Before long, a few exquisite side dishes and a bowl of steaming rice porridge were placed on the table in the side chamber.

The dishes were simple, yet the balance of meat and vegetables showed they had been prepared with care.

With the wound on his left arm bandaged, Fang Han ate his meal in a slow, deliberate manner. Qiu Lan stood respectfully to the side.

The only sound in the chamber was the faint clinking of bowl and chopsticks. The atmosphere was tranquil.

After finishing his meal and rinsing his mouth, Fang Han finally looked up at Qiu Lan and asked, "While I was away, did anything of note happen within the Sect?"

"Yes, Senior Brother. There have indeed been a few noteworthy events in the Sect recently. The biggest was that True Disciple Chu Feng was discovered to be cultivating a Demon Skill. The Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall has already executed him in accordance with our laws."

Qiu Lan reported with perfect clarity after a moment of thought.

"His family was implicated as well. All of their assets were confiscated, and the core members have been sentenced to serve as Mine Slaves."

Upon hearing this, Fang Han’s expression remained unchanged. He simply hummed in acknowledgment.

He was intimately aware of the fate of Chu Feng and his family. After all, he had experienced it firsthand—one could even say he was one of the key figures who brought it about. His understanding of the situation was naturally far greater than Qiu Lan’s.

He waited for her to continue.

Seeing his reaction, Qiu Lan realized that Fang Han was not surprised about Chu Feng’s fate and continued,

"There is one more thing. Three days ago, Steward Wu Zheng of the Law Enforcement Hall successfully broke through to the Third Grade Realm. With that, and the merits he has accumulated over the years, the Sect Leader has personally ordered his promotion to Sect Elder."

"Wu Zheng..."

Fang Han repeated the name silently, his expression still impassive.

A Sect Elder’s position was venerable, but with his current status as a True Disciple—especially one who had ascended to the Celestial Pride List—his potential influence and the importance placed upon him by the Sect were no less than that of an ordinary Elder.

He certainly wouldn’t be like an ordinary disciple, cowering in fear or deliberately trying to curry favor with a newly promoted Elder. However, he wouldn’t needlessly offend the man and create trouble for himself either.

For him, this was merely a piece of information to file away.

"Anything else?"

Fang Han asked.

"No, Senior Brother. Other than those two things, nothing else major has happened in the Sect."

Qiu Lan thought for a moment before gently shaking her head.

"Mm, I understand. You’re dismissed. Go get some rest."

Fang Han waved his hand.

"Yes, Senior Brother."

Qiu Lan bowed and silently withdrew from the side chamber.

Fang Han rose to his feet. Instead of returning to his bedroom, he made his way to the Quiet Chamber.

Inside the Quiet Chamber, tendrils of sandalwood smoke wafted through the air. The room was sparsely furnished; it was where he usually cultivated and meditated.

Sitting cross-legged on a cushion, he took a Jade Bottle from within his robes, tipped out two lustrous, longan-sized True Spirit Pills, and placed them in his mouth.

The Elixir dissolved the moment it entered his mouth, its pure and gentle Medicinal Power rapidly spreading throughout his body.

He closed his eyes, the Profound Wind Technique slowly activating. He guided the Medicinal Power through his meridians in a Circulation of the Heavens, restoring the Inner Qi he had expended while traveling and in the recent battle.

Time slipped by quietly as he cultivated in silence.

More than four hours later, Fang Han slowly opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed in their depths before vanishing.

Not only had he completely restored his depleted Inner Qi, but the recent life-or-death battle had also greatly stimulated his potential.

His Cultivation speed had temporarily increased, and his total reserves of Inner Qi had grown by a considerable amount.

’To be ambushed twice in just a few days!’

Fang Han didn’t rise immediately. He remained seated on the cushion, replaying the events of the last few days in his mind.

First, the ambush by Yin Huang, then the attack by that scar-faced assassin. In just a few short days, he had endured two incredibly perilous fights.

Both were fraught with danger. If he hadn’t been strong enough, he would have likely perished long ago.

’This feeling of walking on a knife’s edge is great for stimulating my potential and accelerating my Cultivation, but the risks are far too high.’

’I might get lucky once, or even twice, but my luck won’t hold out forever.’

’I have to come up with a proper countermeasure!’

Fang Han mused.

’The recent danger, when it comes down to it, was because I didn’t have enough trump cards.’

Previously, he spent most of his time within the safety of the Sect.

Furthermore, with a public rival like Chu Feng to contend with, he had chosen to be conspicuous, fully displaying his Talent and strength to compete for resources and deter lesser troublemakers.

But now, things were completely different.

Chu Feng, his greatest threat, had been eliminated. Now, in order to obtain the massive resources required to unlock a higher Level of Talent Amplification, he would inevitably have to venture out in search of opportunities more often.

The world outside the Sect was a chaotic mix of friend and foe, fraught with hidden dangers. If he continued to lay all his cards on the table as before, it was only a matter of time before someone with ill intentions would plot against him, leaving him at a disadvantage.

’Hiding some of my strength and keeping it as a trump card is the wisest course of action.’

A flash of understanding lit up Fang Han’s eyes.

’The situation is different now. I can no longer display my full strength without reservation. I need to keep some of it hidden as a trump card.’

’Of course, this doesn’t mean I should pretend to be mediocre. That would only cause me to lose the Sect’s favor, making it harder to acquire resources. The loss would outweigh the gain.’

’I’ll still display enough Talent and strength to maintain my reputation and status as a Celestial Pride True Inheritance. I just won’t be an open book anymore; I’ll hold something back.’

’This approach might seem different from my previous strategy, but the core principle is the same: to better survive and grow stronger. It’s just a necessary adjustment based on the changing circumstances.’

’Within the Sect, it’s fine to be a little ostentatious to compete for resources. But when I’m outside, I must be prudent and discreet, concealing my true capabilities.’

With his mind made up, Fang Han felt a sense of clarity. He rose to his feet and headed for his bedroom.

「The next morning.」

Sunlight streamed through the crevices of the Quiet Chamber’s carved wooden windows, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the grey brick floor.

Fang Han slowly concluded his meditation. The vast, surging Inner Qi roiling around him gradually subsided, settling back into the acupoints throughout his body.

A glint of light, deep cyan bordering on black, swirled in the depths of his eyes before vanishing.

His Cultivation at the Early Stage of Fourth Grade was now completely consolidated, and had even progressed a fraction further.

After a simple meal of rice porridge and side dishes prepared by his Maid, Qiu Lan, Fang Han changed into a fresh Silver-Striped Cyan Robe.

His Flowing Wind Sword had been destroyed, so he wore no blade at his side as he left the courtyard and headed straight for the Law Enforcement Hall on the mountainside.

The main hall of the Law Enforcement Hall was as solemn and imposing as ever, the air thick with the faint scent of sandalwood and an intangible, oppressive weight.

After announcing his arrival, a disciple on duty respectfully led Fang Han into a side chamber.

Inside the chamber, Elder Zhou Jin was seated upright on a large chair made of zitan wood.

At the sound of footsteps, he looked up. Upon seeing Fang Han, the faintest hint of a smile touched his otherwise impassive face.

"Nephew Fang, you’ve come."

Elder Zhou Jin’s voice was placid, yet it carried an innate authority.

"Disciple Fang Han greets Elder Zhou."

Fang Han stepped forward and bowed, his bearing respectful but not subservient.

"No need for such formalities. Sit."

Elder Zhou waved, gesturing for Fang Han to sit in the pearwood chair below.

"You did well on your mission to investigate the Demon Skill and in the subsequent raid on the Chu Family. I will issue your reward now."

As he spoke, he picked up the simple, ancient Inheritance Jade Inkstone from the desk and looked at Fang Han.

"Hand me your True Inheritance Token."

"Thank you, Elder."

Fang Han took out his Identity Token from within his robes—a piece of jade-like material, warm to the touch and engraved with the word ’Qingxuan’ and a cloud pattern—and presented it with both hands.

Elder Zhou Jin accepted the Token and placed it in the central groove of the Jade Inkstone. A faint light glowed at his fingertips as he quickly tapped several specific runes on the inkstone’s surface.

The Jade Inkstone let out a nearly imperceptible hum, and a flash of light rippled across its surface before vanishing.

"The mission reward has been transferred to your Token. Furthermore, the mission was perilous, and for your decisiveness in eliminating that demonic scourge, I’m awarding you one Small Merit."

Elder Zhou handed the Token back. His tone was as placid as ever, but his eyes held a barely perceptible hint of approval.

Fang Han took the Token and channeled a wisp of Inner Qi into it.

The Token flashed faintly, displaying a number: 60,000.

He previously had 50,000 Contribution Points, and now it was 60,000.

In other words, he had earned a reward of 10,000 Contribution Points from a single mission!

This far surpassed what he typically earned from ordinary missions.

Even though he had anticipated a generous reward, the actual amount still stirred something within him.

’Of course, as the team leader, I’m probably the only one who received such a handsome reward.’

’Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, and the others who participated must have also been rewarded handsomely, but there’s no way they received as much as I did.’

What pleased him even more was the ’one Small Merit’.

According to Sect regulations, three Small Merits could be combined into one Great Merit.

And a Great Merit meant he would be qualified to redeem one of the Sect’s treasured Grandmaster Level Techniques!

It was an opportunity countless True Disciples dreamed of, one that could determine the very limits of their future on the Martial Dao.

Though it would take time to accumulate three Small Merits, he had finally taken a solid first step.

"Thank you, Elder!"

Fang Han suppressed the turmoil in his heart, put away the Token, and offered his sincere thanks.

Elder Zhou Jin gave a slight nod, his gaze lingering on Fang Han for a moment before he asked,

"Nephew Fang, I heard you were planning to travel. Why have you returned after only a few days?"

"Reporting to the Elder, I had not been traveling long before I was ambushed by Yin Huang, a True Inheritor of the Netherworld Pavilion."

Fang Han calmly recounted his experiences over the past few days.

"Oh? Yin Huang?"

Elder Zhou Jin raised an eyebrow.

"The Sect generally doesn’t interfere in the conflicts between disciples of the Seven Sects, as long as no lines are crossed. What was the outcome of your battle with him?"

The Sect didn’t want its disciples to be delicate flowers raised in a greenhouse. Thus, it had a tacit understanding not to interfere in conflicts between disciples—so long as it wasn’t a case of the strong ganging up on the weak—and such matters would not be escalated to a higher level.

"I fought a fierce battle against him. I was fortunate enough not to be defeated, and Yin Huang retreated."

Fang Han replied.

A hint of surprise appeared on Elder Zhou Jin’s face.

According to their rankings on the Celestial Pride List, the gap between Fang Han and Yin Huang was quite large. He hadn’t expected Fang Han to be the one to emerge victorious.

The ability to defeat Yin Huang, ranked eighty-second on the Celestial Pride List, was proof that Fang Han’s strength already exceeded his current ranking.

"After the attack by Yin Huang, I knew I had been targeted and decided to return to the Sect. However, just as I was about to arrive, I was ambushed by someone else."

Fang Han’s tone remained level, but his eyes grew cold.

"He was a middle-aged man with a Cultivation at the Late Stage of Fourth Grade. He specialized in stealth and assassination. His weapon was coated in a potent poison, and his strikes were ruthless, aimed to kill. Although I managed to kill him in the end, I nearly lost my own life in the process."

"What?! Someone from outside the disciple Level dared to attack you?"

Elder Zhou Jin shot upright in his seat. A sharp light flared in his eyes as a heavy, mountain-like pressure emanated from him, spreading uncontrollably through the room.

Though it vanished in an instant, the very air in the side chamber seemed to freeze.