Protect Our Patriarch

……

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, another thirty years have passed.

For the entire Daqian, thirty years is but a fleeting moment.

However, for the Changning Wang's Clan, thirty years have brought earth-shattering changes.

In the spring of the 3215th year of Longchang in Daqian, it had been seventy years since Wang Shouzhe crossed over to this world. From a spirited eighteen-year-old youth, he had grown into an eighty-eight-year-old "mature young master."

This is no joke.

Because Wang Shouzhe advanced to the Lingtai Realm early and reached the Celestial Realm even earlier, his appearance had hardly changed from when he was in his twenties. Only his temperament had become more refined, mature, and steady.

Over these years, although the Wang's Clan had experienced some minor setbacks, none had caused significant damage. Thus, the clan had been quietly and steadily developing.

With two core members, Wang Shouyong and Wang Luotong, both stepping into the Celestial Realm last year, Taishi Ankang, the Commandery Governor of Longzuo, could no longer tolerate the Wang's Clan's strategy of keeping a low profile. As he put it, "Wang Shouzhe, are you planning to sneakily advance to a fourth-grade clan?"

Especially now that the development of Qingluo Garrison was nearing completion, without the official recognition of a sixth-grade clan, how could the Wang's Clan have the qualifications to guard a garrison for the court?

Immediately, Taishi Ankang issued a command as the Commandery Governor, publicly announcing that he had helped the Changning Wang's Clan apply for the promotion to a sixth-grade clan, and it was said that the relevant departments in the capital had already approved it.

The plaque for the sixth-grade clan, supervised by the Commandery Governor's mansion, was about to be delivered to the Wang's Clan to change their status.

The secret was out.

After internal discussions, the Wang's Clan decided that it was time to reveal some real strength to deter those eyeing the interests of Xin'an Town and Qingluo Garrison.

This time, a double Celestial Banquet was held for Wang Luotong and Wang Shouyong, along with the ceremony for their promotion.

It was quite rare for a clan to have two members advance to the Celestial Realm in a short period. After all, nurturing a Celestial Realm cultivator not only depended on their talent but also required adjusting the intervals based on the clan's industrial income.

Most seventh-grade clans would find it very challenging to nurture two Celestial Realm cultivators simultaneously, as the resource consumption would be too great.

Even Purple Mansion Clans would control the progress of their Celestial Realm cultivators in a paced manner, usually producing one every ten to twenty years to maintain the total number of Celestial Elders.

Therefore, the Wang's Clan's joyous news immediately caused a sensation among the southern six guards of Longzuo. This wave of "news" spread throughout Longzuo Commandery with the flying carriages, becoming a hot topic of conversation.

A stone thrown into the water creates a thousand ripples.

Meanwhile.

In Zhenze Garrison, one of the southern six guards.

This garrison was named Zhenze because it was located by the Great Swamp, signifying its role in guarding the swamp.

The most powerful family in Zhenze Garrison had long been the Zhenze Wang's Clan.

The first ancestor of the Wang's Clan, Wang Kunyuan, was a master at the eighth level of the Celestial Realm, renowned as the first Celestial Elder in the later stages of the Celestial Realm among the southern six guards. This ancestor had always kept a low profile in his youth, quietly developing.

It wasn't until about fifty years ago that Wang Kunyuan broke through from the peak of the sixth level to the seventh level, after which he no longer kept a low profile and announced that he had the potential of a great prodigy.

For a time, Wang Kunyuan's fame spread throughout the southern six guards, and the name of the Zhenze Wang's Clan gradually became known in Longzuo Commandery.

However, the Wang's Clan was ultimately just a strong seventh-grade clan, at most dominating within the Zhenze Garrison. Relying on the resources of just one garrison to push Wang Kunyuan to the Purple Mansion Realm was as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

In fact, even pushing Wang Kunyuan's cultivation to the seventh level of the Celestial Realm had already caused great suffering within the Wang's Clan. Many younger members had missed their best cultivation opportunities.

Therefore, the best path for the Wang's Clan was to expand their influence in the southern six guards, leveraging Wang Kunyuan's later-stage Celestial Realm status and strength to gain resources from other clans.

Pooling the resources of several garrisons might satisfy the bottomless pit of resources needed for Wang Kunyuan's attempt to reach the Purple Mansion Realm.

Unfortunately.

Wang Kunyuan was born at the wrong time.

When the Zhenze Wang's Clan extended their hand towards Changning Garrison and other areas, they encountered resistance and counterattacks from the Wang's Clan's marriage alliance. After several covert struggles, the Zhenze Wang's Clan retreated in disgrace.

Later, they were shocked to hear that Wang Liyao of the Wang's Clan had become a disciple of a Divine Ability Master. After the Changning Wang's Clan soared, the Wang's Clan no longer dared to covet Changning Garrison.

Subsequently, in their business expansion in other garrisons of the southern six guards, the Wang's Clan was repeatedly suppressed by the Wang's Clan-led marriage alliance, leading to the gradual collapse of their shortcut to the Purple Mansion Realm.

Fifty years had passed, and Wang Kunyuan, who had just advanced to the seventh level of the Celestial Realm with high spirits, had barely advanced to the eighth level!

Now, Wang Kunyuan was over three hundred years old. The path to the Purple Mansion Realm seemed increasingly distant.

Due to various reasons, the Zhenze Wang's Clan naturally harbored deep hatred for the Wang's Clan, but they could only swallow their anger due to the growing strength of the Changning marriage alliance.

Of course.

This hatred was one-sided.

To the Changning Wang's Clan, the Zhenze Wang's Clan was not a significant concern. It was merely noted in the clan's records that there had been some friction with the Zhenze Wang's Clan in a certain year, ending on bad terms.

Despite the Wang's Clan's low profile, their status in the southern six guards of Longzuo was akin to an invisible overlord.

Except for Baidao Garrison, which was unsuitable for cultivation, and the Zhenze Wang's Clan, who held onto their stronghold, the other garrisons had almost all become grain production bases for the Wang's Clan. Each year, they produced high-quality grain seeds for the Wang's Clan, bringing enormous benefits.

However, the Wang's Clan treated these grain-producing families well, giving them some benefits as much as possible while ensuring their own interests.

As a result, the seventh, eighth, and ninth-grade clans of each garrison had come to see producing grain seeds for the Wang's Clan as their primary industry, earning substantial profits and smiling broadly.

Even the Tuo Ba and Tan Tai families of the East Sea Garrison, who had once been at odds with each other, had reconciled under the mediation of the Wang's Clan. They now helped with farming or participated in sea route transportation.

In these times, who would turn down money? Except for the Zhenze Wang's Clan, who had fifteen thousand acres of good land but refused to grow the Wang's Clan's grain, preferring to starve.

In fact, the other eighth and ninth-grade clans in Zhenze Garrison had already secretly allied with the Wang's Clan, half-openly and half-secretly growing grain for them. Even if the Wang's Clan knew, they could only turn a blind eye, as they couldn't defeat the Wang's Clan.

As for the Zhenze Wang's Clan's non-cooperation, the Changning Wang's Clan let them be. Fifteen thousand acres of good land was insignificant to the Wang's Clan now.

On this day.

In the main residence of the Zhenze Wang's Clan.

The somewhat aged Wang Kunyuan listened to the report from the young clan head, Wang Xingzu, with a face full of disbelief: "How is it possible? How is it possible? Wang Shouyong and Wang Luotong are only in their eighties or nineties, and they've already advanced to the Celestial Realm. Such talent, isn't it the mark of a great prodigy?"

Wang Kunyuan had always been proud of his status as a great prodigy. Although the Wang's Clan had indeed produced great prodigies in the academy, with boundless prospects, he, Wang Kunyuan, also had the pride of a great prodigy.

Wang Xingzu's face was bitter: "Ancestor, who would have thought the Wang's Clan hid so deeply? Besides those in the academy, the clan has three great prodigies, no, four. It's said that Wang Shouye, the personal disciple of Pill Cauldron Master, is also a great prodigy!"

"The number of great prodigies in their clan..." Wang Kunyuan's old eyes were filled with fear. "How can they appear in such numbers? In ordinary clans, having one great prodigy is already considered extraordinary luck."

Having two would mean their ancestors had accumulated countless merits.

Having them appear in such numbers either meant the Wang's Clan's bloodline had suddenly reverted to an ancestral state, or they had encountered some special fortuitous event. Similar situations had occurred in Daqian's history.

Some clans also had their own secrets to ensure a continuous supply of great prodigies.

"Ancestor, regardless of the reason, the Wang's Clan has already become a formidable force." Wang Xingzu advised bitterly, "In the future, they might even advance to a fifth-grade or even fourth-grade clan! We can't oppose them anymore."

Wang Kunyuan's face was also full of bitterness. For the past fifty years, the Wang's Clan had always regarded the Wang's Clan as an enemy. But seeing the Wang's Clan's revealed strength now, it seemed they had never taken the Wang's Clan seriously.

"Ancestor, we can help the Wang's Clan grow grain seeds. The extra Top Gold we earn can be used to buy you some cultivation pills..." Wang Xingzu said, "As long as you can reach the peak of the Celestial Realm, our Wang's Clan will sell everything to support your advancement to the Purple Mansion Realm."

"The Purple Mansion Realm?" Wang Kunyuan shook his head bitterly. "It's too late. Most great prodigies advance to the Purple Mansion Realm by the age of three hundred and thirty at the latest. Forget it, Xingzu, go and apologize to the Wang's Clan. From now on, our Wang's Clan will help them grow grain. All the resources we earn will be used to nurture the younger generation."

"Ancestor, you..." Wang Xingzu said anxiously.

"This matter is decided. No, I should prepare a generous gift and personally visit Master Wang Shouzhe to apologize. I hope the Wang's Clan will forgive us for the sake of our kinship." Wang Kunyuan had fully understood that the Wang's Clan had become a formidable force, and the southern six guards would inevitably become their traditional stronghold.

The actions of the Zhenze Wang's Clan were not isolated.

After hearing the news, the seventh-grade clans of the southern six guards received invitations from the Changning Wang's Clan. They prepared generous gifts and decided that the clan ancestors and heads would personally visit to congratulate and attend the ceremony in Ping'an Town, Changning.

Regardless of their true feelings, they had to appear happy at this moment.

The most enthusiastic were the eighth and ninth-grade clans. They had no grand ambitions under the seventh-grade clans.

Now that the Wang's Clan not only led them in making money but had also become the only sixth-grade clan in the southern six guards, they naturally became the regional overlord. If they had any unsolvable problems in the future, they wouldn't be left without recourse.

The seventh-grade clans above them would naturally not dare to act too recklessly. However, the Wang's Clan did not invite the eighth and ninth-grade clans to the promotion ceremony. After all, there were many seventh-grade clans in Longzuo Commandery, and it was impossible to invite so many eighth and ninth-grade clans.

But the eighth and ninth-grade clans didn't mind. They planned to gather and watch from afar on the day of the promotion ceremony.

Leaving aside the southern six guards, which had become the Wang's Clan's backyard.

Many clans in Longzuo Commandery received invitations from the Wang's Clan. They all prepared to send grand delegations to attend the ceremony. After all, in Longzuo Commandery, besides the two and a half Purple Mansion Clans, there were only six sixth-grade clans, and the Wang's Clan would be the seventh!

From this alone, it could be judged that the Changning Wang's Clan had already entered the "top ten" of Longzuo Commandery.

In addition.

Some clans outside Longzuo Commandery also responded. For example, the Fang Clan of Longyuan, a newly rising Purple Mansion Clan, had a very good relationship with the Changning Wang's Clan. Wang Shouzhe's second son, Wang Zongrui, had married the Fang Clan's direct descendant.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed, and the promotion ceremony of the Changning Wang's Clan was imminent.

Guests began to gather in Changning.

On the An River, one cargo ship and passenger ship after another arrived at the Dingpu Port.

Dingpu Port!

After more than seventy years of development and renovation, it had become one of the Wang's Clan's important ports and trading markets.

In addition, flying carriages continuously landed from the sky, stopping at the flying carriage station.

Among them, five flying carriages landed one after another, and a group of people dressed in luxurious clothes, mostly young, disembarked. The leader was a mature young man with a small mustache.

He looked around with his hands behind his back, exclaiming, "This Dingpu Port has changed so much in just thirty-some years. I almost don't recognize it."

This man was Wang Shihai, a prodigy of the Monan Wang's Clan. He had once followed Wang Shouzhe back to Changning Ping'an and helped with the reclamation, staying for several years before returning home.

Now, Wang Shihai was no longer the frivolous young man he once was. At seventy-one, he had broken through the barriers and advanced to the Celestial Realm last year. Such an achievement was quite remarkable even among prodigies.

"Thirty-ninth Uncle~" said a lazy, pleasant female voice. "Is this Ping'an Town? It looks pretty good, just as you said, a land of gold. For keeping your promise this time, you can delay the eight thousand Top Gold you owe me for half a year... but the interest can't be reduced."

The woman was beautiful, but her eyes lit up when talking about money.

"Wang Meitao," Wang Shihai's face changed, "Half a year? Even if I work for Fourth Uncle, I can't earn that much in half a year... Remember, the ten thousand Top Gold that started your fortune was given by me..."

This woman was Wang Meitao of the Monan Wang's Clan. When she was still a snot-nosed little girl, Wang Shihai had generously given her ten thousand Top Gold.

The result was unstoppable.

She had used that initial capital to start lending money among the younger generation of the Monan Wang's Clan, showing great talent in this area. In less than fifty years, that initial capital had grown to several million Top Gold.

Now, she was famous among her peers in Monan, "honored" as the Bloodsucking Peach... even Wang Shihai had suffered at her hands.

……