"Isn't it obvious what we need to do?" Fang Yuan said. "We need to relocate the clan to where there is another primeval spring."
"Another primeval spring?" Qing Shu said. "Where would we find one? And we need to find one fast, don't we?"
"Well, thankfully, there is something that can help us," Fang Yuan said with a gentle smile. "I think I know the location of a fresh primeval spring."
Fang Yuan waved his hand. "I'm sorry, but it's a bit of a secret, which I can't divulge to the two of you right now. However, we need to move fast if we want to claim this primeval spring before someone else gets to it. Because of that, I am going to the location in question myself to establish our presence there. Once that is done, we can start with the process of relocating our clan."
By his own estimation, the Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus would still take about two months to completely dissipate, so they had at least that much time left. And even after that, it would still take time for the primeval spring to completely die out.
There were numerous concerns that they would have to address if they tried to move their clan. It wasn't just the fact that traveling with people was dangerous. There was also the matter of moving the clan's resources, the most obvious of which were the Moon Orchids. They would have to be transplanted in such a way that they could be grown at their new location. Otherwise, how would they feed their gu worms?
"When will you be leaving?" Fang Zheng asked.
"This afternoon," Fang Yuan said.
The clan Elders had noticed that Fang Yuan often took time off way more than the former clan leaders had. They would have liked to reprimand him to some extent, but they just couldn't because of his strength. However, if he took off for even more days, they would no doubt start making noise.
"That's why I need the two of you to stall for time while I go there."
"Can't you send someone else?" Qing Shu asked. "Fang Zheng and I can go in your stead..."
"The place where I'm going is near another clan," Fang Yuan said. "Although a Rank 3 Gu Master can survive in the wilderness and make the trip alone, you would lack the sufficient strength to stake a claim there. You need someone at Rank 5 in order to do so," Fang Yuan said. There's a reason why most clans were founded by Rank 5 ancestors in the past, after all.
Once you found a primeval spring, there would be other people coming in to try to take advantage of it or snatch it away from someone. Only a Rank 5 Gu Master could chase away such people for some time, and afterwards, a Rank 4 Gu master could still oversee it once the clan had been established.
While being transplanted, though, the clan would be in its weakest state and would definitely need Fang Yuan's close care and attention.
"To think that all of that stuff happened, and then this happened on top of it," Qing Shu said.
"All of this happened because of that," Fang Yuan said. "The attack on Qing Mountain is what led to such destruction of the spirit springs. But there's no need for the two of you to get despondent. Hasn't our clan lasted for a thousand years? Who's to say that it won't last for ten thousand more? All we need to do is establish ourselves in this new location. This is not the end of the Gu Yue clan, but a new beginning. So long as we still live, we can continue. And where there's life, there's hope, after all. Our ancestor initially come from the Central Continent. Moving the clan is not as big a deal as the two of you might think," Fang Yuan said. He was, of course, downplaying the difficulties that they would encounter to a great extent, but he needed the two of them to be firmly on his side and also for them to not fall into despair before they'd even started.
"Alright, we understand," Fang Zheng said.
"Alright, we can't announce this news to the other elders for now, I don't want panic spreading. However, Elder Qing Shu, I would like a sort of preliminary report depicting what you think would need to happen should we try to move the clan to that location." The logistics of all of it had to be worked out much in advance.
"And if anything happens, you can communicate with me through this," Fang Yuan said, handing Fang Zheng a special gu which would allow them to maintain contact.
"Alright, brother," Fang Zheng said. "Don't worry, I won't let you down."
"Neither will I," Qing Shu said.
"Good. I believe I can rely on the two of you. If anything happens, or there's some political issue, you can also speak to Elder Han Lin. I didn't because the more people who know about something, the more likely it will be to be leaked out. But I think that we can trust him," Fang Yuan said.
"I also think so," Qing Shu said. "Elder Han Lin is trustworthy. However, I don't know how much he will help us. He's almost gone completely into retirement at this point."
Fang Yuan nodded, "Well, it's good that the two of you understand."
Fang Yuan took several things from the clan into his storage-type Gu worm. The official story was that he was in closed-door cultivation, and if that did not fly, they would say that he had gone to deal with some kind of demonic Gu Master. News of him leaving would cause great panic to the clan as he was one of the few people who could deal with certain threats. It might even, in ordinary times, induce an attack from the Bai Clan - though given Bai Ning Bing would be going with him, they would not dare.
It wasn't as if the village was completely undefended, however.
He spent part of the day teaching Fang Zheng how to handle the Crimsonhoof Deer. The two of them were closely related by blood, and though Fang Zheng was only Rank 3, he could use this to his advantage by directing it using Fang Yuan's method of enslavement.
"It has the strength of a Rank 4 Gu Master, it should be more than enough to dissuade anyone who happens to drop by," Fang Yuan said. "I wouldn't put too much trust in it though, if push comes to shove it would prefer to flee rather than fight. But just threatening to unleash it should be more than enough for anything that pops up."
Later that evening, he snuck out of the village by going to the underground cavern, past the Dollhouse and into the Blood River Graveyard, where he met Bai Ning Bing.
"Are you ready?" Fang Yuan asked.
Bai Ning Bing nodded. "Are you sure about leaving, though? It almost seems like you're abandoning your own clan."
"Nonsense," Fang Yuan said. "How could I possibly abandon my clan?"
Bai Ning Bing snorted.
She removed the White Form Immortal Snake from her aperture. She had refined it, but this was a bit of a double-edged sword when compared to before when it had just joined with her because it had been attracted to the Northern Dark Ice Soul physique.
Back then, although she had not been able to command it fully, it no longer needed her own primeval essence in order to work. Now that she had refined it, it would do whatever she asked for, but she needed to provide it with primeval essence, something which, as a Rank 3 Peak Stage Gu Master, she could not do.
She lent it to Fang Yuan, who began pouring his Rank 5 essence into it, allowing it to show its true strength and speed as it began soaring up into the air.
"Come on," Fang Yuan said, beckoning her to join him, "unless you would rather stay here."
Bai Ning Bing was more of a liability than anything to Fang Yuan at her cultivation level, but she was the one who had the White Form Immortal Snake, after all. It was only being lent to him for some time.
"No, I'm coming," Bai Ning Bing said, snorting. The rıghtful source is novｅlfire.net
If Fang Yuan had a method to steal this gu worm, he would have, but the Spring Autumn Cicada could provide him with no help here.
The two of them left through a tunnel and then flew off into the night sky.