Fang Yuan blinked, then chuckled softly. "Ah... right. That reminds . Elder Sun?"
Elder Sun imdiately rose from his seat.
"I’ve done as you instructed," he said. "The family tokens are currently being produced. Here’s one from the first batch."
He stepped forward with asured care, placing a token upon Fang Yuan’s desk.
Fang Yuan picked it up, feeling the cool, weighty surface against his fingers. Etched into its face was a soaring raven, its wings wrapped in coiling lightning—
the Fang Family insignia, fierce and alive even in still tal.
"Good... appearance-wise," Fang Yuan murmured. Then, channeling a thin stream of qi into the token, he felt the inner workings unfold. Tiny formations blood in his perception, so intricate and precise that his breath caught.
He looked up sharply.
"Elder Sun... you built this... alone?"
Elder Sun’s eyes widened, and he quickly waved his hands. "Ah—Clan Head! If it’s not up to standard, I beg your forgiveness. This loyal servant only did his best—"
Fang Yuan shook his head slowly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"No, no... you’ve got it backward. This is too intricate, too precise—I was honestly shocked. So..." he leaned in slightly, eyes narrowing with curiosity, "how did you pull it off?"
Fang Sun’s face lit up, pride swelling in his voice before the question had even fully settled.
"All credit goes to Fang Kathem. I’d been searching for an assistant—soone to clean and make the family tokens reusable. But the mont he arrived, he... changed everything."
He chuckled, shaking his head at the mory.
"At first, I scolded him for ddling. But luckily, I’m a patient and benevolent elder." He puffed up theatrically. "So I let him explain. And it turns out I’m glad I did. The boy taught about functions I didn’t even know existed—concepts I’d never imagined. Before I knew it, I was the assistant, following his lead."
Fang Yuan let out a short laugh, inwardly relieved. Good thing I didn’t cut him off.
"This," Fang Sun concluded sincerely, gesturing toward the token, "is entirely his work."
Fang Yuan’s smile deepened. "Surely you deserve at least a fraction of the credit."
Fang Sun shook his head without hesitation. "No, Clan Head. I learned more from him in this short ti than I have in years. That is reward enough."
Without another word, Fang Yuan raised the token, its polished surface catching the light.
"Once this passes purification through the Ancestral Mirror and is confird safe for use, I’ll personally award him one hundred thousand rit points for this innovation. And," he added with a spark in his eye, "I have a surprise prepared for him as well."
A ripple of astonishnt swept through the room.
One day in the cultivation cave cost a hundred rit points. One hundred thousand ant... decades of cultivation ti.
Fang Yuan’s gaze returned to Fang Sun. "I’ve seen elders steal their disciples’ accomplishnts before. So I’m glad you’re willing to admit you’re useless."
"Clan Head!" Fang Sun blurted, half-offended, half-flustered and Fang Yuan broke into open laughter, the sound warm and unrestrained.
After a steadying breath, Fang Yuan turned his gaze toward his aunt.
"Elder Jingyi, are you still in contact with Xie Lin?"
Fang Jingyi inclined her head. "Yes, Clan Head. She visits from ti to ti."
"Good." Fang Yuan shifted to Du Juan, his voice asured yet deliberate. "Du Juan, take the item with you and follow Elder Jingyi. When you et the senior, tell him the Clan Head, Fang Yuan wishes to call upon the favor owed."
Du Juan bowed crisply.
"Understood." She stepped over to join Elder Jingyi.
Fang Yuan then let his gaze sweep over the elders, lingering on each face.
"To every elder here, those who have worked tirelessly for the clan’s success, I want to make sothing clear. From this month onward, at the end of every month, each of you will receive fifty thousand rit points."
A ripple passed through the room, murmurs cut short, brows knitting.
Shock, suspicion, even disbelief flickered across hardened faces.
Fang Yuan leaned back in his chair, letting the mont stretch just enough for the weight of his words to settle.
"You’ve all worked yourselves to the bone for this clan’s rise," he said, voice smooth but carrying a subtle iron edge.
"If loyalty is expected, so should its reward be undeniable." His gaze swept over them, lingering just long enough on each face to remind them he saw everything.
He gave a faint shrug and a lopsided smile. "I felt it needed to be said."
At his side, Fang Zhaoyue suddenly clutched his arm, her nails digging just enough to be felt.
She leaned in, voice trembling in a whisper.
"H-husband... h-how much longer must I keep silent?"
The words were soft, but the tension in them was palpable.
Fang Yuan’s lips curved in the faintest, almost imperceptible smile.
He didn’t answer imdiately.
Instead, he laid his free hand atop hers, fingers pressing down with a quiet, controlling warmth.
"Just a little bit more if you want to be kissed like before," he murmured back, his tone a private promise.
Her grip tightened for a heartbeat, then relaxed.
Fang Yuan released her hand and addressed the room again as if the exchange had never happened.
"The details will be handled through the administrative hall," he said.
"Your records will be updated by month’s end. If there are objections..."
His smile widened, but his eyes didn’t match it. "...voice them now, while I’m still in the mood to listen."
A long, heavy pause followed. No one spoke.
Fang Yuan nodded once, satisfied. "Good. Then let’s move on."
Fang Chen suddenly raised his hand.
Fang Yuan’s brow lifted, the corners of his lips curving in mild amusent. "Alright, Elder Chen, go ahead."
The older man cleared his throat. "Clan Head... do you have any idea what rank those beasts outside are?"
A beat of silence followed.
Fang Yuan blinked. Of all the questions he’d expected, that was not one of them. He stared at his uncle for a mont, as if trying to decide whether this was a genuine inquiry or so elaborate setup for a joke.
Fang Yuan sighed, in exasperating and strangely endearing. "Yes, Elder Chen. I do know their ranks. But if you’re volunteering to confirm firsthand, I won’t stop you."
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