The first day of school has ended, and the students were free to mingle or take their leave. Some students went home, mentally exhausted after the lengthy and boring classes. Some were chatting and exchanging ideas with their newly acquainted classmates. Jin Ju and Yu Lingxin were walking among a small group of students.

Yu Lingxin: "I'm so excited, we will start cultivating next week when we have finished going over the basics."

"Oh, sister Yu Lingxin is knowledgeable. Please explain it to us."

Yu Lingxin: "I went and asked one of the seniors and she told me all this. Firstly, they will give us primeval stones each week!"

Jin Ju: "Should we go and claim it then?"

"Yes, sister Yu Lingxin, please instruct us."

"Sure, sure. Follow after me. Usually, they would give it out by the end of the week, but if we go and claim it ourselves we can have it by the start of the week." Replied Yu Lingxin enthusiastically. She glanced at Jin Ju covertly before leading the group to claim their funds.

To someone with an upbringing like Yu Lingxin, this fistful of primeval stones was not a small amount. Not to mention, it was on the house, they got it free of cost! As the gates of cultivation were opened for everyone, regardless of status, there were a lot of families who felt gratitude for the sudden windfall of primeval stones. It was a huge sum compared to what a mortal could earn. But later they would realize, that cultivation was a previously unimaginably expensive endeavor.

On the other hand, there were also individuals who became emboldened and haughty as their greed wanted more of the easy money. One such person was Su Kang. He had a strong and well-built body, his frame towered over his peers. With a troublesome upbringing and his physical prowess, it was already in his nature to resolve problems with force. As the proverb said: A body acts according to physical strength.

Su Kang was standing outside the academy gates, he was looking for students coming from a particular direction. He wasn't without wits, not long ago he noticed one of his classmates claiming his allotted primeval stones. After beating up that unfortunate individual, Su Kang moved into this position to catch more unsuspecting students and extort them.

"Jackpot! Other weaklings are coming." - He thought to himself as he stepped out blocking their way with his wide shoulders. "Pay up or get beaten!" Su Kang raised his voice and pushed the weak-looking young man back in front of him.

Jin Ju was startled, he took a step back almost falling backward.

Yu Lingxin was also not expecting her plan to backfire. The bigger your hopes, the bigger your disappointment. Falling from highs to lows was the worst. "Oh no, why did I have to go and get the primeval stones? Why couldn't I just wait for it?" She was blaming her impatience now.

This was no coincidence, those students who claimed their allowance in advance were expected to be able to take care of it. It was an unwritten rule of the academy. It was also tolerated that others picked on the foolish students who dared to take the stones but had no strength to back up their choices. Some of the seniors even instigated the greenhorns to their own enjoyment.

But the timber's already a boat; the rice is already cooked. Yu Lingxin expectantly looked at Jin Ju, maybe he could stand up for them in this troublesome situation. But she quickly realized, Jin Ju was no match as she saw the impatient Su Kang punch Jin Ju without warning.

"Guh!" Jin Ju collapsed to the ground as he took the hit in his stomach.

"Pay up! Or do you want another one?" - Su Kang threatened.

"This money, I cannot give it to you." - Jin Ju tried to get his act together and put up a tough facade.

Su Kang: "You asked for it. Don't blame me if you get crippled."

Yu Lingxin: "Nooo, Jin Ju! Just give him the stones, we'll get more next week."

Jin Ju would not mind the few primeval stones they just got, but he also had the ones on him he got from Bao Zhi. It was many times their allowance! But he could not disclose this. He feared even his new friends would look at him with envy and get in line to take it from him.

Hearing the commotion ahead, a young man with cold eyes raised his head. "There is misfortune only where there is wealth." - He sighed.

Su Kang was about to deliver his punishment in the form of his fist when suddenly a passerby tripped over his own feet and stumbled into his way from the sides.

Su Kang missed his target, punching in the air. His momentum carried him on as his body bumped into the young man falling his way.

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"Aah!" - Su Kang fell back. He was holding his chest with one hand. He sucked in the cold air as he gritted his teeth in pain.

"Ouch! Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to! Are you alright?" - Asked the new arrival with an apologetic face.

The young man was Bao Zhi of course. He was keeping a watchful eye on his investment, tailing Jin Ju in secret. He stepped forward from the background of people. He could not let Jin Ju get robbed like this.

"Let me help you up." Said Bao Zhi with an honest and regretful expression, like it was an accident he headbutted him in the chest. But who would believe that he had such intentions to aggravate the one-head-taller Su Kang?

"Agh, no need. Just let me... catch my breath. You all... can go..." - Su Kang tried to play it cool, but it was evident that every breath was painful as his chest heaved up and down.

"Serves you right, a broken rib is the least you deserve!" - Thought to herself Yu Lingxin.

"Oh, Bao Zhi, it is you!" - Exclaimed Jin Ju. "Yu'er let me introduce him: He is my partner Bao Zhi, I met him on the way to the city. Bao Zhi, this is Yu Lingxin from our class." Introduced Jin Ju as he and Bao Zhi helped each other up from the ground.

"Hm, nice to meet you." Replied Yu Lingxin. "Is this the other guy who got A grade aptitude in our class besides Zhao Min? That Zhao Min didn't even show up... I finally know who Bao Zhi is. I wouldn't have guessed it's him, he looks quite unremarkable. Wait, what did he just say? His partner...?" Thoughts were racing in Yu Lingxin's head as she looked back and forth between Jin Ju and Bao Zhi.

They left the still struggling Su Kang behind. After some small talk, they parted ways. Bao Zhi and Jin Ju headed home.

* * * * *

Bao Zhi and Jin Ju arrived at home. Jin Ju was still rubbing the painful bruise he got from Su Kang.

Jin Ju: "I think, I'll lay down and rest a bit for now."

"Does it hurt?" - Asked Bao Zhi the rhetorical question.

Jin Ju: "Yes?"

"The past can hurt, you can't change that. But you can accept it and decide what you will do with it. Will you run away from it or will you learn from it?"

Jin Ju: "..."

"What was the cause you got beaten? You were too weak! Here, take this." - Offered Bao Zhi a stack of paper notes.

"I don't understand. Did you note down the whole history lecture?" - Asked back Jin Ju with a confused look. With one hand he was holding his painful stomach while he took the papers with his other.

"This is something much more valuable. Why would I give you some notes from a history lesson? Take a look."

Jin Ju raised the pages and started reading them. His eyes became the size of saucers in his shock: "This is a gu master inheritance!"

"I've been keeping it for you. After you memorized it, burn the pages. Jin Ju, I hope you realize you need strength to protect yourself. I can't be there every time to save you."

Jin Ju looked at the honest and caring expression of Bao Zhi. Jin Ju wiped his eye, he was fighting back his tears now. There was no person that has cared for him to this extent. He could feel the genuine trust of Bao Zhi.

"Th-Thank you! How can I repay this?"

"Cultivate well, make every minute count. You already have an advantage, don't squander it. If you can place first in the class by cultivation realm, you will get extra benefits. Now go and continue to refine the relic gu, but don't refine it fully yet. You don't want an expendable gu to be your vital gu."

"Yes, yes. What is a vital gu?"

"I will tell you shortly, but now I have some business to take care of. Cultivate as described in the inheritance if you're done with the gu." - With that said, Bao Zhi left Jin Ju and headed outside.

* * * * *

Bao Zhi stopped before his destination. It was a multiple-story building with grand decorations and two guards standing beside the entrance. He looked up at the plaque on the front of the building.

It stated in big golden letters: Auction Hall.

Bao Zhi stepped inside and was greeted by an attendant right away:

"Welcome to the auction hall, esteemed guest. May I know if you have a seat reserved? Today's small auction is about to begin."

"I'm not here for today's small auction."

The attendant was a rank one gu master, he led Bao Zhi to a spacious room with an octagon-shaped table and comfortable chairs around it. Tea was freshly steaming, already prepared on the table by the servants as Bao Zhi and the attendant entered.

"Please wait, auction hall master will be here shortly."

"Mhm." - Nodded Bao Zhi as he took a seat and reached for the tea.

After an incense stick of time, a middle-aged woman entered the room. She had long hair and was elegantly dressed, not concealing her rank three cultivation. She was the auction hall master tasked to run this place by the city.

"Pardon my lateness, esteemed guest. I wonder what business you bring to my establishment."

Bao Zhi put down his cup of tea and stood up to welcome the lady.

"My humble self is just an intermediary. I'm here to pass on our business offer from the Scholarly Merchant Association." - He said this with a straight face as he presented a document with a stamp on it. "Please evaluate." He passed over a stack of papers among which were three inheritances recorded. Bao Zhi came up with them, these were the results of him "taking notes" in today's class.

She looked at the documents one after another. Her face showed surprise and joy as she continued to flip the pages.

"These cultivation inheritances are all exceptional. What is the background of this Scholarly Merchant Association, I have never heard of them before." - She thought to herself.

Looking at the last pages, her expression turned to shock and concern. She put the papers on the table between the two of them as she regained her calm.

"I can agree to sell two of the three inheritances on your behalf, but not the third one."

"Oh, why is that? Please explain and I will relay it to the higher-ups. A price cut is negotiable." Bao Zhi wondered what the reason could be, in his eyes the third inheritance had no difference in quality from the rest of the two.

"To tell you the truth, I wouldn't dare to sell this inheritance if I had a thousand guts, Esteemed customer. The reason is simple. This inheritance is related to the influential Zhao family, is that not the case?" Meanwhile, she wondered: "What kind of merchant group is this?! They could get their hands on such an inheritance. This was a test and a trap from their side. If I did not recognize it, I would have not just lost this transaction but probably my life as well..."

"Pardon my insolence, I wasn't aware of such details. I did not know." - Replied Bao Zhi with genuine surprise.

"There are no problems with the other two inheritances, they will be presented at the end of the month's big auction." - With that, she kept two of the inheritances and returned the third.

* * * * *