"A new recipe? I've been meaning to ask you one thing... where did you get this?" Fang Zheng asked.
"Let me tell you a secret... so long as you can keep this between us..." Fang Yuan said.
Fang Zheng nodded. "When I found the Liquor Worm in the Flower Wine Monk's inheritance, there was an information-type gu worm which detonated after I used it. But I still have the contents with me- it had multiple varying recipes for how to advance the Liquor Worm into higher forms. One of them is called the Four Flavors Liquor Worm- it has the same effect as the Liquor Worm but at Rank 2!"
"The Flower Wine Monk!?" Fang Zheng said. "Brother... are you sure we can rely on a recipe that he left? He was a ruthless demon after all." Fang Zheng didn't know the reality of what had actually gone down during that time, and Fang Yuan felt no need to catch him up to speed on any of the details.
"I'm sure that it's safe," Fang Yuan said. "And that's why I-" Fang Yuan removed the second Liquor Worm from his aperture. It had been somewhat annoying to feed the second one, though not overly so given his ownership of the wine tavern.
"Are you sure I should do this now? I'm only at Rank 1 still, won't it be... bad if I have a Rank 2 vital gu worm?" Fang Zheng asked the person who had once had a Rank 6 vital gu worm at Rank 1.
"It's not a big issue as the difference isn't too big," Fang Yuan said. "And I would normally not rush you into trying to do this, but the thing is that the bitter shell wine that I've managed to find which we need as a refinement material will go bad if we don't use it now."
"Oh... is that so?"
"Yes," Fang Yuan said. "Here, let me help teach you how to refine gu worms..."
It was best that Fang Zheng do it himself as one of the Liquor Worms was his vital gu, meaning that it at the very least could not die.
Fang Yuan explained how to do it to Fang Zheng three times before bringing out the refinement ingredients.
Fang Zheng instilled his primeval essence and will into his vital gu, that was easy, and then into the other Liquor Worm- more difficult. The two of them began rotating around each other before they started to fuse.
As each of the four wines was added to this ball of light, it began to shine in different colors.
Fang Yuan then began tossing in primeval stones at this point- he figured that with his higher luck (if the system could be trusted, that is), being part of the refinement would increase their odds of succeeding.
BAM!
At the last moment, the ball split into two halves, the Liquor Worms falling onto the ground. Fang Zheng spat out a mouthful of blood.
Fang Yuan took out a Vitality Leaf which he handed to Fang Zheng before taking a look at the two Liquor Worms. Thankfully, the other Liquor Worm had survived. However, it was best to wait a while for it to recover before trying again otherwise the risk of things going wrong would be much higher.
"I'm sorry... I lost concentration at the last moment," Fang Zheng said. The refinement had not failed because of luck, but because Fang Zheng was inexperienced and had messed things up. Thankfully there was still enough bitter shell wine for at least two more attempts.
But that could not be helped, and Fang Yuan simply had Fang Zheng try again a few days later.
This time, it worked out, and a two-headed Liquor Worm emerged from the ball. It shone in the four colors that represented the four flavors of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, and Fang Zheng sighed with relief as he placed it back in his aperture.
Mission successful!
Aptitude raised to 65%!
With this done, Fang Yuan was now going to try to advance to Rank 3.
Meanwhile, Qing Shu was speaking to the clan head.
"Is this about Fang Yuan?"
"Indeed it is about him- I heard that he declined next month's mission with your group?" the clan head asked.
"Yes, Rank 2 Gu Masters can decline a mission once a year," Qing Shu said. "I wanted to reprimand him, but given the recent events with the River Swallowing Toad, it would make me seem unnecessarily overbearing." Fang Yuan's reputation in the village had begun to supersede Qing Shu's by this point, not only were there the facts of his major deeds but also the lesser known ones that he did for his daily quests that had caused his value to soar in the villager's eyes. Fang Yuan had declined the mission stating that he had 'personal reasons' for doing so, and it would make Qing Shu appear quite overbearing if he were to put any further pressure on Fang Yuan.
Not that such a thing would work on Fang Yuan in the first place.
"I see," the clan head said. "And it also appears that he bought one- or two, of the Red Steel Relic Gu from the market."
"He is at Rank 2 Peak Stage, equal to me now, so yes, that is the only logical explanation," Qing Shu said. "Either that, or he found something akin to a talent-raising gu worm while rock gambling and is now somehow A-grade."
The clan head nodded. "So the reason that he's taken this gap in doing quests is because he wants to break through to Rank 3 in a single go?"
"Yes, it appears so," Qing Shu said. "And I take it that you called me here not to discuss this, but so that I could interrupt him?"
"That is so," the clan head said. Although Fang Yuan was a member of his faction and so his advancement was to his own benefit- there was a thing such as soaring too high in the sky. That was the reason that Qing Shu had not yet been able to advance to Rank 3- though he had accepted that as a fact of life.
"Don't worry, we will do our fullest to interrupt him," Qing Shu said.
And so, late one evening, when Fang Yuan had not been seen wandering outside for several days, Qing Shu and his group paid Fang Zheng a visit.
"Where is you elder brother, Fang Yuan?" Qing Shu asked. "We're looking for him- it's quite a bit urgent."
Although other clan members looked at Fang Zheng mostly with disdain, Qing Shu had a bit of pity in his eyes as he looked at the younger of the Fang twins. Something that Fang Zheng recognized and despised. "He's in closed-door cultivation and isn't to be disturbed."
"Oh, but I bet that he hasn't gotten that far yet," Yao Hong said. "Let's just go and check up on him."
Fang Zhen rose indignantly. "What are you guys doing? You can't just barge into someone's house and disturb them for no reason like this!"
A normal Rank 1 wouldn't have dared to speak to a Rank 2 in that way, but Fang Zheng had been slightly off his rocker since being cast out and working on his own. Not to mention under clan rules, there was little that Qing Shu and his teammates could do.
"Ah, it's nothing, don't worry about it," Qing Mao said, waving his hand and trying to defuse the situation. "We're just checking up on our team mate and friend, after all..."
Despite Fang Zheng's protests they found where Fang Yuan was staying as well as a note stuck the door which said that he was in closed door cultivation and should not be disturbed.
"Fang Yuan! Are you really okay in there all by yourself?" Qing Shu asked.
"He is!" Fang Zheng said.
"You know, I haven't heard any response from him- maybe we should check up on him just to make sure-"
"Don't you dare!"
"Ah- Fang Zheng please don't push me!" Yao Hong said, 'accidentally' tripping and causing the door to collapse as she fell inside.
"I didn't push you at all! I didn't even touch you!" Fang Zheng yelled out in vain.