After Fang Tian and Fang i left the chamber, the atmosphere gradually settled.
The doors shut behind them with a soft thud, and peace returned; quiet and undisturbed.
The only sound now was the gentle rustling of the wind brushing against the silken curtains.
Fang Yuan leaned back slightly, exhaling through his nose.
"System," he said aloud, voice low, "do I have any tasks?"
A familiar golden glow shimred into being before him, forming a translucent screen in the air. Lines of text began to unfurl smoothly across the surface.
[QUEST: Complete the pile of pending administrative tasks on your desk.]
Reward: Spirit Gathering Formation (High-Grade Black Rank)
Status: Ongoing
Fang Yuan’s gaze drifted to the right, toward the wide, lacquered desk tucked beneath the window.
A truly tragic sight awaited him.
Docunts, petitions, resource requests, training schedules, supply orders, and incident reports from the outer branches had all gathered into a towering stack of unreviewed paperwork.
So were so old the ink had faded at the corners.
He rubbed his temples and sighed. "So this is the price of throwing a banquet..."
He sat down, the chair giving a faint creak under his weight, and picked up the first scroll from the pile.
Inkbrush in hand, he began working through the backlog. thodically. Deliberately.
Stamp. Approve. Deny. And.
Despite the tedious nature of the task, Fang Yuan remained focused because the reward was no trivial matter.
A Spirit Gathering Formation, and not just any—this one was a high-grade black rank, an imnsely valuable cultivation support array.
With it, the spirit qi concentration of any area it was placed in could be elevated far beyond normal thresholds, accelerating cultivation progress for everyone within range.
To a clan leader managing the developnt of an entire family, this wasn’t just useful, it was transformative.
Fang Yuan’s expression remained composed, but his movents were swift. Efficient.
Page after page was reviewed. Stamp after stamp pressed down in red.
Outside, the golden hue of the late afternoon sun began to shift, lting slowly into the deeper oranges of early evening.
Shadows stretched long across the polished floor.
Fang Yuan didn’t look up.
He simply murmured to himself as he flipped to the next docunt, "I’ll finish this before nightfall."
A soft knock echoed at the chamber door, pulling Fang Yuan from his focused scribbling.
He set his brush aside and glanced toward the entrance. "Co in."
The door creaked open, revealing a young maid dressed in pale blue robes. She stepped inside with a graceful bow, hands folded neatly in front of her.
"Family Head," she said respectfully, "here is the item you requested. Also, Elder Chen, your uncle asked to inform you that he’s planning to plant the Blossoming Thunder Orchid in his garden."
Fang Yuan blinked, briefly shifting his focus.
"The gift from the Lin family?" he asked, just to confirm.
The maid nodded. "Yes, sir."
He waved a hand. "Let him do as he pleases. Oh and send the alchemical furnace to Aunt Jingyi. She’s been eyeing it since the banquet."
Another nod. The maid stepped forward, placed a slim lacquered box on the edge of the desk, and quietly turned to leave, closing the door behind her.
Left alone again, Fang Yuan let his gaze fall to the box now sitting in front of him.
This was it... the Divine Ice Sect’s so-called "gift" to the Fang family. The one they had presented so ceremoniously in front of the entire pavilion. He arched a brow.
Surely, he thought, they must have brought sothing of substance if their intention was to break a longstanding engagent smoothly and maintain face.
He unlatched the box with a light flick of his finger.
The lid opened with a soft click, revealing... a single pill.
Fang Yuan stared at it.
Then blinked.
And stared again.
Inside was a single bone marrow pill.
if you could still call it that.
The surface was uneven, the lines of refinent broken like a student’s failed calligraphy.
Its glow flickered dimly, like a lantern monts from dying.
Fang Yuan stared. Then scoffed.
"Ah yes," he muttered, "the Divine Ice Sect’s legendary generosity. How blessed we are."
If not for the tily arrival of my system... he mused, I might have actually been excited to see this. Might’ve even handed it to Fang Tian with a proud smile, thinking I’d done my duty as an older brother.
He leaned back and slid the box to the side and picked up the next scroll from his stack, dipping his brush once again into ink.
When the moon reached its zenith, casting a pale silver glow through the lattice windows, Fang Yuan was still seated at his desk.
The room was bathed in soft candlelight, the flickering flas casting long shadows against the polished wood and stacks of scrolls.
He let out a long, weary sigh, massaging the bridge of his nose.
He had clearly underestimated the sheer weight of internal clan affairs.
His brush hovered over a half-reviewed scroll, the characters crisp and formal.
"To the Esteed Family Head,
We humbly request additional manpower to be dispatched to the Spirit Stone Mines with urgency.
During excavation, we have uncovered what appears to be the remains of a Level Three Alchemist.
Preliminary inspection suggests a potential hidden chamber beneath the lower shaft.
However, there have also been repeated sightings of unidentified beast tracks near the entrance.
For safety reasons, excavation efforts have been reduced to half-capacity. We await your directive on how to proceed."
Fang Yuan furrowed his brows as he scanned the signature and stamped seal at the bottom.
The request had been submitted five days ago.
"Five days?" he murmured. "Why wasn’t this brought to my attention sooner?"
Before he could dwell on it further, a knock ca at the door.
He set down the scroll. "Enter."
The door opened, revealing the sa maid from earlier. She bowed swiftly, her expression tinged with urgency.
"Family Head," she said, "a ssage from the outer periter. There’s been an incident in the Eastern Ravine. Elder Chen and several others have already departed to investigate."
Fang Yuan’s eyes narrowed, the pieces connecting in his mind.
Eastern Ravine... That’s where the Spirit Stone Mine is located.
He was already on his feet before she finished speaking.
"Thank you for the information, while I’m gone make sure no one enters my chamber. Also bring my robe."
The maid bowed again and moved quickly to fulfill the order.
Fang Yuan reached for his sword and strode toward the door, his earlier exhaustion vanishing like mist.
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