Chapter 14: Fated One.
Having no mood to return to the mountain of paperwork waiting on his desk, Fang Yuan abandoned the tasks he had left undone before the Eastern Ravine incident.
His mind was simply too clouded; irritation, disappointment, and sheer emotional exhaustion weighed heavy on his shoulders.
Instead, he returned to his chamber, discarded his bloodied outer robes, and collapsed onto his bed with a deep, weary sigh.
Cultivating, he thought. Just one night of quiet cultivation... there will be no beasts, nor any shattered cores, and no opportunity leaving beneath my very nose.
Within moments, spiritual energy began to circulate through his meridians.
The steady flow helped clear the bitterness from his heart, layer by layer.
For the first time that day, his breathing eased. His thoughts slowed.
And finally, he slept, untouched by the world, free for the night.
The next morning.
Fang Yuan stirred as the first rays of dawn painted soft gold across the floor of his chamber.
His eyes blinked open, clearer than they had been in days.