NOVEL NEXT Chapter 226: 226- Royalty Crisis [2]
How did this happen? Fang Yuan's gaze swept the hall, sharp and calculating.
What unsettled him most was not the poison itself, but the fact that Lin Zhaoyue, a Nascent Soul expert had been the first to fall.
Ah… wait. That was my doing...
Straightening, his presence swelled, voice reverberating like thunder through the chamber.
"Everyone. Drop your utensils. Every single one has been poisoned."
A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd. One after another, cups clattered to the floor as disciples obeyed. All, except for two.
Fang Joshua, and the young man at his side.
Joshua stepped forward quickly, bowing with both hands raised.
"Clan Head, it is not poison. This was done under Matriarch Fang's instructions. She wished cultivator and mortal alike to share the experience of intoxication."
From the crowd, a disciple muttered nervously, "Is that why we were forbidden to share cups with the servants?"
Another, pale-faced, suddenly yelped from the corner. "No! I—I already shared mine with a servant! Is he going to be all right?"
The hall erupted in nervous chatter, panic spreading like fire through dry grass.
Fang Yuan pinched the bridge of his nose, expression grim. "I do not appreciate this joke. Replace every utensil. At once, Elder."
Fang Joshua bowed again, ready to turn—
But in that instant Fang Yuan moved.
In a blur he seized the young man beside Joshua by the throat, hoisting him into the air with one arm.
His qi surged, pressure crashing over the hall.
"Die now," Fang Yuan's voice was ice, "or explain yourself."
Joshua froze, horrified. "Patriarch! That's Fang Kathem, the one who made improvements to our family token! He is not a spy!"
Fang Yuan's grip only tightened. Kathem's eyes bulged, his body trembling as blood flecked his lips.
His teeth ground together before he forced a ragged, choking cry past his crushed windpipe.
"L… l-long… live… th-the k-k-king—Q… Qin… Hai!"
His words tore out broken, strangled, wet with blood, half a scream, half a death rattle that echoed in the stunned silence of the hall.
With a sharp twist, Fang Yuan snapped Kathem's neck.
The body went limp, and he let it fall to the floor with a dull, final thud.
His gaze slid to Fang Joshua, calm and unshaken. "You're fine. This one was merely a crafty liar."
Turning, he fixed his eyes on his aunt. "Elder Jingyi, see to it that everyone who ate or drank tonight is examined immediately. No exceptions."
Then his attention shifted again. "Elder Sun. Send word to the Lin family. Tell them to be on their guard."
At last, his voice rose, carrying through the hall like the toll of a war drum. "Ivr just recieved news that the royal army will likely descend upon us tomorrow.
So when they do, we will remind them why our clan bears the name Fang. By pointing them the way to hell."
A roar broke from the gathered disciples, their fear burned away, replaced with fire in their eyes.
The hall quaked with their voices, the Fang bloodline ignited, ready for war.
Fang Yuan drew a quiet breath and willed the system to surface before his eyes.
[System Status]
Host: Fang Yuan
Realm: Initial Hollow Spirit Realm
Root: Heavenly Root
Hidden Physique: None
Martial Techniques:
– Swift Step Footwork (Low-grade Black)
– Golden Shell Armor (Mid-grade Earth)
– Tyrant's Light Sword (Low-grade Black)
[Faith System – Heavenly Mandate Scripture] (Saint Rank)
– Current Rank: 1 / 9
– Faith Exp Needed for Level 2: 100,000
– Current Faith Exp: 67,888 / 100,000
Unlocked Abilities:
– Authority Domain (Passive) – Foes within one meter will be instantly identified and locked beneath your cultivation aura.
It was this very ability that had marked Fang Kathem as an enemy moments ago, triggering his instinct to act.
Fang Yuan's gaze shifted as a new notification flared.
[New Quest Available]
Objective: Eradicate the Qin Army
Reward: 100,000 System Points
Failure Penalty: Loss of the System
With a flick of thought, he dismissed the prompt.
Lifting his eyes, he met his brother's gaze, then let them linger briefly on the third princess, Qin Yuyan.
No words were exchanged. None were needed.
Then, without fanfare, he turned and walked away, returning to Lin Zhaoyue's side.
Fang Yuan stooped and gathered Lin Zhaoyue into his arms.
Rising, he turned to face the hall. His voice was calm but left no room for doubt.
"The banquet will be postponed. Not canceled."
From the side, Fang Tian approached, his steps measured, his expression carefully composed.
He leaned closer to his brother, speaking low enough that only Fang Yuan could hear.
"Brother… do you believe Princess Qin Yuyan to be a spy?"
His gaze flicked briefly toward the princess, who was still seated with quiet composure, then back to Fang Yuan with unspoken worry.
Fang Yuan's eyes lingered on the girl for a heartbeat, unreadable, before he shifted the subject with a single question, "Where is Uncle Chen?"
"In seclusion," Fang Tian replied at once.
Fang Yuan gave a small nod, then turned without another word, carrying Lin Zhaoyue with him as he strode from the hall.
Fang Tian blinked as his brother strode off, Zhaoyue cradled easily in his arms.
He opened his mouth, still waiting for an answer to the question that hadn't been acknowledged.
Instead, Fang Yuan's voice drifted back like a casual afterthought, low yet cutting through the air.
"Take care of both your wives."
The words lingered, and by the time Fang Tian straightened, his brother was already gone.
"…Both?" Fang Tian muttered under his breath, baffled.
When Fang Tian turned, his gaze collided with Fang Mei's.
Unknowingly he flinched, shoulders stiffening as if struck by an invisible blow.
Across the hall, Fang Mei's fingers curled tight around her sleeve.
She exhaled hard through her nose, turning her head away with a sharp flick of her hair, though her eyes refused to leave him entirely.
Meanwhile, Princess Qin Yuyan had gone still, her cheeks stained a delicate red, eyes lowered as though the floor had suddenly become very interesting.