Chapter 8: The City of Water
Recap: Fang Yuan merged with a mysterious creature that predates the system itself. Now, armed with seven Subjects and a new fusion partner, he heads toward Shang Clan City and his second Gym Leader.
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Shang Clan City rose from the mist like a dream of water and stone.
Fang Yuan stood on a ridge overlooking the valley, his grey robes stirring in the morning wind. Below, the city sprawled along the banks of a wide river, its walls gleaming white, its towers reaching for the clouds. Canals cut through the streets like veins, their waters clear and swift. And everywhere, the blue banners of the Shang Clan snapped in the breeze.
It's bigger than I remember. Richer. More guarded.
He had been here before—in his first life, as a young disciple seeking fortune. He had been cheated, robbed, and thrown into the river within a week. This time would be different.
He descended the ridge, his steps measured. The road to the city was crowded with merchants, travelers, and farmers bringing goods to market. No one looked at him twice. A child alone was nothing unusual in these lands—orphans, runaways, disciples sent on errands. He was just another face in the crowd.
The city gates were open, but guards stood at the entrance, their eyes sharp. They wore blue armor, their Gu—small Water Flea Gu, he noted—hovering at their shoulders. Routine inspection.
Fang Yuan walked forward, his hands empty, his expression blank. The guard who stopped him was a young man, bored, his eyes already moving past.
"State your business."
"I'm a disciple of the Gu Yue Clan," Fang Yuan said, his voice soft. "I've come to participate in the city's Gu Master trials."
The guard's eyebrows rose. "Trials? Those are for Rank 2 and above, boy."
"I have my clan's permission." He pulled out the silver badge—the Gu Yue Badge—and held it up. The guard squinted, then shrugged.
"Fine. Move along."
Fang Yuan passed through the gates and into the city.
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The streets of Shang Clan City were a maze of stone and water.
Canals ran alongside every road, their waters busy with boats and barges. Bridges arched over them, their railings carved with scenes of water spirits and sea serpents. The buildings were tall, their walls painted blue and white, their roofs tiled with baked clay.
Fang Yuan walked without hurry, his eyes cataloguing everything. The merchant stalls selling Gu food, Gu medicine, Gu accessories. The training grounds where disciples sparred with Water Flea Gu and Mudskipper Gu. The temples dedicated to water spirits, their doors open, incense smoke curling into the sky.
And at the center of it all, the Shang Clan compound—a fortress of white stone, its walls rising above the city, its gates guarded by disciples in blue.
The second Gym Leader is Shang Xin Yue. Rank 4. Water specialist. Her Subjects are said to include a Rank 3 Water Dragon Gu and a Rank 2 Icefish Gu. I need to see her fight before I challenge her.
He found an inn near the compound, a modest place called the Drifting Leaf. The innkeeper was a fat woman with sharp eyes and a sharper tongue.
"Room for the night?"
"Three nights," Fang Yuan said, placing five primeval stones on the counter. "And information."
The woman's eyes glittered. "What kind of information?"
"The trials. When are they held? Who competes? Who wins?"
She laughed, sweeping the stones into her apron. "You're a sharp one. The trials are held every full moon. Next one is in three days. Anyone can enter—Rank 1, Rank 2, doesn't matter. But the winner is always the same. Shang Xin Yue's daughter. Shang Xinyi."
Fang Yuan's expression didn't change. "The daughter?"
"A genius. Eighteen years old, Rank 3, already commanding three Gu. She's won the last seven trials. Her mother uses them as training." The innkeeper leaned closer. "You thinking of entering?"
"Maybe."
She snorted. "Then you'd better be good. The last challenger who faced Xinyi ended up in the river. With his Gu drowned."
Fang Yuan took his key and went to his room.
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The room was small but clean. A bed, a table, a window overlooking the canal. Fang Yuan set his pack on the table and released his Subjects one by one.
The Moonlight Gu hovered near the ceiling, its light soft. The Vine Gu coiled in the corner, its thorns retracted. The Rock Skin Gu sat by the door, a silent sentinel. The White Boar Gu took up most of the floor, its massive body blocking the window. The Wind Bird Gu perched on the bedpost, preening its feathers. The Fire Cricket Gu glowed faintly on the table. And the three Water Flea Gu drifted in a basin he had filled from the canal.
Seven Subjects. Six types. One fusion.
He sat on the bed and closed his eyes. The creature stirred, a whisper at the edge of his thoughts.
The daughter. Rank 3. Three Gu. You could beat her.
Fang Yuan opened his eyes. "Not yet. I need more information. Her Gu. Her strategies. Her weaknesses."
You could have the innkeeper watch her train. Bribe her with more stones.
"I already paid her for information. More would make her suspicious."
Then watch yourself. You have three days.
Fang Yuan stood and walked to the window. Below, the canal was busy with boats, their passengers shouting and laughing. On the far bank, a group of disciples was training with Water Flea Gu, their bubbles popping in the morning light.
Water type. Weak against Grass and Electric. I have Vine Gu—Grass. But Vine Gu is Rank 1. Against a Rank 3 Water Dragon Gu, it would be crushed.
He needed more. A Grass type at Rank 2 or higher. Or an Electric type. Or both.
He turned from the window and pulled out the cracked stone. It was warm, pulsing, and when he held it, he could feel the creature's presence—patient, waiting.
Where can I find a Grass Gu strong enough to challenge a Rank 3?
The creature's voice was amused. The Shang Clan has a greenhouse. Rare plants, rare Gu. Guarded, of course. But you've stolen from stronger clans than this.
Fang Yuan smiled. "I don't steal. I acquire."
He tucked the stone back into his pocket and left the room.
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The Shang Clan's greenhouse was a domed structure of glass and iron, nestled against the compound's eastern wall. Fang Yuan found it easily—it was the only building in the city with plants growing through its roof.
He circled it twice, noting the guards. Two disciples at the main gate, both with Water Flea Gu. A patrol that passed every fifteen minutes. A locked door at the side, its lock old, rusted.
They're complacent. No one has tried to break in for years. They've forgotten how to guard.
He waited until the patrol passed, then slipped to the side door. The lock yielded to a quick application of Vine Gu's tendril—a simple pressure lock, nothing more.
Inside, the air was thick with moisture and the smell of earth. Rows of plants lined the walls, their leaves gleaming under glass lamps. And among them, Gu.
He saw them immediately. A Grasshopper Gu, its body green, its legs coiled to spring. A Thorn Vine Gu, its tendrils thicker, sharper than his Vine Gu's. And there, in the center, a Lotus Gu—a flower of white and gold, its petals closed, its stem rooted in a pool of still water.
Rank 2. Grass type. Its petals can reflect light, blind opponents, create illusions. A perfect counter to water.
He moved toward it, his steps silent. The Lotus Gu's petals were closed, but he could see the faint glow within—a pulse of light, steady, patient.
He pulled out a Pokeball. A standard ball would work, but the Lotus Gu was Rank 2. Its will would be stronger. He needed to weaken it first.
He released his Vine Gu. Its tendrils reached out, wrapping around the Lotus Gu's stem. The flower shuddered, its petals beginning to open.
"Bind," Fang Yuan whispered.
The Vine Gu's tendrils tightened. The Lotus Gu's petals opened fully, revealing a core of golden light. The light flared, and Fang Yuan's Vine Gu recoiled, its tendrils smoking.
Light attack. Reflect. It's defending itself.
He recalled the Vine Gu and threw the Pokeball.
The sphere struck the Lotus Gu's petals and opened. Red light enveloped the flower, and it struggled—its petals slamming against the sphere's walls, its light flaring, dimming, flaring again.
The ball wobbled. Once. Twice. Three times. Four times.
Click.
[Capture Successful!]
Lotus Gu added to Storage.
Reward: 12 Primeval Stones.
Fang Yuan retrieved the sphere and slipped it into his pocket. He looked around the greenhouse. No alarms. No guards. The Lotus Gu's place in the pool was empty, but in the dim light, no one would notice until morning.
He left the way he came, the side door closing behind him with a soft click.
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He was halfway back to the inn when the patrol found him.
"Stop."
Fang Yuan stopped. Two guards stood in the street ahead, their Water Flea Gu hovering at their shoulders. One of them was the young man from the gate.
"You're the Gu Yue disciple," the guard said. "What are you doing out so late?"
Fang Yuan held up his hands, empty. "I couldn't sleep. I was walking."
The guard's eyes narrowed. "Walking where?"
"The canal. I wanted to see the water."
The guard studied him for a long moment. Then his eyes fell to Fang Yuan's pocket—where the Lotus Gu's Pokeball bulged against the cloth.
"What's that?"
Fang Yuan's hand moved to the pocket. "Nothing. Just a Gu I captured earlier."
"Show me."
Fang Yuan hesitated. Then he pulled out the Pokeball and held it up.
The guard stared at it. "What is that? I've never seen a sphere like that."
"It's a capture device. From the Gu Yue Clan."
The guard's Water Flea Gu drifted closer, its antennae twitching. It seemed curious, not hostile.
"Let me see it."
Fang Yuan's grip tightened. The creature stirred inside him, a whisper of cold.
No.
He looked at the guard. "It's mine. By clan law, a Gu Master's captures are his own property. You have no right to take it."
The guard's face darkened. "This isn't Gu Yue territory, boy. This is Shang Clan land. And I say—"
"What's going on here?"
A new voice, sharp, commanding. The guards straightened, their Water Flea Gu snapping to attention.
A woman stepped out of the shadows. She was tall, her hair white, her robes blue and gold. At her side, a Water Dragon Gu coiled—its body serpentine, its scales shimmering, its eyes the color of the sea.
Rank 3. Possibly higher. This is Shang Xin Yue.
The guards stammered explanations. Fang Yuan stood still, his face blank, his hand still on the Pokeball.
Shang Xin Yue's eyes swept over him, taking in his grey robes, his youth, his empty hands. They stopped on the Pokeball.
"A capture sphere," she said. "From the Gu Yue Clan?"
"Yes."
"May I see it?"
Fang Yuan held it out. She took it, turning it over in her hands. Her Water Dragon Gu hissed, its eyes fixed on the sphere.
"Interesting," she murmured. "I've heard rumors of these. Devices that capture Gu without refinement. Without cultivation." She looked at him. "You're the boy who beat Gu Yue Bo."
It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
She smiled. It was not a kind smile. "Then you're the one who wants to challenge me for the badge."
Fang Yuan met her gaze. "The system says you're the second Gym Leader."
"The system." She laughed. "I don't care about your system, boy. But I do care about strength." She tossed the Pokeball back to him. "The trials are in three days. Win them, and you'll have your chance to face me."
She turned and walked away, her Water Dragon Gu following. The guards scrambled after her.
Fang Yuan stood alone in the street, the Pokeball in his hand, its surface warm from her touch.
She knows. She knows about the system, about the badges. She's been waiting for me.
He pocketed the sphere and walked back to the inn.
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In his room, he released the Lotus Gu. It hovered in the air, its petals open, its golden light casting shadows on the walls. It was beautiful—and deadly.
He studied it, his mind already working.
Grass type. Rank 2. Moves: Reflect, Light Screen, Petal Dance. Against water, it will dominate. Against fire, it will fall. But Shang Xin Yue uses water. This is my key.
He returned it to its sphere and lay down on the bed.
Three days. Three days to train. Three days to prepare. Then the trials. Then the Gym Leader.
The creature stirred inside him.
You will need more than a flower to beat her. Her Water Dragon Gu is Rank 3. Her Icefish Gu is Rank 2. She has fought a hundred battles. She knows every trick.
Fang Yuan closed his eyes. "Then I'll need a trick she hasn't seen."
What trick?
He smiled. "Fusion."
The creature went quiet. Then, slowly, it began to laugh.
Yes. Fusion. Show her what a demon can do.
Fang Yuan slept.
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End of Chapter 8