CHAPTER 136: 136- CULTIVATION CAVE [4]

Fang Yuan chuckled—a warm, rolling sound that seemed to ripple through the air like heat off stone. "Oh no, Elder Joshua," he said, grinning, "you don’t get to retire from yelling at me just yet."

He spread his arms wide, encompassing both the mountain of faith behind him and the absurdity of it all. "Trust me, the younger generation’s still a mess. Just look at me."

His words carried the weight of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

"I still need you and the others to keep kicking me in the right direction. Leave me unsupervised for a day and I might vanish into the night. Start a sect. Conquer a city. Who knows. I for sure, don’t know myself."

The elders blinked.

His smile turned fox-like, sharp, glinting with mock menace. "And don’t think I’m doing all this for the clan out of pure selflessness either."

He leaned in slightly. "Oh no. I fully intend to work every one of you to the bone. Just so I can take longer naps."

Elder Sun, who had been watching this exchange with bright, shrewd eyes, let out another booming laugh, this one tinged with genuine delight and a hint of challenge accepted.

Beside him, Fang Joshua’s initial shock melted away, replaced by a slow, genuine smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes, the first truly unguarded expression he’d shown since the well appeared.

The two elders, polar opposites in temperament yet united in loyalty, exchanged a look.

In perfect, resonant unison, their voices rang out, steady, earnest, and laced with a strange, almost gleeful anticipation:

"Clan Head, we sincerely hope you’ll assign us even more responsibilities."

It was both declaration and challenge, spoken not out of duty, but with pride.

The weight behind those simple words was immense.

Ten years ago, when disaster struck the spirit mine, a sudden collapse that took dozens of life.

It was Fang Yuan, then barely more than a youth, who stepped forward while others faltered.

The situation was delicate.

The collapse had been caused by neglected formation upkeep, a task that had been the responsibility of a specific elder.

The facts were clear, the blame obvious.

Everyone expected Fang Yuan to do the logical thing: pin the blame where it belonged, offer a few words of regret, and perhaps arrange token compensation to appease the mortal workers.

That was standard. The mortals, after all, could do little more than grumble in silence.

But instead, Fang Yuan bowed.

He bowed deeply and publicly, his forehead touching the dust as he took full responsibility for the failure, not as a formality, but with heartfelt sincerity.

He apologized. Not as a superior placating inferiors, but as one human to another.

It stunned the clan.

That moment became a turning point—dividing the elders into two camps.

One group, stiff-necked and prideful, whispered that his actions had shamed the clan.

That a clan head should never grovel before mortals. That it was a stain on the Fang name.

But the others, elders like Joshua and Sun saw something different.

That day etched itself into their bones.

In the boy who bowed, they saw a leader with the strength to shoulder the blame, the courage to protect even those at the bottom, and the wisdom to bind a wounded clan through humility rather than fear.

They had followed him ever since, not out of obligation, but with quiet reverence.

Because Fang Yuan didn’t simply bear the weight of the clan, he made them want to carry it with him.

Fang Yuan wasn’t sure what thoughts stirred behind the calm expressions of the two elders, but seeing their quiet satisfaction was enough. With a faint smirk, he clapped his hands together.

"All right, no time to waste," he declared. "I still have to go work my magic on all the caves our dear Elder Joshua personally dug out with his bare hands."

Joshua snorted and waved a hand. "Tsk. Don’t pin that on me. I’m not shameless enough to steal credit from the mortals. I have some dignity left."

Elder Sun erupted into laughter once again, his mirth rolling like distant thunder, and the group resumed their march.

Felicia moved in step, trailing a respectful half-step behind Fang Yuan, her presence silent and composed—a watchful shadow in motion.

Her sharp eyes never left the Clan Head as they approached the next cave mouth.

She watched as Fang Yuan lifted his hand once more, the air around his fingers shimmering subtly with focused intent.

There was a soft pop, a sound like a bubble gently bursting and then the air shifted.

A cool pulse spread outward, thick with spiritual essence.

The earth responded, and before their eyes, another flawless stone basin took shape, its water glowing faintly like starlight caught in stillness.

Fang Joshua watched each creation with widening eyes, speechless awe.

With each new well, his respect for his Clan Head deepened, solidifying into something akin to reverence.

Fang Sun, however, had given up trying to fathom the how.

His round face was alight with a different kind of fervor.

His fingers twitched slightly, his eyes darting speculatively from cave entrance to cave entrance, already mentally cataloging the best cave to claim as his.

A small, calculating smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

I really need to come up with a good reason to reserve one of these caves for personal use, he mused, trailing behind the group as he watched Fang Yuan summon yet another glowing spiritual well into existence, each one as seamless and potent as the last.

Soon, they arrived at the final cave.

As the faint hum of condensed spiritual energy settled into the air, Fang Sun finally stepped forward, clearing his throat.

But Fang Yuan was already a step ahead.

"If you want to use a cultivation cave," he said casually, not even turning around, "you’ll need to use merit points."

Fang Sun blinked. "Even elders need to earn merit points?"

Fang Yuan turned, flashing a brilliant, knowing smile. "Obviously. Everyone deserves to be treated equally, right?"

Fang Sun opened his mouth to argue, something, anything but no words came.

Every argument died before it reached his lips.

There was logic in Fang Yuan’s words, but more than that, there was conviction.

Fang Yuan laughed, the sound easy and unbothered. "Oh come now, I wouldn’t cheat my dear elders. You’re the pillars of this clan, I need to treat you accordingly."

He paused, glancing up at the cloud-streaked sky.

His voice dropped slightly, almost thoughtful.

"Fairness in the cultivation world..." he murmured. "Everything is fair, you just have to be strong enough to reach out and take it."