Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?!

Chapter 424: Jiejie

"Do you think Clan Head will refill the caves?"A young disciple lowered his voice slightly as he looked toward the distant mountain area.

Beside him, another youth immediately nodded.

"We should ask him about it."

"But do we even need those now?" a newer disciple asked curiously. "The Matriarch already found us an alternative cultivation area."

"Aiya, you must be the new kids." Fang Haotian waved his hand dramatically. "You don’t know anything."

The newer disciples blinked.

Fang Haotian puffed out his chest proudly.

"The Patriarch has a magical ability that brings spirit wells to life!"

"...Huh?"

One of the younger disciples stared blankly.

"You’re kidding."

"Aiya." Fang Haotian clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. "Do I look like someone who lies?"

"What are you saying, Brother Haotian?" Lin Xiaolao immediately snorted from beside him. "You’re the most infamous liar around here."

The surrounding disciples instantly nodded in agreement.

Lin Xiaolao crossed his arms smugly.

"You’re lucky I know all your lies already and still choose to stay friends with you."

"Tsk tsk." Fang Haotian shook his head sorrowfully. "Brother Xiaolao simply cannot understand greatness."

Then he leaned toward the newer disciples mysteriously.

"Listen to me carefully. The spirit wells the Patriarch creates..." His expression suddenly turned dreamy. "Ahh... they’re out of this world."

He placed a hand over his chest dramatically.

"Just one day inside and I gained enlightenment."

"Haiya, enough with your enlightenment story already."

Lin Xiaolao rolled his eyes so hard it looked painful. "Then why are you still stuck at Golden Core Realm despite all the resources the Matriarch poured into you?"

Fang Haotian immediately slapped his thigh.

"It’s because of talent! Talent!"

He pointed at himself confidently.

"My talent is amazing."

"..."

"My spirit roots are simply trash."

Lin Xiaolao deadpanned.

"You just contradicted yourself."

Fang Haotian ignored him completely and sighed toward the heavens.

"If only there was a way to increase talent..."

Just then, a familiar figure approached from the nearby pathway.

Fang Mei walked over while carrying Fang Da’ai carefully in her arms.

"What are you two talking about?" she asked curiously.

The moment the two youths noticed her, they immediately straightened instinctively.

"Ah! If it isn’t Elder Mei!" Fang Haotian greeted respectfully. "The Patriarch’s younger sister herself!"

Fang Mei waved one hand casually.

"We’re all the same age. Stop with the formalities already."

Then she smiled slightly.

"Tell me what you were talking about."

Lin Xiaolao’s expression immediately became a little forced.

"Elder Mei..." he said carefully, "you may be fine with it, but Brother Haotian and I don’t want to get punished by the Matriarch for disrespecting our elders just because we’re the same age."

The surrounding disciples instantly nodded in terror.

Fang Haotian, however, boldly slapped Lin Xiaolao across the back.

"You’re making Senior Sister Mei embarrassed! Stop talking like that!"

Lin Xiaolao nearly stumbled forward.

"Brother Haotian, if I die one day, it’ll definitely be because of your mouth—"

"Jiejie."

The soft childish voice instantly interrupted everyone.

Silence.

Everyone present froze simultaneously before slowly turning toward the little boy in Fang Mei’s arms.

Fang Da’ai blinked sleepily while staring at Fang Mei.

"...Jiejie."

Fang Mei’s eyes widened instantly.

"HE CALLED ME JIEJIE?!"

Her excited scream echoed throughout the area.

The startled Fang Da’ai immediately trembled before his face crumpled.

"Waaahhh—!"

Fang Mei panicked instantly.

"A-Ah! No no no no!"

She hurriedly bounced him gently in her arms.

"I’m sorry! Jiejie got too excited!"

Fang Da’ai continued crying loudly.

The nearby disciples instantly became flustered as well.

"Quick, quick! Rock him a little!"

"No, no, you’re supposed to pat his back!"

"Brother Haotian, stop giving advice when you’ve never even held a child before!"

"I’m thinking, shut up!"

Fang Mei looked completely devastated.

"Don’t cry ah..."

Her voice became softer and softer as she carefully wiped the little boy’s tears.

Yet despite sounding apologetic, her body was trembling violently from happiness instead.

The surrounding disciples watched the scene with extremely complicated expressions.

"...She’s definitely going to brag about this for a week now," one disciple muttered quietly.

"Hah, you’re lucky if it’s only a week," another disciple whispered back immediately. "The last time the baby flipped himself over, she talked about it for months until he learned how to sit."

"Yeah..."

A third disciple stared at Fang Mei gently bouncing the child with a dazed smile.

"If outsiders saw this, they’d probably think she was the boy’s actual mother."

Lin Xiaolao instantly turned around and frantically shushed everyone.

"Lower your voices!" he hissed.

Then he added in an even smaller voice,

"Stop talking nonsense before she actually drags all of us around as witnesses while bragging to every disciple in the clan."

The surrounding disciples immediately shuddered.

Considering they were talking about Fang Mei, that scenario was extremely likely.

After all, everyone in the clan knew Fang Mei had spent the last three years under the Matriarch’s personal guidance.

And somehow, in just three years, she had already started resembling a smaller version of the Matriarch herself.

Not just in cultivation, but even in the way she carried herself.

Otherwise, who else in the younger generation would dare argue face-to-face with the Matriarch over nothing more than a pair of daggers?

Meanwhile, Fang Haotian suddenly laughed nervously before quickly trying to redirect the situation.

"A-Ahem! Elder Mei!"

Fang Mei looked up immediately while still carefully rocking Fang Da’ai.

"What is it?"

Fang Haotian rubbed his hands together and smiled brightly.

"How about taking little Da’ai to see the Patriarch?"

The surrounding disciples instantly looked over.

Fang Haotian continued enthusiastically,

"If the child stays beside the Patriarch often, who knows how talented he might become in the future?"

Fang Mei’s eyes immediately lit up.

"...That’s true."

For a brief moment, she genuinely considered it seriously.

But then, Fang Mei suddenly remembered something.

More specifically, someone.

Her excited expression slowly stiffened.

"..."

The surrounding disciples watched as Fang Mei’s expression visibly change.

Fang Haotian blinked in confusion.

"...Elder Mei?"

Fang Mei lowered her head toward the happily babbling Fang Da’ai in her arms.

Then, after a brief silence, she shook her head solemnly.

"...He needs to stay alive first before growing talented."

"...?"

The disciples exchanged puzzled looks with each other.

None of them understood what she meant.

Still, after seeing the unusually serious look on Fang Mei’s face, nobody dared question her further.

Instead, the atmosphere suddenly became strangely awkward.

"A-Ah right!" one disciple suddenly exclaimed. "I still need to finish my cultivation task!"

Another disciple instantly followed.

"My spirit beast hasn’t eaten yet!"

"I suddenly remembered Elder Wang told me to clean the weapon hall!"

"Didn’t Elder Wang leave the sect three days ago?"

"...Then I’ll clean it in advance."

One by one, the disciples quickly found excuses before fleeing the area at alarming speed.

In just a few moments, the once lively gathering completely dispersed.

Only Fang Haotian and Lin Xiaolao remained behind.

The two originally wanted to leave as well.

In fact, both of them had already secretly taken several steps backward earlier.

Unfortunately—

"Ehh? Where are you two going?"

Fang Mei smiled sweetly while holding Fang Da’ai.

The two instantly froze.

Fang Haotian laughed awkwardly.

"W-We suddenly remembered we also have things to do—"

"What things?" Fang Mei asked curiously.

"..."

Lin Xiaolao immediately realized they were doomed.

Because Fang Mei clearly had no intention of letting them escape.

Sure enough, she gently adjusted Fang Da’ai in her arms before smiling brightly at the two of them.

"Earlier, you two were talking about something interesting."

The two youths instantly stiffened.

Fang Mei tilted her head slightly.

"I want to hear it too."