Fang Yuan stood in place for one breath longer than necessary.
Then, with an elegant wave of his sleeve and a measured smile, he faced the remaining guests.
"Well then," he said warmly, as though nothing strange had happened at all, "though the banquet was… unexpectedly lively, I must thank all of you for coming to celebrate my birthday."
Some chuckled. Others gave polite nods.
Fang Yuan clapped lightly.
"Mei'er, Tian, see that our guests receive their parting gifts. I had the boxes prepared personally—may the heavens grant that they taste better than Tushan's cooking."
A few elders laughed at that, the tension loosening slightly.
Elder Wu muttered into his cup, "The boy still knows how to close a scene."
Elder Lin stood, smoothing his sleeves with grace. "Your hospitality is appreciated, Clan Head Fang. May Fang Family remain calm under your watch."
Elder Zhao nodded and followed without another word, while Elder He simply muttered, "Hmph," and limped out, though there might've been a smirk beneath that beard.
As the guests slowly filed out, carrying silken-wrapped gift boxes filled with spirit teas, frost-lotus pastries, and a bottle of Coldwind Brew each, Fang Yuan remained at the door to personally bow to every single one.
He bowed to the men who had doubted him.
He bowed to the elders who had laughed at him.
He bowed to the wives who had already begun whispering their own clan strategies for the next alliance.
And all the while, his expression never changed.
Calm. Warm. Composed.
It was only when the last guest had left and the heavy doors of the Phoenix Soul Pavilion finally thudded shut behind him… that Fang Yuan's smile vanished.
He exhaled deeply, the weight of the evening dropping across his shoulders like a cloak soaked in frost.
"…I should've just faked a closed-door cultivation and skipped my birthday this year," he muttered.
From behind, Fang Mei peeked around the hall's curtains, giving him a sheepish smile.
Fang Tian stood next to her, trying very hard to look like someone who hadn't just messed up his elder brother's birthday banquet.
Fang Yuan stared at him.
His eyebrow twitched but he said nothing.
"Mei'er, Tian," Fang Yuan said, rubbing his temple as the last of the guests filed out, "I expect to see you both in my chamber… after you help clean up the banquet hall with the other family members."
The emphasis on after was sharp enough to cut a spirit fruit.
Both of their smiles faltered.
But Fang Yuan didn't wait for their protests.
With a graceful pivot that screamed I'm too old and too important for this nonsense, he swept away from the mess, leaving the two lovebirds and a crowd of stunned elders behind.
"Let the youth handle the cleaning up," he muttered to himself as he made his way down the lantern-lit path to his private courtyard. "At least I don't have to do manual labor. Small victories."
By the time he stepped into his chamber and closed the door, the exhaustion hit him like a silent formation seal.
He slipped off his formal robe, letting the deep purple silk cascade to the floor in a soundless ripple of grace.
With unhurried movements, he donned a loose inner robe before turning to the glass container atop his desk.
From the discarded robe, he carefully removed the embroidered sigil stitched in deep violet, the mark of a Golden Core cultivator.
Deception? Naturally.
What's a cultivator without a few good lies?
He placed the sigil back into its concealment array, then sat cross-legged before the black jade screen hovering silently above his desk.
With a flick of his spiritual will, the screen shimmered to life.
[ Host: Fang Yuan
Realm: Peak Nascent Soul ]
Fang Yuan stared.
A long breath slid from his lips as he leaned back slightly, arms crossed.
"What's a cultivator without trump cards? A farmer, get it?" he added to himself with a smug smirk.
Then paused.
"...That was terrible."
Silence reigned.
Clearing his throat, he continued scrolling.
[ TALENT: Heavenly Root
MARTIAL TECHNIQUES:
Swift Step Footwork (Low-grade Black)
Golden Shell Armor (Mid-grade Black)
Tyrant's Light Sword (Low-grade Black) ]
"…Huh?" Fang Yuan blinked. "I thought Tyrant's Light Sword was at least mid-grade. Low-grade? Are you kidding me?"
He clicked the technique for details, but the system refused to argue.
With a bitter laugh, he closed the technique tab and finally opened the blinking notification at the corner of the screen.
[ UNREAD MAIL: x2 ]
"Open," he muttered, and the first mail unfolded like an ancient scroll.
[ QUEST: Stop your brother from annulling the marriage ]
Reward: Hollow Soul Realm Pill x10
Status: ❌ Failed. ]
Fang Yuan stared.
The screen blinked innocently back at him.
His jaw slackened slightly.
"…Ten Hollow Soul Realm Pills…"
And then, like a puppet whose strings had been cut, he slowly slumped forward and faceplanted into the desk.
Thud.
His spiritual pressure wavered with the force of disappointment.
"...You little donkey of a brother…" Fang Yuan groaned into the wood.
He didn't move.
His dignity remained on the floor along with his cultivation pride.
"I was this close to getting ten pills that even Nascent Soul old freaks would kill for. And you… you…"
He exhaled like a dying phoenix.
Then, from under his arm, came a muffled whisper.
"…I hope she was worth it, you lovestruck idiot…"
Rolling onto his side, Fang Yuan cracked one eye open and jabbed a finger at the glowing screen hovering overhead.
"Next mail," he muttered. "Let's get this over with before the heavens smite me again."
Just as he braced for more disappointment, a soft chime rang in his mind.
A second message slid gently into view, the golden interface shimmering with quiet significance.
[Clan Building Starter Pack Received]
Bone Marrow Tempering Pills ×10
Qi Realisation Pills ×10
Qi Condensation Pills ×10
Qi Transformation Pills ×10
Golden Core Pills ×10
Fang Yuan's eyes lit up, a faint gleam chasing away the fog of defeat.
"Oh?" he murmured, sitting up like a puppet whose strings had just been yanked by fate itself. "Now we're talking…"
His earlier despair began to thaw like winter snow under the first kiss of spring.
Ten pills for each realm advancement, from body refinement to Golden Core!