Fifteen minutes before dawn, the clan academy was still quiet.
The rain had stopped sometime during the night. Water dripped from the eaves of the bamboo buildings, and the stone path outside the academy shone faintly under the dim sky.
Two guards stood at the entrance, half-awake and wrapped in the cold mountain air.
Then footsteps came from the mist.
One guard immediately straightened. "Who is there?"
A youth walked out from the gray dawn. His clothes were neat, but his face was pale from exhaustion.
"Gu Yue Fang Ming," he said, cupping his hands. "I have refined my Moonlight Gu."
The two guards looked at each other.
"So early?"
Fang Ming did not explain. He only stood there quietly.
One guard quickly reacted. "Wait here. I'll report to the elder."
The academy elder had been asleep when the knocking came.
He opened his eyes with a frown. "Who is it?"
"Reporting to elder, a student has refined his vital Gu."
The academy elder's sleepiness disappeared.
He had ordered the guards to inform him immediately once the first result appeared, no matter the time. Still, he had not expected it to happen before dawn.
"Is it Gu Yue Fang Zheng?" he asked while putting on his robe.
The guard outside paused. "No, elder. It is Gu Yue Fang Ming."
The academy elder's movement stopped for a breath.
Then he opened the door.
In the hall, candles were lit. Fang Ming stood beneath the soft light and bowed when the elder entered.
"Student greets elder."
The academy elder walked forward and examined him. Soon, his gaze stopped on Fang Ming's forehead.
A faint crescent mark was visible.
The Moonlight Gu had indeed been refined.
The elder nodded slowly. "Good. Very good."
Fang Ming lowered his head. "Thank you, elder."
"You are the first student in this batch to refine your vital Gu. According to the academy rules, you will receive twenty primeval stones."
A guard brought over a small pouch.
Fang Ming accepted it with both hands.
The pouch was not heavy, but to the current him, it was useful. Primeval stones were cultivation speed, recovery, and freedom. Even more than the stones, this first place result would make the Shi family value him more.
The academy elder recorded his name.
First place: Gu Yue Fang Ming.
After writing, the elder looked at Fang Ming again. "Do not become complacent. Refining your first Gu is only the beginning."
"This student understands."
His answer was calm and respectful.
The elder was satisfied. A-grade aptitude was precious, but a calm temperament was also important. Fang Ming had won first place without showing arrogance; this left a good impression.
After leaving the hall, Fang Ming stepped back into the cold morning air.
He did not stay at the academy entrance. The result had already been recorded. There was no need to wait around for attention.
He walked away quietly, the pouch of primeval stones hidden in his sleeve.
Not long after, a second student arrived.
This time, the guards were even more surprised.
Gu Yue Fang Yuan.
When the academy elder confirmed the crescent mark on Fang Yuan's forehead, his expression became strange.
Fang Yuan was only C-grade.
For him to place second, ahead of the other A-grade talent and all the B-grade students, was outside expectation.
But the result was real, so the elder recorded it.
Second place: Gu Yue Fang Yuan.
By the time the sky had brightened, Gu Yue Fang Zheng came quickly toward the academy.
His eyes were slightly red from lack of sleep, but his face carried excitement. He had refined his Moonlight Gu and rushed over as soon as he succeeded.
The guards saw him and hesitated.
Fang Zheng noticed their expressions. "What is it?"
One guard said, "You are third."
Fang Zheng froze.
"Third?"
"Yes."
His voice became stiff. "Who is first?"
"Gu Yue Fang Ming."
Fang Zheng's expression changed. This answer was difficult to accept, but Fang Ming was also A-grade. Losing to him still had some reason.
After a moment, Fang Zheng asked, "Then second?"
The guard replied, "Gu Yue Fang Yuan."
Fang Zheng's face went blank.
For a while, he did not speak.
His brother?
Fang Yuan was C-grade. He slept in class, wandered at night, and seemed to have given up after the Awakening Ceremony.
Yet he was second.
Ahead of him.
Fang Zheng lowered his head. His earlier excitement disappeared, leaving behind shame and confusion.
The guard tried to comfort him. "Third is still very good."
Fang Zheng heard the words, but they had little effect.
If he had lost only to Fang Ming, he could have accepted it. But losing to Fang Yuan made the result feel completely different.
After a long silence, he entered the academy to report.
Later that morning, the academy posted the ranking list.
First place: Gu Yue Fang Ming.
Second place: Gu Yue Fang Yuan.
Third place: Gu Yue Fang Zheng.
The students gathered around it, and discussion quickly spread.
"Fang Ming being first is expected. He is A-grade."
"But Fang Yuan is second?"
"How did Fang Zheng lose to him?"
"Wasn't Fang Yuan only C-grade?"
The news soon left the academy.
The Shi family was pleased. Their decision to support Fang Ming had immediately brought them face.
The clan head also received the report. Fang Zheng taking third was not a major loss, but it was not the result he had hoped for. He only instructed that Fang Zheng should not be discouraged.
Among the students, the atmosphere changed.
Fang Zheng was still an A-grade talent and still had the clan head behind him. Fang Yuan's second place also made people look at him differently.
But the first name on the list belonged to Gu Yue Fang Ming.
And that was enough for now.