CHAPTER 193: 193- SCARED HE.

The honorific was gone. The dismissal was deliberate.

He rose slowly to his feet, black robes falling around him like a tide of night.

His gaze never wavered as he added, each word carrying quiet finality, "You may return and tell your superiors this. The Fang Clan has no intention of joining hands in your so-called exploration. As for your ’offer’—you can keep it to yourself."

He turned, already walking away, his steps steady and unhurried.

"I won’t see you out," he said over his shoulder, the words delivered with a warmth that stung worse than contempt.

The silence left behind was crushing.

Elder He sat frozen, staring down at the stone table as the weight of the encounter pressed down on him.

His jaw clenched, his hands trembled and then with a snarl, he slammed his palm against the tabletop.

The teacups rattled violently, one tipping over and spilling across the stone.

His face burned with humiliation. Today was the most shameful day of his long life.

In the midst of Fang Yuan’s suffocating aura, his body had betrayed him, he had actually wet himself like a frightened child.

He ground his teeth, his expression twisting.

He had thought that being backed by the Wu Alliance gave him the right to posture, to sneer, to push.

But in that moment, he had forgotten who sat across from him.

Not some upstart brat. Not a mere junior.

But a true Nascent Soul cultivator.

A cunning fox who had outwitted the Wu, He, Lin and Zhao families time and time again, dismantling their schemes and turning their plots to ash for ages.

And Elder He, in his arrogance, had stepped into the jaws of that fox... and left with his dignity in shreds.

Southern Pavilion Area:

The Southern Pavilion was alive with the whistle of blades and the faint shimmer of light.

Elder Sun stood in the center of the courtyard, his sword flashing as three brilliant rays split the air, an incomplete star.

Beside him, Elders Yang and Bo struggled to draw out two rays each, their forms sharp but unrefined.

The shape of the star was lopsided, fractured.

Without its full five rays, it looked more like a broken lantern than the dazzling constellation it was meant to be.

"Focus on defense before you chase after attacks," Fang Yuan’s voice cut across the pavilion.

Elder Sun, sweat streaking his brow, let out a laugh. "Clan head, attack is the best form of defense!"

Fang Yuan’s lips curved faintly. "And avoidance is the best form of attack. I know it sounds like nonsense, but strategy is born from such contradictions. Now, let’s leave the sword for later."

His expression turned grave. "I sent you and a few others to search for my younger brother. How did it go?"

The swordlight dimmed as Elder Sun lowered his blade and bowed.

"He was too fast, clan head. We couldn’t follow his tracks. But..."

He hesitated, exchanging glances with the others, before adding, "we made an incredible discovery. Do you remember Elder Fang Guo?"

Fang Yuan’s eyes narrowed, sharp as a drawn blade. "I do. What about him?"

Elder Sun’s tone dropped. "He’s dead. And from the traces we gathered, he had been working for the Crown Prince after his banishment. Not just him, the other elders who’ve been banished... they were all tied to the prince."

Silence fell.

Fang Yuan’s gaze deepened, unreadable, before he murmured, "So... my brother is hunting down the elders I banished?"

Elder Sun swallowed and gave a slow nod. "Y-yes, clan head."

Fang Yuan stared into the distance for a long moment, his hands clasped behind his back.

"So you’re saying Fang Guo is dead?" he asked again, voice quiet, as if to confirm.

"Yes," Elder Sun said, bowing lower. "We could do nothing. I apologize, clan head."

But Fang Yuan shook his head, his expression softening for a fleeting instant.

"No, no. This isn’t your fault. If anything, my brother acted for the clan’s benefit. Those traitors... deserved their fate."

His tone grew heavier, laced with steel. "But still—"

He paced a few steps, brows knitting.

"It’s already likely too late. I should have seen this coming long ago."

His voice dropped to a low, grim murmur,

"Elder Fang Guo was no ordinary man. He managed the clan’s finances for years. Every transaction, every resource, every weakness, he held it all in his hands. If he’s been feeding the Crown Prince information all this time, then..."

Fang Yuan’s eyes gleamed coldly, the gears of calculation spinning behind them.

"Then our enemies already know where to strike."

He stood still, silent for a breath, before muttering almost to himself, "And my brother... it looks like he’s cleaning up the mess I should have prevented."

Fang Yuan exhaled softly, as though setting aside the burden in his chest.

"Well, what has happened has already passed," he said, calm but resolute.

"Dwelling on it won’t change a thing. What matters now is strength. Focus on growing stronger. And... spread the word."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the pavilion, measuring each elder before speaking the next words.

"The Fang Family Core Cultivation Manual will be made available to all clan members, so long as they contribute enough to the clan."

The courtyard went still.

The sword practice ceased mid-swing. Even the air seemed to hold its breath.

Elder Sun blinked, stunned, his lips parting but no words escaping.

Elder Yang and Elder Bo exchanged wide-eyed looks, their hands trembling faintly around their swords.

The silence was broken by Fang Sun’s voice, rising in disbelief, half-shout, half-gasp, "Clan head—! The Low Heaven-Grade Manual... the one only passed down to the clan heads... you mean that manual!?"

The shock reverberated like thunder.

That single manual was the Fang Clan’s deepest foundation, the reason the clan had been able to stand tall against greater families for centuries.

To even speak of sharing it was unthinkable, yet Fang Yuan had said it as casually as one might pour tea!