Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?! - Chapter 293

293: 293- Updated* 293: 293- Updated* Fang Yuan exhaled softly as the last traces of lightning still humming in the air slowly dissipated.

He then turned his gaze towards Xiao Pei and his unconscious form, his robes were scorched, his chest rising and falling shallowly.

“Pathetic,” Fang Yuan muttered, though the faint smile tugging at his lips betrayed a quiet pride.

“At least you did well, if eldest brother knew about this, he’d be very proud.” He crouched down, hooking an arm under Xiao Pei’s shoulders and then lifted him up quite effortlessly.

“I feel like I’ve forgotten something, let’s go home for now.” With that, he opened a void and walked into it.

The air rippled like disturbed water, and both men vanished into the folds of the void.

A heartbeat later, space bent open again above Mount Skyhowl.

Wind rushed past as Fang Yuan stepped out of the void, landing lightly within the courtyard.

Nearby, Fang Chen was shouting orders at several disciples, assigning tasks with his usual strict composure.

When he sensed the sudden surge of qi, his head whipped around.

“Yuan’er!” His stern face softened as he approached, eyes flicking to the limp figure in Fang Yuan’s arms.

“What in heavens happened to benefactor Xiao?” “Training,” Fang Yuan replied dryly.

“He’ll live though.” Fang Chen exhaled, his heart nearly about to fall.

“Clan head, he’s our family benefactor…” Fang Yuan simply smiled offering no response.

Fang Chen gulped and then he turned to Fang Yuan, his tone turned serious.

“By the way, when will you be returning for Jingyi and Zhaoyue?

They’re still at the old estate, aren’t they?” Fang Yuan froze in that instant as the color drained from his face when he realised he hadn’t brought them here yet.

His heart lurched hard.

“I…” He didn’t finish.

In one swift motion, he passed Xiao Pei into Fang Chen’s arms.

“Take care of him,” he said sharply.

“Yuan’er-wait-” But before the words could fully leave Fang Chen’s mouth, Fang Yuan had already vanished, stepping once more into the void.

When he reappeared, the air was no longer calm and Coldwind City was in utter chaos.

The city barrier was cracked and bleeding streams of light into the storm-filled sky.

The streets below burned with flickering fire and shattered qi formations.

In the near distance, war drums thundered like the heartbeat of death itself.

Fang Yuan’s boots hit the scorched courtyard of the Fang Estate and his expression darkened instantly.

The family’s defensive barrier still shimmered faintly around the compound but it was trembling.

Impacts from outside struck it in steady, violent rhythm, each blow echoing through the air.

From both the east and west, banners of Qin and Azure Phoenix armies rippled through the smoke-filled horizon, their siege weapons blazing with light.

He spread his divine sense around the place and in an instant, the world expanded in his mind as every corridor, every broken wall, every faint heartbeat inside the barrier responded to him.

His awareness swept through the estate until it locked onto a pair of familiar auras huddled deep underground.

Fang Jingyi and Lin Zhaoyue, both of them were hiding in the family treasury huddling close to each other.

He exhaled in a quick relief but then he suddenly froze because something felt wrong..

no, something was definitely wrong.

Aside from just the two of them, there were ten other life signatures flickering… inside the barrier.

His breath caught and his pupils narrowed to slits.

All ten figures were in Qin military armor.

Everyone of them calmly moved through the inner courtyards, burning down the houses and inns and looking for anyone who remained.

“What…?” A low, cold flare of aura surged around him, coiling like a living shadow.

His teeth ground together as a voice, sharp as winter steel, slipped from his lips.

“Unforgivable.” Within the span of a single heartbeat, his divine sense swept outward, locking onto all ten intruders.

Threads of qi lashed out like spectral chains and in the next instant, silence fell.

Bodies hit the ground one after another, lifeless before they could even scream.

Their armor cracked, their souls dispersed and erased completely.

Meanwhile, outside the assault continued, waves of spiritual fire and arrows crashing against the trembling barrier.

The joint armies of Qin and Azure Phoenix pressed in from both sides, their formations glowing brighter with every volley.

The sky itself seemed to tremble under the coming storm.

Fang Yuan’s figure flickered through the collapsing corridors of the Fang Estate as he headed towards the treasury.

When he reached the old metal door in an instant the treasury door creaked open with a low groan.

The air inside was heavy, thick with the metallic tang of spirit stones and dust.

Inside, the faint glow of protective runes cast trembling shadows over piles of jade boxes and sealed scrolls.

“…Aunt?

Zhaoyue?” He didn’t get another word out.

Smack!

A sharp crack echoed through the room as Fang Jingyi’s palm met his cheek with enough force to turn his head sideways.

For a heartbeat, silence hung thick..

he blinked, almost dazed, more from surprise than pain.

Fang Jingyi stood there, eyes red-rimmed, one hand trembling as she clutched Lin Zhaoyue’s palm tightly in the other.

“You-!” she began, her voice trembling, half fury, half relief.

“Why are you so late!?” Behind her, Lin Zhaoyue flinched slightly at the sound.

Fang Yuan raised both hands slightly, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

“Come on, I’m here now, aren’t I?

Isn’t that what’s important?” Fang Jingyi’s glare could have frozen lava.

Her eyes glistened with fury and relief all at once.

“Listen here- young man!” she snapped, her voice trembling as she jabbed a finger at his chest.

“I’m your aunt!

Your aunt!

And this woman right here-” she grabbed Lin Zhaoyue’s wrist and yanked her forward, “-is your wife!

She’s officially your problem, you hear me?

You signed that contract yourself!” Her tone cracked halfway through, the mix of anger and fear breaking through the steel.

“Next time you protect someone… protect your wife first!” Fang Yuan’s expression softened and he stepped closer.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, voice low but firm.

“I’m really sorry for being late.

I hope you two are okay.” That single sentence broke the last thread holding Fang Jingyi together.

Her face crumpled, and tears spilled freely as she began to sob, half yelling, half gasping for breath.

“Th-those bastards-!

A whole bunch of Qin soldiers- they just- they just walked straight into the barrier!” Her words tumbled out between shaky breaths.

“They shouldn’t have been able to- but they did!

And they started burning the houses, killing everyone left!” Her knees nearly gave way as she spoke, clutching Lin Zhaoyue’s sleeve for balance.

Fang Yuan knelt down, his expression softening as he gently took Fang Jingyi by the arms.

“It’s okay, Aunt,” he said quietly, his voice steady despite the chaos outside.

“It’s all going to be okay.” “Nothing is okay!” Fang Jingyi suddenly screamed back, her voice breaking.

“They- they killed everyone!

Everyone, Yuan’er…

sob everyone…” Her words dissolved into choking sobs, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

Fang Yuan sighed softly, his eyes dark with restrained fury and guilt.

He reached out his hand and patted her head with a comforting hand.

“You said they walked straight into the barrier, right?” he murmured.

“Looks like our family secret got leaked…

considering how many times it’s been breached already.” A faint, dry laugh escaped his lips as he says that.

Fang Jingyi froze for a heartbeat, then glared up at him through tear-filled eyes.

“This is no laughing matter!” she snapped, voice trembling with both anger and despair.

She stood abruptly, pulling Lin Zhaoyue’s arm with her as if to shield her.

“Do you even realize what this means!?” Fang Yuan simply smiled faintly and rose to his feet.

“It will be all right,” he said, his gaze turning to Lin Zhaoyue, whose distant eyes softened slightly at his tone.

Before either of them could respond, he reached out, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Hold on tight,” he murmured.

In the next instant, the world around them folded, the light twisted, shadows warped and with a sharp ripple of qi, all three of them vanished into the void.

A heartbeat later, the air above Mount Skyhowl shimmered, and they stepped out into the open courtyard beneath the clear, qi-rich sky.