Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng reached the location on Bei Gu Mountain along with the second wave of the merchant caravan. This time, trying to integrate things and setting them up was a bit more difficult.
There were representatives from all three clans here, and they had not been properly assimilated even before their movement. Naturally, disputes would break out regarding resources, where people could plant their tents, food, etc.
Fang Yuan's hands were tied for the next three days, trying to sort all of these things out and to smooth in relations between the three clans.
The Bei Clan members, on the other hand, at the foot of the mountain, watched these proceedings with jealous eyes. Many of them did not know the full details of what was going on. However, seeing another clan being brought to the mountain and settling right near them would no doubt set off indignation in the hearts of many of their youngsters.
Several of them were wondering why they were being so complacent to their unwanted 'guests'.
Surely, just because he was a Rank 5 Gu Master did not mean that they had to roll around like they were his lap dogs? However, the elders had reminded them that they had struck a deal with Fang Yuan, and they were to continue helping him - and they did, even if they didn't know what the full details of that agreement were.
The Bei clan head was actually been quite happy to see that there was some friction between the various factions of the Gu Yue Clan.
Up until now, she had not seen any weakness in Fang Yuan that she could exploit. However, now she did. 'Those three clans have only recently come together. No doubt there is going to be animosity between them, animosity that can't be washed away within a few simple generations. I could potentially use this internal political turmoil to my advantage,' she thought to herself. She relaxed a little, knowing that Fang Yuan was not unbeatable.
On the pretense of helping them, the Bei Clan was also spying upon the three clans while they sent them food, feeding materials, as well as medicine. Naturally, conversation would break out between the clans, and they would learn a little bit more about them.
To the Bei clan head's dismay, the other clans did not have a single Rank 4 Gu Master among them.
'No wonder he was able to subdue them so easily. With his strength, he could easily do so, and if they also had their primeval springs damaged, then that would mean he could reign over them easily. Even if they had some kind of resentment within their hearts, they could not act upon it.'
It looked like Fang Yuan was using them very well, as much as he was using the Bai Clan for his own objectives. As for the Bei Clan's own efforts to conquer the mountain, they had indeed managed to verify that there was a primeval spring located where Fang Yuan had pointed out, meaning that Fang Yuan had not been lying.
In such a scenario, even if she wished to delay it, she had to return Fang Yuan's deposit back to him. Fang Yuan took the primeval stones, though inwardly, he grimaced. 'What was the point of having so many stones if I could not use them properly?'
His own cultivation had slowed down mainly because he was attempting to help Fang Zheng, on top of all things, and because he had attempted to refine the Righteous Virtue Physique once more.
Once again, though, he had failed, making him think that there really was something that he was missing. Although he was technically Rank 5, Paradise Earth had told him that refining it was not like refining a Rank 5 gu worm. The odds should have been far better so long as he had enough hope and had enough human path Dao Marks.
The Dao Marks of an extreme physique should have even raised his chances even further.
Three failures in a row was quite rare as far as he could understand. But he could think of nothing else but to try again.
Between cultivating and obtaining that strange physique, he had wanted to obtain the strange physique in case it would also give him a boost to his aptitude, which it more likely than not did, so that he could cultivate easier later on. However, it looked like he might need to abandon that initial ambition for growth for the time being.
The third and final wave of migration was a bit more difficult than the other ones. The white ape group, which they had passed twice before without incident, had become riled up due to some reason or the other. Perhaps it was mating season, Fang Yuan thought to himself, as they had rushed out and attempted to attack the caravan.
He had been forced to enter the battle himself, easily turning the tide around, though there were still some minor losses on his side. There had also been a sudden storm, which had delayed this third trip.
However, ultimately, it also reached Bei Gu Mountain without any further incidents. The Crimsonhoof Deer was with them once again, and though it required blood to feed, and there were only bone beasts on the mountain, they could go ahead and hunt beasts from far away to obtain the blood needed for its feeding.
With this third trip done, a bunch of logistical issues now began appearing once again. The village had already been tearing away at the seams, given its size and haphazard arrangement.
Now, the increased number of people was making issues which had to be solved ever more apparent. The buildings were not very well built, as the kind of architecture used on Gu Yue Mountain was not suitable for Bei Gu Mountain.
Trying to fuse the students of the three academies was also becoming somewhat of a problem.
There was an issue with the Xiong clan feeding their signature Bear Strength gu worms - although they could be persuaded to change to the bone path, that would still take time. Qing Shu found several bears some distance away, alleviating the issue for the time being.
In this way, slowly but surely, these problems were ironed out, though Fang Yuan had to waste a month trying to make sure that the foundation of their new village was stable.
A motion had been suggested that they all change their surnames to Bai instead of Gu. However, most people simply chose to keep their old surname, and so this motion was dismissed. During this time, Fang Yuan was able to advance Fang Zheng to rank four.
Main mission complete!
A Younger Brother's Ambition
Your younger brother, Fang Zheng, has been advanced to rank four.
Reward: Rank 6 Ambition Gu has been added to your inventory.
Fang Yuan waited for a while, wondering if there would be another mission asking him to get Fang Zheng to Rank 5. That would be very annoying. However, if there was another Immortal involved, it was a cheap bargain, especially when he finally ascended to becoming an immortal and aptitude raising gu worms would be easy to obtain. However, no such thing appeared.
With that said, it didn't mean that he had no use for Fang Zheng and the other clans within their new united Gu Yue Village.