Six months passed.

And for Han Yu, those six months were some of the busiest of his life.

Not because of cultivation.

Not because of missions.

Not because of danger.

But because of wealth.

And paperwork.

And more wealth.

And even more paperwork related to wealth.

He sat in the center of his grand hall, surrounded by neatly stacked storage rings, jade slips, and scrolls that detailed assets, gifts, offerings, and apologies. His expression was one of deep concentration as he held a jade slip in one hand and a brush in the other, carefully making notes.

"…three hundred and twelve high-grade spirit stones… no, wait… that was from yesterday…"

He paused, checked another jade slip, then nodded to himself.

"…add another one hundred and fifty from the Qing clan branch…"

A moment later, he frowned.

"…or was that from the Wen clan subsidiary…"

He sighed.

"This is getting complicated."

A disciple standing nearby immediately stepped forward.

"Legacy Disciple, would you like assistance in organizing your wealth records?"

Han Yu looked up.

Then looked around.

Then back at the disciple.

"…no," he said slowly. "I must count it myself."

This was important.

Very important.

After all, what was the point of having mountains of wealth if one did not personally enjoy counting them?

This had become his daily routine.

Morning.

Count wealth.

Afternoon.

Count gifts.

Evening.

Read apology letters.

Night.

Recount wealth to ensure accuracy.

It was exhausting.

Truly exhausting.

But also…

Extremely satisfying.

Han Yu leaned back slightly, picking up another scroll. His lips curled into a faint smile as he read.

Another apology.

This one was from a minor inner court disciple who had once walked past him without greeting.

"I deeply regret my past ignorance…"

Han Yu nodded approvingly.

"Good. At least he knows."

He placed the scroll aside, his satisfaction evident.

Over the past six months, he had received hundreds of such letters. Some were short, some were long, some were overly dramatic, and some felt like entire essays written under extreme fear.

There were even a few that included poetry.

Bad poetry.

Very bad poetry.

Han Yu had read them all.

Every single one.

And enjoyed them.

Immensely.

Still, among all of them, there were three letters he had deliberately left unopened.

Placed separately.

Carefully.

Respectfully.

Each bore a sigil.

The Zhao clan.

The Wen clan.

The Qing clan.

Han Yu picked them up one by one, his expression turning thoughtful.

"These three…"

He opened the first.

Read.

Paused.

Then slowly leaned back.

"…shameless."

He opened the second.

Read again.

This time, he chuckled.

"…even more shameless."

The third.

He read it in silence.

Then placed it down carefully.

"…peak shamelessness."

The contents were nearly identical.

Praise.

Endless praise.

Congratulations on his promotion.

Admiration for his breakthrough.

Declarations of respect.

Then…

Apologies.

Carefully worded.

Skillfully twisted.

They claimed they had never intended harm. That they had merely been unable to assist the Ju clan in time. That circumstances had prevented them. That they had always believed in Ju Fan's future.

That they had prepared for his rise. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Prepared, hah."

Han Yu almost laughed.

They claimed that the properties they had seized…

Were actually being safeguarded.

An "investment."

For him.

And now…

They were returning it.

Twofold.

Han Yu leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

'Investment…'

He knew the truth.

Everyone knew the truth.

There had been no investment.

Only pressure.

Heavy.

Unavoidable.

The sect had forced their hand.

And now, they were handing over their own wealth while smiling and calling it generosity.

Han Yu's lips curled into a satisfied grin.

"This is… wonderful."

While it had not been his personal grudge, the result still pleased him greatly.

More wealth was always welcome.

He stood up and stretched.

The moment he did, two female disciples appeared at his sides almost instantly.

"Legacy Disciple, are you tired?"

"Shall we assist you?"

Before he could answer, their hands were already on his shoulders, gently massaging, their movements practiced and careful.

Han Yu froze for a moment.

"…this is unnecessary."

"It is our duty," one of them said softly.

"And our honor," the other added.

Han Yu tried to ignore the fact that their hands were slowly drifting.

Very slowly.

Suspiciously slowly.

Toward areas that were definitely not shoulders.

He coughed to hint at them.

Lightly.

But that…

Was a mistake.

Immediately, another disciple rushed forward from across the hall, her expression filled with concern.

"Legacy Disciple coughed!"

She pulled out a jade slip and began muttering rapidly.

"Prepare Fire Ginger Tea… adjust temperature to optimal soothing range… notify kitchen…"

Han Yu blinked.

"…it was just a cough."

"It could escalate," she replied seriously.

Han Yu raised a hand.

"No escalation. I am going for a walk."

The words had barely left his mouth before a group of disciples assembled behind him.

"I will accompany you."

"I will ensure the path is clear."

"I will prepare the route."

Han Yu sighed.

This was his life now.

He stepped out of his residence.

Calling it a courtyard felt inaccurate.

It was a palace.

An entire peak had been assigned to him, located close to the Heart Peak, the very core of the sect. The Blood Qi here was rich and dense, flowing visibly through the massive river below, creating a constant hum of energy in the surroundings.

It was impressive.

It was excessive.

And it was his.

He began descending the peak.

The moment the first disciple saw him…

They froze.

Then dropped.

Knees hitting the ground with a thud.

"Greetings, Legacy Disciple!"

Others followed.

Like a chain reaction.

Everywhere he walked, disciples bowed or knelt, their voices rising in unison.

"Greetings, Legacy Disciple!"

"Greetings, Legacy Disciple!"

Han Yu walked calmly, nodding occasionally.

Inside…

He was very pleased.

The first week had been enjoyable for everyone.

Exciting.

Honorable.

A chance to witness a Legacy Disciple up close.

By the second week…

Things changed.

By the third…

Fatigue set in.

By the sixth month…

The disciples were suffering.

Internally.

Of course, none of them dared to show it.