Meanwhile, at the Mo family.
"What were my instructions to you? See what you did!" In the study room, Gu Yue Mo Chen slammed the table, exploding with a rage.
Mo Yan stood across from the old man, her head bowed. Shock and fury burned in her eyes—she had just received the news: Gao Wan had been killed by Fang Yuan.
That 15 year old boy... who would've thought he possessed such ruthless skill and unshakable resolve? Gao Wan was a loyal and respected servant of the Mo family. For Fang Yuan to kill him so brazenly—it was nothing short of a direct insult to their name.
"Grandpa, you don't have to be so angry. This Gao Wan was only a servant, his death is of no concern. He isn't a Gu Yue clan member anyways. But that Fang Yuan, he is too daring, you have to 'look at the owner before you beat the dog'. Not only did he beat our dog but he even beat it to death!" Mo Yan said indignantly.
Gu Yue Mo Chen furiously scowled, "You still have the cheeks to say that! Have your wings grown so tough now that you don't even put my words to heart, hmm? What I told you before, you have forgotten all about it!"
"Your granddaughter dares not!" Mo Yan jumped in shock. She knew now that her grandfather was really angry and quickly kneeled down.
Gu Yue Mo Chen pointed his finger out the window and scolded, "Hmph, so what if that servant died. But now you are still showing hostility towards Fang Yuan, this is really a matter of you being short sighted and unclear of the implications! Do you know the significance of your actions? The fight among juniors is their own business. As elders, we should not interfere. These are the rules! Now that you went to find trouble with Fang Yuan, it means you are breaking the rules. I can't tell how many people are out there now, looking at this disgrace of our Mo family!"
"Grandpa, please calm down, anger will harm your body. It's Mo Yan fault, I burdened the Mo family. Whatever Grandpa tells Mo Yan to do, Mo Yan will do it! But your granddaughter really cannot take this lying down, that Fang Yuan is too despicable, too shameless. First, he lied to me and entered the academy. Next, he hid in the dormitory and no matter how much I scolded him, he would not come out. Once I left, he went ahead and killed Gao Wan. He is extremely sinister and despicable!" Mo Yan reported.
"Oh, is that so?" Gu Yue Mo Chen frowned. This was the first time he had heard this information and a bright light shone across his eyes.
He took in a deep breath, suppressing his rage and he stroked his beard while saying, "I've heard stories about this Fang Yuan. In his early years, he was able to make poems and songs, showing early intelligence. But to think that he only had C-grade talent. It was difficult for him to have a good future and thus I gave up on recruiting him. But now it seems that it's slightly interesting."
Pausing for a second, Gu Yue Mo Chen knocked on the table and ordered, "Someone, bring that box over here."
The servant outside responded immediately. Before long, he returned carrying a box. It wasn't particularly large or small, but it had some weight to it. Using both hands, he carefully brought it over and stood quietly beside the study table.
"Grandpa, what is this?" Mo Yan stared at the wooden box and asked doubtfully.
"Why don't you open it and take a look?" Gu Yue Mo Chen squinted his eyes and said in a complicated tone.
Mo Yan stood up, flipped the wooden lid open, and glanced inside.
Her expression immediately changed—her pupils shrank in shock, and she instinctively took a step back. A scream of horror escaped her lips, and the lid dropped from her hands, clattering to the ground.
Without the lid, the contents of the box were fully revealed.
It was actually a pile of flesh and blood!
Inside, there was a disturbing sight—several objects, disorganized and stained with dark red. The items appeared to have been harshly torn or cut into pieces, and the blood had soaked into the bottom of the box, creating a chilling, unsettling scene.
Blech…
Mo Yan beautiful face changed color as she took another step backwards, her stomach turning as she almost vomited on the spot.
Though she had witnessed bloodshed in her time as a Rank Two Gu Master, nothing had prepared her for the grotesque scene before her. It was as if the very air in the room had turned suffocating with the weight of what lay in the box.
The pungent smell of blood lingered, thick and oppressive, filling the entire study room.
The servant who had brought the box stood motionless, his face drained of color. His hands trembled, the weight of the box now a burden he could barely hold. Even though he had seen it briefly before, the sight haunted him, and he couldn't shake the shivers running down his spine.
Among the three people in the study room, only the family elder Gu Yue Mo Chen was unfazed. He lightly looked at the contents of the box for a moment and said to Mo Yan slowly: "This box was what Fang Yuan had placed at our family's back door this morning."
"What, it's really him?!" Mo Yan was extremely shocked as images of Fang Yuan showed up in her mind.
The first time she saw Fang Yuan was at the inn.
He sat by the window, calmly eating his meal. His features were unremarkable, and his dark, gloomy eyes seemed to carry a weight of their own. His frame was somewhat solid with broad shoulders, and his skin bore the pale hue typical of a teenager.
He appeared like any ordinary young man. Little did she know then, that beneath this seemingly normal exterior lay the mind of someone capable of such twisted, unimaginable acts.
After her initial shock came a furious rage. Mo Yan yelled, "This Fang Yuan is too outrageous, who gave him the guts to do so! To dare to do such a thing, this is a provocation towards our Mo family! I will go ahead now and bring him here to question him for his crimes!" After she said this, she headed towards the exit.
"You scoundrel, stop right there!" Gu Yue Mo Chen was angrier than she was as he grabbed an ink slab on his study desk and threw it over.
The ink slab hit Mo Yan's shoulder and with a 'bang' it fell to the ground.
"Grandpa!" Mo Yan held her shoulder as she called out in alarm.
Gu Yue Mo Chen stood up, his finger pointing at his granddaughter as he spoke with an extremely agitated tone, "It seems like all these years of training were in vain. You have disappointed me greatly! Against a small Rank one initial stage Gu Master, not to mention you involving so many people, but even getting led by the nose by the other party. Now that you've let your rage get the better of you, at this point, do you still not understand the meaning behind Fang Yuan's actions?"
"What meaning?" Mo Yan was puzzled.
Gu Yue Mo Chen snorted, "If Fang Yuan wanted to provoke us, he would have blown up this matter, so why did he place this box at the secluded back door instead of placing it at the front door where there are many people walking around?"
"Maybe he wants to reconcile with us? No, if he wanted to reconcile, wouldn't it be better to apologise face to face? Why must he send us this box of minced corpse, this is definitely a provocation!" Mo Yan said.
Gu Yue Mo Chen shook his head, then nodded. "He wants to reconcile, but at the same time, he is also provoking us. Placing the wooden box at the back door is his intention to reconcile. Placing the corpse inside the box, that is a provocation."
"You see," The old man pointed at the box, and spoke, "This wooden box is not big, and it cannot hold a complete corpse. Therefore there can only be a portion of the corpse inside. He is trying to tell us that he does not wish to blow up this matter and wants to settle this amicably. But if our Mo Family wants to pursue this matter, he will place the remainder of the corpse at our main entrance, thoroughly blowing up the issue. By that time, it would be a losing situation for both sides. The entire clan knows that our Mo family broke the rules first, and to our Mo Family's future head, this would be seen as him being so weak since he actually required his elder's doting and protection."
Upon hearing these words, Mo Yan was momentarily dumbfounded. She had never expected that Fang Yuan's actions would have such profound meaning.
"His method is really wise," Gu Yue Mo Chen said with admiration, "With just one action, he exercised both toughness and softness, capable of advancing and retreating safely. This is just a simple wooden box but it not only expresses Fang Yuan's intention to compromise but also his ability to pose a threat to our Mo family. And it so happens that he does hold onto the weakness of our Mo family. If the Mo family's reputation is tarnished, what follows after will be the Chi family's attack as well as the assault from the clan leader's side."
Mo Yan found it unbelievable. "Grandpa, aren't you thinking too highly of him? Are you sure that he's capable of this? He is only 15 years old."
"Too highly?" Mo Chen looked at his granddaughter unhappily. "Looks like you've had too smooth a life in these past few years. Fostering your arrogant attitude, you are unable to clearly see the reality. This Fang Yuan was unfazed towards danger and deceived you to enter the school. Next, he used his wisdom in the face of danger and hid within the dormitory to avoid trouble. No matter what insult you threw at him he did not respond, this is his ability to calmly endure. After you left, he killed Gao Wan immediately, this is his bravery and courage. Now he sent this box, clearly showing his wisdom and planning ability. Can you still say that I thought of him too highly?"
Mo Yan listened with wide eyes as she had not expected her grandfather to praise Fang Yuan so highly. Immediately she said indignantly, "Grandpa, he only has a C-grade talent."
Gu Yue Mo Chen sighed deeply, "Yes, he is only a C-grade. Having such wisdom and yet only C-grade talent, it really is a pity. As long as his talent was higher, even if it was just a B-grade, he would certainly become an influential member of our Gu Yue clan. What a pity, he is only a C-grade."
"This problem was created by you single-handedly. How are you going to settle it?" Gu Yue Mo Chen continued to speak.
Mo Yan pondered for a while before she replied in a cold and aloof tone, "Gao Wan was just a servant, so there are no implications even if he dies. Fang Yuan is just a C-grade, so he is also a small matter. What's important is maintaining my Mo family's reputation. To appease this matter, we might as well kill Gao Wan's entire family to show the entire clan our attitude to protect the rules and regulations."
"Mmm, you're able to think of the big picture. Setting aside your personal emotions to defend the interests of family, this is very good. However, your method is still flawed." Gu Yue Mo Chen analyzed her response.
"Please enlighten me, Grandpa," Mo Yan implored.
Gu Yue Mo Chen said solemnly, "This matter was instigated by you, so I shall punish you with seven days of confinement. From now on, do not find trouble with Fang Yuan again. Gao Wan defied his superiors – a servant who dares to offend his master deserves death, so he should have been executed for his crimes! Because he is a servant of the Mo family, we are responsible for our inability to educate our subordinate and thus we shall compensate that Fang Yuan with thirty primeval stones. As for Gao Wan's family members, give them fifty primeval stones as compensation and expel them from the clan."
After a short pause, he continued, "For the next seven days, rest well at home, do not go out. At the same time, think about the profound meaning of why Grandpa chose to handle the matter this way."
"Yes, Grandpa."