Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?!-Chapter 359- Updated*

"What do you mean the teleportation device is destroyed? Don’t you have anyone guarding the place? Besides... can’t you travel by void?" Fang Yuan asked as he stared at the two women up front.

Zhao Mei turned her gaze towards Zhao Lusi who stood up and smiled faintly.

"My dear disciple," she said, "traveling through the void is not something you simply break into. Unless you know how to manipulate void energy to shield yourself, it is no different from courting death."

She vanished from where she stood and reappeared behind Fang Yuan.

"You’ve already stepped into the Hollow Spirit Realm," she continued calmly. "You should understand how dangerous the void truly is. Without the correct coordinates, no one would even dream of rapid travel."

She paused and her next tone turned serious.

"And that is precisely the problem. The coordinates to your world have been disrupted, not only that, the teleportation formation was not merely damaged, it was completely destroyed and burned out.

If we had the teleportation formation intact we could in some sense repair it, but that’s that."

Zhao Mei picked up the explanation smoothly.

"To fix it, we would need the aid of someone deeply proficient in the Dao of Space," she said. "Even then, it would take at least a decade to attempt recalibration."

She looked at him.

"And that still wouldn’t guarantee success."

Fang Yuan fell silent for a moment and then he looked up.

"So," he said, "your promise that I’d be able to freely communicate with my clan... is voided?"

Zhao Lusi coughed lightly.

"I never promised you that."

Fang Yuan stared at her.

"I can’t believe my master is a liar," he said flatly.

"I wonder how many of your words were ever true. Maybe you’re not even a woman, perhaps you’re a man in disguise considering how you lie so easily."

Zhao Lusi’s eyes widened before snapping,

"How dare you! I’m a woman from my soul down to my bones. Hah! With the way you speak, you sound more like a woman than me."

Fang Yuan clicked his tongue.

"Tsk, tsk. Would you look at that, you’re degrading women the first chance you get.. Are you sure you’re not a man trapped in a woman’s body, secretly hating women all this time?"

Zhao Lusi snorted. "Hah! Does that even make sense?"

She flicked her sleeve dismissively. "It’s men like you, loud mouths and empty claws, that the world is better off without. Leave things to us women, and we’ll make it shine."

Her lips curved upward, pride flashing in her eyes.

"Did you see the Soaring Dragon Sect’s leader? He practically turned tail and ran when he came face to face with my sister."

Fang Yuan folded his arms and turned slightly to the side.

He spat lightly.

"Phtui. For someone who drinks like a man, that’s quite the comeback."

Zhao Mei sighed deeply and raised both hands.

In an instant, several formations activated and the pressure dropped on the two of them.

Both Fang Yuan and Zhao Lusi stiffened as their spiritual qi was completely sealed.

"Both of you," Zhao Mei said calmly, "save your quarrels for your free time."

She turned and walked toward Fang Yuan, studying him with interest.

"Fang Yuan," she murmured. "What a peculiar name. True to it, you seem to be the source of trouble for a while."

She waved off the thought.

"Superstitions aside," she continued, "what compensation do you want for my sister allegedly breaking her promise?"

"Mei’er!" Zhao Lusi shouted.

"I never made any promise to him!"

Fang Yuan ignored her completely.

"I want to freely roam outside," he said.

"Using the influence of the Flying Crane Sect."

Zhao Mei shook her head.

"Choose another request."

Fang Yuan didn’t hesitate.

"I want to roam freely," he said again, "and be exempt from sect tasks."

Zhao Mei glanced at Zhao Lusi.

Zhao Lusi narrowed her eyes at Fang Yuan, then spoke slowly.

"If you can learn the full Crane Dance series within one month," she said,

"I’ll permit it."

"A month?" Fang Yuan murmured, falling silent as he contemplated the condition.

Zhao Lusi watched him closely, eyes narrowing.

"If you’re so afraid," she added lightly, "why don’t you just admit you were lying? I might even forgive you. What do you say?"

Fang Yuan nodded.

Zhao Lusi’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

That’s right, she thought.

No matter how talented you are, learning a martial technique in a single month is already absurd, let alone an entire series. Despair properly.

"I accept the condition," Fang Yuan said calmly.

The smirk froze and Zhao Mei blinked while Zhao Lusi stared.

Both of them were momentarily taken aback and Zhao Lusi was the first to recover.

"Fine," she said sharply. "But if you fail to learn it within a month, I’ll make sure you’re not allowed to leave the sect for a hundred years."

Fang Yuan nodded readily.

"Yes," he replied. "But since you’re making it a hundred years, how about you put your Elder Seal on the line as well?"

The air went still and Zhao Lusi snapped again.

"How dare you covet my Elder Seal!"

Fang Yuan glanced aside and muttered, almost thoughtfully, "It’s not like you needed it anyway. You traded it away for wine, and I was the one who had to retrieve it."

"Hey! That’s blasphemy!" Zhao Lusi shot back immediately.

"I would never—"

She stopped.

Slowly, Zhao Mei turned her head.

"...Is what he said true?" she asked, her voice calm and deliberate.

"My. Dear. Sister?"

Zhao Lusi gulped and she glared daggers at Fang Yuan.

He merely shrugged and looked away, whistling quietly in his head.

Zhao Mei exhaled, then straightened.

"Fang Yuan," she said calmly, "you’re excused."

With that, she turned fully toward Zhao Lusi,

Zhao Lusi opened her mouth to explain but then closed it again.

Fang Yuan didn’t waste the opportunity as well.

He turned, flashed Zhao Lusi a bright smile, and bolted straight out of the chamber.