The maid returned swiftly, her hands carefully folded around a freshly prepared robe of midnight black, trimmed with silver along the cuffs and collar.
Fang Yuan's travel attire as family head.
Woven with spiritual thread and reinforced with a thin inner layer of beast hide, it was designed not only for protection but to move fluidly with the body in high-speed flight.
"Your robe, Family Head," she said, presenting it with a respectful bow.
Fang Yuan accepted it with a nod, shedding his inner robe in one motion and slipping into the new attire with practiced ease.
The fabric settled against his frame like silk over steel.
He tightened the sash with a sharp pull, reached for his spatial ring, and attached his sword to the black jade clasp across his back.
As the final buckle clicked into place, his demeanor sharpened.
The calm of study and soft candlelight was gone, now only the wind of urgency stirred behind his dark eyes.
He gave the maid a single glance. "Ill remind you again, absolutely no-one. Not even my brother is allowed into the chamber."
"Yes, Family Head."
With that, Fang Yuan turned toward the window.
A single push from his foot.
The lattice frame burst open as he leapt into the night sky.
He rose fast, a streak of black through silver moonlight, his cloak unfurling behind him like a banner of shadow.
He summoned his spiritual energy, and beneath his feet, a translucent platform of qi shimmered into existence.
He launched forward.
The wind howled past his ears.
Below him, the vast expanse of Fang territory spread out in dark waves; fields, forests, hills, lit by flickering lanterns and the distant, pulsing lights of formation beacons.
His eyes focused eastward.
The Eastern Ravine was only a few dozen minutes away if he pushed at full speed.
He poured more energy into his flight, his nascent soul qi compressing the air around him.
Every movement was efficient. Every breath was measured.
The fatigue of the day's work was forgotten as Fang Yuan shot through the clouds like a silent blade, onward to the ravine.
When Fang Yuan arrived at the Eastern Ravine, the crisp night air carried the tension of gathered cultivators and murmuring mortals.
Lanterns cast flickering shadows over the uneven earth, and all eyes turned skyward as a streak of dark light descended from the moonlit clouds above.
He landed with effortless grace, his boots touching the earth like falling snow.
The moment his figure settled into view, the gathered crowd erupted into murmured greetings.
"Family Head!"
"Family Head Fang!"
Dozens of clan members, guards, and outer elders bowed in succession, heads lowered in respect.
Fang Yuan responded with composed nods and brief bows of his own.
"You've all worked hard," he said lightly, his voice carrying enough authority to hush the surrounding noise.
As he strode forward, the crowd parted without a word.
He made his way toward the cluster of core elders, where a broad-shouldered man with streaks of white in his hair stood waiting.
Uncle Chen—Elder Chen, the younger brother of his Father, and one of the few people Fang Yuan still instinctively respected.
The elder stepped forward and dipped into a bow. "Family Head."
Fang Yuan immediately reached forward, raising a hand to stop him. "Uncle, there's no need—"
But before he could finish, the other elders behind him followed suit. A chorus of bows rippled through the group like falling dominoes.
Fang Yuan sighed internally. Two hands aren't enough for this. He gave up resisting and simply returned the gesture with a graceful clasp of his hands.
"Enough formality," he said, "tell me what's happening here."
Uncle Chen straightened. His expression was grave. "Inside the mine, we've detected the presence of a beast. It's strong, stronger than anything we've seen around these lands."
He hesitated before continuing. "A half-step Nascent Soul realm. We confirmed it through the spiritual pressure it gave off when we tried to expand the excavation zone."
Fang Yuan's eyes sharpened, his mind spinning.
A half-step Nascent Soul beast? In a spirit stone mine?
That wasn't ordinary. But it shouldn't be random, either.
Please, he thought, keeping his face unreadable, let it be guarding something. Something divine…
Outwardly, his tone remained composed. "Keep the perimeter sealed. Do not let anyone wander near the entrance. If this beast becomes enraged, we don't want any casualties."
He stepped forward, rolling his shoulders lightly, and continued, "I'll deal with it personally. A beast of that level… should still be within my capabilities."
Elder Chen frowned, concern etching deeper lines into his weathered face. "Little Yuan… are you sure?"
Fang Yuan's lips curled into a calm, familiar smile. "Uncle, don't worry. If things turn difficult, I still have my Swift Step Footwork. At worst, I can run away and leave it for another day."
The elders hesitated, exchanging glances.
But there was something about the way Fang Yuan stood; relaxed, casual, yet quietly confident that made even skeptics pause.
Finally, Uncle Chen gave a reluctant nod. "Be careful."
"Always."
As he turned toward the mine entrance, Fang Yuan couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
A peak Nascent Soul realm cultivator… facing a half-step Nascent Soul beast. If I can't win that fight, I might as well retire and become a chicken farmer.
It wasn't arrogance… it was math.
Though spirit beasts were indeed more physically powerful than cultivators of the same realm, this one wasn't even a full Nascent Soul realm.
And he… he had long since transcended the level his enemies thought he remained at.
But that wasn't the true danger.
The real concern… was what the beast might be guarding.
Rare beasts didn't burrow into mines for leisure.
If there was something buried beneath the stone; an inheritance, an ancient relic, or worse, a spirit herb of immense potency… it would only be a matter of time before word spread.
And when that happened, the other four families would descend like vultures on a fresh corpse.
And if he was unlucky, the royal family might even be involved considering this was going to be a treasure worthy of being guarded by a half step nascent soul realm beast.
So I need to act swiftly, Fang Yuan thought as his boots crunched over gravel and spirit lamps dimmed behind him.
Seal the threat. Secure the treasure. Silence the rumors.
He paused just at the edge of the mine shaft, the shadows curling around him like the mouth of a beast waiting to swallow him whole.
His fingers flexed slightly.
With a flick of his wrist, his sword detached from his back with a quiet chime, and in the next moment—
Fang Yuan stepped into the dark.