The evening afterglow dyed the Inner Hall training grounds a warm gold.
Fang Han finished his day's Cultivation of Pile Skill and Swordsmanship.
He felt his Muscle Refining Realm power steadily growing under the boost of his fourfold Root Bone Talent, and he was in high spirits.
Just as he was about to leave, he saw Elder Fang Yuan appear at the edge of the training grounds.
"Fang Han."
Fang Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly drew the gazes of all the Inner Hall Descendants who hadn't yet left.
All eyes, filled with curiosity and scrutiny, focused on Fang Han.
Elder Fang Yuan wasted no time. He took two wooden boxes, one large and one small, from a nearby servant. Both were marked with the Fang Family crest.
"Today, you defeated Lin Jiao of the Lin Family, bringing great prestige to our Fang Family. The Patriarch is very pleased."
"This is your reward from the family: three hundred taels of silver and one hundred Qi Blood Pills. I expect you to remain humble, cultivate diligently, and live up to the family's high expectations!"
Fang Yuan handed the two wooden boxes to Fang Han with an approving smile.
"Fang Han defeated... Lin Jiao of the Lin Family? The one they call the Qilin'er?"
"Just what... what is Fang Han's strength right now?"
"A reward of three hundred taels of silver?! One hundred Qi Blood Pills?! That reward is... it's too generous!"
Hearing what Fang Han had done and the reward he received, the remaining Inner Hall Descendants couldn't help but gasp. Their faces were instantly masks of utter shock and intense envy.
Three hundred taels of silver was enough to cover a wealthy family's expenses for several years, and the one hundred Qi Blood Pills were incredibly valuable Cultivation Resources.
The reward was simply too extravagant!
'A reward of three hundred taels of silver?'
Fang Han's heart leaped. Even though he had expected something, the sheer size of the reward left him a bit stunned.
It was even more than he had anticipated!
This was more than enough for the hundred taels of silver needed to unlock the Level 2 Swordsmanship Talent Amplification; he would even have most of it left over.
"Thank you, Elder. Thank you, Patriarch, for this generous gift. I will remember the family's grace, cultivate diligently, and live up to your expectations!"
Suppressing his excitement, Fang Han respectfully accepted the two wooden boxes with both hands.
'The system I've awakened is clearly a pay-to-win system,' he thought. 'Of course, I've considered ways to make money.'
'But after thinking it over, I realize that with my current strength, I don't have any good way to earn it. And even if I did, I wouldn't be strong enough to protect my earnings.'
'It's better to just focus on my Cultivation, build myself up as a prodigy, and earn money from the family that way.'
'In a way, this is also a method for making money—and for now, it's the most reliable one I have.'
This generous reward proved that his method was viable.
"Good. Don't neglect your Cultivation."
Fang Yuan nodded in satisfaction. After a few more words of encouragement, he departed gracefully.
Watched by countless eyes filled with envy, complexity, and awe, Fang Han left the training grounds with his weighty reward.
He could faintly hear the hushed, irrepressible chatter behind him.
"Three hundred taels... And a hundred Qi Blood Pills..."
"Lin Jiao is known as the Lin Family's Qilin'er, yet Fang Han actually defeated him..."
"Don't tell me Fang Han has... already broken through to the Muscle Refining Realm?"
"Gasp, what kind of Cultivation speed is that? The comparison is just maddening!"
...
When Fang Han placed the wooden box with three hundred taels of pure silver and another box holding ten vials of Qi Blood Pills on the table in their main hall, Fang Zheng's and Lin Wan's eyes went wide.
"H-Han'er," Lin Wan's voice trembled as she pointed at the pile of silver, "where... where did this come from?"
Fang Zheng's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. "Three hundred taels? And so many Qi Blood Pills?"
"Father, Mother, today I represented the family at a banquet at the Lin Family's estate. I won a sparring match against Lin Jiao, their so-called genius, and brought honor to our family. This is a reward ordered personally by the Patriarch."
"You beat that Lin Jiao? And received such a great reward from the Patriarch?"
Fang Zheng and Lin Wan stared at each other. The immense shock gave way to unparalleled joy and pride.
Thanks to the Lin Family's deliberate promotion, they had heard of Lin Jiao's reputation.
He was a true chosen one!
And their own son had defeated him and received such a generous reward from the family.
"Good! That's my boy! You've made your mother and me proud and brought great honor to our branch of the family!"
Fang Zheng's face flushed with excitement as he clapped Fang Han hard on the shoulder.
"The ancestors are watching over us, they truly are..."
Lin Wan's eyes grew red as she murmured repeatedly.
"Father, Mother, there are three hundred taels here. I'll keep one hundred, and you can take the other two hundred to help with household expenses."
Fang Han took two hundred taels of silver from the wooden box and pushed the money toward his parents.
He had kept all the silver from his previous reward to unlock his Talent and hadn't given any to his parents.
Now, with a reward of three hundred taels, he had more than enough to unlock the Level 2 Swordsmanship Talent but not nearly enough for Level 3. It was a good time to give some to help with the household.
"No, you keep this silver for yourself!"
Fang Zheng and Lin Wan shook their heads at the same time, their expressions resolute.
"We don't need the money! I was promoted to Shopkeeper, so my monthly salary has doubled. It's more than enough to cover our expenses."
"You're at a critical point in your Cultivation and need money for everything. You keep this silver. Don't skimp on the Elixirs or Weapons you need to buy!"
Fang Zheng pushed the silver back, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"That's right, Xiaohan," Lin Wan chimed in. "Your father is right! You really don't need to worry about the family. Your future is what's most important! You keep this money safe."
Seeing his parents' firm stance and that the family truly didn't seem to be short on money, Fang Han didn't insist.
He could save this money to prepare for unlocking the Level 3 Amplification for his Root Bone Talent in the future.
Back in his room, Fang Han bolted the door, shutting out the outside world.
He sat cross-legged on his bed and, with a thought, the familiar translucent system panel appeared before his eyes.
[Host: Fang Han]
[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 4x (Level 3 Amplification requires 1000 silver)]
[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 2x (Level 2 Amplification requires 100 silver)]
[Wealth: 0]
'Deposit one hundred taels!'
He carefully opened the wooden box of silver, took out ten ten-tael ingots of pure silver, and recited the command in his mind.
The heavy silver ingots vanished from his hand without a sound. In their place, the Wealth value on the panel changed.
[Wealth: 100 silver]
'Unlock the Level 2 Swordsmanship Talent Amplification!'
His mind filled with intense anticipation as he focused on the option next to [Swordsmanship Talent Amplification].
DING!
A notification that only he could hear chimed deep in his mind. The panel rippled like water as the text instantly refreshed.
[Host: Fang Han]
[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 4x (Level 3 Amplification requires 1000 silver)]
[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 4x (Level 3 Amplification requires 1000 silver)]
[Wealth: 0]
'A fourfold Swordsmanship Talent Amplification!'
Fang Han stared at the panel with excitement. Following his Root Bone Talent, his Swordsmanship Talent Amplification had also reached fourfold.
...
「The next morning at the Inner Hall training grounds.」
As usual, Fang Han immersed himself in the Cultivation of the Crane Form.
Aided by the fourfold Root Bone Amplification, the qi and blood in his body surged like a river, repeatedly washing over his tendons. He was rapidly and steadily advancing toward the Middle Stage of Muscle Refining.
When his Pile Skill Cultivation was complete, Fang Han let out a long, slow breath and relaxed his stance.
He walked over to the weapon rack and picked up a Fine Iron Longsword.
'Just how much of an improvement will a fourfold Swordsmanship Talent Amplification bring?'
He was filled with anticipation, eager to see what kind of transformation the fourfold Swordsmanship Talent Amplification would bring.