CHAPTER 246: 246- SECRETS [5]

Fang Yuan stared at her for a long breath, then chuckled lowly.

His hand lingered on her shoulder as he leaned in, a sly grin tugging at his lips.

"So, all that bluster, all those clever moves... and in the end, it was just jealousy."

He tilted his head, voice softening into a mock whisper. "Wife, if you wanted me all to yourself, you only had to say so."

Lin Zhaoyue’s face flushed crimson, her lips parting as if to retort, but before she could—

A golden light burst across Fang Yuan’s vision.

[Reconcile with the Qin King.

Task: Negotiate peace terms with the Third Princess as the bargaining chip.

Reward: 10x Hollow Spirit Pill, 100,000 System Points, One Saint Grade (7) Weapon.]

Fang Yuan froze, his smirk collapsing as his mind reeled. Saint Grade (7)?

The best he had ever even seen was Grade (4), a Heaven-grade weapon. To leap three entire tiers in one reward was absurd.

But then the reality sank in.

Reconcile... with the Qin King? Of all people? His brow twitched.

"Reconciliation, my ass," he muttered inwardly. "That old dog wants my clan’s head on a platter."

He swallowed hard. Perhaps... that was why the system’s reward was so outrageous. Because the task itself was a nightmare.

Lin Zhaoyue’s soft voice tugged him back to reality. She looked up at him, eyes narrowed in concern.

"Husband," she said, studying his expression. "What happened?"

Fang Yuan blinked the golden prompt away, jaw tightening. Reconcile with the Qin King? Hah. As if I’d bow to the butcher of my family.

He then made up his mind, he wasn’t doing it. Whatever punishment the system planned to dish out, so be it.

Better to suffer that than crawl back to a throne that had hounded his clan to near extinction the past few months.

No amount of glittering rewards could erase his hatred for being framed and aimed.

Lin Zhaoyue tilted her head, eyes narrowing as she studied him before calling out once again. "Husband...?"

Fang Yuan exhaled slowly and offered her a crooked smile. "It’s nothing. Just... tired, that’s all."

She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t press.

Just then, a sharp knock rattled the door before it creaked open. Felicia slipped in, cheeks flushed, breath ragged from running.

"Ah, Clan Head—there you are." Her voice carried a faint ease, the kind that had grown over years of serving him.

She bent forward, pressing a hand against her side as she tried to catch her breath.

"Elder Joshua... sent me to find you. It’s about the spirit ponds, it’s dried up. And the cultivation caves... they’ll be empty within the next day as well."

Sweat beaded her forehead, and she looked almost guilty for barging in, but the urgency in her eyes outweighed hesitation.

Fang Yuan straightened, nodding at Felicia. "Alright. I’ll be there shortly."

His gaze slid toward Lin Zhaoyue, a silent question hanging in his eyes. "Will you come with me?"

She shook her head gently, lips curling in a smile too tender for the weight it carried. "No. I need to meet my daughter."

Fang Yuan froze, his breath hitching. "...Daughter? Who? Do I... do I know the father? What—why are you only telling me this now?"

Lin Zhaoyue’s lips curved, eyes glimmering with a teasing amusement that only deepened his confusion.

"Of course. It’s Fang Lian, silly."

Fang Yuan stared at her, deadpan, not a single flicker betraying the storm in his head.

How the heck... no, when the heck did she decide Fang Lian was her daughter?

For heaven’s sake, that’s my disciple we’re talking about! You hear me? My disciple!

Outwardly calm, inwardly screaming, Fang Yuan could only wonder if she was joking, or if she truly believed her own words.

She tilted her head, the light catching in her eyes like a knife’s edge hidden under silk. "What is it, husband? Don’t look so stiff. I only want what’s ours to stay close to us."

Then, as if noticing Felicia for the first time, Lin Zhaoyue’s smile widened, syrupy and dangerous.

She stepped closer, her voice lilting like a lover’s whisper. "Mm. Should I adopt this maid too? She’s cute."

Felicia stiffened, eyes darting between them.

Fang Yuan rubbed his temple, already feeling a headache brewing. There was no winning this argument.

He exhaled deeply, waving his hand in defeat. "Fine, fine. Go on, go to your daughter. I’ll check the spirit pond."

Without waiting for her reply, he turned on his heel and gestured for Felicia to follow.

The young maid scrambled after him, still slightly out of breath, and together they made their way toward the eastern ravine where the cultivation caves were.

Lin Zhaoyue watched them leave, her smile as serene as ever yet her eyes gleamed with something far more dangerous.

Once they were out of sight, she whispered softly to herself, "I’m adopting that girl as my second daughter. Husband, you can’t just surround yourself with young girls. That’s not good."

Her tone was sweet, but the chill running beneath her words could freeze blood.

A sudden chill crawled up Fang Yuan’s spine. He paused, scanning the trees with narrowed eyes.

His divine sense spread like a net, but nothing stirred. With a grunt, he dismissed it. "Must be my imagination."

He pressed on, Felicia trailing behind.

Soon, the narrow path opened into the Eastern Ravine, where the cultivation caves were nestled.

Elder Joshua was waiting, his face haggard, eyes sunken with exhaustion.

The man looked as though he had aged months in the span of a single day.

"Ah, Clan Head, you’re here!" Joshua rushed forward, his voice tight with strain. "The spirit ponds, they’ve dried up. Both the artificial pond you ordered to be dug and even the natural one in the spirit mine. It’s... it’s a disaster. Without them, cultivation across the clan will grind to a halt. This is a serious issue."

Fang Yuan’s expression stiffened. Guilt pricked at him like a knife. He knew exactly why the geniune pond emptied, his breakthrough to the Hollow Spirit Realm had devoured it clean.

Still, his face smoothed over into practiced calm. He gave a soft cough and folded his hands behind his back as though everything was under control.

"I see," he said evenly. "Then let’s go fill the ponds."