Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?! - Chapter 297

Chapter 297: 297- Updated*
Towers of jade chests gleamed beneath suspended lanterns of spirit light.

Runes etched into the marble floor pulsed faintly, keeping the immense reservoir of qi from bursting free.

Gold ingots, crystal boxes, and piles of shimmering spirit stones lay stacked in perfect symmetry, a silent testament to centuries of their rule.

Fang Yuan let out a low whistle of appreciation, the reflection of the treasure glinting in his eyes.

“They really don’t hold back, do they…” he muttered, half in awe, half in amusement.

Behind him, Du Juan stood frozen in place, her lips slightly parted as she took in the sight.

The scale of it all seemed to overwhelm her, the richness, the abundance, the sacred hum of countless years of accumulation.

Fang Yuan turned, catching her dazed expression

. A grin tugged at the edge of his mouth. “What are you doing, standing there like a startled rabbit?” he teased lightly. “We don’t have all day. Start grabbing things before I change my mind and take it all myself.”

His tone was playful, but there was a glint of urgency in his eyes.

Du Juan blinked, startled back into motion, and quickly nodded.

“Y–Yes, Clan Head!” she said, hurrying forward as the two of them stepped deeper into the golden labyrinth like wolfs moving through a pack of unprotected group of sheeps.

Fang Yuan casually flicked his sleeve, and one of the nearby crates snapped open with a soft click.

The faint scent of medicine filled the air. Inside, rows of jade bottles gleamed like miniature lanterns, each filled with neatly stacked pills that radiated pure, condensed qi.

“Golden Core Pills,” Fang Yuan muttered, picking up one of the bottles and examining the clear golden hue within.

“And these…” he pried open another crate beside it “Qi Transformation Pills. Thousands of them.”

Du Juan gasped softly. “So many…”

Fang Yuan smiled faintly, tossing one of the jade bottles to her. “Put them in your spatial ring. All of them. No need to be polite—after all, they won’t be needing these anymore.”

Du Juan hesitated for a heartbeat, then nodded quickly and began storing the treasures, one crate after another disappearing into the shimmering space of her ring.

Meanwhile, Fang Yuan strolled deeper into the hall and the glimmering vault reflected in his eyes like the surface of still water.

As he moved, he spread his divine sense, and the world instantly expanded in his mind. Every corridor, every sealed chamber, every heartbeat of spiritual energy became crystal clear to him.

A faint hum drew his attention towards the eastern side of the treasury.

Behind a thick layer of concealment wards, there lay a separate chamber.

“Found it,” he murmured, lips curving into a small smile.

He flicked his wrist, unraveling the wards like tearing thin silk. A soft hiss filled the air as the door creaked open, revealing a room of herbs and alchemical items.

The air was thick with the rich aroma of vitality. Rows after rows of jade shelves lined the walls, filled with herbs preserved in crystal vials, their roots glowed faintly, their petals that seemed to breathe, and seeds humming with potent energy.

In the center of the room stood several refinement tables laden with cauldrons, crushed spirit ores, and ancient alchemical tools.

The scent of spirit dew and rare medicine filled the air, sweet and intoxicating.

Fang Yuan stepped inside slowly, his eyes gleaming.

“Now this…” he said, voice soft with appreciation, “…is what I call wealth.”

He reached out, brushing his fingers over a cluster of glowing leaves sealed in a jade box. “Let’s see what you’ve been hiding, Azure Phoenix.”

Du Juan entered quietly behind him, her eyes darting between the rows of treasures.

Fang Yuan exhaled in quiet satisfaction and rolled up his sleeves.

“Well then,” he murmured with a smirk, “let’s make this quick before some royal fool realizes what’s missing.”

He waved a hand, and dozens of jade boxes lifted off the shelves, suspended in midair by invisible threads of qi.

Their seals snapped open one after another with satisfying clicks.

“Seven-ring lotus petals,” he noted casually, his tone almost scholarly.

“High-grade, and fully matured. Worth quite the fortune in the markets.” He swept them into a ring with a flick of his finger.

Du Juan followed close behind, her hands trembling slightly as she helped him sort through the bounty.

Each new discovery drew her breath shorter.

“This one!” she gasped, pulling out a crystalline vial filled with silver-blue leaves that glimmered like moonlight. “Isn’t this the Hollow Yeklo Grass?”

Fang Yuan’s gaze drifted over to where Du Juan stood, clutching a crystalline vial filled with pale silver leaves that shimmered like moonlight. He gave a slow, approving nod.

“Good eye,” he said with a faint grin. “That one’s rarer than seeing ten princesses taking a ba—uh…” He coughed lightly, “You know what, just take it.”

Du Juan blinked, startled by the near-slip, then looked down at the herb with awe. “Really? Isn’t this… the one needed to refine the Legendary Hollow Spirit Pill?”

“Definitely,” Fang Yuan replied, tone easy yet carrying that faint trace of authority that made people believe whatever he said. “Looks like you know your stuff. But you’re barely in the early stages of Nascent Soul, so you might want to grow that herb for now.”

He tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting with amusement. “As they say—the older, the spicier.”

Du Juan’s lips parted, and then softly, tears shimmering in her eyes, she says “Thank you so much, Clan Head. You’ve done so much for me already… how could I ever repay you?”

Fang Yuan smirked, tapping one of the jade crates beside him. “Well, how about you stop getting emotional and instead help me clean up this inventory. I’m not keen enough to do it all myself.”

Du Juan blinked, then nodded with eagerness.

“Right away!”

With that, the two of them fell into rhythm.

Fang Yuan would sweep his divine sense across the shelves, calling out treasures with casual precision, while Du Juan moved swiftly to store them.

One after another, the treasures vanished into their spatial rings, Starlight Orchids with petals glowing like tiny suns, Dragon Vein Roots that pulsed with molten light, Nine-Hearts Spirit Bamboo that sang faintly when touched.

Even the lesser herbs, each worth a fortune, were gathered with care.

The once-pristine shelves began to empty, the golden glow of the room dimming as centuries of hoarded wealth disappeared into two small spatial rings.

Du Juan soon found herself working on instinct, her fingers deft as she collected whatever Fang Yuan pointed to.

A few shelves later, Fang Yuan pulled open another ornate chest.

Inside were dozens of refined alchemical ingredients, condensed essences sealed within spirit crystals, shimmering like captured lightning.

“Ha!” Fang Yuan laughed lightly, a rare spark of boyish joy breaking through his composure.

“The Azure Phoenix royals really did hoard everything, didn’t they? No wonder they couldn’t keep their enemies fed.”

Du Juan giggled softly despite herself, the tension easing just a little.

When they finished sweeping the herb chamber clean, Fang Yuan turned toward the next room.

The doors swung open at his gesture and revealed even more wealth.

Weapons lined the walls, spears forged from star-iron, swords gleaming with faint runic light, even a few rare staves and odd trinkets.

They moved through the remaining vaults in a quiet rhythm, one opening, one storing, both efficient and calm.

The piles of treasure dwindled behind them like tidewater pulling back to sea.

Eventually, Fang Yuan stopped before a pedestal draped in red silk.

Resting atop it was a heavy golden seal, engraved with the image of a phoenix spreading its wings.

The air around it shimmered faintly with royal authority.

Du Juan blinked. “That’s…”

“The Azure Phoenix Royal Seal,” Fang Yuan finished for her, already plucking it off the pedestal.

He turned it in his hand, amused.

“A symbol of their absolute rule… and now, another fine paperweight for my desk.”

He tucked it away casually, as if it were nothing more than a pebble.

After a long while, they stood amidst empty shelves and hollow vaults.

The once glorious treasury of the Azure Phoenix Kingdom was reduced to bare stone and a few drifting motes of spiritual light.

Du Juan looked around in disbelief. “We… really took everything.”

Fang Yuan dusted off his robe, smiling faintly.

“They say fortune favors the bold.” He turned toward the center of the room.

“And today, fortune favored us.”

He tapped the floor with his foot, and the jade boat shimmered into existence beside them.

“Come on,” he said as he stepped aboard. “Let’s head back before someone realizes their kingdom just went bankrupt.”

Du Juan climbed in wordlessly, still half dazed, clutching her now-bulging spatial ring.

The void folded around them once more, swallowing their forms in a swirl of light and when the treasury lights dimmed, only the faint echo of laughter remained.