Protect Our Patriarch

...

While Emperor Longchang was pondering about Wang Shouzhe, Wang Shouzhe and his group, led by Wang Yuchang and others, finally arrived at the main residence of the Daqian Wang's Clan.

As one of the three most ancient families in the history of the Great Qian, the main residence of the Daqian Wang's Clan has a history of over seven thousand years.

Just from the vast area of this main residence and the majestic aura emanating from the gaps in the brick walls and tiles, one can glimpse the former glory of the Daqian Wang's Clan.

On Earth, this would undoubtedly be considered a historical relic.

Of course, the materials used in the Wang's Clan main residence are not ordinary; otherwise, they would have decayed after thousands of years.

Yet, even so, regular maintenance is necessary. Otherwise, even the best wood cannot withstand the erosion of time. The Wang's Clan spends a fortune annually just on maintaining the main residence.

At the forefront of this magnificent architectural complex stands a massive archway.

The archway, over seven zhang high, is entirely carved from white jade. At the top hangs a plaque made of gold-threaded ironwood, inscribed with the words "Merit Passed Down Through Generations" in bold strokes.

It is said that this plaque was personally inscribed by Emperor Ziwei Xuandu, the founding emperor, representing the former emperor's regard for the Daqian Wang's Clan and a commendation for their meritorious deeds.

Similar archways and plaques exist only at the Daqian Zhao's Clan besides the Daqian Wang's Clan.

Just this plaque alone is enough to make other families envious, especially the Gongye and Chen Clans, who aspire to surpass them.

After passing through the archway and entering the main residence area of the Daqian Wang's Clan, Wang Shouzhe clearly felt the spiritual energy in the air increase significantly.

It was evident that a Gathering Spirit Array had been set up in the main residence of the Daqian Wang's Clan.

This was likely left by the ancestors of the Daqian Wang's Clan. In such an environment, even just living here could strengthen the body and prolong life, let alone cultivating.

"Shouzhe, over there is the council hall, where the elders' meetings are regularly held to discuss and decide on various family matters."

"That area is the main martial training ground, where the clan soldiers and family guards are trained, or where major events are held."

"Do you see that grand hundred-zhang-high building? That's our Wang's Clan's Nine-layer Xuanyuan Tower, a foundational inheritance site built at great expense by our ancestors, who invited master builders and formation masters from the Immortal Court. It's also the core formation eye of our Wang's Clan's Gathering Spirit Array."

Wang Yuchang led Wang Shouzhe and his group on a tour inside the Wang's Clan main residence, carefully introducing some of the more important buildings and the history associated with them.

Listening to all this, Wang Shouzhe couldn't help but feel a myriad of emotions.

Truly worthy of being a family that has endured for over seven thousand years, the foundation is incredibly deep. Even ordinary spiritual seedlings, after being tempered by the long years, have transformed into towering trees brimming with spiritual energy.

The bricks beneath their feet, casually stepped on, might have been laid down by ancestors thousands of years ago, carrying a rich sense of historical vicissitudes.

Compared to this, the foundation of the Changning Wang's Clan is too shallow.

However, the current Changning Wang's Clan has its own advantages, being young and full of vitality. Unlike the Daqian Wang's Clan, which is bloated and cumbersome, with countless clan members entangled in complex relationships, few truly promising ones, and most just wanting to live comfortably for a lifetime.

The Duke of Dingguo's mansion is vast, almost equivalent to the size of a garrison town. The main residence alone has over ten thousand direct descendants, and the number of servants, family guards, and retainers totals tens of thousands.

This is just those permanently residing in the main residence; the number of clan members and family guards scattered outside is also quite large. In Guilong City and its surrounding suburbs, there are many branch families of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, as well as a very large number of collateral lines.

Historically, many branches have split from the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, but in the long historical process, most have either perished or severed ties with the main line.

Among them, the Monan Wang's Clan, Longzuo Wang's Clan, and another Tianfu Wang's Clan were all originally branches split off by Purple Mansion elders of the Daqian Wang's Clan, which is why they are relatively strong overall.

Yet even so, the Longzuo Wang's Clan almost fell into obscurity.

Wang Shouzhe and others looked at everything within the Wang's Clan main residence, and despite being mentally prepared, they couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

However, the Wang's Clan main residence was too large for Wang Shouzhe and others to possibly explore fully in a short time. Therefore, after a brief overview, Clan Head Yuchang led Wang Shouzhe and others to the banquet hall for guests, where a welcoming banquet was held for them.

The lively atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the main line need not be elaborated on.

In the end, Clan Head Yuchang even secretly slipped a red envelope to both Wang Yingxuan and Wang Lilong. Needless to say, each contained fifteen Top Gold notes.

It was clear that Clan Head Yuchang had high hopes for both Wang Yingxuan and Wang Lilong, believing that both the person and the dragon had great potential for the future, which was a form of care, expectation, and support for the younger generation among the families.

Wang Shouzhe was quite aware of the current situation of the Daqian Wang's Clan, knowing that due to Emperor Longchang's intentional or unintentional suppression and exclusion over the millennia, although the Daqian Wang's Clan had not truly declined, the family foundation accumulated in the early years was gradually being eroded. Many external industries were unknowingly disappearing, either closing down or being sold.

Currently, the economic situation of the Daqian Wang's Clan is not very good, and the funds available for nurturing clan members are quite tight. Only the more important clan members can receive better training, such as those in the Celestial Realm, Purple Mansion Realm, or Divine Realm, which are the clan's main representatives. The middle and lower-level clan members often do not receive the best training and often cannot compete with the increasingly powerful An Guogong's Mansion in external competition.

As a result, they naturally fall into a vicious cycle.

After the welcoming banquet.

Wang Shouzhe and others were arranged to stay in a guest residence called the "Four Seasons Garden."

This Four Seasons Garden, located on the west side of the main residence, covers an area of several dozen acres, with many exotic flowers and plants, as well as elegantly designed garden rockeries, bamboo groves, and fish ponds.

Most uniquely, the courtyard is arranged with four small formations to control the temperature in different areas, allowing exotic flowers and plants that should bloom in different seasons to bloom in the same courtyard at the same time.

Inside the residence, from the kitchen to the gardeners, to the servants responsible for cleaning, the number of servants and attendants reaches a hundred.

Such a luxurious scene is not found within the Changning Wang's Clan. The small courtyard where Wang Shouzhe and Liu Ruolan live only has a few servants who come to clean regularly, plus two cooks.

Tending the courtyard and planting flowers and plants are all done by Wang Shouzhe and his wife themselves.

However, the Daqian Wang's Clan is the main line, and it's not Wang Shouzhe's place to comment. Since they are here, they might as well adapt to the local customs.

In this Four Seasons Garden, there are outer rooms for the accompanying family guards and others to stay. After arranging for the accompanying subordinates, Wang Shouzhe personally took the three little ones to stay in the inner courtyard.

At this point, Wang Shouzhe and others finally had some private time to rest.

Wang Anye obediently handed the red envelope with fifteen Top Gold notes to Wang Shouzhe, saying, "Great-grandfather, please keep this. I noticed that the Yuchang Ancestor's family doesn't seem very well-off, and you probably intend to return it. You can't always pay out of your own pocket."

Hearing this, Wang Shouzhe couldn't help but smile.

He remembered that in his previous life, when he was a child, the red envelopes he received were just passed through his hands. His parents either used the excuse of saving it for his marriage or simply said they would return it to the relatives' children.

Unexpectedly, Anye was so perceptive that he could infer from some minor details that the current Daqian Wang's Clan was somewhat outwardly strong but inwardly weak.

However, this young man doing so might offend people~

Sure enough, Wang Yingxuan and Wang Lilong both glared at him angrily.

Wang Anye might be a little rich, but they were not~! They had finally received a large number of red envelopes, thinking they could save up a little private stash, but before they could even warm it up, they had to hand it over to the guardian. How could they not be angry?

Of course, they could choose not to hand it over, but doing so would make them seem very unfilial.

"Xiao Qi, I suddenly remembered there's a math problem I can't solve. Let's go to the small grove over there to discuss it." Wang Yingxuan's eyes rolled, and she suddenly put her arm around Anye's neck, speaking with a friendly smile.

"Yes, yes, I have several problems I can't solve." Wang Lilong also grinned mischievously, rubbing her hands together as she spoke.

"Well... we can just discuss it here. Why go to the grove to do math problems?" Wang Anye looked adorably confused, not understanding.

"Just go when you're told, why all the chatter!" Wang Yingxuan said impatiently.

Alright...

Wang Anye was good-natured.

Then, a delinquent girl and a delinquent dragon girl dragged Wang Anye to the small grove.

After a while.

From the grove came Wang Yingxuan's cries: "You, Wang Anye! I'm your aunt! How dare you use a Divine Spirit Artifact to summon your grandpa in a fight, just because you think I'm poor? Boohoo~~"

"Ji Wuchen, how dare you meddle in my affairs? Ouch, ouch~~ hit lighter~~~ you old man, if you keep hitting so hard, I'll have to reveal my true form! Wang Anye, you're too despicable, using a stomachache curse in a fight. Awoo, awoo, ouch, ouch, I was wrong... please stop hitting, I was just joking with Anye."

For a while, the small grove was filled with chaotic energy, truly a scene of chaos and disorder.

A quarter of an hour later.

A girl and a dragon girl returned to Wang Shouzhe's room, supporting each other, both beaten black and blue, tearfully seeking treatment.

It wasn't that their injuries were that severe, but they had planned to go out shopping and enjoy the sights of the Imperial Capital.

Now, looking like this, how could they show their faces?

"Aunt Yingxuan, Great-aunt Lilong." Wang Anye followed behind them, looking speechless, "Next time you want to joke, remember to tell me first. My master's reflexes are too intense, you need to give him a heads-up."

A heads-up, my foot~

Wang Yingxuan and Wang Lilong's mouths twitched.

Wang Shouzhe watched the scene with a smile, not intervening from start to finish.

Yingxuan and Lilong couldn't have anticipated that Senior Ji Wuchen's soul had become so solidified, making it not easy to bully Anye.

It was just as well to let these two little troublemakers learn a lesson, lest they become too unruly.

Taking this opportunity, Wang Shouzhe naturally took the red envelopes from all three, smiling as he said, "I'll keep these for you and buy you some pills later."

Especially Yingxuan and Lilong, these two little aunts were not good things.

In the Imperial Capital, with a fortune in their pockets, they could get carried away, probably squandering it all in no time, which would be a waste of hard-earned money.

Wang Yingxuan and Wang Lilong's faces drooped, tears almost bursting forth.

Fortunately, Wang Shouzhe handed each of them a small stack of gold notes, totaling over ten thousand Top Gold, making them smile through their tears.

As for Anye, he wasn't given any. The amount of money in his Boundless Treasure Ring was unknown even to Wang Shouzhe. Giving him ten or twenty thousand Top Gold would be an insult.

At the age of ten, it's the time when one is most restless.

Sure enough, by the second day, the three little ones couldn't resist the temptation and went out to explore the Imperial Capital.

Naturally, the Daqian Wang's Clan took this very seriously, not only having Wang An'nan accompany them but also arranging for a Purple Mansion Realm elder to watch over them in secret.

As for Wang Shouzhe, he didn't come to the Imperial Capital for fun this time.

He had several important matters to attend to, the first of which was to find a true method for cultivation for the family.

The so-called "true method" refers to a cultivation method that can directly lead to the Divine Realm. For example, the "True Method of the Glazed King" practiced by Luo Qiu and Li Ci is a true method inheritance.

Now, the Wang's Clan's wealth and foundation have significantly increased, and the number of great prodigies in the clan is booming. Ancestor Long Yan and Ruolan's bloodline qualifications have even reached the level of innate spiritual bodies.

With such powerful qualifications and their current cultivation, breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm is just a matter of thirty or forty years.

High-grade methods can only be cultivated until breaking through to the Purple Mansion Realm. Without a suitable true method, once they advance to the Purple Mansion Realm, they won't be able to continue cultivating.

Even if they continue cultivating with the original method, the cultivation speed will become extremely slow.

Therefore, he must quickly acquire a true method inheritance.

However, true method inheritances are extremely important in any family or force and are not easily passed on to outsiders.

Wang Shouzhe, being an external direct disciple of the Purple Mansion Academy, has already reached the limit by being authorized to cultivate the "Changchun True Art," a high-grade method. To cultivate a complete true method, one must formally join the Holy Land.

But even the Lingyun Holy Land only possesses nine complete true methods, which is why the Holy Land's nine veins exist.

Apart from the Lingyun Holy Land, the Daqian royal family has the most true method inheritances, but they only have eight true methods.

Fortunately, the Daqian Wang's Clan is also an ancient family with a long history, and it is said that the clan possesses two true method inheritances.

After much thought, Wang Shouzhe felt that obtaining a true method inheritance from the Daqian Wang's Clan was the most convenient path, so he decided to try it first.

...

An hour later.

In a lush jade bamboo forest, Wang Shouzhe and Clan Head Yuchang sat facing each other, drinking spiritual tea.

Clan Head Yuchang's expression was serious, with a slightly troubled look: "Shouzhe, you should know that for any upper third-grade family, the inheritance of a true method is of utmost importance."

"Although this matter is not as significant as the Imperial Heir Struggle of the royal family or the Holy Son Struggle of the Lingyun Holy Land, not every clan member can cultivate it just because they want to."

"Clan Head Yuchang," Wang Shouzhe asked with a calm smile, "although my Changning Wang's Clan is just a branch of the Wang's Clan, the blood of the founding ancestor 'Ancestor Dingxuan' flows in our veins. Surely, the excellent bloodline inheritors of the ancestors won't be left without a true method to cultivate?"

The Holy Land is indeed a path, but not everyone in the family can take the Holy Land path, right?

"Of course not," Clan Head Yuchang hurriedly shook his head, "but this matter has never had a precedent before, so I dare not make the decision. How about this, let's wait a few days until the ancestor comes out of seclusion, and then discuss this matter?"

"When Shouzhe wrote to me earlier, I had already tried to notify the ancestor. Considering the timing, the ancestor should be coming out of seclusion in the next few days. At that time, the ancestor will take you and a few others to pay respects to the Wang's Clan ancestors."

"By the way~" At this point, Wang Yuchang remembered something, "Shouzhe, you mentioned in your last letter that the seventh legion commander during the Shenwu Royal Dynasty was named 'Wang Chuanwu'? A great figure at the peak of the Void Realm? But I searched through the family records and found that the Wang's Clan's historical inheritance can only be traced back to about fifteen thousand years ago, and beyond that, it becomes unclear. The historical material you discovered is truly a great achievement, uncovering the true origin of our Wang's Clan's inheritance."

"Once I have completed the inheritance records, I will personally make a trip to the Immortal Dynasty to meet with a few related families and discuss matters such as establishing an ancestral shrine for Ancestor Chuanwu."

"This is a significant matter, and if Ancestor Chuanwu's spirit is still around, he would surely be gratified by the prosperity of his descendants." Wang Shouzhe's expression was also very serious, and he solemnly said, "I leave everything to Clan Head Yuchang."

Clan Head Yuchang smiled, "It's all about our own ancestors, so there's no need to talk about hard work."

With that, the two exchanged a glance, everything understood without words.

...

The adults were on a business trip for serious matters, but the children's main activity on a trip was naturally to play.

With Wang An'nan, a local who knew the area well, Wang Anye and the others had a great time and didn't have to worry about being bullied. After all, except for a few limited individuals, Wang An'nan feared almost no one among his peers.

As for bullying the weak, that rarely happened in Shangjing City. After all, when young peers fought, it was called roughhousing, and even if they lost, it was due to inferior skills, with nothing to say.

But if the strong bullied the weak... doesn't everyone have elders? If things got serious, it would be quite a spectacle.

At first, Wang An'nan was very reluctant to play with the little kids, especially Wang Anye. He felt that the kid was young but had quite an attitude.

But it didn't take half a day for him to find it quite enjoyable.

Because he discovered that Wang Anye had two not-so-good habits.

First, he liked to buy things in bulk, and everyone got a share.

Second, Wang Anye had a bad habit of tipping randomly. He would tip when buying clothes, tip when he saw a beggar on the street, and tip when someone said a few nice words.

Serving Young Master Xiao Qi, Wang An'nan naturally received many tips. The more he was tipped, the more diligently he served, and the more diligently he served, the more he was tipped.

Wang An'nan happily found himself in a positive cycle, and he became more willing to run errands for Anye.

"Xiao Qi, you must be hungry. Brother will take you to the best restaurant in Shangjing City—'Wan Yao Lou.' This meal is on your brother An'nan." With his wallet bulging, Wang An'nan's confidence swelled, and he patted his chest with a look of deep loyalty.

"Thank you, Brother An'nan." Wang Anye bowed slightly, expressing his gratitude.

He was always grateful to those who treated him well, repaying them a hundredfold.

"An'nan nephew, isn't that right?" Wang Yingxuan questioned, "I heard that the most popular restaurant in Shangjing City now is 'White Cloud Tower.'"

At the mention of White Cloud Tower, Wang An'nan's face turned as dark as ink.

In that White Cloud Tower, he had experienced two major social death scenes in a very short time, which were simply too embarrassing to recall.

That place had become a nightmare for him for life.

"White Cloud Tower is all hype, using its fame to raise prices, with a very black heart." Wang An'nan said righteously, "We locals in Shangjing City all know that it's a rip-off restaurant, and the Commandery Prince of Heng's knife is too sharp."

"Then forget it." Wang Anye frowned, "Let's try Wan Yao Lou then."

Although he wasn't short of money, he didn't like being taken advantage of.

"Alright~ Xiao Qi, Aunt Yingxuan, Great-aunt Lilong, follow me." Wang An'nan breathed a sigh of relief, finally dodging a bullet.

However, before he could fully relax.

Suddenly.

A clear and pleasant voice of a young girl came from the side: "Wang An'nan, I'll tell the Commandery Prince of Heng exactly what you said and see how he deals with you."

Wang An'nan's face turned white, and he gasped as he looked at the speaker: "It's you! Wu Xue'ning!"

"You should call me Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning," the voice said discontentedly.

Wang Yingxuan, Wang Lilong, and Wang Anye followed Wang An'nan's gaze and saw a girl with an extraordinary temperament.

The girl looked only two or three years older than Wang Anye and Wang Yingxuan, wearing exquisite and luxurious clothes, and her every move exuded a natural nobility. Yet, because her eyebrows were particularly lively, she didn't appear overbearing, but rather had a bit of a mischievous charm.

The newcomer was none other than Wu Xue'ning, ranked second among the "Top Ten Outstanding Youths" in Shangjing City.

At this moment, she had clearly grown taller compared to a couple of years ago, with curves in all the right places, blossoming into a little beauty.

Not far behind her was a young man holding a sword, with a restrained and steady aura.

He wore a green robe, had a dignified appearance, and an extraordinary temperament, with a breeze seemingly surrounding him, giving off an ethereal feeling like a gentle breeze and bright moon.

This young man, unsurprisingly, was Wu Zhixing, once again dragged out by Wu Xue'ning for a stroll.

At this moment, Wu Zhixing's face was somewhat bitter.

Being dragged out by Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning for a stroll was already a tough task, and now she was looking for trouble...

Wang An'nan was just boasting, why bother with him?

I, Wu Zhixing, just want to cultivate quietly, why is it so difficult?

"Hey, you kids, um, and that... dragon...!" Wu Xue'ning said, "Don't fall for Wang An'nan's tricks, Wan Yao Lou's dishes are much worse than White Cloud Tower's."

"Xiao Qi, she's biased because she's related to the White Cloud Tower owner, so her words lack credibility. Let's go to Wan Yao Lou." Wang An'nan didn't want to deal with Wu Xue'ning and pulled Wang Anye away.

"Wait! Wang An'nan, you were just socially dead twice at White Cloud Tower, right? If you want to blame someone, blame your family member Wang Liyao for not giving you face. Why take it out on White Cloud Tower?" Wu Xue'ning said discontentedly, "I don't care where you eat, but you can't slander White Cloud Tower."

"It has nothing to do with my Great-aunt Liyao." Wang An'nan's face darkened, "I just think White Cloud Tower's food isn't tasty. What, is your royal family so powerful now? Open a restaurant, and no one can say a bad word about it?"

The Daqian Wang's Clan had been oppressed for over three thousand years, and to say there was no resentment towards the royal family was impossible. Back then, the Wang's Clan's Ancestor Dingxuan was Emperor Ziwei Xuandu's right-hand man, and they had conquered the world together.

"Hmph~ fine, now that you have Wang Liyao backing you, your courage has grown. When I have completed my cultivation, I will challenge Wang Liyao again at White Cloud Tower, and then invite you to taste the dishes at White Jade Tower." Wu Xue'ning said with a cold smile, "Then you'll take back your words today."

But as soon as she finished speaking.

Wang Yingxuan, who had been silent beside Wang An'nan, was displeased and jumped out, hands on her hips, mocking: "Hey, hey~ who do you think you are? A little girl with a big mouth, aren't you afraid of biting your tongue?"

"Although my Great-aunt Liyao's strength is just so-so, she's not someone a wild girl like you, who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, can step on as you please!"