Protect Our Patriarch

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"Shut up, don't you dare insult my brother." The seven-tailed fire fox leaped out, fiercely defending her "brother," "Without Brother Shouzhe, I would have died during my heavenly tribulation. I did have a spirit pact with the Yuwen Clan's Ancestor, enjoyed their offerings, and protected them for a long time. But that doesn't mean you can control my personal life."

Seeing Lady Bilian's anger, Madame Bilian immediately softened, smiling awkwardly and saying, "Ancestor Fire Fox, I didn't mean it like that. You're so straightforward and innocent, I was just worried you'd be deceived by others."

As she spoke, she cast a meaningful glance at Wang Shouzhe.

Ever since she met this guy, nothing good has happened. She always ended up suffering losses at his hands, and now, even the Fire Fox Ancestor was nearly lured away by him.

"Madame Bilian, I've lived for so many years and seen more people than the grains of rice you've eaten. Who could possibly deceive me?" The seven-tailed fire fox swished her fluffy tail, looking wise beyond her years, "Brother Shouzhe is the best person I've ever met in my life."

Madame Bilian was speechless.

Wang Shouzhe's ability to charm was indeed formidable.

But what's done is done, and she had no other choice. It was fortunate that there was a spirit pact between the fire fox and the Yuwen Clan; otherwise, she really feared the fire fox might have been whisked away by him.

"If Ancestor Fire Fox wishes to visit Wang's Clan, it is entirely up to you, and who are we, the younger generation, to stop you?" Knowing the fire fox's temperament, Madame Bilian could only smile and coax, "However, you've just had a breakthrough and need time to consolidate your cultivation. It's not suitable to travel now. Besides, your breakthrough to the seventh tail is a joyous occasion. By tradition, our clan must prepare a grand banquet for you and invite all the major families to attend. You'll have to show up at that time."

Among the noble families, whenever an ancestor has a breakthrough, it's customary to follow certain protocols.

On one hand, it's to celebrate, and on the other, it's to announce the news far and wide to deter potential adversaries.

The current situation of the Yuwen Clan was like being surrounded by wolves. Now that the fire fox had advanced from six tails to seven, it was essential to announce it widely, to make those coveting the Yuwen Clan's territory think twice. This could save the Yuwen Clan a lot of trouble.

Hearing this, the seven-tailed fire fox's anger subsided somewhat, and she reluctantly nodded, "Fine~ I'll stay with the Yuwen Clan for now and go find Brother Shouzhe to play after my cultivation is stable."

"Thank you so much, Ancestor Fire Fox."

Madame Bilian finally breathed a sigh of relief, quietly wiping the cold sweat from her forehead.

Fortunately, although the fire fox was capricious and had a fiery temper, she was clear-headed about important matters, otherwise Madame Bilian really wouldn't know how to persuade her.

At this time, Ji Mingyu, Yuwen Jianye, and others also entered from outside the Tianhu Pavilion, and the crowd became boisterous, but let's not dwell on that for now.

At this point, Wang Shouzhe's mission on this trip was also successfully completed.

Madame Bilian had someone present two trays, one containing a stack of golden banknotes as thick as a thumb, and the other holding a small jade box.

She gestured for the servant to bring the banknotes to Wang Shouzhe and said, "Patriarch Wang Shouzhe, this is the one hundred thousand Top Gold we promised you. Additionally, thanks to your intervention, Ancestor Fire Fox was able to advance smoothly, and our Yuwen Clan must show our gratitude."

As she spoke, she opened the jade box on the other tray and explained, "This Absorbing Spirits Jade Case contains some rare and special plant seeds that the Yuwen Clan has collected over the years. Some are from foreign lands, the Commandery, and other nations, and some were found in ancient ruins. Each type has a detailed description. Knowing that Patriarch Wang Shouzhe is a high disciple of the Immortal of Eternal Spring, you may find something useful here."

While she resented Wang Shouzhe for charming the Fire Fox Ancestor, she knew that they absolutely could not afford to offend him, only to befriend him. After all, not only was Wang's Clan full of potential, but they also had a strong backing and excellent relations with the Academy, not something ordinary families could afford to provoke.

Wang Shouzhe's eyes lit up.

Although Wang's Clan had been thriving in business and making substantial profits in recent years, one hundred thousand Top Gold was still a considerable sum. Moreover, the clan needed money everywhere and couldn't save too much.

Visiting the Yuwen Clan this time, he had easily earned so much, so naturally, he was in a good mood.

And these seeds were an unexpected bonus.

For Basalt cultivators like him who specialized in wood-based techniques, special plant seeds often meant more diverse tactical strategies.

Over the years, he had been collecting special plants and cultivating them, which led to the creation of the "Witch Series" and the Iron Python Vines, among other combat resources.

But limited by the resources of Wang's Clan alone, the variety of plants they could find was finite.

The Academy had leaked almost all the plants they could, and now the Immortal of Eternal Spring avoided him, fearing he would ask for plants that couldn't be shared from the Academy.

It had been a long time since Wang Shouzhe had collected any new plants.

Madame Bilian's seeds were exactly what he needed.

After all, the Yuwen Clan was a major family with a thousand-year heritage. The plants they specifically collected and preserved must be special. If even one of these seeds was useful to him, it would enhance his combat strength.

It had to be said, Madame Bilian was not only capable of leading the Yuwen Clan through its decline but also had a keen mind. Just this gift alone showed her astuteness.

Although sometimes her thoughts were a bit strange and quirky, and Wang Shouzhe couldn't always fathom her intentions, in the end, she was generous!

"Madame has been thoughtful~"

Wang Shouzhe thanked Madame Bilian for her kindness and happily accepted both the Absorbing Spirits Jade Case and the banknotes. How could he not be happy? This "simple" mission had brought him many benefits. Not only were there these gains, but his bloodline had also reached the third peak, and he had gained the "friendship" of the seven-tailed fire fox, a strong ally for the future.

The more such simple missions, the better for Wang Shouzhe.

After settling the rewards, Wang Shouzhe stayed with the Yuwen Clan for a few more days, sampling all the delicacies of the new city with the company of the Yuwen Clan members before contentedly setting off for home. He was somewhat eager to return, as being the patriarch and away from the clan for too long was always a bit worrisome.

***

Almost at the same time.

Changning Commandery, Ping'an Town.

The rugged remnants of Liuping Mountain stretched across the south of Ping'an Town like a colossal sleeping dragon, cutting across the An River and separating the entire town from the continuous mountains to the south.

At this time, it was nearly summer outside the mountains, but inside it was the height of spring. The colorful mountain flowers bloomed in profusion, adding splashes of vibrant colors to the rolling hills. From above, it looked like a magnificent tapestry spread out, a feast for the eyes.

But beneath this tapestry, it was not entirely safe, but rather hidden dangers unknown to people.

At this moment, within the complex terrain of the Liuping Mountain remnants, a team of more than ten people was exploring and advancing through the mountains.

Common pack animals like horses and oxen were of no use in the complex mountain environment. Therefore, the pack animals in this team were a type of mountain goat called the Panjiao Pack Goat.

They were adept at climbing the rugged cliffs and could walk as if on flat ground even on the treacherous mountain paths. They were good companions domesticated by the barbarian mountain people over the long years, helping humans transport small amounts of supplies in the mountains.

The surrounding areas of Changning Wang's Clan were mostly hills and mountains, with the long and steep remnants of Liuping Mountain on the outskirts. Therefore, through their own ranch channels, Changning Wang's Clan obtained a batch of Panjiao Pack Goats, specifically for exploring and patrolling the surrounding mountains.

The remnants of Liuping Mountain were towering and steep, with countless ravines and gullies. Even though Wang's Clan had been stationed in Ping'an Town for a hundred or two hundred years, they could not penetrate deep into the complex mountain ranges.

But this work had to be done.

If they could not map out all the surrounding mountain environments and eliminate the remaining fierce beasts or other hidden dangers, they would be like invisible landmines, never knowing when they might explode.

Especially after the beast calamity years ago, many fierce beasts fled deep into the surrounding mountains. Over the past sixty or seventy years, first and second-order fierce beasts have been found near Ping'an Town from time to time, and there have been vicious incidents of biting and even killing people and livestock.

Therefore, the increasingly strong Wang's Clan decided ten years ago to allocate a portion of manpower and resources to "clear the yard" of "snakes, insects, rats, and ants" and to map out detailed mountain maps, including various special locations.

Special locations included micro or small spirit veins, mineral deposits, special medicinal herbs, heavenly materials and earthly treasures, and some valleys that could barely be cultivated but would be very laborious to farm, among others.

Over the past ten years.

Wang's Clan has been "clearing the fog" in the surrounding mountains, and the overall work has been completed by about thirty percent. They have also discovered some special locations, which have been marked on the map one by one. When the time and opportunity are right, they will be incorporated into the family's development plans.

Because Changning Wang's Clan implemented a family contribution value system, and the contribution system has been continuously improved and perfected over time. Therefore, these exploration and patrol tasks, which are not highly dangerous but offer good contribution values, are very popular with the younger generation of the family.

If they are lucky enough to find precious mineral deposits or small spirit veins, they will be rewarded with a large number of contribution values.

The only minor regret for the younger generation is that only those who are sixteen years old or older, or under sixteen but have reached the Lingtai Realm, are allowed to take on the "clearing the surrounding environmental fog tasks" after receiving relevant education and passing the test.

What the younger generation of Wang's Clan did not know was that this restriction was strongly imposed by the patriarch Wang Shouzhe. The reason is simple, to prevent someone like his great-niece Wang Lici from being a fool who eats anything she sees. It's one thing for her to eat whatever she wants, but it's another to bring it back and feed it to the children.

Although that incident brought good fortune out of misfortune for several children, it was still reckless, and it couldn't be said that because one reckless act brought benefits, it was no longer reckless.

Changning Wang's Clan was not very populous to begin with, and it was not easy for the younger generation to flourish a little. Wang Shouzhe was counting on them to work hard for the rise of Wang's Clan and to reproduce more descendants to add more people.

Now, if one was lost for no reason, wouldn't it mean a few hundred or a thousand fewer clan members a thousand years from now?

Thus, this exploration team was led by the younger generation of Wang's Clan, with a team of family guards accompanying them.

"Zongyao." A young man in black attire with a sword hanging from his waist, handsome with sword-like eyebrows, said with a tired frown, "We've been exploring for several days. Are you really sure there's a trace of a second-order peak Red Scale Horned Python in this area?"

"Uncle Eight." The young man named Zongyao replied respectfully, "Last time I got lost with a few family guards and stumbled upon a snake slough in this unexplored area. After identification, it was confirmed to be the slough of a Red Scale Horned Python, and its realm is estimated to be around the second-order peak based on known information."

These two young men, both handsome and spirited, were none other than the fourth of the eighth generation of the Zong generation of Changning Wang's Clan, Wang Zongyao, and the eighth of the seventh generation of the Shou generation, Wang Shouming.

If we talk about age, Wang Zongyao is already twenty years old, one year older than Wang Shouming.

The once naive children, the troublemakers in the clan school, have now grown into outstanding members of Wang's Clan's younger generation, contributing to the development of Changning Wang's Clan.

"Zongyao, I'm not trying to question your judgment." Wang Shouming said with slight concern, "We've taken on the exploration task for this area and have invested heavily, hiring a group of family guards including Brother Hu, and rented ten Panjiao Pack Goats, as well as a low-grade storage ring from the family treasure pavilion. The supplies can only support ten days of consumption. If there's no gain, we'll suffer a big loss."

"Brother, I know you're anxious for the 'snake gall' of the Red Scale Horned Python." A seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, dressed in a dashing manner, said, "But Zongyao has been mature and steady since he was a child. I wouldn't dare say his judgment is 100% accurate, but there's always an eighty or ninety percent chance. Don't be impatient. The habitat of the Red Scale Horned Python often has underground fire or fire spirit veins. If we really find a fire spirit vein, our previous investment will come back a hundredfold."

This beautiful and spirited girl was none other than the ninth of the Luo generation of Wang's Clan, Wang Luoling. She and Wang Shouming were both the second son and daughter of the sixth of the Ding generation, Wang Dinghai.

Nowadays, the younger generation of Wang's Clan, thanks to the family's strength and abundant resources, whether it's the education they received from childhood or the resources, are incomparable to the era of Wang Luotong, Wang Shuonuo, and others.

Even if they are not the direct line but the collateral line, the resources they enjoy are far stronger than those of the direct line Lingtai seedlings of ordinary ninth-grade noble families.

As a result, the development of the younger generation in the family is quite good. Wang Zongyao, at only twenty years old, has already reached the eighth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, and the Xuan Qi cultivated from the Xuan Yuan Jue is thick and solid.

Although Wang Shouming is only at the peak of the seventh layer of the Qi Refining Realm, it is because he tried to match the high-grade fire technique "Red Dragon True Skill" in his early years, which slowed down his cultivation speed.

But in terms of pure combat power, Wang Shouming, who cultivates the Red Dragon True Skill, is a few points more domineering and powerful.

Even Wang Luoling, a daughter, has matched and cultivated a mid-grade earth technique "Earth Xuan Skill" that can directly point to the Heavenly Man Realm. This technique is not strong in the early stage, but the more it is cultivated, the more profound it becomes. Not only is its defense astonishing, but it also has mysterious techniques that can change the terrain and features.

In fact, if it weren't for pursuing the Dao of the Purple Mansion, some techniques that match one's own would be more suitable. Not everyone in Wang's Clan can walk the path of the Purple Mansion; they don't have the qualifications or conditions, and they can't afford the consumption.

With such generous conditions, how can they be compared to when Wang Shouzhe and others were young?

Besides Wang Luoling, there was also a young lady from the Li generation of Wang's Clan in the team, the fourth of the Li generation, Wang Lilian.

She is now eighteen years old, and although her cultivation is not top-notch among the younger generation of Wang's Clan, she is already at the peak of the sixth layer of the Qi Refining Realm at a young age, which is comparable to Wang Shouzhe when he first crossed over.

She also joined the discussion, "The family arranges these 'exploration fog' tasks mainly to train us. When we go out, we always have to think that we will gain nothing, so we won't be disappointed."

"Compared to this task, I'm more worried about Sister Liyao. She's been at the Academy for two or three months now, and she must have enrolled by now. Liyao's temperament has always been stubborn, and she caused a lot of trouble in the clan school for us. I hope everything goes well for her at the Academy and she's not bullied by some bad guys."

These young people of Wang's Clan, all around seventeen or eighteen years old, grew up together with Wang Liyao in the Academy. They had caused trouble together and been punished together, and their feelings for each other were very deep.

On the other hand, Luoqiu, Luoqing, and Wang Lici were somewhat estranged because they were much older and had left the family for the Academy early.

When it comes to Luoqiu and Luoqing, these young people feel more awe and admiration.

As soon as Wang Liyao was mentioned, the young people began to discuss, but most believed that Liyao would not suffer in the Academy. Not to mention her personal strength, which had reached a level where her peers could not even see clearly.

Just to say that Wang's Clan also had some footing in the Academy, they were not so easy to bully.

"Calculate the time." Wang Shouming said, "Fourth Brother sending Liyao to the Academy should also be almost back. Let's all work harder, hoping to find a fire spirit vein this time and make Fourth Brother happy."

When it came to Wang Shouzhe, the young people all showed admiration and excitement. Fourth Brother/Fourth Uncle was a legendary figure in Wang's Clan. It was he who led the declining family step by step to where it is today.

Although there is currently only one Ancestor Long Yan in the family who is in the Heavenly Man Realm, no seventh-grade family in the southern six guards of Longzuo Commandery dares to underestimate the newly promoted Changning Wang's Clan.

The young people of Wang's Clan were slightly excited and continued to invest in the arduous and tedious exploration process. The mountain roads that had not been explored for many years were rugged and dangerous, with mountains overlapping or ancient trees blocking the way. Even with their considerable cultivation, they had to be extremely cautious.

Several days later.

This area of the mountains was particularly desolate and frightening. They had lost three Panjiao Pack Goats and some supplies. If it weren't for the storage ring they rented before setting out, they would probably be running low on supplies by now and would have to retreat the way they came and accept the loss.

Suddenly!

Wang Shouming, who cultivated the fire-based "Red Dragon True Skill," showed a hint of joy, "I smell a hint of heat. The temperature in this area is rising in that direction."

When there's a regional change in temperature, there are only a few possibilities. It could be a place where underground fire is leaking, or a fire spirit vein, or in more extreme cases, some fire-based heavenly materials and earthly treasures might have fallen here. Of course, the worst-case scenario would be the presence of a high-level fierce beast. Normally, fifth-order fierce beasts with higher intelligence would stay as far away from human settlements as possible unless there were special circumstances.

"Sister." Wang Shouming said to Wang Luoling, "It's up to you now."

"Okay!" Wang Luoling took out a bead that emitted an earthy glow. As she used her "Earth Xuan Skill" technique, the bead fell to the ground and shone brightly, with soil and rocks flowing towards it like water.

Wang Luoling kept infusing earth-based Xuan Qi, and soon she was drenched in sweat. When she finished, the soil and rocks had formed around the bead into a small earth golem only three feet tall. It looked somewhat dull and not very intelligent.

But even this small earth golem attracted envious looks from Wang Shouming, Wang Zongyao, and Wang Lilian. Luoling's magical treasure, named "Earth Spirit Bead," was not to be underestimated.

This was not something she exchanged with her own contribution values, but a gift from her direct elder brother Wang Shouye. Wang Shouye was a clan member who accepted the alchemy inheritance and could save up quite a few family contribution values each year.

Seeing that the family treasure pavilion had such a fine earth-based magical treasure, he exchanged it and gave it to his sister Wang Luoling. Don't underestimate this "Earth Spirit Bead," although it can only summon an earth golem equivalent to the peak of the Qi Refining Realm, it required more than fifty thousand merit points to exchange.

Apart from the elders, only someone as "generous" as Wang Shouye could afford such an exchange.

It was said that this "Earth Spirit Bead" was sent to the Academy by Wang Lici, who hadn't returned home for a long time, and then sent back by Wang Zongsheng from the Academy. Heaven knows where Wang Lici got this thing from?

This little magical treasure had many clever uses. Some cultivators who practiced earth-based Xuan techniques could activate it to transform into an earth golem. Although its combat power and intelligence were questionable, it was perfect for doing hard labor, transporting goods, or exploring dangerous areas.

Of course, Wang Luoling's current cultivation and strength were still low, so the earth golem she summoned was very weak and could only be used for scouting.

After a brief rest, Wang Luoling began to direct the small earth golem to move forward. The golem wasn't large, but it made a lot of noise as it walked, attracting attention.

After about a hundred zhang, when she could barely sense the Earth Spirit Bead, she had it stop.

Leaving two family guards to watch over the Panjiao Pack Goats and the luggage, everyone cautiously followed the direction of the earth golem. But they stopped about ten zhang behind the golem, waiting for it to continue scouting.

This cycle repeated, and after most of the day had passed.

They had entered a scorching hot area where most ordinary plants had disappeared, leaving only some highly heat-resistant weeds struggling to survive.

"This..." Wang Shouming observed the terrain and noticed some solidified lava rocks, immediately feeling a bit disappointed, "It seems it's not a fire spirit vein but a place where underground fire has leaked. Hopefully, we can find some valuable heavenly materials and earthly treasures."

"Be careful! The earth golem has been destroyed."

Wang Luoling's pretty face changed slightly, "It moved so fast, it doesn't feel like a second-order..."

Not second-order? Could it be third-order?

The young people of Wang's Clan immediately became serious and prepared for battle. Wang Shouming, though not the oldest, took command due to his seniority, "Brother Hu, you and the family guards form a formation first."

The family guard called Brother Hu was Wang Zhong's son, Wang Hu, one of the family's key trained guards. Now thirty years old, his strength had reached the peak of the eighth layer of the Qi Refining Realm. He drew his broadsword and shield, his eyes steady and composed, "Form up!"

A group of young and vibrant family guards formed a battle formation around Wang Hu. The front row held shields, and the back row held strong bows.

At the same time, the members of Wang's Clan also took out their strong bows, concealing their breath and preparing for the upcoming fierce battle.

Just as they were ready, suddenly, a red "flame" charged towards them with agility, accompanied by a foul stench.

"It's a third-order Red Scale Horned Python!"

"Everyone, be careful."