Chapter Nine : The Heir to Hope
When Fang Ting returned to his courtyard, he noticed Fang Luo silently trailing behind him.
"You brat, why've you been following me without saying a word?" he asked.
Fang Luo replied, "I saw that Sixth Uncle was deep in thought, so I didn't want to disturb you."
"Then what is it? Are you out of spirit stones or pills?" Fang Ting asked casually.
Fang Luo quickly shook his head. "You gave me plenty. I won't run out anytime soon. I just noticed you seemed preoccupied and wanted to see if I could help."
Fang Ting's eyes lit up. Fang Luo had cultivated for nearly a thousand years in his past life—his experience far surpassed his own. His insights were always worth listening to.
"There is indeed something bothering me," Fang Ting said. "The Zou and Wei clans are no longer a threat. But Zou Kui had a high-grade Profound-tier magical artifact—he borrowed it from a Seven Star Sect elder. Now that artifact is in my hands, and I'm not sure what to do with it."
Hearing this, Fang Luo immediately grasped the heart of the problem.
"Returning that artifact without knowing the nature of their relationship is gambling with your life—it's far too risky," he said firmly.
"My advice: don't return it for now. First, focus on increasing your strength. If you can reach the Violet Palace realm, you'll at least have the leverage to negotiate."
"Second, spread a rumor. Say that someone from the Fang clan has become a disciple of a powerful elder in the Lingyue Sect. If the elder is strong and has high status, it might give the other side some pause."
"I once heard my master mention a Lingyue Sect elder named Su Xinyan. She's not only the daughter of the former sect master, but also an extremely talented cultivator. We could subtly borrow her name."
(In his mind): In my previous life, I spent eighty years cultivating in the Lingyue Sect. The only one I still remember is Su Xinyan.
Too bad we're too far from my former cave abode. Otherwise, I could've easily wiped out the Seven Star Sect myself.
Fang Ting nodded repeatedly. "Good plan. We'll do exactly that."
Fang Luo truly lived up to his past as a seasoned powerhouse. His analysis was sharp and practical—undoubtedly the optimal solution for now.
A wise elder is a treasure to the family, Fang Ting thought.
He even felt the urge to abdicate his position as patriarch and hand it over to Fang Luo. But that would hinder Fang Luo's cultivation. Better to let him focus on training while Fang Ting handled the clan's affairs.
Suddenly, Fang Luo spoke. "Sixth Uncle, I want to go out and train. My master used to say that only through hardship can one grow stronger."
(Inner voice): We've resolved a small issue, but the Seven Star Sect is a much bigger problem. Only absolute strength can protect myself and the clan.
Fang Ting was stunned for a moment, then nodded.
"If that's your decision, then go for it. Don't hold back."
With that, he brought out a large stash of resources—spirit stones, pills, talismans, array disks, and three magical artifacts: a sword, a flying shuttle, and a piece of inner armor.
The sword had belonged to Zou Kui. Like Fang Ting's own blade, it was a low-grade Profound-tier weapon.
Fang Luo gratefully accepted everything without hesitation—he genuinely needed it all.
"Rest assured, Sixth Uncle—I'll train hard, grow strong, and protect the Fang clan!"
Fang Ting patted him firmly on the shoulder.
"Good! I believe in you!"
And silently, he added: Come on, I'm counting on you to grow strong so I can finally relax and live the good life...
Thus, Fang Luo left the Fang clan and began his journey to grow stronger.
At the same time, the Fang clan had fully taken over the Zou and Wei clans' assets, officially becoming the dominant family in Yunshan City.
For a while, the Fang clan's fame was unmatched. Women lined up hoping to marry in, and even some talented young men—wandering cultivators among them—hoped to marry into the clan.
The Fang clan had always encouraged marriage and childbirth—after all, the more descendants, the higher the odds of a prodigy emerging.
In the Fang clan, having three or five children was considered modest. Eight or nine was average. Some even had over a dozen.
To further speed up the clan's development, Fang Ting announced a bold decision: all clan members' monthly stipends would be doubled.
In the past, the Fang clan couldn't afford such generosity. But now, it could.
The moment this news was announced, Fang Ting's prestige within the clan soared.
He had only just become patriarch, yet he had already annihilated the clan's two centuries-old rivals and doubled everyone's pay. Who wouldn't revere such a leader?
The system also had a passive trait—every time a "Child of Destiny" appeared in the clan, the overall talent of all other members would rise accordingly.
Now richer than ever, with increasingly talented descendants, the Fang clan's strength was growing rapidly.
As usual, Fang Ting roamed the clan grounds under the pretense of checking in on people—but in truth, he was looking for more "Children of Destiny."
Everywhere he went, clan members looked at him with awe and devotion. In private, many already compared him to the clan's legendary founder.
On the second day after Fang Luo's departure, Fang Ting finally encountered the second Child of Destiny.
He was the son of one of Fang Ting's paternal cousins. His name was Fang Mu Ge, and he had a handsome face with bright, intelligent eyes.
Above his head, glowing words appeared:
[Fang Mu Ge, Top-Tier Talent]
Fang Ting's eyes gleamed.
For the system to label him as top-tier talent, he must be something incredible! Could it be an immortal body?
Fang Mu Ge had just finished exchanging greetings and was preparing to leave when Fang Ting suddenly called out to him.
"Mu Ge, if I'm not mistaken, you're of age now. Have you had your spiritual roots tested yet?"
In the Fang clan, children were tested after turning fourteen to see if they could cultivate.
Fang Mu Ge replied honestly, "The Fifth Elder told me to go this afternoon."
The Fifth Elder was usually responsible for talent assessments.
"Come with me. I'll test you myself," Fang Ting said.
"Huh?" Fang Mu Ge froze, unable to understand.
He'd never heard of Fang Ting personally testing anyone's talent before. This unexpected fortune left him at a complete loss.
He was even a little nervous—what if his talent turned out to be poor, or he couldn't cultivate at all? That'd be awkward.
(Inner voice): I know you're close with my father, but there's no need to go out of your way for me like this...
Fang Ting's voice called out from ahead, "What are you spacing out for? Keep up."
"Ah! Coming!" Fang Mu Ge quickly jogged after him.
His father—Fang Ting's cousin—was around the same age asTing. They'd grown up together, trained together, and remained close. Fang Ting had watched Fang Mu Ge grow up himself.