Chapter 181: By an odd twist (Long chapter) Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow "Lady Tie, what do you mean?" Fang Zheng did not understand. Tie Ruo Nan stretched out her finger, pointing at the wall, "Look at him, Gu Yue Fang Yuan! Don’t you think he looks way too calm? When finding out that he has C grade talent, while his blood related brother has A grade talent, normal people would definitely have some reaction to it. But him? Not a trace of emotion! The surrounding praises and mockery cannot move his heart. Don’t you find this strange? Throughout the process, he is too calm." Tie Ruo Nan’s words, attracted everyone’s gaze. As this scene replayed, all the gazes on the wall landed on Fang Yuan’s silhouette. Fang Yuan stood among the crowd, standing alone, upright. A dark shadow engulfed half his body. And this scenario, was a huge contrast to the other side. His own brother, Gu Yue Fang Zheng, was moving step by step, his body bathed in the Hope Gu’s pure white light. At this moment, the elder and younger brother had a swap of identities. The former fell from grace, falling to the lowest point in his life, engulfed by shadows. The latter being blessed by fate, shining in brilliance, climbing his way to the top. "A fifteen year old youngster, going through such a catastrophic change in his life. But yet, on his body there is no trace of disappointment, perplexity or jealousy. Only calmness, he stood among the crowd, silently watching like he was an outsider, like he was watching a show," Tie Ruo Nan’s voice came appropriately. Yes. Fang Yuan watched silently. As the shadows engulfed half his body, his face was expressionless, except the pale colour of a youngster’s skin. Gu Yue Bo stared at the wall, solemn. Fang Zheng felt a strong chill emerging from deep within his body. Brother, what in the world are you...... "Even if he had a prediction towards the Awakening Ceremony’s results, his heart would definitely feel a change in emotions, and he definitely won’t be as calm as this. I used the Cactus Pointer earlier, and always thought that the word ‘aptitude’ was referring to Gu Yue Chi Cheng. But now that I think about it, it might not refer to Chi Cheng, but most likely Fang Yuan!" Tie Ruo Nan said. "Lady Tie, what do you mean? I don’t understand it at all?" Fang Zheng was more confused. Tie Ruo Nan raised a finger. "Only one type of situation would cause Fang Yuan to be so calm. That is, he has a trump card that no one knows. Only one situation would cause him to not be jealous, and that is because he has something greater. If two people walked together and one person finds a primeval stone, only if the other finds ten or a hundred would they not be jealous, and have a calm emotion. Fang Yuan is like that." "You are saying, Fang Yuan cheated and concealed his true aptitude? He is not a C grade talent?" Gu Yue Bo understood Tie Ruo Nan’s words, "But if he is A or B grade, why would he not display it outright?" "Fang Yuan had great wisdom since young!" Tie Ruo Nan’s lips curled, her expression confident as she radiated utter confidence. "These few days, I’ve read some of his poems. With such visions and aspirations, even father was full of praise for him. Such a genius, he naturally has his own schemes." Gu Yue Bo shook his head, "Just with this alone, it still doesn’t confirm anything. Concealing aptitude and revealing his aptitude gives two completely different treatment. Even if Fang Yuan didn’t know this, after a year in the academy, he should be clear of it." "Of course he knew, that’s why he did not dare to reveal it." Tie Ruo Nan did not beat about the bush, saying confidently. "What do you mean?" Gu Yue Bo was also lost now. "Gu Yue clan leader." Tie Ruo Nan turned around, looking at Gu Yue Bo solemnly. "Do you know about Ren Zu’s ten children?" Gu Yue Bo was first stunned, before he immediately reacted, understanding Tie Ruo Nan’s true meaning. HE WAS SHOCKED! His iris expanded, his mouth agape, not having any of his clan leader disposition. This was the first time Fang Zheng saw Gu Yue Bo in such a state. Ren Zu’s ten children, eldest son Verdant Great Sun, second daughter Desolate Ancient Moon... the ten children’s aptitude defied heaven, thus heaven was wary and did not give them a long lifespan. In the Gu world, the ten children also represented the top ten most extreme aptitudes! That is — the ten extreme physiques! "Ren Zu’s ten children died one by one, and Ren Zu was about to die of old age. But at the end, Ren Zu gathered the corpse of his ten children and sacrificed himself, all going into the stomach of the Derivation Gu. Derivation Gu’s stomach burst, exploding and countless life spreading across the land, creating the first batch of mortals. These mortals did not have Ren Zu or the ten children’s talent, but they could cultivate after awakening their aperture. Humanity thus grew and developed, forming today’s size. Of course, that is all a mythological story." "But according to the story, every one of us has Ren Zu and his ten children’s bloodline in us!" Tie Ruo Nan continued, "The only thing is that most people have diluted bloodlines, or due to intermarriage, restricted each other and caused it to remain dormant. But some people when born have stronger bloodlines, and as they aged or cultivated, they would start going towards the extreme, with one bloodline dominating the rest. When it appears, that is the ten extreme physiques!" "What is this ten extreme physique?" Fang Zheng asked. "Don’t tell me, Fang Yuan has one of the ten extreme aptitudes?!" Gu Yue Bo was stunned. "Very likely so! Only the ten extreme physique would cause Fang Yuan to be so calm, and does not have much need for cultivation resources. And only the ten extreme physique that dominates the A grade talent can cause Fang Yuan to not have a hint of jealousy or envy, and only the ten extreme physique can cause Fang Yuan to not reveal his aptitude, as he fears being killed earlier, thus choosing to conceal the truth!" Tie Ruo Nan spoke quickly. Even Tie Xue Leng would not think of rebirth. Not to mention the young girl. Under all sorts of coincidences, she managed to conjecture a conclusion that was completely the opposite of the truth. Hearing so, everyone was dumbfounded. Tie Ruo Nan’s analysis had proof and evidence, causing others to believe it. If not for this reason, what other explanation is there? "Yes, yes! The ten extreme physiques, ten extreme physiques... It has to be the Ancient Moon Desolate Yin physique!" Gu Yue Bo’s heart was in turmoil, so excited that his body shuddered. Others might not know this, but he had the clan’s secret history and knew many ancient secrets. Hundreds of years ago, the first generation ancestor established the village at this spot and named it Gu Yue village. The truth is, the first Gen was not named Gu Yue at all! Why did he pick the name ‘Gu Yue’? It was a mystery. But before Gen 1 died, he once sighed, "The bloodlines shall be passed down, there will be a great plan of centuries, Ancient Moon Desolate Yin, the world shall shudder!" He left behind those parting words, and in his will, it predicted that the Gu Yue clan would one day in the future produce a Gu Master with one of the ten extreme aptitudes, the Ancient Moon Desolate Yin body! He would cause the world to tremble and bring the Gu Yue clan towards a new golden age! He also mentioned to his descendants that if one day such a physique appeared, they had to be brought into the blood pond graveyard. As the clan leader, Gu Yue Bo knew the weakness of the ten extreme physiques, but he had studied this will deeply, and found that the first generation ancestor seemed to know a method to curb this weakness. And this method was kept in his coffin in the graveyard, in an eternal slumber with him. If the Ancient Moon Desolate Yin physique really appeared, bring him to the coffin...... "To think that Gu Yue Fang Yuan is that prophesied genius — the Ancient Moon Desolate Yin physique!" Gu Yue Bo screamed in his heart. "This cannot be. Under everyone’s watchful eye, how can big brother cheat under everyone’s gaze?" Fang Zheng was completely taken aback, shaking his head, unable to accept this theory. Tie Ruo Nan looked at him in pity. "If even Chi Cheng could cheat, why couldn’t Fang Yuan? The ten extreme physiques have endless potential, unlimited possibilities. Maybe Fang Yuan awakened early, and maybe he deceived the bamboo gentleman, due to the ten extreme physique. Or maybe Jia Jin Sheng was killed by Fang Yuan, because he found out this secret of Fang Yuan’s." "Tie family young lady, speak with caution." Gu Yue Bo’s expression was unhappy, speaking in a low tone, "Words cannot be spoken mindlessly. Whether Jia Jin Sheng is killed by Fang Yuan, that is not confirmed yet. Fang Yuan is my clan’s member, and even if he did commit the act, how we are going to answer to the Jia family is also our matter. You are only here to investigate the case." Gu Yue clan leader’s attitude had changed 180 degrees. Before, he had thought Fang Yuan was a C grade talent with no possibility of investment. But now, Fang Yuan was the Ancient Moon Desolate Yin physique?! Once it involved the first gen’s prophecy and will, his value completely changed. He had to be protected, and even if the Jia family was offended, there will be no regret! "Oh crap. This Gu Yue clan leader just turned on his words. How shameless is he, changing his attitude so quickly! I should not have revealed the truth of the ten extreme physiques so soon. The ten extreme aptitudes rule over the A grade talent, so it seems the Gu Yue clan leader wants to protect Fang Yuan now. This will bring great obstruction to solving the case. What do I do now, father?" Tie Ruo Nan’s heart sank, and gritting her teeth, she subconsciously looked for her father’s figure. "Eh, where’s father?" The young girl was stunned. Divine investigator Tie was still around earlier, but in the blink of an eye he was gone. This discovery caused Gu Yue Bo to tense up. Where could Tie Xue Leng have gone at this time? Gu Yue clan leader naturally related it to Fang Yuan. "Fang Zheng, I am going to look for your big brother. Go inform the other clan elders, and quickly assemble to look for me!" Leaving behind his instructions, Gu Yue Bo activated his Gu worm and flew out from the window. Tie Ruo Nan snorted, running out of the room towards Fang Yuan’s residence. In the entire hall, only Fang Zheng was left. "How... how can this be?!" Fang Zheng’s current state was not optimistic. His face was pale, his body on the verge of falling over, his spine devoid of all strength. He felt that his world was covered in darkness. He felt his world collapsing! How could it become like this? "Brother’s aptitude is the ten extreme physique? My A grade talent is nothing compared to him, a complete failure compared to him!" As he thought and thought, Fang Zheng’s tears fell down. At this moment, all of his spirit was dampened. All this time, his greatest achievement was beating Fang Yuan in aptitude. All his confidence was built upon this. But right now, he was told this cruel fact — his aptitude was nothing compared to his brother! His proudest and most confident area had been suppressed by Fang Yuan. The confidence he had built up after so long, collapsed in an instant. "BIG BROTHER!" He raised his head, allowing his tears to flow like a river. He screamed in his heart, "From start to end, you’ve been watching a show all along! Seeing me jump up and down, looking at my clown-like performance?" The corners of his eye looked at the wall again. The images turned and moved, and people moved all over the place with countless voices praising Fang Zheng’s performance. However, Fang Yuan alone stood among the people, his face calm as he watched. Peacefully watching just like that...... Fang Zheng suddenly felt that in this image, he who was covered in this light of hope, was so childish, so eye-piercing. In his heart, Fang Yuan’s calm dark irises showed a divine expression. His image was gradually enlarged, getting taller and taller until he was unable to climb over, as high as a mountain reaching into the clouds. Those calm eyes looked at him from that mountain high up in the sky, staring at Fang Zheng’s pathetic appearance who was at the foot of the mountain. Those eyes were like they were saying — Fang Zheng, my laughable little brother, you won’t do, you won’t do, won’t do... Like the echoes in a valley, reverbing in Fang Zheng’s heart. He felt a strong depression. Unimaginable depression, suppressing him until he could not breathe properly. He thought he had gotten rid of this feeling, but to think that that today this feeling assaulted his heart again. In fact, it was more intense than before by a hundred times! "AHHHHHH! I’m going to die, I’m going to die!" Fang Zheng’s face twitched, veins popping on his forehead. He was drowning in his delusions, gripping his own throat tightly. With a plop, he fell onto the ground kneeling. Because he lacked oxygen, his face went red and his tongue stretched out, his eyes gradually popping out. "No! I don’t want to die, I really don’t want to die!!" His other hand grabbed the tile on the ground, but as he used too much strength, even his nails broke and blood bled. The intense pain increased Fang Zheng’s desire to live! His body had no injuries, but in his heart, he had received a fatal injury. He could not get up, for the pride sustaining him had already shattered. He felt that he did not have the face to see anyone; he was unable to face up to reality, to his older brother. He had become a huge joke, an ironic clown. He was heart was like dying ash, but this ash still had small embers burning. "So what if he is the ten extreme aptitude? Brother, you did something wrong. You killed someone, you should not have done so! Right, that’s right! You have to pay for your sins of murdering, big brother, Jia Jin Sheng was killed by you right? You walked on the wrong path, you did something wrong, so what if your aptitude is better than me?!" Ring...... Something seemed to have sounded off near his ear. A lump of fire started to burn in Fang Zheng’s heart. The dying ember resurrected! The hand gripping his throat, gradually let go. Fang Zheng’s body was covered in sweat as he kneeled on the ground, one hand sustaining himself as the hand was full of injuries from grabbing the tile. Droplets of sweat flowed down his face and nose, and onto the file. His distorted horrifying face had gradually calmed down. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶 A gust of wind blew along the door and windows, into this hall. The cold wind of the night sky stimulated his body as he shuddered. "HEHEHEHEHEHEHE..." Fang Zheng half laid on the ground as he laughed, his voice shrill and eerie. The light of the fire danced around his face along with the wind. As it shone on the young man’s face, it was not of warmth and brightness, but it resembled the devil’s dance. Translator’s Thoughts Skyfarrow Skyfarrow Reminder that this book ends at 199 chapters. Reminder that Gu Yue means Ancient Moon. So the ’Ancient Moon’ in Desolate Ancient Moon has the same characters as Gu Yue. Also lastly, reminder that cliffhangers will be ongoing until this book ends. The ride from next chapter onwards will keep rising like a crescendo...