There were many lone cultivators who would have loved to have the backing of a super force behind them like the Shang Clan.
However, in Shang Qing Qing's eyes, Fang Yuan was merely a newly ascended Rank 6. That meant that he had limited experience with either gu worms or killer moves.
He was not particularly useful to the clan. Even if he could make a good cup of tea from time to time that was a niche interest; there were others in the world the clan could reach out to if they truly desired a real master of brewing tea.
To become a proper external elder of the Shang Clan at the Immortal level, one usually needed to be Rank 7 at the very least to be considered a true contributor.
Fang Yuan would've been an easy candidate at the mortal realm when he was Rank 4 or Rank 5, but that was the mortal realm. In the Immortal realm, it was rare for Rank 6 Gu Masters to be little more than those who did scut work for the clan.
That was the sad reality of Immortal ascension. Those who were phoenixes in the mortal world were reduced to chickens in the Immortal one.
With that said, Shang Qing Qing was mildly interested in Fang Yuan because he seemed to possess significant potential. And who knows? Perhaps that tea-making skill could be useful in some way after all if it was further developed.
"No, no," Fang Yuan said smoothly. "I simply called you here to enjoy a cup of tea with Fairy Qing Qing and because I wanted to reminisce about my times in Shang Clan City..."
He was, of course, lying. He knew exactly what he was doing in trying to get into the clan's good graces, but he also knew that he was not to say this out loud.
When it came to emotional manipulation at this level using the Emotion Path, Fang Yuan had to be careful.
It was easy enough to deceive mortals as an Immortal, but doing so to another Immortal was fraught with complications. Sincerity - or the appearance of it - was one of the cornerstones of using Emotion Path for manipulation alongside subtlety.
If the opponent knew that they were having Emotion Path methods used on them, they would naturally become wary and employ countermeasures, ruining whatever method you used on them. It would also alert people to the fact that Fang Yuan was using Emotion Path methods and they would trust him less, making the whole thing even harder to do.
It was hard, but not impossible.
One had to be careful and wear down an opponent over time. After all, his acting might've been good enough to fool mortal elders but there were very few overt fools at Rank 6. Even if they were fools, that would only be because they had a strong backer behind them who would quickly sniff out any lesser scheme.
But time was a luxury Fang Yuan did not have ample amounts of, he couldn't spend months or years trying to cozy up to the Shang Clan.
"Well, actually, Fang Yuan if that is the case, I want to thank you for the tea. Also... there is something I was wondering if I could get your help with," Shang Qing Qing said.
She was not fooled by his comment that he only wanted to be here to share a cup of tea with her.
She had thought over the matter for a while and even conferred with other Shang Clan Supreme Elders through Yellow Treasure Heaven. They, too, were mildly intrigued when told about this newcomer.
While they didn't know him by name, they remembered that there were two Rank 5 cultivators who had fought in Shang Clan City just recently. The news of that had been widespread enough that whispers of it reached the Immortal realm.
Regarding his talent in making tea, some of them were impressed, while others were less so - but few thought that it was significant enough to pin down too many hopes upon Fang Yuan.
One elder in particular, Shang Guai Li - a Rank 7 Gu Immortal - wanted to test if Fang Yuan could truly refine better tea using Immortal materials. Working with Immortal materials was far more difficult than mortal ones; his skills might not be up to par at a higher level. Shang Guai Li was very found of tea ceremonies. Much like a peacock strutting its feathers, it was a chance for one display their glamor.
With that said, they had all recommended testing Fang Yuan's capabilities before promising him anything further.
"Oh? What is it that Lady Qing Qing needs help with?" Fang Yuan asked.
"There is a Desolate Beast I have been tasked with dealing with," she explained. "A Steam Spouting Yak. It recently broke loose from its herd, and I was tasked with bringing it back. I've been trying to do so, but as you can imagine, it's been difficult. I cannot risk damaging it too much..."
Fang Yuan nodded.
The Steam Spouting Yak was a Fire Path Desolate Beast, equivalent to a Rank 6 Gu Immortal.
Its body maintained an incredibly high temperature; one could not even approach it without bursting into flames unless they took special precautions. Interestingly, after drinking water, the yak did not urinate; instead, it released the liquid as high-pressure steam through holes in its horns. This steam was a Rank 6 refinement material and could be sold for a good price. Its hair, milk, and other body parts were also valuable.
"I see. If you lead the way, I will see what I can do," Fang Yuan said calmly.
Shang Qing Qing was surprised by his immediate agreement to do so.
Even she was having trouble with the task. Because of its heat, it was hard to approach directly, and she didn't want to damage its body and ruin its value.
If nurtured well, it could eventually grow into a Great Steam Spouting Yak, an Ancient Desolate Beast, providing Rank 7 materials. It was essentially a mobile resource point.
The two of them flew toward the valley where the yak was located. During the flight, Shang Qing Qing turned to Fang Yuan. "Junior Brother, the other man you fought against back then... what was his name?"
"His name was Liu Nan," Fang Yuan said.
"Ah, Liu Nan?" Shang Qing Qing said. "Right, right, that was his name. Whatever happened to him?"
"I don't know. He didn't speak to me after he left Shang Clan City and I've had no further contact with him since," Fang Yuan said. He frowned. The mystery of the Information Path gu worm that he had left behind still perplexed him. Even with Immortal methods he had found nothing wrong with that gu worm in question. So it seemed there really had been no trap associated with it.
'Ah, so that's how it is,' she thought to herself. She didn't know much more about Liu Nan either, but had earlier thought that Liu Nan had far better prospects than Fang Yuan. But here Fang Yuan was, at Rank 6! 'Unless Liu Nan also somehow managed to get to Rank 6... ahaha, what am I thinking? As if something that unlikely could happen...'
"And pardon me for asking this," she added. "But... is there something wrong with your right eye?"
Fang Yuan had used methods to cover the fact that his right eye was missing. Even someone like Shang Qing Qing could tell if they spent enough time with him, though several Gu Immortals would not ask out of respect.
"I was injured during my Immortal ascension, and lost my right eye as a result," Fang Yuan said.
"So sorry to hear that something like that happened to Junior Brother. Ah well... we have several healers in the Shang Clan who might be able to take a look at you," Shang Qing Qing said. "After all, you're only Rank 6 - there won't be much conflict with your dao marks at this level." She wondered whether it was this injury that Fang Yuan was
Fang Yuan coldly snorted inwardly at her feigned concern for him. "Thank you, but I think this can wait for some time..."