Rizz Taoist Master

So, Fang Yuan impressed everyone with his "talent" (aka, Earth knowledge), and put on the cold act to keep his secrets safe. It worked! His aunt and uncle chilled out. As they got older, their treatment got better. Not love, just investment.

What's funny is, Fang Zheng never saw through this. Like a simp paying fifty percent of his salary to an OnlyFans model, he was totally fooled by their aunt and uncle and started harboring resentment. He seems sweet now, but Fang Yuan remembers what happened later. Fang Zheng turned out to be A-grade talent (whoops!), and the clan went all-in on him.

Then, all that buried resentment and jealousy came out, and Fang Zheng became a total bully to Fang Yuan. Because Fang Yuan? C-grade talent. Talk about a plot twist.

Twins, right? One's a "genius" for years, turns out to be C-grade. The other's overlooked, then BAM! A-grade. The Awakening Ceremony flipped everything upside down.

Fang Zheng became the golden child, Fang Yuan became… not that. Then came the years of hardship, the cold shoulders, the contempt. Did Fang Yuan hate it?

In his past life, yeah, big time. He hated his lack of talent, the clan's heartlessness, fate's unfairness. But now? 500 years later? He's chill. No hate. What's the point of holding onto that?

Fang Yuan's thinking, "Okay, strong eat weak, that's just how it is. Everyone's trying to get ahead. What's the point of being mad about it? 500 years of life has taught me that. I want immortality, and anyone who gets in my way is gonna get yeeted. This path? It's lonely. It's bloody. It's me against the world." That's his 500-year takeaway.

"Revenge isn't my thing," he thinks. "The demonic path? No compromises." He chuckles and glances at Fang Zheng. "You can go," he says.

Fang Zheng feels like his brother's eyes are piercing him, seeing right through him. He feels exposed, vulnerable. "See you tomorrow, bro," he mumbles, and GTFOs.

Scene transmission!

Clack clack clack go the night watchman's clappers.

Fang Yuan's like, "Ugh, almost dawn." He spent all night strategizing, barely slept. This body's a weakling, no energy. But 500 years of hardcore demon life means he's used to this.

He throws off the blanket and gets up. Opens the window, rain's stopped. Fresh earthy, flowery scent. Instant wake-up. Sky's that weird pre-dawn blue. Everything's pale green – the bamboo and wood houses, the mountain.

These houses are built on stilts because, mountains. Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng live upstairs. "Young Master Fang Yuan, you up? I'll be upstairs to help you get ready," calls a voice.

It's Shen Cui, his servant. She's…okay looking 6/10 at most, but dresses well. Green robes, embroidered shoes, pearl hairpin. Basically, a walking advertisement for youthful vibes.

Shen Cui, all smiles and carrying a basin of warm water, heads upstairs. Face wash, teeth brushing with a willow twig and snow salt. Shen Cui's being super helpful, bumping her…assets…against Fang Yuan every now and then. Fang Yuan? Stone cold. He knows this girl. She's just his aunt and uncle's spy, a gold digger. An OnlyFans girl looking for a simp to carry her; a Twitch thot trying to get as many Tier 3 subs as possible.

In his past life, she was all over him, but after the Awakening Ceremony, when he turned out to be a C-grade loser, she dumped him faster than a hot potato.

Fang Zheng walks in just as Shen Cui's fixing Fang Yuan's clothes. He's low-key jealous. He has a servant too, but it's not a cute girl like Shen Cui, it's a big, old lady. And Fang Zheng's got no interest in hagmaxxing. 

"I wish Shen Cui would wait on me like that," Fang Zheng thinks, but he's too scared to say anything. Everyone knows his aunt and uncle favor Fang Yuan. Fang Zheng didn't even have a servant until Fang Yuan asked for one. Even though she's "just" a servant, Fang Zheng doesn't mess with Shen Cui.

Her mom, Mother Shen, is basically the head housekeeper and Aunt and Uncle's right-hand woman. She's got power.

"Okay, that's enough," Fang Yuan says, brushing off Shen Cui's hands. He knows she's just trying to seduce him, hoping he's A-grade and she can become one of his hoes.

In his past life, he fell for it. Now? Nope. "You can go," he says, not even looking at her.

Shen Cui's a little annoyed, thinks he's acting weird. She almost throws a little tantrum, but his coldness scares her, so she just says "yes" and leaves.

"You ready?" Fang Yuan asks Fang Zheng, who's been standing by the door, staring at his shoes.

"Yeah," Fang Zheng mumbles. He's been up since forever, too nervous to sleep. He's already dressed, dark circles under his eyes. Fang Yuan nods. He knows what Fang Zheng's thinking. Doesn't care.

"Let's go," he says. They leave the house and run into a bunch of other kids, all heading the same way. "Look, it's the Fang brothers!" they whisper. "That's Fang Yuan," someone points out, "you know, the poet."

"Yeah, that's him," someone whispers. "He's so aloof, doesn't even acknowledge anyone. Just like everyone says. Giving big sigma male energy."

Another kid, clearly jealous, sniffs, "Hmph, if you were as talented as him, you could act like that!" Someone else snaps back, "Oh please, don't act like you're not impressed," dripping with sarcasm.

Fang Zheng's used to this chatter. He just keeps his head down and trails after Fang Yuan. Dawn's breaking, and Fang Yuan's shadow stretches out in front of him. Fang Zheng suddenly feels like he's walking into darkness. His brother's shadow. Maybe he'll never escape it. Was he fated to be a beta the rest of his life? 

Fang Zheng's chest tightens. He's having trouble breathing. He feels like he's suffocating. "Ugh, this sucks," he thinks.

Meanwhile, Fang Yuan's overhearing the gossip and thinks, "Classic case of 'talented people make others jealous.'"

He scoffs. He remembers when everyone found out he was only C-grade. Massive L. The hate was real chat.