Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?!-Chapter 349- Updated*

Qin Shi Huang ground his teeth and killing intent instantly started surging outward in all directions.

The pressure crashed down, locked onto a single individual.

Fang Yuan dropped to both knees and coughed up blood on the spot.

Zhao Lusi moved immediately, her aura rising as she stepped between them, dispersing the killing intent and buying Fang Yuan a breath.

"What do you think you’re doing, little Qin?" she asked coolly, pushing his pressure back.

"If you are hell bent on making a move," Zhao Lusi added lightly, "I’ll gladly respond."

Qin Shi Huang’s gaze snapped to her and then turned towards Zhao Mei, making eye contact.

"Is this how the Flying Crane Sect treats its guests?" he demanded coldly. "By insulting them?"

Zhao Lusi didn’t retreat an inch.

"Disrespect?" she replied calmly. "No."

"All I see is my disciple granting yours a victory."

She tilted her head, a faint, infuriating smile touching her lips.

"Didn’t your disciple need this win to overcome his heart demon? My disciple merely..."

She glanced back at Fang Yuan, then returned her gaze to Qin Shi Huang.

"...helped him along."

Qin Shi Huang’s expression darkened.

The temperature of the hall seemed to drop as his killing intent surged again, only to be crushed the moment it emerged.

Zhao Lusi’s aura pressed down like an unseen mountain.

"Control yourself," she said mildly. "Or are you admitting that your disciple cannot bear a loss... even one given to him? My disciple simply wanted to help."

Qin Shi Huang’s fists clenched at his sides.

"Your disciple shattered him," he said through clenched teeth. "You call that helping?"

Zhao Lusi’s smile deepened, just a fraction.

"Of course," she replied. "Heart demons are not overcome with comfort. They are broken."

She paused, then added softly, "Surely you know that, Sect Leader Qin."

A ripple of unease passed through the surrounding elders.

To cripple Fang Tian now would be disastrous yet to pursue the matter further would only expose his weakness before the Flying Crane Sect.

Qin Shi Huang forced his killing intent down.

"This matter is not over," he said coldly.

Zhao Lusi inclined her head slightly, the picture of courtesy.

"It never is," she answered. "But today’s bout is concluded."

Qin Shi Huang remained where he was, jaw tight, eyes burning.

He said nothing more as to speak now would only give her more ground to trample.

Around them, the elders and disciples held their breath. No one dared interrupt the silence that had settled over the arena.

Qin Shi Huang finally moved as he knelt beside Fang Tian, his palm pressing lightly against the man’s chest as a strand of qi flowed into him, steadying the faint, flickering breath.

Without another word, Qin Shi Huang slid one arm beneath Fang Tian’s shoulders and the other under his knees, lifting him with effortless strength.

"This is not the end," he said quietly, his gaze fixed ahead as he carried Fang Tian away from the battlefield.

Fang Tian’s fingers twitched, faintly grasping at the air as if reaching toward those words.

Zhao Lusi watched the scene with mild interest, then spoke again, her tone almost conversational.

"Take him back and let him rest," she said.

"He’ll need every ounce of pity you can spare if he still dreams of a proper breakthrough."

Her gaze slid to Qin Shi Huang, eyes glinting with challenge.

"Especially when his heart demon still dares to draw breath."

The words struck their mark.

Qin Shi Huang straightened slowly and met her gaze.

"You’re confident," he said.

Zhao Lusi smiled.

"No," she corrected. "I’m certain."

Qin Shi Huang turned and left without another word, his robes snapping sharply behind him.

Only when he was gone did Zhao Lusi finally lower her aura.

The weight vanished.

Fang Yuan’s shoulders relaxed slightly as he steadied himself, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

His breathing evened out, though the ache remained, like a dull reminder of how close he had come to provoking something far worse.

Zhao Lusi glanced at him.

"You pushed too far," she said, not unkindly.

Fang Yuan smiled faintly.

"Just far enough."

She studied him for a long while, the tension between them hanging unspoken.

Then she exhaled with a soft scoff.

"You really are trouble. You’d better have a valid reason for saying you surrendered the match."

Fang Yuan met her gaze steadily.

"Well, didn’t you already know? You also said it yourself, I handed him the victory, even though I clearly could’ve won. I was helping him."

His voice was calm, his expression utterly composed but both of them knew how far that was from the truth.Zhao Lusi crossed her arms, her tone turning sharper.

"You caused us a lot of trouble by saying that. The match may have been Soaring Dragon’s, but the result makes it look like we’re mocking them. Well... whatever, my sister can figure out the politics. We’re just the muscles of the sect, after all."

Fang Yuan gave a lazy shrug.

"I’ve no idea what you’re talking about. I was simply helping him. He said he needed to win to overcome his heart demon."

* * *

Zhao Mei pressed her fingers to her temple, a dull ache pulsing there.

This... was not how it was supposed to go.

She had planned for a measured exchange considering they were both in initial hollow Spirit realm.

It was supposed to have been a test where she could calmly observe, evaluate, and later feed the information to Zhu Xian for her upcoming battle.

Instead, Fang Yuan had torn the situation open and left her holding the consequences.

She let out a slow breath.

"Soaring Dragon Sect," she muttered under her breath. "Flying Crane Sect."

Two mountains grinding against each other and she was standing right between them.

Her gaze drifted to the retreating figures of Qin Shi Huang and his entourage, then back to Fang Yuan, who stood quietly beside Zhao Lusi as if none of this concerned him.

That only made the headache worse.

Zhao Lusi noticed and chuckled softly.

"Don’t look at me like that," she said. "This was inevitable."

"Inevitable?" Zhao Mei shot her a look. "You just turned a spar into a feud."

Zhao Lusi waved it off. "A feud already existed. We merely stopped pretending otherwise."

Zhao Mei pinched the bridge of her nose.

"If Sect Leader Qin pushes this any further, the elders will be breathing down my neck."

Zhao Lusi turned toward her, unimpressed.

"I wonder which elder would dare to foolishly breathe down your neck."

Zhao Mei looked up and clicked her tongue.

"Tsk. Just because I know a bit about formations doesn’t make me invincible. I’m still at Spirit Severing stage unlike you, sister."

Zhao Lusi gave her a deadpan stare, a sigh caught behind a wry smirk. If only that were true... you’re a terrifying monster who once crushed a human immortal in your sleep, and you call that ’a bit about formations.’Why do you think sect leader Qin retreat despite the humiliation?

Still, she said nothing more and turned to Fang Yuan.

"Alright. We’ll head back before it’s too late."

Fang Yuan blinked in mild confusion but followed her all the same.