thus, in my personal name, I reward him thirty primeval stones. Academy elder, pass my word and tell him to continue working hard."
"Yes, clan leader." The academy elder bowed as he received his orders.
"Thirty primeval stones, such an ordinary reward, what does this mean?" The clan elders frowned.
"No matter who absorbed Fang Yuan, this thirty primeval stones is my expression of goodwill. After all, there is still the Bai and Xiong clan other than Gu Yue." Gu Yue Bo sighed in his heart.
Fang Zheng was assassinated by external foes. Fang Yuan's cheating was internal conflict.
Against external foes, one had to use hard handed methods to retaliate, but for internal conflict, Gu Yue Bo chose to use the soft approach, in order to avoid too much internal conflict and result in the entire clan's strength being weakened.
"Alright, this matter will be settled like this. Everyone may leave and do all your work well, the clan's prosperity has everything to do with your performances." Gu Yue Bo waved his hand.
"Yes clan leader, we will take our leave."
One by one, the clan elders departed, and within moments, only Gu Yue Bo remained in the chamber.
He let out a long sigh, pressing his fingers against his temples in exhaustion.
Though he held the highest authority in the Gu Yue clan as its leader, his position was far from easy. He had to juggle the competing interests of various factions, unable to act solely on his own will.
The clan's power was deeply fragmented—woven through generations of inheritance, with each branch boasting its own long-standing influence. These internal forces constantly checked and balanced one another.
Externally, he faced pressure from the domineering Xiong clan and the increasingly ambitious Bai clan. Within the clan, he had to constantly navigate and manage the intricate web of internal politics.
Although still in his middle years, Gu Yue Bo's head had already turned white from the burden of leadership.
"These years of being the clan leader, although I had sufficient resources, my cultivation has barely advanced. My heart is tired from all these tiresome clan affairs. Sometimes, I really want to be a lone cultivator, free and easy with no burden. That would allow me to move faster and I might travel even further in my cultivation path."
Gu Yue Bo sighed in his heart.
Anyone within the clan system had duties to fulfill.
With those responsibilities, it became difficult to fully devote oneself to cultivation.
On the other hand, those outside the system were cut off from the clan's resources.
And without resources, progress in cultivation would eventually stall.
This created a paradox—a strange cycle.
Because of this, many bright futures were lost, and countless talented individuals were buried in obscurity.