Chapter 65: Bai Gu Mountain
BAI CLAN ENCOUNTER (NPCs MALDING OVER FAKE LORE)
Bai Mo Xing (Bai Clan Elder): Stumbles upon Fang Yuan & Bai Ning Bing.
First Impression:
*Bai Ning Bing = Rank 3 genius snow fairy (main character energy).
*Fang Yuan = Rank 1 NPC (but suspiciously calm).*
Fang Yuan's Sigma Play:
Fake Identity: "I'm Gu Yue Fang Zheng, young master of Qing Mao Mountain!"
Emotional Damage Arc: Cries TWICE during lamb feast (Oscar-worthy performance).
"The lamb… it reminds me of my fallen clansmen…" 😭
"Your wine… it tastes like home…" 😭🍷
Bai Ning Bing (internally): "This guy's acting is giving me chills."
BAI CLAN'S SECRET AGENDA (IT'S GIVING WARCRIMES)
Bai Clan Leader's Plan:
Problem: Their spirit spring is drying up (clan doom incoming).
Solution: Find new spirit spring in Bai Gu Mountain (secretly).
New Problem: Fang Yuan's "Gu Yue Clan" might steal their spot.
Sigma Trap:
Step 1: Invite Fang Yuan to "hunting competition" (hostage vibes).
Step 2: Bait him with Green Copper Relic Gu (OP cultivation boost).
Step 3: Extract info about "Gu Yue Clan's" spirit spring knowledge.
Bai Mo Xing (glazing his leader): "Clan leader's plan is PEAK NPC manipulation!"
FANG YUAN'S COUNTER-PLAY (IT'S GIVING 500 IQ)
1. Fake Clan Threat:
"My clan leader & elders are coming soon!" (They're not.)
Keeps Bai Clan from killing them outright.
2. Surveillance Check:
Tries to "pee" → Instantly stopped by patrols.
*Whispers to Bai Ning Bing: "We're locked down."
3. Relic Gu Bait:
Acts eager for Green Copper Relic Gu.
*Inner thoughts: "This Gu could patch my broken aperture."
BAI NING BING'S PANIC (IT'S GIVING SIDE CHARACTER STRUGGLES)
Her Concerns:
*Bai Clan has Rank 4 leader + elders (they're outnumbered).*
If "Gu Yue Clan" doesn't show, they're COOKED.
Fang Yuan's rare Gu worms (Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus, Blood Skull Gu) = Instant greed trigger.
Fang Yuan's Response: Snoring loudly (sigma relaxation).
TWITCH CHAT REACTIONS:
🎭 "FANG YUAN'S TEARS GOT THE WHOLE CLAN CRYING WITH HIM"
🧠 "BRO'S PLAYING 4D CHESS WITH THESE NPCs"
💎 "GREEN COPPER RELIC GU = WORTH THE GRIND?"
BLACK BEAR HUNT (IT'S GIVING TRAP MASTERMIND)
The forest echoed with the enraged roars of a two-meter-tall black bear as it charged toward Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing. The beast's massive frame shook the ground with each thunderous step, its beady eyes locked onto its prey with murderous intent. Most would flee in terror, but Fang Yuan simply smirked—this was exactly where he wanted the beast.
With calculated precision, he had spent the morning burying Charred Thunder Potato Gu along the bear's likely path. Each explosive seed was carefully placed just deep enough to remain hidden but shallow enough to detonate under the bear's weight.
BOOM.
The first explosion sent dirt flying as the bear yelped in surprise, stumbling mid-charge. It shook its head, more furious than hurt, and changed direction—only to trigger another blast. And another. And another.
By the time the smoke cleared, the once-ferocious predator was a limping, bloodied mess, its fur scorched and limbs trembling. Fang Yuan watched coldly as it tried to retreat—only to step on one final, perfectly placed trap.
Final BOOM.
The bear collapsed, its reign of terror ended not by strength, but by strategy.
Meanwhile, in the Bai Clan tent:
Bai Clan Leader and Elder Mo Xing observed the hunt through a Smoke Gu, their expressions shifting between surprise and amusement.
"He's doing everything himself—planting the traps, luring the bear, even using his own primeval stones to recover energy. No shortcuts, no relying on that Rank 3 girl…" Bai Mo Xing mused.
"An upright young man," the Clan Leader declared, nodding approvingly. "Honorable. Predictable. Perfect for our purposes."
Little did they know, Fang Yuan was counting on that very assumption.
GREEN COPPER RELIC GU GRIND (IT'S GIVING FREE LOOT)
The Bai Clan's "generosity" was anything but accidental. Each "reward" was a carefully baited hook:
Day 1: "Hunt a black bear." → Green Copper Relic Gu (instantly boosts him to Rank 1 Upper Stage).
Day 2: "Hunt an earth horn rhino." → Clearing Heat Gu (finally patching his lack of healing).
Day 3: "Just take these primeval stones." → Pure, unfiltered resource farming.
Fang Yuan played his part flawlessly. At the celebratory banquet, he raised his cup with trembling hands, eyes glistening with "gratitude."
"Your kindness… reminds me of home," he murmured, voice cracking. A single, perfectly timed tear rolled down his cheek.
The Clan Leader nearly clapped in delight. "So emotional. So* vulnerable. This will be easier than I thought."
What she didn't see was the cold calculation behind Fang Yuan's "grateful" facade. Every gift was a tool. Every interaction, a move in a game they didn't realize they were playing.
BAI LIAN ROMANCE ARC (IT'S GIVING FAKE LOVE INTEREST)
Enter Bai Lian—the Bai Clan's most beautiful young cultivator, deployed as the ultimate honey trap.
Their "romance" unfolded like a poorly scripted stage play:
Act 1: The Borrowed Gu
Bai Lian "accidentally" needs his Clearing Heat Gu to save a friend. Fang Yuan "hesitates" just long enough to seem reluctant before gallantly handing it over.
Act 2: The Stolen Glances
At banquets, Fang Yuan "sneaks" longing looks at her—always glancing away when she notices. The Clan Elders exchange smug nods. "Hook, line, and sinker."
Act 3: The Jealous Rival
Bai Zhan Lie, the clan's hotheaded genius, storms into the scene, calling Fang Yuan a "spineless stray dog" and demanding a duel for Bai Lian's honor.
Fang Yuan's performance? Priceless.
"F-Fine! I'll fight!" he stammers, chest puffed out in fake bravado. "For Lady Bai Lian!"
Bai Lian clutches his arm, eyes shimmering with manufactured concern. "N-no, young master! You're still injured!"
The entire clan ate it up.
Meanwhile, Bai Ning Bing:
Silent. Deadpan. Watching this farce with the expression of someone forced to attend a bad opera.
HUNTING COMPETITION (IT'S GIVING INFO FARMING)
The "contest" was a sham. Fang Yuan's team—Bai Lian, Bai Ning Bing, and two rank-two fangirls—guided him straight to the rarest prey, making victory inevitable.
But the real game unfolded in their conversations:
Bai Lian (leaning in, voice dripping with fake worry):
"Establishing a village is so hard… especially finding a spirit spring. The beast packs around them are ruthless."
Fang Yuan (playing the distracted fool):
"Ah, yes… very concerning. Say, which parts of Bai Gu Mountain are most… dangerous?"
Unseen, Bai Lian's Anxiety Accumulation Gu pulsed, amplifying his "nervousness."
Back at camp, the Clan Leader watched through surveillance Gu, grinning as Fang Yuan "slipped up" and asked about—
"The back mountain."
Her finger stabbed the map. "There. That's where Gu Yue Clan's spirit spring must be!"
THE TRUTH (IT'S GIVING SIGMA REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY)
While the Bai Clan celebrated their "successful" manipulation, Fang Yuan's real plan unfolded:
Let them think they're controlling him.
Let them "discover" the back mountain (where Flesh Bone Lord's cave is).
Watch as they walk into a trap of their own making.
Bai Ning Bing finally broke her silence that night. "You're using them to clear the cave for you."
Fang Yuan smirked. "Why risk my life fighting bone beasts when the Bai Clan will do it for me?"