Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?!-Chapter 330- Zhao Lusi [2]

Elder Hao began, "You want to borrow—" but his words faltered midway.

Something felt wrong and he shut his eyes for a brief moment, channeling his spiritual qi through his meridians and slowly steady his breathing.

When he opened them again, the trembling in his hands had disappeared and his expression returned to its usual stern severity.

"Zhao Lusi," he said coldly, "why should I lend you anything? Especially after you just tried to charm me."

"Oh please," Zhao Lusi replied, waving her hand lazily.

"If I wanted to charm you, you would already be dancing on one foot while calling me Heavenly Empress. I only want money to place a bet on this child I brought."

Elder Hao’s eyes narrowed. Her words rolled off her tongue too smoothly, too naturally. But something was definitely off.

He couldn’t remember why he had come here... to make a fool of Zhao Lusi, yes but the moment she asked to borrow spirit stones, his conviction had wavered.

Realizing it was not the right time to press her, Elder Hao drew a slow breath and turned his gaze away. After a pause, his attention settled on the youth beside her.

His eyes swept Fang Yuan from head to toe, cold and measuring.

"Nascent Soul Realm," Elder Hao muttered. "What’s so special about that..."

He flicked his sleeve and beckoned to someone in the crowd.

A young man in dark blue robes stepped forward confidently.

His spiritual pressure was sharp, powerful, and steady, drawing attention from the surrounding candidates.

Hao Lo.

One of the three favorites of this year’s Flying Crane Sect entrance trials.

Elder Hao folded his arms, pride swelling.

"Very well," he said. "If your child here can obtain a better score than this Hao Lo, I will give you the spirit stones you are begging for."

Zhao Lusi’s eyes gleamed.

"Ten thousand spirit stones. High grade."

Elder Hao hesitated only briefly. "Fine. But if you lose, and you do not have the spirit stones, I will take that sword of yours."

Zhao Lusi’s expression suddenly cracked and her smile stiffened for a fraction of a second before she recovered with dazzling confidence.

"Oh, if the sword is what you want, then let us raise the stakes. Thirty thousand spirit stones."

A ripple passed through the crowd.

Thirty thousand high-grade spirit stones was an amount that could bankrupt a minor sect.

Even an elder would feel the pinch.

Elder Hao stiffened.

He looked again at Fang Yuan.

The boy appeared ordinary. His cultivation appeared to be Nascent Soul. His aura was restrained, no different from any regular young genius. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

What could such a child possibly do?

Bolstered by confidence, Elder Hao nodded sharply.

"Agreed."

Fang Yuan, meanwhile, was standing quietly beside Zhao Lusi, still trying to make sense of the escalating situation.

Why had Elder Hao mistaken his realm for Nascent Soul?

He was clearly Hollow Spirit Realm.

Even if he suppressed his aura, a true expert should sense the difference.

His gaze drifted toward Zhao Lusi.

She was smiling innocently, as if she were not the cause of all this chaos.

At that moment, Fang Yuan understood.

Of course it was her, it had to be her.

She had veiled his true cultivation so thoroughly that even an elder could not detect it.

Elder Hao’s agreement echoed across the mountaintop, drawing murmurs from the gathered candidates.

Some whispered in disbelief, others in amusement, but all eyes shifted to Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan inhaled slowly.

He had only wanted to take the test because the system told him to.

Now suddenly he was part of a massive wager between elders and being compared to one of the examinees top prodigies.

His life was becoming more chaotic the longer he stayed with Zhao Lusi.

Elder Hao cleared his throat loudly, snapping the mood back into place.

"Since you insist on humiliating yourself," he said to Zhao Lusi, "let us not delay. The gate will open soon. If you want to enter this round of testing, your little disciple should stand with the candidates."

He gestured toward the wide stone plaza where hundreds of cultivators had lined up in orderly rows.

Hao Lo stepped forward proudly, his long spear slung over his shoulder.

He eyed Fang Yuan with thinly veiled disdain.

"So you are Elder Zhao’s choice?" he said, voice dripping with superiority. "I hope you last more than a breath in the first trial. I would hate to win by default."

Zhao Lusi flicked her sleeve.

"Careful, Hao Lo," she said sweetly. "It would be awkward if you lose to the person you just mocked."

Hao Lo scoffed but didn’t reply.

Fang Yuan offered a polite smile.

"Hao Lo," he said calmly, "please take care of me during the trial."

The politeness only irritated Hao Lo further.

"Save your breath," he muttered. "You will not keep up."

Zhao Lusi leaned toward Fang Yuan.

"Do not mind him," she whispered. "He was born with a dragon bone physique, supreme meridians, and grew up cultivating on spirit-rich land. You, on the other hand, were born in a place where even mosquitoes struggled to find qi to feed on."

Fang Yuan blinked slowly.

"...Is this supposed to be encouragement?"

"Yes," Zhao Lusi said proudly.

Fang Yuan sighed and nodded.

No matter what happened, he would not embarrass his master.

Not after she trusted him enough to risk thirty thousand high-grade stones.

He bowed lightly to Zhao Lusi.

"Master, I will not disappoint you."

Zhao Lusi flicked her hair and waved casually.

"You better not. My reputation is on the line. Also my money. Mostly my money."

Fang Yuan walked toward the plaza.

When he reached the candidate formation, silence spread outward like ripples on a pond.

Everyone turned to look at him.

Some eyes were curious, some mocking, some cold but not a single one of them was assessing.

Hao Lo smirked.

Zhao Lusi folded her arms and whispered to Elder Hao.

"Prepare my stones."

Elder Hao huffed.

"I will prepare them when I see your disciple outscore Hao Lo. Not before."