Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?!-Chapter 78: Meet the Saberfang [1]

Gu Zhen’s lips trembled, then his entire jaw. His limbs buckled as reality shattered around him.

"N-No, please—Senior! Forgive me! This junior didn’t know it was you!"

He dropped to his knees, bowing so low his forehead struck the ground with a loud thunk. Again. And again.

The smell hit before anything else.

Gu Zhen had pissed himself.

Right there, golden core or not, his pride, dignity, and pants were all soaked.

"I-I was wrong... so wrong... please have mercy, Senior Khai Sang!"

Fang Yuan kept up the act.

His eyes swept over the trembling Gu cultivators one last time, the corner of his mouth curling just slightly in disdain.

"Scram now," he said coldly.

They didn’t need to be told twice.

Gu Zhen was already halfway into the forest, still dragging wet footprints behind him.

His men followed like frightened rabbits, weapons forgotten, pride shattered, their retreat nearly tripping over itself in the haste to flee the so-called Sword Demon.

When the last of their shadows vanished between the trees, a soft hum sounded behind him.

Then came a hop. A skip. A playful voice.

"Wo!"

Fang Yuan didn’t even turn.

"Go away."

"Aww, don’t be like that," she pouted dramatically, spinning once and halting in front of him. "I came to help you, didn’t I?"

He gave her a look, unreadable but firm.

Unbothered, she leaned in with a giggle and whispered, "I may or may not have found a Hollow Yeklo Grass."

Fang Yuan’s expression stiffened but her perceptive self already noticed.

Her smile sharpened.

"Oh~? Hit the mark, didn’t I?" she said, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.

"You’re here for the Hollow Soul Pill, right? Which means you’re preparing for the Hollow spirit realm, which means you’re just a step away from Hollow Spirit Realm... Ah how exciting, husband~."

Fang Yuan said nothing.

But his silence was already an answer.

Of course he was searching for the grass.

It was one of the rarest main ingredients in refining Hollow Soul Pill.

And of course, this fox found it first.

Yet he didn’t speak and instead just stared at her, still guarded.

She tilted her head, as if catching the flicker of mistrust.

"Oh, come on~. Still don’t believe me?" she whined sweetly.

"Fine. How about this, I’ll swear an oath with your family’s truth artifact. You know... the heirloom ring you always wear?"

Fang Yuan’s brows furrowed.

His voice dropped, quiet but heavy. "...How do you know about that?"

That ring wasn’t some random trinket.

It was a soul-bound artifact passed down through his bloodline for generations.

A tool designed to reveal truth from lies but only with consent.

And that flaw made it nearly useless in hostile situations.

He didn’t have any occasions where he needed to use it, so its usage has been zero so far.

Still, he wore it because it was one of the last relics tied to his parents.

A silent bond with the family he lost.

And yet... this girl knew.

Lin Zhaoyue’s smile widened, her lashes fluttering playfully as she took a slow, deliberate step closer.

Her movements were fluid, almost feline in their grace as she leaned in just enough to invade Fang Yuan’s personal space, voice dropping to a honeyed whisper.

"I might or might not have... kept a little tab on you here and there~. Just a glance or two. Over the years," she said, twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger with an air of innocence that fooled no one.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"I mean, how could you possibly expect me to remember you after twenty-three years without meeting even once?" she continued with a mock-pout, her tone rich with exaggerated offense.

"It’s not like I have a photographic memory or anything~."

Then her expression shifted, smirk deepening, voice dipping into that dangerous territory between seductive and deranged.

"That’s why I followed your whereabouts. Listened for rumors here and there. And racked down a few contracts you took in the outer provinces. It was not that hard, really. You’re kind of famous, you know~."

She leaned in even closer, lips brushing dangerously near his ear.

"And I may or may not have watched from a very safe distance while you bathed—"

Fang Yuan froze.

"...You what?"

His voice was flat, but his eyes snapped toward her like a drawn blade.

She giggled, full, unashamed, and completely unfazed.

"I said from a safe distance, silly~! It’s not like I barged in. I just watched and admired, ofcourse I was collecting data as well."

Fang Yuan’s mouth parted slightly, but no words came out. A rare event.

Her hands clasped behind her back, she took another step, circling him now with slow, deliberate steps.

"Don’t look at me like that. How else was I supposed to confirm if you’d grown up handsome?"

"You’re insane."

"Am I?" she beamed. "Or dedicated. Depends who’s judging."

Fang Yuan didn’t answer.

But the way his foot subtly shifted and his qi rippled just slightly told her he was this close to putting her to sleep for a week.

She giggled again.

That only seemed to excite her more.

"Just kidding~! ...Or am I?" she added with a wink.

Fang Yuan stared, deadpan.

"...That’s stalking and being a pervert."

Lin Zhaoyue gasped and placed both hands on her chest as if wounded.

"Excuse you! I wasn’t the one stalking. It was my subordinate. I’m completely innocent. I just watched what they sent me, organized the files, and rewatched the footage five or six dozen times..."

"What the hell."

She giggled.

"But isn’t it sweet~? You got a wife who’s very loyal to you and only you."

Fang Yuan massaged the bridge of his nose.

This girl was mad and unhinged.

But she also knew about the Hollow Yeklo Grass.

And she was willing to make an oath on his heirloom ring.

Which meant she was confident.

He still didn’t trust her but he also couldn’t ignore the bait.

And Lin Zhaoyue?

She just smiled wider, eyes gleaming with affection, obsession, and something far too dangerous to name.

"Shall we start then~? Or are you planning to fall for me here instead of the cliff we jumped from twenty-three years ago?"