CHAPTER 201: 201- SYSTEM [2]

Meanwhile, outside of the Fang family territory, the entire kingdom was in an uproar.

"Of all places, why the Fang Family?!"

"I knew something was off with them! Look at what happened to the Lin clan after they tried to rescue their head’s daughter! They bowed under Fang tyranny! And the Gu family? Their head and even their ancestor wiped out, leaving only children to carry the banner!"

Accusations flew like wildfire, tongues dripping with venom. Suspicion and fear spread from city to city.

Yet for all the outrage, not a single force dared to move against the Fang Family.

Their silence was louder than the uproar.

Rogue cultivators, who at first itched to snatch a piece of the so-called Heaven-grade treasure, quickly retreated the moment the rumors spread.

Fang Yuan. Clan Head of the Fang clan.

The man whose name was whispered with more fear than reverence.

The treasure might have manifested within his domain but no one was foolish enough to step foot inside.

"They say the Fang are evil," some muttered in taverns and roadside inns. "But even the Fang clan’s sins pale before Fang Yuan himself."

Not a single rogue dared to contest it.

Meanwhile, in the royal capital, within the Crown Prince’s mansion, rage boiled like a storm.

Qin Hai paced back and forth, his face flushed crimson, eyes bloodshot.

Every breath seemed to burn his lungs. All his meticulous planning, all his calculations... ruined.

That cursed Fang Yuan!

The prince had expected him to toy with the "gift," to at least let it sit unopened for days.

Even a single night’s delay would have been enough for Qin Hai to set the stage.

But no! Fang Yuan had opened it on his own terms, tearing apart months of careful arrangement.

His thoughts spiraled back to that fateful banquet months ago, when the Fang clan unveiled the spirit pond hidden beneath their territory.

The other four great families hadn’t spoken their desires aloud, but their intent had been written all over their faces, they would never allow the Fang clan to monopolize such a treasure.

One spirit pond alone was not enough to plunge the city into chaos.

After all, every other great family possessed at least one within their territory.

The Fang clan had merely been the last of the five to gain theirs.

But what if you added the temptation of a Heaven-grade treasure to the equation?

Would the other families simply sit back and watch the Fang clan soar above them?

Or would they bare their fangs and do everything in their power to drag them down?

That was the calculation Qin Hai had made.

So, he prepared a gift.

A rusted sword.

It was more than just a gift, it was a message.

You, Fang Yuan, are the sword of the kingdom. But left on your own, you will rust. Only by bowing to me, by serving me, can you shine.

But now... now the entire plan was crumbling to dust.

Instead of opening the gift, Fang Yuan had let it rot in some forgotten corner. Qin Hai had no idea where he kept it.

At one point, he even prayed some curious child would stumble upon it, tear away the seal, and trigger the scheme by accident.

Day and night, he wished, he begged, he cursed at the heavens.

But the heavens mocked him with silence.

Until one day.

He was in the middle of a blood ritual, feeding the life of one of his servants into the formation. Suddenly, the sword shuddered. It trembled as though awakening.

His heart leapt. His hands shook.

Is this it? Finally?

Elated, ecstatic, he poured more blood into the formation, hell, he even used his own blood.

But then something unexpected occured.

The sword ripped free, vibrating with a will of its own, and shot away into the distance.

"What!?" Qin Hai’s eyes went wide, his face twisted in shock.

He chased, his underlings scrambling after him, but he was too late.

The blade had already found its master.

It hovered, gleaming, in the hands of a man. A man with features so familiar it made Qin Hai’s blood run cold.

"Fang... Tian..." he spat, his voice trembling with rage.

And standing beside him, holding his hand, was none other than the Third Princess.

Before Qin Hai could even react, the sword flared, and Fang Tian vanished into the void.

The air fell silent, save for the hurried footsteps of Qin Hai’s retainers arriving too late.

For a moment, Qin Hai stood there, frozen, his mind struggling to grasp what had just transpired.

Then his eyes snapped to the Third Princess, his face twisting into madness.

"It’s your fault!" he roared, veins bulging on his neck. "Seize her! Take her! Lock her in the basement!"

One of his female guards hesitated, stammering, "B-but, Your Highness—"

"Don’t make me repeat myself!" Qin Hai snarled, his killing intent surging so violently that the guard flinched and swallowed hard.

The Third Princess, realizing her danger, instinctively turned to flee.

But the guards moved faster. She cried out, struggling, as they bound her and dragged her away.

Qin Hai stood there, chest heaving, his fury uncontained.

His eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

That day, he made his decision.

If the sword had chosen Fang Tian, then he would twist the narrative. He would frame him, brand him a criminal.

"Yes..." Qin Hai whispered, his lips curling into a venomous smile. "Fang Tian will be the villain. The world will believe he kidnapped the Third Princess. And the Fang clan... will share his fate."

Back to the present:

He clenched his fists so tightly his nails pierced flesh. That sword, my sword, cultivated through the blood of countless servants, fed by sacrifices no one could ever trace... stolen! Stolen by that damned Fang Tian.

The veins in Qin Hai’s neck bulged as he roared, spittle flying:

"Those brothers! Those accursed brothers—both are a plague to me!"

His fury erupted. With a savage kick, he sent a heavy table crashing against the wall, the crack of splintering wood echoing like thunder.

Servants dropped to their knees, trembling, afraid to even breathe.

"GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!" Qin Hai bellowed.

The chamber emptied in a scramble, leaving him alone with his seething rage.

His chest heaved, his face twisted with hatred, his eyes wild like a cornered beast.

"...Fang Yuan. Fang Tian. One day, I’ll grind your bones to dust."