Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?! - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Fang Tian [1]
A week passed by and the sound of the soft scratch of brush on parchment filled Fang Yuan’s study.

Stacks of scrolls sat neatly on the edges of his desk, but the one in front of him kept drawing his eyes back.

He was reading through the scrolls while wearing a frown.

Who won’t be, the numbers were bleeding red.

Ever since the purge during the banquet, too many elders had vanished.

With them went oversight of critical family businesses, storefronts, auction houses, even spirit herb contracts once painfully secured.

But that wasn’t the worst of it.

What made Fang Yuan’s knuckles whiten as he held the brush was the discovery that some of those elders had looted their posts before leaving.

They took away the contracts, spirit stones (if any was left at this point), even stripped some merchant caravans that bore the Fang family crest.

“Had they not given up and instead planning a revolt?” he muttered. “I probably should have just killed them all when I had the chance huh.”

Just when he thought he couldn’t bear to killed all the elders who had pointed their knife at him due to all their years of service, he realised said elders had no trouble pointing their sword, not just at him but even to the family as a whole.

And now, he was left to mend the family’s bleeding treasury while looking out for a potential resurgence from those elders.

He exhaled, eyes narrowing on the deficit.

He needed to act, and fast, if this kept going without any solution, his family would not be able to pay even their servants.

Fang Yuan’s jaw tightened.

Just in time, a knock came and interrupted his thoughts, he didn’t even bother to look up as he said, “Enter.”

The door opened with a creak, and the sound of familiar footsteps echoed lightly against the polished floor.

Fang Yuan looked up and his brush froze mid-air.

“…You’re back?”

Fang Tian stood there, smiling lazily, his travel robes dusty but intact.

“I heard the family was in trouble,” he said, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin.

“So I figured I should probably come help… before you go bald from stress.”

“You left without a word,” Fang Yuan said, voice flat. “And now you walk in with jokes?”

Fang Tian shrugged. “Would you believe I had an epiphany in the wilderness?”

“No.”

“Well,” Fang Tian grinned, “Then I’ll just say this, my timing is perfect, and you look like hell. Need help?”

Fang Yuan stared for a moment, then let out a slow sigh.

“You better have brought solutions. Because all I’ve got are problems.”

Fang Tian stepped in, shutting the door behind him. “You still brew that bitter tea?”

Fang Yuan’s brow twitched.

“Sit down,” he said dryly. “I’ll make a pot.”

Fang Yuan moved with quiet purpose, setting the clay teapot atop the brazier.

The coals within hissed faintly as they caught, heat blooming gently into the room.

As the water began to warm, he allowed his gaze to settle once more on Fang Tian, his younger brother, dust still clinging to the hems of his robe, posture casual, but eyes sharp as ever.

Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

Qi Condensation… peak stage.

The spiritual pressure around Fang Tian was faint but unmistakable.

Am I really in a novel where you are the protagonist? Fang Yuan thought. I won’t be surprised if that were the case, honestly.

The kettle began to whistle softly.

He poured the steaming water into the teapot, letting the fragrance of roasted spirit-leaf tea drift into the air.

It smelled rich and earthy, faintly bitter, just the way Fang Tian liked it.

Fang Yuan placed the teacups down, and finally spoke again, voice quieter now.

“You’ve improved.”

Fang Tian raised an eyebrow, accepting the cup with a casual nod. “A few bandits, some beasts, a couple of near-death moments… That’ll do it.”

Fang Yuan gave a snort, half amused.

“You went from early stage to peak in under a month. Don’t pretend you just stumbled your way up a mountain.”

Fang Tian grinned. “I might’ve tripped up a few, sure. But I climbed them too.”

There was a beat of silence as both brothers sipped their tea.

Fang Yuan then immediately spat it out into the corner spittoon with practiced efficiency.

“Tch. I still can’t get over the taste.”

Fang Tian burst out laughing, the steam from his own cup fogging the edges of his smirk. “You’re hilarious, brother. You’re the one who brewed it!”

“And you’re the one who asked for it.”

“That’s true,” Fang Tian said cheerfully, taking another sip without flinching. “Terrible tea, though. Has character.”

Fang Yuan shook his head, setting his cup aside like it had personally offended him.

“So?” he asked, voice settling into something sharper.

“How do you plan to help the family? Don’t tell me you’ve got a stash of interspatial rings hidden up your sleeve filled with spirit stones and auction-grade artifacts?”

Fang Tian nearly choked. “Ha—ha… Brother, you’ve developed a sense of humor since I left. That’s… that’s good.”

He scratched his cheek awkwardly, avoiding Fang Yuan’s gaze for a second. “But, no. That’s not it.”

He straightened slightly, setting his cup down with a soft clack.

“I can refine pills.”

Fang Yuan didn’t speak right away.

His gaze locked onto Fang Tian’s face with the same calm intensity he used to measure cultivation breakthroughs and alliance treaties.

“I can refine pills for the clan,” Fang Tian continued, a bit more seriously now.

“And I can also take them out and sell them. I’m fast with my refinings.

Nothing really flashy. But it’ll bring in steady income while we stabilize. I’m really good at pill refining.”

Fang Yuan leaned back slightly.

Of course, he already knew.

This brother of his had been personally tried to be recruited by the Pill King, Tushan and failed!

“Hmm,” Fang Yuan hummed aloud, though his mind was already working five steps ahead. “So the pill prodigy returns and wants to open shop for the family…”

Fang Tian chuckled. “Brother, pill refinement just happened to be something I was good at. Nothing too amazing.”