Fang Yuan let out a quiet sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"You really are the worst sotis," he muttered, though his voice lacked any real bite.
Fang Jingyi just smiled like she had won a small, private war.
But the atmosphere slowly returned to sobriety as Fang Chen walked forward and placed a sealed scroll on the table in front of Fang Yuan.
"This ca in early this morning," he said. "Directly from Gu Lanyue’s personal courier. That makes two ssages total, all marked urgent."
Fang Yuan’s gaze lingered on the scroll.
The wax bore the crest of the Gu family, an orchid carved into obsidian, delicate but cold.
He did not open it right away and instead kept staring at it for a while.
Fang Jingyi watched him closely, her earlier playfulness fading to a quiet concern.
"If we delay too long, they may take offense," she said.
"And offense, from the Gu family, isn’t the kind we can pay off with a few spirit stones. They recently got a second Nascent Soul Realm cultivator after all."
Fang Yuan nodded faintly. "I know."
He finally reached for the scroll, unsealing it carefully.
The parchnt inside was crisp and clean, the handwriting elegant, each character brushed with refined clarity.
But beneath the formal tone, Fang Yuan could almost hear the chill and smugness in Gu Lanyue’s voice.
He read silently for a ti, eyes flicking across the lines.
Then he lowered the scroll, placing it back onto the table with quiet precision.
"They want to have a eting with , alone," he said.
Fang Chen leaned forward. "When?"
"Three days from now," Fang Yuan replied. "At the Riverlight Bridge near Lake Forest. It’s a neutral ground."
"Its a good choice," Fang Chen murmured. "But they’re forcing your hand."
Fang Yuan’s lips twitched.
"I suppose I should. Uncle Jian will be there too, I trust with him around they won’t try anything funny," he said finally, his voice even.
Fang Chen gave a firm nod, arms crossed. "Alright, nephew. But you’re certain you’ll be fine going alone?"
Fang Yuan nodded without hesitation. "Trust , Uncle. When have I ever disappointed you?"
From the side, Fang Jingyi let out a soft snort.
"All the ti, Yuan’er," she chid in.
"Brother was so disappointed when you rejected all the girls he found for you. Rember Lady Lin from the Silver Hall Sect? Or that sweet girl from the Jade Orchard Pavilion? You cold hearted man who didn’t even et them a second ti."
Fang Chen turned sharply toward her, eyebrows raised. "Jingyi—"
But before he could get another word in, Jingyi burst into open laughter, hands on her hips as she practically danced backward toward the door.
"Don’t worry, don’t worry!" she grinned, already halfway out the room.
"Your ’disgraceful’ nephew will make a fine politician yet. He’s just romantically hopeless."
And with a wave and a wink, she slipped out, still laughing.
Fang Chen sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That girl... one of these days I swear..."
Fang Yuan chuckled under his breath and patted his uncle’s arm. "Don’t worry, Uncle. For what it’s worth... I don’t regret any of it."
Fang Chen gave him a long, serious look, brows knit with a mix of worry and familial concern.
"Yuan’er... I know you only recently stepped into Nascent Soul, but Uncle Jian has been in that realm for over a year now. Would you really not reconsider?"
Fang Yuan shook his head slowly.
His voice was calm, steady. "Uncle Chen... My father and Uncle Jian were sworn brothers.
Even though his daughter has severed ties with my junior brother, Uncle Jian has never broken his bond with my late father."
The room went still for a mont, a hush settling like a breath held between generations.
Fang Chen let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Hah... I suppose so. Blood or not, old friendships run deep. But still... remain cautious, Yuan’er."
"I will," Fang Yuan said with a nod, his tone firm but grateful.
Fang Chen gave him a final pat on the shoulder before turning toward the doors.
Just as he reached the threshold, Fang Yuan called out—
"Ah, Uncle—could you tell the guards to send my brother to the office when he’s free?"
Fang Chen paused, chuckling as he glanced back over his shoulder, only to catch a glimpse of Fang Yuan already hurrying down the corridor, a stack of papers tucked beneath his arm, his robes fluttering slightly with each step.
Typical.
Still, as he stepped outside, the elder didn’t delay. He flagged down a passing guard without hesitation, waving him over with a casual flick of the wrist.
"Hey, guard."
The young man halted and bowed respectfully. "Yes, Elder Chen?"
"Go find Fang Tian," Fang Chen said, his tone relaxed but firm. "Tell him the Family Patriarch wishes to see him in the office."
The guard straightened, fist to chest. "Understood."
Without wasting a mont, the young man turned and headed briskly down the stone path, disappearing behind a bend.
Fang Chen exhaled slowly and looked up at the morning sky for a beat, then he also walked away.
In the anti, Fang Yuan burst into his office with his robes fluttering, a stack of reports half-tucked under one arm and his breath only just catching up with him.
He practically kicked the door shut with his heel, made a beeline for his desk, and—
Ding!
The system interface floated into view, its sleek golden font shimring above the table.
[New Quest Alert]
Coldwind City Championships — Countdown: 2 months (ti dilation may apply)
Task 1: Cultivate 1 disciples of the younger generation to reach Golden Core Realm.
Reward: 100,000 SP
Task 2: Cultivate 2 disciples of the younger generation to reach Qi Transformation Realm.
Reward: 60,999 SP
Task 3: cultivate 10 disciples of the younger generation to reach Qi Condensation Realm.
Reward: 30,999 SP
[Note: Pick 1 Task Only. Failure yields no reward.]
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