Quest Completed

Yu Yan returned to his new courtyard and took his time admiring the premises.

There was the main house, which was just a little short of a straight-up palace, then the servant's quarters at the back, and the Guards House by the front to the right corner with an open yard in the middle.

He felt very pleased with the main house. The lowest floor had the meeting room, a living room, and a maid's quarters, while the upper floor had a cultivation room, an alchemy room, and his bedroom.

Currently, his things were being moved here, so he sat on the bed and prepared to check out the newly activated system functions.

Over the next few days, he would be very busy selecting his new maids and guards so now was the best time.

[Ding!]

[Quest Completed: Become Clan Leader]

[Rewards: Unlocking All System Functions]

[Upgrading Rewards. . . ]

[New Reward: System Upgrade - MAX Lvl]

[Estimated Upgrade Duration: 15:00:00]

"Fuck you!" Yu Yan directly cursed and got up from his bed, his expression full of intense displeasure.

He walked out of the room and saw Zi Peng standing by the door.

"Don't allow anyone to disturb me until I come out," he ordered, then returned to the room and shut the door.

Once back on the bed, he went into the pocket world, took a sip from the Chaos Spring and closed his eyes to think under the effect of the Spring water.

His mind drifted first to the Yu Clan Patriarch Selection and the Clan Dao Treasure.

From bonding with that breastplate, he had gained a lot of information.

The breastplate was a Dao Treasure with the authority of fate, but it had very strong restrictions. And while it wouldn't compel anyone aside from the Patriarch to follow those restrictions, the consequences for breaking them were dire.

Generally, this was what the Clan Elders believed, but this wasn't true.

There was a consciousness in the breastplate. The true owner of the Dao Treasure! It was the Princess of the Imperial Family, the same Princess who the Yu Clan Ancestor served and protected. She wasn't dead but had instead transferred her consciousness into the breastplate.

Every Yu Clan Patriarch who tried to bond to the plate would be tricked into blood contact with her. They would govern the clan as puppets controlled by her without a choice of their own!

For as long as the Yu Clan Patriarch was under her control, the Yu Clan would be safe because she could use the Breastplate's authority to change the fate of the Yu Clan and prevent it from having any major upheavals.

Meanwhile, the Clan Elders were under a restriction by choice. They believed that the breastplate would protect the clan as long as they were obedient without question to the Patriarch!

But these Elders were experienced in their own rights. They knew there was something wrong with the breastplate, they knew the Patriarch was a glorified puppet who was being controlled by the Dao Treasure. But none of them said anything because so far, the Dao Treasure seemed to work to benefit the clan; in fact, the consciousness cared more about the clan than they did!

After all, it wasn't their lives that were restricted by the consciousness. They had family in the clan and descendants they cared for. Not to mention the clan's collective strength. was the only way they could get cultivation resources. Thus they sacrificed the Patriarch to serve the Dao consciousness.

But Yu Yan had flipped the board. He actually bonded with the treasure itself, suppressing the consciousness within it which inadvertently caused the Clan's Patriarch's death.

But since the Patriarch would die anyway the moment, Yu Yan bonded with the Dao Treasure, the Clan Elders took it as a good sign that everything was going the way it should.

How could anyone form a restriction on the blood of a sage?!

Now that he was the real owner of the breastplate, he could use it to protect the Clan's fate. But there was still a price!

Lifespan!

How was the consciousness protecting the clan then?

"So that's why this Patriarch died so early?" Yu Yan muttered to himself as he slowly opened his eyes.

Too much attention was on the clan and many schemed to take the Yu Mountain. It was a big problem the clan had no other way to solve. A problem that always existed but never threatened the clan's safety until now. So the Patriarch became the sacrifice.

Shaking his head, Yu Yan took another sip from the spring and began to focus on the feeling of being within the world of the Heart Mirror.

He realized that the Heart Mirror put him in a very weird state that was beneficial for his cultivation so he was trying to mimick it.

The Yu Clan Elders were still stronger than him, so he couldn't reveal that he hadn't been controlled by the Dao Treasure but was the one in control instead, or who knows how they'd react?

Maybe they'll just kill him and take a chance by appointing another Patriarch. After all, the stakes were too high. It was the entire Clan's fate they were talking about.

He continued to visualize that moment, but a day passed, and still there was nothing.

Opening his eyes, he shrugged and headed out of his room. He saw Zi Peng still by the door and asked,

"Did anything happen"

"Yes. The Patriarch's funeral has been arranged for today," Zi Peng replied; he stood firmer now, and the playful air around him was long gone.

After all, he was no longer the attendant of a Legacy but of the Yu Clan Patriarch.

"Madam Lin also came by," Zi Peng reported, his voice a note lower. He didn't know what Madam meant but when he called Mei Hua Lin Madam, he almost lost his life to her anger. But Yu Yan had requested that they call her that!

He could only resort to using Madame with Yu Yan and Lady with Mei Hua. As long as they didn't get together, he wouldn't get caught.

That shouldn't be a problem; they are just husband and wife, aren't they? What reason do they have to meet often?

Zi Peng's expression turned bitter but Yu Yan was no longer paying attention. He returned to his room, took a change of clothes, and headed out to wash in the stream.

Yu Yan first headed for the Ninth Elder's courtyard but met Mei Hua Lin at just the entrance.

"Why are you coming here?" she asked staring at him in confusion.

"You were looking for me?" Yu Yan replied, feeling lost in the present situation.

"Yes, but you can't come here in person. You are Patriarch now; the former Patriarch is dead, so you have to assume your role a little earlier." Mei Hua explained but Yu Yan noticed her mind seemed preoccupied.

Since Mei Hua didn't seem to want to talk right now, he didn't say anything but just let her lead him toward the Ancestral Hall.

The funeral ceremony of the former Patriarch was quite straightforward. They paid respects to the ancestors, put the Patriarch to rest within a cave cleared out for him a long time ago, and paid their respects to him too.

"You should choose one for yourself," the Sixth Elder addressed Yu Yan, who was scanning the Ancestral Hall in a low voice.

"Don't need to; I am immortal," Yu Yan replied offhandedly without offering any explanations.

The Sixth Elder opened his mouth, wanting to say something back, but he restrained himself. Yu Yan was now the Patriarch.

Although he could disregard the restrictions since he didn't have descendants in the clan, the other Elders would certainly not allow him. For them all, the clan housed generations of their children. Most of which they deeply cared about.

After the funeral was over, Yu Yan returned to his courtyard and was followed by all the Elders.

He was given options of servants, maids, and guards to protect him, and lastly, enforcers, which he chose to be his original twenty-one squad.

Finally, the Clan Elders retreated to their posts, and Yu Yan was attracted by the system update, which was now complete.