"Those ranked eleventh or lower who have not improved their standing—or have fallen in rank—will receive no reward."
Elder Fang Yuan continued.
His words were a cold decree. The faces of the descendants whose ranks hadn't improved or had even dropped grew grim, and they hung their heads in dejection.
"For those whose ranks have improved, you will be rewarded with ten silver taels for every rank you've climbed!"
At these words, the spirits of the descendants who had improved their ranks were instantly lifted, and their eyes lit up once more.
"Fang Zhuo! Climbed two ranks. Twenty silver taels!"
"Fang Yu! Climbed seven ranks. Seventy silver taels!"
...
Elder Fang Yuan read through the names one by one. When he reached Fang Han's name, he paused for a moment.
His gaze fell upon Fang Han, and for the first time, a flicker of surprise crossed his otherwise placid face.
"Fang Han! New to the Inner Hall. Initial rank: fifty-ninth. Current rank: fifty-fourth. Climbed five ranks. Reward—fifty silver taels!"
It wasn't unheard of for a descendant to climb five ranks. Some had even experienced a burst of progress, jumping more than ten places at once.
The key difference, however, was that the others' improvements were the result of an entire year of hard work.
Yet this young man had been in the Inner Hall for less than a month, all told.
Climbing five ranks, from fifty-ninth to fifty-fourth, in just one month.
Such speed was a rare sight, even in the history of the Inner Hall.
For the first time, Elder Fang Yuan felt a flicker of interest in this little-known boy from a side branch.
Of course, it was only a flicker of interest.
Fang Han had only just reached the Middle Stage of Flesh Refining, whereas in previous years, there had been descendants who had already reached the Refining Tendons stage upon entering the Inner Hall.
Those were the descendants who were the future pillars of the Fang Family, the ones worthy of his focused attention.
"Thank you, Elder!"
Fang Han stepped forward and respectfully accepted a heavy cloth pouch containing five ten-tael ingots of gleaming silver.
The pouch was heavy in his hand, giving him a solid sense of security.
The ranking rewards ceremony ended, and the sixty-one Inner Hall Descendants dispersed.
Some were triumphant, others dejected; their expressions varied.
Carrying the fifty silver taels, Fang Han walked with a light step back to his home in the side courtyard.
Returning to his room, he shut the door and eagerly placed the five silver ingots with the silver he had saved up.
'Seventy-seven taels!'
He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.
Activating Level 2 Amplification for his Root Bone Talent required a hundred silver taels. He was now only twenty-three taels short.
'Five taels a month from my stipend... If there are no extra expenses, I'll need another five months.'
Fang Han calculated silently. In just five more months, he could activate the Level 2 Root Bone Talent Amplification and obtain a higher Root Bone amplification multiplier.
And that was just the most conservative estimate.
'The New Year is almost here...'
Thinking of the upcoming New Year, the corners of Fang Han's mouth couldn't help but curve upward.
This year, he had successfully remained in the Martial Hall and become an Inner Hall Descendant.
The New Year's money from his relatives would definitely not be a small amount; it was bound to be much more generous than in previous years.
Once he got that money, it would greatly shorten the time needed to gather a hundred silver taels.
'It definitely won't take five months!'
A hopeful light gleamed in Fang Han's eyes. He carefully gathered all the silver taels and hid them back in the familiar Wooden Box under his bed.
The hope of unlocking a higher Root Bone amplification was already within reach.
「The New Year arrived amidst the crackle of firecrackers.」
On the second day, Fang Han's family went early to the home of his eldest uncle, Fang Ye. His third uncle, Fang Ping, and his family were there as well.
The three families gathered together, filling the courtyard with lively noise. His grandfather and grandmother sat at the head of the table, their faces beaming.
The dishes on the table were sumptuous, far more so than in previous years.
"Xiaohan is here! Quick, come sit by Grandma and Grandpa!"
The moment his grandmother saw Fang Han, she broke into a smile so wide it couldn't be contained. She grabbed his hand and looked him up and down, as if she could never get enough of the sight.
"You've gotten thinner, but you're more solid now. Excellent, just excellent! Our side branch has finally produced a Martial Artist!"
His grandfather's wrinkled face was also filled with a gratified smile, and he nodded repeatedly.
"So promising! More promising than your father. From now on, you'll be the pillar of our side branch!"
His eldest uncle, Fang Ye, clapped Fang Han firmly on the shoulder.
"Good lad! You've brought great honor to our branch. Come, have a drink with your uncle!"
He personally poured Fang Han a cup of warm rice wine, his face filled with vicarious pride.
His third uncle, Fang Ping, also raised his cup with a smile.
"Xiaohan, you'll have to look after your cousins in the future. Let them bask in the glory of you being a Martial Artist!"
At the table, his cousins Fang Shan and Fang Yun watched Fang Han, the center of the family's attention, their eyes filled with a complex mix of envy and a sliver of unconcealable regret and disappointment.
Years ago, they too had poured their sweat and effort onto the training grounds, only to leave in disappointment after failing to break through the Flesh Refining Realm.
Now, seeing their younger cousin achieve what they could not and soar to new heights, the feeling in their hearts was indescribable.
Throughout the New Year holiday, the threshold of Fang Han's normally quiet home was nearly worn down by visitors.
Distant relatives who rarely visited all came flocking with New Year's gifts to pay their respects.
"Oh my, Second Sister-in-law, Happy New Year! This must be Xiaohan, right? So handsome and distinguished! It's clear he's a dragon among men. Now that he's in the Inner Hall, his future is limitless!"
"Brother Fang, you and your wife are so blessed! To have such a Qilin'er! When he makes it big, don't you forget about us old relatives!"
"Xiaohan, dear, I'm your... well, your great-aunt, from your grand-uncle's side... We're all connected by blood, when you think about it..."
These fawning words and deliberately pleasing smiles made Fang Zheng and Lin Wan feel a bit uncomfortable, yet they couldn't hide the joy of finally being able to hold their heads high.
Fang Han maintained a smile on his face, an exceptionally sincere one, especially when he saw the noticeably thicker red envelopes of New Year's money.
「Late that night, after the visitors had dispersed.」
Fang Han eagerly tore open all the red paper envelopes of New Year's money. Bits of silver, silver pieces... the silver coins piled up into a small mountain under the oil lamp.
His fingers trembled slightly as he began to count, the silver taels clinking together with a crisp, pleasant sound.
"One hundred and seven taels!!!"
Including the New Year's money, his total savings had reached one hundred and seven taels.
A huge wave of joy washed over him like a torrent, and his heart began to pound like a drum in his chest.
He couldn't help but be overjoyed. This number meant he no longer had to wait five months; he could activate the Level 2 Amplification right now.
Although he knew his relatives' red envelopes wouldn't be small this year, he never expected they would be so generous as to completely erase that five-month wait.
'Panel!'
Without the slightest hesitation, he called out in his mind, and a translucent screen instantly unfolded in his vision.
[Host: Fang Han]
[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 2x (Level 2 Amplification requires 100 silver)]
[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 2x (Level 2 Amplification requires 100 silver)]
[Wealth: 0]
'Deposit 100 taels.'
A large amount of the silver on the table vanished, leaving only seven taels. In its place, the "Wealth" on the panel became "100 silver."
He had already decided long ago which amplification to unlock.
'Activate Level 2 Root Bone Talent Amplification!'
Fang Han's gaze was locked on the "Level 2 Amplification requires 100 silver" text after [Root Bone Talent Amplification], and he confirmed his intent.
DING!
A crisp system notification, audible only to Fang Han, rang in the depths of his mind, and the panel immediately changed.
[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]