Fang Yuan watched as Elder Yin finally took her seat, her excitent over the so-called Flow Guidance Technique still lingering in the air.
At last, he could begin.
He clasped his hands on the table before him and said, voice cool and steady, "Now then. As most of you have likely heard, the Gu family has sent us a latter. And it’s not a request... but more like an order, for financial aid. We can’t ignore this since the imperial seal was also used in this situation."
A collective shift of posture spread through the assembly.
Fang Yuan’s eye twitched slightly as, from the corner of his vision, Elder Yin began fidgeting again.
He sighed internally.
"Elder Yin," he called, his voice flat but patient.
She imdiately straightened up, hands raised in surrender. "Ahh! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, hehe, please, please continue..." she said, hurriedly sitting down again.
But her nervous glances to the side made it clear she hadn’t finished.
Fang Yuan rubbed his temples, then leaned back in his chair with a long breath. "Speak your mind, Elder Yin."
She hesitated, then slowly raised her hand. "So, uh... Clan Head... is it true you... lost the fight against, um I an no offense! Really! Please don’t kill ."
Fang Yuan tilted his head. "I won’t."
"Promise?" she asked in a sheepish whisper, lowering her head while peeking up with one squinted eye.
He let out another sigh. "I promise."
Her smile returned in full bloom. "So... did you really lose the fight against Gu Lanyue and Gu Jian? I an, I’m sure you actually won, but they’re saying otherwise, so I was wondering if it’s true?"
Fang Yuan blinked at her, almost dazed. How is soone like this even an elder...? He wanted to cry... not because of the question, but the way she spoke.
Still, he waved a hand and said calmly, "I was up against two Nascent Souls, so yes. I lost."
Elder Yin bead. "Well, even if you lost, you’re still my hero, Clan Head!"
That word, hero, landed in his heart like a rogue spiritual arrow.
Fang Yuan quickly lifted his right hand to cover his face, eyes twitching slightly as he tried to suppress the grin that threatened to betray his usual cool facade.
The entire council saw it.
Chuckles rippled through the elders.
From the side, Fang Chen leaned over and whispered to Fang Jingyi, "At least our Little Yuan is still human, eh?"
Jingyi nodded, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Mn."
Fang Yuan slowly lowered his hand from his face, the smile gone as swiftly as it ca.
His gaze swept across the room, returning to that sa cold sharpness that made even the core elders sit straighter.
"Enough," he said. "Let us return to the matter at hand."
A silence settled over the room.
"The Gu family has ordered us for financial aid with the imperial seal," Fang Yuan repeated.
"Because four Saberfang Spirit Beasts attacked their estate. Because half their spirit stone reserves were spent driving them off. Because now... they are weakened."
He leaned forward slightly, fingers steepled before him. "And now, in that weakness, they turn to us."
No one spoke, but the unspoken tension in the room thickened.
Fang Yuan’s voice dropped a fraction, calm, but unyielding.
"Understand this: they did not ask out of goodwill. Nor did they lower their heads in humility. They expect assistance, as if the debts of the past an nothing."
Elder Chen’s brows drew together. "They still hold grudges for the Blackroot Mountain incident. We extended a hand then, too."
"And they bit it," Fang Yuan said coolly.
His eyes flicked to Fang Jingyi. "Aunt, read the ssage aloud once more."
Jingyi unfurled the scroll and stood, her voice even as she read:
"To the Fang Family of Coldwind City,
In light of recent calamities suffered by our Gu Estate, chiefly the invasion of multiple Saberfang Spirit Beasts, we request cooperation and financial support to stabilize the southern trade routes.
Let us set aside our grievances and act in the spirit of unity.
— Gu Jian, Gu Patriarch."
As her voice fell silent, Fang Yuan smiled but it was all cold teeth.
"Unity," he echoed. "Convenient word. When we were in trouble, they ignored us. When they are desperate, they rember we are ’fellow clans.’"
He stood slowly, the room watching him with rapt attention.
"I don’t plan on sending spirit stones," Fang Yuan began, his voice calm yet laced with quiet cunning.
"But since they intend on using the imperial family, I will give them hope. Hope that we’ve sent help. A caravan will set out by dawn, loaded with crates of spirit stones..."
He paused, and a faint, dangerous smile touched his lips.
"...But no spatial storage will be used."
Murmurs rose among the elders, their eyes sharpening with dawning realization.
"We will let the Gu family see the help. Let them watch it crawl over roads, inch through mountains, guarded, escorted, and paraded like so great act of benevolence," Fang Yuan said, his gaze sweeping across the chamber.
"Let them celebrate prematurely. Let them prepare to grovel."
He stepped away from his chair, pacing slowly. "Then... sothing will happen. Maybe a beast attack, maybe bandits. Perhaps the wagon tips over a cliff. Who can say? It’s a big world out there."
A few elders chuckled under their breath. The rest watched in awed silence.
Fang Yuan stopped, turning back. "Now. Do any of you carry a spatial item to offer?"
Everyone instinctively clasped their sleeves tighter, shaking their heads.
Everyone... except one.
Elder Yin lifted her hand proudly.
Fang Yuan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Put your hand down."
She blinked. "But, I—"
"Elder Yin," Fang Yuan said patiently, his tone softening, "your spatial ring is your private property. The clan has no right to claim it. I’m not confiscating anyone’s ring."
As he spoke, he cast a sidelong glance at Fang Jingyi, a silent plea in his eyes.
She t his look with a knowing smile and gave a small, graceful nod, as if to say, Leave it to .
"I’m willing!" Fang Yin said brightly, puffing her chest out. "For the sake of the clan, I—"
Before she could finish, Fang Jingyi leaned over and whispered sothing into her ear.
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