If this had been the time before she became a Gu Master, Mo Yan would've been quite offended and even rebuked her own grandfather for that kind of thinking.
However, those were the old days, back when she lived in seclusion and comfort, all supported by her grandfather.
Now that she had become a Gu Master and experienced some of the hardships of the world, she had wizened up.
This world was cruel, both to mortals and Gu Masters alike. Even Ren Zu had been pestered by Predicaments when he emerged, how could they be any different?
Even for the Venerables, who were invincible in the world; their lives eventually came to an end because of time's relentless march.
Mo Yan had seen something which greatly impacted her while scouting.
She had seen a she-wolf whose entire litter save for one had been killed, who took care of the lone survivor with great tenderness. After all, things that were rare were more valuable, and since she only had one child she had to try her upmost to keep it safe.
That was until one day when a rival group of bears attacked.
Seeing that they were done for, the she-wolf without hesitation discarded this last pup of hers, as if she tried to carry it or save it, she would perish as well.
Mo Yan had strangely become somewhat attached to the two during the time she had been scouting. After all, it wasn't like there was anything better for all of them to do.
This scene had shocked her, but it became clear to her why the she-wolf had done so when she thought about it. If she couldn't save her child, what was the point of also perishing alongside it?
If she lived, she could always have another litter. Not just humans, but all kinds of creatures struggled for survival in this world. Did wolves not have emotions and feelings - maybe not as much as humans, but they definitely cared for their young. And yet, that mother had willingly let go of her child for her own survival.
Big fish eat small fish, the strong eat the weak, that is the law of this world.
Humans may consider themselves different from animals, but in the eyes of heaven, they were all one in the same.
Mortals did not have easy lives, and were treated like trash by the Gu Masters. But there was a reason why they didn't simply leave or rebel - without the strength of being a Rank 3 Gu Master, one could not survive out in the wilderness. And a Rank 3 Gu Master could only survive, not thrive, out in the wild. It was only with the foundation of a Spirit Spring that one could truly advance and raise Gu Worms. Only a Rank 4 or Rank 5 Gu Master could have the strength to defend a Spirit Spring for even a temporary period of time.
Mortals died in large numbers all the time, but in the upcoming beast tide, the lives of many elders would also be at risk.
Right now, Mo Yan was protected by Mo Chen's influence, but what if he died? Who would their family rely on then?
What was her own worth? Her talent was not significantly inferior to Fang Yuan's, having a 54% aptitude, so if the Mo family invested all of their resources into her, she could reach Rank 3 Initial Stage, though she would get no further beyond that.
Of course, the family would not do so. They would not even split things equally between her and Mo Bei, because Mo Bei was a genuine B-grade talent and could accomplish so much more with a fraction of the resources she would need. In exchange for all of this support, Mo Bei had to work hard. It was another way that cultivation in this world was a 'rich get even richer' scheme.
'If I can secure the future of my family by agreeing to a political marriage, it is not so big a sacrifice,' she thought to herself. Many people were far worse off than she was.
Gone were the days when she would've been indignant at the thought of being traded off like cattle, because she understood her own worth. Of course, she was also certain that her grandfather would not hand her off to a terrible man.
The Mo and the Chi factions were rivals, and so recruiting an additional elder would easily sway the balance of power in the village. Fang Yuan had no backing, this was his weakness as well as his strength - he was a blank slate, meaning that it was easy to paint him and mold him in the way that they would want as he came with no strings attached. At least, that was how the two were thinking.
"Relax, relax," Mo Chen waved his hand, seeing her serious expression. "We are not in such dire straights that I have to trade you off." During times of famine, the mortal farmers who could not make ends meet sometimes had to sell their daughters off as slaves. That was why Mo Yan felt her situation was much better compared to them, even if she still resisted it to some extent. "Also, I am not asking you to get married to him today, tomorrow, or even a year from now. I just wanted to know your thoughts on it, your genuine thoughts. Obviously we will watch his growth first before we make a move. Though it would be best to tie him down while he's Rank 2, if we wait till Rank 3 he will quickly realize he has other options and will be harder to incorporate into our faction if we want to do so."
Mo Yan hesitated, mulling it over. "Grandfather, there is a problem. I have heard that Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng do not get along well. If recruiting Fang Yuan causes us to become enemies with Fang Zheng, it will not be worth it- we would simply be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. Why risk offending a future clan head for a future elder?"
Mo Chen chuckled. Truly, his granddaughter had grown up. This was the first time he was bringing up the topic of her marriage to her, so naturally she had gotten flustered. She was trying to deflect without outright refusing him and so had thought of this reason. She might've just thrown a tantrum when she was a little girl, though she had come so far since them. To him though, it felt like that time had passed by in a heartbeat.
"Correct, correct, I have also heard such rumors," Mo Chen said. "That said, I doubt that the bad blood between them will last for too long. They are twin brothers after all, I expect the two of them to make up rather soon. Good, I like your line of thinking though - I won't keep you here any longer. We will speak of this later."
"Thank you, grandfather," Mo Yan said, bowing before taking her leave.