《Protect Our Chief》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ April 9th, Year 3145, Longchang Era of Da Qian Empire. The late Patriarch Wang Dingyue of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an passed from old age. After the seventh day of mourning, following the rules of the country and the clan, the first son of the direct lineage, Wang Shouzhe, succeeded as the next patriarch after reporting to Ancestor Longyan and other ancestors, under the presidency of his legitimate mother, Gongsun Hui of the Wang Clan, as well as the various elders of the clan. The Wang Clan was a Ninth Grade Arcane Martial Clan registered and evaluated by Da Qian Empire. Their influence was limited to the region of Ping¡¯an Town of Changning Wei. They were considered a last-rate noble clan. However, their ancestors had been prestigious, once. Their roots could be traced back to the Wang lineage of Da Qian. For an unknown reason, a thousand years ago, their ancestor had branched out from the Wang lineage of Da Qian and traveled thousands of miles to the Longzuo County. He pioneered to establish the Longzuo Wang Clan, thus laying the foundations of the clan. Back then, the Longzuo Wang Family could be considered a prestigious family with unparalleled fame. Unfortunately, nothing good lasts forever. After the glory, the clan¡¯s situation declined day by day. Later¡­ During year 3000 of Longchang Era, the talented Wang Zhou Xuan of the Longzuo royal family traveled south to Changning Wei, with his family and an order of pioneering. He established strongholds and towns at the intersection of the Liuping Mountain Range and the An River. He was instrumental in pioneering human habitats in difficult conditions and establishing the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an, allowing it to take root and thrive. At his apex, Ancestor Zhouxuan¡¯s combat strength reached the advanced stage of the Spirit Tower Realm, and had dominating influence over Ping¡¯an Town. What made Ancestor Zhouxuan even prouder was that his granddaughter of the direct lineage, Wang Longyan, was extraordinarily gifted. She attained the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm at only the age of 18. After being accepted by the renowned Violet Palace Academy, she broke through to the Spirit Tower Realm at the age of 30, and broke through to the intermediate level of the Spirit Tower Realm before the age of 60. She was highly valued by the Violet Palace Academy and a focus of their cultivation. At the same time, Wang Longyan, along with Liu Xuanfu of the Liu Clan of Shangyin, were known as the Belles of Changning, with a far-reaching reputation. In addition, the great-grandson of the Ancestor¡¯s direct line of descent, Wang Qiongyuan, also had extraordinary talent. With the patriarch¡¯s nurturing and support, he reached the Spirit Tower Realm at the age of 40, and took over the position of patriarch. At that time, with three Spirit Tower Realm cultivators in the same clan, the Wang Clan enjoyed boundless glory, and the clan¡¯s influence even reached the entire Changning Wei region. This lasted until year 3095 of Longchang Era. When Ancestor Zhouxuan was 145, the dire beasts in the depths of Liuping Mountain Range, which had been quelled for a long time, suddenly went on a rampage. Ping¡¯an Town was the immediate disaster area. For the sake of protecting the family¡¯s centuries-old foundation, Ancestor Zhouxuan did not hesitate to personally hold off the Gold-winged Sun Devouring Tiger, a Class Five dire beast, until reinforcements arrived. The battle situation was extremely brutal. The two ancestors of the vassal clans had also disappeared in the battle while fighting the beast hordes, and their fates were unknown. Although the Gold-winged Sun Devouring Tiger and the beast calamity were besieged and extinguished by the reinforcements of Changning Wei, who later arrived, the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an already suffered a severe blow. Not only was Ancestor Zhouxuan killed in this battle, both the patriarch of the fourth generation, Wang Qiongyuan, who was at the basic stage of the Spirit Tower Realm, and the successor of the fifth generation, Wang Xiaoqi, were also killed in battle during the beast calamity. With the fall of Spirit Tower Realm cultivators in two generations of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an, the clan¡¯s strength was greatly diminished. On the other hand, the two vassal families, Liu and Zhao Clans, had long harbored nefarious motives. They had concealed their strength during the beast calamity, and the two patriarchs faked their deaths to escape. After the Wang Clan declined, they joined forces and attempted to annex the Wang Clan¡¯s foundation. At the critical moment, the third generation member of the Wang clan, Wang Longyan, resolutely disobeyed the rules of the Violet Palace Academy and gave up on her bright future to return to the clan. She took the initiative to fight a total of three Spirit Tower Realm experts on the opposing side. Fighting one against three, Wang Longyan dauntlessly killed the enemy¡¯s Spirit Tower Realm ally, intimidating the Spirit Tower Realm patriarchs of the Liu and Zhao Clans. Unfortunately, Wang Longyan¡¯s injuries in this battle were too severe. Her strength fell to the basic stage of the Spirit Tower Realm, and her lifespan was greatly reduced. However, even so, Wang Longyan still shouldered the heavy burden alone, and barely managed to defend the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an. The Liu and Zhao Clans did not dare to anger Wang Longyan excessively, so they decided on the technique of encroaching the clan slowly. Time passed by in a flash. Another forty or fifty years went by. Generations of clansmen had yet to produce the next Spirit Tower Realm expert. This time, even the former Patriarch, Wang Dingyue, had passed. All the burdens seemed to be on the shoulders of the new patriarch, Wang Shouzhe! ¡­ In the Wang family¡¯s main residence, in an ancient-looking wing of a courtyard¡­ ¡°Young, no, Patriarch¡­ The dead has passed. Please eat something first. If this goes on, your body won¡¯t be able to take it. These dishes were personally prepared by Madam Gongsun.¡± His personal manservant, Wang Gui, carefully held the sandalwood food containers, his brows furrowed in worry. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Wang Shouzhe let out a shaky breath and put down the ¡°Wang Clan¡¯s Chronicles of Heritage¡±. Some clarity returned to his gaze as a thought arose in his mind. ¡°Who¡¯d expect that a car accident would cause me to transmigrate to a fantasy world, and somehow become the patriarch of a declining Arcane Martial Clan? Unfortunately, it looks like the responsibility is heavy for this one.¡± It turned out that three days ago, the original Wang Shouzhe had wept with too much grief while weeping at the wake, and fainted in front of his late father¡¯s coffin. When he woke up later, he had become a transmigrater. Over the past three days, the process of memory fusion made Wang Shouzhe appear a little muddle-headed. Everyone just thought that he was a little catatonic due to grieving too much. Little they did not know the truth to his state. They just followed the clan rules and inheritance order, and promoted him to the position of patriarch. After reading ¡°Wang Clan¡¯s Chronicles of Heritage¡±, Wang Shouzhe gained a rough understanding of this clan and this world. The world he was in was called the ¡°Da Qian Empire¡±. The Da Qian was founded by the Arcane Martial Clans. The royal family was the largest Arcane Martial Clan, and there was a multitude of other large and small Arcane Martial Clans. Intertwined with each other, they directly or indirectly influenced the politics, economy, and even fate of the entire Da Qian. Although the Wang family was only a last-rate Ninth Grade noble clan, they were already one of the powerful local dominators in the region of Ping¡¯an, Changning. They also held considerable authority in the government agency, the Sentinel Office. In fact, back in the generation of Wang Shouzhe¡¯s great-grandfather, the Wang Clan was one of the most powerful noble clans in Ping¡¯an Town. Their influence could even reach the areas surrounding Changning Wei. It was just that, following the deaths of the family¡¯s experts from the two shocking turning battles in the ¡°Wang Clan¡¯s Chronicles of Heritage¡±, their conditions declined year by year. Even with Ancestor Longyan barely supporting the clan, it was difficult to resist the joint encroachment by the Liu and Zhao Clans. Wang Shouzhe kept feeling that there was something fishy about that great battle. Why did the Liu and Zhao Clans have the guts to conceal their strength and ultimately mutiny? Why did the reinforcements only arrive at the last moment? The Chronicles¡¯ descriptions were vague and failed to explain many things. However, Wang Shouzhe decided to hold on to his suspicions for the time being. Subsequently, in order to attain the Spirit Tower Realm through cultivation and turn the tide, the former Patriarch, Wang Dingyue, did not hesitate to venture deep into the dangerous Outland to seek fortuitous encounters for the breakthrough. However, Wang Dingyue¡¯s failure on the verge of success and tragically untimely death added to the continuous decline of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an. If nothing unexpected happened, at this rate, the Wang Clan¡¯s territories and property would be gradually annexed by the other two clans of Ping¡¯an Town in the coming decades. The once mighty and glorious clan would also decline and collapse, and the bloodline of the family would fall to become commoners. ¡°However, this is an interesting world.¡± Wang Shouzhe narrowed his eyes slightly. Having gradually fused memories, he could not help but think to himself, ¡°It seems that although the previous Wang Shouzhe was young, he was an uncommon character.¡± The memory told him that Wang Shouzhe was known as a prodigy since he was young. Among the seven generations of Ancestor Zhouxuan¡¯s bloodline descendants, his innate talent was only slightly inferior to Ancestor Longyan¡¯s. With the nurturing of the family¡¯s concentrated resources, Wang Shouzhe reached the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm at the age of 18, and was not far from the seventh level. This was good news. At least he hadn¡¯t transmigrated to the body of someone useless. Beside him, the manservant, Wang Gui, became even more worried when he saw Wang Shouzhe¡¯s changing expressions. ¡°Patriarch, rest first. I¡¯ll go get the physician now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine now.¡± Wang Shouzhe stopped him. ¡°Wang Gui, go out first. I have some things to think about.¡± ¡°Yes Sir!¡± Wang Gui put down the food container and took the order to leave, carefully closing the door behind him. Wang Shouzhe finally heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed after Wang Gui left and he was alone. He had been attending the wake and fusing consciousnesses these past few days, so he had not eaten properly. His stomach was already growling from hunger. There were so many things to do to revitalize the clan. He would fill his stomach first and think about it later. He opened the lid of the exquisite sandalwood food container, and a wonderful fragrance of food assaulted his senses. The inside of the food container was divided into several sections. There was food, vegetables, meat, and a piece of steamed fish. Under the stimulation of his appetite, he quickly picked up a piece of meat with the chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth. The condiments were ordinary, but the texture was abnormally rich. The good chewiness filled his mouth with the rich flavor of the meat. After swallowing, he could vaguely feel a subtle stream of warmth surging through him. Oh, it was that delicious? What kind of meat was this? Pork? No, the taste of pork wasn¡¯t that smooth. Lamb? That couldn¡¯t be right. The meat didn¡¯t have the slightest gamy taste. The meat was fragrant, thick, and juicy. The texture was like the expensive imported steak that he had occasionally tasted before transmigration. However, soon, the ¡°memory¡± he fused told him that this was Spirit Horn Yak meat, a precious type of meat for consumption. Eating it for prolonged periods of time could strengthen one¡¯s physique and promote cultivation. His previous self was the young patriarch, and he was extraordinarily talented. He was the first in the sequence of provision for the clan¡¯s resources, and was naturally qualified to enjoy such resources. Wang Shouzhe felt the amazing sense of slight heat flowing through his body and his energy recovering rapidly. He could not help but sigh inwardly. It was indeed good meat. With the enticement of delicious food, he finished off the small amount of yak meat in a few bites. Still not satisfied, he caught sight of the steamed fish again. The fused memory told him that this was called the Red-tailed Spirit Minnow. It was a rare type of spirit fish that came from the An River nearby. It was a Class Two dire beast, and could easily grow to hundreds of catties in size. It was extremely powerful and ferocious, and had the strength to capsize boats. Ordinary fishermen would avoid such dire beasts at all costs. Being slow to escape meant their boats capsizing and losing their lives. The former patriarch of the clan, Wang Dingyue, was lucky enough to capture this Red-tailed Spirit Minnow with a few experts in the clan last year. After dissecting and marinating it, it was stored in the clan¡¯s ice cellar as a supplement for the young bloodline of the clan. The cook had long removed all the bones from the fish. The fish meat was marinated, fresh, and tender in the mouth, accompanied by a refreshing and comfortable feeling that flowed through the body. His entire body felt very comfortable, and it was delicious to the extreme. The rice was not ordinary either. The rice grains were plump and crystalline. When eaten, it had a firm, chewy texture and the rich flavor of orchids. This was the famous Orchid Jade Rice. Wang Shouzhe¡¯s appetite for this meal was boundless. The weakness in his body and weariness in his spirit dissipated immediately, replaced by energy and vigor. If he could eat like this every meal, cultivation would certainly be an extraordinarily fast process. However, that was clearly impossible. The clan was no longer as prosperous as it was in the past. He could not afford to eat so extravagantly even with his sequence in status, let alone other clan members. Now that he had advanced to the position of the patriarch, he naturally could not ignore the other clan members and encroach their resources endlessly to provide for himself. If that was the case, it would not be long before members of the clan lost faith, accelerating their demise. Even for the sake of eating all kinds of delicacies for every meal, he had to help the Wang Clan grow stronger. ¡°System!¡± As Wang Shouzhe lay on the bed to digest his food, he closed his eyes and called out calmly in his mind. After a long while, however, there was no response. This couldn¡¯t be, right? Wang Shouzhe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Wasn¡¯t it a little ridiculous to transmigrate without a cheat? Next, Wang Shouzhe tried again and again, but no sign of a cheat ever appeared. He felt more and more dispirited. In such a fantasy world with countless experts and rampaging dire beasts, how could one get by without a cheat? ¡­ Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ ¡°Looks like I can only take it one step at a time.¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s expression was slightly solemn. However, he quickly accepted it. Even without a cheat, he still had some advantages. At least after fusing his memories, he realized that although many experts in this world were very strong, their development and state of mind were inferior to that of Earthlings, even if he was just an ordinary university graduate who was working¡­ Just as Wang Shouzhe was about to summarize his advantages¡­ All of a sudden, the manservant, Wang Gui, rushed inside in a panic. ¡°Patriarch, Patriarch, this is bad. Sixth Master got beaten up. He sent people back to ask for help.¡± Sixth Master? Wang Shouzhe frowned slightly as memories flooded his mind. ¡°It¡¯s Sixth Uncle, Wang Dinghai.¡± Wang Dinghai was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s uncle. He was ranked sixth among the sons with the generation name ¡°Ding¡±. His natural talents and cultivation level were ordinary, but he was relatively good in water. Thus, he was in charge of one of the clan¡¯s businesses, the fishing fleet. Now that Wang Dinghai had been beaten up, there must be something up with the clan¡¯s fishing fleet. It was a good opportunity to observe this world with his own eyes. ¡°Calm down. Being so flustered is inappropriate.¡± Wang Shouzhe calmed down as he thought about this. After the reprimand, he said calmly, ¡°Prepare the carriage. Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± Wang Gui hurriedly replied and slipped away to prepare for the trip. Wang Shouzhe exited the room according to his memory and slowly walked towards the gate of the main residence. Along the way, he observed the various buildings and structures of the main residence, verifying them with the memories in his mind. On the way, he happened to see his legitimate mother, Gongsun Hui, leading a few clan guards in a hurry towards the main gate with a solemn expression. Wang Shouzhe bowed to Gongsun Hui. ¡°Greetings, Mother.¡± Having fused memories, Wang Shouzhe already knew that he had lost his mother when he was young. Gongsun Hui was the main wife his father, Dingyue, remarried. She had a direct daughter named Wang Luomiao, who was already eight years old this year. Therefore, although Gongsun Hui was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s legitimate mother, she was not his biological mother. However, she was pure-hearted and kind, and had always treated Wang Shouzhe as her own. She took good care of him in all aspects. This was quite different from typical fantasy novels. As soon as Gongsun Hui saw Wang Shouzhe, she went forward and held his hand. Her face was filled with concern. ¡°Zhe¡¯er, why are you out? Have you eaten? Are you feeling better?¡± The other clan guards also hurriedly bowed to Wang Shouzhe. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m fine now. I¡¯ve also finished the spirit food you ordered prepared . I¡¯ll tell you in detail later.¡± Wang Shouzhe broke free from her hand subtly. With a solemn expression, he said, ¡°Mother, you¡¯re leading the clan guards. Are you going to assist Sixth Uncle? I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Gongsun Hui¡¯s face fell. After some hesitation, she said, ¡°Zhe¡¯er, since you¡¯ve already inherited the position of the patriarch, you¡¯ll face these sooner or later. Since your health has already recovered, let¡¯s go take a look together.¡± ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± The two of them walked out the main door of the main residence together. The plaque at the front door had the words ¡°Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an¡± written in bold and fancy calligraphy. It could be said to possess extraordinary grandeur. However, the mottled porch pillars and the white lanterns with the word ¡°Dian¡±1 fluttering in the wind manifested the bleakness of the decline of the Wang Clan. ¡°Patriarch, Madam Gongsun, the carriage has been prepared.¡± The personal manservant, Wang Gui, scurried over. ¡°The sword and bow and arrows have been placed on the carriage.¡± After a brief discussion, Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui rode in a carriage together. The other four clan guards would each ride a buckskin horse to guard around them as they headed towards Dingpu Crossing of An River. On the way, Gongsun Hui explained everything that happened. Wang Shouzhe, who had the mindsets of both his previous life and current life, quickly understood the actual situation. The An River was a huge river that was over a thousand feet wide. The water in the river was rich and unique, and could produce long-term economic benefits with fishing fleets. However, wherever there were interests, conflicts would often arise. Naturally, none of the three major noble clans in Ping¡¯an Town was willing to give up on this golden goose. After all kinds of conflicts and compromises, now the three major noble clans of Ping¡¯an each drew their own territories and did not cross boundaries. The Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an¡¯s territory was 30 miles of An River from the right of Dingpu Crossing to the Rubble Beach. It was just that in recent years, the other two noble clans had been producing talents every generation and constantly growing stronger, and their appetite had gradually grown. In a situation where the total territory was limited, it was naturally easy for them to infringe on the interests of others. The plan of gradual encroachment had already been constantly enacted. The territory and industries of the clan kept shrinking year after year. The smaller their territory, the more they lacked resources, and without resources, the harder it would be for the clansmen to grow. From then on, they would fall into a vicious cycle. What made the situation worse was that the Wang Clan¡¯s mainstay, Ancestor Longyan, seemed to be deteriorating in health year by year. She had been in seclusion for the past few years. Despite such a huge matter happening in the clan, she had not shown herself. The outside world would definitely speculate endlessly about whether she could still put up a fight. The situation was not optimistic. Wang Shouzhe frowned. Speaking of which, the Wang Clan¡¯s main residence was built beside mountains and rivers. It was only over ten miles from Dingpu Crossing, and the foundation of the road was hard and maintained year-round. With advance clan guards opening the way, the journey was smooth, and the carriage arrived in less than an hour. When Ping¡¯an Town was first established, this crossing was already one of the outposts of Changning Wei. After Ping¡¯an Town developed for over a century, the Dingpu Crossing had become an important transportation route that connected the north and south. The three noble clans of Ping¡¯an all had basic facilities such as piers, ferries, shops, and so on here. There were some simple defensive facilities at the wharf. The city walls were rather crude, only about five or six meters tall, and could only withstand the impact of small-scale assaults by dire beasts. After Wang Shouzhe and the others entered the wharf, they headed straight for the deepwater pier. Under the long wooden trestle bridge stood a huge wooden pillar with a circumference that spanned both arms. It lifted the plank bridge all the way to a depth of 30 to 40 feet. There were two more horizontal bridges in the deepwater area that formed multiple berths. Ships of various sizes were docked at the berths. There were ferries, merchant ships, and fishing boats. From afar, one could see two groups of people confronting each other at the end of the trestle bridge. Both sides were holding clubs, sabers, and pitchforks, and their emotions were very intense. ¡°Old Wang, you sure are bold. How dare you bring people to block the Young Master of Yongzhou? Do you think I should give you a worse beating?¡± A young man¡¯s mocking voice sounded. ¡°You little bastard from Liu family.¡± Another man shouted in an agitated and angry voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just launch a sneak attack in the water? If you¡¯re a real man, we¡¯ll go in the water for a real fight with our own abilities. The Sixth Master of Wang Clan will teach you how to behave, you bastard.¡± ¡°Old Wang, don¡¯t blame me for looking down on you. You¡¯re already so old, yet all your years have gone to waste. You don¡¯t have any brains at all.¡± The young man scoffed. ¡°Underwater ambush is one of the strategies of war. Don¡¯t tell me we have to make it clear beforehand that we¡¯re not allowed to use tactics before fighting? Heh, the longer you live, the worse you get. Why don¡¯t you get out of Ping¡¯an Town as soon as possible instead of wasting food?¡± The group led by the young men burst into laughter and joined the young man in jeering. Get out of Ping¡¯an Town. Get out of Ping¡¯an Town. There were many passersby and merchants gathered at Dingpu Crossing. At this moment, they had already gathered around to watch the commotion. All sorts of discussions were going on. Today¡¯s conflict would definitely be spread to other places by word of mouth. Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an, which had suffered a loss in this conflict, would also become a laughingstock for the time and the topic of casual gossip, thus incurring a blow to the reputation of the Wang Clan. ¡°Little bastard from Liu family.¡± The man¡¯s face was already flushed red. He was furious to the extreme. ¡°You¡¯re going too far. I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡± ¡°Old bastard from Wang family, come at me if you have the guts!¡± An armed confrontation between the two parties was imminent. ¡°Stop!¡± Seeing that the situation was urgent, Gongsun Hui hurriedly walked to the center of the confrontation and stopped them. ¡°Wang Dinghai, Liu Yongzhou, calm down first. We can talk things out.¡± Wang Shouzhe was worried that his mother would be at a disadvantage. With a wave of his hand, the four family guards rushed forward and protected Gongsun Hui. He followed closely behind and continued to observe everything coolly. Observation and memory at the scene told him that the somewhat slovenly looking young man dressed in a tight-fitting diving suit with a short blade hanging from his waist was called Liu Yongzhou, a member of the Liu family¡¯s generation with the ¡°Yong¡± generation name. It was rumored that this young man was good at fighting in the water, and was especially good at Water Traversal Technique. He had once dived with a short blade and killed a Class One dire beast, the Crimson-scaled Eel, that weighed more than 200 catties. He had risen to fame at the young age of 23 or 24, and was a talent of the Liu Clan of Ping¡¯an. The other man was lean and had dark skin. It was obvious at a glance that he was someone who made a living on the waters for a long time. However, his head and arms were injured and covered in hemp bandages, making him look a little disheveled. It was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s uncle, Wang Dinghai. He was in charge of the clan¡¯s fishing operations in their territorial waters. He was also very good at fighting in the water and fishing, and was also the main catcher of the Red-tailed Spirit Minnow that Wang Shouzhe had eaten earlier. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the Madam Gongsun of the Wang family.¡± The young man called Liu Yongzhou carelessly saluted with folded hands with a smile. Then, he sneered at Wang Dinghai in disdain, ¡°Old Wang, you got your sister-in-law to support you over some conflict with a junior like myself. I really admire you and feel ashamed for not being your match.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Wang Dinghai¡¯s dark face turned dark red. ¡­ Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Gongsun Hui reprimanded him delicately. Then, she said, ¡°Brother-in-law, don¡¯t be rash. We can resolve everything calmly.¡± Gongsun Hui was the daughter of the direct lineage of the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang, the main wife of the Wang Clan¡¯s former patriarch and the legitimate mother of the Wang family¡¯s new patriarch. Her status was qualified for settling this matter. Wang Dinghai said in an agitated tone, ¡°Sister-in-law, it¡¯s not that I am being rash. The brat from the Liu family has gone overboard. Everyone in Ping¡¯an Town knows that the 30 miles of An River from the right of the Dingpu Crossing to the Rubble Beach are the territory of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an. But that brat Liu Yongzhou has crossed the boundary to fish time and time again. This time, he actually crossed the line by 10 miles brazenly. If I don¡¯t take action to banish him, will there be any room left for the Wang Clan in An River?¡± ¡°Oh, Old Wang, don¡¯t launch an accusation first when you¡¯re the guilty one.¡± Liu Yongzhou looked as if he had been greatly wronged. ¡°The winds above An River are strong windy and its waters are turbulent. The territory of the Liu Clan is upstream of the An River, so it¡¯s inevitable that we can¡¯t always stabilize the boat. On the other hand, the moment you showed up, you crashed into us with your fishing boat. After suffering some losses in the conflict, you actually called your parents. How preposterous. Are you trying to bully the Liu Clan for not having any elders?¡± Wang Shouzhe had been silent the entire time, observing and analyzing subtly. He had already confirmed that this conflict was initiated by the Liu Clan. Their goal was most likely to test him at the juncture where he had just succeeded as the new patriarch. They might also have some thoughts of evaluating the capability of the new patriarch. If he, the patriarch, lacked capability and behaved cowardly, they would most likely join forces with the Zhao Clan next, and a series of both conspiratorial and brazen schemes would surge forth. ¡°Cough!¡± Wang Shouzhe coughed twice and walked forward calmly. ¡°Nephew Shouzhe, you¡¯re here too?¡± Wang Dinghai¡¯s expression lit up. Then he said angrily, ¡°Hurry up and be the judge for your Sixth Uncle. This brat ambushed us with a sneak attack through trickery. Your Sixth Uncle finds it unfair and wants to have a fair fight with him again.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s the Young Master, no, the Patriarch of the Wang Clan has arrived.¡± Liu Yongzhou¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and he revealed some wariness and jealousy towards Wang Shouzhe. Without a doubt, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s overall strength far exceeded Liu Yongzhou¡¯s in all aspects. Moreover, Wang Shouzhe was only 18 years old, and he had already cultivated to the advanced state of the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm. He had great potential for future growth. Currently, the inner circles of the Liu Clan was also very wary of Wang Shouzhe. If he was given the chance to charge into the Spirit Tower Realm, the power structure of Ping¡¯an Town would undergo a huge upheaval. The surrounding onlookers also began to discuss in low voices. They seemed to be rather interested in the young patriarch who had just succeeded the Wang Clan. From their words, they vaguely pointed out that the Wang Clan¡¯s former patriarch, Wang Dingyue, had died too early. If they had been able to hold out for another ten years, after the young patriarch, Wang Shouzhe, fully matured, the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an would be in a different situation. ¡°Sixth Uncle, victory and defeat are common in war.¡± Wang Shouzhe narrowed his eyes slightly and lowered his voice to test him casually. ¡°That said, Sixth Uncle, are you really confident that you can defeat him? If you lose another round in public, it will damage the reputation of the Wang Clan.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Wang Dinghai hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice,¡± I¡¯ve had several conflicts with that Liu kid. Normally, we¡¯re evenly matched and have different advantages over each other. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m so unlucky today, but that boy¡¯s Water Traversal Technique seemed to have improved by a large margin. He¡¯s as slippery as a loach in the water, and I suffered a loss when I was caught off guard. Don¡¯t worry though, Nephew. Your Sixth Uncle will win this battle at all costs.¡± His Water Escape technique improved by a large margin? Heh, this was interesting. Wang Shouzhe rubbed his nose. He had more or less understood the other party¡¯s tactics. He created conflicts to stir up Wang Dinghai¡¯s agitation, then defeated Wang Dinghai in public as Liu Yongzhou, a rising star, thus damaging the Wang Clan¡¯s reputation. If he could intensify their emotions a little more, and the two parties signed a bet or something, it would be most perfect. At that time, they would naturally be able to take a huge bite out of the Wang Clan. Wang Shouzhe had a clear understanding of the situation now. He immediately said, ¡°Sixth Uncle, let me handle this matter.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Wang Dinghai hesitated for a moment. However, after seeing Wang Shouzhe¡¯s composed demeanor, he calmed down and took two steps back.¡± Shouzhe, you have to be more careful. The Liu Clan is best at trickery. ¡± ¡°Sixth Uncle, don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t suffer losses.¡± After consoling him, Wang Shouzhe looked around the scene and said in a clear voice in front of everyone, ¡°The Arcane Martial Clans have always established ourselves through martial arts. As the saying goes, if the younger generation is unable to protect the territory passed down from the ancestors, they should retreat to a corner. Liu Yongzhou, if your Liu Clan wishes to encroach on the Wang Clan¡¯s fishing area, creating conflict is an underhanded method of doing so. Why don¡¯t we be a little more straightforward? As peers of the same generation, why don¡¯t we follow the examples of our ancestors, and fight an arena death match? Whoever wins will receive the other party¡¯s fishing area. How about that?¡± ¡°What?¡± Shocked cries rang out in the surroundings. A death match arena!? Did the Wang Clan¡¯s young patriarch have to be so radical? Wang Shouzhe was younger than Liu Yongzhou by five years, yet when he challenged Liu Yongzhou to an arena death match to his face, Liu Yongzhou¡¯s face went pale. He didn¡¯t dare to accept this challenge, nor could he accept it. He could only say embarrassedly, ¡°Patriarch of Wang Clan, you must be joking. You are the patriarch. How can you enter an arena death match?¡± From this perspective alone, although Liu Yongzhou was also outstanding among his peers, he was still far from being comparable to Wang Shouzhe, who had always been raised as the heir apparent to the patriarch. ¡°Heh¡­¡± Wang Shouzhe sneered and ridiculed, ¡°If you are cowardly, you are cowardly. There¡¯s no need to speak so pompously. I, Wang Shouzhe, will stand here today. As long as it¡¯s someone of the Yong generation from your Liu Clan, I will meet every single one of you that comes.¡± ¡°Good! Well said! The Wang Clan¡¯s new Patriarch is bold indeed.¡± ¡°Arcane Martial Clans establish themselves with martial arts, that¡¯s interesting. Let¡¯s see how the Liu Clan will counter this. From what I know, the oldest of the Liu Clan¡¯s Yong generation is more than 36 or 37 years old. The youngest is still learning how to speak. No matter how I think about it, I really can¡¯t think of anyone who can fight against the Wang Clan¡¯s new patriarch.¡± ¡°Mister, how is this young man¡¯s strength? Can he really defeat all the members of Liu Clan¡¯s Yong generation?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a foreigner, right? That¡¯s the new patriarch of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an, Wang Shouzhe. He¡¯s only 18 years old, but he¡¯s already about to reach the advanced state of the Qi Refining Realm. Moreover, it¡¯s said that he¡¯s extremely talented in the way of the sword, and his swordsmanship has long reached the point of perfection.¡± The local proudly introduced, ¡°Moreover, that Wang Shouzhe has already passed the recruitment test of the Violet Palace Academy and will be entering the academy soon. Unfortunately, with such a major event happening to the Wang family, he had no choice but to give up his studies.¡± ¡°Violet Palace Academy, that Violet Palace Academy that¡¯s said to guarantee Spirit Tower Realm upon entry? Amazing, amazing, what a pity!¡± The surrounding discussions reached Wang Shouzhe¡¯s ears, making him remember that not long ago, he really had passed the Violet Palace Academy¡¯s preliminary selection for admissions. The Longzuo County¡¯s Violet Palace Academy would recruit new students every three years, but their criteria were extremely strict. Within the Changning Province, there would be one to three people who passed the preliminary selection and were qualified to participate in the second round of examinations every time. This year, Wang Shouzhe was one of them. But to say that he was about to enter the academy was an exaggeration. There might not be a single disciple enrolled in Violet Palace Academy out of the entire jurisdiction of Changning Wei for up to ten years. Wang Shouzhe considered himself exceptional, but he also knew that the chances of passing the second round of examinations were less than 30%. The surrounding situation and public opinion started to skew towards the Wang Clan. Initially, the conflict from before would have damaged the Wang Clan¡¯s reputation if it wasn¡¯t handled properly. But now, it increased the Wang Clan¡¯s prestige instead. ¡°Well done, Eldest Nephew,¡± Wang Dinghai said with a face full of joy. ¡°Let¡¯s see if that little brat of the Liu Clan still dares to be arrogant.¡± Gongsun Hui was also somewhat pleasantly surprised. She didn¡¯t expect that Shouzhe¡¯s few words would actually turn the unfortunate event that damaged the clan¡¯s reputation into a disadvantageous situation for the Liu Clan¡¯s reputation. Prior to this, her son had always been focused on his own cultivation and had little concern for other matters. Who would have thought that he would show such capability when he had just become the patriarch? ¡°Good!¡± Suddenly, a cheer rang out. ¡°Patriarch Wang¡¯s words truly enlightened me. Admirable, admirable. The Arcane Martial Clans established themselves with martial arts. If they can¡¯t defend their ancestral heritage, why not retreat to a corner? Good, well said!¡± With these words, a middle-aged man wearing a brocade robe walked out with an extraordinary bearing, escorted by a few well-built clan guards. He stared at Wang Shouzhe with a half-smile. As soon as this person appeared, both Gongsun Hui and Wang Dinghai¡¯s expressions changed. ¡°It¡¯s Liu Shengye!¡± Gongsun Hui in particular directly reminded Wang Shouzhe with a tense expression, ¡°Zhe¡¯er, there must be something fishy about the patriarch of Liu Clan appearing at this time. You have to be careful.¡± Liu Shengye. Wang Shouzhe narrowed his eyes slightly. He was the current patriarch of the Liu Clan of Ping¡¯an. It was said that he wasn¡¯t the strongest individual in the Liu Clan. At 40 years old, he still hadn¡¯t broken through to the eighth level of the Qi Refining realm. However, in Wang Shouzhe¡¯s memories, this person had always been famous for his craftiness and scheming, and was someone reputed for concealing nefarious intentions with affable demeanors. He had repeatedly been at an advantage when clashing with the Wang Clan¡¯s former patriarch, Wang Dingyue, and was very good at managing the family property, allowing the Liu Clan¡¯s strength to increase day by day. ¡°So the Liu Clan¡¯s patriarch has graced us with his presence,¡± Wang Shouzhe calmly replied. ¡°Since the Liu Clan¡¯s patriarch agrees with me, do you agree to the arena death match between Liu Yongzhou and I?¡± Without another word, he laid a trap for Liu Shengye first. ¡°Of course not. Although the Wang Patriarch¡¯s words are reasonable, as the patriarch of a clan, how could you bully your inferior?¡± Liu Shengye took the opening and said, ¡°Since this is an arena death match, it¡¯s only worth watching if statuses are similar.¡± His intention was naturally to drag this battle back to Liu Yongzhou and Wang Dinghai. ¡°The Liu Patriarch¡¯s words are very reasonable.¡± Wang Shouzhe nodded in agreement with a serious expression. ¡°The Wang Clan and Liu Clan had many conflicts and accumulated a lot of resentment. Since there¡¯s to be an arena death match, why don¡¯t you and I participate personally as two patriarchs? After all, we can be considered to be of equal statuses.¡± ¡°What?¡± Liu Shengye¡¯s face spasmed. ¡®The Patriarch wanted to participate in the arena death match personally? Has Wang Shouzhe gone mad? First he targeted Liu Yongzhou, and now he¡¯s targeting myself! Is he going to target everyone he sees? What I said didn¡¯t mean that.¡¯ The surrounding traveling merchants and the rest of the people at the crossing also fell into a state of absolute silence and shock. This had escalated into an arena death match between two patriarchs of noble clans. Did they have to be so impulsive? ¡­ Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ ¡°Eldest nephew, you absolutely must not do this.¡± Wang Dinghai anxiously advised, ¡°The patriarch of Liu Clan is already 40 years old. He¡¯s very experienced.¡± ¡°Zhe¡¯er, you are too rash.¡± Gongsun Hui was also somewhat flustered. ¡°The patriarch is of prestigious status and the mainstay of the clan¡­¡± If it were a fight with Liu Yongzhou, they would be happy to see it. After all, the difference in power between the two was rather large. However, directly challenging Liu Shengye would be too risky. On the other hand, Liu Shengye was secretly wiping his cold sweat. Fortunately, there were still reasonable people in the Wang Clan. They should persuade this young Wang Clan patriarch properly. This was absurd. How could the commander-in-chiefs of two armies fight to the death at the first encounter? That would be a mess. Moreover, Liu Shengye had been living in luxury all these years and had not fought with anyone for a long time. A death match was no joke. ¡°Mother, Sixth Uncle.¡± Wang Shouzhe interrupted them directly. ¡°The patriarch is just a member of the clan. Anyone who is a member of the clan has the right and obligation to contribute their lives to the clan, and sacrifice for the survival of the clan. Moreover, Ancestor Longyan¡­¡± Towards the end, some agitation and sorrowful anger entered Wang Shouzhe¡¯s emotions, as if he was about to burst under the tension. Furthermore, he stopped himself from saying the last few words just as they were about to be voiced. ¡°Shouzhe!¡± Wang Dinghai panicked and hurriedly asked in a low voice, ¡°Ancestor Longyan couldn¡¯t possibly¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s fine.¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s face was a little pale. ¡°It¡¯s just that I feel terrible that Ancestor had sacrificed so much for the clan in her life. It¡¯s time for us juniors to stand up and shed some blood.¡± However, no matter how one looked at it, his words seemed to be concealing something. With that, Wang Shouzhe turned around and stared at Liu Shengye. ¡°Patriarch Liu, since conflicts abound between our clans, why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to settle it? You and I will sign a contract for a death match. The loser will retreat frmo the An River fishing area and their clan must not pursue this matter.¡± There was a strong sense of determination in his words. ¡°Good, Wang Clan¡¯s young hero really is unyielding.¡± ¡°Since there¡¯s a conflict between the two clans, why don¡¯t their leaders settle it once and for all?¡± The onlookers naturally did not mind watching the drama unfold. An interesting event like two patriarchs personally fighting in a death match was rare to see. Immediately, they began to cheer to settle the matter first. ¡°F*cker! Why is this kid acting like a hungry wolf? From his vague words, could it be that¡­ the rumors are true¡­? If that¡¯s the case, then the situation has changed.¡± Liu Shengye quivered and frowned. After thinking for a while, he came up with a plan. He changed the topic and put on an amiable expression. ¡°Good nephew, speaking of which, your father and I had many years of acquaintance. It¡¯s not too much to call your Nephew, right? The three noble clans of Ping¡¯an have been established ourselves in Ping¡¯an Town for many years. We are all fellow neighbors in the same neighborhood, and should support and take care of each other. Taking such a small conflict so far isn¡¯t necessary.¡± ¡°Then, the Liu Clan Patriarch intends to compensate my Sixth Uncle for his medical expenses?¡± Wang Shouzhe narrowed his eyes and sneered. Compensate for medical expenses? Liu Shengye¡¯s face darkened. However, he had always been good at tolerating insults for a time and hiding his true intentions behind a smile. At this moment, his smile became even more amiable. ¡°Conflicts between neighbors are unavoidable. However, since it¡¯s Yongzhou¡¯s fault this time, we naturally have to admit it. Here is 30 gold as an apology to Brother Dinghai.¡± With that, Liu Shengye took out three banknotes worth 10 gold and stuffed them into Wang Shouzhe¡¯s hands with a smile. ¡°Everyone says that you are extraordinary. Your potential is not inferior to that of Ancestor Longyan. In the future, you will definitely become the mainstay of Ping¡¯an Town.¡± Thirty pieces of gold? Having fused memories, Wang Shouzhe knew that this was already a huge sum of money. He immediately quited while he was ahead and said with a smile, ¡°Patirarch Liu is the true mainstay for Ping¡¯an. Shouzhe has just taken over the position of patriarch, and will need to rely on Patriarch Liu¡¯s guidance in the future.¡± ¡°Of course, of course!¡± Liu Shengye laughed and left the deep water dock area with his clan guards and Liu Yongzhou. Seeing that they did not really enter a fight, the onlookers lamented as if they had missed out on a big show. They dispersed in twos and threes with slight disappointment. ¡°Nephew is indeed resourceful,¡± Wang Dinghai said with obvious joy, as if he had just vented his anger. ¡°You managed to turn the situation around with just a few words, and even made that old fox Liu Shengye apologize willingly.¡± On the other hand, Gongsun Hui didn¡¯t show the slightest hint of happiness. The space between her brows seemed to be filled with worry instead. ¡°Sixth Uncle, Mother, since we¡¯re already here, why don¡¯t we take a look aboard Sixth Uncle¡¯s boat?¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve never followed Sixth Uncle aboard since I was young.¡± ¡°Sure. Then Sixth Uncle will take you to have some fun,¡± Wang Dinghai said happily. ¡°I¡¯ll show you some fishing feats later.¡± When they were about to board the ship, Wang Shouzhe summoned several clan guards to his side and whispered some instructions to them. The clan guards understood and saluted before dispersing to carry out their tasks. Only then did Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui follow Wang Dinghai to the deepwater berth. At the same time¡­ Outside the Dingpu Crossing, the young and hot-blooded Liu Yongzhou said with a dark expression, ¡°Patriarch, we agreed on taking a bite out of the Wang Clan. How did it end up with us apologizing and compensating them?¡± ¡°Yongzhou, you¡¯re still too young.¡± Liu Shengye was calm and collected as he smiled with his hands folded behind his back. ¡°As the saying goes, times have changed. In this current situation, not only can we not take the initiative to provoke the Wang Clan, we should be careful to avoid any conflicts with them.¡± ¡°Patriarch¡­¡± Liu Yongzhou was a little resentful and confused. ¡°Based on my deduction, that old Wang Longyan doesn¡¯t have long to live.¡± Liu Shengye narrowed his eyes and said, confident in his wisdom, ¡°The Wang Clan is like a sickly tiger on the verge of death now. This is the most dangerous time. If we press too hard, we might trigger an insane backlash from the other party. Although the Liu Clan has nothing to fear from them, we don¡¯t want to let the Zhao Clan benefit from our conflict.¡± Wang Longyan! That name was like a poisonous thorn stuck in the Liu Clan¡¯s throat. As long as she was alive, the Liu Clan wouldn¡¯t dare to completely fall out with the Wang Clan. ¡°Patriarch, is this true?¡± Liu Yongzhou was extremely excited. ¡°Initially, when I saw that Wang Longyan did not leave her seclusion even when the Wang Clan¡¯s patriarch had changed, I was already had 30 to 40 percent of confidence about this hypothesis.¡± Liu Shengye laughed coldly. ¡°I saw how the new patriarch Wang Shouzhe was so unable to keep his composure that he wanted to stake everything on a fight to the death with me. That confirmed 70 to 80 percent of my deduction. Heh, how could I do as he wished? In as little as two to three years, and at most four to five years, once Wang Longyan dies¡­¡± ¡°Patriarch? That long?¡± Liu Yongzhou was a little stunned. ¡°What do you know? How can the rise and fall of a clan be achieved overnight? The Liu Clan has waited for so many years. Can we not endure merely a few more years?¡± Liu Shengye waved his sleeve, and the clan guards supported him onto the carriage. ¡°Moreover, before Wang Longyan dies, Liu Clan still has a lot of preparation work to do. Yongzhou, you must remember that without my orders, you are not to clash with the Wang Clan. Otherwise, you will be punished according to the clan rules!¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± Liu Yongzhou was still holding on to his anger, but there was nothing he could do. He could only respectfully send off Patriarch Liu Shengye¡¯s carriage. ¡­ Speaking of which, Wang Shouzhe had a few clan guards stay at the pier to carry out a mission. Together with Madam Gongsun Hui, they boarded Wang Dinghai¡¯s medium-sized fishing boat, ¡°Dinghai¡±. The medium-sized fishing boat was about 80 to 90 feet long and 20 feet wide. It was completely made of wood. From the tall mast and the hanging sail, it was a sail-powered boat. Wang Dinghai instructed his crew to sail out of the pier. Just as he was about to excitedly introduce the various facilities on the boat to Wang Shouzhe. Gongsun Hui said with a serious expression, ¡°Zhe¡¯er, Sixth Uncle, let¡¯s talk at the stern.¡± The two of them followed her instructions while the boat slowly sailed out of the pier. ¡°Alas, Zhe¡¯er, you¡¯ve gone a bit too far today,¡± Gongsun Hui said with a sigh. ¡°Ancestor Longyan sacrificed her entire life for the clan, and the hardships and toil she went through were uncountable. How could you insinuate that she¡¯s going to, um¡­ and in public, too? Also, you actually sent clan guards to spread rumors! Your behavior today will certainly reach the ears of the clan elders, and those elders will definitely reprimand you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Wang Dinghai, who was standing at the side, was also somewhat flustered.¡±Sister-in-law, what should we do then? The elders won¡¯t impeach Shouzhe, right? ¡°Ancestor Longyan was not only the clan¡¯s mainstay, but also an existence akin to a great mountain. Wang Dinghai naturally felt extreme reverence. ¡°Sixth Uncle, calm down, calm down.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled indifferently. ¡°The clan elders are all elders. I believe that they will understand once we explain things to them. Mother, let me ask you, how much longer can Ancestor Longyan last?¡± ¡°Zhe¡¯er, how could you be so disrespectful to Ancestor Longyan? We can¡¯t discuss this so impudently¡­¡± ¡°Mother, as the patriarch, I naturally have to consider the entire clan¡¯s interests and developments overall.¡± Wang Shouzhe interrupted Gongsun Hui directly. ¡°If I can¡¯t even ask how long the Ancestor can last, how can I plan for the future development of the clan? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m afraid I cannot take on the position of the patriarch. It¡¯d be better to replace me as soon as possible.¡± ¡­ Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ ¡°Zhe¡¯er, you¡­ How can you say such a thing?¡± Gongsun Hui did not expect the ever-docile Wang Shouzhe to make such a shocking statement. ¡°Sister-in-law, I think Shouzhe¡¯s words make sense.¡± Wang Dinghai was quite convinced by Wang Shouzhe today, so he took his side then, ¡°Everyone should be mentally prepared for how long Ancestor Longyan can hold up the clan.¡± Gongsun Hui¡¯s expression changed several times before she finally said, ¡°This is the clan¡¯s secret. A few days ago, when I went to report to Ancestor Longyan, she personally told me that if it doesn¡¯t come down to a fight, she would be able to hold on for another 20 years. If it does¡­ things would be hard to say.¡± Twenty years? Wang Shouzhe thought to himself. That was much longer than he had expected. If this was the case, he might have a chance to turn the tables. ¡°Zhe¡¯er, you¡¯re the clan¡¯s only hope.¡± Gongsun Hui¡¯s expression was extremely grave. ¡°Our Wang Clan should continue to endure and keep a low profile. We¡¯ll gather the entire clan¡¯s resources to help you break through to the Spirit Tower Realm within 20 years. You absolutely must not cause any accidents!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Sixth Uncle will think of a way to catch more spirit fishes and sell them for money to raise resources for you,¡± Wang Dinghai agreed. ¡°As long as you can break through to the Spirit Tower Realm, our Wang Clan will be saved.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll break through to the Spirit Tower Realm? And then what?¡± Wang Shouzhe snorted disdainfully. ¡°Forget whether I can break through or not, even if I have the chance, will the Liu and Zhao Clans just watch me do it? Will they give me 20 years? Moreover, even if I¡¯m lucky enough to break through, I¡¯ll just become another Ancestor Longyan!¡± Wang Shouzhe was a transmigrator, so he could naturally break out of the habitual thinking of the Wang clansmen. His words sent a chill through Gongsun Hui and Wang Dinghai. Before, they had always lived under Ancestor Long Yan¡¯s protection, and assumed that the Liu and Zhao Clans wouldn¡¯t truly fall out with them. However, if Wang Shouzhe, whom they had placed all their hopes on, really had a chance to break through to the Spirit Tower Realm, how could the Liu and Zhao Clans possibly sit idly by? ¡°That¡¯s enough. Just now, I deliberately hinted that the Ancestor wasn¡¯t going to last much longer. I believe that with Liu Shengye¡¯s cunningness, he absolutely wouldn¡¯t choose to take the vanguard and clash with Wang Clan at this time. Thus, I¡¯ll have the clan guards continue to secretly spread the news and give the Liu and Zhao Clans a five-year countdown.¡± Wang Shouzhe snorted. ¡°If anyone dares to provoke us within five years, we¡¯ll fight them to the death. We¡¯ll take one clan and fight them to the death. At the critical moment, we can release¡­ um¡­ invite Ancestor Longyan to hold the fort.¡± In Wang Shouzhe¡¯s opinion, Ancestor Longyan was the trump card.. The greatest effect of the trump card was not the moment it was dealt, but its deterrent force before the dealing. ¡°Brilliant.¡± Wang Dinghai slapped his thigh. ¡°Patriarch, what a great plan. We are like a ferocious beast on the verge of death. They are afraid that we will fight to the death and bite back. In this way, not only will they not dare to bully us, they will also have to find a way to befriend and coax us. No wonder that old fox Liu Shengye obediently gave us 30 gold as compensation.¡± ¡°Not only that, now that we have a clear ¡®time of death¡¯ for the Wang Clan, we¡¯ve placed a huge temptation before them. How could the Liu and Zhao Clans, which had previously formed an alliance due to a common enemy, not have second thoughts while patiently enduring and waiting?¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a smile, ¡°You have to know that greed and insatiability are the most primitive aspects of human nature. The following situation will definitely become very interesting. If we think of another way to secretly add fuel to the fire¡­ heh.¡± After hearing Wang Shouzhe¡¯s analysis, Gongsun Hui and Wang Dinghai both gasped. They couldn¡¯t help but look at each other in dismay, both of them feeling a bit afraid. However, at the same time, they also felt a trace of hope¡ªa trace of hope that their clan could turn the tables! ¡°Mother, Sixth Uncle, this is a huge secret concerning the the Wang Clan¡¯s survival.¡± Wang Shouzhe folded his hands in salute and said solemnly, ¡°Firstly, I hope that you can keep this secret. Secondly, I hope that you can trust me unconditionally and support me.¡± This was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s true goal. His body was too young. Even if he had the status of the patriarch, he would inevitably be criticized by others. He could only throw out some shocking ideas to convince some key figures and win over allies. Gongsun Hui was his legitimate mother, and he was Gongsun Hui¡¯s future support. His sixth uncle, Wang Dinghai, was straightforward and easy to rope in. Gongsun Hui and Wang Dinghai both took a deep breath and solemnly made an oath. As the three of them spoke, the medium-sized fishing boat had already left the deepwater pier under the control of the boatman and entered the center of the turbulent An River. The vastness of the An River far exceeded Wang Shouzhe¡¯s imagination. With a single glance, he could see that the waves were majestic and boundless. The Dingpu Crossing was getting smaller and smaller, gradually fading from sight. As they went deeper into the An River, the wind and waves became stronger, and the rocking of the boat grew more intense. Even Wang Shouzhe, who was at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining Realm, felt somewhat nauseous. Gongsun Hui, who similarly lived in sheltered conditions, also turned slightly pale and felt uncomfortable. ¡°Haha, Sister-in-law, Shouzhe, the fishing boat is not as stable as the ferry. When the boat is swaying, don¡¯t use your body to resist the tilting. Instead, you should act like a tilting doll and go with the flow.¡± Wang Dinghai patiently taught the two how to deal with the turbulence of the wind and waves. Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui were both Arcane Martial Arts practitioners. With their profound Arcane Qi and physical fitness, it didn¡¯t take long for them to get used to the turbulence. Wang Shouzhe, in particular, imitated Wang Dinghai and drove his feet into the deck like piles. His body swayed rhythmically with the waves, and his posture gradually became relaxed and comfortable. ¡°Shouzhe is indeed talented. Sixth Uncle will show you how we catch fish normally.¡± Wang Dinghai excitedly prepared to show off his talent. Very few people in the clan liked to come to the fishing boat to watch him fish. ¡°I believe that your skills must be extraordinary, Sixth Uncle, but let the ordinary fishermen try it first,¡± Wang Shouzhe suggested. Wang Dinghai was stunned for a moment, but then he immediately smiled and said, ¡°Shouzhe, so you¡¯re here to test the standard of the fishing boat. Good, good, the fishermen on your sSixth Uncle¡¯s flagship fishing boat are all experts. Wang Goudan, come and demonstrate to the Patriarch.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Hai.¡± A young lad in his twenties jumped down from the mast. His movements were as agile as a monkey. After picking up a fishing net and tidying it up, he twisted his waist and flung it. The fishing net flew out from the side of the ship and opened up a beautiful large circular pocket in the air. Splash! The heavy fishing net fell into the water like an upside-down bowl. In a few breaths, it sank to the bottom. ¡°Good!¡± The surrounding fishermen all praised. This was¡­ net casting. And it was very skilled. Wang Shouzhe was the first to realize that. Before he transmigrated, he was just an ordinary office worker who would occasionally fish with his friends. Therefore, when he was browsing the apps for videos, the algorithm would recommend some fishing videos, including some videos and live streams of net casting experts. Although Wang Shouzhe didn¡¯t know how to play, he could judge the standard of the cast. He had to admit that this young man called Goudan was quite skilled. After Wang Goudan waited for the net to sink, he began to carefully retract the rope. After he retracted the net from the bottom of the river, he pulled it up bit by bit. In the end, he gave a sudden yank, and the entire net was pulled onto the boat in an instant. Got it! The fishing net caught a big fish with a white dorsal fin. Wang Goudan took the fish out of the net, caught it, and happily came over to claim credit. ¡°Brother Hai, it¡¯s a nine-spotted bass. It must weigh five catties.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not bad, kid. Put it in the live water tank.¡± Wang Dinghai patted him on the shoulder and praised him. Then he turned around and explained to Wang Shouzhe, ¡°Although the nine-spotted bass isn¡¯t a spirit fish, it has a smooth, tender, and refreshing taste. It belongs to the superior fish species. If such a fish is sold to the fish venders, it would fetch a large copper. However, our family has a fish shop in Changning City, and it¡¯s all self-produced and marketed. This way, we can earn a few more dimes.¡± Wang Shouzhe nodded his head in appreciation. The currency of the Da Qian Empire was calculated using dimes, large coppers, and gold. Normally, a catty of rice was only worth five to ten dimes. A hundred dimes could only be exchanged for a large copper. Thus, this fish was quite valuable to be worth a large copper. Wang Goudan placed the fish in the live water tank in the middle of the fishing boat. The water in the tank was connected to the water outside world, so it could maintain the vitality of the catch. However, according to Wang Dinghai, this treatment could only be given to some relatively valuable catches. The live water tank was also divided into several areas to store different types of catches. With Wang Goudan¡¯s demonstration, the other fishermen also performed their best techniques. They were all very experienced, and the nets they cast were big and round, but the catches might not be guaranteed. Most of the hauls were empty. There would only be some surprises occasionally. After more than two hours, there were gradually more and more catches. There were three nine-spotted basses and an even a more expensive Turbulent Leopard-striped Mandarin Perch. Although it was only about over two catties in weight, Wang Dinghai said that this fish was worth at least one large copper and 60 dimes. The good catches were all kept for the patriarch to enjoy. Wang Shouzhe was all smiles on the surface, but in his heart, he was constantly calculating. The thirty miles of fishing territory was Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an¡¯s scope of fishing. The clan valued this property very much, so it should be an important part of the family¡¯s financial income. As time passed, Wang Shouzhe gradually became impatient and said directly, ¡°Sixth Uncle, the performance should be almost done. All the fishermen are very good at casting nets. Can we quickly get to the main topic and demonstrate the real fishing work?¡± Wang Dinghai¡¯s originally radiant expression instantly froze. He was somewhat confused as he said, ¡°Shouzhe, aren¡¯t we already demonstrating the real fishing? Could it be that you want to watch how to catch spirit fishes? Some of the smaller spirit fishes are caught by luck. Some of the larger spirit fishes are very fierce, and require fishing arrows to deal with.¡± This was professional fishing? Wang Shouzhe¡¯s face was slightly dark. In his past life, out of curiosity, he had rode along on the professional fishing boat of the relative of his colleague to experience professional fishing. In the end, that net had hauled in over 40,000 catties, and that was even considered a poor haul¡­ As for net casting, it was purely a method for entertainment fishing on Earth. It was only better than angling, and players were only doing it to have fun. If anyone actually used net casting as a professional fishing method to feed the family, the entire family would starve to death. ¡­ Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ ¡°Um¡­ Shouzhe, are you dissatisfied with our fishing fleet?¡± Wang Dinghai asked without much confidence. Was he dissatisfied? This dissatisfaction was huge. Wang Shouzhe muttered to himself and said with a serious expression, ¡°Sixth Uncle, how¡¯s the annual output of our fishing fleet? What¡¯s the expenditure and the profit?¡± When he asked this question, Wang Dinghai looked at him, stunned. How could he answer such a question? ¡°Zhe¡¯er, let me answer this.¡± Gongsun Hui interjected, ¡°In recent years, I¡¯ve been managing the family¡¯s total accounts. The fishing fleet has a total of nine small fishing boats and one medium-sized fishing boat. Over the past five years, the average annual total amount of ordinary catches is about 6,700 quintals, with a profit of 486 gold. Over the past five years, the average amount of spirit fishes caught is 400 catties per year, with a profit of 120 gold. The average annual total profit is 606 gold.¡± This time, it was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s turn to look at Gongsun Hui in shock. Although he knew that his mother was managing the main account, he didn¡¯t expect her to be so familiar with the data and be able to state it on demand. However, the amount of catches was too small. For ten fishing boats, it added up to an average of twenty quintals a day, which was about 2,000 catties of catches! ¡°Zhe¡¯er, why do you need to look at me like that?¡± Gongsun Hui said calmly. ¡°Your mother doesn¡¯t have great talent in cultivating the Arcane Martial Arts, but as the direct daughter of the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang, the nine chapters of The Book of Arithmetics are compulsory learning. Your father was the patriarch, and I naturally had to help him manage the accounts.¡± At this point, Gongsun Hui¡¯s gaze became somewhat despondent. All these years, she had managed the accounts with extreme clarity, memorizing every piece of data by heart. However, her husband, Wang Dingyue, had not taken it seriously. Hearing her words, Wang Shouzhe recalled the general knowledge of this Arcane Martial World. Intermarriage between the Arcane Martial Clans were always between the direct bloodlines. As the direct daughter, Madam Gongsun Hui was bound to marry a certain family¡¯s young patriarch. In the same vein, if Wang Shouzhe were to marry in the future, he must marry the direct daughter of a certain clan. That was a digression. Since Gongsun Hui had such a clear understanding of the accounts, Wang Shouzhe began paying attention. ¡°The value of the catches Sixth Uncle had introduced to me were all quite high. Why is the total value of six or seven thousand quintals per year only worth 486 gold in total?¡± ¡°In order to please you, your Sixth Uncle pointed out that those are high-value catches that are loved and enjoyed by the nobles of the various clans. Most of the catches aren¡¯t that valuable. In addition, our clan has a fish stall business. They will distribute the catches in different categories, and ice, marinate, smoke them and so on, before processing and selling them. This portion of the expenses has to be included in the fish stall. This is another matter.¡± Gongsun Hui explained clearly. ¡°The internal expenditure of the Wang Clan will also be taken into account in the form of gold purchases.¡± ¡°Mother, please continue,¡± Wang Shouzhe said respectfully. ¡°For example, the expenditure and net profit.¡± This was the first time Gongsun Hui had someone who took the accounts so seriously. Her spirits lifted and she said, ¡°In terms of expenditure, based on the current 46 fishermen, the annual expenditure and monthly allowances are 151 gold. The annual maintenance for the ten fishing boats, including repair and maintenance of various tools, costs 92 gold. In addition, the average tax is 72 gold per year, and the average annual compensation is 60 gold. After deducting all expenses, the combined annual average net income is 221 gold per year. This does not include the family offerings that your Sixth Uncle deserves. That is a separate account.¡± When he heard this, Wang Dinghai¡¯s face instantly turned slightly red. He said, embarrassed, ¡°How can the net profit be so little? I thought I could bring a net profit of at least four to five hundred gold to the clan every year.¡± ¡°Brother-in-law, if you have any doubts about the accounts, you can come to reconcile accounts at any time,¡± said Gongsun Hui calmly. ¡°No, no, no. That¡¯s not what I meant, Sister-in-law.¡± Wang Dinghai hurriedly waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m just a boorish man who only knows how to fish. Shouzhe, what¡¯s so interesting about these boring accounts? I will personally show you my ultimate feat¡­¡± ¡°Sixth Uncle, hold on.¡± After Wang Shouzhe consoled him, he frowned at Gongsun Hui and said, ¡°Two questions. First, what is the basis of taxation? Second, what is the compensation for?¡± ¡°Shouzhe, the An River is very turbulent, and there are many undercurrents. Occasionally, there will be some aquatic dire beasts that are difficult to deal with.¡± Wang Dinghai hurriedly explained, ¡°No matter how careful Sixth Uncle is, it¡¯s inevitable that some boatmen and fishermen will die in the An River. Without a high monthly allowance and compensation, no one would be willing to join the fishing fleet.¡± ¡°The tax is calculated according to the size of the fishing boat. Small fishing boats pay six gold annually, while medium fishing boats pay 18 gold annually,¡± Gongsun Hui also explained. So it¡¯s fixed taxes. However, Wang Shouzhe also understood that in a world with such a backward economic system, fixed taxes were the best solution. After understanding all the information, Wang Shouzhe folded his hands in salute and said to Wang Dinghai, ¡°Sixth Uncle, I didn¡¯t expect the An River fishing industry to be so dangerous. It has been hard on Sixth Uncle to make such contributions to the clan for all these years.¡± Wang Dinghai felt relieved and said with a dry chuckle, ¡°Shouzhe, as long as you don¡¯t blame the fishing fleet for making too little money¡­ To be honest, when Fifth Brother was the patriarch, I also proposed to Fifth Brother to expand the fishing fleet. Managing ten boats or more than 20 boats is the same to me. I will also think of ways to recruit fishermen. This way, I can also earn a bit more gold for the clan. Anyway, the 30 miles of An River can accommodate more than 20 fishing boats without issues. By the way, the Liu Clan has over 20 boats¡­¡± ¡°About ten boats more?¡± Wang Shouzhe asked with interest. ¡°Can you tell me more?¡± If the clan wanted to prosper, gold was the most important resource. ¡°Let me explain.¡± Gongsun Hui knew that Wang Dinghai was not good at accounting data, so she said, ¡°I also know about Sixth Uncle¡¯s idea. He wants to add two medium-sized fishing boats and ten small fishing boats. Among them, the cost of building a medium-sized fishing boat is 120 gold per boat, and the cost of building a small fishing boat is 45 gold per boat. In total, 690 gold needs to be invested. As long as he can recruit the corresponding fishermen, it will pay for itself in the accounts in three years.¡± Wang Shouzhe nodded in agreement. ¡°It can pay for itself in the accounts three years. That¡¯s viable. Even if we don¡¯t use them in the future, selling those fishing boats won¡¯t be a loss.¡± Wang Dinghai¡¯s face lit up instantly. He looked as if he had met a close friend. He slapped his thigh and said, ¡°Sister-in-law, I knew this could be done. I just don¡¯t understand why Fifth Brother didn¡¯t agree when I¡¯m willing to contribute more to the family.¡± Gongsun Hui¡¯s expression turned a little embarrassed, ¡°Sixth Uncle, you might not know this, but the Wang Clan has been lacking money in all aspects these years.¡± She sighed inwardly. In truth, she agreed with expanding the fleet, but Wang Dingyue refused. Moreover, her plan to return to her family to borrow money was firmly rejected by Wang Dingyue. ¡°Shouzhe, so you¡¯ve agreed to expand the fleet?¡± Wang Dinghai probed. ¡°Zhe¡¯er, if you need to expand the fleet¡­¡± Gongsun Hui hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I can make a trip back to Shanyang to raise some gold.¡± It was embarrassing to return to her family to borrow money, but for the sake of the clan¡¯s development, she couldn¡¯t be too concerned about it now. ¡°No, I don¡¯t agree,¡± Wang Shouzhe said after some thought. ¡°What?¡± Wang Dinghai¡¯s face darkened. Even Gongsun Hui looked at Wang Shouzhe in confusion. Didn¡¯t he just say that it was viable? Could it be that he, like his father, was too prideful to let her raise the money? ¡°Times have changed.¡± Wang Shouzhe frowned and pondered. ¡°If the clan wants to develop, it cannot do without gold. If we want more gold, we must expand the profits of the clan¡¯s productions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right. If we don¡¯t expand the fleet, how can we increase the profit?¡± Wang Dinghai stared at Wang Shouzhe with wide eyes. Wang Shouzhe smiled mysteriously and said, ¡°Sixth Uncle, you¡¯re a fishing expert. I have a few ideas to discuss with you. Do you know of a method of fishing called trawling? In this method, two boats work together to fish.¡± Then, Wang Shouzhe tugged Wang Dinghai to squat down and started sketching on the deck. Trawling was a very conventional method of fishing on Earth, where Wang Shouzhe came from. This was a professional fishing method, and its efficiency was far beyond entertainment like net casting. If not for An River¡¯s rich ecology, with Wang Dinghai¡¯s extremely unprofessional fishing method, he would have gone completely broke. Of course, it was precisely because trawling was too powerful that it was harmful to the natural ecosystem. Wang Shouzhe was quite disapproving towards it. However, the current situation of the clan was that if it didn¡¯t develop soon, it would be destroyed. In any case, when the clan grew stronger, they could abandon the method of natural fishing. ¡°Shouzhe, this idea of yours is very intriguing.¡± Wang Dinghai was also a professional, so he quickly figured out the principle. However, he frowned and said, ¡°But such a huge net is not only very difficult to make, but also impossible for our fishing boats to drag, right?¡± They couldn¡¯t drag it! All right, Wang Shouzhe immediately understood what the problem was. A sailboat was not like a mechanical boat running on diesel fuel. How could it have the power to drag a huge net? ¡°Then let¡¯s make a miniature one first, with the primary goal something that can be dragged,¡± Wang Shouzhe said. ¡°First, we¡¯ll make a funnel-shaped dragnet 30 to 40 feet wide, 60 to 70 feet long, like a large pocket, and we¡¯ll have to add an inverted cap to prevent the fish from escaping¡­¡± ¡°We can actually try this.¡± Wang Dinghai¡¯s eyes lit up as he said, ¡°When I go back, I¡¯ll find 20 web weavers to make it together. I estimate that it will be completed in two months.¡± Twenty people, two months¡­ Wang Shouzhe felt rather helpless about this. The productivity of this Arcane Martial World was indeed very low. However, it was precisely because of this that the natural resources of this world were so well protected. It was unlike Wang Shouzhe¡¯s world. The nearby seas had almost been exhausted by trawling, and the state had no choice but to implement various arrest policies. The power of the trawling was no joke. ¡°Hold on, Sixth Uncle. Take a look at this other fishing method. Although it¡¯s not as good as trawling¡­ the advantage is that it¡¯s easy to operate. If it¡¯s done well, even ordinary people can operate it.¡± Then, Wang Shouzhe drew another fishing tool for Wang Dinghai, ccalled lift nets. This method of fishing was somewhat similar to net casting, but net casting envelopes the fish from top to bottom, whereas lift nets catch the fish from bottom to top. As a whole, lift net was much more complicated than net casting, but once it¡¯s fixed and leveraged properly, it¡¯s labor-saving and easier than net casting. Its advantage was that once it was done, it could be operated by any ordinary labor force, even a minor. Additionally, there was an even more powerful evolutionary version to lift nets, called river barrier nets. If that kind of thing could be produced, its lethality would be no inferior to a small trawl net. ¡°Shouzhe, w-w-where did you get such wonderful ideas from?¡± Wang Dinghai was so excited that he was trembling. ¡°If all these can be realized, we¡¯ll be rich.¡± ¡°I read about it in an ancient book when idle.¡± Wang Shouzhe continued, ¡°Sixth Uncle, let me tell you about fish cages and fish mazes¡­¡± These two kinds of fishing tools were naturally very lethal. They were so powerful that as a testament to their power, the state had listed them as prohibited fishing tools. Moreover, both of them were passive and fixed fishing tools. After installing the devices, they only needed to be checked regularly. It was similar to playing games away from keyboard¡­ They did not have to worry about anything and just had to reap the rewards regularly. Wang Dinghai was about to go crazy. He was a ¡°professional fisherman¡± of an Arcane Martial Clan, and Wang Shouzhe seemed to have opened up a whole new world for him. ¡­ Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ ¡°Sixth Uncle, these are all secrets regarding the rise of the clan. Confidentiality is the basis of everything.¡± Wang Shouzhe temporarily gave up on the idea of sharing about lure fishing with him and said solemnly. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be extra careful when doing all of this. When the time comes, please assign me two clan guards.¡± Wang Dinghai was so excited that his whole body was trembling. ¡°In addition, I have some ideas about the lift nets. A lift net can be quickly modified from cast nets. Let¡¯s test the effect first. If it¡¯s possible¡­¡± His eyes were shining. He couldn¡¯t wait to experiment. The Dingpu Crossing to the Rubble Beach was the Wang Clan¡¯s territory. Ordinary people would not dare to approach the riverbank. After all, the riverbank had not been developed and had only been briefly cleared. There were all kinds of inadvertent dangers. In addition, the section of the river was winding and had many remote and hidden places. After being inspired by Wang Shouzhe, Wang Dinghai, who was familiar with the fishing industry, had already come up with many plans and ideas. After Wang Shouzhe agreed, Wang Dinghai sailed the boat all the way to a small hidden pier along the section of the river. Every small pier here was a secret stronghold that could be used for many different purposes. A cunning rabbit had three burrows, not to mention the Wang Clan¡¯s fishing fleet. There was also a hidden wooden cabin beside the small pier, which was a place to rest and avoid the wind and waves. Wang Dinghai accommodated Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui in this simple and humble place. After leaving Wang Goudan to serve them, he left in a hurry. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Sixth Uncle so energetic.¡± Gongsun Hui sighed. ¡°From the looks of it, Zhe¡¯er, the fishing ideas you provided will be very effective.¡± ¡°I read all of them from an ancient book. No judgment can be made without using them in practice. I hope it¡¯s useful to the clan.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled and said to Wang Goudan, ¡°Goudan, do you know how to roast fish?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wang Goudan nodded quickly. ¡°P-Patriarch, I¡¯ll go roast some fish right now.¡± With that, he slipped out of the room. When only Gongsun Hui and Wang Shouzhe were left, Gongsun Hui studied Wang Shouzhe carefully, until Wang Shouzhe was a little nervous. Only then did she say, ¡°Zhe¡¯er, you¡¯ve changed. You¡¯ve become carefree, uninhibited, and very confident. In the past, you only knew how to cultivate with all your might and didn¡¯t care about anything else. If I hadn¡¯t watched you grow up, I really would have suspected that you had been swapped.¡± ¡°Mother, you must be joking. In the past, with Father holding the fort, I could naturally ignore everything.¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s expression was calm as he sighed and said, ¡°But now that Father has passed away, the clan¡¯s situation has already worsened to such an extent. If I still don¡¯t pull myself together, what will happen to the Wang Clan? Mother, let¡¯s not talk about this for now. You¡¯ve been exhausted during this journey, so you should rest for a while. Let¡¯s look forward to Sixth Uncle¡¯s surprise later.¡± Wang Shouzhe took control of the situation and proactively ended the conversation. He took the lead and closed his eyes to rest. More than an hour later, Wang Goudan brought back a few golden roasted fish that smelled delicious. Wang Shouzhe took out two large coppers and threw them to him. ¡°This is your reward. Wait outside.¡± ¡°Thank you, Patriarch.¡± Wang Goudan ran out, overjoyed. He shared the roasted fish with Gongsun Hui. Although Goudan¡¯s culinary skills were ordinary and he had only sprinkled some coarse salt, the advantage was that the ingredients were fresh and of excellent quality. Wang Shouzhe enjoyed the flavor and was full of praises. It was Gongsun Hui¡¯s first time eating such unrefined food. Her beautiful eyes flickered after she ate a few mouthfuls, as if it suited her taste very well. After finishing the few roasted fish, Wang Dinghai¡¯s excited voice came from outside. ¡°Shouzhe, Sister-in-law, come out and take a look.¡± Hearing it, Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui went outside and arrived at the side of the small pier. They saw that Wang Dinghai had already prepared a simple lift net moving according to the plan. Good grief, that lift net made Wang Shouzhe¡¯s eyebrows twitch. The four supporting poles were all round wood as thick as an arm, and the main pole was even thicker than a thigh. This thing was too heavy. It must be two to three hundred catties in weight. Earthlings could not possibly move it. Wang Dinghai stood on the wooden dock. He coordinated the power in his waist and legs, exerted a little strength to pull the cable, and the heavy lift net was easily pried out of the water by him. Heh, he forgot that that guy was a Arcane Martial Artist at the fifth level of the Qi Refining Realm. His strength was more than ten times greater than that of an ordinary Earthling. Boom! A big fish was caught in the lift net. The big fish made a sudden explosion of water, but was blocked by the net. Before it could react, it was pulled out of the water and lying in the middle of the net, waiting to be slaughtered. In addition, there were a few small fishes that weighed one to two to three catties lying silently beside it. ¡°Good!¡± The surrounding fishermen cheered excitedly, scooping the catches out hurriedly with scoop nets. Although it was a scarlet carp without much value, with a weight of six to seven catties, it could be sold for dozens of dimes. At the same time, it also proved the effect of lift nets. Then, under Wang Shouzhe¡¯s personal guidance, Wang Dinghai made further improvements to the lift net. He installed an inverted rod, weights and so on. The principle was very simple. It was like the see-saw on Earth. However, this see-saw was a triangular shape. The two ends were connected by a cable. The other end of the see-saw was equipped with a suitable weight. As long as one applied slight pressure, the other end would raise the lift net like a see-saw. Another four hours passed with their preparations, and the sky was already dark by the time they got everything busy. However, everyone was in high spirits. They could lift the net every less than half an hour, and it wouldn¡¯t take much effort. Of course, it was impossible to avoid empty nets. However, it was already dark at this time, and many fishes had begun to quietly approach the shore under the cover of night to search for food along the shore. There was much more food by the shore than in the center of the large river. Boom! Splash! After a few rounds of empty nets, there would always be a loud sound, followed by a big fish or something. Occasionally, there would be two or three in a net. This made the fishermen and Wang Dinghai extremely excited. ¡°Shouzhe, we¡¯re rich, we¡¯re rich,¡± Wang Dinghai reported in ecstasy, holding a torch. ¡°We lifted thirty nets in the past two hours, five escaped, and we got nine big catches. The small and medium-sized catches were not counted.¡± ¡°In just two hours, we¡¯ve already obtained more than 50 catties of catch. The total value is around 10 large coppers.¡± Such a terrifying harvest made even Wang Shouzhe a little dumbfounded. This was the Arcane Martial World, and the resources here were much better than on Earth. However, Wang Dinghai also said that it was currently the fishing season, and nighttime was also the best period for fishing, so this harvest was reasonable. ¡°This thing is much more powerful than net casting,¡± Wang Dinghai said excitedly. ¡°Net casting gets a lot of catches too, but a fisherman with abundant physical strength can only cast at most a hundred nets in a day before running out of strength. But this new tool doesn¡¯t require too much physical strength, nor does it require technology. We can arrange for two fishermen to take 12-hour shifts or rotating work, and it¡¯s quite safe. After all, the river bank is much less dangerous than the center of the river.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but you¡¯ve neglected one advantage, which is that it can be replicated.¡± Wang Shouzhe was also in an excellent mood. ¡°Sixth Uncle, tomorrow, find some skilled craftsmen from the clan and refine this simple and crude thing. Then, we¡¯ll expand its usage gradually and take advantage of this year¡¯s fishing season to earn another sum.¡± ¡°The most important thing is to keep it a secret.¡± Gongsun Hui added, ¡°Sixth Uncle, we can¡¯t expand our workforce blindly. Try to find reliable helpers from the collateral clansmen.¡± Everyone added on their own take. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion. Wang Goudan shouted, ¡°Master Hai, quick, come quick!¡± The three of them looked over at the same time and saw a large snake-like creature in the lift net. Its explosive power was extremely fierce. Even with two adult fishermen pressing down on the frame of the lift net to lift it out of the water by force, it was still struggling frantically in the net, shaking the entire frame. ¡°It¡¯s a Crimson-scaled Eel!¡± Wang Dinghai was overjoyed, but his expression quickly changed, ¡°Not good, it¡¯s breaking the net!¡± The Crimson-scaled eel bit the hole of the netting with its sharp teeth, its body twisting and turning in a frenzy, instantly tearing a large hole in the fishing net. It twisted along the hole to squeeze out. Without another word, Wang Dinghai dived into the water and swam towards the fish net at an extremely fast speed. Just as the Crimson-scaled Eel was about to escape, he reached out with a large hand and grabbed its neck. His right hand pulled out an underwater spike from his waist and ruthlessly stabbed it in the head, stirring the spike left and right. Even so, the Scarlet-scaled Eel still wrapped itself around him and stirred with all its might. It was clear that its life force was extremely vigorous. Only after another hour did the thing finally die. Wang Dinghai dragged it ashore and laid it on the simple pier. The thing was more than 20 feet long, and its thickest place was thicker than a thigh. Its entire body was covered in crimson scales. ¡°The Crimson-scaled Eel is a Class One aquatic dire beast. Sixth Uncle, this should be an adult Crimson-scaled Eel. It should weigh at least a hundred catties, right?¡± Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui were also watching curiously. ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s more than that. This one weighs at least 150 catties. It¡¯s worth at least 30 to 50 gold.¡± Wang Dinghai sat on the ground and gasped for breath, his eyes shining with excitement. ¡°If this ferocious creature goes into the water, your Sixth Uncle might not be able to win against it. But this Crimson-scaled Eel is full of treasures. Patriarch, it¡¯s all thanks to you today, hahaha¡­ I¡¯ll bring it to Dingpu Crossing to show off tomorrow.¡± ¡­ Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ In this kind of familiar waters, Crimson-scaled Eels were rare and hard to come by. Even if they were lucky enough to run into them, ordinary fishing nets would be torn apart. Being able to catch them at all required both luck and strength. Of course, in the dire waters of the barren swamp, Crimson-scaled Eels wouldn¡¯t be that rare. Only, there was no knowing how many dire beasts would be hidden in that type of uncharted and dangerous land. Even someone who had attained the Spirit Tower Realm would be in mortal danger if they blundered in there. With the catch of the Crimson-scaled Eel by Wang Dinghai, the atmosphere reached its peak. After the fishermen quickly fixed the net, they continued to work with gusto. On the other hand, Wang Dinghai personally led Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui back to Dingpu Crossing on the boat. They met up with a few clan guards who had stayed behind and returned to the main residence. It was getting late, so they went to bed after washing up. That night, Wang Shouzhe fumbled around and entered the state of Arcane Martial cultivation. Due to the fusion of his memories, he only familiarized himself with it briefly before entering the proper cultivation path. The cultivation technique that Wang Shouzhe practiced was the Qi Refining section of the ¡°Wang Clan¡¯s Mnemonic of Arcane Essence¡±. It was said that it was a cultivation technique passed down from the earliest ancestor. The Arcane Essence that was cultivated from this technique had a calm and peaceful Qi. It didn¡¯t have any outstanding advantages, but neither did it have any fatal flaws. However, the more one cultivated it to the later stages, the more profound one¡¯s Arcane Energy would become, and one would then be able to discover its subtle profoundness. Qi Refining Realm! It was the process an Arcane Martial Artist cultivated Arcane Qi and using Arcane Qi to temper his body to continuously become stronger. Pure Arcane Qi flowed along the meridians and apertures to nourish and stimulate each and every one of them. At the same time, those apertures produced formless energy fluctuations with a wondrous rhythm, and those fluctuations spread throughout the entire body, causing the blood and Qi in the entire body to vibrate. As more and more Arcane Qi circulated in the apertures within his body, the rhythm of his blood and Qi grew more and more intense. After the 12 apertures were linked together in a closed loop by his Arcane Energy, the consumption of his Arcane Energy also reached its limit, and the rhythm of his Qi and blood arrived at its peak. Suddenly! A cool sensation spread from his tailbone to his entire body. Wang Shouzhe felt his scalp go numb, and his soul felt as if it was about to float out. Furthermore, a dense aura rose from his head. The entire process lasted for a full ten breaths of time. The violent fluctuations of the Qi and blood in his body receded like a tide, turning into an invisible energy that gathered towards his lower abdomen. A mouthful of foul air sprayed out from his mouth, and a strand of new Arcane Qi surged out like spring water within his empty Sea of Qi, and it quickly filled his Sea of Qi. At this very moment, Wang Shouzhe could already faintly feel that the new Arcane Qi in his Sea of Qi had grown slightly stronger than before. His somewhat exhausted energy seemed to have recovered a lot, and seemed to have become even stronger. This completed a full cycle of cultivation of the ¡°Mnemonic of Arcane Essence¡±. The cultivation of an Arcane Martial Artist was a very long and accumulative process. Any expert reached mastery bit by bit this way. However, the consumption of Qi and blood during this process was enormous. A n Arcane Martial Artist must replenish their Qi and blood by consuming food, pills and other methods. Otherwise, cultivating like this would not only not benefit the body, but also cause the Qi and blood to become depleted, thus resulting in the collapse of the body. The more profound the cultivation of an Arcane Martial Artist, the greater their need for food and nutrients would be. This was why Arcane Martial Artists all established various noble clans and used the influence of the clans to obtain wealth and abundant resources for themselves. Fortunately, Wang Shouzhe had been well-nourished recently, and his Qi and blood were vigorous and hadn¡¯t been refined yet. According to his own condition, he immediately began the second cycle¡­ When dawn broke, Wang Shouzhe completed four full cycles of cultivation in about four hours. At this time, he felt extremely energetic, as if there was an endless amount of energy in his body. He could clearly feel that his cultivation level had improved. However, the initially abundant Qi and blood in his body had already been greatly consumed. He could feel a wave of ¡°hunger¡± emanating from his body. This feeling of hunger was different from the usual feeling of hunger, but it was very marvelous and clear. At the same time, he also felt that his apertures and meridians were somewhat ¡°sore¡± and uncomfortable. His experience told him that in this situation, no matter how vigorous his Qi and blood were, he could not continue cultivating. He needed to let his exhausted apertures and meridians recover naturally. However, the improvement was pleasing. Judging the situation based on the memory and experiences of his prior self, Wang Shouzhe felt that if he improved like this every day, he would be able to break through in less than three months and reach the seventh level of the Qi Refining realm. It was a pity that it was almost impossible to reach such an ideal state under normal circumstances. After consuming a large amount of Qi and blood, replenishing it with ordinary food was very slow. It required a large amount of spirit rice and spirit food. However, even though Wang Shouzhe was the first in sequence among cultivators in the clan, he could only be allocated five catties of white jade spirit rice, five catties of spirit fish, and five catties of Spirit Horned Yak every month! All these high-quality ingredients that were rich in energy could only supplement him for five meals at most. On average, he could only be replenished by them once every six to seven days. In addition, as the first in sequence in the clan¡¯s focused training, he still had a portion of the ¡°Small Essence Enhancing Pill¡± every month. The Small Essence Enhancing Pill was a cultivation resource that was of a higher grade than spirit food. However, its price was as high as ten gold per pill, making it extremely expensive. Some clansmen who were ranked near the bottom of the cultivation sequence could only request one pill from the clan to supplement their breakthrough when they were about to break through each cultivation level. If he ate spirit food every meal and had the Small Essence Enhancing Pill every day, Wang Shouzhe estimated that his cultivation speed would be able to take off¡­ ¡°Patriarch, your breakfast is here.¡± Wang Gui the manservant knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Wang Shouzhe got up from the bed. At the same time, after Wang Gui came in, he put the breakfast aside. First, he prepared some clean water to serve the patriarch to wash up and brush his teeth. Then, he opened the food containers and placed them one by one. ¡°Eh? A large pot of white jade spirit rice congee and steamed marinated spirit minnow?¡± Wang Shouzhe looked at the dazzling array of breakfast items with some confusion. Apart from the two precious spirit foods, there were also some pastries and other side dishes to go with the congee. He knew that this breakfast was not the standard allocation. Eating spirit food every meal could indeed quickly replenish one¡¯s Qi and blood and maximize one¡¯s cultivation progress. However, in reality, there was a principle behind it, which was diminishing marginal utility. In particular, eating it every meal would inevitably cause a large amount of nutritional waste, reducing the ratio of costs to benefits. The Wang clan was too poor to afford such a luxurious cultivation method. Furthermore, the clan had its own rules. Even the patriarch could not leech off the other clansmen however he pleased. ¡°Patriarch, this is from Miss Xia He, who serves Madam Gongsun,¡± Wang Gui answered honestly. ¡°She said that Madam Gongsun woke up early and personally cooked this breakfast. She also sent a message on Madam Gongsun¡¯s behalf, saying that the patriarch is currently at the critical moment of breaking through to the late stage of the Qi Refining Realm, so don¡¯t put on airs.¡± Indeed! Wang Shouzhe¡¯s guess was confirmed by Wang Gui¡¯s words. This was what Madam Gongsun hui had saved from her own rations for him. Wang Shouzhe¡¯s refusal, in particular, was preemptively countered by the message of ¡°don¡¯t put on airs¡±. All right then. He wouldn¡¯t let her down. Moreover, he believed that the clan would get better and better in the future. At least, after his hard work yesterday, the future profits of Wang Dinghai¡¯s fishing fleet would more than double. This would greatly ease the situation of the clan¡¯s resources being tight. After eating a meal of spirit food, his slightly depleted Qi and blood immediately replenished a little. Following the digestion and transformation of the food, his Qi and blood would become more abundant. After eating and drinking to his heart¡¯s content, Wang Shouzhe thought about going to the other family businesses to inspect them. Regardless of whether he was willing or not, he was completely tied to the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an. As the patriarch leading the clan, he naturally had to know every aspect of the clan like the back of his hand. Only then could he think of ways to revitalize this declining clan. ¡­ Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ Other transmigrators all had a cheat system. As long as they called for the system inwardly, they could use all kinds of data panels. However, even without the help of the cheat system, Wang Shouzhe was no longer afraid. After the experience of his Sixth Uncle, Wang Dinghai, he gradually realized that he was vastly different from the ¡°natives¡± of this world in terms of outlook and thinking. For example, before he transmigrated, he was just an ordinary graduate from a second-tier university. He had been a normal member of the working class for a few years. On Earth, he was just an unremarkable person among countless. Putting kindergarten aside, he had spent six years in primary school, six years in middle school, and four years in university! The duration of professional and systematic learning alone spanned 16 years. From literature, music, language, philosophy, astronomy, geography, history, politics, mathematics, science, chemistry, and so on¡­ Most of the knowledge had probably already sunk into the underlying memory in his brain, but it was precisely this large amount of knowledge that he could not recall at the moment that formed Wang Shouzhe¡¯s unique vision, logic and thinking, which were more outstanding than that of the natives. In addition, before he transmigrated, all kinds of web novels, short videos, and information had already multiplied to the limit. He could swipe his phone until the sky turned dark, and swipe it until the sky turned bright without realizing. Every day, some strange knowledge points silently increased in him. ¡°Maybe these are my cheat,¡± Wang Shouzhe muttered, his eyes shining. ¡°As for the system interface, it¡¯s not difficult to solve it. At most, I can just build a crude interface that needs to be updated and maintained regularly.¡± Some third-rate construction-related online game interfaces from games he had played before could be used as the reference for the interface mode. However, before building the interface, he had to personally understand the structure of the entire clan and the specific details. Although he had fused with the memories of his previous self, his previous self was only 18 years old. He spent a lot of time studying and cultivating, so he knew very little about the clan¡¯s affairs. He only knew that the most important supporting industries of the family were three farms. They were ¡°Bountiful Farm¡±, ¡°Prosperous Farm¡±, and ¡°Flourishing Silkworm Farm¡±. The importance of these three farms to the family far exceeded that of the fishing fleet. The harvest of every farm was extremely important to the clan, thus the three big farms were currently managed by the three experienced elders of the clan with the generation name ¡°Xiao¡±. Today, Wang Shouzhe decided to pay a visit to the Bountiful Farm, which was relatively nearby. It was overseen by Elder Wang Xiaozhi, who was a member of the ¡°Xiao¡± generation. ¡°Wang Gui, prepare the carriage,¡± Wang Shouzhe ordered after making up his mind. Wang Gui acknowledged and quickly left to prepare. Wang Shouzhe, on the other hand, walked unhurriedly towards the main entrance. At the same time, his mind did not stop thinking about some matters regarding the Bountiful Farm. Just as he reached the courtyard, he heard a cute female voice call out, ¡°Hello, Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Shouzhe looked over and saw two girls, one big and one small, standing not far away. The older one was at the prime of her youth. She wore a light blue martial outfit and looked quite pretty. The younger one looked like she was only 11 or 12 years old. Her hair was braided, and she also dressed up quite pretty. It was just that she hid behind the older girl as she was timid. However, she couldn¡¯t help but peek at Wang Shouzhe curiously. What was even more peculiar was that the two girls each carried a large, oddly shaped chest that appeared somewhat heavy. They each carried a sword in their hands as well, as if they were about to leave. ¡°So it¡¯s Fourth Sister Luo Tong and Fifth Sister Luojing.¡± Wang Shouzhe recognized them at a glance. He smiled and greeted them, ¡°You are both dressed up quite pretty today. Are you going out?¡± The older one was called Wang Luotong and she was currently 17 years old. The younger one was called Wang Luojing and was only 12 years old. They were the same as Wang Shouzhe and belonged to the seventh generation of Ancestor Zhouxuan¡¯s descendants. The women of the Martial Art Clans were different from those in Ancient China. Although their ultimate fate was still marriage, they had a lot of autonomy before marrying. Like men, they received excellent education, cultivated, and could even participate in the clan production and business. ¡°Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Luotong bowed again and a trace of surprise flashed her eyes. ¡°The farm is about to be harvested recently. Grandfather is busy and doesn¡¯t have time to come back. I¡¯m bringing Luojing to visit him.¡± In Wang Luotong¡¯s impression, her fourth brother, Wang Shouzhe, had always been a serious person. When siblings met, they would at most greet each other before leaving in a hurry. He had never praised them so amiably like this. Wang Shouzhe recalled that Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing were the granddaughters of the clan elder, their fourth grandfather Wang Xiaozhi. Their father was the fourth son of the Ding generation, Wang Dingbang. However, his fourth uncle, Wang Dingbang, had passed away five years ago. The sons of Wang Clan had generation names in the order of ¡°Yu¡±, ¡°Chen¡±, ¡°Qiong¡±, ¡°Xiao¡±, ¡°Ding¡±, ¡°Shou¡±, ¡°Zong¡± and ¡°Shi¡±. Wang Shouzhe¡¯s father, Wang Dingyue, was the fifth son of the sixth generation, whereas Wang Shouzhe was the fourth son of the seventh generation. However, Wang Dingyue and Wang Shouzhe were both direct descendants, while the rest were only immediate descendants. On the other hand, the daughters of the Wang Clan had generation names in the order of ¡°Zhu¡±, ¡°Long¡±, ¡°Ling¡±, ¡°Zhen¡±, ¡°Liu¡±, ¡°Luo¡±, ¡°Li¡±, ¡°Ying¡±. The current mainstay of the clan, Ancestor Wang Longyan, for instance, was the only third generation Ancestor in the clan that was still alive. Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing were the fourth and fifth female members of the seventh generation. Madam Gongsun Hui¡¯s daughter, Wang Luomiao, was seventh in sequence. However, similarly, Wang Luomiao was a direct daughter, and had a somewhat different status in the family. The longer the clan developed, the greater the age gap between those of the same generation name. For instance, Wang Shouzhe was of the seventh generation with ¡°Shou¡± or ¡°Luo¡± generation name. The oldest son, Wang Shouxin, was already 43 years old, and was even older than Wang Dingyue. The youngest seventh generation child, Wang Luolan, was only five years old now. Other than that, there were quite a number of eighth-generation members with the generation members ¡°Zong¡± and ¡°Li¡±. Among them, Wang Zongwei was the oldest and at already 20 years old. However, when he saw other young girls like Wang Luojing and Wang Luolan, he had to address them as aunts too. Enough digression for now. Wang Shouzhe thought for a moment and said, ¡°Are you guys walking over? I¡¯m going to take a look at the Bountiful Farm too. How about you guys share a carriage with me?¡± He knew that the clan¡¯s life was getting more and more difficult. It was impossible for the two little girls to be specially equipped with traveling carriages, much less clan guards. It would take them at least two hours to reach the Bountiful Farm. However, this area was the Wang Clan¡¯s territory and was also a well-established, familiar area. There would not be any danger. Furthermore, as daughters of the Wang family, they were not weak ladies without any strength. ¡°Thank you, Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Luotong was a little overwhelmed by the favor and quickly thanked him. Wang Luojing also seemed a little happy and said crisply, ¡°Fourth Brother is so nice.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate too early. Fourth Brother is going to test your studies along the way.¡± Wang Shouzhe chuckled. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing panicked a bit, especially Wang Luojing. Her beautiful little face fell. She looked like she was wronged and felt that she¡¯d be better off walking over. Not long after¡­ Wang Shouzhe¡¯s carriage slowly drove away from the main residence under the protection of the four clan guards riding the buckskin horses. Wang Luojing was still young, and she was very respectful towards Wang Shouzhe. She was a little restless in the carriage, and her subtle gaze occasionally glanced at the snacks on the small table. As Wang Shouzhe was traveling with his two younger sisters, he had just asked Wang Gui to get some fruits and candied plums and placed them on the small square table in the middle of the carriage. ¡°Luotong, your aura seems to have stabilized at the peak of the second level of the Qi Refining Realm. How long has it been? Are you preparing to break through?¡± Wang Shouzhe handed over a washed sweet melon and asked casually. Arcane Martial Artists all learned some Qi observation techniques. In particular, when there was a large gap between their cultivation realms, they were usually able to easily determine the other party¡¯s cultivation level. As a girl, Wang Luotong was able to cultivate to such a level at the age of around 17. It was obvious that her aptitude was not bad and she worked rather hard. ¡°Thank you, Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Luotong took the sweet melon and replied cautiously, ¡°It¡¯s already been more than two months, and I¡¯m doing some meticulous work. Grandfather said that I should be able to break through in only about three months.¡± When he heard this, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s brows immediately furrowed. ¡°This is too much of a waste of time. Why don¡¯t you use the Small Essence Enhancing Pill to help you break through? According to the clan rules, you have the right to claim one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Wang Luotong lowered her head and said nervously, ¡°Grandfather said that the clan¡¯s resources are too tight right now, and we will have to wait for some time before we can have the Small Essence Enhancing Pill.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it at all.¡± Wang Luojing pouted. ¡°Grandfather said that Brother is already at the peak of the third level and needs the Small Essence Enhancing Pill more than Sister.¡± ¡°Luojing, don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Wang Luotong said anxiously. ¡°Luojing, go on.¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s expression was rather serious. ¡°Did Wang Shounuo bully you two? If that¡¯s the case, Fourth Brother will teach him a lesson.¡± He knew that Wang Shounuo was their biological brother and was about 20 years old in the present. ¡­ Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ ¡°That¡¯s not it. Grandpa said that Sister will be getting married in only a few years.¡± Wang Luojing pouted and said, ¡°So she might as well help Brother improve his cultivation.¡± ¡°Fourth Brother, I gave it to you willingly. Please-please don¡¯t blame him.¡± Wang Ruotong explained nervously. According to the clan rules, those who infringed on other people¡¯s resources would be severely punished. However, those who voluntarily gave it were not within the scope of punishment. ¡°Alas!¡± Wang Shouzhe lamented heavily in his heart. It seemed that the Fourth Old Master valued males over females too much. However, this was a common phenomenon in the Wang Clan nowadays. The root of it all was being poor. Wang Shounuo was not like him, Wang Shouzhe, who was the young patriarch of the direct line of descent, and was considered to be in the first tier for cultivation due to his natural talent. Naturally, the resources that Wang Shounuo could normally receive were far inferior. However, in the cultivation of an Arcane Martial Artist, the more they attained when they were young, the better. Otherwise, when one reached an old age, their body would deteriorate, and it would be harder and harder for them to improve their cultivation. The Fourth Old Master probably had no choice but to persuade Wang Ruotong to help Wang Shounuo. ¡°It¡¯s all right. This is all my fault,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a sigh. ¡°I take up too many resources alone. Invariably, my brothers and sisters have much less share.¡± ¡°Fourth Brother is of the direct bloodline, highly talented, and also the mainstay of the clan. It is only right for you to be allocated more resources.¡± Wang Luotong¡¯s eyes revealed admiration and hope instead. ¡°I heard from Grandfather that Fourth Brother¡¯s talent is only slightly inferior to Ancestor Longyan. There is a high chance of you breaking through to the Spirit Tower Realm in the future. As long as Fourth Brother becomes a Spirit Tower Ancestor, our Wang Clan will have a better life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I also heard that Fourth Brother has already been admitted in the Violet Palace Academy.¡± Wang Luojing also stared with her eyes wide open and said excitedly, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Fifth Uncle¡¯s accident that compelled Fourth Brother to step up and become the Patriarch, Fourth Brother would already be on the way to Violet Palace Academy now, right? I heard that there are beautiful big sisters everywhere in the Violet Palace Academy. If Fourth Brother goes there, he will definitely be able to marry one.¡± Violet Palace Academy! To all the young people in the entire Changning region, this was the holy land of their dreams, an unattainable dream. ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. What¡¯s going on in your head, little girl?¡± Wang Shouzhe glared at her with a smile and stuffed a few candied plums into her hands. ¡°I haven¡¯t even passed the final assessment, and I could have been eliminated.¡± Amidst the laughter, Wang Shouzhe felt a heavy pressure. It was the pressure placed on him for carrying the hope of the entire clan. ¡°In short, Fourth Brother is the strongest.¡± Wang Luojing clearly had a blind reverence for him. ¡°The prosperity of a clan can¡¯t depend on one person.¡± Wang Shouzhe looked at Wang Luojing with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re also a member of the clan, and you have to work hard too. I think your natural talent is quite good. You¡¯re already at the high level of the first level of the Qi Refining Realm at such a young age. Work hard. Perhaps you¡¯ll be accepted by the Violet Palace Academy in the future, and you¡¯ll be as outstanding as Ancestor Longyan.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Jing¡¯er will definitely work hard.¡± Wang Luojing¡¯s eyes were filled with hope. ¡°At least I can¡¯t let Sister Luoqiu surpass me again.¡± Luoqiu? ¡°It¡¯s Third Uncle¡¯s daughter, Wang Luoqiu, right?¡± Wang Shouzhe asked curiously. ¡°Could it be that she¡¯s already at the peak of the first level and is about to break through?¡± ¡°She¡¯s already broken through.¡± Wang Luojing pouted and said somewhat unhappily, ¡°She even came to brag to me some time ago.¡± ¡°Her talent is quite good too,¡± Wang Shouzhe said in surprise. ¡°I remember that she¡¯s only 11 years old, right?¡± Her talent seemed to be not much inferior to his own. It seemed that the Wang Clan¡¯s younger generation was not inferior to the Liu Clan¡¯s. It was only because of resources that everyone¡¯s growth was limited. He frowned and kept thinking. For example, Liu Yongzhou, who was at the advanced stage of the fifth level at the age of 23 or 24, could be considered relatively outstanding among the younger generation. If Wang Luotong was given more abundant cultivation resources, her future achievements might not be inferior to Liu Yongzhou¡¯s. Unfortunately, firstly, she was a girl, and secondly, the clan was too poor. Later, Wang Shouzhe casually tested them on their cultural homework. However, he realized that they were all mediocre in this aspect. Their learning in the Book of Arithmetics was particularly terrible. This made Wang Shouzhe¡¯s face turn a little dark. He reprimanded them directly, ¡°This is too embarrassing of you. Your beautiful heads are empty. Although the Arcane Martial Clans established ourselves through martial arts, culture and knowledge are also the foundations of a clan¡¯s inheritance.¡± ¡°Fourth Brother, we won¡¯t do it again. We won¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°When you go back this time, study hard. I¡¯ll test you again in three months.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing¡¯s heads drooped. ¡­ There were only 20 miles between the Wang Clan¡¯s main residence and the Bountiful Farm. The roads were all sturdy dirt roads that could accommodate two horse carriages traveling in opposite directions. Wheat was planted on either side of the dirt road, and the journey was very smooth. It was the beginning of midsummer, and the plants on both sides were lush and full of vitality. Large patches of green wheat swayed in the wind like the waves of the sea. This season was the time when wheat grains were being filled. The weather was beautiful, and the rays of the sun were abundant. It was clearly a good omen. While Wang Shouzhe was talking to his two sisters, they arrived at Bountiful Farm in less than two hours. Most of the farms were located in relatively fertile lands. This piece of land was about seven or eight miles from the An River¡¯s mainstream. A small tributary about 100 feet wide meandered down and passed through the Bountiful Farm. The forefathers then severed the tributary and opened up several 30-feet-wide gorges horizontally, allowing this stretch of water to look somewhat like a large ¡°Feng¡± character1 from the sky. Hence, the forefather named it Bountiful Farm. Rows of staggered houses were built by the water source shaped like ¡°Feng¡±. Although those houses were simple and crude, they all had small courtyards in front and behind. Some fruits and vegetables could be grown and some chickens could be reared in these courtyards. There were also some simple stone steps leading to the river gorge in the backyard that could be used for washing and cooking. In the big and small gorges, flocks of ducks and old geese were playing and hunting, making a huge ruckus. In front of the houses were the cultivated and well-protected fields. Large swathes of wheat fields swayed in the wind, appearing extraordinarily magnificent and beautiful. What a beautiful and idyllic scene. Wang Shouzhe, who had lived in the city for a long time, was instantly attracted by this comfortable and carefree scenery. Originally, when he had just transmigrated, his understanding of the fantasy world had stopped at fighting and killing. He did not expect such a beautiful idyll to exist too. Previously, a clan guard had come to report. However, even so, Wang Shouzhe and his two sisters waited for half an hour before Wang Xiaozhi walked out from the depths of the vast farmland. He was already over 70 years old. His skin was tanned, but he was still hale and hearty. He took off his straw hat and walked up to Wang Shouzhe with a smile. ¡°Shouzhe, what brings you here today?¡± ¡°Fourth Grandfather.¡± Wang Shouzhe politely bowed with cupped hands. ¡°Grandpa.¡± The two girls, Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing, greeted Wang Xiaozhi obediently. ¡°What are you two girls doing here? Why aren¡¯t you focused on studying and cultivating at home?¡± Wang Xiaozhi, the Fourth Old Master, frowned slightly and reprimanded them. ¡°There are more snakes, rats and ants than anything in the fields. What¡¯s so fun about that?¡± The two girls turned pale from the rebuke. They lowered their heads and did not dare to speak. ¡°Fourth Grandfather,¡± Wang Shouzhe chimed in, ¡°Fourth Sister and Fifth Sister missed you, so I took the liberty of bringing them to visit you. It¡¯s not their fault.¡± ¡°Shouzhe, don¡¯t spoil them too much. Otherwise, after they marry someone in the future, they¡¯ll feel aggrieved in their husbands¡¯ families for no reason.¡± Wang Xiaozhi¡¯s attitude towards Wang Shouzhe was much more amiable. ¡°You came at such a good time today. Yesterday, a group of swine came to the wheat field at night to eat. We¡¯ve already hunted and killed the big one. It has been stewing in the pot since morning. Come, Fourth Grandpa will treat you to wine and meat.¡± ¡°I knew it. I got up this morning on a whim and wanted to come to the farm to take a look. So it¡¯s a blessing in disguise. I could smell that there¡¯s good food here from afar.¡± Wang Shouzhe grinned and said, ¡°Looks like I¡¯m really quite lucky.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the mainstay of our family. Of course you¡¯re lucky.¡± Wang Xiaozhi smiled and led Wang Shouzhe into the main courtyard of the farm. The two girls followed him step by step. The main courtyard of the farm was a mix of brick, tile, and wood. Its design was rather simple and crude. It was mainly for the clansmen, clan guards, and clan servants to live here. There were some farming tools in the corners of the courtyard, and some free-range chickens. It really had the air of a farmhouse. Wang Xiaozhi called out to Wang Shouzhe in the courtyard. There was a stone round table with five or six stone stools around it. After a few farmwomen served some fruits and tea, they began to work in the kitchen. During this period, the two girls were also shooed to the kitchen by Wang Xiaozhi to help. In his opinion, girls had to interact more with the kitchen so that they wouldn¡¯t be at a disadvantage in their husbands¡¯ families in the future. Wang Shouzhe knew that this was a tradition of the Arcane Martial World. Although the Arcane Martial Clans had specialized male and female cooks, personally cooking food represented sincerity. For example, Madam Gongsun Hui often cooked for Wang Dingyue and Wang Shouzhe herself. This signified their closeness to each other. ¡­ Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ Wang Shouzhe came with a purpose today, but he was still unhurried. He casually chatted with Wang Xiaozhi about some strange and unusual stories. When he mentioned that he had happened to catch a 150-catty Crimson-scaled Eel with Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai last night, Wang Xiaozhi also smacked his thigh in excitement. ¡°That little brat Dinghai might not even be able to get one in two years. He must have benefited from your luck this time.¡± Although the Crimson-scaled Eel was not as good as the Red-tailed Spirit Minnow, it was still a great tonic and ranked among spirit food. Spirit food was a good thing to rapidly replenish the Qi and blood of an Arcane Martial Artist. It was a necessity for every Arcane Martial Artist to survive. Even an old man like Wang Xiaozhi, whose cultivation had stagnated in his seventies and was even gradually regressing, needed the supplement of some spirit food from time to time. Otherwise, his Qi and blood would be insufficient, and the decline of his body and cultivation would accelerate. As for the younger generation, they needed spirit food to replenish their Qi and blood even more. It would allow the younger generation to grow faster and better. As the two of them chatted and laughed, in less than an hour, the cook and the two sisters brought out some farmhouse cuisine, fresh chicken, duck, fish, goose, as well as a large stone basin of braised pork. ¡°Shouzhe, it¡¯s rare for you to come here. Fourth Grandpa has nothing else to offer you.¡± Wang Xiaozhi ran into the bedroom. A short while later, he took out an ancient wine jug and said with a smile, ¡°Try the good wine I¡¯ve kept for a long time. Drink as much as you can from this jug. If you can¡¯t finish it, bring it back.¡± As they were speaking¡­ A young man with dark skin and mud all over him walked inside. He said in a hearty voice, ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re biased. You usually refuse me even a sip of your white jade spirit wine. When Fourth Brother came today, you took out the entire jug.¡± ¡°You little brat, who do you think you are? How can you compare to Shouzhe?¡± As soon as Wang Xiaozhi saw this young man, he scolded him jokingly, ¡°To think that you actually came back right on the lunch hour. Go and wash up. I¡¯ll give you a cup.¡± ¡°Third Brother.¡± Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands with a smile. He knew that this was Wang Shounuo, the third son of the Wang Clan¡¯s seventh generation of name ¡°Shou¡±. ¡°Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Shounuo hurriedly returned the greeting seriously. Then, he smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go wash up first. I¡¯ll come and greet you in a while.¡± With that, he quickly left. By the time the table was filled with bowls, chopsticks, and wine cups, Wang Shounuo had already taken a quick shower. He sat down next to Wang Shouzhe and took in the fragrance of the dishes. He stared at the pot of white jade spirit rice wine enviously and said with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re in luck today by virtue of your presence, Fourth Brother. It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve had a meal together as brothers. I¡¯ll toast you more in a while.¡± ¡°Third Brother, you¡¯ve worked hard for the clan. I should be toasting you later,¡± said Wang Shouzhe with a smile. ¡°Tong¡¯er, hurry up and pour some wine for your Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Xiaozhi was in an excellent mood. His dark face was glowing as he instructed casually. ¡°Yes, Grandfather.¡± Wang Luotong picked up the wine jug and poured wine for Wang Shouzhe, Wang Xiaozhi, and Wang Shounuo. The wine was pure white and emitted a mellow wine fragrance. Just smelling it made one feel refreshed. Just as the two girls, Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing, were about to return to the kitchen table to eat, Wang Shouzhe spoke first, ¡°Fourth Grandfather, I¡¯m not an outsider. Fourth Sister and Fifth Sister, sit down and eat together.¡± Wang Xiaozhi was stunned, but he did not refute Wang Shouzhe out of respect. He smiled and said, ¡°Since your Fourth Brother has spoken, let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°Thank you, Grandfather. Thank you, Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing sat at the end seats obediently. Then, there was naturally another round of toasting. The two girls ate quietly and poured wine for them from time to time. ¡°Good wine.¡± After downing half a cup, Wang Shouzhe felt his abdomen begin to burn. The Qi and blood in his body surged endlessly, and his energy gradually became exuberant. This white jade spirit rice wine was brewed from a lot of precious herbs using the white jade spirit rice. Its effects of nourishing Qi and blood were far better than simple spirit food. However, its price was also very ¡°moving¡±. A jug of white jade spirit rice wine of several catties in weight easily cost a few pieces of gold. Even Wang Shouzhe could only enjoy it once in a blue moon. Moreover, things like spirit wine could only be used as a supplementary spirit food. They could only drink a little occasionally. Otherwise, if they became addicted, being drunk all day would not be a good thing. At this moment, the little girl, Wang Luojing, who was silently eating, glanced at the wine jug from time to time and pursed her lips as if she was craving it a little. ¡°Luotong can drink half a cup. Luojing is too young and can only drink the bottom of the cup.¡± Wang Shouzhe picked up the wine jug and poured some for his two sisters. ¡°Thank you, Fourth Brother.¡± The two girls thanked him happily. It was obvious that they had been coveting the spirit wine for a long time. At this moment, Wang Xiaozhi¡¯s face twitched, as if he felt some pain. He lamented in a low voice, ¡°Shouzhe, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s waste to let the two girls drink this spirit wine?¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s eyelids twitched as well. The Fourth Old Master really did not conceal his thoughts of valuing males over females at all. ¡°Fourth Grandfather, children of our clan are all the same,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s not the same, it¡¯s not the same. Girls will be married to someone sooner or later.¡± Wang Xiaozhi continued to prattle on in pain. ¡°Shouzhe, you¡¯re at the critical juncture of breaking through to the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm. You should drink more. Shounuo, you should take fewer sips too. Save more for Shouzhe.¡± Wang Shounuo put down his glass in embarrassment and smiled sheepishly. In the eyes of a clan elder like Wang Xiaozhi, Wang Shouzhe was the patriarch of the direct line of descent, and the hope and future mainstay of the clan. He was much higher in priority than even his own grandson, Wang Shounuo, let alone his two ¡°loss-incurring¡± granddaughters. Fortunately, his granddaughters and grandson were already used to it, and the meal could be considered harmonious. However, under Wang Xiaozhi¡¯s ¡°leadership¡±, more than half of the jug of spirit wine was left in the end. They were prepared to send most of the chopped meat to Wang Shouzhe¡¯s courtyard for him to enjoy alone later. Wang Shouzhe was rather helpless against Wang Xiaozhi¡¯s blatant ¡°favoritism¡±. He could only let him be for the time being. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Wang Shouzhe suggested, ¡°Fourth Grandfather, the reason I came to the Bountiful Farm this time is mainly to learn about agriculture from Fourth Grandfather.¡± ¡°Agriculture?¡± Wang Xiaozhi frowned. ¡°Shouzhe, you¡¯re the patriarch of a clan. The most important thing right now is to work hard in cultivation and advance to the Spirit Tower Realm as soon as possible. Don¡¯t be distracted by miscellaneous matters like agriculture. Fourth Grandfather and your third brother will handle it well.¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s purpose in coming here was naturally to learn more about the Bountiful Farm. If possible, he also wanted to use modern thinking to expand it, and see if there were any ways to expand industrial efficiency. However, after interacting with Wang Xiaozhi for the first time, he realized that this old man, Wang Xiaozhi, was extremely loyal to the clan. However, ultimately, his thinking had become rigid in his old age. He was not as accepting towards suggestions as his Sixth Uncle, Wang Dinghai. Casually suggesting a few ideas would probably anger him. Wang Shouzhe immediately changed tact and said, ¡°Fourth Grandfather, you¡¯ve misunderstood. It¡¯s just that, as the patriarch, I more or less have to know a thing or two about the internal businesses of the clan. Why don¡¯t we do this? I¡¯ll trouble Third Brother to accompany me around and appreciate the scenery.¡± ¡°Oh, you. Forget it, forget it. Let Shounuo accompany you for half a day. Recently, the wheat has reached the stage of filling. There are many miscellaneous matters in the fields. Fourth Grandfather won¡¯t accompany you any longer.¡± As he spoke, Wang ??Xiaozhi took the farming tools and hurriedly went to the ground. Heh¡­ Although he was already the patriarch, the clan elders in the family still treated him like a child. They mostly hoped that he could utilize his talent and cultivate to the Spirit Tower Realm. They wanted to treat him, the patriarch, as a mascot? In fact, if he could live a peaceful life, Wang Shouzhe would be more than willing to be a mascot and freeloader. Unfortunately, the members of the Wang Clan were not capable enough. In the short span of a few decades, the power of the clan declined day by day. At this rate, the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an would be completely devoured by others before long and fade into obscurity in history. He had to quickly ensure that Wang Clan rose in power while it still had some foundations, even if it meant possessing the most basic ability to protect itself. ¡°Fourth Brother, I¡¯ll show you around. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, ask me at any time.¡± Wang Shounuo stood up and cupped his hands. He was very polite to Wang Shouzhe, and even somewhat intimidated. Firstly, Wang Shouzhe was the patriarch of the direct bloodline, in terms of personal strength, Wang Shouzhe was many times stronger than him. ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Third Brother,¡± Wang Shouzhe returned the salute courteously. ¡°We¡¯ll go too.¡± Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing followed eagerly. Behind them, the manservant Wang Gui helped Wang Shouzhe to hold his sword and bow and arrows. Behind him were four fully armed clan guards. The siblings strolled around idly through the farm. It was already early summer, and the weather was a little hot. The hot wind mixed with moisture blew on their faces, making the air slightly sticky. ¡°Our Bountiful Farm was established by Ancestor Zhouxuan personally a century ago.¡± Wang Shounuo¡¯s expression was a little proud as he said, ¡°Back then, Ancestor organized people to open up the channel of the tributary, cleanse the mud and fill the soil, and consolidate the river levees. He also built a hydroponic port on the upper reaches of the Bountiful tributary, forming the preliminary Bountiful Farm. After, the clansmen continuously cultivated and maintained the barren land, turning this half-dry and half-wet wasteland into fertile farmland. Generations of clansmen worked hard to manage it. Now, there are already 3,567 acres of high-grade farmland and 200 tenant farmers!¡± ¡­ Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ There were so many fertile farms in Bountiful Farm alone, and two hundred tenant farmers? Wang Shouzhe looked at the crisscrossing roads among the fields and the intersecting gorges of varying sizes. He felt a little wistful. This was the clan legacy that had been passed down for a hundred years. ¡°Our Bountiful Farm adopts the traditional wheat in winter, grain in summer crop rotation method. Now is the busy season when winter wheat is about to mature, and the summer grain seedlings are being cultivated.¡± Wang Shounuo¡¯s expression was slightly happy as he said, ¡°This spring, the rain is abundant and not overflowing. The sun is strong and not scalding. This is very beneficial to the growth of winter wheat. Looks like it will be a season of bountiful harvest.¡± At this moment, even Wang Shouzhe was a little overjoyed. There was a huge difference between abundant harvest and poor harvest. Having more food meant that the family would have more development funds. ¡°No, no.¡± Wang Luojing, who was like a little follower, pouted and said, ¡°Third Brother, you¡¯re wrong. This year¡¯s winter wheat might be a poor harvest.¡± ¡°What?¡± Wang Shounuo¡¯s smile froze for a moment. He said sternly, ¡°Luojing, you little girl, don¡¯t spout nonsense. Even Grandfather and some experienced tenant farmers say that there¡¯s a high chance of a bountiful harvest this year. What do you know at such a young age? If Grandfather hears you jinxing the harvests like this, he¡¯ll probably reprimand you again.¡± At his intimidation, Wang Luojing immediately hid behind Wang Shouzhe. ¡°Third brother, Fifth Sister is still young. Children¡¯s words mean no harm. Why are you taking it so seriously?¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled and patted her head to comfort her. ¡°Fourth brother, there are some things you don¡¯t know.¡± Wang Shounuo smiled helplessly. ¡°You don¡¯t know. Although our Fifth Sister is young, she¡¯s very eccentric. She likes to play with all kinds of insects all day. When she was two or three years old, she could even squat in the yard and watch ants for a few days. Some time ago, she even asked me to help her catch some kind of lace or bug king. If I didn¡¯t go, she would cry and roll around. I had to search everywhere for four or five days before I could catch two. I was bitten by mosquitoes and bugs and covered in bumps.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Lacewing King. It¡¯s recorded in the ancient Book of Insects.¡± Wang Luojing stuck out half of her head from behind Wang Shouzhe and corrected Wang Shounuo seriously. ¡°Brother, this is too embarrassing. Your handsome head is empty. Although the Arcane Martial Clans established ourselves through martial arts, its culture and knowledge are also the foundations of a clan¡¯s inheritance.¡± The second half of the sentence, in particular, mocked Wang Shounuo with an imitation of how Wang Shouzhe had reprimanded them. Wang Shounuo¡¯s face darkened. He could only say unhappily, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I¡¯m ignorant. The next time, no matter how much you beg me, I won¡¯t help you catch bugs again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask Fourth Brother to help. Fourth Brother is ten thousand times stronger than you.¡± Wang Luojing tugged at Wang Shouzhe¡¯s clothes. She seemed to have found a pillar of support and was full of confidence. Wang Shouzhe could not help but smile. It seemed like she really a little mischievous and eccentric. She was just reserved in front of him. Wang Shounuo was so angry that he was almost about to faint. ¡°All right, all right. Luojing, tell me. Why would there be a poor harvest when the weather is smooth this year?¡± Wang Shouzhe asked casually, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s fine even if you say something wrong.¡± With Wang Shouzhe¡¯s support, Wang Luojing became much bolder. ¡°The winter last year was too warm, and there was only a light snow.¡± Wang Shounuo immediately rolled his eyes. ¡°Although heavy snow signifies a bountiful year, that¡¯s just a saying. If it doesn¡¯t snow, will there definitely be a poor harvest this year?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± Wang Luojing said very seriously. ¡°The winter last year was warm. The rain this spring was indeed quite good. But it hasn¡¯t rained for more than ten days recently. The weather is dry and hot.¡± ¡°Luojing,¡± Wang Shounuo said indifferently, ¡°we have already opened the floodgates of Bountiful Tributary to release the water. The winter wheat will not lack water. Moreover, the sunlight is good, and it can help the wheat to grow and fill up.¡± ¡°But it also helps the aphids to grow.¡± Wang Luojing rolled her eyes. Aphids? Wang Shounuo shuddered and said hesitantly, ¡°Aphids are unavoidable. Aphids appear every year, so it¡¯s normal for some production reduction to occur¡­ Moreover, we also put insecticide powder in the farmlands last winter.¡± However, when he said this, his confidence was somewhat lacking. Aphids were the natural enemy of winter wheat. It would be fine if there was a small-scale eruption. At most, food production would be reduced. If there was a large-scale eruption, however, it would be a disaster. In the Wang Clan¡¯s records, the most serious disaster was the aphid disaster 73 years ago. The disaster spread throughout the entire Longzuo County. Winter wheat production was reduced by 80% in the year, and grain prices rose rapidly in a short period of time. Some noble clans could still rely on their grain storage to survive. However, many freemen with weak assets suffered. There were many who sold their children. What was even more terrifying was that the pest disaster lasted until the third year, and even some noble clans could not hold out anymore. If not for the Violet Palace Academy¡¯s help in transferring a large amount of food to the Longzuo County and refining a large amount of insecticide powder from ancient recipes, the entire Longzuo County would probably be filled with corpses for thousands of miles and become uninhabited. For a moment, Wang Shouzhe frowned. ¡°Luojing, do you have any way to prove what you said?¡± The Bountiful Farm and the Prosperous Farm were the two major food production bases of the Wang Clan. If aphids really broke out, it would only make matters worse for the current Wang Clan. ¡°Brother, try checking a few more filling wheat ears.¡± Wang Luojing¡¯s expression was also a little solemn. Wang Shounuo was a little nervous from her words. He walked towards the field and casually grabbed a random ear of wheat. There were some green dots on the ear of wheat that had just begun grouting. He flipped through a few ears of wheat in succession. There were a little more on some and a little less on others, but without a doubt, they were all aphids. Wang Shouzhe was at the advanced stage of the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm. His physical fitness and vision were far superior to that of ordinary people. At a glance, he realized that the green dots were all fat little insects. He was slightly stunned. They seemed to be aphids, right? Wang Shouzhe had very little knowledge in this aspect. He could barely manage to guess that these were some kind of aphids. He was not interested in agriculture, so those apps with powerful algorithms naturally would not promote related contents. ¡°There are indeed more aphids this year than in the previous years,¡± Wang Shounuo said doubtfully. ¡°But that does not mean there¡¯ll be a pest disaster, right? It can be treated by mixing some insecticide powder with wood ash water. At most, there¡¯ll be slightly less harvest than last year.¡± ¡°Brother!¡± Wang Luojing stomped iand said, ¡°I already said that there¡¯s a huge problem with the climate. There are too many eggs from last year retained in the soil. As soon as tomorrow or the day after, or in three or four days at most, many aphids will break out of the soil. There¡¯s a high possibility that a second wave will erupt after seven or eight days.¡± ¡°The few of you, come here.¡± Wang Shouzhe said to a few tenant farmers who were working not far away. ¡°Pull out this small patch of wheat and turn over the soil.¡± ¡°This¡­ Young Master Shounuo¡­¡± The tenant farmers shrunk their heads and looked at Wang Shounuo doubtfully. They did not dare to, and were also a little unwilling to take action. This wheat can be harvested in about ten days, and it¡¯s all precious food. ¡°Listen to the patriarch.¡± Wang Shounuo did not dare to offend Wang Shouzhe. He personally stepped forward and pulled out the wheat. The few tenant farmers also carried hoes and began to turn the soil. Before long, the small patch of wheat was pulled out, and the soil was turned over. ¡°This¡­¡± Wang Shounuo carefully examined the roots of the wheat that had been pulled out. His expression gradually became grave, then shocked.¡± How can this be? How can this be? ¡± There were many ghastly white dots on those roots. Moreover, they were on most of the wheat roots. It was only a matter of how many. Furthermore, if one looked carefully in the soil that had been turned over, they would discover that there were many small white dots. Wang Shounuo¡¯s heart skipped a beat. An ominous feeling rose in his heart. ¡°Quick, call Grandpa over.¡± ¡°Quick, inform Grandpa and all the tenant farmers to quickly soak the accumulated wood ash.¡± Wang Shounuo had learned agriculture from his grandfather for two years and more or less had some basic skills. The tenant farmers began to get busy. Not long after, the Fourth Old Master, Wang Xiaozhi, arrived to meet up. His expression was extremely grave. ¡°How could this be? How could there be so many aphid eggs growing in the ground? After the autumn harvest last year, it was clearly the same as usual. We plowed the earth and scattered the insecticide powder. Could there be a problem with the insecticide powder?¡± ¡°Grandpa, the winter last year was warm¡­¡± Wang Luojing reminded him cautiously at the side. ¡°Little girl, I¡¯ve been a farmer my entire life. You think you know better than me?¡± Wang Xiaozhi reprimanded her angrily as if she had touched a sore spot. ¡°Ten years ago, the winter was also warm, and the weather was exactly the same as this year. In the end, Longzuo had a bountiful harvest, and warehouses were filled with grain! In my opinion, the problem lies with the insecticide powder. That damn Qian¡¯s Trading Company must be selling fake insecticide powder. To think that I even hoarded a large batch of it at a low price!¡± As they spoke one after another, Wang Shouzhe also recalled some scattered knowledge. He could not help but frown and say, ¡°Qian¡¯s Trading Company is distributed throughout Longzuo, and has always paid attention to their business reputation. If a pest disaster occurred in Longzuo because they sold fake insecticide powder, they likely wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the consequences. Could there be such a possibility? In their repeated confrontations with the insecticide powder, some aphids with strong resistance survived and gradually developed large-scale drug resistance?¡± In his previous life, although Wang Shouzhe did not interact with agriculture, he knew that be it bacteria, viruses or other organisms, they would all undergo continuous genetic mutation and evolution. There was almost no pattern to speak of for this evolution, but most would be eliminated by nature. It was reasonable that some aphids that evolved in the direction of drug resistance, survived repeated confrontations with the insecticide powder, and gradually multiplied. However, Wang Xiaozhi could not understand anything about biological evolution. He only frowned and said, ¡°Shouzhe, don¡¯t spout nonsense here. The insecticide powder used was still working fine before. How could it be useless this year?¡± ¡°Grandpa, I think what Fourth Brother said makes sense,¡± said Wang Luojing. ¡°Grandpa, have you forgotten that you¡¯ve always been complaining during the recent years about how it seems like the insecticide powder is becoming less and less effective, and how there are aphids every year?¡± Wang Xiaozhi¡¯s expression froze, and it became more and more unsightly. In recent years, especially since the bountiful harvest ten years ago, there had been a gradual increase in the number of aphids. However, as they were generally still within acceptable limits, he only felt frustrated. Wang Shouzhe was almost certain that the drug-resistant aphids had already proliferated. The warm winter last season had also allowed most of the eggs to survive. In addition, the weather this year was suitable for the growth of the aphids, which was how this scene before them had occurred. This was a huge problem. Even Wang Shouzhe could not help but feel his scalp tingle. He did not have the ability to concoct a new ¡°pesticide¡±¡­ When it rains, it pours! With this disaster, the Wang Clan¡¯s days would only get harder, right? ¡°Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Luojing pulled Wang Shouzhe to the side and said in a low voice, ¡°I have a way to deal with the aphids, but I¡¯m scared of Grandpa. I don¡¯t dare to say it!¡± What? Wang Shouzhe was stunned and looked at her in disbelief. ¡­ Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ ¡°Fourth Brother, you don¡¯t believe me?¡± Wang Luojing¡¯s little face fell. ¡°Fourth Brother, I suggest you listen to that girl.¡± The older Wang Luotong also came over. ¡°Although Luojing is young, she has loved playing with bugs since she was little. She knows a lot about bugs and is especially good at attracting bugs.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Wang Shouzhe suddenly became spirited and said with a burning gaze, ¡°Tell Fourth Brother how you¡¯re going to deal with the aphids first. Don¡¯t rush. We have plenty of time.¡± ¡°In recent years, I¡¯ve always heard Grandpa complain that there are more aphids than previous years,¡± Wang Luojing said timidly, ¡°so I think if I can help Grandpa deal with the aphids, Grandpa will definitely be very happy. Then I can ask grandpa not to marry my sister off. I don¡¯t want my sister to leave¡­¡± Wang Luotong¡¯s face turned a little pale all of a sudden. She lowered her head and didn¡¯t dare to speak. She had no say in such matters. ¡°If you can really resolve the aphid disaster, I promise that I will protect you as your Fourth Brother,¡± Wang Shouzhe promised firmly. ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to marry, you can not marry.¡± ¡°Thank you, Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Luojing¡¯s brows were raised in joy. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve long seen from the Book of Insects that the ancients once used lacewings to manage the aphids. However, in recent years, there have been fewer and fewer lacewings. Last year, I reared some aphids and lacewings. It was indeed effective, so this year, I asked my older brother to capture two Lacewing Kings in the mountains. I spent some effort to tame them¡­¡± ¡°Hang on¡­¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s expression changed.¡± What is the Book of Insects? And you can actually tame the Lacewing Kings?¡± ¡°The Book of Insects is the Book of Insects. It¡¯s an ancient book I found in the clan¡¯s library,¡± said Wang Luojing with an innocent expression. ¡°The Book of Insects talked about how to tame insects. It¡¯s not very difficult. If Fourth Brother wants to learn, I can teach you.¡± Not very difficult!? Wang Shouzhe¡¯s face was a little dark. Having fused the memories of his previous self, he knew quite a bit about the Arcane Martial World. There was a small group of people in the Arcane Martial World who liked to produce or fight by controlling spirit insects. They were usually known as Spirit Insect Masters. However, Spirit Insect Masters were rather niche. Furthermore, the requirements for talent were relatively high, even higher than the requirements for Alchemists. The reason was very simple. Ordinary people who were slightly smarter could barely manage to learn alchemy. At most, they would consume a lot of resources and have limited achievements. However, if one did not have the rare talent to communicate with spirit insects, they would not even be able to attain the entry level for the profession of a Spirit Insect Master. Thus, Spirit Insect Masters were very niche. Ordinary scions of noble clans would never even have heard of them. According to what Wang Shouzhe knew, only the Xu Clan of Changning and Liu Clan of Shanyin secretly nurtured two Spirit Insect Masters. If Wang Luojing had the talent for becoming a Spirit Insect Master¡­ For a moment, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s heart started racing. ¡°Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Wang Luojing waved her hand in front of him and pouted angrily. ¡°Do you also not believe me?¡± ¡°I believe you, I believe you.¡± Wang Shouzhe nodded abruptly. ¡°My Luojing is the smartest. Fourth Brother is very interested. Let¡¯s go a little further. Show Fourth Brother.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Those two Lacewing Kings are both in Fourth Brother¡¯s carriage.¡± After being recognized, Wang Luojing appeared very happy. ¡°I¡¯ll go with sister to get them.¡± Wang Shouzhe immediately remembered that when he saw the sisters this morning, he found that they were each carrying a strange big box. At that time, he thought that they were carrying their personal belongings. It was not appropriate to ask about the personal belongings of girls, so he only asked them to place them on the carriage. Now that he thought about it, they probably already had plans to try it at the farm. ¡°Let the clan guards go.¡± Wang Shouzhe waved his hand. The clan guards who were serving them in the distance immediately ran over and said respectfully, ¡°Patriarch, what are your orders?¡± ¡°Wang Wu, Wang Yong, go to the carriage and bring Miss Luojing¡¯s two boxes over.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± The two clan guards ran over at an extremely fast speed. In about seven minutes minutes, they returned with a box each. ¡°Wang Gui, Wang Wu, the few of you, go to the Fourth Old Master and see if there¡¯s anything you can do to help.¡± Wang Shouzhe sent them all away. In any case, he saw that Wang Xiaozhi seemed to be thinking of ways to manage the aphids with wood ash water as well. They should be short of manpower. The clan guards were all Arcane Martial Artists. They were much more efficient than ordinary tenant farmers when put to good use. Most importantly, things were not confirmed yet. He did not want everyone to know. After Wang Gui and the other four clan guards left, Wang Shouzhe personally carried two large boxes and led Wang Luotong and Wang Luojing to a remote wheat field. The 3,000 and few hundred acres of land was like a vast ocean. There was no one here, and it was just enough to demonstrate. Wang Shouzhe flipped open the ear of the wheat. As expected, there were also some green aphids in the wheat field over here. The tiny bugs made his hair stand on end. ¡°Luojing, let Fourth Brother see your methods.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ The aphid outbreak this time is even earlier than I expected.¡± Wang Luojing¡¯s expression was also a little solemn and nervous. She carefully opened one of the boxes. Wang Shouzhe glanced into the box curiously. Instantly, his density phobia kicked in, and his hair stood on end. That was because the box was filled with leaves, and there were strands of silk-like objects that were growing from those leaves, full of dense round dots. ¡°Fourth Brother, Sister, do me a favor.¡± Wang Luojing took out pieces of ¡°leaves¡±. ¡°Place a leaf for every square foot.¡± The corners of Wang Shouzhe¡¯s mouth twitched. This little girl was really bold. She even dared to order the patriarch around at will. However, his hands and feet were very honest as he listened to Wang Luojing¡¯s instructions. His cultivation level was outstanding. He grabbed a ¡°leaf¡± and casually tossed it. The ¡°leaf¡± landed firmly on the ground. According to Wang Luojing¡¯s ¡°instructions¡±, dozens of leaves were needed to be placed into every acre of the wheat field. She only opened one of the boxes in her two big boxes, and there were only a few hundred ¡°leaves¡±, barely enough to be placed in ten acres of land. Among thousands of acres of wheat field, it was just a drop in the bucket. After spending 15 minutes to finish placing them, Wang Shouzhe and Wang Luotong stood near Wang Luojing and waited patiently for her instructions. ¡°Fourth Brother, these lacewing eggs have a three-day incubation period,¡± Wang Luojing explained. ¡°They hatch slower in the dark box. Once they see the sun, they¡¯ll hatch soon.¡± All right, you¡¯re a technical expert in this area. You have the say here. Wang Shouzhe had always been very honest when it came to the blind spots of his knowledge. He never overstepped his boundaries. Time passed by slowly. In less than an hour, the few leaves that were initially placed changed. One by one, strange-looking bugs broke out of their shells with difficulty. The leaves were right in front of him, and he could clearly see those small bugs. They were less than two millimeters in size, and looked like elongated beetles. However, there were two huge pincers in front of their heads, making them look very ugly. They were motionless after birth, hanging silently on the silk strands. After another long moment, they finally began to move. They slid down the silk onto the leaves and slowly spread in all directions. As if they were born with the ability to sense where there was food, they leisurely crawled up along the wheat stalks. Suddenly, one of them encountered an aphid. It pounced on the aphid fiercely and caught the aphid in its pincers. It stabbed its mouthpart into the aphid¡¯s body and began to suck. In less than half an hour, the poor aphid was sucked into an empty shell that scattered with the wind. Then, the lacewing larva continued to climb forward in search of its next prey. ¡°Impressive!¡± Wang Shouzhe exclaimed. ¡°This little bug is really ferocious.¡± ¡°Fourth Brother, when I was raising the lacewing larvae previously, I calculated that it would turn into a pupa in only ten days, and during this period, it could eat close to a thousand aphids. It¡¯s relatively small when it was born, and it could only eat a dozen or so every day for the first two days.¡± Wang Luojing had been playing with this kind of things all along, so she was not surprised. ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, although the production of the wheat in this area of more than ten acres that has just started to fill will be reduced slightly, there¡¯s still hope.¡± While Wang Shouzhe was praising, he said worriedly, ¡°Just our Bountiful Farm alone has thousands of acres of wheat.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, Fourth Brother. I was only testing it just now.¡± Wang Luojing opened another box. There were no longer densely packed larvae, but small, colorful beetles. ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­¡± Wang Shouzhe saw that the beetles looked familiar and couldn¡¯t help but say in surprise,¡± Seven-spotted ladybugs? ¡± ¡°Fourth Brother knows them as well? The Book of Insects says that it¡¯s a Nine-spotted Beetle, not seven-spotted, though.¡± Wang Luojing took out a fist-sized giant beetle with nine spots on its body and stroked it happily. ¡°I¡¯ll call you the Nine-spotted Beetle King in the future.¡± ¡­ Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ Nine-spotted Beetle King! The corners of Wang Shouzhe¡¯s mouth twitched a few times. This Fifth Sister of his usually did not normally show off, but in private, she was a little¡­ creepy. Buzz! Buzz! The fist-sized Nine-spotted Beetle King¡¯s carapace opened, and its membrane wings flapped rapidly in response to her. At the same time, Wang Luojing took out a small bamboo flute from her waist, brought it to her lips, and played. It was a unique melody, sharp and high-pitched, and it was rather ear-piercing. However, the Nine-spotted Beetle King was very familiar with that sound. With a flap of its wings, it emitted a continuous buzzing sound. The other small Nine-spotted Beetles in the box spread their wings and flew, surrounding the Nine-spotted Beetle King like an unpredictable cloud. At Wang Luojing¡¯s command, the Nine-spotted Beetle King was the first to charge towards the wheat field. Then, the swarm of thousands of beetles followed like a gust of wind. Although they were all ladybugs, the ladybugs in the Arcane Martial World were clearly more ferocious. They landed on some somewhat shriveled wheat stalks and began to gorge themselves once they found an aphid. Their combat strength was far beyond that of the lacewing larvae. In just half an hour, each Nine-spotted Beetle had killed at least five or six aphids. Such a biological legion was truly invincible. ¡°Luojing, well done, well done.¡± Wang Shouzhe was overjoyed and praised her incessantly. ¡°With your ability, the Wang Clan¡¯s food can be saved.¡± ¡°Fourth Brother, it¡¯s not enough.¡± Wang Luojing shook her head and said, ¡°There¡¯s only slightly more than ten days from the wheat¡¯s filling period to the time it matures. The longer it drags on, the easier it is to reduce production.¡± Her grandfather, Wang Xiaozhi, had been a professional farmer his entire life. Having been influenced by him since she was young, she was rather familiar with this profession. Without a word, she took out two huge insects as thick as an arm, in a withered color, from the case of the lacewings. ¡°Fourth Brother, these two Lacewing Kings produced too many eggs. I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be able to live past a month.¡± Wang Luojing¡¯s heart ached, and she said guiltily, ¡°I hope they¡¯ll contribute to the clan for one last time in their final days.¡± As she spoke, she played the bamboo flute again. This time, the sound was completely different from when she was commanding the Nine-spotted Beetle King. Her voice was very low. The two withered-color and gray-laden Lacewing Kings suddenly jolted awake, flapped their wings, and flew into the distance. They were extremely fast. In a few breaths, they disappeared without a trace. As they flew, their mouthparts constantly vibrated and emitted low-frequency sounds. ¡°Fourth brother, the Lacewing King has the ability to summon companions,¡± said Wang Luojing. ¡°I hope they can summon more companions back. There are fewer and fewer lacewings in the wild now. Only some are left in the mountains.¡± Wang Shouzhe also began to consider this matter. There was a high possibility that it was the fault of the insecticide powder introduced by the Violet Palace Academy. The large decrease in the number of larvae of aphids also resulted in the decrease in the number of lacewings. Now that there were signs of an outbreak of the drug-resistant aphids, yet the lacewings could not catch up, something big was likely about to happen. After two hours, one of the Lacewing Kings had already returned, bring with it a legion. They soared through the wheat fields, hunting aphids in a frenzy. More terrifyingly, as they ate, they began laying eggs on the wheat leaves. When the sky was about to turn dark, another Lacewing King returned, bringing back more of its kind. The dense army of lacewings was enough to make Wang Shouzhe doubt if the aphids in these thousands of acres of wheat fields were enough to satiate them. Moreover, the large amount of eggs they laid could be hatched in a few days. The tiny larvae were not to be underestimated either. Such a spectacular scene gradually attracted the attention of the tenant farmers, who then reported to Wang Xiaozhi. When Wang Xiaozhi arrived later and understood that it was his granddaughter, Wang Luojing¡¯s doing, he was so shocked that he could not even speak. At that moment, he wept and murmured, ¡°The Wang Clan is saved this time. We are saved.¡± ¡°Fourth Grandfather, our other two farms also have a lot of crops.¡± Wang Shouzhe said, ¡°I will not get involved in the specific matters. Fourth Grandfather, please discuss them with Luojing yourself.¡± Although the silkworm farm mainly grows mulberry, it also planted a lot of wheat. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Wang Lanzhi¡¯s face fell when he heard that he had to discuss matters with his granddaughter, and the youngest granddaughter at that. ¡°Fourth Grandfather, if you think Luojing is redundant, I can bring her back so she doesn¡¯t get in the way here.¡± Wang Shouzhe said cheerfully. ¡°She¡¯s not redundant or getting in the way.¡± Wang Xiaozhi hurriedly shook his head. His ancient face twitched, and he smiled with apparent ingratiation at Wang Luojing. ¡°Luojing, we still have to think of a way to save the other two farms. If there¡¯s anything you want to do, just let grandpa do it.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled. Although this old man, Wang Xiaozhi, was stubborn and favored males over females, there was absolutely no question to his loyalty and sense of belonging to the clan. As long as he could change his mindset, he would still be a pillar of the clan. Seeing that Wang Xiaozhi had changed his attitude, Wang Shouzhe pulled him to the side again and said with a solemn expression, ¡°Fourth Grandfather, it looks like the pest disaster this time definitely wouldn¡¯t just affect our Wang Clan. I can¡¯t speak for Longzuo, but overall production will probably be reduced by at least 40-50% in the area surrounding Changning Wei.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Wang Xiaozhi was stunned for a moment before he said with a ¡°naive smile¡±, ¡°If other clans¡¯ productions are reduced, and only our clan has a bountiful harvest¡­¡± ¡°In this world, there are often no absolutes for good and bad things,¡± Wang Shouzhe said coldly. ¡°Sometimes, things that seem very good often turn into bad things.¡± Wang Xiaozhi was startled, but he immediately reacted. ¡°Shouzhe, you mean that the other families will covet us?¡± ¡°It would be fine if they just covet us.¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s expression was very solemn. ¡°As the saying goes, worry not about scarcity, but uneven distribution. There¡¯s nothing to be said if everyone suffers disaster together. If our Wang Clan has a prosperous harvest alone, forget those hostile clans, even clans with relatively good relations with us will likely develop hostility towards us. If we¡¯re not careful, the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an might become the target of public condemnation.¡± ¡°Then what should we do? Our Wang Clan is already in a precarious situation now. If we still¡­¡± Wang Xiaozhi was anxious all of a sudden. He was only a long-time clan elder working in agriculture, after all, and knew too little about this aspect. ¡°Fourth Grandfather, calm down. Sometimes, bad things often turn into good things too.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled confidently. ¡°It depends on how this matter is handled. We need to manipulate the situation to our advantage. Let¡¯s plan for a moment. Firstly, there are the three clans, Xu Clan of Changning, Gongsun Clan of Shanyang, and Liu Clan of Shanyin. They have been intermarried with our Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an for a long time, and we¡¯re naturally close to each other. Naturally, we need to find a way to assist them.¡± In fact, among the three families, Wang Shouzhe had the best impression of the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang. This was not just because his current legitimate mother was from the Gongsun Clan, but because the Gongsun Clan¡¯s way was more generous and open-minded. They did not look down on the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an, even if it was relatively in poor straits now. Of course, this was also related to the arranged marriage between the main lineages before. The current patriarch of the Gongsun family was Gongsun Mo, and his mother, Wang Lingdie, was a main descendant of the fourth generation of the Wang Clan. On the other hand, the Xu Clan of Changning was an extremely powerful Arcane Martial Clan. It was not much inferior to the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an during its strongest period. At that time, the main lineages of the two clans intermarried and had a close relationship Unfortunately, later¡­ With a complicated and pained expression, Wang Xiaozhi nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. These three families are deeply connected to our Wang Clan¡¯s bloodline through intermarriage. It¡¯s just a pity for Sister Zhenmei¡­¡± Wang Shouzhe knew what he was talking about. Back then, after the upheaval in the Wang Clan, in order to consolidate their relationship with the Changning and the Xu Clans, under the arrangements of Ancestor Longyan, the main daughter of the fifth generation of Wang Clan, Grandaunt Zhenmei, married the eldest main son of the Xu Clan. Wang Zhenmei did not disappoint. Several years later, she became pregnant with the direct bloodline, and the relationship between the two clans reached its closest state. Unfortunately, Grandaunt Wang Zhenmei died from a difficult birth for some inexplicable reason, resulting in the tragedy of her death and the death of her unborn child. At that time, the Wang Clan was in an ineffable state of grief. The brothers of the generation name Xiao all went to the Xu Clan of Changning to cause a huge commotion. Even Ancestor Longyan was alerted and personally came to perform an autopsy. They only stopped after finding nothing suspicious. From then on, a rift occurred in the Wang Clan and Xu Clan¡¯s intimate relationship. Their engagement only remained at the level of direct lineages and no longer involved the main lineage. Similarly, the relationship between the Liu Clan of Shanyin and the Wang Clan was somewhat complicated and difficult to explain in a few words. However, complicated as it might be, the bloodline relationships between them could not be erased. They still had to help each other at the critical moment. ¡­ Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ ¡°Apart from that, the Lu Clan of Yingxiu, the Xu Clan of Jinsha, and the Chen Clan of Donggang also need active help,¡± Wang Shouzhe continued seriously. ¡°In the past 40 or 50 years, the Wang Clan has already established a deep relationship with them through intermarriage.¡± These three clans were not very powerful clans. However, it was precisely for this reason that they intermarried with the main lineage of the now declining Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an. Among them, the Lu Clan of Yingxiu had the closest relationship with the Wang Clan. Wang Shouzhe¡¯s birth mother descended from the main lineage of the Lu Clan At the same time, the main wife of the current patriarch of the Lu Clan of Yingxiu, Wang Liuling, was also the eldest daughter of the sixth generation of the direct line of the Wang Clan. She was also Wang Shouzhe¡¯s biological aunt. Their relationship was rather complicated and close. ¡°That¡¯s right. These three families are very close to our Wang Clan now. So what do you think, Shouzhe?¡± Wang Xiaozhi nodded in agreement. Of his two daughters, one was married to the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang, while the other was married to the Chen Clan of Donggang. As for his son who died young, Wang Dingbang, he married a direct descendant of the Xu Clan of Jinsha. ¡°Fourth Grandfather needs to quickly sort out the reasons and dangers of this pest disaster. I¡¯ll send the clan guards to inform these six clans overnight,¡± Wang Shouzhe said quickly. ¡°Among them, the Liu Clan of Shanyin and the Xu Clan of Changning have already nurtured Spirit Insect Masters. As long as we provide them with the method, I believe it won¡¯t be difficult for them to resolve this crisis on their own. In addition, the Xu Clan of Jinsha and the Chen Clan of Donggang¡¯s primary business is not agriculture. We¡¯ll just fulfill our duty of notifying them and reduce their losses.¡± After a pause, Wang Shouzhe continued, ¡°The more troublesome ones are the Lu Clan of Yingxiu and the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang. Firstly, we have to fulfill our duty of notifying them immediately. In addition, we need to actively support them and do our best to show our sincerity. This way, even if they suffer heavy losses in the pest disaster, they will only be grateful to us and not resent us.¡± This scheme and speech stunned Wang Xiaozhi. He never expected that the sudden eruption of a pest disaster would involve such a complex situation. More importantly, Wang Shouzhe was able to arrange this matter so thoroughly and meticulously in such a short period of time, taking care of all aspects. ¡°Shouzhe, Fourth Grandfather underestimated you and Luojing.¡± Wang Xiaozhi smiled faintly and sighed. ¡°The youngsters of your generation are indeed outstanding. We¡¯re getting old. Folks like us from the Xiao generation are really getting old.¡± ¡°Fourth Grandfather is too modest. If your generation hadn¡¯t defended the foundation of our ancestors, how could we, the younger generation, have a place to stand?¡± Wang Shouzhe said humbly, before sneering, ¡°As for the clans other than those six clans, especially the Liu and Zhao Clans¡­¡± Wang Xiaozhi¡¯s expression turned solemn all of a sudden. ¡°Shouzhe, don¡¯t worry. In the next ten days, the three Wang Clan farms will definitely lock down the news completely.¡± Unexpectedly, Wang Shouzhe narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°The pest disaster can¡¯t be concealed. Every clan has experts in agriculture. Within three days, the entire Changning Wei region will definitely be in an uproar. By the way, didn¡¯t you stock up a batch of insecticide powder at a low price, Fourth Grandfather?¡± At the mention of this matter, Wang Xiaozhi¡¯s expression was filled with regret. ¡°That¡¯s right. The insecticide powder was at its lowest price in history last winter, and it gave a discount for buying in bulk. I originally thought that the three major farms in our clan can¡¯t do without insecticide powder, so I discussed with the elders and stockpiled a large batch. It¡¯s enough for three years of use by our family. Now, there¡¯s still more than 300 gold¡¯s worth of goods left. It¡¯s such a huge loss. How can the insecticide powder be of any use after this pest disaster?¡± The clan was already so tight on funds now. Losing over 300 gold at once was enough to make Wang Xiaozhi feel guilty to his grave. ¡°The insecticide powder has yet to lose its effect completely, right?¡± Wang Shouzhe pondered for a moment. At the same time, his mind began to race. ¡°Not really. It¡¯s just that dealing with those adult aphids is more difficult than dealing with the eggs.¡± Wang Xiaozhi¡¯s expression was very solemn. ¡°I¡¯ve tried it just now. I have to mix double doses of wood ash water to quickly eliminate the aphids, and that doesn¡¯t include the subsequent aphids that will continue hatching.¡± Then, Wang Shouzhe threw out more questions like a machine gun. Previously, Wang Xiaozhi was already awed. At this moment, he did not dare to underestimate Wang Shouzhe anymore. He patiently answered them one by one. He was 75 years old now, and had started working with his father as a farmer at the age of 15. It had been 60 years since then, and he was indeed very experienced. ¡°In that case, the annual production value of winter wheat per acre is about 15 large coppers per acre.¡± Wang Shouzhe quickly sorted out the data in his mind. ¡°After deducting the tax, tenant farmers¡¯ commissions, farm tools, cattle, seeds, insecticide powder, and so on and so forth, the amortization of the pesticide powder will be around 1 large copper. Overall, there will be a gross profit of 8 large coppers left per acre. If the pest disaster isn¡¯t properly controlled this time, assuming a 50% reduction in production, the farm will enter a stage of slight loss. The more reduction in production, the greater the loss¡­¡± ¡°If we ignored everything, production will likely decrease by about 70%.¡± Wang Xiaozhi¡¯s body shook. He somewhat understood what Wang Shouzhe meant. After making a rough judgment, he said, ¡°If we invest more than 2 large coppers of insecticide powder during the pest disaster outbreak, we can control the reduction in production compared to previous years to within 20%.¡± ¡°The Da Qian Empire currently implements a unified official grain reserve system. It¡¯s a serious crime for any noble family or trading company to inflate the price of grain using a bountiful year or disaster year.¡± Wang Shouzhe continued to organize the various conditions. ¡°Therefore, on the basis of a 70% reduction in production, every 10% reduction in production will mean a loss of 1 large copper and 50 dimes, and a 50% reduction in production will be worth 7 large coppers and 50 dimes. Here comes the question: if there are no Spirit Insect Masters to manage the aphids, is an investment in two large coppers of insecticide powder worth it?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth it!¡± Hearing Wang Shouzhe¡¯s analysis, Wang Xiaozhi immediately nodded rapidly. ¡°I¡¯ll invest even if it¡¯s four large coppers.¡± At the same time, his eyes lit up in excitement. ¡°Shouzhe, you mean that not only did the 300 gold¡¯s worth of insecticide powder stocked by our clan not incur a loss, it¡¯s now worth 600 gold? Good, good, good. To think that those guys laughed at me for stocking the insecticide powder.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth at least 600 gold. Our Clan has my Fifth Sister, Luojing, who specializes in treating aphids. We don¡¯t need that insecticide powder anymore. However, to the entire Changning Wei area, the Spirit Insect Masters are only a drop in the bucket. Most families still have to rely on insecticide powder to tide over the disaster.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled indifferently. ¡°Congratulations, Fourth Grandfather, for earning a huge sum for the family.¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s great.¡± Wang Xiaozhi laughed until his face is flushed. ¡°My Luojing is really a treasure. As expected of my granddaughter.¡± The corners of Wang Shouzhe¡¯s mouth twitched. This Fourth Old Master was really thick-skinned in his old age. Only just now, he had valued males over females so much and kept saying that granddaughters were all money-losing deals. In the blink of an eye, Luojing had become a treasure. However, speaking of which, Luojing, this future Spirit Insect Master, was really a treasure. Even if newer versions of the insecticide powder came out and continued to be effective in the future, she could save a ¡°pesticide fee¡± of one to two hundred gold for the clan every year. Moreover, the sum saved was a net profit. ¡°However, all of this is thanks to your good fortune, Shouzhe.¡± Wang Xiaozhi was already grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Fourth Grandfather finally understands what you said now. Sometimes, bad things often turn into good things. Shouzhe, you¡¯re a blessed person. Now that you¡¯ve become the patriarch, our Wang Clan will definitely prosper more and more in the future.¡± Although superstitions were unbecoming, Wang Shouzhe quite appreciated Wang Xiaozhi¡¯s superstitions towards him. Moreover, with his foresight, if he did not seize the opportunity to make a business deal in this pest disaster, he would be unworthy of being a transmigrator. The grain prices were forcefully controlled by the Da Qian government and could not be inflated. However, the Da Qian government did not prohibit inflating the cost of insecticide powder, no? A plan gradually formed in his mind. ¡­ Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ At night¡­ Wang Shouzhe¡¯s carriage made a trip back to the main residence. He wrote a few letters to be delivered by the clan guards. The first thing he did was to remind the clans who were closer to them. As Wang Clan would not be affected by the disaster, this was to prevent them from developing animosity towards the Wang Clan after suffering from the disaster themselves. Even if they already noticed signs of the pest disaster, it would do no harm for the Wang Clan to show goodwill Apart from that, Wang Shouzhe only brought two clan guards with him as they rode out overnight. When they arrived at the Dingpu Crossing, they used their clan¡¯s fishing boat to cross the An River in secret. Only when they reached Changning Wei City did the sky finally light up. The contours of Changning City shone magnificently in the sunlight. The city wall was more than a hundred feet tall. It was built entirely from thick and black stone bricks. There were some fully-armored soldiers with crossbows stationed on the battlements. There was also a huge ballista installed every few hundred feet. Changning Wei might only be a city in level, but it was still more powerful and majestic than those famous cities on Earth. There was no choice. This world was not like the ancient times of China. There were many powerful demonic beasts and vicious creatures in the Outland. Once a beast horde appeared, tall walls and fortified cities would be the only barrier for humanity. Ping¡¯an Town also had walls, but they were far inferior to Wei City¡¯s. The horses of Wang Shouzhe and the other two people slowly stopped in front of the city gate. They got off their horses and joined the queue to enter the city in the early morning. However, most of the people who entered the city at this early hour were farmers, peddlers, craftsmen, and other civilians. As soon as they saw the luxuriously dressed Wang Shouzhe and his clan guards leading their tall horses, they instinctively stepped aside to express their reverence. In the Da Qian Empire, the Arcane Martial Clans were the privileged class. No matter how far a small noble clan was in decline, commoners could not compare to it. At the east gate¡­ Two fully-armored soldiers came forward and checked Wang Shouzhe¡¯s clan token. Then, they respectfully invited him into the city. He did not delay after entering the city. He led the horse and headed straight for the Qian¡¯s Trading Company. The business of Qian¡¯s Trading Company covered the entire Longzuo County. It was powerful and had a good reputation. The insecticide powder refined by the Violet Palace Academy was managed by the Qian¡¯s Trading Company. Just this alone was enough for the Qian¡¯s Trading Company to make a killing. Moreover, their business extended to far more than the insecticide powder. Wang Shouzhe showed the Wang family¡¯s token. His clan guards would stay outside the gates to wait. Wang Shouzhe was led into a side hall in the trading company in wait. The servant girl served some fruits and tea and retreated. Wang Shouzhe sipped his tea calmly and looked around. Even though it was just a side hall of a trading company, it was still decorated with extreme luxury. From screen and furniture made of various precious timber to casually placed antiques, every item was of great value. Even with Wang Shouzhe¡¯s rather ¡°shallow¡± understanding, he could sense that just the value of the decorations in the side room reached hundreds and thousands of gold alone. It was a testament to the great wealth of the Qian¡¯s Trading Company. As expected of a prestigious clan that dominated Longzuo. As a transmigrator, Wang Shouzhe naturally understood the psychological tactics employed by Qian¡¯s Trading Company. After waiting for about 15 minutes¡­ A plump middle-aged man with a face full of amiability walked in. ¡°The patriarch of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an is here in person. I apologize for not welcoming you in advance. Do forgive me.¡± Wang Shouzhe narrowed his eyes. The other party¡¯s indifferently polite and formulaic words revealed a lot of information. It had only been two or three days since he became the patriarch. Moreover, with the decline of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an, even an event like a change in the patriarch would not attract much attention. Unexpectedly, not only did Qian¡¯s Trading Company pay attention to it, they confirmed his identity within 15 minutes. As expected of one of the business magnates who dominated Longzuo, their intelligence-gathering ability was extremely powerful. Furthermore, the other party¡¯s surname was Qian, and his bearing was extraordinary. He was most likely a member of the Qian Clan¡¯s bloodline. ¡°Not at all. I came without notice. It¡¯s already my honor to be received by you personally, Steward Qian.¡± Wang Shouzhe naturally responded with routine courtesy and modesty. This person with the surname Qian naturally could not be the manager. The Qian¡¯s Trading Company was very massive. Even the manager of the Changning Branch was an important figure, and could not possibly receive him, a patriarch in the Qi Refining Realm of a declining clan. The two of them exchanged some pleasantries and sat down. After sitting down, they did not talk about serious matters. Steward Qian talked with Wang Shouzhe about everything from Ancestor Longyan to Ancestor Zhouxuan, then about Wang Shouzhe¡¯s achievements in passing the preliminary test of the Violet Palace Academy. In their discussion, the thoroughness of his research became apparent. On the other hand, Wang Shouzhe had a huge agenda for this trip. Naturally, he could not show any sign of being intimidated. He went along with the idle chatter, seemingly inadvertently revealing his logical and thinking skills superior to the natives. ¡°What a pity, what a pity. With your knowledge and insight, Brother Shouzhe, if you were to participate in the second round of examinations of the Violet Palace Academy, it is almost certain that you will become a disciple of the academy.¡± Without realizing it, Steward Qian paid more attention to Wang Shouzhe. He said with a mix of flattery and lamentation, ¡°The Violet Palace Academy doesn¡¯t just value natural talent in cultivation. They also value the outlook and perspective of the disciples of the academy. I think that with you in the Wang Clan, it¡¯s only a matter of time before it returns to the peak, or even attain a higher level of achievement.¡± ¡°Brother Qian, don¡¯t mock me.¡± Wang Shouzhe shook his head and smiled bitterly. ¡°The Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an only wishes to survive in peace. That¡¯s all we want.¡± In their mutual politeness, the two of them had already begun to call each other brothers. ¡°You¡¯re being too modest. By the way, Brother Shouzhe, you rushed overnight to the Qian¡¯s Trading Company. Could it be that you have some major business to do?¡± After exchanging pleasantries for a long while, Steward Qian finally could not hold back anymore and brought the conversation back on track. Hearing this, Wang Shouzhe gently put down his teacup, his eyes filled with calmness. ¡°Speaking of which, I really need Brother Qian¡¯s help. I need 5,000 bags of insecticide powder.¡± As soon as he said this, Steward Qian¡¯s hand suddenly trembled. He looked at Wang Shouzhe in disbelief. After a long while, he suppressed his discontent and said, ¡°Brother Shouzhe, are you here to make fun of me?¡± ¡°Why do you say that, Brother Qian?¡± Wang Shouzhe said indifferently, ¡°A mere 5,000 bags of insecticide powder must be within the capacity of the great Qian¡¯s Trading Company, right?¡± ¡°Brother, do you know how many much insecticide powder there is in 5,000 bags? One bag of insecticide powder is about 100 catties. After dilution, it¡¯s enough for 100 acres of fertile land. 5,000 bags of insecticide powder is already enough to cover 500,000 acres of farmland.¡± Steward Qian frowned and said, ¡°Fertile lands in all of Changning Wei and the various towns under its command only add up to about 1.5 million acres.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s expression did not change at all. His gaze was very serious. Steward Qian¡¯s expression gradually became interesting. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re not joking?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m not joking,¡± said Wang Shouzhe. ¡°The Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an may only be a last-rate Ninth Grade noble clan, but we¡¯re not so capricious as to make light of a serious matter.¡± ¡°Good, good, good. Brother, you¡¯ve really given me a huge surprise. I¡¯ll accept this deal.¡± Steward Qian said with a pleased expression, ¡°However, the Changning Branch of Qian¡¯s Trading Company only has 2,000 bags in stock. The remaining 3,000 will need to be transferred from the other branches, and it will take at least 10 days.¡± ¡°Why is the stock so little?¡± Wang Shouzhe frowned slightly. ¡°This is already quite a lot. In the past, the stocks were basically all emptied,¡± said Steward Qian seriously. ¡°As it involves the growth and production of the raw materials, the annual production of insecticide powder is planned. The harvest of the raw materials for last year increased by more than 10%. Originally, we wanted to sell them at a low price to the various clans, but we didn¡¯t expect that only a few clans were willing to spend money to stock up. As a matter of fact, when last winter came around, our Changning Wei branch still had 2,000 bags in stock.¡± ¡°Brother, why were those clans unwilling to stock up while prices were low?¡± Wang Shouzhe asked casually. ¡°This¡­ All right, this matter isn¡¯t a secret anymore. Many clans already know about it. It¡¯s not against the clan rules to tell you.¡± Steward Qian hesitated for a moment before saying helplessly, ¡°The medicinal herbs used in the insecticide powder are all grown through the herbal fields of many noble clans. As the profits are good, more and more noble clans are investing in the herbal fields. The yield has been increasing over the recent years, and we are also lowering the price for purchasing the raw materials. The production for the batch of insecticide powder this winter is likely to be¡­ As you know, the larger the clan, the more informed they are.¡± Heh¡­ Wang Shouzhe understood now. This was due to overcapacity and a saturated market. Although he was not a professional in economics, his horizons and consciousness still exceeded those of the natives of this fantasy world. ¡°In that case,¡± Wang Shouzhe said after a moment of consideration, ¡°I¡¯ll take both the 2,000 bags of spot and the 3,000 bags of futures from the trading company¡¯s stocks.¡± ¡°Um, Brother Shouzhe, what are futures?¡± Steward Qian didn¡¯t understand this term at all. His round and chubby face was filled with confusion. ¡­ Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ ¡°Spot refers to the goods that can be handed over on the spot. Futures refer to goods that can only be delivered at a specified date. Brother Qian, didn¡¯t you say that the goods need to be transferred and can only be handed over in ten days?¡± Wang Shouzhe casually informed him. ¡°That makes sense. Now that Brother Shouzhe has explained it, I understand the difference.¡± Steward Qian¡¯s spirits were lifted. His eyes flicked as he said in a low voice, ¡°Brother Shouzhe, you definitely aren¡¯t buying the 5,000 bags of insecticide powder for your own use. Could it be that you¡¯ve found a new business opportunity?¡± ¡°Heh, Brother Qian already said that this is a new business opportunity.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled as he sipped his tea. ¡°I¡¯ll help your trading company clear out its inventory, while I earn a small profit from it. It¡¯s a win-win situation if we work together. Brother Qian, give me an honest price.¡± ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s a win-win situation if we work together. Brother Shouzhe¡¯s words are really interesting. I won¡¯t ask further then. In that case, I¡¯ll give you a 10% discount for these 5,000 bags of insecticide powder. It costs a total of 4,500 gold.¡± ¡°Four thousand!¡± ¡°Four thousand and two hundred at minimum, brother.¡± ¡°Fine, 4,200 it is. However, I¡¯ll use the reputation of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an to pay for the current amount,¡± Wang Shouzhe said calmly. ¡°In a month, I¡¯ll pay 4,200 gold in full without missing a single cent.¡± Steward Qian was slightly stunned, but then he smiled and said, ¡°That is feasible, but we have to make a contract. If you can¡¯t pay for the goods by then, our trading company has the right to use any means to collect the payment.¡± No matter how poor the Wang Clan was, they were still an Arcane Martial Clan and had some assets. Just the sale of the Bountiful Farm alone would give at least tens of thousands of gold. As long as both parties had a contract, the powerful Qian¡¯s Trading Company had plenty of ways to collect this debt. ¡°Brother Qian, even if you hadn¡¯t mentioned the contract, I would still draw it up,¡± Wang Shouzhe said seriously. ¡°I¡¯m already contacting the merchant ship. In three days, I¡¯ll send someone to your warehouses to transport 2,000 bags of insecticide powder. I will collect the second batch in ten days. If your esteemed company refuses to hand over the goods or is unable to, you¡¯ll have to pay us three times the price of the goods as penalty for breaking the contract.¡± ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. As a centuries-old business, credibility is the foundation of the Qian¡¯s Trading Company.¡± Steward Qian said with a very solemn expression. ¡°No matter what, we will deliver the specified quantity of goods at the specified time.¡± ¡°I trust the credibility of your esteemed company, but this deal is of great importance to our small Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a somber expression as well. ¡°Having a contract signed in black and white allows me to rest assured as well.¡± ¡°In that case, write it down.¡± Steward Qian did not see any reason his party could violate the contract at all. Moreover, it was just a transaction of a few thousand gold. It was nothing much to the entire Qian¡¯s Trading Company. The two of them spent a full two hours. Under Wang Shouzhe¡¯s nitpicking attitude, they determined the various terms of the contract clearly. By the time both parties signed their respective agreements and received the contract, Steward Qian was already sweating profusely. He wiped his sweat and smiled wanly. ¡°I¡¯ve been a businessman for 20 years, and this is the first time I¡¯ve seen such detailed contractual terms and meticulous wording in a contract. But then again, such detailed terms of contract do prevent unnecessary disputes in the future. It has broadened my horizons and is a learning opportunity for me.¡± Heh¡­ Wang Shouzhe only smiled. This was nothing. Some complex business contracts on Earth far exceeded these crude contracts by a hundred times. They would be incomprehensible to the layman. Having finally obtained the contract, a huge burden was lifted from Wang Shouzhe¡¯s heart. Though, according to his understanding of the Qian¡¯s Trading Company, even if the contract was not that detailed, they would not violate their own credibility. The credibility accumulated over centuries was the most valuable thing to a trading company. As for sending experts to annihilate the entire clan for this tiny amount of money, that was even more impossible. Although Ancestor Longyan did not have much time left, she was still a veteran Ancestor in the Spirit Tower Realm from the Violet Palace Academy, after all. No one knew what trump cards she held. If she unleashed a wave of power without regard for her life, it was very likely that she could take a Spirit Tower Realm cultivator down with her. After weighing all the factors, Wang Shouzhe finally made the decision to take a risk. There was no other way. The Wang Clan was too poor. They were so poor that they had to scheme for even a Small Essence Enhancing Pill. If this went on, they would only fall into a vicious cycle. He only felt sorry for this Steward Qian. He only became a minor steward of a branch in a remote area by middle age. It was obvious that he was not of high birth in the vast and powerful Qian Clan. It was very likely that the branch manager would make him shoulder the responsibility for this loss. ¡°Brother Qian, it was a pleasure to work with you.¡± Wang Shouzhe stood up and took his leave. Then, he said in a low voice, ¡°If nothing unexpected happens, I will give you a great merit in the near future.¡± Steward Qian was stunned. He immediately chuckled and said, ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Brother Shouzhe. I¡¯ll send you off.¡± As they chatted and laughed, Steward Qian sent Wang Shouzhe out the door. After leaving the Qian¡¯s Trading Company, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s mood immediately became extremely pleasant. Three days. In only three days, he would be able to greatly alleviate the Wang Clan¡¯s financial crisis. ¡°Patriarch.¡± The two clan guards who had been standing guard outside the door led their horses over and greeted him respectfully. ¡°Wang Zhong, Wang Yong,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t been out for a long time. Come with me and shop around in Wei City.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch,¡± the two family generals replied respectfully. They led their horses and accompanied Wang Shouzhe as they strolled around the city. When Ancestor Zhouxuan was alive, there were clan guards in the Wang family at their peak, and one with the highest level of cultivation among them had reached the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm. Currently, the Wang Clan only had nine clan guards, and the one with the highest level of cultivation among them was only at the fifth level of the Qi Refining Realm. Clan guards were different from clan servants. They were not slaves, but vassals by lineage. However, they were also different from contractually hired outsiders like guest retainers. Most of the clan guards were trusted aides groomed by the family. They had a relatively high status and good treatment in the clan, but they did not have the freedom to come and go as they pleased. They were born as clan guards and would die as clan guards. Their fates, age, illness, and death were all firmly tied to the main clan. They would rise and fall together. It was also because of this that some clans would often intermarry their children from collateral or concubinal lineages with very outstanding clan guards. Firstly, the bond would be tighter, and secondly, it could improve the bloodline of the clan. Currently, the nine clan guards of the Wang Clan all descended from clan guards personally groomed by Ancestor Zhouxuan. They were descendants who had been passed down through generations, and they were extremely loyal. ¡°Wang Zhong, I remember that your youngest son is already seven or eight years old, right?¡± Wang Shouzhe asked casually, ¡°Is his Arcane Martial aptitude qualified for tiering yet?¡± Wang Zhong hurriedly caught up with him and replied, ¡°Thank you for your concern for my unworthy son, Patriarch. The kid participated in the aptitude test this spring. The result was Third Rank, Lower Tier. He has already entered the clan school for preliminary studies, and has begun to nurture his meridians.¡± As he spoke, the corners of his lips curled into a smile. He was clearly very satisfied with his son¡¯s aptitude. Arcane Martial aptitude was divided into tiered and untiered. Whether it could be tiered was extremely important, and represented whether one had the potential to be nurtured. Among the Lower Rank aptitudes, there were First, Second, Third and Fourth Ranks. One evaluated to be Third Rank, Lower Tier, was already considered the second level of priority, and was worth considerable effort for nurturing by the clan. ¡°Like father, like son.¡± Wang Shouzhe praised, ¡°Teach him well. He¡¯ll be stronger than you in the future.¡± ¡°Thank you for the auspicious words, Family Head.¡± Wang Zhong smiled until wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes. He was 36 years old this year, and had already given birth to two sons, one older and one younger. Both of them had tiered Arcane Martial aptitudes. The older son was already 15 years old, and in another year, he would be considered an adult. He would be able to become a clan guard and serve the clan. The younger son¡¯s talent had further reached Third Rank, Lower Tier, and he entered the sequence for focused nurturing. On the other hand, the other clan guard, Wang Yong, had a slightly embarrassed look on his face. He was about the same age as Wang Zhong. He married a woman from the Wang Clan¡¯s collateral lineage and gave birth to a son and daughter. The Arcane Martial aptitude of his son was untiered, so he could only enter academics. He was currently 17 and working in the silkworm farm. His daughter was only six years old and had yet to be tested for Arcane Martial aptitude. However, even if the test showed she was tiered for Arcane Martial aptitude, she was ultimately just a girl. ¡°Wang Yong, you have to seize the last few years of opportunity and work hard with Sister-in-law to try to have another child,¡± Wang Zhong teased with a smile. ¡°Perhaps your luck will turn for the better, and you¡¯ll be able to have a boy with Second Rank, Lower Tier.¡± ¡°Shoo!¡± Wang Yong waved his hand impatiently. He was a little unhappy at the mention of this topic. The three of them strolled through Changning Wei City, and Wang Shouzhe¡¯s memory of Changning City gradually became clearer. There were about 150 to 160 thousand permanent residents in the entire city. There were many established Arcane Martial Clans residing there, and among them, Xu Clan of Changning was had a relatively close relationship with the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an. However, in the end, they were only relatively close. The disparity between the two was growing larger and larger, and they were no longer clans on the same level. Thus, Wang Shouzhe had no intention of visiting the patriarch of the Xu Clan. Apart from running traditional farms, the Xu Clan of Changning¡¯s unique specialized industries were mainly focused on silk fabric shops. All the cotton, hemp and raw silk cocoons planted and produced in the entire Changning Wei regionwere supplied to a few workshops in the Xu Clan of Changning. They produced fabric and silk and sold them to the entire state and county, thereby earning a great fortune. At the same time, the raw silk cocoons produced by one of the backbone industries of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an, the Flourishing Silkworm Farm, were supplied to Xu Clan of Changning. ¡­ Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ Digressions aside for now. In Changning Wei City, the two most lively regions were the East Market and West Market. The East Market was mainly composed of various stores along the streets, which sold mostly native products from the various villages and towns under Wei City. Things like melons, fruits, vegetables, livestock, poultry, firewood, rice, oil, salt, daily necessities, and so on were all sold in the East Market. The fish stall of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an was also located in the East Market. Wang Shouzhe and the others led the horses into the middle of the market. It was as if they had entered a huge agricultural market. There were all kinds of agricultural products and handicrafts. Apart from the large shops owned by rich businessmen and noble clans, there were also many scattered vendors who occupied the corners of the market and sold strange things. This was a stall specially set up by the Changning government for the freelance cultivators to prevent them from setting up stalls everywhere, making it difficult to manage. Freelance cultivators basically had nothing good on them, but they usually roamed the world. The things they sold were very mixed, and occasionally, some novel things would appear. ¡°Gallbladder of Black-backed Tyrannical Bear, Class Two dire beast. This is the only one in stock. The price is 15 gold. No bargaining.¡± A scarred freelance cultivator in beast skin armor was manning a stall. The stall was paved with a thick layer of bear skin. On top of it, a shade dried bear gallbladder was hung from a branch and a sign was erected. He looked unapproachable. ¡°This bear skin is black-backed and white-bellied. It has a rich texture, and is indeed the skin of a Black-backed Tyrannical Bear.¡± Wang Zhong, who was standing by the side, said in a low voice, ¡°The inner kernel of this bear gallbladder is golden and is of good quality. The price of 15 gold isn¡¯t expensive. We can earn at least four or five gold by selling it to the Alchemy Workshop.¡± Wang Shouzhe had been studying the dire beast catalog since he was young. He could distinguish most ordinary dire beasts and the materials on dire beasts. He only smiled and said, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t take advantage in this case.¡± With that, he left without looking back. ¡°Does Patriarch think he¡¯s a swindler? The bear¡¯s gallbladder appears to be of very high quality to me. There¡¯s no mistake about it.¡± Wang Zhong was a little unwilling, but he still followed obediently. However, his gaze was a little reluctant. ¡°If Patriarch doesn¡¯t see the need to make a little money¡­ Why not¡­¡± ¡°Idiot, Patriarch must have noticed something amiss.¡± Wang Yong glared at him fiercely. ¡°Heh¡­ The edges and the internal flesh of the bear skin is dry and black. It¡¯s obviously quite old. Although the bear¡¯s gallbladder is already shade dried, the color of the sac is still fresh. It¡¯s no older than three months when peeled,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a smile. ¡°Wang Zhong, if you want to buy it, I can lend you money. You don¡¯t have to share the remaining profit with me.¡± He could not help but secretly find it funny. Compared to Earth, the street vendors in this Arcane Martial World all seem so unrefined. They didn¡¯t even come up with an outlandish story or something. That¡¯s just too unprofessional. ¡°No, no. Fortunately, I came out with Patriarch today.¡± Wang Zhong broke out in a cold sweat and said angrily, ¡°Freelance cultivators are indeed untrustworthy. There are too many swindlers among them.¡± ¡°Our Arcane Martial Clan has a family, a business, and a foundation. As long as we guard this foundation well, we will have an unending stream of cultivation resources,¡± Wang Shouzhe said indifferently. ¡°Freelance cultivators are all itinerants who have no foundation and travel everywhere. They have to be self-reliant for all their resources. Their lives will naturally be difficult, and so it¡¯s very easy for them to take the wrong path, such as swindling and stealing. Moreover, once they commit a crime, they can just up and leave. Changing their identities isn¡¯t a problem at all. If freelance cultivators can obtain resources easily, why would our ancestors have to make contributions, expand the clan¡¯s assets, and risk their lives to protect the clan¡¯s foundation?¡± Patriarch¡¯s words made sense. The two clan guards, Wang Zhong and Wang Yong, admired Wang Shouzhe more and more. They had already sensed the difference between the new patriarch and the previous patriarch. With a few words, he clearly distinguished the situation of freelance cultivators and the noble clans. At this point, they became even more vigilant as they looked at the freelance cultivators by the roadside, who were dressed bizarrely and whose stalls displayed a jumble of miscellaneous items. They felt that any freelance cultivators they came across were swindlers. ¡°How much is this beehive?¡± Right at this moment, Wang Shouzhe suddenly crouched down in front of a stall. The stall owner was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties. His appearance was a little unkempt, and at a glance, he was only at the peak of the third level of the Qi Refining Realm. However, this was also the normal state of most freelance cultivators. Factors such as poor aptitude, lack of systemic cultivation techniques, lack of guidance from elders, extremely unstable cultivation resources, and so on caused most freelance cultivators to find it difficult to make a name for themselves. The stall owner saw that Wang Shouzhe was wearing luxurious clothes and that there were two armed, valiant clan guards behind him. This was obviously not an ordinary person. He immediately swallowed the rip-off price and gave a fawning smile. ¡°Young Master, this is the Spirit Hornet¡¯s hive. I risked my life to get it after I found it in the mountains. Look, there¡¯s still quite a lot of spirit honey and bee chrysalis in this beehive. I want to exchange it for two Small Essence Enhancing Pills.¡± At the mention of the Small Essence Enhancing Pill, his throat gurgled. ¡°Are you trying to rob us?¡± Wang Yong¡¯s expression changed. He pressed his hand on the handle of his saber and said menacingly, ¡°This beehive of yours is only the size of a head. Only 200 grams of spirit honey can be filtered from it at most. A few chrysalises are not enough to make even a plate of stir-fry. At most, this is only worth a few gold.¡± ¡°Hey, Sir, don¡¯t be mad,¡± the stall owner said with a slightly fearful expression. ¡°My beehive is newly harvested. Many of the chrysalis inside are still alive. If your clan has a Spirit Insect Master, they might be able to cultivate a Spirit Hornet colony.¡± Many freelance cultivators roamed the world. They might not be strong, but they were knowledgeable. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking things. I¡¯ve never heard of any Spirit Insect Masters in the entire Changning Wei region. I merely think this item is exotic and want to stir-fry it for a change of taste.¡± Wang Shouzhe took out ten gold. ¡°It¡¯s enough for you to buy a Small Essence Enhancing Pill. Do you want it or not? I¡¯ll leave if you add even a dime to the cost.¡± The stall owner hesitated for a long while before reluctantly trading, ¡°Young Master, it is really worth 20 gold in the county. It¡¯s a pity that all these chrysalises will die if I bring them to the county.¡± If not for the fact that the chrysalises could not live for more than a few days, the stall owner would really be willing to travel all the way to the county to sell it. After all, there was a price difference of ten gold. Once most of the chrysalises died, the value of this Spirit Hornet¡¯s hive would plummet. After the transaction, Wang Shouzhe got Wang Yong to pack it up and carry it back. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath with the stall owner. This item underpaying for a valuable item, but it wasn¡¯t a loss either. If he gave it to his Fifth Sister, Wang Luojing, to play with, there was a possibility that a miracle would happen. If she really managed to cultivate Spirit Hornets, it would be an additional specialized business for the clan. Spirit Hornets had almost disappeared in the wild. They were only occasionally encountered in places where people were scarce. One might not even be able to find one after searching for a year. After that, he strolled through the stalls of the freelance cultivators and didn¡¯t encounter anything of interest again until the end. As he walked, he unconsciously walked to the center of the East Market, where one of the clan¡¯s businesses, the fish stall in the East Market of Changning, was located. Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an¡¯s Fish Stall. The six words stretched across the three shops. Compared to the messy stalls, the cleanliness and classiness of the fish stall were clearly much better. As he watched the fish stall of Wang Clan, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s memories surged, and turmoil rose in his heart. The residence behind these three shops were already the last assets the Wang Clan had in Changning City. Ever since the two great battles 50 years ago, the prestige of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an had plummeted. In order to quickly nurture a new Spirit Tower Realm expert to support the clan, the Wang Clan steeled their hearts and sold many of their fixed assets in Changning Wei City. Unfortunately¡­ Second Uncle Wang Dingtian, who had high hopes placed on him, died at an untimely age of 20, without even leaving behind his bloodline. Sixth Grandfather Wang Xiaohan reached the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm when he was in his forties. He had attempted to break through to the Spirit Tower Realm, but after consuming a massive amount of resources, he failed. Wang Xiaohan, now already 65 years old, still remained at the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm. And Wang Shouzhe¡¯s father, Wang Dingyue, was even more tragic. When resources were insufficient for breaking through to the Spirit Tower Realm, he actually took the risk to enter the Outland to seek fortuitous encounters, and even lost his life in the end. In truth, if they continued to sell off the family¡¯s assets, such as selling all three major farms, they would definitely be able to amass the resources needed for Wang Dingyue to break through to the Spirit Tower Realm. However, this way, it would be all or nothing. If he failed, the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an would be completely broke overnight. Wang Shouzhe had a faint feeling that when he reached the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining Realm, the entire clan might make a move to sell all the assets to let him make a gamble for the last time. However, if things really had to go that far, it could only prove Wang Shouzhe¡¯s failure as a transmigrator. ¡°Fourth Brother, why are you here?¡± Just as Wang Shouzhe was lamenting a little inwardly, a surprised voice sounded. ¡­ Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡­ It was a well-built adult man in a rough hemp garment who was working. With a thud, he tossed down the box of salted fish on his shoulder and came over happily. Wang Shouzhe composed himself and recognized that it was the second son of the ¡°Shou¡± generation, Wang Shouyi. He immediately cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Second Brother, why are you dressed like this? You actually have to work personally?¡± Wang Shouyi gave a simple-minded chuckle helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with Sixth Uncle. He actually sent people to deliver all the salted fish in the warehouse of Dingpu here, and ordered me to sell them as soon as possible. Even the shop assistants can¡¯t handle it all at once. Look, they¡¯re unloading the goods now.¡± With that, he pointed at a few cargo carriages lined up at the back, almost blocking the road. Uh¡­ haha. Of course Wang Shouzhe knew the reason. It was because of his suggestions and ideas. The fishing fleet¡¯s fishing yield this year would definitely be off the charts. If the salted fish in the warehouse were not disposed of quickly, when the large amounts of subsequent catch were put on sale, the salted fish from before would plummet in value in their possession. ¡°Wang Zhong, Wang Yong, help unload the goods together.¡± Wang Shouzhe waved his hand. ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± The two clan guards immediately set down the package and went to help. One of them was at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm, while the other was at the fifth level. Their strength and physique far exceeded that of ordinary people by many times. In addition, Wang Shouyi was also at the fifth level of the Qi Refining Realm. The three Arcane Martial Artists unloaded the goods together, and the speed quickly went up. Of course, Wang Shouzhe was already at the advanced stage of the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm. If he participated, the speed would be even faster. However, wouldn¡¯t it damage the prestige of the clan if word got out that he, the dignified patriarch of a clan, was carrying salted fish? In less than half an hour, the fish products on the carriages were all moved into the warehouse, and the roadside was restored to normal. Afterward, Wang Shouyi, who had cleaned himself up, was about to receive Wang Shouzhe in the backyard, but was rejected. They found a place in the fish stall to drink tea and chat. ¡°Fourth Brother, our fish stall mainly sells dried goods of salted fish and smoked fish, fresh fish, and live fish.¡± Wang Shouyi poured the tea personally and said, ¡°Most of the dried goods like salted fish are purchased in bulk by the itinerant merchants and sold in the northwest regions.¡± ¡°Fresh fish are sold to the vendors in Changning Wei City. They come to our fish stall every morning to collect goods. We also supply fresh fish and live fish to a few restaurants in the city. We¡¯re in charge of delivering the goods for this part, but the price will be slightly higher.¡± ¡°Also, there are some noble clans, wealthy businessmen, and so on, who also have a lot of demand for fresh fish and live fish every day. Therefore, from dawn until morning every day is the busiest time for our fish stall.¡± With just a brief introduction, Wang Shouzhe understood the operation mode of the Wang Clan¡¯s fish stall. The main purpose was to maximize the selling price of the catches of the fishing fleet. Overall, the net profits that it could bring to the family would only be about 200 gold annually. It was precisely because the net profits were not high that the seventh generation clan member, Wang Shouyi, was in charge here. Wang Shouyi¡¯s natural aptitude was not very good, and he was only a Fourth Rank, Lower Tier. Thus, the family resources he had enjoyed since he was young were far from comparable to Wang Dingyue, Wang Shouzhe, and the others. As a result, he was only in the basic stage of the fifth level of the Qi Refining Realm at the age of 33. Fortunately, Wang Shouyi had a steady character and was hardworking. He did not have any complaints about the distribution of resources in the clan. Instead, he conscientiously took charge of one of the clan¡¯s businesses and contributed to the clan. ¡°Second Brother, it¡¯s been hard on you all these years.¡± Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands solemnly. ¡°Fourth Brother, what are you saying?¡± Wang Shouyi hurriedly stood up and returned the greeting. ¡°I, Wang Shouyi, am a direct descendant of the clan. It¡¯s my duty to manage the clan¡¯s property. Why the talk about hardships? As long as you can break through to the Spirit Tower Realm one day, the members of the Wang Clan will definitely lead a good life.¡± Spirit Tower Realm! Spirit Tower Realm! Wang Shouzhe sighed in his heart. Right now, all the clansmen were placing their hopes on him. It was precisely this hope that allowed them to work tirelessly and without regrets. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Second Brother. The Wang Clan will definitely do better and better.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled confidently and said, ¡°By the way, I heard that nephew Zongsheng¡¯s aptitudes are quite good. He seems to be in Third Rank, Lower Tier?¡± At the mention of Zongsheng, a look of joy appeared on Wang Shouyi¡¯s honest face. He scratched his head and said, ¡°That kid¡¯s not bad. He¡¯s stronger than his father. Looks like my bloodline is not bad after all.¡± ¡°Heh, Second Brother, that¡¯s because Second Sister-in-law has a good bloodline.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled and said teasingly, ¡°I know that while Second Sister-in-law was awaiting marriage in the Xu Clan of Jinsha, she was famed for her beauty. Many clans went to propose marriage. I didn¡¯t expect you to break out of the siege and win Second Sister-in-law¡¯s heart in the end.¡± ¡°Fourth Brother, you actually still remember this? You were still a child back then, right? Heh, your Second Sister-in-law didn¡¯t like those fancy young masters, and took a fancy to your Second Brother¡¯s honest character.¡± When Wang Shouyi recalled this matter, his face was filled with pride. ¡°Being able to marry your Second Sister-in-law is the greatest victory in my life. By the way, Fourth Brother, you¡¯re 18 years old this year, right? When are you going to marry the daughter of the Liu Clan?¡± The daughter of the Liu Clan? Wang Shouzhe was stunned. If Wang Shouyi had not mentioned this matter, he would have forgotten that he was already engaged to the eldest direct daughter of the Liu Clan. Logically speaking, it was very difficult for the declined Wang Clan to be connected to the main line of the Liu Clan. The relationship between the two parties was only remained at the occasional intermarriage between the direct lineages of the Wang Clan and the Liu Clan. It had already been more than a hundred years ago since the last time the main lineages of the Wang and Liu Clans were intermarried. At that time, the main daughter of the Liu Clan was married to the second son of Ancestor Zhouxuan, Wang Yuyou. Meanwhile, Ancestor Zhouxuan¡¯s second daughter, Zhuwei, was married into the main lineage of the Liu Clan. It was worth mentioning that Great-grandaunt Zhuwei gave birth to two sons and a daughter in the Liu Clan. Currently, there were two living Spirit Tower Realm ancestors in the Liu Clan. One was the son of Great-grandaunt Zhuwei, and the other was her grandson. It was also because of this that the Liu Clan of Shanyin always retained some gratitude over the familial bond with Wang Clan. However, the most formidable figure in the Liu Clan wasn¡¯t the two Spirit Tower Realm ancestors, but Great-grandaunt Zhuwei¡¯s daughter, Liu Xuanfu. Back then, Liu Xuanfu of the Liu Clan and Wang Longyan of the Wang Clan were cousins, and were both rare prodigies. Both of them were accepted by the Violet Palace Academy, which shocked the entire Changning Wei region. They were known as the Belles of Changning, and their fame far exceeded that of Spirit Tower Realm ancestors of ordinary clans. Moreover, they had developed quite well in the Violet Palace Academy, and their futures were boundless. Unfortunately¡­ After the Wang Clan was met with disaster, Ancestor Longyan had no choice but to give up her identity as an elite disciple of the academy and return to the clan. In the end, she suffered heavy injuries and her lifespan was greatly reduced. Up until now, she never left Changning again. Liu Xuanfu, on the other hand, had continued developing in the Violet Palace Academy. Her current situation was unclear. However, seeing that the Liu Clan of the Mountain Yin was growing stronger and stronger, it could be deduced that Liu Xuanfu¡¯s development in the Violet Palace Academy should be very smooth. Thus, the marriage between Wang Shouzhe and the direct daughter of the Liu Clan was personally proposed by Ancestor Longyan in preparation of leaving a final guarantee for the clan. Perhaps Ancestor Longyan had paid a price that no one knew about, or perhaps the Liu Clan was still considerate of their old relationship in the past. In short, this marriage arrangement was settled. ¡°Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother, what are you thinking about?¡± Wang Shouyi chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking about your fianc¨¦e, Liu Ruolan, Miss Liu?¡± ¡°Heh¡­ Second Brother, let¡¯s pay more attention to how to strengthen the clan instead.¡± Wang Shouzhe changed the topic. ¡°If Sixth Uncle¡¯s fishing fleet increases the annual production by onefold compared to previous years, will your fish stall be able to handle it?¡± ¡°What, onefold?¡± Wang Shouyi¡¯s face lit up. He said in a low voice, ¡°Fourth Brother, the clan is willing to expand the fishing fleet? This is a good thing that benefits the clan. If that¡¯s the case, I promise I won¡¯t set us back.¡± ¡°What about twofold?¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a smile. ¡°Ssss¡ª¡± Wang Shouyi gasped. ¡°Fourth Brother, don¡¯t mock your Second Brother.¡± Just as Wang Shouzhe was about to explain, a sinister laugh came from outside all of a sudden. ¡°Is Wang Shouyi of the Wang Clan in? I¡¯m the vice-manager of the Fortune Gambling House, Ding Youde. When is your nephew going to return the money he owes our gambling house?¡± Fortune Gambling House? Gambling debt? Nephew? As Wang Shouyi¡¯s expression changed drastically, the smile on Wang Shouzhe¡¯s face froze, and his gaze sharpened. ¡­ Chapter 20 - Teaching the Younger Generation a Lesson Chapter 20 Teaching the Younger Generation a Lesson Any Arcane Martial Clan had descendants of the clan who dedicated themselves to contributing to the family. Naturally, it was also possible for some scumbags to appear among the clansmen. Fortunately, the clan rules of the Wang Clan were rather strict. With the glory of their ancestors and the pressure of the clan¡¯s difficult survival, most of the clansmen were conscientious in their duty. On the other hand, the eighth generation of the clan had produced a good-for-nothing bastard. ¡°Fourth Brother, you¡¯re the patriarch now. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to get involved,¡± Wang Shouyi said with a cold expression. ¡°Wait for a moment. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± With that, he stormed out. Not long after, Wang Shouyi dragged in a young man in his twenties. The young man¡¯s face was bruised and swollen from being beaten, and he cried, ¡°Second uncle, I¡¯m wrong. I really know I¡¯m wrong. Please spare me this once. Don¡¯t tell my father!¡± ¡°You little bastard.¡± Wang Shouyi was furious. He kicked the young man so hard that he rolled a few times on the ground. ¡°You¡¯ve already fallen to such a state, and you still refuse to reflect on yourself. You have the face to beg for mercy. You want me to cover up for you?¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± The young man howled a few times. Just as he was about to cry and beg some more, he suddenly looked up and saw a young man with extraordinary bearing, sitting upright staring at him expressionlessly. The young man¡¯s body shook immediately, as if he had been struck by lightning. His eyes revealed an apocalyptic fear. ¡°Fourth-fourth Uncle! You-you-you-you¡­¡± His body swayed and he was about to faint. At a time like this, he¡¯d rather run into his father than Fourth Uncle. His father would at most give him a vicious beating. He would get out and be able to act brazenly again after being locked up for a few months. But this¡­ ¡°How much did you lose?¡± Wang Shouzhe asked apathetically. ¡°This little bastard. He¡¯s only been here for more than a month, but he already owes the gambling house 20 gold. In addition to the private savings his mother gave him and the Small Essence Enhancing Pill that he sold privately, he¡¯s lost a total of 40 gold!¡± Wang Shouyi¡¯s anger was boiling. In this fish stall of the clan, 20 to 30 staff had to work hard for a year to earn over 200 gold for their hard work. This brat, however, somehow lost 40 gold gambling. That was enough money to purchase four ¡°Small Essence Enhancing Pills¡±. ¡°Fourth Uncle, I¡¯m wrong. I¡¯m really wrong.¡± The young man collapsed to the ground and kowtowed to Wang Shouzhe non-stop. ¡°I beg Fourth Uncle to give me another chance.¡± ¡°Chance? You¡¯ve already been given too many chances,¡± Wang Shouyi said furiously. ¡°The clan originally wanted you to work for your big brother at the Flourishing Silkworm Farm and learn some skills properly. But look at you. You hang out with a bad crowd of friends all day long and even dare to harass women from upstanding families! Then, your grandfather and your mother pleaded for leniency and allowed you to work in your Sixth Uncle¡¯s fleet. However, you found the toil too much for you and secretly ran to my place instead. I was wrong, I really shouldn¡¯t have taken you in! The mesmerizing world of Changning Wei has caused you to lose your way.¡± Wang Shouzhe pondered for a moment before saying slowly, ¡°Zongwei, you are the eldest son of the Zong generation. You should be the role model for the younger siblings in the family, but unexpectedly, you turned out to be so unbecoming. Originally, you are the son of my older brother, and my older brother should be the one to discipline you. However, as a descendant of the main lineage, I, Wang Shouzhe, have humbly received the honor of becoming the patriarch, and have the authority and obligation to discipline incompetent clansmen.¡± ¡°Fourth-fourth Uncle!¡± Wang Zongwei collapsed from fear. ¡°For the sake of my father, my-my-my great-grandfather¡­¡± ¡°How about this? Since you like to gamble, Fourth Uncle will gamble with you,¡± Wang Shouzhe said expressionlessly. He took out a piece of gold and pinched it in his palm. ¡°Let¡¯s bet on which of my hands the gold is in. If you bet correctly, we¡¯ll take it as if nothing happened today. If you lose, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. I¡¯ll just take a hand from you. For the sake of your great-grandfather, you can be a leech in the clan in peace in the future.¡± ¡°What?¡± Wang Zongwei was so frightened that his tears stopped. ¡°F-Fourth Uncle, I¡¯m not betting. I¡¯m not betting.¡± ¡°Fourth¡­¡± Wang Shouyi¡¯s expression changed. Just as he was about to plead for leniency, Wang Shouzhe waved his hand and stopped him. He said coldly,¡± Even if Second Old Master Wang Xiaohui, your grandfather Wang Dingchuan and your father Wang Shouxin were here today, it¡¯s useless.¡± Wang Shouyi shuddered and subconsciously shut his mouth, not daring to plead for leniency anymore. Although they were both members of the Wang Clan and brothers of the Shou generation, Wang Shouzhe was the main descendant of the Wang Clan. Furthermore, he was the current patriarch of the Wang Clan, who had been doted on by Ancestor Longyan since he was young. How could they be equals? To the Wang Clan, even ten bastards like Wang Zongwei put together had less importance than a single finger from Wang Shouzhe. After intimidating Wang Shouyi, Wang Shouzhe continued to stare at Wang Zongwei. In an incomparably cold voice, he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to bet, Fourth Uncle will take it that you admit defeat. Extend your hand.¡± ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯ll bet. I¡¯ll bet,¡± Wang Zongwei said agitatedly. ¡°I bet that the gold is in Fourth Uncle¡¯s right hand.¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± A cold glint flashed across Wang Shouzhe¡¯s eyes. He slowly opened his empty right palm. ¡°Zongwei, you¡¯ve lost.¡± ¡°No, no! Fourth Uncle, give me one more chance. One more chance!¡± Wang Zongwei howled hysterically. ¡°It¡¯s in your left hand. The gold is in Fourth Uncle¡¯s left hand.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure, I¡¯m sure!¡± Wang Shouzhe slowly opened the palm of his left hand. It was still empty. His stare landed on Wang Zongwei like a sharp blade. ¡°Zongwei, be a man of honor. If you¡¯re willing to bet, you must be willing to admit defeat. Wang Zhong and Wang Yong!¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± The two clan guards stepped out in response and lifted up the paralyzed Wang Zongwei. His face was ashen and he was trembling. He could only say, ¡°Fourth Uncle, spare me, spare me.¡± Clang! Wang Shouzhe unsheathed his sword, and a cold light flashed. Wang Shouyi could no longer bear to watch and turned his head away. Swoosh! Wang Shouzhe slashed with his sword. The sword light flashed, and in the next moment, the sharp sword was returned to its sheath. ¡°Ah-¡± Wang Zongwei screamed hysterically. ¡°My hand, my hand, it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone¡­¡± The smell of urine filled the air. The two clan guards Wang Zhong and Wang Yong dropped him in disdain, their faces filled with contempt. This Young Master Zong Wei and Patriarch were both descendants of Patriarch Zhouxuan¡¯s bloodline. Why was the difference so huge? This Wang Zongwei was already 20 years old, even two years older than the patriarch. Wang Shouyi rushed forward and broke his howl with a slap. He said angrily and disdainfully, ¡°All right, stop howling. You disgraceful mutt. Hurry up and thank your Fourth Uncle.¡± ¡°Hand, my¡­ still here, still here¡­¡± Wang Zongwei cried out in surprise, tears and mucus streaming down his face. Then, he thanked Wang Shouzhe profusely.¡± Thank you, Fourth Uncle. Thank you. I will definitely¡­ definitely be good and turn over a new leaf. ¡° ¡°Remember, you owe me one hand. I¡¯ll reserve the right to take it back at any time. In addition, all your cultivation resources and remuneration will be temporarily stripped away and transferred to¡­ uh, transferred to Wang Luotong.¡± Wang Shouzhe did not want to see him anymore. He turned around and left, and the two clan guards hurriedly followed. ¡°Thank you, Fourth Uncle. Thank you, Fourth Uncle.¡± How could Wang Zongwei dare to refute? He kowtowed repeatedly. Wang Shouyi glared fiercely at Wang Zongwei and hurriedly caught up to Wang Shouzhe. He sighed and said, ¡°Fourth Brother, I know you want to teach that little bastard Zongwei a lesson, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Wang Shouzhe sneered. ¡°Could it be that Second Grandpa or Big Brother will want to win a round for him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about Grandfather and Big Brother.¡± Wang Shouyi said helplessly, ¡°As you know, Eldest Sister-in-law, Madam Xu, comes from the direct bloodline of the Xu Clan of Changning. She¡¯s pampered since she was young, and her personality is somewhat, um¡­ Zongwei deserves to have his resources stripped away by you. She can¡¯t find fault with that. However, if you transfer the resources to Sister Luotong, I¡¯m afraid Eldest Sister-in-law will take the opening to cause trouble.¡± ¡°Regardless of whether Eldest Sister-in-law was from the Xu or the Liu Clan, she belongs to the Wang Clan now,¡± Wang Shouzhe said calmly. ¡°I believe that coming from a powerful noble clan, Eldest Sister-in-law must be a well-educated and reasonable person. Sooner or later, she will understand my good intentions.¡± Wang Shouyi opened his mouth but hesitated. He understood that although his sister-in-law, Madam Xu, was shrewish, she might not really dare to go against Shouzhe. Most of his worries were abated. Chapter 21 - Opening the Door to a New World for Second Brother Chapter 21 Opening the Door to a New World for Second Brother Wang Shouzhe did not take this small incident to heart. Instead, he steered the conversation back to the main topic. ¡°By the way, Second Brother, the value of the live fish in your fish stall is the highest, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Other than spirit fishes, some of the top-notch live fishes are the most valuable. The types of bass, minnow, mandarin perches, culters, shads and mullets are famed for being fresh and tender, and are rather popular among noble clans and wealthy businessmen. The only requirement is that they are fresh and live.¡± Wang Shouyi frowned and said, ¡°Sixth Uncle¡¯s fishing fleet has live water tanks. After we get the fishes ashore from the living water tanks, we need to use specialized carriages to send them to Changning Wei City overnight. We also need to send them to the buyers in the shortest time possible. Even if we only take an extremely short period of time, many errors can occur. Sixty to seventy percent of the fishes will die. After dying, their value would drop by half, and they can only be sold as fresh fish.¡± Wang Shouzhe thought for a moment and said, ¡°In that case, the cost of transportation and the mortality rate of live fish are two key factors. If we solve these two problems, even if the yield of fish is not increased, we can still earn a lot more annually.¡± The reason why he was going around to inspect the various industries in the clan was to see every aspect of the production of the clan¡¯s businesses. If he could use his modern thinking on Earth to make some improvements, he could increase the production of the clan. ¡°If Fourth Brother can find a way to resolve the death of live fishes, a conservative estimate would be an additional 70 or 80 gold per year.¡± Wang Shouyi¡¯s face could not help but show his heartache. ¡°Those which die are all losses in net profit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say now. I have to see your original plan, Second Brother.¡± ¡°Fourth Brother, follow me.¡± Wang Shouyi led Wang Shouzhe to the backyard of the residence. There were two horse carriages parked there. Unlike ordinary carriages, they were no carriages for passengers. Instead, a large and round wooden bucket was placed in each. He said, ¡°One of the horse carriages contains live water and fish, while the other carriage only contains live water. Every two hours, a portion of the water in the wooden bucket must be replaced. Even so, despite a slight increase in live fish, deaths will still occur. I¡¯m already considering whether to add live water to add another carriage for holding live water, but this way, the cost of consumption will increase by a lot.¡± As soon as he saw Wang Shouyi¡¯s method of transporting live fishes, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s eyelids twitched. The number of valuable live fishes that Sixth Uncle could catch every day was small to begin with. At most, he could catch one to two thousand catties a day. And they had to resort to such shocking methods during transportation? These fish buckets were also surprisingly crude. There was no means for oxygenation or filtering at all. It only boiled down to two words: changing water! In order to change water, they even used a carriage just to hold water. Furthermore, Wang Shouyi was actually planning to add another carriage? However, Wang Shouzhe also knew that this really could not be blamed on Wang Shouyi. This was because this was an Arcane Martial World. Everyone only thought about how to increase their cultivation level and personal martial prowess. Of course, some human elites did study some natural sciences. However, even if those people obtained some results from their research, they would only keep it to themselves. All kinds of knowledge were kept strictly confidential and were unlikely to spread. This was not their fault. Even the knowledge that Wang Shouzhe had obtained from research would only be provided to his clan for use in secret. He wouldn¡¯t consider spreading it to benefit other clans at all. In his previous life, Wang Shouzhe was an unambitious office worker. During holidays, he often went fishing with his friends. When he caught a lot of fish, he had also bought an oxygen pump to try to keep the fish alive for consumption later. However, he found that with only oxygenation, fishes still died very quickly. After some research and learning, he understood some simple principles. If he wanted to keep the fishes alive for consumption later, his water tank would have to satisfy three conditions. The first was the amount of oxygen in the water. The survival of the fishes required oxygen, and there was a limit to the amount of oxygen in the water. The more fishes put into a bucket, the greater the oxygen consumption. This could be achieved through oxygenation. The second was the cleanliness of the water. The feces of the fish and food residue would produce ammonia and nitrite, and respiration would produce nitrogen. These were all factors that caused the death of fishes. They could be resolved by changing water and filtering. The third was the temperature. The higher the temperature, more active the fish would be. The amount of oxygen needed would increase, and the production of toxic substances such as ammonia would increase as well. Therefore, maintaining a relatively low temperature for the water was also very effective. After combining these three points, the two of them entered Wang Shouyi¡¯s study. After some thought, Wang Shouzhe sketched a simple diagram on a piece of paper. The top of the round wooden barrel incorporated a filter, and filtered water would be dripped into the barrel. This used the simplest principle of drip oxygenation. He also explained the principles of oxygen and toxic substances to Wang Shouyi as simply as possible. Wang Shouyi had been working in the fish stall for more than ten years. He quickly understood Wang Shouzhe¡¯s principles. He came to a realization and said, ¡°Hearing what Fourth Brother said, I suddenly understand a lot. In the past, the elders in the clan only passed down that live water should be changed. The reason was that fish needed to consume the live air in the water. If there wasn¡¯t enough live air, it would become stagnant water, and the fish would die. Fourth Brother means that using the drip technique can increase live air in the water. I¡¯ve never thought of that.¡± ¡°This is what I read from ancient books. It¡¯s hard to say if it¡¯s effective or not. Second Brother will have to test it a few more times for comparison.¡± Wang Shouzhe nodded to himself. If they wanted to call it live air, so be it. It was easier to understand than the difficult-sounding ¡°oxygen¡±. ¡°When a fish consumes live air, it expels dead air. Its feces produce poisonous gas in the water. The cotton layer, crushed charcoal, and gravel layer filter away the poisonous gas from the feces in the water. Since there¡¯s no poison in the water, the fishes naturally won¡¯t die. Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡± The more Wang Shouyi spoke, the more excited he became. ¡°Also, what Fourth Brother said about the cold and hot conditions makes a lot of sense too. The colder the weather is, the fewer deaths there are when transporting live fishes. In the summer, more live fishes will die. So it turns out that the fishes are more active in hot weather, so they need more live air¡­ No wonder transporting them in the day is not as good as transporting them at night! If we add some cellar ice in the water¡­¡± The theories that Wang Shouzhe imparted seemed to have opened a door to a new world for Wang Shouyi. He suddenly figured out many things that he could not figure out in the past. ¡°Second Brother, it¡¯s good that you understand. You can get the craftsmen to make a few small devices for testing first.¡± Wang Shouzhe looked at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I have other matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± As the patriarch, Wang Shouzhe was not here to invent things. Besides, it was easier in theory than in practice. He might not be able to do those things well if he had to make them himself. As long as Wang Shouyi understood the principles, he could take on the rest of the work. ¡°Fourth Brother, don¡¯t be in such a hurry to leave.¡± Wang Shouyi tugged at him and did not let go. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to come to the fish stall, and I haven¡¯t properly received you yet. We¡¯ll have lunch at the Hundred Flavors Pavilion this afternoon. The live fish in that restaurant are all provided by us, and the various dishes are all top-notch. There are still a few things that I haven¡¯t figured out yet. What¡¯s the principle of the siphoning effect drainage method you mentioned? What¡¯s the principle of using the pump to add live air to the water tank? How to use the pumping effect to make the water travel to higher places¡­¡± Good grief! Hearing the barrage of questions from him, although Wang Shouzhe felt a headache, he knew that it was a good thing. Wang Shouyi had run the fish stall for many years. If he could really immerse himself in this field of knowledge, the business of the fish stall in the future would keep improving. This could be considered a huge contribution to the clan. Wang Clan¡¯s fish stall wasn¡¯t the only one in Changning Wei. More than ten noble clans were running the fish stall businesses. The Liu and Zhao Clans in particular both ran it on a larger scale than the Wang Clan. The better their own fish stall was, the more wealth they could create. At the same time, it would also deprive their opponents of living space. Therefore, Wang Shouzhe spent more time on further ¡°preliminary education¡± with Wang Shouyi. The siphoning effect and the manual pump both required pipes. The use of pipes in this world was rather crude. There were only bamboo pipes, clay pipes, and copper pipes, but they were enough for use. It didn¡¯t matter if they couldn¡¯t produce manual pumps for the time being. They could just use the simple siphoning principle to suck out the bottom layer of water and get the staff to manually pour water into the filtering layer. This way, the transportation volume of a carriage would increase tremendously, and the live fish rate would also increase substantially. Wang Shouyi was mesmerized by what he heard. Even when they were having lunch at the Hundred Flavors Pavilion, he tugged at Wang Shouzhe and kept asking questions. ¡°Second Brother, is the Hundred Flavors Pavilion really one of the best restaurants in Changning Wei?¡± As Wang Shouzhe ate the dishes in the Hundred Flavors Pavilion, he felt that the taste was average. The only advantage was the quality of the ingredients. Of course, the skills in seasoning still exceeded that of the Wang Clan¡¯s cook. However, there was still a huge disparity between its taste and that of food on Earth. ¡°Fourth Brother, this meal cost 32 large coppers and 73 dimes¡­¡± Wang Shouyi¡¯s face darkened as he cried out in grievance. ¡°This is all from my hard-earned private savings. How can you not be satisfied with such delicious food?¡± Wang Shouzhe touched his chin. The discrepancy was probably due to sodium glutamate. In his previous life on Earth, every corner of the culinary world was filled with MSG and chicken essence. It had long raised the threshold for flavor in his soul memory to a very high level. If he could produce MSG, could it also become an industry? Chapter 22 - Amethyst Spirit Beeh Chapter 22 Amethyst Spirit Beehive However, this thought only lasted for a moment, because Wang Shouzhe only knew that the earliest sodium glutamate was extracted from kelp. However, the amount of sodium glutamate in kelp was very low and difficult to industrialize. Modern technology extracted sodium glutamate from crops such as soybeans after fermentation through microbes. However, Wang Shouzhe knew almost nothing about the extraction process and principles of sodium glutamate. There was no telling when he would be able to succeed if he was to develop it himself. Therefore, he could only put aside this idea for profit for the time being. It would be safer to improve and optimize the clan¡¯s businesses first. ¡°Second Brother, you understand the principles now. I hope you can make the best use of your time to experiment and improve on them. Don¡¯t let Sixth Uncle¡¯s fishing fleet down when catching live fishes. Of course, you have to ensure you keep the secrets of our Wang Clan. I believe you know better than me on how to do this.¡± After giving a few words of instructions, Wang Shouzhe led the clan guards to take their leave. After Wang Shouyi obtained the ¡°impartation¡±, he had been itching to try it. He could not even be bothered to send Wang Shouzhe off and could not wait to give it a try. Once he succeeded, the clan¡¯s traditional business, the fish stall, would be able to play to its advantages. At the east gate of Changning Wei City¡­ Exiting the city led to a straight and wide official road. Leading the two clan guards, Wang Shouzhe spurred his horse forward. After walking and stopping for less than an hour, they arrived at the Changning Crossing of An River. The Changning Crossing was an official crossing, and was actually controlled by the Changning Wei government. The reach of the three noble clans in Ping¡¯an also came to a sudden halt here, which was a clear dividing line. A clan guard of the Wang Clan was already waiting here. As soon as he saw Wang Shouzhe and the others, he came forward and said, ¡°Wang Wu greets the Patriarch.¡± ¡°No need for formalities. Are Mother and Fifth Sister here?¡± Before Wang Shouzhe left the family that night, he left a letter for Gongsun Hui to follow the plan in the letter. ¡°Reporting to Patriarch,¡± Wang Wu said respectfully, ¡°Madam Hui and Fifth Young Mistress¡¯s carriage is already waiting in front.¡± Under Wang Wu¡¯s guidance, Wang Shouzhe quickly met up with Gongsun Hui and the others. After getting into the carriage, Gongsun Hui poured a cup of tea for Wang Shouzhe first. There was a worried look on her face. ¡°Zhe¡¯er, is the matter in your letter really that serious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably even more serious than imagined.¡± Wang Shouzhe took a sip of tea to compose himself. He frowned and said, ¡°The Qian¡¯s Trading Company¡¯s businesses is distributed throughout Longzuo, but they haven¡¯t noticed this matter yet. It¡¯s obvious that no major faction has issued any warnings about this disaster in Longzuo County, at least.¡± ¡°How could this be?¡± Gongsun Hui cried out, her face pale. ¡°There are so many rich and powerful noble clans in the entire Longzuo County, but none of them noticed? If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t many civilians suffer?¡± ¡°Mother, you worry too much. If the sky is about to collapse, there must be someone taller to hold it up. The only thing our insignificant Wang Clan can do now is to follow the tide. The right path is to survive and strengthen ourselves,¡± Wang Shouzhe said indifferently. ¡°However, Mother, you¡¯re quite right. It¡¯s impossible for us to be the first to detect the pest disaster in the vast Longzuo County. Perhaps most people will overlook it, but there must be some clans that have sensed something amiss and secretly make preparations in advance. Perhaps someone has already issued a warning, but the news has yet to reach Changning.¡± Human nature was common. After Wang Shouzhe discovered this matter, he immediately kept it strictly confidential and prepared to take the opportunity to make a killing. The other clans which discovered this matter by luck or through their own abilities most likely thought the same. Moreover, it was already very late when Wang Shouzhe discovered this matter. He only had enough time to adapt to the situation. Even if he publicized this matter, it would only cause chaos to erupt early. It would not help the overall situation at all. ¡°Zhe¡¯er, you¡¯re right. Small clans like ours should be satisfied with being able to look out for ourselves now.¡± Gongsun Hui also said, ¡°The Da Qian government, Violet Palace Academy, and those wealthy and powerful great clans will definitely take action to relief the disaster at the critical moment. Zhe¡¯er, I¡¯ll thank you on behalf of the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang first for thinking of saving the Gongsun Clan at this juncture.¡± ¡°What are you saying, Mother? The Gongsun Clan and our Wang Clan have been in-laws for generations, and our bloodlines have long merged. It¡¯s only right that we watch out for each other,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s just as well. I haven¡¯t visited my maternal grandfather in a long time to pay my respects.¡± According to what Wang Shouzhe knew, the intermarriage between the Gongsun Clan and the Wang Clan really ran deep. Take the current patriarch of the Gongsun Clan, Gongsun Mo, for example. His biological grandmother was the direct daughter of the fourth generation of the Wang Clan-Wang Lingdie. Madam Gongsun Hui actually had to call her Great-grandmother. The main descendant of the fourth generation of the Wang Clan also married the main daughter of the Gongsun Clan. She was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s great-grandmother. From this, it was evident how close the main lineages of the Gongsun Clan and the Wang Clan were. At the mention of his maternal grandfather, Gongsun Hui was slightly stunned before immediately feeling somewhat joyous. She sighed with emotion and said, ¡°Zhe¡¯er, you¡¯ve really grown up and become sensible.¡± Although Gongsun Hui was not Wang Shouzhe¡¯s biological mother, she was his legitimate mother. Her father, Gongsun Mo, was naturally Wang Shouzhe¡¯s maternal grandfather. However, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s previous self had been rather antisocial since he was young. The few times he visited Gongsun Mo since he was young, he was rather aloof, and they were not very close to each other. As for Gongsun Hui, after she married Wang Dingyue as his second wife, she only gave birth to one main daughter and did not have any main sons. Hence, she put all her attention on her legitimate son, Wang Shouzhe. This was the law of the Da Qian Empire, as well as the rule that all Arcane Martial Clans abode by. Whether the legitimate mother and the legitimate son were related by blood or not, it was a proper mother-son relationship. While Gongsun Hui was chatting, his fifth sister, Wang Luojing, had been sitting there obediently. Even though it sounded very boring, she just blinked her eyes and didn¡¯t dare to say anything. ¡°Luojing, Fourth Brother brought you a gift. Take a look and see if you like it.¡± Wang Shouzhe took out a package and handed it over. Wang Luojing opened it and saw that it was a beehive. She immediately covered her mouth in pleasant surprise and said, ¡°This-this entire beehive is shaped like a ball. Its mouth is hexagonal and its color is slightly crystalline. Could it be the legendary Amethyst Spirit Beehive? Thank you, Fourth Brother. This is great.¡± Wait, what Amethyst Spirit Bee? Wang Shouzhe¡¯s expression was slightly stunned. ¡°Luojing, you didn¡¯t learn your art very well. This is clearly the Spirit Hornet¡¯s hive.¡± Wang Luojing was slightly stunned. She bit her slender finger and said, ¡°I see. Fourth Brother, you¡¯re testing me again. According to the Book of Insects, the Spirit Hornets and Amethyst Spirit Bees look similar in their Class One forms. The slight difference is that the Amethyst Spirit Bees are slightly more slender. However, the difference between their beehives is huge. The Spirit Hornet¡¯s hives are usually relatively flat, and the mouth of the hive is slightly rough. On the other hand, the Amethyst Spirit Bees¡¯ hives are usually round, and the hive body is crystalline. It¡¯s because the Amethyst Spirit Bees in this hive are still in their Class One form that it is only slightly crystallized. If they advance to Class Two, their beehives will be more than ten times larger than this, and its entire body will gradually take the form of amethyst jade.¡± As she spoke, Wang Luojing carefully poured a few more chrysalises out. Immediately, her little face was filled with heartache. ¡°The people who plucked the hive are really dumb. Many of the pupating larvae are dead. Boohoo¡­ These are really Amethyst Spirit Bees. There are only a few dozen of them left alive. What a pity!¡± ¡°It really is Amethyst Spirit Bee?¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s expression also became a little strange. ¡°Is this considered underpaying for a valuable item?¡± As the patriarch apparent, his former self naturally had to learn a lot. The Spirit Hornets were generally quite common among spirit bees, and he was familiar with them. as However, he did not know much about the Amethyst Spirit Bees. He only knew that it was a rare species that could develop into Class Two spirit bees. Beside him, Gongsun Hui also gave him a sidelong glance when she heard this. She covered her mouth and said, ¡°Zhe¡¯er, you didn¡¯t really buy this thinking that it¡¯s a Spirit Hornet¡¯s hive, did you? How much did you spend?¡± ¡°I was just casually shopping at the market when I discovered this beehive. I thought about how Fifth Sister had the potential of a Spirit Insect Master, so I bought it for her to play with¡­¡± Wang Shouzhe chuckled and said,¡± I bought it for only 10 gold after a round of bargaining. Looks like that freelance cultivator and I both misjudged. Heh¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just misjudging. You guys are blind.¡± Gongsun Hui also teased with a smile, ¡°Once the Amethyst Spirit Bees of Class Two spirit bees truly mature, the Amethyst Spirit Honey they produce has the effect of strengthening one¡¯s foundation, nurturing one¡¯s essence, and nourishing one¡¯s appearance. It is the main raw material for many Class Two Spirit Pills. If it can produce the Amethyst Queen Bee Honey, it will be a standard Class Three spirit material, and one of the main spirit materials for the famous Class Three spirit pill, Spirit Enlightenment Pill.¡± ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Wang Shouzhe sucked in a breath of cold air. ¡°Spirit Enlightening Pill? Isn¡¯t that the legendary spirit pill that can improve Arcane Martial aptitude?¡± Chapter 23 - Gongsun Clans "Young Patriarch" Chapter 23 Gongsun Clan¡¯s ¡°Young Patriarch¡± The Spirit Enlightening Pill could improve one¡¯s aptitude. It was said that it was a pill specially developed by an Alchemy Grandmaster to improve the cultivation aptitude of humans. The Alchemy Grandmaster had spent his entire life researching and developing the (Spirit Enlightening Pill), but the outcome was still rather disappointing, because the Spirit Enlightening Pill only gave a slight improvement to those with Lower Tier Arcane Martial aptitude. Moreover, it could only slightly improve the Arcane Martial aptitude, and the effect was not very obvious. But even so, the Spirit Enlightenment Pill was already an extremely high-level ¡°divine pill¡± for a last-rate Ninth Grade noble clan like the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an. In particular, for some like Wang Shouzhe, who was First Rank, Lower Tier in Arcane Martial aptitude, this was even more practical. Everyone said that he was a young prodigy, only slightly inferior to Ancestor Longyan from back then, and bore the hope of the clan¡¯s future. However, Wang Shouzhe himself knew very well that while his natural aptitude were considered quite good within the region of Changning Wei, and there was hope for him to break through to the Spirit Tower Realm in the future, when looking at the entire Longzuo County, it was not worth mentioning. His overall conditions just happened to meet the requirements for enrollment in the Violet Palace Academy. Whether they accepted him or not would still depend on the next round of tests. Fortunately, even among First Rank, Lower Tier, Wang Shouzhe could be considered one of the top, and was only a step away from Middle Tier aptitude. If he had the chance to consume the Spirit Enlightening Pill, he might be able to improve further and be ranked in the Middle Tier aptitude. That would be a completely different matter. Ancestor Longyan, Wang Longyan, was someone with genuine Middle Tier aptitude. Among the hundreds of thousands of people in Changning Wei, the chance of someone with Middle Tier aptitude appearing was very low. Once they appeared, even the Violet Palace Academy would actively try to get them, and focus on nurturing them as soon as they entered the academy. However, Spirit Enlightening Pills were Class Three Spirit Pills, and their production was very low. Even when Ancestor Zhouxuan was still alive, he might not be able to guarantee that he could obtain Spirit Enlightening Pills. Seeing the uncertainty in Wang Shouzhe¡¯s eyes, Wang Luojing said obediently, ¡°Fourth Brother, I will definitely work hard to get you the Spirit Enlightening Pill.¡± ¡°Luojing, don¡¯t spoil your fourth brother too much.¡± Gongsun Hui smiled and rubbed her head. ¡°If you can get these Amethyst Spirit Bees to live, go ahead. If you can¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not easy to cultivate the larvae of some Amethyst Spirit Bees into a colony. If you fail, just take it as accumulating experience. Don¡¯t give yourself too much pressure.¡± ¡°Mother is right.¡± Wang Shouzhe hurriedly said, ¡°Luojing, I originally bought this hive for you to play with. It doesn¡¯t matter if it doesn¡¯t work. A Spirit Insect Master can¡¯t accumulate experience overnight.¡± Wang Luojing was only 12 years old. On Earth, she would still be a sixth grade student. Wang Shouzhe didn¡¯t want to give her too much pressure. ¡°Fifth Aunt, Fourth Brother, I understand,¡± Wang Luojing replied obediently. Then, she held the Amethyst Spirit Beehive and slowly contemplated it at the side. Her gaze was extremely focused and infatuated, as if she had obtained her favorite toy. Only then did Wang Shouzhe remember that his fifth sister seemed to be different from ordinary people. She was born obsessed with insects. Even her biological brother, Wang Shounuo, had said that Luojing squat in the yard to watch the ants for a few days and nights when she was two or three years old. Forget it, forget it. Let her be. Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui also tactfully shut their mouths and did their best not to disturb her. The carriage followed the official road without any bumps. After entering Shanyang Town, it was even smoother. The Gongsun Clan of Shanyang had been operating in this territory for more than 200 years, and their foundation was already deep-rooted. As they owned some special industries that had higher requirements for roads, they spent a lot of money on roads every year. The carriage moved on the flat, hard road. When the carriage curtains were lifted, one could see clearly the mountains with their ridges arched high in the distance. These were the remaining mountain range of Liuping Mountain. After bypassing the outside of Ping¡¯an Town and piercing through the An River, they were the last stretch of remaining mountain range that bulged up high. However, this section of the remaining mountain range arched up like the back of a giant dragon. Compared to the other terrains in the remaining part of Liuping Mountain, it was even steeper and more dangerous. Thus, it was called Dragon Ridge Mountain. The northwest side of Dragon Ridge Mountain was known as Shanyin, whereas the southeast side of it was known as the Shanyang. The Gongsun Clan dominated Shanyang, while the Liu Clan dominated Shanyin. Wang Shouzhe and the others had passed through the Changning Crossing and entered the area of Shanyang through the official road in Jiangbei. It was to deliberately avoided the waters around the Mountain Eagle Stream. That was because it was the water territory of the Zhao Clan, another major noble clan in Ping¡¯an. Not more than an hour after arriving at Shanyang¡¯s territory, they heard the sound of galloping horses. Several riders quickly came up along the main road. One of the riders was Wang An, one of the clan guards of the Wang Clan. Wang An was the messenger who was sent to inform the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang beforehand. In front of Wang Shouzhe¡¯s carriage, the two clan guards Wang Wu and Wang Yong urged their horses forward, putting a certain distance between the opposing rider and the carriage. This was the duty of clan guards, even if riders on the other side included one of their own. ¡°Wang Yong, quickly report to the Patriarch.¡± Wang An and the other riders stopped and got off their horses. He said loudly, ¡°The young patriarch of Gongsun Clan is here to welcome Patriarch and Madam Gongsun in person.¡± His voice was very loud, and could be heard from inside Wang Shouzhe¡¯s carriage. ¡°It¡¯s Big Brother.¡± Gongsun Hui, who had always been rather dignified, virtuous, and graceful, suddenly revealed the joyous expression of a little girl. However, at the thought that there were still two juniors, Wang Shouzhe and Wang Luojing, on the carriage, she hurriedly put on the air of an elder and said seriously, ¡°Zhe¡¯er, Luojing. Let¡¯s get off the carriage to meet Eldest Uncle according to etiquette.¡± It was rare for Wang Shouzhe to see his mother behaving like a little girl. He couldn¡¯t help but smile inwardly. Only then did he realize that although his mother was usually solemn and dignified, she was only 19 years old when she married Wang Dingyue as the second wife. When she was 22 years old, her younger sister Luomiao had only been married for eight years, so she was actually only 30 years old. If this were on Earth, in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, there were lots of women unmarried in their thirties, and they would usually call themselves girls. Idle talk aside. The two of them alighted with Gongsun Hui. At this moment, the Gongsun family¡¯s young patriarch led two family generals to welcome them. Gongsun Qiang was the eldest son of the main wife of the Gongsun Clan. He had a fair complexion and was beardless. He had a rather handsome and valiant appearance, and looked even more handsome and tall in his fitted martial clothes. However, Wang Shouzhe knew that this Young Patriarch, ¡°Eldest Uncle¡¯, was already 38 years old, and his cultivation level had reached the peak of the eighth level of the Qi Refining Realm. ¡°Little Sister.¡± Gongsun Qiang walked forward quickly and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to return to your parents¡¯ home. Why didn¡¯t you inform Big Brother in advance so that I could pick you up outside Shanyang?¡± Gongsun Hui was the youngest of the siblings, so she was the most doted on in the family. Gongsun Qiang also doted on her very much. ¡°Brother.¡± Gongsun Hui curtsied and said in a dignified manner, ¡°It¡¯s my duty to return to visit Father and Brother. How can I trouble Brother to welcome me personally? Zhe¡¯er, come and greet Eldest Uncle quick.¡± She gave Wang Shouzhe a meaningful look subtly. Wang Shouzhe understood. He immediately cupped his hands and said, ¡°Shouzhe greets Eldest Uncle.¡± Gongsun Qiang stared at Wang Shouzhe for a long while before saying, ¡°Shouzhe has grown up a lot. You¡¯re valiant and talented, much better than your father.¡± Although he was Gongsun Hui¡¯s eldest brother, he did not have a good impression of Wang Shouzhe¡¯s father. In fact, he was rather hostile towards him. The reason was, of course, his beloved little sister. He was extremely displeased that she had to be the second wife of an old man who was even older than him. Later on, due to their differences in personalities and a few disagreements with Wang Dingyue, he never visited the Wang Clan¡¯s residence. Even when Wang Dingyue had passed, as his brother-in-law, he still did not visit. Instead, he sent the clan elders and a few clansmen from the direct lineages to help. Hearing this, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s face darkened. Although he was a transmigrator, the memories of his previous self had already fused with him. He was also Wang Shouzhe. How could he not react to such inappropriate words from Gongsun Qiang? ¡°Brother, don¡¯t spout nonsense.¡± Gongsun Hui¡¯s expression turned annoyed as she said angrily, ¡°Apologize! Otherwise, I¡¯ll return to the Wang Clan immediately.¡± ¡°Uh! All right, Big Brother was wrong.¡± Gongsun Qiang hurriedly apologized with a hollow laugh. Then, he cupped his hands at Wang Shouzhe and said, ¡°Eldest Uncle would also like to apologize to you. I hope you don¡¯t take offense. Your father and I just don¡¯t get along with each other due to a clash of personalities. But thinking over it carefully, your father¡¯s talent and achievements far exceed mine.¡± There was nothing wrong with his words. By the time Wang Dingyue was 40, he had already reached the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining Realm, and was qualified to attempt the Spirit Tower Realm. Gongsun Qiang still had a long way to go if he wanted to reach that level. Even though Gongsun Qiang was already 38 years old, the Young Patriarch was still the Young Patriarch after all. His emotions were all on the surface. However, he had a straightforward personality and wasn¡¯t a difficult person to deal with. This was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s secret evaluation of Gongsun Qiang. Chapter 24 - Like Mother, Like Son Chapter 24 Like Mother, Like Son However, Wang Shouzhe would not casually express this kind of evaluation. He had been in the workplace on Earth before. Although he could not be considered a master in social conventions, his skills were passable. ¡°Eldest Uncle, you¡¯re exaggerating,¡± Wang Shouzhe said, neither servile nor supercilious. ¡°People merely happen to get along or not get along with each other. Mother treats me as her own, and her boon to me is as great as the gift of life. Never mind if Eldest Uncle makes a joke, even if you hit and scold me, Shouzhe wouldn¡¯t have any complaints.¡± These words were like needles hidden in silk. The meaning intended for Gongsun Qiang is ¡®I respect you because Mother is good to me. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you alone isn¡¯t worthy of my respect.¡¯ ¡°Yes, yes. This little sister of mine has been smart, virtuous, and kind since she was young.¡± Gongsun Qiang kept nodding and casually praised Gongsun Hui. Wang Shouzhe was immediately rendered speechless. No wonder the Old Gongsun Patriarch still did not retire despite his advanced age. It turned out that this Young Patriarch really didn¡¯t experience enough ¡°polishing¡±. No wonder Gongsun Qiang and his ¡°deceased father¡± Wang Dingyue disliked each other. Beside her, Gongsun Hui held her forehead when she heard this. Her face was burning with embarrassment. Her eldest brother was quite good in all aspects, but he lacked experiences and emotional intelligence. Was it supposed to mean that if she wasn¡¯t kind enough, she should be ostracize and target the young legitimate son who was not her biological son? What kind of immoral and vicious person would she be then¡­ She hurriedly added, ¡°Zhe¡¯er is my legitimate son. It¡¯s my duty to take care of and raise him. By the way, Brother, is Father feeling well?¡± At the same time, Gongsun Hui sighed inwardly. In the past, she didn¡¯t think much of it, but after Zhe¡¯er ascended to the position of patriarch, his performance¡­ Looking at her eldest brother again, she felt that the gap between them was a little too great. Vaguely, she began to worry about the Gongsun Clan. Her brother really didn¡¯t have the proportional mindfulness to his 38 years of age. ¡°Father¡¯s health is quite good.¡± Gongsun Qiang also knew that he had misspoken. He chuckled dryly and said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s just that recently, he¡¯s been in a bad mood and has a poor appetite. He¡¯s been thinking about Little Sister all the time. As soon as he heard that you¡¯re coming back to your parents¡¯ place to visit, he immediately urged me to come and pick you up.¡± ¡°Mother, the wind is strong outside. Let¡¯s return to the carriage and hurry on with our journey.¡± Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands and said, ¡°I believe Grandfather is already anxious from waiting. I¡¯ll ride the horse with Eldest Uncle.¡± The black horse that Wang Shouzhe was riding previously had been led by the clan guard. Now, it was put to use. ¡°Okay, then Zheler, enjoy the chat with your Uncle.¡± Gongsun Hui subtly gave him a meaningful look. With that, she led Wang Luojing back to the carriage. Of course, Wang Shouzhe understood what Gongsun Hui meant. The Wang Clan was currently weak, and was basically supported by Ancestor Longyan¡¯s deterring force alone. If they could use this opportunity to strengthen their relationship with the Gongsun Clan, it would be very beneficial to the Wang Clan. Thus, Wang Shouzhe rode his black horse and traveled in front of the group with Gongsun Qiang. They chatted casually. His attitude towards Gongsun Qiang was also based on courtesy towards Gongsun Hui. He would not ingratiate himself with the Gongsun Clan without a bottom line. In any world, in-laws and allies were built on the basis of mutual interests and equal strength. The strong would not respect you any more for your groveling and ingratiating behavior. On the other hand, Gongsun Qiang looked at Wang Shouzhe and realized that this ¡°cheap nephew¡± far exceeded his peers in both his manner of speech and bearing. Moreover, he was about to reach the advanced level of the Qi Refining Realm at such a young age. His future potential was limitless. He somehow could not find a match for such a young talent in the entire Gongsun Clan of Shanyang This was especially true in comparison to Gongsun Qiang¡¯s own son, Gongsun Yan. Gongsunyan was only a year younger than Wang Shouzhe. Normally, Gongsun Qiang would think that the young fellow was not bad. However, once he compared them, Gongsun Qiang immediately felt his chest tighten a little. Frustration aside, he subconsciously became closer to Wang Shouzhe. ¡°Shouzhe, it¡¯s rare for you to come to Shanyang. Stay for a few more days this time. I¡¯ll get your cousin Xiaoyan to accompany you to hunt in the mountains.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Eldest Uncle.¡± Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands and said, ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m busy with affairs in the clan. As the patriarch of the clan, I¡¯ll be taking my leave first after paying respects to Grandfather.¡± Gongsun Qiang¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and his chest tightened further. That¡¯s right. This cheap nephew of his had become the patriarch at only 18 years old. He was already 38 years old, and he was still only the patriarch apparent. Moreover, up until now, the old patriarch had no intention of retiring from the position at all. On the way back, Gongsun Qiang felt gloomy and did not say much. The main residence of the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang was built along Dragon Ridge Mountain. The terrain was steep and easy to defend, making it difficult to attack. There were also tall walls and arrow towers outside the main residence, making it appear very imposing This time, Wang Shouzhe came as the legitimate son of Gongsun Hui. He did not come as the patriarch for diplomacy between the two clans. Hence, after a simple exchange of etiquette, he was invited into the main hall of the front hall. In the main hall of the front hall, the current patriarch of the Gongsun Clan, Gongsun Mo, and his main wife, Gongsun Chen, were sitting at the head of the table. They were all wearing formal wear, showing how much they valued Gongsun Hui, Wang Shouzhe, and the others. ¡°Greetings, Father and Mother.¡± Gongsun Hui went forward to bow. Tears rolled down her face. ¡°Huiler.¡± Gongsun Chen helped his daughter up and observed her excitedly. ¡°Child, you haven¡¯t returned to your parents¡¯ home for three years. How are you doing in the Wang family?¡± ¡°Mother, the Wang family treats me very well. It¡¯s just that¡­ it¡¯s just that Dingyue¡­¡± As soon as this matter was mentioned, Gongsun Hui wept incessantly in tremendous grief. ¡°Alas¡­ That brat Dingyue. He really shouldn¡¯t have taken such a risk. Couldn¡¯t he just spend his days with you in peace?¡± The Chen family¡¯s old face was filled with regret and sorrow. ¡°It¡¯s really hard on our child.¡± ¡°All right, old lady, don¡¯t throw around wild blames if you don¡¯t understand,¡± the solemn-looking Gongsun Mo said in a low voice. ¡°As Arcane Martial Artists, we should advance courageously. As the patriarch, Dingyue definitely had reason to go. He was just unlucky.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand? Isn¡¯t it all your fault, you lousy old man?¡± Gongsun Chenxi grumbled with slight agitation, ¡°What did you say about that kid Wang Dingyue? About him being so talented and passionate that he would definitely succeed breaking through to the Spirit Tower Realm in the future? You actually agreed to let our precious daughter be his second wife! You¡­¡± At this point, she seemed to remember that Wang Shouzhe was still at the scene. She immediately stopped talking and gave Wang Shouzhe a kind and benevolent smile. ¡°Shouzhe, Grandmother is just upset that Dingyue has passed away and got a little agitated. Oh, child, I haven¡¯t seen you for three years, and you¡¯ve actually grown into a handsome young man. Come and let Grandmother take a look.¡± Wang Shouzhe could not help but smile inwardly. Now he understood the old saying of like mother, like son. Eldest Uncle Gongsun Qiang most likely followed Old Madam Chen¡¯s habits of speaking without restraint. He wouldn¡¯t argue too much with an old lady. He immediately walked up and cupped his hands. ¡°Shouzhe greets Grandmother.¡± ¡°Not bad, not bad. This child is really handsome.¡± Gongsun Chen tugged at Wang Shouzhe. The more she looked at him, the more she liked him. She couldn¡¯t help but ask with concern, ¡°Shouzhe, are you engaged? The daughters of our Gongsun Clan of Shanyang are all beautiful. How about¡­¡± m Gongsun Hui¡¯s face darkened. She hurriedly stepped forward to stop her. ¡°Mother, Shouzhe is my legitimate son. He can¡¯t marry the direct daughters of the Gongsun family.¡± When Arcane Martial Clans intermarried with each other, normally, they had to trace back to four generations without the same individual. In special circumstances, exceptions could occasionally be made. Gongsun Hui was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s legitimate mother. Although they were not related by blood, according to tradition and rules, it should be taken into account, especially in an intermarriage between the current generation. ¡°If direct daughters won¡¯t do, there are a few girls in the direct lineages¡­¡± Before Gongsun Chen could finish speaking, Gongsun Mo could not help but roar again, ¡°Old woman, you¡¯re confused. Shouzhe is the main son of the Wang Clan and the patriarch of a distinguished family. How can he marry girls in the direct lineages!?¡± ¡°Old man, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s confused. Since there¡¯s no one suitable in the Gongsun Clan, he can marry girls from the Chen Clan,¡± Gongsun Chen said. ¡°The girls from our Chen Clan of Donggang are also famed for being beautiful and intelligent.¡± ¡°Mother, the Chen Clan of Donggang doesn¡¯t have any girls suitable for Shouzhe either,¡± Gongsun Hui explained helplessly. ¡°On the other hand, Luoyi was already betrothed to Young Patriarch Chen a few years ago. She was going to marry this year, but Dingyue has just passed away. She needs to observe mourning for a year before she can get married.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean my great-grandnephew, Chen Fangjie?¡± Madam Chen immediately beamed. ¡°I¡¯ve met that child, Fangjie. He has a mature character and is rather talented. The Wang Clan has good judgment. It¡¯s a pity about Shouzhe¡­ I¡¯ll think about it¡­¡± She was quite senior in the Chen Clan. ¡°Mother, stop overthinking things.¡± Gongsun Hui hurriedly stopped her arbitrary matchmaking. ¡°Shouzhe¡¯s marriage has already been confirmed. It¡¯s with the direct daughter of the Liu Clan of Shanyin.¡± Liu Clan of Shanyin? Madam Chen¡¯s expression changed instantly. Chapter 25 - Little Spirit of Shanyang Chapter 25 Little Spirit of Shanyang ¡°What¡¯s so good about the Liu Clan of Shanyang?¡± Chen Clan muttered incessantly, ¡°All of them are arrogant and scheming all the time. The way I see it¡­¡± The Liu Clan of Shanyin and the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang were only separated by Dragon Ridge Mountain. There were abundant resources and minerals in Dragon Ridge Mountain, and there was usually a lot of friction between the two clans, so their relationship naturally could not be considered harmonious. ¡°Enough! Old woman, how can you make such nonsensical comments on the marriage between the Wang Clan and the Liu Clan?¡± Gongsun Mo could no longer sit still. He hurriedly stood up and shouted, ¡°Gongsun Qiang, help your mother back to rest. Shouzhe and I still have something to talk about.¡± Gongsun Qiang hurriedly helped the nagging old lady away. Gongsun Hui also said, ¡°Zheler, accompany Grandfather for a proper talk. I¡¯ll go and talk with Mother for a while.¡± Gongsun Hui had already achieved her goal of making connections today. Given her identity, it would be inappropriate for her to participate in Gongsun Mo and Wang Shouzhe¡¯s conversation. Then, she held Wang Luojing¡¯s small hand and left together. After everyone had left, Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands and bowed to Gongsun Mo. ¡°Shouzhe greets Grandfather.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities, Zhe¡¯er. Come, have a taste of the spirit tea Grandfather personally planted.¡± Gongsun Mo was already prepared for Wang Shouzhe¡¯s arrival. He immediately ordered people to serve the spirit tea and spirit fruits. The spirit tea and spirit fruits were luxury goods in Arcane Martial Clans. They could only be grown in spirit fields, and spirit fields were an important strategic resource for every family. Gongsun Mo only had several acres of spirit fields for planting spirit tea and spirit fruit respectively, specially to treat distinguished guests. As for the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an, the remaining spirit fields they had left for planting white jade spirit rice were not even enough for consumption by their clansmen. Naturally, they would not use them to plant the less economical spirit tea and spirit fruits. ¡°Thank you, Grandfather.¡± With spirit tea and spirit fruits to enjoy, Wang Shouzhe naturally wouldn¡¯t stand on ceremony. He immediately sat down and began to enjoy them. The tea in the spirit jade teacup was rosy and fragrant, and the scent alone made one feel refreshed. After taking a sip, a slight bitterness filled his mouth. However, in the next moment, a cooling sensation filled his head, making Wang Shouzhe feel refreshed. Some of his gloomy thoughts were swept away. ¡°The tea is good.¡± Wang Shouzhe could not help but praise it. ¡°This spirit tea is mellow and fragrant, with a lingering aftertaste. It can also help to calm and focus one¡¯s spirit, washing away the distracting thoughts in one¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t expect Zhe¡¯er to be someone who knows about tea as well.¡± Gongsun Mo was consoled. Sensing that he had not misjudged and wasted the treat, he proudly introduced, ¡°This tea is called the Little Spirit of Shanyang. It¡¯s a wild spirit tea plant that I discovered by chance in the depths of Dragon Ridge Mountain when I was young. After decades of careful nurturing, it can now produce more than half a kilogram annually. Even the two ancestors in my clan quite like it. How about this, I¡¯ll give you one catty per year.¡± At the mention of sharing one catty, the corners of Gongsun Mo¡¯s lips twitched imperceptibly. It was obvious that his heart ached for it. It was no wonder. Planting spirit tea was not comparable to the white jade spirit rice, nor could it be planted densely like the tea species on Earth. Typically, only a few spiritual tea trees could be planted in an acre of spirit field. Moreover, regular intensive farming and maintenance were indispensable. The harvesting, kneading, fermentation, and other processes were also very particular. Therefore, even one catty of spirit tea had a high cost. ¡°Thank you, Grandfather. It would be impolite for Zhe¡¯er to decline.¡± Wang Shouzhe knew that Gongsun Mo was intentionally supporting him, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t decline. In the current Wang Clan, only he, Wang Shouzhe, was worth Gongsun Mo¡¯s investment. It was just like how Gongsun Mo had married his daughter to Wang Dingyue to be his second wife. If there came a day when Wang Shouzhe could advance to the Spirit Tower Realm, he would definitely remember this favor. More importantly, Gongsun Mo and his wife loved Gongsun Hui very much, and Wang Shouzhe was Gongsun Hui¡¯s legitimate son. He could be said to be her future support in the Wang Clan. Therefore, on account of his daughter, Gongsun Mo would also find a way to squeeze out some resources to support his cheap grandson, Wang Shouzhe. Of course, all of this was established on the fact that Wang Shouzhe had good potential and had a good relationship with Gongsun Hui. If Wang Shouzhe was an arrogant ingrate, Gongsun Mo naturally would not bother with him. If the Wang Clan declined completely, he could just bring his daughter and granddaughter back to the Gongsun Clan. The two of them exchanged pleasantries before getting to the main topic. After Gongsun Mo drank a cup of tea, his expression gradually became solemn. ¡°Zhe¡¯er, after receiving the letter you sent this morning, I still had some doubts. Then, I went to the farms to investigate it personally, and after communicating with the agricultural experts of the clan, I finally confirmed it. This time, as you said, there is indeed a possibility of an aphid disaster. I¡¯m afraid it will reduce production by more than 60% compared to last year. Zhe¡¯er, on behalf of the Gongsun Clan, I¡­¡± ¡°Grandfather, there¡¯s no need to talk like an outsider,¡± Wang Shouzhe interrupted. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t give the warning, given the speed at which the aphids are erupting these few days, the various clans will definitely be alerted by today at the earliest, or tomorrow at the latest.¡± The signs of the aphids were not obvious at first. Every year, their production would more or less be affected by aphids. Therefore, farmers were used to the appearance of some aphids in the beginning. However, once they erupted, they would crawl out of the eggs buried in the soil in a very short period of time, catching people off guard. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken.¡± Gongsun Mo shook his head and said, ¡°The Gongsun Clan of Shanyang possesses a total of 16,000 acres of fertile land. This winter¡¯s wheat harvest is calculated to be 15 large coppers per acre, which makes 240,000 large coppers, equivalent to 2,400 gold. It¡¯s the early stage of the aphid eruption now, so even if the production is reduced by 20%, it will still prevent the loss of 400 to 500 gold. Besides, I also heeded your arrangements and sent clansmen and clan guards into the mountains to catch the lacewings and the nine-spotted beetles in advance.¡± For lacewings and nine-spotted beetles, even the bug kings were ultimately ordinary creatures, and could not even be considered Class One Spirit Insects. Normally, no one would pay attention to them. At the very least, they could find some in the depths of the mountains of Shanyang. As the two of them were talking, a clan guard came to report that the first batch of lacewings and nine-spotted beetles they captured had been sent back. ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no time to lose. Grandfather, please send your trusted clan guards to accompany us.¡± Wang Shouzhe stood up and said, ¡°Relieving disaster is like putting out a fire. There can be no delay at all.¡± In next to no time, the maidservant called Gongsun Hui and Wang Luojing back. They rode to the largest farm of the Gongsun Clan. It was a huge farm with a total of 7,000 acres of fertile land. It could be seen that the current foundation of the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang far exceeded that of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an. exa The tenant farmers in the entire farm were already operating in a frenzy. They used the traditional wood ash water mixed with double doses of insecticide powder to eliminate the insects. The effect of this operation was quite good. If they had enough insecticide powder, it seemed that they would still be able to suppress the outbreak of the pest disaster this time. Unfortunately, the Gongsun Clan had only amassed a small amount of insecticide powder. It was too little to control the overall situation. ¡°Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Luojing spent more than two hours to tame three Lacewing Kings and one Nine-spotted Beetle King. She seemed very tired. ¡°As the time was too rushed, only simple taming could be conducted on these insect kings to barely manage commanding their movements. Get the clan guards to release the wild lacewings and nine-spotted beetles.¡± ¡°Luojing, it¡¯s been hard on you.¡± Wang Shouzhe patted her head, feeling a little sorry for her. He took out the spirit fruit he had taken just now from his pocket. ¡°Refresh yourself first. The disaster relief can¡¯t be delayed after all.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Luojing nodded obediently. Her strength recovered quite a bit after eating the spirit fruit. ¡°As long as we can control the insect kings, those lacewings and nine-spotted beetles won¡¯t run off. However, we can¡¯t make them summon the smaller insects themselves and fly back.¡± Then, Wang Luojing did as before and barely managed to direct the insect kings and the insects into the thousands of acres of wheatland. After the round of work, the sky had already turned dark. At this moment, Gongsun Mo arrived at the scene in person. He also brought the cook and a lot of spirit food. They cooked dinner on the spot and cleaned up a room in the farm. The patriarch, the young patriarch, a clansman named Gongsun Zhong, and his wife, Wang Liuyu accompanied them. Wang Liuyu was a member of the Wang Clan. She should be 40 years old now, but because she had maintained her appearance well, she appeared to be in her early thirties. From her manner of dressing, she seemed to be leading a good life. ¡°Shouzhe greets Third Aunt and Third Uncle.¡± Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands first and bowed. ¡°This-this¡­ Shouzhe, you¡¯re too polite.¡± Gongsun Zhong had a rather rough and dark appearance. It was said that he oversaw work in the mines of the Gongsun Clan. His status among the direct bloodline clansmen was fairly high, but his personality was rather simple and dull, and he was not good at socializing. Wang Liuyu also returned the bow repeatedly, appearing very respectful towards Wang Shouzhe. Although her seniority was a generation over Wang Shouzhe, Wang Shouzhe belonged to the main line of descent and was the patriarch of the Wang Clan. Wang Luojing, however, threw herself into Wang Liuyu¡¯s arms and called out sweetly, ¡°Auntie.¡± In terms of blood relations, Wang Liuyu was the second daughter of the Fourth Old Master, Wang Xiaozhi. She was also Wang Luojing¡¯s direct aunt, so their relationship was naturally close. Chapter 26 - Dream and Reality Chapter 26 Dream and Reality Wang Liuyu also hugged Wang Luojing and asked her many questions. It was obvious that she felt quite sorry for her obedient niece, who had lost her father at a young age. She had even specially given her a bill of ten gold. ¡°Auntie, Jing¡¯er can¡¯t accept it. I heard that Cousin Zhuo is currently attempting to break through to the third level of the Qi Refining Realm. Please keep it for him.¡± Wang Luojing waved her hands repeatedly, adamantly refusing to accept it. Normally, the cultivation resources of young clansmen were mainly provided by the family. Apart from that, some relatives who were closer to them, such as their parents, would think of ways to assist the younger generation. However, Wang Luojing¡¯s father, Wang Dingbang, had died five years ago, so Luojing was at a disadvantage in this aspect. ¡°Jing¡¯er, just take it if Auntie wants you to,¡± Wang Liuyu said with slight frustration. ¡°Your father is no longer around. As your biological aunt, how can I not help you a little?¡± ¡°Luojing, just accept it,¡± said Wang Shouzhe with a smile at the side. ¡°Don¡¯t let Third Aunt down.¡± Of course he knew that after Wang Luojing and Wang Shouzhe had both displayed their great value, Gongsun Mo, his ¡°cheap maternal grandfather¡±, had intentionally invited their third aunt and third uncle over to accompany them in order to strengthen the bond between the two of them again and play the family card. Moreover, Wang Luojing was a future Spirit Insect Master. There was no better time to rope her in than now. Wang Shouzhe was naturally happy to see the relationship between the two parties become closer. After all, the Gongsun Clan¡¯s overall strength was much stronger than the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an. ¡°Yes, Fourth Brother. Thank you, Third Aunt.¡± Wang Luojing accepted it obediently. Then, the two families sat down to eat in harmonious happiness. However, the main person receiving the praise this time was not Wang Shouzhe, but Wang Luojing. ¡°Luojing,¡± Gongsun Mo said amiably as he personally served her a bowl of white jade spirit rice, a large piece of Spirit Horned Yak meat, and a large piece of spirit fish. ¡°You¡¯ve worked too hard today. Eat more. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Wang Luojing was a little at a loss for what to do. She looked meekly at Wang Shouzhe. The resources of any clan were distributed uniformly. As a daughter from the direct lineage of the clan, Wang Luojing was not very high in the sequence of nurturing in the clan. The spirit food she was allocated every month was very limited. How could she eat so extravagantly? She pursed her lips. She wanted to eat it, but didn¡¯t dare to. ¡°Go ahead and eat. Don¡¯t let Grandfather down.¡± Wang Shouzhe patted her head, feeling sorry for her. ¡°Brother will work harder in the future and try to let everyone in the clan lead a good life.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you, Fourth Brother. Thank you, Grandpa Gongsun.¡± Wang Luojing picked up her chopsticks obediently and ate the white jade spirit rice in big mouthfuls with a satisfied expression. Seeing her eating so happily, Wang Shouzhe felt both gratified and heavy. He felt the pressure of being the patriarch of a clan. ¡°Zhe¡¯er, it¡¯s all thanks to you this time.¡± Gongsun Mo poured a cup of spirit wine and said to Wang Shouzhe, ¡°Our people have assessed it. Due to your support this time, our production is reduced by 20% at most compared to last year, and we have prevented the loss of over a thousand gold.¡± A thousand gold was a huge sum for both the Gongsun Clan and the Wang Clan. What caught Gongsun Mo¡¯s attention even more was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s kind gesture towards the Gongsun Clan. It was also for this reason that the Gongsun Clan showed their greatest sincerity in hosting Wang Shouzhe and the others. They provided abundant spirit wine and food. This meal would cost at least a dozen gold. ¡°Grandfather, you¡¯re too kind to me.¡± Wang Shouzhe took a sip of the spirit wine and said humbly, ¡°Speaking of which, our clans are quite lucky to happen to encounter my sister, who has comprehension over some insect mastery techniques.¡± Beside him, the young patriarch, Gongsun Qiang, had a spirited look in his eyes. ¡°Speaking of which, you¡¯re really lucky, Shouzhe. As soon as you became the patriarch, you discovered a spirit insect master within the clan. I wonder if Luojing has an in-law clan yet? Would you like to consider our Xiaoyan?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Wang Luojing was tucking in on the rice and meat. When she heard this, her eyes widened as if she was frightened. ¡°Uncle, Luojing is only 12 years old.¡± There was a hint of discontent in Wang Shouzhe¡¯s tone. ¡°Besides, Cousin is from the main line of descent of the Gongsun Clan. Our Luojing is only from the direct line. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re not compatible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡± Gongsun Qiang acted as if he did not hear the implied meaning in Wang Shouzhe¡¯s words. He kept saying, ¡°Our clan wouldn¡¯t look down on the bloodline of a good girl like Luojing.¡± Wang Shouzhe rubbed his forehead. ¡®You might not mind, but our clan does.¡¯ Fortunately, Gongsun Hui came out at this moment to block the attack. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t think too highly of yourself. Our Luojing is a Spirit Insect Master with boundless potential in the future. Take her method of controlling the Nine-spotted Beetle King for example, in the future, it¡¯ll make her the hot favorite of the entire Changning Wei. With such a huge fluke in the insecticide powder of the Violet Palace Academy, no one would want to use it anymore, right?¡± Pausing for a moment, Gongsun Hui continued, ¡°Take the 16,000 acres of fertile fields in the Gongsun Clan for example. By using insecticide for once a season, twice a year, the annual cost of insecticide powder would reach 300 gold. If our Wang Clan charges the Gongsun Clan 200 gold for the Spirit Insect Master to personally come to expel the insects, would you be willing to make the deal?¡± Gongsun Hui¡¯s words seemed to have enlightened everyone. Even Gongsun Mo gasped. The way he looked at Wang Luojing was extremely solemn, as if he was looking at a gold mine. Spirit Insect Masters were really good at earning money. In reality, Wang Shouzhe had already considered this business. However, Luojing was only one Spirit Insect Master. The amount of work she could cover in a limited short period of time would definitely be limited. At most, she would be able to maintain about 50 or 60 thousand acres. But even so, it could make an earning of at least 700 to 800 gold a year just by helping the various clans repel the bugs, and that was at a discounted price. Moreover, Spirit Insect Masters were talented at cultivating spirit insects. There were many economical spirit insects among spirit insects, such as spirit silkworms and spirit bees. Therefore, Madam Gongsun Hui had said what was on Wang Shouzhe¡¯s mind. Gongsun Qiang was fantasizing too much. No clan would be willing to give up such a golden goose for marriage. ¡°Shouzhe, you¡¯re really lucky.¡± Gongsun Qiang now looked at Wang Shouzhe with envy and jealousy. He really wished that his clan could produce such a Spirit Insect Master too. Unfortunately, it was not that easy to produce a Spirit Insect Master. Firstly, there were too few people with the natural talent to become Spirit Insect Masters. One must have the natural talent to communicate with insects. That was a rather unorthodox natural talent. Secondly, the major families did not have a legacy for Spirit Insect Masters. It was very difficult to screen out the natural talent for Spirit Insect Masters among their clansmen. According to the information the Gongsun Clan had, there were only three Spirit Insect Masters in the entire Changning GuWeiard region. They were from the Liu Clan of Shanyin, the Xu Clan of Changning, and a consecrated Spirit Insect Master from the City Guard Residence. The information was more detailed than Wang Shouzhe¡¯s. After all, the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang was relatively powerful among Spirit Tower clans. As the Gongsun Clan and the Wang Clan both had the intention of befriending each other, the dinner was harmonious. The next day¡­ Having recovered her spirit, Wang Luojing continued to tame the newly captured Lacewing Kings and the Nine-spotted Beetle Kings. With a lot of experience now, Wang Luojing seemed to have improved quite a bit. She tamed several insect kings in just an hour. In the afternoon, she had already sent the insect kings to the other two farms. Next, she only needed the clan guards of the Gongsun Clan to continue capturing the wild lacewings and nine-spotted beetles for adding to the wheat fields. With the restraint and leadership of the insect kings, the lacewings and nine-spotted beetles would not leave. ¡°Fourth Brother, the level of taming of those insect kings is too shallow.¡± After Wang Luojing finished doing all of this, she said in a somewhat exhausted state, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that in a few days, their wild nature will recover, so we have to do it again in a few days. Fourth Brother, let¡¯s go to the Lu Clan of Yingxiu first.¡± ¡°Luojing, you look a little tired,¡± Wang Shouzhe said concernedly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest for a night before going?¡± ¡°Fourth Brother, I¡¯m fine.¡± Wang Luojing shook her head and said, ¡°The signs of the pest outbreak are becoming more and more obvious. If we go tomorrow, the Lu Clan will suffer huge losses. Fourth Brother, I know your relationship with the Lu Clan of Yingxiu¡­¡± That¡¯s right, the relationship. In reality, purely in terms of bloodline relationship, the Lu Clan of Yingxiu was very close to Wang Shouzhe. This was because his mother, who had passed early due to illness, was the young mistress of the Lu Clan of Yingxiu. At the same time, she was the younger sister of the current patriarch of the Lu Clan, Lu Zhengxiong. Moreover, Lu Zhengxiong¡¯s main wife came from the sixth generation of the main lineage of the Wang Clan, and she was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s biological aunt, Wang Liuling. This kind of intermarriage custom was common among the Arcane Martial Clans. The intermarriage between the main lineages of both clans would allow the two clans to reach the peak in terms of affinity. Ily. The only accident was that Wang Shouzhe¡¯s biological mother, Lu Mengxue, died of illness when he was six years old, leaving behind her young son and daughter. Of Wang Shouzhe¡¯s memories, memories of his biological mother had always been the most tenacious. Up until now, his heart still ached when he thought of his biological mother. Fortunately, his stepmother, Gongsun Hui, had treated him extremely well since he was young. She treated him like her own son. This gradually allowed him to accept his stepmother, which abated a lot of emotional wounds. As his memories and feelings fused deeper and deeper, Wang Shouzhe gradually felt that he was becoming more and more integrated into this world. It was as if he had grown up in this world, and the memories of Earth gradually became like a dream instead. Chapter 27 - Clan Conduct and Education Chapter 27 Clan Conduct and Education ¡°Then thank you for your hard work, Luojing.¡± Wang Shouzhe also did not want to delay too much and let the Lu Clan suffer losses for nothing. Moreover, his two uncles from the Lu Clan treated him and his sister, Wang Luoyi, rather well. Even if they only met once every one or two years, the Lu Clan would usually send their clan guards to give Wang Shouzhe and Wang Luoyi, and even Madam Gongsun Hui¡¯s daughter, Wang Luomiao, some gifts. ¡°It¡¯s not hard. I¡¯ve had a lot of delicious food these past two days.¡± Wang Luojing smiled faintly. ¡°I have boundless strength in my entire body.¡± As she spoke, she even made a gesture that showed that she was very strong. ¡°All right, don¡¯t show off in front of me, you skinny little girl. Let¡¯s set off quickly.¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s heart warmed. He smiled and said, ¡°Have a sip of spirit wine later and take a good nap in the carriage.¡± ¡°Fourth Brother, I¡¯ll grow up.¡± Wang Luojing pouted and was a little displeased. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Jing¡¯er, Fourth Brother.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t underestimate you. I wouldn¡¯t dare to underestimate you.¡± Wang Shouzhe held her small hand and helped her into the carriage. ¡°My Luojing is a great future Spirit Insect Master. Perhaps Fourth Brother will need your protection instead. How would I dare to underestimate you?¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. If anyone dares to bully Fourth Brother in the future, Luojing will send bugs to bite him.¡± ¡°All right, all right, whatever you say. Now, go to sleep.¡± ¡­ The carriage traveled slowly along the flat road. Wang Shouzhe rode on his black horse and guarded the sides of the carriage with the other clan guards. There were two main routes to the Lu Clan of Yingxiu. One was to pass through the Yang side of Dragon Ridge Mountain, and the other was to circle around it from the Yin side. It was impossible for them to go to the Liu Clan of Shanyin now, so they naturally had to take the path at Shanyang. This was also one of the main reasons why Wang Shouzhe had prioritized assisting the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang in stabilizing the crisis. Originally, Gongsun Qiang had wanted to send them off, but Wang Shouzhe rejected him. Firstly, he couldn¡¯t stand Gongsun Qiang¡¯s lacking emotional intelligence. Secondly, the Gongsun Clan was busy with disaster relief, and had very little manpower. In addition, Madam Gongsun Hui took the initiative to stay in Shanyang for the time being. She said that it would be a good opportunity to accompany her parents. In reality, she knew given her identity, it was not appropriate for her to go to the Lu Clan. As the riders traveled, they entered a dense forest. The road gradually became bumpy. Wang Shouzhe frowned slightly. ¡°Wang Zhong, this path isn¡¯t good ofr traveling. How much longer until we reach Yingxiu?¡± ¡°Patriarch, this forest is the dividing line between Shanyang and Yingxiu. It¡¯s a total of seven or eight miles wide.¡± The clan guard Wang Zhong said from his familiarity with the area, ¡°After passing through the forest, we¡¯ll reach the famous Lake Yingxiu. You haven¡¯t been to Yingxiu for a couple of years. Moreover, you traveled on the main path on the other side at Shanyin before. You probably aren¡¯t too familiar with this side.¡± ¡°Everyone, the forest is usually quite dangerous. Everyone, focus.¡± With his bellow, the various clan guards pulled themselves together and became even more vigilant. ¡°Wang Zhong, is there something wrong with this forest?¡± Wang Shouzhe also became much more vigilant. ¡°Could there be any rumors of dire beasts?¡± This was not a gaming world. If powerful dire beasts appeared, it might cause casualties to the team. ¡°Patriarch, at such a junction, Arcane Martial Clans of Shanyang and Yingxiu will take turns to patrol. Even slightly more powerful wild beasts would be eliminated, let alone dire beasts.¡± Wang Zhong shook his head and said, ¡°However, as escorting clan guards, we would train on a daily basis. In some terrains with poor visibility, we must be more cautious. Our duty is to guard against any accidents.¡± The team walked for a few more miles without any incidents. When they passed a small stream that overflowed the road¡­ Suddenly! Wang Zhong¡¯s expression changed, and he raised his hand to stop the group. The carriage driver, Wang Laoshi, hurriedly stopped the carriage. The other clan guards also drew their weapons with a series of clangs, looking very alert. Wang Zhong got off his horse and walked to a small stream by the side of the road. He picked up a small piece of cloth. His expression suddenly became solemn as he said to Wang Shouzhe, who came after him, ¡°Patriarch, this piece of cloth was cut by a sharp blade. It¡¯s also stained with some blood. There¡¯s also some blood on the rocks by the stream that hasn¡¯t been wiped clean.¡± Something did happen. The worst thing that could happen when traveling in the wilderness was accidents. Wang Shouzhe said with a solemn expression, ¡°Wang Zhong, tell me your judgment.¡± ¡°This fabric is a thin-striped cotton cloth that is dyed gray. The price is relatively high. Ordinary tenant farmers, commoners, and hunters are unwilling to buy clothes made from such expensive fabric. Even if they grit their teeth and purchase it, they will only wear it during festive occasions like the New Year.¡± As a clan guard, Wang Zhong had also received training from elder clan guards since he was young, so he was more familiar with this aspect. ¡°Therefore, it¡¯s very likely that this person is a Arcane Martial Artist with a relatively higher status than commoners. However, his status shouldn¡¯t be too high either. People of distinguished status like you, Patriarch, usually use more expensive embroidered cloth.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s a clan general, an ordinary member of an Arcane Martial Clan,¡± Wang Shouzhe nodded and said, ¡°or some traveling merchants.¡± ¡°Traveling merchants usually travel together in groups.¡± Wang Zhong shook his head and said, ¡°Patriarch, look at these footprints. They should all be left by the same person, and they¡¯re heading deeper into the forest. Uh, they seem to be avoiding pursuit. Therefore, there¡¯s a high possibility that this person is a fugitive freelance cultivator, or a traitor of some clan or something like that. He must have heard our voices and rushed into the depths of the forest without hiding his tracks in time.¡± ¡°Can we catch him?¡± Wang Shouzhe said solemnly, ¡°We came from the direction of Shanyang and have never heard of there being any fugitives or traitors. Then it¡¯s very likely that this person came from Yingxiu¡¯s side. No matter what the situation is, let¡¯s capture him first.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Patriarch.¡± A cold glint flashed across Wang Zhong¡¯s eyes. ¡°This person is already injured, and his tracks are difficult to conceal in a hurry. I¡¯ll bring two men to catch him.¡± ¡°Wang Yong, Wang Wu, follow them,¡± Wang Shouzhe instructed. ¡°Safety is the priority. If they¡¯re troublesome, call for help immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± The three clan guards took action. The three of them distanced themselves slightly and searched along the traces in a triangle. In less than 15 minutes, a faint, miserable cry came from the depths of the forest. Soon, the three clan guards of the Wang family carried a tied up man back to the carriage. ¡°Patriarch, we¡¯ve fulfilled the mission.¡± Wang Zhong tossed the captive onto the ground and said with cupped hands, ¡°This scoundrel seems to be at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm. Judging from his attire, I think he¡¯s a freelance cultivator.¡± ¡°Mmph¡­¡± The man¡¯s gaze was filled with fear. His mouth was gagged and his entire body was tied up. He could only try his best to twist and attract Wang Shouzhe¡¯s attention. ¡°Listen to what he has to say,¡± Wang Shouzhe instructed. ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± Wang Zhong took the rag from his mouth. ¡°Young Master, no, Lord.¡± The slightly wretched-looking middle-aged man immediately begged for mercy. ¡°I¡¯m just passing by your precious land. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Please let me go. I still have some gold and an Arcane Martial cultivation technique on me. Take it as payment in exchange for my life.¡± ¡°Whether you committed a crime or not isn¡¯t up to your word.¡± Wang Shouzhe gestured at Wang Zhong. Wang Zhong quickly searched the man. This person only had a total of five gold, 17 large coopers, and 56 dimes. There was nothing valuable in his bag, only an old Arcane Martial cultivation technique book. ¡°Qi and Blood Transfer Technique in Small Cycle¡±. Wang Shouzhe flipped through it and frowned. This was an ordinary cultivation technique. The Wang Clan had a collection of it in their inheritance. It was used by the servants and clan guards to lay the foundation for the early stages of their cultivation. Moreover, there were obviously a few mistakes in this cultivation technique. However, overall, it could be considered to be in line with the state of a down-and-out freelance cultivator. Freelance cultivators paid the most attention to raising their cultivation level. Whenever they got some money, they would purchase cultivation resources. ¡°How did you get injured?¡± Wang Shouzhe saw that there was a deep wound on his shoulder. ¡°I ran into robbers,¡± the freelance cultivator said with an earnest expression. ¡°I fled into the forest in a panic and was about to clean my wound when I ran into you, Lord.¡± ¡°Liar. This is the border between the forces of the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang and the Lu Clan of Yingxiu. What robbers would have the guts to commit crimes here?¡± Wang Zhong rebuked angrily. ¡°Tell the truth, or I¡¯ll behead you with a single slash.¡± ¡°I¡¯m innocent, Lord. I¡¯m innocent.¡± The freelance cultivator cried out desperately. ¡°Those robbers are all pretending to be itinerant merchants. They usually only bully freelance cultivators who pass by. How would they dare to lay their hands on people from Arcane Martial Clans like you, Lord?¡± ¡°That sounds very reasonable,¡± Wang Shouzhe said, unmoved. ¡°Take him to Yingxiu and ask the Lu Clan to investigate the situation. If what you say is true and you¡¯re not a criminal, we¡¯ll return that thing to you and release you.¡± Arcane Martial Clans more or less had their own code of conduct. Forget about the few gold on him, even if there were dozens, hundreds, or even more gold on him, Wang Shouzhe would not possibly casually plunder him for the immediate interests, or even silence him. This was a question about clan conduct and education. If they did this, it would leave a huge hidden danger to the clan¡¯s conduct. What would those clan guards and clansmen who participated in this matter think? Would they develop a bloodthirsty, cruel and bandit-like mindset? Would their morals be distorted? In that case, the next time they encountered a similar situation, wouldn¡¯t it make sense to them to silence and rob people of their money? Clans or factions that saw interests above all else and committed crimes might thrive in their villainy for a while, but definitely not forever. Any Arcane Martial Clan that could be passed down for hundreds or even thousands of years would definitely have good conduct and education. They would have relatively high reputation and credibility, and their clansmen would certainly abide by strict rules of conduct and behavior principles. However, the moment Wang Shouzhe said this, the freelance cultivator¡¯s face turned ashen. He cried out desperately, ¡°Lord, I¡¯m wrong. Please don¡¯t take me to Yingxiu. I beg of you, I¡¯ve hidden some other things. As long as you let me go, they¡¯re all yours.¡± Chapter 28 - Lu Clan of Yingxiu Chapter 28 Lu Clan of Yingxiu The reaction of this freelance cultivator was actually unexpected to Wang Shouzhe. His expression immediately turned dark. ¡°Seems like the crime you committed in the Yingxiu really isn¡¯t minor.¡± ¡°Lord, it¡¯s my fault. I was too greedy.¡± The freelance cultivator cried and confessed, ¡°The few of us were all traveling merchants who traveled in groups. When we passed by Yingxiu, we saw a wealthy businessman¡¯s family getting married. Originally, the few of us wanted to leave after asking for a cup of wine, but we didn¡¯t expect to find that the family¡¯s dowry was so generous. Just the gold numbered over a hundred, and there were also two century-old ginsengs of great value. We were moved to evil intents for a moment, and sneaked into the wealthy businessman¡¯s house to burglar it at night¡­¡± As the confession went on, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s face grew darker and darker. These freelance cultivators were too bold. After their theft was discovered, they actually dared to murder people to silence them and plunder wealth. Fortunately, internal strife arose among the few freelance cultivators due to their greed. In the end, this freelance cultivator was the last one standing. However, he was very unlucky. He was tending to his wounds in the sparsely populated forest when he was unexpectedly run into by Wang Shouzhe and the others. ¡°Lord, as long as you swear to spare my worthless life,¡± the freelance cultivator begged desperately, ¡°I¡¯m willing to give you the location of the stolen goods. I¡¯ll offer everything to you.¡± This freelance cultivator seemed to know some of the Arcane Martial Clans¡¯ ways of doing things very well. If Wang Shouzhe swore in front of his subordinate clan guards, he definitely would not go back on his word. Otherwise, how would these clan guards feel if a dignified patriarch could just casually break his vow? Would they still be able to believe the words of the patriarch in the future? Wang Zhong and the other clan guards also directed their gazes to Wang Shouzhe. There was a hint of hope in their eyes. The value of the stolen goods was not small. If they could obtain it, it could alleviate the Wang Clan¡¯s shortage of funds. Wang Shouzhe only thought for a brief moment before getting on his horse. ¡°Bring him along and let the Lu Clan of Yingxiu deal with him.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± Wang Zhong was only stunned for a moment before he fulfilled his mission loyally. He stuffed the freelance cultivator¡¯s mouth and tossed him onto the horse, ignoring all his cries and struggles. ¡°Giddy up!¡± The coachman Wang Laoshi whipped the horses. The carriage pulled by two ordinary horses slowly traveled along the rugged and muddy road. After traveling for a short while, Wang Zhong spurred his horse behind Wang Shouzhe and asked in a low voice, ¡°Patriarch, are we really going to give up on that batch of stolen goods? If you¡¯re afraid of dirtying your hands, your subordinates can go and deal with it. As long as you give me some time, I guarantee that he¡¯ll spit out the location of his hiding place.¡± ¡°Our time is very precious, and we don¡¯t have the time to play treasure hunting games with a mere freelance cultivator,¡± Wang Shouzhe said indifferently. ¡°Also, Wang Zhong, as a member of an Arcane Martial Clan, you have to look further into the future. There are no impenetrable walls in this world. If we offend the Lu Clan because of this, the losses we suffer will be ten times, even a hundred times that of this sum of money! Most importantly, if we go against our conscience and seize the stolen goods for ourselves, and release that thief and murderer, how can we face Ancestor Zhouxuan, who established the clan by pioneering territory? How can we face Ancestor Longyan, who has protected the clan for decades by herself?¡± This was a question of the clan¡¯s faith. The greatest faith for most clans was the founding ancestors of the clan. Wang Zhong¡¯s body shook, and he said in shame, ¡°I understand. I was blinded by the profits.¡± ¡°It is human nature to greed, but how to curb greed is very important,¡± Wang Shouzhe said indifferently. ¡°Just look at that group of freelance cultivators who could not control their greed and joined forces to commit crimes, then fought among themselves because they could not control their greed. With such a lack of self-discipline, even if they were lucky enough to escape this time, could they possibly escape a second or a third time?¡± ¡°Family Head, if those freelance cultivators managed to escape after succeeding the first time and never committed crimes again, won¡¯t they be fine?¡± Wang Yong rode over and said. 11 ¡°There may be such people, but there would be very few of them,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a smile. ¡°Think about it. If they can¡¯t even resist the first temptation, how can they resist the second one after already having tasted the profits from their first success? That kind of greed will destroy them sooner or later. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want the money, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t dare to take it, because I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to control my own greed and gradually bring the clan to ruin.¡± The few clan guards were all lost in thought. Their gazes were filled with reverence for Wang Shouzhe. Wang Zhong said with emotion, ¡°Patriarch, this subordinate has a feeling that our Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an will definitely rise to greatness in your hands.¡± ¡°Heh, although your flattery is crude, this patriarch likes it very much.¡± ¡°Patriarch, I wasn¡¯t trying to flatter you. I honestly think that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. Patriarch, we think so too.¡± The other clan guards echoed their agreements. At the same time¡­ In the carriage, Wang Luojing had already woken up and witnessed everything. Her eyes lit up while she seemed to be in thought. Being with Fourth Brother always made her feel safe and at ease. ¡®If for nothing else, even if it¡¯s just for Fourth Brother. Luojing, you must work hard to share the burden on Fourth Brother¡¯s shoulders.¡¯ In less than an hour¡­ Wang Shouzhe and the others traveled out of the forest and onto the wide path. The first thing that came into view was the vast and boundless Lake Yingxiu. The towering Dragon Ridge Mountain¡¯s reflection landed in the water, dyeing the lake water a dark green. Wind from the lake filled with water vapor assaulted their faces. It was chilly in this early summer season. From time to time, a huge fish leaped up on the wide lake, causing a huge splash. Various water birds swam in the dense reeds. Without a doubt, not only was Lake Yingxiu beautiful, its natural resources were also rather abundant. Compared to the magnificence of unceasing and rapid waters An River, Lake Yingxiu was more luxuriant and graceful. At this moment, a group of riders galloped over on their horses and stopped in front of Wang Shouzhe and the others. ¡°Huff!¡± The person in the lead was a man in tight-fitting martial clothes in his thirties. He carried a strongbow on his back, and a saber hung at his waist. His bearing was extraordinary. When he saw Wang Shouzhe, he was first stunned, but then he laughed happily and said, ¡°Zhe¡¯er, it¡¯s only been a couple of days since we last met, and you¡¯ve become much more valiant. Looks like after becoming the patriarch, your temperament has changed.¡± ¡°Uncle, how could I trouble you to come and pick me up personally?¡± Wang Shouzhe hurriedly cupped his hands. This man was the biological younger brother of Wang Shouzhe¡¯s mother, Lu Mengxue-Lu Zhengjie, the mainstay among the younger generation of the Lu Clan of Yingxiu. He was only in his thirties, but he had already reached the eighth level of the Qi Refining Realm. He was someone with a chance of breaking through to the Spirit Tower Realm. Some time ago, he had specially rushed to Ping¡¯an Town to attend Wang Dingyue¡¯s funeral. Naturally, he had just parted ways with Wang Shouzhe. ¡°I didn¡¯t come specially to pick you up.¡± Lu Zhengjie¡¯s smile froze on his face. ¡°A few days ago, a gang of criminals disguised as traveling merchants annihilated seven people from a wealthy businessman¡¯s family. We followed the clues and found that they had escaped in the direction of Shanyang. We¡¯re currently investigating this matter. I¡¯ve already heard about the report of your visit to Yingxiu. You can go ahead and visit your Eldest Uncle yourself. I don¡¯t have time to accompany you back now.¡± ¡°What a coincidence,¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled and said, ¡°I just came from Shanyang and happened to catch a criminal on the way. From the initial interrogation, he should from the gang Uncle is talking about.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lu Zhengjie was slightly surprised. Then, Wang Shouzhe handed the criminal to Lu Zhengjie and explained the entire situation to him. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the offender to Uncle, but he has already hidden the stolen goods. It¡¯s not appropriate for me to interfere in this matter. Uncle, you can send someone to interrogate him yourself.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll save us a lot of trouble. Lu Yi, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. Try your best to get your valuables back and give the survivors of that wealthy businessman¡¯s family an explanation,¡± Lu Zhengjie instructed in pleasant surprise. Arcane Martial Clans had all sorts of privileges locally, but they also shouldered the responsibility of protecting the civilians. ¡°Yes, Second Master.¡± A man with a somewhat sinister and ferocious expression stepped forward and gave a savage smile. ¡°This bastard is really bold. He actually dares to commit crimes in the territory of our Lu Clan. If he falls into my hands, I guarantee that he will suffer a fate worse than death.¡± Such vicious words made even Wang Shouzhe give him a second glance. ¡°Lu Yi has some experience in torture,¡± Lu Zhengjie said with a smile. ¡°You can send a clan general with some talent to learn something.¡± Wang Shouzhe did not comment on this. If it was purely about torture, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s ¡°knowledge¡± was rather rich. His accumulated knowledge in this area was rather mixed. After all, modern criminal investigation dramas, spy dramas¡­ There were too many similar scenes, and those methods were quite scientific. He did not dwell on this matter for long. Since the mission to capture the fugitive had been completed, Lu Zhengjie personally led Wang Shouzhe back to the main residence of the Lu Clan of Yingxiu. Compared to the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang, which had built their main residence on the mountainside in an impregnable form, the main residence of the Lu Clan of Yingxiu was established on the peninsula of Lake Yingxiu. It was surrounded by water on three sides and could be defended by a small force holding the pass. In terms of blood relations alone, Wang Shouzhe had a deep relationship with the Lu Clan. Naturally, he would receive high-level hospitality here. Before he entered the door, a young lady in a red dress rushed out and plunged into Wang Shouzhe¡¯s arms. ¡°Cousin Shouzhe, Xiaoxiao misses you so much.¡± Lu Xiaoxiao! The current patriarch, Lu Zhengxiong, had a daughter when he was old, and she was the most doted on. However, before Wang Shouzhe could say anything, Wang Luojing, who was hiding behind him, suddenly grabbed his hand. ¡°Fourth Brother, Jing¡¯er feels a little unwell.¡± Unwell? Wang Shouzhe was stunned. He hurriedly held her small hand and asked in concern, ¡°Where is Luojing feeling unwell? Could it be when you were sleeping in the carriage¡­¡± He was only halfway through his sentence when he realized that the two girls¡¯ eyes had met. They did not conceal their hostility at all, and sparks flew. Chapter 29 - Ice Crystal Dew Chapter 29 Ice Crystal Dew ¡°Who are you?¡± Lu Xiaoxiao hugged Wang Shouzhe¡¯s arm and glared at Wang Luojing. ¡°Hurry up and let go of Cousin Shouzhe¡¯s hand. You¡¯re shameless for a girl.¡± In the Changning Wei area, most of the daughters of noble clans were not always named according to generation names, and were named rather freely. The Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an had a long history, and Ancestor Zhouxuan had personally set the generation names of daughters. Naturally, this rule was passed down. ¡°I¡¯m Fourth Brother¡¯s sister. Fourth Brother dotes on me the most.¡± Wang Luojing held onto the other side without giving in at all. She said mockingly, ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s shameless enough to throw yourself into Fourth Brother¡¯s arms the moment you see him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. Cousin Shouzhe dotes on me the most,¡± Lu Xiaoxiao said angrily. ¡°Every time we meet, Cousin Shouzhe brings me gifts.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one Fourth Brother treats the best. He even gave me an Amethyst Spirit Beehive to play with the day before yesterday. It¡¯s worth more than 200 gold.¡± Wang Luojing held her head up high as if she was showing off. ¡°Cousin Shouzhe, I want the Amethyst Spirit Beehive too.¡± Lu Xiaoxiao had a feeling that she was being outdone all of a sudden. She started to tug at Wang Shouzhe and act spoiled. She was always pampered and spoiled, and probably did not even know what Amethyst Spirit Bees were. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Wang Shouzhe was a little speechless. Why were the two little girls fighting over him as soon as they met? Especially Luojing. In terms of age, she was actually one year younger than Lu Xiaoxiao. She was usually quite docile, but at this moment, she was fighting to win favor. ¡°Shouzhe, did you really buy an Amethyst Spirit Beehive for the kid to play with?¡± The accompanying Uncle Lu Zhengjie was also extremely shocked. ¡°That¡¯s just too extravagant and wasteful. I¡¯ll see how you can explain it to your cousin this time.¡± To both the Wang Clan and the Lu Clan, 200 gold was already a huge sum. For instance, the 10 fishing boats in Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai¡¯s fishing fleet had to toil through the wind and rain for a year to earn about 200 gold. For one of the mainstay industries of the Wang Clan, the Bountiful Farm, which consisted of 200 tenant farmers and a few thousand acres of farmland, the annual profits from operating on such a scale were only about six or seven hundred gold. And this was only in terms of book interests. He had also prepared some gifts for his trip to the Lu Clan, but they were indeed all small things. ¡°Uncle, there are more nuances behind this matter.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled weakly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you persuade Cousin? Even if you sell me off now, I won¡¯t be able to buy an Amethyst Spirit Beehive.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the ability to persuade her.¡± Lu Zhengjie hurriedly shook his head and said, ¡°This girl is usually the most favored one. Even the Ancestor dotes on her, and even Big Brother doesn¡¯t know how to deal with her. Shouzhe, you¡¯d better pray for your own luck.¡± Even the Ancestor doted on her? Wang Shouzhe was a little stunned. The Patriarch of the Lu Clan, Lu Mingsheng, was a main descendant of the Lu Clan¡¯s Ming generation. He was already over a hundred years old, right? In terms of seniority and bloodline, he was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s maternal great-grandfather. Most of the various patriarchs of the Arcane Martial Clans did not like to show their faces. Normally, all of them were in immersed in secluded cultivation, fully focused on advancing further. They would only appear in some major events to control the situation. Wang Shouzhe had lived for 18 years, and he could vaguely remember that the number of times he had seen Ancestor Mingsheng could be counted on one hand. He had only been summoned unsolicited once, when he was seven years old and showed good aptitude from testing. Ancestor Mingsheng had summoned him to give him a few words of praise and some resources. One had to remember that Wang Shouzhe¡¯s qualifications were already close to Middle Tier, but this was all the treatment he received. What did this little girl called Lu Xiaoxiao do to deserve her great-grandfather¡¯s favor¡­ However, now that things had come to this, he couldn¡¯t afford a gift worth 200 gold. Even if he could afford it, he wouldn¡¯t be willing to give it away. He could only say perfunctorily to Lu Xiaoxiao, ¡°Xiaoxiao, I bought that beehive for cheap¡­¡± ¡°Boohoo! Cousin Shouzhe doesn¡¯t like me anymore. Boohoo, Cousin is bullying me.¡± The moment she heard that she didn¡¯t have one, Lu Xiaoxiao instantly felt completely outdone. She wailed and ran back to the house. On the other hand, Wang Luojing was holding Wang Shouzhe¡¯s arm with a smug look on her face, as if she had defeated the ¡°bad guy¡±. This made Wang Shouzhe roll his eyes. What a little girl. She actually got jealous over such a minor thing However, this was just a small interlude. Wang Shouzhe did not pay much mind to it. Then, led by his uncle, Lu Zhengjie, Wang Shouzhe and Wang Luojing arrived at the main hall of the Lu Clan¡¯s main residence. At the same time, the Patriarch of the Lu Clan, Lu Zhengxiong, and his main wife, Madam Wang, had already put on formal wear and were waiting there. Lu Zhengxiong was already in his fifties. He had a square face and three strands of beard, giving him an extraordinary bearing. As for his main wife, Madam Lu, she was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s eldest main aunt, Wang Liuling. She was actually in her fifties, but with good maintenance and way of dress, seated upright, she appeared like a middle-aged beauty. ¡°Shouzhe brings my fifth sister, Wang Luojing, to greet Eldest Uncle and Aunt.¡± Wang Shouzhe stepped forward and bowed according to the etiquette of a junior meeting an elder. Previously, he had sent his clan guards to inform them that he was making this trip to pay his respects to his elders, and not to meet them as the Patriarch. ¡°Shouzhe, don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Lu Zhengxiong stepped forward to support Wang Shouzhe and sized him up. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we last met, but Shouzhe, you¡¯ve actually grown so much.¡± ¡°Zhe¡¯er, Zhe¡¯er.¡± Wang Liuling also stepped forward and held Wang Shouzhe¡¯s hand. She was very affectionate. ¡°You¡¯ve just become the Patriarch, and you¡¯re already so busy. It¡¯s been really hard on you.¡± Eldest Aunt Wang Liuling had personally attended the Wang Clan¡¯s funeral. She had cried for her brother¡¯s death, and the deceased was gone. Now, she was more concerned about her nephew, Wang Shouzhe. ¡°Eldest Uncle, Aunt, there¡¯s nothing hard about this matter,¡± Wang Shouzhe said. ¡°The Wang Clan and the Lu Clan are connected by blood. It¡¯s our duty to watch out for each other.¡± As his biological mother was the main daughter of the Lu Clan, Wang Shouzhe had a deep affinity with the Lu Clan since he was young. The intermarriage between the direct lineages of the two clans in the previous generation also made the bloodlines of the two clans extremely close. After some small talk, Aunt Wang Liuling pulled Wang Luojing aside to talk. Lu Zhengxiong, on the other hand, sat opposite Wang Shouzhe to converse. However, what he served was not ordinary spirit tea, but the specialty of the Lu Clan, Ice Crystal Dew. The Lu Clan occupied the territorial advantage of the Xiuying Lake. Not only did they have some achievements in aquatic cultivation, they also circled out a piece of ¡°spirit water¡± and specially planted an underwater spirit plantCrystal Dew Grass. The Crystal Dew Grass would produce a kind of spirit fruit the size of a thumb. It was shaped like a grape, but was as transparent as cicada¡¯s wings. After the pulp inside was iced, it could be made into an excellent drink. As soon as he drank it, a cold and refreshing feeling entered his stomach through his throat. Immediately, a cool feeling spread throughout his entire body. His entire being jolted, and he felt a sense of comfort throughout his body, like he¡¯d been cleansed down to the hair and marrow. Speaking of which, this was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s third time drinking Ice Crystal Dew. This was because it was a rare spirit drink. Just this cup alone cost a few gold. Even the main descendants of the Lu Clan rarely drank it. The Lu Clan of Yingxiu was not a very powerful clan, and they only had one Ancestor overseeing them. However, their Ice Crystal Dew was a major specialty. Currently, most of the production was exclusively provided to the Violet Palace Academy, and a small portion was shared by some powerful main descendants of the clan. Wang Shouzhe did not know how much net profit it would earn in a year, but he estimated that it would not be less than 800 to 900 gold. Apart from Wang Shouzhe¡¯s cup, Wang Luojing also got a cup. This was the first time she had such a good drink. Her eyes were fixed. After drinking the sumptuous drink, they were served with another round of spirit food. The siblings ate until the blood and Qi in their bodies were exuberant. Then, they naturally got to the main topic. Wang Luojing would work with the Lu clansmen to carry out the pest eradication operation. The method was simple as well. They could just follow the method of disposal at the Gongsun Clan in Shanyang. Moreover, the Lu Clan didn¡¯t have many fields in Yingxiu. There were only six or seven thousand acres, so dealing with them wasn¡¯t too difficult. Initially, Wang Shouzhe wanted to go and help. However, before he left, he received a message from Ancestor Mingsheng, summoning him to meet him. This made Wang Shouzhe anxious and doubtful. Could it be that Lu Xiaoxiao had actually run over to Ancestor Mingsheng to make an unjust complaint, making Ancestor Mingsheng unhappy with him now? However, this absurd thought only flashed through his mind for a moment. Ancestor Mingsheng was the mainstay the Lu Clan of Yingxiu. How could he possibly participate in a small conflict between youngsters? Chapter 30 - Ancestor Mingsheng Chapter 30 Ancestor Mingsheng Soon, led by the maidservant, Wang Shouzhe arrived at the backyard of the Lu Clan¡¯s main residence, where Ancestor Mingsheng was cultivating in seclusion. This place was close to the banks of Lake Yingxiu. The tall and magnificent attics allowed one to take in the entirety of the lake. The wind from the lake, the sound of the waves, the leaping fish, and the chirping of birds all allowed the buildings here to blend into nature. Standing in front of the pavilion named ¡°Moonrise of Yingxiu¡±, Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands and said, ¡°Wang Shouzhe of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an seeks an audience with Ancestor Mingsheng.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± A gentle voice rang out directly in Wang Shouzhe¡¯s ears. Wang Shouzhe followed the instructions and walked up the thick wooden steps to the upper level of the loft. Outside the attic window, a gray-robed old man had his back to Wang Shouzhe. He was sitting in a armchair and fishing in Lake Yingxiu with a long fishing line. His posture was very casual, but with Wang Shouzhe¡¯s insight, he could not see through him at all. It was like an insurmountable mountain, or a bottomless lake. Beside him was a 12 or 13-year-old girl in a red dress. It was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s cousin, Lu Xiaoxiao. She was glaring at Wang Shouzhe angrily, clearly still mad. ¡°Great-grandfather, see how infuriating Cousin Shouzhe is.¡± Lu Xiaoxiao pouted and said, ¡°Why can that sister from the Wang Clan have the Amethyst Spirit Beehive when Xiaoxiao doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Wang Shouzhe rubbed his nose, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. So this girl really came to the Ancestor to complain. ¡°Then tell me, how should I teach your cousin a lesson? Last time, you also said that you liked Cousin Shouzhe the most.¡± The elderly man said faintly. ¡°You don¡¯t like him anymore?¡± ¡°I do, but Mother said that the Wang Clan isn¡¯t in a good state right now and is in need of money everywhere.¡± Lu Xiaoxiao tilted her head and said in all seriousness, ¡°I think Cousin must be in need of money very badly. Why don¡¯t you give Cousin 500 gold and let him buy an Amethyst Spirit Beehive for me, Great-grandfather? Then Xiaoxiao won¡¯t be angry with Cousin Shouzhe anymore.¡± ¡°Why 500 gold?¡± The old man asked in surprise. ¡°Great-grandfather remembered that ordinary Amethyst Spirit Beehives only cost two or three hundred gold. Have prices in the present inflated to this point?¡± ¡°It¡¯s also very tiring for Cousin Shouzhe to buy a beehive.¡± ¡®Pfft!¡¯ These words almost made Wang Shouzhe spit out blood. This Lu Clan cousin¡¯s logic really was impressive. In order to get a beehive, she was even prepared to make Ancestor Mingsheng pay for it. Wang Shouzhe could no longer tolerate hearing these words. He immediately coughed twice and said, ¡°Greetings, Ancestor Mingsheng.¡± Unexpectedly, Ancestor Mingsheng completely ignored Wang Shouzhe. Instead, he continued to talk to Lu Xiaoxiao, ¡°Then if your Cousin Shouzhe bought you the Amethyst Spirit Beehive, can you listen to Great-grandfather properly?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lu Xiaoxiao nodded firmly. Ancestor Mingsheng nodded slightly. He turned around and smiled at Wang Shouzhe. With a casual throw, a few gold bills flew towards him. Wang Shouzhe hurriedly caught hem. When he took a closer look, he realized that it was five 100 gold bills. He was immediately stunned. What just happened? Could it be¡­ ¡°Shouzhe, did you hear that?¡± A trace of a teasing smile appeared on Ancestor Mingsheng¡¯s face, which seemed to be in its fifties. ¡°Later, buy your Cousin Xiaoxiao an Amethyst Spirit Beehive. The rest will be your errand fee.¡± ¡°This¡­ Ancestor.¡± Wang Shouzhe broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly said, ¡°You can¡¯t do this. If Cousin Xiaoxiao really likes the Amethyst Spirit Beehive, I¡¯ll think of a way to buy one.¡± ¡°All right, don¡¯t you know what kind of situation your Wang Clan is in now?¡± Ancestor Mingsheng waved his hand impatiently. ¡°Take the gold first and prepare more cultivation resources. The Amethyst Spirit Beehive can wait until you have the funds to spare.¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s heart warmed slightly. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you for your support, Ancestor.¡± It seemed like Ancestor Mingsheng had the intention of supporting his great-grandson. He naturally did not stand on ceremony and accepted the money first. ¡°Thank your Cousin Xiaoxiao,¡± said Ancestor Mingsheng with a smile. ¡°If not for my inability to hold out against her pestering, I wouldn¡¯t have been willing to part with this gold.¡± For the Lu Clan, an entire 500 gold was not a small sum. Even after eliminating all kinds of massive expenses, they might not even be able to save up this amount in a year. ¡°Thank you, Cousin Xiaoxiao.¡± Wang Shouzhe also cupped his hands and said. ¡°Hmph.¡± Lu Xiaoxiao turned her head away and snorted, as if she was ignoring him. ¡°Xiaoxiao, you have to work hard. Don¡¯t lose to that little girl who¡¯s a Spirit Insect Master.¡± On the side, Ancestor Mingsheng ¡°instigated¡±. ¡°If you can successfully learn the art of an Array Master and become a Grade One Array Master, I guarantee that your cousin Shouzhe will look at you in a new light.¡± ¡°Array Master?¡± Wang Shouzhe said in surprise, ¡°Ancestor, could it be that Cousin Xiaoxiao is talented in array formations?¡± ¡°What, your Wang Clan is allowed to produce a Spirit Insect Master, but our Lu Clan is not allowed to produce an Array Master?¡± Ancestor Mingsheng said with a spurious smile. A drop of cold sweat broke out on Wang Shouzhe¡¯s forehead. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, Ancestor. I was just a little surprised. Congratulations, Ancestor. Congratulations, Cousin Xiaoxiao.¡± However, he was sighing in his heart. It was really difficult to determine one¡¯s talent. He vaguely remembered that Lu Xiaoxiao had learned the ¡°Nine Chapters of The Book of Arithmetics¡± poorly, but she actually had talent in array formations¡­ ¡°Great-grandfather, from today onwards, I¡¯ll definitely work hard and not be lazy anymore,¡± Lu Xiaoxiao said obediently. ¡°When I become a Grade One Array Master in the future, I¡¯m going to lord it over that little Spirit Insect Master. I definitely won¡¯t let Cousin Shouzhe underestimate me.¡± ¡°You have ambition. This is worthy of Lu Mingsheng¡¯s great-granddaughter. Come, let¡¯s build a good foundation first. Later, Great-grandfather will take you to find your master.¡± Ancestor Mingsheng looked at Lu Xiaoxiao amiably, but waved a hand casually at Wang Shouzhe. ¡°Shouzhe, go ahead and do what you need to.¡± So he was just an errand boy here? Wang Shouzhe was speechless. However, if being an errand boy meant earning 500 gold, he was willing to do it for however many times. Moreover, Lu Xiaoxiao was talented in array formations. That was a great thing. She was his biological cousin, and they were very close by blood. However, seeing Ancestor Mingsheng was a rare opportunity. Wang Shouzhe did not want to waste this opportunity so easily. He immediately cupped his hands and asked, ¡°Ancestor, Shouzhe has run into a few obscure areas in cultivation. I hope you can give me some guidance.¡± ¡°Rascal, don¡¯t push your luck,¡± said Ancestor Mingsheng angrily. ¡°Your Ancestor Longyan is experienced and knowledgeable. Why would you still need my guidance?¡± ¡°Wisdom comes from listening to a range of opinions,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a guileless smile. ¡°If I have the opportunity to verify it from multiple sources, it¡¯d be quite beneficial to my path towards the Spirit Tower Realm. I think the environment here is quite nice, Ancestor. Cultivating in such an environment will definitely allow one to improve by leaps and bounds¡­¡± He put on an obstinate air that implied if Ancestor Mingsheng was unwilling to give him pointers, he would not leave. As a junior, it was not a problem at all for him to be shameless around his great-grandfather. ¡°All right, all right, if you have any questions, hurry up and ask them. Leave quickly after you¡¯re done. Don¡¯t disturb this old man¡¯s peaceful cultivation,¡± Ancestor Mingsheng said helplessly. Wang Shouzhe hurriedly threw out the questions he had prepared one by one. In reality, Ancestor Mingsheng was just showing disdain on the surface. He could not possibly be careless with the questions Wang Shouzhe asked about cultivation. He answered them after careful consideration. Unexpectedly, as he asked, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s questions gradually became trickier. Even Ancestor Mingsheng had to think carefully before answering them. The Wang Shouzhe before the transmigration took place was a taciturn person who only knew how to cultivate on his own. Sometimes, he would hold back a lot of questions and wouldn¡¯t dare to consult Ancestor Longyan. However, the current Wang Shouzhe was completely different. Under the influence of modern Earthling¡¯s way of thinking, he had accumulated a lot of questions on cultivation from various angles. This was one of the differences between the descendants of noble clans and freelance cultivators. There were elders in the clan who could provide guidance. ¡°Rascal, it¡¯s about time. I need to cultivate too.¡± After over four hours straight, Ancestor Mingsheng was also feeling very overwhelmed. Where did this brat get so many strange questions from? If Wang Shouzhe continued asking questions like this, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to answer them anymore. He couldn¡¯t possibly spout nonsense about things he didn¡¯t know. If something went wrong, wouldn¡¯t harm his descendants? He could no longer hold out! At first, Lu Xiaoxiao was still pretending to listen by the side. However, the more she listened, the more confused and bored she became. As she listened, she eventually fell asleep at the side. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Ancestor. Shouzhe is truly enlightened.¡± Wang Shouzhe also knew when to quit while he was ahead. He stood up and cupped his hands. ¡°I wish Ancestor success in mastering the Arcane Martial Arts and ascension to the level of a Celestial Being as soon as possible.¡± These words made Ancestor Mingsheng rather happy. Although he was still struggling on the path to the middle stage of the Spirit Tower Realm, what person who had attained the Spirit Tower Realm wouldn¡¯t want to take another step forward? One had to realize that everyone below the Spirit Tower Realm were mortals with a lifespan of no more than 100 years. After attaining the Spirit Platform Realm, one¡¯s lifespan would double, and their lifespan would reach the limit of 200 years. This was also why the Spirit Tower Realm cultivators were known as Ancestors. It was because as they lived, they would realize that their children and juniors had all died before them. Chapter 31 - Beekeeping Handbook Chapter 31 Beekeeping Handbook This was especially true for some Ancestors who knew how to maintain their health. They could live until they were infinitely close to 200 years old. Under such circumstances, they would often be able to witness the birth of their eighth or even ninth generation of bloodline descendants. If they could advance further to attain the Celestial Being Realm, the limit of their lifespan would reach 400 years. The entire clan would also rise along with the tide, and it could even be described as riding on their success. As a result, in his joy, Ancestor Mingsheng took out an ancient book with beast skin cover and tossed it to Wang Shouzhe. ¡°This is the ¡®Beekeeping Handbook¡¯. Take it as a congratulatory gift from me for the appearance of a Spirit Insect Master in your Wang Clan. It¡¯s the notes of a Spirit Tower Realm freelance cultivator who was adept at controlling spirit bees centuries ago. It records some techniques and key points regarding raising various types of spirit bees. However, this is just a copy. There are inevitably omissions in it, and it¡¯s only for reference.¡± Wang Shouzhe was stunned for a moment before he immediately said, overjoyed, ¡°Thank you for your timely help, Ancestor.¡± Right now, Luojing had the talent of a Spirit Insect Master, but just relying on the ¡°Book of Insects¡± in the clan was clearly not enough. Without a doubt, this ¡°Beekeeping Handbook¡± was focused on the spirit bees. It was extremely beneficial to Luojing, who had the Amethyst Spirit Beehive. ¡°Since you¡¯ve taken the benefits, get lost quickly. Don¡¯t be an eyesore to this old man here.¡± Ancestor Mingsheng shooed him away impatiently. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now. Goodbye.¡± Wang Shouzhe had already gained a lot from this trip. He hurriedly stuffed the ¡°Beekeeping Handbook¡± into his pocket and respectfully left the ¡°Moonrise of Yingxiu¡± Pavilion. As Ancestor Mingsheng watched Wang Shouzhe¡¯s retreating back from afar, he was both a little happy and a little disappointed. He was happy that this descendant who possessed his bloodline was rather extraordinary and had great potential in the future. But he was also disappointed that among the youngsters of the two generations of the Lu Clan, not one of them could actually compare to Shouzhe. Fortunately, there was still Xiaoxiao. Ancestor Mingsheng caressed the sleeping Lu Xiaoxiao¡¯s head affectionately. ¡°This child has actually awakened the Departing Fire physique of our Lu Clan¡¯s ancestor. Although it¡¯s a little weak, it¡¯s already extraordinary. The heavens have blessed the Lu Clan.¡± The inheritance of every Arcane Martial Clan was not that simple. And the ancestors of every clan that pioneered the territory and became the founders of the clan were all extraordinary figures. After receiving many benefits, Wang Shouzhe bade farewell to Ancestor Mingsheng and had a maidservant lead him to the guest Refined Guest Residence. This was the place where the Lu Clan specially hosted the distinguished guests. The entire courtyard by the lake was where he lived as a guest. There were also a few side rooms protecting the exterior, prepared for the distinguished guests¡¯ clan guards and retainers. The clan guards who came from the Wang Clan and Wang Luojing all went to help deal with the disaster. On the other hand, Wang Shouzhe had a rare moment of peace and quiet. He simply instructed the maidservant from the Lu Clan to prepare bath soup and take a comfortable bath to alleviate the exhaustion from the past few days. Then, he ordered people not to disturb him and entered cultivation mode. Be it the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang or the Lu Clan of Yingxiu, they all brought out the best spirit food to receive Wang Shouzhe and the others. They ate and ate along the way without having time to properly digest their vital energy. Moreover, he had just asked Ancestor Mingsheng many questions about cultivation today. It had really enlightened him. After entering a meditative state, he quickly entered cultivation mode. This cultivation lasted until early next morning. The meridians and apertures in his body had entered a state of exhaustion. His exuberant Qi and blood had been greatly depleted, but his eyes were filled with vigor. It was obvious that he had made some progress. He was decidedly another step closer to the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm. This pleasantly surprised Wang Shouzhe. After combining some modern way of thinking on Earth and Ancestor Mingsheng¡¯s guidance to resolve his doubts, he had a much clearer understanding of the cultivation path of the Qi Refining realm. After exiting the room, Wang Zhong was already waiting outside. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°Patriarch, Master Uncle has come to visit. We heard that you¡¯re cultivating in seclusion and didn¡¯t dare to disturb you. He¡¯s waiting for you in the living room.¡± Wang Shouzhe asked Wang Zhong to lead the way to the living room and asked casually, ¡°How was the disaster relief yesterday?¡± ¡°Everything is going very smoothly. After the Lu Clan received our letter, they made a lot of preparations at the first moment,¡± Wang Zhong said, impressed. ¡°Miss Luojing is really amazing. She controlled several Nine-spotted Beetle Kings in a short period of time and suppressed the signs of the pest disaster outbreak.¡± When Wang Zhong mentioned Luojing¡¯s name, his tone was already filled with heartfelt respect. It was apparent that Luojing¡¯s performance made the clan guards very approving and impressed. It seemed like Luojing was really quite talented in the art of Spirit Insect Masters. She was improving even in such a short period of time. As he pondered, Wang Shouzhe entered the living room of the Refined Guest Residence. He cupped his hands at Lu Zhengjie and said, ¡°Shouzhe is late. I hope you can forgive me, Uncle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡± Lu Zhengjie stood up with a smile. ¡°Shouzhe, it¡¯s all thanks to your support that our Lu Clan stopped the pest disaster just as it was about to start.¡± If food production was steeply reduced, not only would there be an economic loss, it would also cause a chain reaction. The Empire of Da Qian was established by the Arcane Martial Clans. The Arcane Martial Clans had all kinds of privileges locally, but they also had to shoulder the responsibility of guarding the territory and safeguarding the people. Their privileges and responsibilities of authority were obviously greater than those of the ancient gentries on Earth. ere ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re too kind. The Wang Clan and the Lu Clan are connected by blood. It¡¯s only natural for us to assist each other,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a humble smile. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lu Zhengjie said, ¡°There¡¯s also an outcome to the massacre of that wealthy businessman¡¯s family. That freelance cultivator isn¡¯t a tough nut to crack. He confessed everything after less than four hours of interrogation, and the stolen goods were all found. In a few days, he will be publicly executed as a warning to others.¡± ¡°The wandering freelance martial artists are ultimately a hidden danger.¡± Wang Shouzhe frowned. ¡°If we can¡¯t control freelance martial artists who enter the territory, similar cases will happen again sooner or later.¡± ¡°This is extremely difficult. Most freelance martial artists wander back and forth as itinerant traders. There¡¯s no law that forbids freelance martial artists from wandering.¡± After frowning, Lu Zhengjie changed the topic and said, ¡°By the way, this case could be resolved quickly all thanks to your contributions, Shouzhe. The Guard Office has decided to reward you with 50 gold. Although it¡¯s not a lot, it¡¯s the maximum amount that could be gotten for you.¡± ¡°Thank you for your mediation, Uncle.¡± Wang Shouzhe was also rather satisfied with this outcome. Fifty gold was not a small sum. Some freelance martial artists would risk their lives for this bit of gold. After receiving the reward, Wang Shouzhe also offered to take his leave. He left two clan guards behind to aid Wang Luojing, and entrusted their uncle to protect her to fight the disaster. Currently, the pest disaster in the Lu Clan and the Gongsun Clan were only contained at the initial stage. The degree of taming over the wild insect kings was too low, and it needed to be repeatedly enhanced. In the next dozen or so days, she still needed to travel back and forth between the Lu Clan, the Gongsun Clan, and the Wang Clan. Wang Shouzhe had a lot of things to do himself. It was impossible for him to participate in this matter for the entire duration. He could only hand over the safety mission to the Lu Clan and the Gongsun Clan. After bidding farewell, he handed the ¡°Beekeeping Handbook¡± over to Wang Luojing. Wang Shouzhe rode his black horse and led the two clan guards all the way back to the Changning Wei. Without the burden of the carriage, the group arrived at the Changning Wei in just six to eight hours. Just as he was about to take a rest in the courtyard behind the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an¡¯s Fish stall and go to the Qian Enterprise to pay a visit tomorrow morning, unexpectedly, Steward Qian from Qian¡¯s Trading Company rushed to the Wang residence first. Clearly, he had already deployed spies at the city gate. As soon as the two of them met in the living room, before the tea and fruits were served, the chubby Steward Qian started complaining incessantly. ¡°Brother Wang, you¡¯ve really screwed me over this time.¡± ¡°Brother Qian, what are you saying?¡± Wang Shouzhe personally poured the tea for Steward Qian and said without batting an eyelid, ¡°I was kind enough to help your Qian¡¯s Trading Company clear out the insecticide powder in your stocks. Is there anything wrong with that?¡± Steward Qian paid no heed to the heat as he gulped down the tea at one go. He said somewhat angrily, ¡°Brother Wang, things have already come to this point. Let¡¯s not beat around the bush. You¡¯re clearly using our Qian¡¯s Trading Enterprise to gain without risking anything, and make a huge profit. Brilliant. Brilliant methods.¡± ¡°Brother, you flatter me. Using information disparity to profit is the way of business.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled and said, ¡°If it were Brother Qian, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d be even more vicious than me.¡± ¡°Information disparity¡­ Information disparity.¡± After muttering to himself for a while, Steward Qian sighed helplessly and said, ¡°Brother, I admit that what you said makes sense. But you¡¯re making a huge profit without even paying a single dime. You¡¯ve really screwed me over badly. If I can¡¯t resolve this matter smoothly, I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t going to end well for me. Brother, show mercy.¡± ¡°Brother Qian, don¡¯t worry. Didn¡¯t I say before that I would give you a great merit?¡± Wang Shouzhe said calmly, ¡°Not only will this great merit allow you to redeem yourself, it will also very likely allow you to advance further.¡± ¡°What?¡± Steward Qian looked at him in disbelief. Chapter 32 - Secret Pact Chapter 32 Secret Pact He stared at Wang Shouzhe for a long while before saying, ¡°Brother, are you pacifying me? Or are you trying to trick me again? I¡¯m already in this state¡­ How can I still redeem myself?¡± ¡°The cause of the pest disaster, the principle behind why the insecticide powder is gradually losing its effectiveness, and the direction of the new insecticide powder research¡­¡± Wang Shouzhe said indifferently,¡± If all these are not enough for Brother Qian to make a comeback, then I¡¯ve misjudged Brother Qian¡¯s ability.¡± ¡°Is this true?¡± Steward Qian suddenly stood up. A powerful aura at the peak of the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm erupted, and his eyes lit up. ¡°If it can really allow me to make such a great contribution, Brother Shouzhe, you will be a true brother to I, Qian Xue¡¯an.¡± Such a powerful aura! Even Wang Shouzhe was slightly surprised. Steward Qian had kept a low profile, but his cultivation level was actually very high. As expected of the noble Qian Clan of Longzuo, even a minor steward in a branch had such an impressive cultivation level. One could tell the full picture from a glimpse. Just how powerful was the noble Qian Clan of the Longzuo? ¡°Is Steward Qian trying to use such a great merit to seek an opportunity to break through to the Spirit Tower Realm?¡± Wang Shouzhe narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew that the other party was not showing off his aura for no reason. Rather, he was telling Wang Shouzhe about his value and potential. ¡°You understand me well, Brother.¡± After ¡°showing off¡±, Qian Xue¡¯an immediately recovered his harmless appearance and said, ¡°To tell you frankly, Brother. I¡¯m a concubinal son to a direct descendant of the Qian Clan. You can imagine my status and treatment in the clan. Get to where I am today step by step had been a terribly difficult process. Without special merit, the chances of obtaining the clan¡¯s support to break through to the Spirit Tower Realm are too slim. If Brother can help me, no matter the outcome, I, Qian Xue¡¯an, will be endlessly grateful.¡± ¡°Brother Qian, do you know why I didn¡¯t give this merit to the Violet Palace Academy?¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled, as if he was testing Qian Xue¡¯an¡¯s intelligence. ¡°The insecticide powder is a huge matter. The Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an is too weak,¡± Qian Xuelan said with a smile as well. ¡°Even if you contribute the findings of your research to the Academy, with the lofty mentality of those people in the Academy, they might not be grateful to your Wang Clan. However, our Qian Clan of Longzuo is different. With this information, we are qualified to negotiate with the Academy. Even if we just get an additional 10% of the profits from the new insecticide powder in the future, that¡¯s still a very huge number! Therefore, you chose to give me this great merit. This is called¡­ that term you previously said¡­¡± ¡°Maximization of benefits,¡± Wang Shouzhe sipped his tea and supplied. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s the term,¡± Qian Xue¡¯an said seriously. ¡°However, there¡¯s a prerequisite for this matter, and it is that I must repay Brother Shouzhe¡¯s kindness. Regarding this matter, we can sign a secret pact. If I, Qian, violate the pact, you can publicize the pact and ruin my reputation. You also know that our Qian Clan has always valued reputation the most. What will happen once someone¡¯s personal reputation is destroyed?¡± Steward Qian was indeed a wise friend. Wang Shouzhe was slightly relieved. In this day and age, the worst thing was flirting with the blind-trying your best to support someone, only to find that they were an ingrate. Previously, based on his interactions with Qian Xue¡¯an, he had realized that this was a considerate and meticulous person. How else could he have come so far as the concubinal son of a direct descendant? ¡°Brother Qian, if we sign the pact, we¡¯ll be on the same boat.¡± Wang Shouzhe asked one last time, ¡°Have you thought it through?¡± Qian Xue¡¯an pondered for a moment and said, ¡°If it were any other ally, I would naturally need to consider it carefully.¡± He paused for a moment, then looked solemnly at Wang Shouzhe and said seriously, ¡°However, forming a secret pact with Brother Shouzhe is a good thing that I can only wish for. Brother, you are meticulous and boldness. I very much admire your ability to influence the situation to your will. I firmly believe that being in the same boat as you is the fortune of my life.¡± Although the words were somewhat exaggerated, Wang Shouzhe could sense his earnest feelings. He immediately made up his mind and began to draw up the secret pact. In line with the idea of getting the difficult part over with first, the terms of the pact that Wang Shouzhe drafted were meticulous and without obvious loopholes. They clearly stated the responsibilities and obligations of each party in the pact. When Qian Xue¡¯an finished reading the pact, he was stunned on the spot. It was not because the terms were too complicated or harsh, but because they were too simple and equal. The way he saw it, whether his future would be bleak or he would rise to greatness overnight depended entirely on Wang Shouzhe. It would be normal to make the conditions a little harsh. At least he had already mentally prepared himself for it. ¡°Brother Shouzhe, this pact¡­¡± Qian Xue¡¯an frowned slightly and said,¡± Do you need to add some restrictions for me?¡± ¡°Brother Qian, I¡¯m looking for an ally, not an underling.¡± Wang Shouzhe sipped his tea calmly and said, ¡°Since we¡¯re allies, we should naturally abide by the principle of fairness, equity, respect for each other, and mutual aid. If one day, you feel that the pact between us is meaningless, you can refer to the last term. The pact will be annulled after a compensation of 10,000 gold to the ally.¡± Qian Xue¡¯an took a deep breath, signed the two contracts, and pressed his thumbprint on them. Then, he bowed and said, ¡°Shouzhe, the magnanimity I have witnessed from you is unmatched. I swear that as long as Shouzhe has not let me down, I will not let you down. Otherwise, may the heavens strike me down.¡± ¡°Brother, there¡¯s no need for such solemnity. From now on, you and I are brothers. One¡¯s success and loss is shared by the other.¡± Wang Shouzhe was very satisfied with this outcome. After putting away the contract, he handed the document and information he had prepared to Qian Xue¡¯an. ¡°I believe you know better than I how to operate from here on out.¡± Qian Xue¡¯an focused on reading the document. The more he read, the more interesting his expression became. ¡°Unbelievable, unbelievable, but reasonable. Brother Shouzhe, this document of yours is extremely precious. It can prevent the problem of the new insecticide powder failing again in the future.¡± This document was written by Wang Shouzhe himself. He tried his best to express how the resistance of the aphids came about in plain and simple language. If one wanted to kill the current drug-resistant aphids, they would have to make adjustments to the insecticide powder based on the ancient formula. As for how to adjust and experiment, Wang Shouzhe did not give any suggestions. The Academy could figure it out on their own. In addition, Wang Shouzhe had no intention of developing the new insecticide powder. The interests involved in this were too great. This was equivalent to drawing a pest extermination tax on all the fertile lands in the entire Longzuo County. The astronomical profits involved were enough to crush the Wang Clan. ¡°Good, good. With such a great merit,¡± Qian Xue¡¯an¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°if I still fail to make good use of it, I¡¯d have lived my 38 years in vain.¡± He solemnly put away the contract and said to Wang Shouzhe with a smile, ¡°Brother Shouzhe, I have to admit that if I didn¡¯t have this great merit, I would really hate you. This maneuver of yours is simply too good. But now, haha, I can only say that you did a good job, Brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just taking advantage of the situation.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled. ¡°How much is your manager prepared to pay to redeem the contract?¡± ¡°Originally, the bottom line the manager had in mind is double the price of the contract. Of course, it¡¯d be best if you back down in the face of difficulties, take a thousand large coppers and be done.¡± Qian Xue¡¯an narrowed his squinty eyes. ¡°However, the pest disaster this time is very severe. The various noble clans estimate that if there are no effective measures, their production will be reduced by 60 to 70%. It¡¯s equivalent to losing about ten large coppers per acre. If we can use double doses of insecticide to relief the disaster in time, we will lose at most one or two large coppers.¡± ¡°According to what you said, Brother, the bottom line that those noble clans are willing to invest is about six large coppers of insecticide powder for every acre?¡± Wang Shouzhe had planned for this as well. He chuckled and said, ¡°If Qian¡¯s Trading Company buys back the contract at twice the price, not only will they not suffer a loss, they will still make a profit?¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± Qian Xue¡¯an squinted his eyes and smiled. ¡°The bottom line of those clans is at least 12 large coppers of investment, or even more. They would have to beg our Qian Clan to sell it to them, because the stock of insecticide powder is far from enough to save all the clans.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to not invest than to incur more losses. They can just allow the food production to decrease.¡± Wang Shouzhe frowned, slightly confused. ¡°Brother, you should know that Da Qian laws prohibit using disaster years or bountiful years to inflate the price of grain. On the surface, this seems to be an excellent strategy for the welfare of the people.¡± Qian Xue¡¯an sneered and shook his head. ¡°But in reality, in disaster years, it actually causes a lot of harm. Businessmen don¡¯t do business unless there¡¯s profit. If the price of food doesn¡¯t increase, how many businessmen would be willing to ship food all the way to Longzuo? ¡°Therefore, an overall shortage of food in Longzuo is a forgone conclusion. Most noble clans still have stockpiles of grain to deal with disasters, but there will definitely be a considerable number of civilians who will find it difficult to buy food even if they have money. Take our entire Changning Wei region for example, the total population has reached more than 500 thousand, but the total number of fertile fields is only 1.5 million acres.¡± Chapter 33 - The Turning Point of Fate Chapter 33 The Turning Point of Fate Wang Shouzhe broke out in a cold sweat. He thought of those starving civilians. In a situation where even gold could not buy food, what would they do to survive? Sell their children? Sell their houses and possessions? ¡°This means that the more grain the noble clans hold in their hands this time, the more control they have over the situation. They can use other methods to make up for their losses and strengthen their clan.¡± Qian Xuelan was indeed an outstanding businessman. With just a few words, he explained the aftermath of the disaster clearly. ¡°The officials of Da Qian government and the Violet Palace Academy will transport food from other counties, right?¡± Wang Shouzhe had transmigrated from Earth after all, and he still couldn¡¯t bear to see civilians suffer. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s necessary to raise food from various counties, transport it, and sell it at an affordable price,¡± Qian Xue¡¯an said seriously. ¡°Actually, from today onwards, the Violet Palace Academy and the government have already started the disaster relief efforts. However, it¡¯s almost impossible to rescue the entire Longzuo County in a short period of time, especially since our Changning Wei is located in a remote area¡­¡± He saw that Wang Shouzhe was frowning, so he persuaded, ¡°Brother, I know you¡¯re kind-hearted. Actually, I can¡¯t bear to see this scene either. However, our power is limited. We should be satisfied with being able to take care of ourselves at a time like this.¡± ¡°Brother Qian is right. I was being a little unreasonable.¡± Wang Shouzhe naturally understood this principle as well. He said in relief, ¡°Then according to Brother Qian, should I ask the trading company to pay me three times the contract price?¡±. ¡°Brother, you have to understand. Even if the compensation is tripled, it will still be a breach of contract by the Qian¡¯s Trading Company. The trading company is definitely unwilling to ruin their credibility for breaching the contract unless absolutely necessary.¡± Qian Xur¡¯an winked and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a figure. You have to insist that the contract can only be revoked for 10,000 gold plus 3,000 gold¡¯s worth of food.¡± ¡°What?¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s eyelids twitched. Qian Xue¡¯an was even more ruthless than him. According to his initial estimation, he would be satisfied if the other party could buy back the contract at twice the price. This price had already exceeded three times the compensation price, and there was even more value in 3,000 gold¡¯s worth of food. ¡°In any case, you¡¯ve already offended the current manager of the Qian¡¯s Trading Company. You might as well step on the line and offend him more severely.¡± Qian Xuelan chuckled and said, ¡°Moreover, even at this price, the Qian¡¯s Trading Company won¡¯t suffer a loss. We can still earn a sum.¡± Qian Xue¡¯an¡¯s words made sense, but was it really appropriate to screw his own clan over like this? As if he had seen through Wang Shouzhe¡¯s thoughts, Qian Xue¡¯an explained solemnly, ¡°Firstly, the Qian¡¯s Trading Company is too big. A mere 10,000 to 20,000 gold in compensation is just a drop in the bucket. Secondly, I¡¯m just a concubinal son. If you didn¡¯t help me, it would be hard for me to ascend in this lifetime. Consider it repayment for your kindness. Thirdly, I really hope that Brother Shouzhe can become stronger. It will be more beneficial to our pact if you become stronger.¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s do it then.¡± Wang Shouzhe could not refuse such a huge benefit. The Wang Clan was too poor now. If they could receive such a huge sum of money, it would be an opportunity for them to rise up. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll help you with this matter.¡± Qian Xue¡¯an seemed to have a plan in mind. ¡°When I report to the manager, I¡¯ll increase the price by 30%. Then, I¡¯ll slash the price slightly to console him a little. In addition, Brother Shouzhe has to swear not to publicize this. The Qian¡¯s Trading Company can¡¯t afford to lose face like this.¡± Of course he wouldn¡¯t publicize it. The best choice was to make a fortune in secret. Wang Shouzhe stood up, cupped his hands, and said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Brother. I also need to add a condition. The insecticide powder cannot be sold to the Zhao Clan of Ping¡¯an and the Liu Clan of Ping¡¯an.¡± To Wang Shouzhe, strengthening oneself was a good thing, but it would be best if it could weaken the enemy at the same time. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t mention this condition, I would consider it,¡± Qian Xue¡¯an replied with a smile. ¡°Moreover, in this disaster, the demand for the insecticide powder is greater than the supply. The Zhao Clan of Ping¡¯an and the Liu Clan of Ping¡¯an are only last-rate noble clans. It¡¯s very difficult for them to obtain a share of insecticide powder in the first place. Brother, congratulations!¡± In the eyes of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an, the Liu and Zhao Clans were both very powerful and difficult to deal with. But in the eyes of the Qian¡¯s Trading Company, they were just two ordinary small clans. ¡°Congratulations too.¡± The two of them laughed. The discussion was settled. Immediately, Qian Xue¡¯an slammed the cup on the ground and roared as he left the scene. ¡°Wang Shouzhe, you¡¯ve gone overboard. Do you really think our Qian¡¯s Trading Company is a pushover? Just you wait¡­¡± Then, he stormed out of the door with the two guards outside the door, who were as silent as cicadas in the winter. Wang Shouzhe was rather satisfied with Qian Xue¡¯an¡¯s reaction and methods. It seemed like he made the right choice in choosing this ally. At this moment, his second brother, Wang Shouyi, walked in worriedly. ¡°Shouzhe, Steward Qian came to find you a few times in the past two days. Has something happened?¡± The current Wang Clan could no longer afford to withstand too much trouble. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Second Brother. It¡¯s a good thing for the clan,¡± Wang Shouzhe replied with a smile. Then, he changed the topic and said, ¡°By the way, how¡¯s the research on the live fish equipment coming along these two days?¡± At the mention of this question, Wang Shouyi immediately became spirited. ¡°I have to say, Shouzhe, your ideas are really unique and wonderful. Just methods such as spraying water to increase live air and using pumps to exchange water to increase the air are enough to change the water storage and transportation industry. My initial attempts gave rise to very good results. Next, it¡¯s time to modify the carriage bucket and the breeding pond in the shop.¡± ¡°Then Second Brother, you must make the best use of your time and build more breeding ponds in this backyard,¡± said Wang Shouzhe with a smile. ¡°Otherwise, Sixth Uncle will definitely beat you up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There are more and more live fishes over at Sixth Uncle¡¯s side over the past two days¡­¡± Wang Shouyi cupped his hands and said,¡± Fourth Brother, excuse me. ¡°Then, Wang Shouyi ran out in a hurry. Heh, this Wang Shouyi was becoming more and more proactive. This was a good thing. It was no wonder. As the clan began to look up, the morale of the clansmen would also be stimulated. Wang Shouzhe attached great importance to the two family assets, the fishing fleet and the fish stall. Originally, the annual net profit of these two places added up to only about four or five hundred gold. However, after some suggestions and adjustments, it was very easy for the net profit to exceed a thousand. He was even confident that after next year, the fishing fleet and the fish stall would exceed the combined profits of the three farms. Seizing the opportunity to inflate the insecticide powder and earn a fortune was certainly something worth celebrating. However, the development of the clan¡¯s businesses was the true foundation of a clan¡¯s strength. In addition, the 3,000 gold¡¯s worth of food that Qian Xue¡¯an mentioned also gave Wang Shouzhe a slight headache. Being able to control food during a disaster year did mean getting ahead of the game. However, what was the concept of 3,000 gold¡¯s worth of food storage? According to the current price of food, that was about 50,000 to 60,000 quintals, enough for 20,000 people¡¯s consumption for a year! One had to know that were less than 30,000 people in the entire Ping¡¯an Town. With such a huge amount of food, transporting and storage alone would be a huge problem. Naturally, there were granaries built in the various farms of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an. However, old grain from last year was stored in those granaries. Coupled with the reserved space for production this time, they were more or less full. At most, they could add another ten or twenty thousand quintals. However, people always came up with solutions. Ever since Ancestor Zhouxuan built the main residence, he had taken into account the future development of the clan. There were fifty courtyards for important clansmen alone, and there were no less than hundreds of other buildings in total. Most of them were empty. It was easy to pack up and stock up on tens of thousands of bags of grain. In this disaster year, the safest place was none other than the main residence of the noble clan. The main residence of every noble clan was built in places where the terrain was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Moreover, their defenses were the strongest. Storing the food there was safe. Moreover, it was mentioned previously that the Wang Clan¡¯s main residence was built beside mountains and rivers. The mountain it was beside was naturally the subsidiary mountain of Liuping Mountain Range. The water it was beside was a small lake called Lake Zhuwei. This lake was personally named by Ancestor Zhouxuan, and it was named after Ancestor Zhouxuan¡¯s most beloved main daughter, Zhuwei. Lake Zhuwei was not very large and occupied only ten thousand acres of water, but it was the natural barrier and backyard of the Wang Clan¡¯s main residence. Most importantly, it also had a natural river that had been artificially maintained. There was a fork several miles along the river that led to the other two farms aside from the silkworm farm. Among them, the main river channel of the Bountiful Farm was connected to Lake Zhuwei in a winding manner. The total distance of the winding river was about 20 kilometers. And upstream of the Bountiful Farm¡¯s river was the tributary gate that Ancestor Zhouxuan had maintained in the past, called Bountiful Gate. This gate was a hydraulic facility and was mainly used to regulate the level of water in the inland river channel. However, because it used a winch system, ships were unable to pass through it. However, this did not matter much. In order to maintain access to the inside and outside of the Bountiful Gate, it needed to be dredged and maintained regularly, so the water level was very deep¡­ Wang Shouzhe quickly organized his thoughts. He immediately wrote two letters and summoned Wang Zhong and Wang Yong inside. ¡°Patriarch.¡± The morale of the two clan guards was quite good. It was obvious that they thought highly of the clan¡¯s future development. Wang Shouzhe handed the letter to Wang Zhong and Wang Yong to deliver. He instructed, ¡°After you deliver the letter, you don¡¯t have to return for the time being. Stay there and help.¡± After the clan guards received the order and left, Wang Shouzhe sipped his tea alone slowly. His eyes flickered, and it seemed like his heart was not calm. If everything went smoothly, this pest disaster would instead be the turning point in the Wang Clan¡¯s fate of decline. Chapter 34 - A Slight Change Would Affect the Entire Situation Chapter 34 A Slight Change Would Affect the Entire Situation Two days passed in peace. Wang Shouzhe spent the past two days cultivating his body and mind in the Changning courtyard. He drank spirit tea and cultivated. His days were quite leisurely, a rare occasion. However, in the outside world, the situation had changed drastically over the past two days. As the speed at which the wheat was filled became more intense, the first wave of pest disaster spread throughout the entire Changning Wei region at lightning speed. The various noble clans were in a panic. Due to the inevitable reduction of production, except for the staple grain strictly controlled by the Da Qian government, the prices of other agricultural byproducts began to soar. Even the sales of the salted fish and smoked fish of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an¡¯s fish stall suddenly improved, and the price also increased substantially. In the absence of staple food, salted fish and smoked fish that could be preserved for a long period of time could also sustain life. The various trading companies and grain stores had already stopped selling food to the outside world. Meanwhile, the Da Qian government grain stores began to conduct limited sales. Long queues formed before the official grain stores, and the city guards had already stepped in to maintain order. Wang Shouzhe sipped his tea and listened to the news from various sources. His lamented inwardly. If not for the fact that the clan had a treasure like Wang Luojing, he would probably be already overwhelmed by anxiety. He wouldn¡¯t possibly be able to watch the situation unfold in such a carefree manner like now. ¡°Fourth Brother, the Qian¡¯s Trading Company sent someone to deliver a letter.¡± Wang Shouyi personally came to the backyard to deliver the letter. At the same time, his brows were tightly furrowed. ¡°In addition, half of the salted fish and smoked fish stocks that Sixth Uncle sent over have already been sold in the past two days. I see that the other clans¡¯ fish stalls have already begun to restrict acquisitions or increase prices substantially. Should our fish stall also increase prices?¡± Acquisitions had to be restricted for even salted fish? Wang Shouzhe took the letter and frowned. It seemed that the news of a large reduction in food production had already caused panic. He was no stranger to this scene. On Earth, he had seen too many instances of ordinary people panic buying collectively when faced with disasters or rumors. Moreover, weren¡¯t the sales of the smoked fish and salted fish a little too fast? There must be about 800 to 900 quintals of salted fish in stock that had been transported over for the past few times. Before the price had increased, depending on the quality of the fish, the price of the smoked fish and salted fish varied from 20 to 30 dimes per catty, and the price for one quintal was usually between 20 and 30 large coppers. Now, the price had already risen to 30 to 40 large coppers per catty, and it was actually selling even faster. ¡°What about the live fish and fresh fish?¡± Wang Shouzhe asked. ¡°The live fish did not increase in price, but the fresh fish generally increased by 20%,¡± Wang Shouyi reported. ¡°Many people bought fresh fish back to marinate or smoke them themselves, or to reduce the consumption of staple food and eat more fish. Thus, the prices of salt and firewood also increased.¡± Indeed, a slight change would affect the entire situation. The eruption of the drug-resistant aphids instantly affected all aspects. Once the prices of basic supplies such as salt, firewood, and coal increased, the price of everything would increase as well. ¡°Second Brother, you can just increase the price according to the market,¡± Wang Shouzhe said. ¡°As for limited acquisition, we¡¯ll announce the sales of 20 quintals of salted and smoked fish a day to the public. In reality, we¡¯ll sell 50 quintals per day internally.¡± ¡°Fifty quintals? That¡¯s a total of five thousand catties¡­¡± Wang Shouyi said in surprise,¡± Can Sixth Uncle keep up? Even if Sixth Uncle can, the Dingpu warehouse won¡¯t have enough time to smoke and marinate them.¡± It was the fishing season. If Wang Dinghai¡¯s fishing fleet operated the way they did in the past years, ten boats could guarantee catching up to a few thousand catties of fish if they worked a bit harder. On average, a fishing boat would get a few hundred catties of ordinary catch. Most of them would be pickled or smoked at Dingpu warehouse. Under normal circumstances, the limit of the workshops for sunning fish and smoking fish was only 800 quintals a month. However, Wang Dinghai had already fully replicated and the stationary lift nets. Even ordinary people could operate those. The production would increase continuously every day. During this fishing season, it would not be unusual for the entire fishing fleet to obtain up to tens of thousands of catties. ¡°Increase the manpower and venue for processing the catch. You can use the empty spaces and empty houses in Bountiful Farm and Prosperous Farm. Also, all the servants and idle clansmen in the clan are to participate. Make sure that the production of smoked fish and salted fish exceeds 2,000 quintals this month,¡± Wang Shouzhe instructed. ¡°Second Brother, you will be fully in charge of overseeing this operation.¡± ¡°As long as Sixth Uncle can keep up, I¡¯m not afraid.¡± In an instant, Wang Shouyi¡¯s fighting spirit was ignited. Two thousand quintals of smoked and salted fish per month could only be processed from at least three to four thousand quintals of fresh fish. After slaughtering, smoking and sunning the fish, the weight would be greatly reduced. If Sixth Uncle could really supply the production, this would be a great opportunity to earn money. How could he, Wang Shouyi, be a burden? In the previous years, the catch during the fishing season was the cheapest. Hence, a large amount of ordinary catch would be made into smoked and salted fish, which would be retained for sale slowly. In the past years, the total production and sales of smoked and salted fish for the entire year only added up to about two thousand and several hundred quintals, whereas the total sales of fresh and live fish was only about 2,000 quintals a year. It was very difficult to obtain more than 1,000 gold for the overall turnover, and about half of it had to be divided into the accounts of the fishing fleet. But it was different now. If they could really produce more than 2,000 quintals and sell 1,500 quintals of smoked and cured fish this month, according to the price of 40 large coppers per quintal after the price increase, the overall turnover would reach 600 gold. And this did not include the sales of fresh fish and live fish¡­ It was very likely that the turnover from this month alone would reach the usual annual turnover. That was why Wang Shouyi felt so impassioned! There was no better time to fight. ¡°All right, then I¡¯ll have to trouble Second Brother with everything.¡± Wang Shouzhe wrote down a Patriarch¡¯s order, signed it, stamped the Patriarch¡¯s seal, and handed it to him. ¡°With this, you can mobilize the clan guards and servants to withdraw the gold from the clan accounts.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for gold for the time being.¡± Wang Shouyi took the order letter and said excitedly, ¡°The stock of salted fish sold too quickly this time. I still have about 200 gold on my account. It¡¯s enough for the operation.¡± ¡°Second Brother, you may be busy, but don¡¯t make any omissions on the accounts in your haste,¡± Wang Shouzhe warned casually. Wang Shouyi¡¯s body shook, and his gaze turned solemn. He hurriedly said, ¡°Fourth Brother, don¡¯t worry. As a member of the clan, I absolutely won¡¯t violate the clan rules. Every month, I¡¯ll hand over the accounts to the accounting office under Fifth Sister-in-law¡¯s charge. I won¡¯t dare to make any omissions.¡± ¡°Second Brother, thank you for your hard work.¡± Wang Shouzhe bowed to him solemnly. ¡°This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Whether our Wang Clan can escape the fate of decline depends on the entire clan doing our best.¡± He was quite satisfied with Wang Shouzhe. Although his second brother¡¯s cultivation talent was mediocre, he put in a lot of effort for the clan business. Compared to the simple-minded Sixth Uncle, Wang Dinghai, he was much more meticulous and reliable. ¡°Fourth Brother, there is no need for it. These are all my duties.¡± Wang Shouyi hurriedly cupped his hands in return and said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take my leave first and deal with various matters.¡± After he left, Wang Shouzhe composed himself and opened Qian Xue¡¯an¡¯s letter. It invited him to meet at the ¡°Fortune Gathering Villa¡± outside Changning Wei City. The secret mark left on the letter indicated that Qian Xuelan had fulfilled the agreement. However, although he trusted Qian Xue¡¯an, he did not dare to take risks this time. He would play everything safe. Without delay, he dressed up slightly and left the city directly. He did not go to the Fortune Gathering Villa first, but rode his black horse towards Shanyang. After a short while, he saw Wang Zhong outside a small manor a few miles outside the city. ¡°Wang Zhong, how¡¯s it going?¡± Wang Shouzhe asked. ¡°Reporting to Patriarch, I¡¯ve had the honor of the fulfilling the order. The patriarch¡¯s heir apparent of the Gongsun Clan has come as promised and is waiting in the manor,¡± Wang Zhong said excitedly. He had already waited outside the manor for 14 to 16 hours. The Wang Clan¡¯s influence was mostly on the south bank of An River. If he wanted to find more transport carriages on the north bank, he could only rely on the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang. Currently, his relationship with the Gongsun Clan was in the honeymoon period. A minor request like this from him would not be rejected without regard for his dignity. After entering the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang¡¯s small recreational manor outside Changning City, he met with Gongsun Qiang. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°Shouzhe greets Eldest Uncle. Sorry to keep you waiting.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t have to wait long. It¡¯s just that you mysteriously asked to deploy 20 carriages this time, and heavy-duty carriages for transporting ores at that. What are they for?¡± Gongsun Qiang had low emotional intelligence and little patience. He expressed extreme curiosity as soon as they met. ¡°Nothing special,¡± Wang Shouzhe said calmly. ¡°They¡¯re just for transporting some 50,000 to 60,000 quintals of aged grain.¡± Since Gongsun Qiang was allowed to participate, the quantity naturally could not be concealed from him. III At this moment, Gongsun Qiang¡¯s eyes almost popped out. ¡®Convenient nephew, don¡¯t you know how hard it is to obtain grain nowadays? You¡¯re transporting 50,000 to 60,000 quintals at once¡­¡¯ ¡°Just?¡¯ He had the urge to curse. Compared to his convenient nephew who was a patriarch, he felt that as a 38-year-old ¡°patriarch¡¯s heir apparent¡±, he had lived all his years in vain. Chapter 35 - Opening up the Transport Line Chapter 35 Opening up the Transport Line ¡°Shouzhe, where on earth did you get 50,000 to 60,000 quintals of food from?¡± Gongsun Qiang took a deep breath and said in near disbelief. The Gongsun Clan of Shanyang could be considered powerful, and had 10,000 to 20,000 acres of fertile land. Even so, the annual grain production of a season could not reach 50,000 to 60,000 quintals! Moreover, the noble clans had to give the tenant farmers a portion of the yield, as well as pay taxes per acre per year. In addition, there were grain preserved for seeding, pesticide powder, and other consumptions. From this, it could be seen just how astronomical the 50,000 to 60,000 quintals of food was. Even under ordinary circumstances, it would be extremely difficult to get so much food at one go, let alone in the present world. ¡°I bought it from the Qian¡¯s Trading Company through my friend,¡± said Wang Shouzhe. ¡°Eldest Uncle, there¡¯s no time to lose. We¡¯ll head to the Fortune Gathering Villa first, and the carriage will follow soon after.¡± As the Gongsun Clan¡¯s horse carriages were for transporting minerals, the cargo cabins were specially reinforced. The horses used to pull the carriages were also selected for sturdy physiques and strong endurance. They were heavy-duty horses from the Northland. Every carriage used four to five horses, and could easily pull tens of thousands of catties. Purchased through a friend? Gongsun Qiang¡¯s eyelids twitched. ¡®Where did this kind of friend come from? Why don¡¯t you give me a dozen?¡¯ Filled with envy, jealousy, and a little disbelief, he took the lead and followed Wang Shouzhe to the Fortune Gathering Villa. The Fortune Gathering Villa was one of the Qian Clan¡¯s assets, and it was specially used to stock up on various large goods. Many large goods were usually in quantities such as tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of quintals, and it was entirely unnecessary to transport them inside Changning Wei City. As for being afraid of being attacked and robbed, that was a joke. Never mind the fact that the armed forces in this Fortune Gathering Villa were extraordinary, no one would dare to have any nefarious thoughts when it was titled under the prestigious Qian Clan of Longzuo. After requesting a meeting through the doorman of the Fortune Gathering Villa, not long after, Qian Xue¡¯an came out with a dark face, looking as if he was not going to receive Wang Shouzhe with any courtesy. Subsequently, he made a handover on behalf of the Qian Clan. Both parties drafted a new contract. The Qian Clan ¡°bought back¡± the insecticide powder contract from Wang Shouzhe. This price was very reasonable: 10,000 gold in cash and 60,000 quintals of aged grain from storage. After the original 5,000 bags of insecticide powder were repurchased, the Qian Clan could sell them for at least 15,000 to 20,000 gold. Naturally, they would not suffer a loss. The manager of the Changning Branch of Qian¡¯s Trading Company did not even want to show his face for such a ¡°disgraceful¡± matter, and entrusted everything to Qian Xue¡¯an to handle. The manager who had never shown his face had clearly already planned to push all the blame for the mistake onto the steward, Qian Xue¡¯an. Hence, as Qian Xue¡¯an helped Wang Shouzhe with the procedures, his face was already so ¡°cloudy¡± that it looked like water could drip from it. He did not want to say a single word to Wang Shouzhe from the beginning to the end. After everything was settled, he tossed Wang Shouzhe a huge stack of gold bills and a permission slip for 60,000 quintals of grain before storming off. Wang Shouzhe was also stunned by Qian Xue¡¯an¡¯s realistic acting. He lamented in his heart that once Qian Xue¡¯an successfully advanced to the Spirit Tower Realm, he would definitely become an outstanding figure in the future. After completing the procedures, Wang Shouzhe found Gongsun Qiang, who was waiting outside. ¡°Eldest Uncle, the formalities for accepting 60,000 quintals of aged grain have been completed. When your people arrive, let¡¯s begin transporting the food.¡± Gongsun Qiang¡¯s body shook violently, dumbfounded. He had really ¡°bought¡± 60,000 quintals of food. This nephew of his was too incredible. Soon, the convoy of Gongsun Qiang¡¯s 20 carriages drove over slowly, bringing along 80 physically fit mining workers. In the abundantly filled granaries, the aged grain was all stored in rice bags. A bag of rice was exactly 100 catties for one quintal. However, those mining workers easily carried three or four bags and began to load the car. ¡°Eldest Uncle, how much can one cart hold?¡± Wang Shouzhe had never seen so much food in his two lifetimes. Although he had already made an estimation in his heart, the volume and quantity were still far beyond his imagination. ¡°Load. Load as much as you can. Load them on a hundred quintals. Our carriages are specially reinforced. The heavy-duty horses from the Northland can handle it.¡± Gongsun Qiang¡¯s eyes were already beginning to turn green. Naturally, he had never seen so much food piled together in his entire life, either. As powerful as the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang was, stocking up 20,000 quintals of food year round was already enough, and sufficient for a year¡¯s consumption by thousands of strong workers. The tenant farmers and mining workers of the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang, together with their clansmen and so on, only numbered in the thousands at most. Hundreds of quintals? Those were tens of thousands of catties of food¡­ Wang Shouzhe was slightly taken aback and somewhat surprised. This was indeed a fantasy world. Not only were ordinary people much stronger, even the heavy-duty Northland horses were so powerful as well. Moreover, these were not spirit beast-level warhorses. Otherwise, they would be even more powerful. Those mining workers were clearly also used to heavy work. Four of them were assigned to a carriage, but they loaded it up after only six or seven trips. The special mining carriages were overloaded with food. But even so, that was only 2,000 quintals. Following this pattern, wouldn¡¯t they have to make 30 trips? Never mind, they could take their time. After all, he hadn¡¯t expected to transport this batch of food in a short period of time. Fortunately, at this moment, Qian Xue¡¯an appeared again. He still had a cold expression on his face as he said, ¡°Our Qian¡¯s Trading Company emphasizes on reputation the most. We definitely won¡¯t make things difficult for our customers. You can rent our heavy cargo carriages, including the coachmen, for 20 large coppers a day. The cost already includes the meals of the coachmen and the feed of the heavy-duty horses. You will be responsible for the loading and unloading yourself.¡± Clearly, Qian Xue¡¯an had taken the risk to come and assist. However, Eldest Uncle Gongsun Qiang almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Although the price offered by the other party was reasonable, it also diminished his own hard work, right? Initially, Gongsun Qiang had wanted to use this opportunity to shamelessly ask his eldest nephew to share some of the food with him. ¡°Thank you, Steward Qian,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with rejoice. ¡°Let¡¯s rent another 30 carriages then.¡± The number of horse carriages owned by the Qian¡¯s Trading Company far exceeded that of the Gongsun Clan. Moreover, their business was distributed throughout Longzuo. The cargo capacity of the horse carriages was naturally very high, not at all inferior to the Gongsun Clan¡¯s horse carriages. After all 50 carriages were fully loaded, they were driven out of the Fortune Gathering Villa. The Fortune Gathering Villa was less than ten miles away from Changning Crossing. Under normal circumstances, the horse carriages would arrive in less than two hours. However, there were many people of mixed affiliations at the Changning Crossing. For the time being, Wang Shouzhe did not want to make a big scene, so to avoid unnecessary trouble. After the carriage passed the three-way intersection, it took the path to Shanyang. After another two or three miles, it took a turn in the direction of the An River and arrived at the entrance of a dense forest. From here, the carriage could no longer enter. However, after walking for about a hundred steps in the dense forest, there was a vertical cliff that was 50 to 60 feet tall. There was a natural bay of water about 200 to 300 feet wide at the base of the cliff. At this moment, Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai had long received the notice from the clan guards. He led the fishing fleet to wait here and set up a temporary trestle path at a slanted angle. Those boats included both fishing boats and ferries. In short, they had brought all the boats that could be spared in the clan. Although this method of transportation was strenuous, it was very stealthy. The journey from the carriages, to the forest, to the cliff and then the boats took about 250 steps. Wang Shouzhe got the mining workers and clan guards to stand in position. Each person took three steps to transport the food through relay. After adapting for a while, everyone discovered the benefits of such a simple human transportation line. It was stable, orderly, and efficiency gradually increased. Eventually, the speed of loading the boats could actually reach one or two breaths per quintal, and it saved a lot of time and physical strength from having to run back and forth. In just over two hours, they had miraculously finished loading and unloading all the food in the 50 carriages. Then, the convoy of carriages returned to the Fortune Gathering Villa to ferry the next batch. Meanwhile, Wang Shouzhe followed the fleet and crossed the An River, traveling all the way to the ¡°Bountiful Gate¡±. There were even more people at the Bountiful Farm. There were a total of 200 tenant farmers, and it was easy to take 150 strong laborers out of them. They used the same method to transport the grain through the Bountiful Gate and temporarily stored them in the Bountiful Farm. There were not enough boats in the inland river, only five or six of them. The cargo had to be transported slowly on this last line. The transportation line was successfully opened with great difficulty. This allowed Wang Shouzhe to relax. At the same time, he also felt a strong dissatisfaction towards the transportation line of his own clan. Firstly, it was over-reliant on public crossings and lacked small-scale, concealed docks that were privately established. Secondly, it was inconvenient to travel to the inland river of the An River. As the water levels on both sides were inconsistent, a single gate could not be opened for a long period of time, or it would cause inland flooding. Regarding this point, they had to think of a way to build a canal lock that could accommodate ships. Moreover, the clan had obvious shortcomings when it came to transporting boats and horse carriages. Perhaps considering the Wang Clan¡¯s current scale, this shortcoming was not obvious, but as the clan continued to grow, this shortcoming would severely impede the clan¡¯s development. It seemed that establishing a transportation channel that belonged to themselves was imminent. Chapter 36 - The Cohesion of a Clan Chapter 36 The Cohesion of a Clan However, these were all large, systematic projects, and could not be completed in a day or two. Even if he was anxious, he could not rush things. Wang Shouzhe simply boarded the slightly larger boat in the inland river, stepped on the tall pile of rice bags, and headed back to the Wang Clan¡¯s main residence through the waterway of Bountiful Farm. The boats in the inland river were all very small. This largest boat was only about 60 feet in length, and had reached its limit after carrying only 400 to 500 quintals of grain. Their load capacity was far inferior to that of the riverboats. Furthermore, they were not powered by sails, and relied only on the boatmen to row the oars and propel them forward. Fortunately, the water flow in the inland rive was stable. With the oars and punting poles, they were at least able to travel with difficulty. However, they took more than two hours to cross the winding riverway that was only 20 miles in distance. Converted to speed in Earth¡¯s metrics, this was only equal to about two kilometers per hour. The fleet passed through the narrowing mouth of the river and entered Lake Zhuwei. On the relatively narrow Lake Zhuwei, one could already see the buildings of the Wang Clan¡¯s main residence below the steep mountain face. However, Wang Shouzhe was in no hurry to return. Instead, he continued to observe the terrain of Lake Zhuwei on the boat. ¡°She¡± was slightly oval in shape, about six or seven miles long and about four or five miles wide. The total area of the water body had already exceeded ten thousand acres. The surface of the lake was clean and magnificent, and its surroundings were filled with mudflats and reedbeds, giving the scenery a primitive beauty. Perhaps the ¡°natives¡± might find it desolate, but for Wang Shouzhe, who was used to seeing big cities and traces of humanity everywhere, this primitive scenery made him particularly comfortable. Even his mood was much improved. If such a large area of water could be used to rear spirit fishes, it would be great, Wang Shouzhe thought to himself. However, there was also a huge disadvantage to Lake Zhuwei. Her water was too shallow, generally less than ten feet deep, and there was too much mud at the bottom. Forget about spirit fishes, even ordinary large fishes would find the water too shallow. Moreover, in this fantasy world, large-scale farming of fishes was not mainstream. At most, they would catch some small fishes and throw them into the pond, allowing them to grow freely. The reason for this was that firstly, there were many types of fishes in the wilderness. Even though the fishing techniques were crude, as long as one went out to catch fish, there would be a good catch. Secondly, due to the restriction of fishing techniques, even if funds and manpower were invested into rearing fishes in the vast lake, fishing from it would still very difficult. It was better to carry out fishing in the bountiful An River instead. For example, for Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai, it would take him two months to weave a small dragnet with 20 weavers¡­ The difficulty of fencing a large area in the lake with nets could be well imagined. The greatest difficulty in rearing fishes lay in technologies such as water quality management, density management, disease management and scientific feeding. If one was not careful, many reared fishes would die, resulting in a loss of all investments. However, this world was big, and there were countless Arcane Martial Clans. Naturally, there were already clans that had some success in the fish rearing industry. For example, the Lu Clan of Yingxiu had already mastered some fish rearing techniques and developed industries. It was just that the Arcane Martial Clans had always valued their production technologies very much, and were very good at keeping them confidential. In some core industries, even the women of the family were not allowed to participate, for fear that they would spread the technology after they married out. Even with Wang Shouzhe¡¯s relationship with the Lu Clan, it was impossible for him to obtain their fish rearing techniques. The lockdown of various clan technologies also caused the overall production technology of the entire Arcane Martial World to fall behind. Although there were many criticisms regarding the strategy of patented technology on Earth, it did indeed cause a technological storm. In a short period of time, all kinds of technological inventions flourished. Even so, Wang Shouzhe preferred not having all kinds of flourishing technologies in the Arcane Martial World. His greatest advantage now was that he was ¡°knowledgeable¡± and had a ¡°forward-thinking¡± vision that exceeded this world. He was only vaguely aware of many technologies, but he knew about one thing and the general direction. For example, there was the famous MSG, sodium glutamate, a wonderful product that changed the human taste system. If you asked Wang Shouzhe to make it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do it, even after some eight to ten years. However, if he found a group of smart people to specialize in this area and engage in similar research, as the direction was relatively clear, with luck, it could be done in 20 to 30 years. No matter how unlucky they were, as long as the related technologies were constantly accumulated, they should be able to produce them in a hundred years, right? There was also equipment for shawling or weaving, such as the famous ¡°spinning jenny¡±, a must-have item for transmigrators. Wang Shouzhe wouldn¡¯t be able to draw the blueprint even with his life on the line. However, he knew about the existence of this item, and knew a little about the vague direction of the principles. If a group of craftsmen was hired to slowly work on it, sooner or later, they would be able to figure it out. UULI If such a thing was created, it would definitely be more powerful than that of a ¡°Spirit Insect Master¡± like Wang Luojing. Of course, these were all just speculations. Before the clan had the power to bear it, establishing these things was purely suicide. Forget about everything else, just the Xu Clan of Changning, whose main business was the textile industry, would fall out with the Wang Clan in a matter of minutes, as the ¡°spinning jenny¡± would definitively threaten the foundation of the Xu Clan¡¯s survival. Digressions aside for now. Wang Shouzhe¡¯s fleet gradually sped up in Lake Zhuwei. In less than an hour, they arrived at the pier in the backyard of the Wang Clan¡¯s main residence. Although this pier and this waterway were not commonly used, most of the farms that used this waterway for transporting food and supplies to the clan. Although the waterway was relatively slow, the amount of transport was relatively large. Moreover, it could allow them to maintain fewer carriages. Feeding horses was much more expensive than feeding people. On the dock in the backyard of the usually uninhabited Wang Clan¡¯s main residence. There was a crowd at this moment. Leading the crowd were two women. One of them was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s mother, Gongsun Hui. Not far behind her was a young lady, Wang Luotong. After that were the four clan guards, three of whom were women. Something worth mentioning was that three out of the Wang Clan¡¯s current nine clan guards were female clan guards. Just as the boats were about to dock, about 80 feet away, Wang Shouzhe tapped his foot and leaped into the air. He swept towards the dock like a huge bird. In just two breaths, he landed steadily on the pier. This was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s current leaping ability. It completely crushed any long-jump and high-jump champions on Earth. However, it was also not some being that could soar in the sky and shatter mountains with a single punch in some high-level martial fantasies. ¡°Mother, why are you back? Aren¡¯t you going to spend more time with Grandfather and Grandmother at the maternal family?¡± Wang Shouzhe clasped his hands at Gongsun Hui. ¡°Previously, you wrote to my brother, Gongsun Qiang, to do something for you. I asked Wang Zhong about it and learned that someone needs to assist you at the main residence,¡± said Gongsun Hui. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know the exact details, I think it¡¯s best to rush back to the clan as soon as possible to help. Previously, in your letter, you said that you wanted to free up the warehouse in the backyard. Currently, only a portion has been freed up.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Mother. A portion of it is enough for the time being.¡± Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands repetitively. He also felt a little warm and touched. Madam Gongsun Hui was really dedicated to considering the problems from the Wang Clan¡¯s perspective. She also did her best to assist Wang Shouzhe in ruling the clan. ¡°Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Luotong bowed to Wang Shouzhe. There was a slight stir in her eyes. Previously, Fourth Brother had entrusted her with some tasks in the letter. What did this mean? It meant that Fourth Brother thought highly of her. She also wanted to do her best for the clan and for Fourth Brother like her sister, Wang Luojing. ¡°Luotong, thank you for your hard work. Eh, you¡¯ve broken through to the third level of the Qi Refining Realm?¡± Wang Shouzhe¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Under the Art of Qi Observation, Wang Luotong¡¯s aura was much stronger than before. Moreover, she was somewhat unable to control the phenomenon of her aura leaking. ¡°Congratulations.¡± ¡°I have to thank Fourth Brother.¡± Wang Luotong¡¯s cheeks were slightly flushed as she said happily, ¡°If not for you ordering the clan treasury to send me a ¡®Small Essence Enhancing Pill¡¯, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to break through so quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also because you worked hard enough. You¡¯ve already been training yourself at the peak of the second level of the Qi Refining Realm for a while,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with appreciation. ¡°Continue to work hard in the future and set an example for the clan¡¯s younger siblings and juniors.¡± After understanding her situation previously, he naturally wouldn¡¯t sit back and watch her slowly train herself at the peak of the second level of the Qi Refining Realm. Therefore, before he left, he transferred a Small Essence Enhancing Pill from the clan treasury to Wang Luotong She was rather hardworking and broke through immediately. At least, she was much stronger than that little bastard, Wang Zongwei, who was already 20 years old, yet still dawdling in the advanced state of the second level of the Qi Refining Realm. ¡°Mm-hmm. Fourth Brother, Luotong will definitely work hard.¡± Wang Luotong¡¯s face lit up as she nodded repeatedly. To her, being able to obtain Fourth Brother¡¯s approval made her very happyq. As everyone spoke, the grain transport boats had already stopped at the pier one after another. Madam Gongsun Hui instructed the clan servants to transport the food to the empty room. Even Wang Luotong participated and became the main transport force of the food with a few female clan guards. She was already at the third level of the Qi Refining Realm. In terms of physical strength and strength, she far exceeded ordinary clan servants. She could carry four or five bags of rice at a time while walking at a fast pace. Madam Gongsun Hui initially wanted to stop her, but she was stopped by Wang Shouzhe. Since Luotong wanted to contribute to the clan this way, she could do as she pleased. Moreover, even the Fourth Young Mistress of the Luo generation of the clan was involved in transporting food, and she was even sweating profusely. The clan servants and clan guards worked even harder, not daring to slack off in the slightest. They looked as if their morale was at an all-time high. This was how the cohesion of a clan was built, little by little. Chapter 37 - Understanding between Mother and Son Chapter 37 Understanding between Mother and Son Of course, Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui could not participate arbitrarily. Otherwise, not only would it not increase the morale of the clan servants and guards, it would cause them to panic. The entire transportation channel had already been established, so Wang Shouzhe no longer participated in it. Such a large amount of food transportation was not something that could be settled in a short period of time. This was not a gaming world where the food delivery mission could be completed with a click of the mouse. In addition, he was the patriarch of a clan, so he naturally had to focus on the major matters and delegate the minor ones, looking at the situation as a whole. If he did everything personally and participated from the start to the end, what was the use of those clansmen and clan guards? Even Madam Gongsun Hui was called away by him. The last part of the entire transport line was completely entrusted to Wang Luotong to manage. The girls in the family had to be responsible as well. As he walked and chatted with Gongsun Hui, they passed through the huge backyard and entered the backyard of the Wang Clan¡¯s main residence. Then, they slowly walked to the residence of the patriarch¡¯s heir apparent, where he had grown up. His personal manservant, Wang Gui, was tidying up the courtyard with two servants. When he saw Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui, he immediately stepped forward and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Patriarch, Madam.¡± Wang Gui was Wang Shouzhe¡¯s servant. He came from an honest background and was originally a collateral descendant of the Wang Clan. Most importantly, he was a talented young man among the collateral descendants, with an aptitude of Third Rank, Lower Tier. While he was only a personal manservant, he had served the patriarch¡¯s heir apparent since he was young. In the future, he would definitely be Wang Shouzhe¡¯s trusted aide. Once he established a family and gave birth to children with tiered aptitude, he would have a chance to be promoted to the direct lineage of the clan. Even his name would be included in the clan register. ¡°Wang Gui, this is the Little Spirit of Shanyang. Make a pot of tea for Mother and me.¡± Wang Shouzhe handed the spirit tea he brought back to the manservant, Wang Gui. ¡°Spirit tea?¡± Wang Gui had accompanied Wang Shouzhe for ten years, and had only ever seen spirit tea for a few times. He was immediately stunned. ¡°Zhe¡¯er, you must not. This is something your grandfather gave you to drink alone.¡± Gongsun Hui immediately rejected him. ¡°These few years are the most critical period for your growth. You have to break through to the eighth or even the ninth level of the Qi Refining realm as soon as possible. That is more in line with the level of strength you should have as the patriarch!¡± ¡°Mother, don¡¯t decline. Weren¡¯t you curious about where this batch of aged grain came from? Let¡¯s drink some spirit tea together. I¡¯ll tell you slowly.¡± Wang Shouzhe invited firmly and berated Wang Gui, ¡°What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and brew the tea.¡± ¡°Y-y-yes.¡± Wang Gui shuddered and hurriedly retreated. With her legitimate son so determined, Gongsun Hui also couldn¡¯t refuse. At the square table in the hall in his courtyard, the two of them sat opposite each other. Not long after, the manservant, Wang Gui, served a pot of spirit tea, some fruits, candied plums, and other snacks. Then, he bowed and left. ¡°Zhe¡¯er, your courtyard no longer befits your status as the patriarch.¡± Gongsun Hui looked around and said, ¡°After my first year of mourning is over, I¡¯ll move out of the main courtyard and make room for you. When the time comes, it¡¯ll also be more convenient for you to marry the daughter of the Liu Clan.¡± ¡°Mother, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled indifferently and raised his hand to pour two cups of tea for each of them. ¡°My courtyard is quite nice, and I¡¯m used to living here. Just stay with Sister Luomiao properly. Don¡¯t go to all that unnecessary trouble.¡± ¡°How can this be called unnecessary trouble? You¡¯re the patriarch of the clan now, so you should live in the main courtyard,¡± said Gongsun Hui. ¡°Besides, even if you are used to staying here, the young mistress of the Liu Clan might not be. Once she enters the Wang Clan, I¡¯ll have to hand over my accounts and finances to her. These are all the rules of the clan.¡± However, Wang Shouzhe shook his head and said, ¡°Even if Lady Liu marries into the clan, she¡¯s still your daughter-in-law. How can she overstep her bounds like this? Let¡¯s not talk about this for now. Mother, have some tea first. I¡¯ll tell you about the gains from this trip in detail. There are still many things that I need to discuss with you next.¡± To Wang Shouzhe, Madam Gongsun Hui was mature and reliable. Added to her status, her prestige within the clan was very high. Even the prestige of a few elders was inferior to hers. If cultivating every day could revitalize the clan, he wouldn¡¯t mind doing so. However, his horizons and goals were far beyond those of those elders. With his status as a young patriarch, if he wanted to improve the clan radically, he would definitely encounter resistance from the conservative faction. Madam Gongsun Hui, on the other hand, would likely be his strongest and most resolute ally. She was the main daughter of the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang! Gongsun Hui took a sip of the spirit tea as instructed. Her eyes were also filled with curiosity. Ever since this legitimate son of hers took charge, he had suddenly become more and more mature. Even she could not understand many of his methods. After a slight pause, Wang Shouzhe explained how he had obtained a large sum of money and food from the Qian¡¯s Trading Company. Of course, he concealed his secret pact with Qian Xue¡¯an. Gongsun Hui¡¯s mouth kept hanging agape as her eyes gradually widened. This¡­ This was just too unbelievable and audacious. He had relied on some foresight information regarding the outbreak of the pest disaster to attack so decisively and manipulate even the Qian Clan. This maneuver was something that Gongsun Hui would never have thought of. Moreover, she felt a lingering fear. After all, Shouzhe had used the family¡¯s reputation to mortgage 4,200 gold! If his prediction failed, he would probably become the greatest profligate in the history of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an! Even though this matter had already succeeded, Gongsun Hui¡¯s heart was still in turmoil. She found it difficult to calm down. It was bold, way too bold! ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t blame Zhe¡¯er for not discussing it with you beforehand. The opportunity of this matter was fleeting, and I couldn¡¯t afford to discuss it slowly with the clan.¡± Wang Shouzhe sipped his tea calmly and said, ¡°This sum of money can be transferred into the clan¡¯s accounts, but only announce to the elders that I borrowed the money from the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang and the Lu Clan of Yingxiu, in case the elders can¡¯t digest this news and cause needless trouble.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Gongsun Hui drank two cups of spirit tea in a row before she could calm her emotions and banish the distracting thoughts. She finally understood why her legitimate son wanted her to drink spirit tea when hearing the news. The impact of this news was too great, and he was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it. After calming her mind, Gongsun Hui said slowly, ¡°Zhe¡¯er invited me to drink spirit tea. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not as simple as just telling me about the news, right?¡± ¡°Heh, Mother is insightful. I really can¡¯t hide these personal thoughts from you,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s just that I find some disadvantages to the system of the clan, especially in the sequence rankings. It only looks at bloodline, aptitude, and gender, which is very undesirable. It lacks a competitive mechanism, over-nourishes the younger generation, and so on.¡± Gongsun Hui frowned and said, ¡°You¡¯re referring to that child Zongwei, right? I¡¯ve already heard about his matter. Right now, he has already been escorted back by Shouyi¡¯s people. It¡¯s said that Shouxin was furious after hearing about it and personally rushed back from Silkworm Farm, almost breaking Wang Zongwei¡¯s leg with the beating. I heard that he¡¯s still locked in the woodshed.¡± ¡°Mother, what do you think about this?¡± Wang Shouzhe sipped his tea and said with seeming casualness. Gongsun Hui pondered for a moment and said after some deliberation, ¡°That child is indeed rather disgraceful. As the patriarch and the elder, it¡¯s only right for you to teach him a lesson. It¡¯s not a problem for you to strip him of his cultivation resources at the last minute as punishment. However, you have to consider the dignity of Second Old Master, Uncle Dingchuan, and your Eldest Brother Shouxin. After all, they have worked hard for the clan their entire lives. You can¡¯t possibly transfer the treatment he deserves to Luotong forever, right?¡± ¡°Mother, look. This is why Zhe¡¯er wants to have tea with you to discuss things.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled confidently. ¡°Even you think so, let alone others.¡± ¡°Could it be that you really want to deprive Wang Zongwei of his resources forever?¡± Gongsun Hui said in surprise. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be harming your Eldest Brother Shouxin¡¯s line of descent?¡± ¡°Of course they won¡¯t be deprived forever, but if he wants his share back, no one has a say in it, not even me,¡± Wang Shouzhe said calmly. Gongsun Hui was slightly taken aback. ¡°If not even you have a say in it, who does?¡± Just as he was about to reply, a middle-aged woman¡¯s voice came from outside the door. ¡°Fourth Brother-in-law¡­ Is Fourth Brother-in-law Shouzhe home?¡± Gongsun Hui¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°It¡¯s Zongwei¡¯s mother. This woman descended from the Xu Clan of Changning, and has always been arrogant and difficult to deal with. Shouzhe, you have to be careful.¡± However, Wang Shouzhe smiled confidently. ¡°Mother, you must be joking. Madam Xu is my eldest sister-in-law. We¡¯re family. What¡¯s there to deal with?¡± Right away, he pushed the door open and went out to welcome her personally. With a warm smile, he cupped his hands and said, ¡°Eldest Sister-in-law, why didn¡¯t you inform me beforehand that you¡¯re coming to visit personally? I could have gone out to pick you up.¡± Even Gongsun Hui was a little taken aback by such a smooth change in attitude. This legitimate son of hers was really quite formidable. Now, not only did she feel that her brother Gongsun Qiang was far inferior to him, she even felt that her late husband Wang Dingyue was far inferior to him. Chapter 38 - What Sorcery Did Fourth Brother Use? Chapter 38 What Sorcery Did Fourth Brother Use? Standing in front of Wang Shouzhe was a middle-aged woman dressed in an exquisite manner. She wore a pearl hairpin in her hair and a jade bracelet on her wrist. She was wearing high-heeled boots with rolled tips and a luxurious, colorful cloud-patterned silk dress. She looked like a noblewoman from the city. In addition, she had also meticulously groomed herself before coming over. Her face was powdered, and her lips were colored with red. She did not look like someone in her forties at all, but like a mature woman in her late twenties. It could be seen that she usually took good care of herself. Moreover, Eldest Brother Wang Shouxin must have doted on her very much and indulged her a lot. However, her eyes were a little red. Clearly, she had been crying not long ago. What was extremely rare was that she was holding onto a large bamboo basket, which was covered with a red cloth. Seeing that Wang Shouzhe was so polite, Madam Xu¡¯s originally anxious emotions and the hostility dissipated slightly. She immediately curtsied in return properly, ¡°Greetings, Fourth Brother-in-law.¡± ¡°Eldest Sister-in-law, you are too polite.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled very sincerely. ¡°Eldest Sister-in-law, come here. Please come to the side hall to rest. It just so happens that Mother is here too.¡± As he spoke, he politely led Madam Xu into the side hall. Madam Xu¡¯s expression tensed. When she saw Gongsun Hui, she hurriedly bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Madam Hui.¡± She had always been proud and arrogant. As a direct daughter of the Xu Clan of Changning, she had the mentality that she was marrying below her status to Wang Shouxin. However, no matter how proud she was, she did not dare to put on airs in front of the main daughter of the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang Moreover, Madam Gongsun was wife to the former patriarch, the legitimate mother of the current patriarch, and her elder! ¡°Oh, looks like someone from Shouxin¡¯s family is here. What brings you here?¡± There was a hint of forcefulness in Gongsun Hui¡¯s words, but she was all smiles as she said, ¡°Come in, come in, sit down and talk. You¡¯ve come at the right time to try the Little Spirit of Shanyang that Shouzhe¡¯s grandfather planted personally.¡± She put on the tone of an elder and used the words ¡°Shouxin¡¯s family¡± to directly emphasize the fact that Madam Xu was Wang Shouxin¡¯s wife. Clearly, there was a hint of warning ¡°No, no, no. How could I sit in front of Madam Hui?¡± Madam Xu smiled awkwardly. She didn¡¯t expect Madam Gongsun to be here as well. If she did, she would never have dared to find Wang Shouzhe at this moment. Moreover, the tea that the mother and son drank sounded like spirit tea. With her status in Xu Clan of Changning, how could she possibly get to drink spirit tea? As for after she married Wang Shouxin, that was even more out of the question¡­ ¡°Fourth Brother-in-law, you¡¯re the mainstay of the clan.¡± Madam Xu gave a slightly ingratiating smile and handed over the basket in her hand. ¡°I just saw that cultivation is usually so tiring for you, so I brought you some fresh ingredients to nourish your body. I won¡¯t disturb the conversation between mother and son anymore¡­¡± With that, she put down the basket and prepared to leave. ¡°Sister-in-law, wait a moment.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled and stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to come over to my place. Have some tea first. Moreover, I haven¡¯t seen Brother Shouxin in a long time. I heard that he happened to have something on and returned to the main residence. I¡¯ll get my manservant to invite him over so that we can have a meal to catch up.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Madam Xu was rather overwhelmed by the favor, but she looked at Gongsun Hui with some trepidation. ¡°Shouzhe is Wang Clan¡¯s Patriarch. If he wants you to sit, you may sit.¡± Gongsun Hui¡¯s attitude became slightly more amiable. Only then did Madam Xu sit down hesitantly. Although she was dressed luxuriously, before Gongsun Hui, who was dressed rather plainly, it didn¡¯t give her a regal air at all. Wang Shouzhe summoned Wang Gui and instructed, ¡°Inform the main kitchen to cook a large portion of the swine that Fourth Old Master sent over. Don¡¯t stew the meat for too long. In addition, find a chef with good culinary skills to set up a small stove in our courtyard, and cut two catties of Spirit Horn Yak meat. Oh, and bring over that pot of spirit wine as well. You can do whatever you want with the other fresh fruits and vegetables.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch. By the way, Sixth Master sent someone to put a fresh Crimson-scaled Eel into the clan¡¯s ice cellar. The most precious spirit eel blood was also processed into blood tofu. He said that you captured it yourself, Patriarch. It belongs to your private stash of ingredients, and only you may eat it,¡± Wang Gui reminded from the side. ¡°Heh, ignore his words.¡± Wang Shouzhe smiled and said, ¡°Cut a section from the prime mid-section of the Crimson-scaled Eel, and bring over the blood tofu as well. The rest can be stored in the public stash and distributed according to needs for everyone for a change of taste. After you¡¯ve made the arrangements, go and invite Big Brother Shouxin over.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± Wang Gui received the order and retreated. ¡°Fourth Brother-in-law, this¡­ this is too sumptuous¡­ It¡¯s too expensive for you.¡± Madam Xu¡¯s body was trembling. She said weakly, ¡°Make it simpler, simpler.¡± ¡°Sister-in-law, what are you saying? Wang Shouxin is my big brother, and you are my eldest sister-in-law. It¡¯s rare for us to gather as a family for meals. How can we just eat simply?¡± Wang Shouzhe personally took a teacup and poured Madam Xu a cup of spiritual tea. ¡°Sister-in-law, try this Little Spirit of Shanyang first. Drink it while it¡¯s hot for the best effects.¡± Madam Xu took a sip of tea while trembling. The bitterness and unique flavor of the spirit tea struck her heart. For a moment, she felt like crying In the 19 years she had been a daughter of the Xu Clan of Changning, and the 21 years she had married into the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an, she had never had the fortune to drink a cup of spirit tea. This was the first cup of spirit tea in her life, and Wang Shouzhe was actually the one who offered it to her. Originally, when she came here, she was already prepared to beg him. If it really didn¡¯t work out, she was prepared to make a scene and shout abuses in public to blow up the matter, and alert all the clansmen. For the sake of her son, she could not care about anything else, and was willing to risk all her dignity. However, she had never expected that Wang Shouzhe, as a distinguished main descendant of the clan and Patriarch, would actually treat her, his eldest sister-in-law, with such respect. ¡°Fourth Brother-in-law, about that¡­¡± In an instant, Madam Xu felt that she couldn¡¯t quite mention the matter. Wang Shouzhe had been so friendly to her and her husband. Perhaps things had a chance of turning around for the matter. ¡°Eldest Sister-in-law, you are talking about that child Zongwei, right?¡± Wang Shouzhe did not intend to avoid this question at all. Instead, he smiled and said, ¡°I already have plans for this matter. Let¡¯s talk about it when Big Brother comes later. Eldest Sister-in-law, have some snacks to fill yourself first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Madam Xu hurriedly swallowed her words. Judging from Wang Shouzhe¡¯s attitude, it didn¡¯t seem like he intended to keep dealing with the matter severely. However, she still felt a little uneasy. Not long after, the clan¡¯s cook arrived. After paying her respects to Wang Shouzhe, she was about to start a fire in the small kitchen in the courtyard when she was stopped by Wang Shouzhe. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go to all that trouble. Just slice the fresh ingredients. Slice the Spirit Yak beef and the Crimson-scaled Eel into thin slices and place them on the plate, the thinner the better. In addition, use top-grade charcoal to make a brazier. Also, prepare a clean copper basin, clear water, and some salt.¡± Although the cook was confused, she did not dare to disobey the patriarch¡¯s order. She naturally followed his instructions. ¡°Zhe¡¯er, what are you doing?¡± Gongsun Hui asked curiously. ¡°Why are you making a brazier on such a hot day?¡± ¡°Mother, you¡¯ll find out in a while,¡± said Wang Shouzhe with a smile. ¡°This is a method of cooking that I¡¯ve seen in ancient books. It¡¯s creative and very delicious.¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more confusing. Just don¡¯t waste precious spirit food.¡± Gongsun Hui suppressed her curiosity and held Madam Xu¡¯s hand, asking about her well-being. She was very surprised by Wang Shouzhe¡¯s methods of dealing with the matter of Wang Zongwei. At least he wasn¡¯t suppressing it with brute force using his authority as Patriarch. However, based on her understanding of Madam Xu, she wouldn¡¯t give up so easily. Hence, Gongsun Hui was even more curious about how her son would deal with the subsequent matters. After a while, Wang Shouxin hurriedly rushed over under Wang Gui¡¯s lead. Once he entered the house, his expression turned cold and angry. He berated Madam Xu, ¡°You ignorant housewife, how dare you¡­ how dare you come and find Shouzhe¡­¡± Wang Shouxin was already 43 years old this year. He had a square face and a beard, looking rather imposing even without anger. Unexpectedly, his tactic did not work on Madam Xu at all. Her temper, which had been suppressed by Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui, erupted all of a sudden. ¡°Wang Shouxin! What kind of bullsh*t are you talking about? Zongwei is already in such a state. How can I not beg your brother to let him off? Zongwei is my son. How can I just watch while he¡¯s beaten to death by you? Or watch while his future is robbed by that good-for¡­ that Wang Luotong?¡± Normally, she would already have blurted out the ¡®good-for-nothing¡¯. However, in front of Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui, she absolutely did not dare to say it. She swallowed it back at the last moment. ¡°Y-y-you¡­ Shouzhe is Patriarch. Moreover, that little bastard deserves to be beaten and punished,¡± Wang Shouxin said angrily with a flushed face. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t protected him, I would have¡­¡± However, this tactic of his clearly could not suppress Madam Xu. ¡°Eldest Sister-in-law, Big brother.¡± To prevent their argument from escalating, Wang Shouzhe immediately waved his hand and stopped them. ¡°We¡¯re all family. What¡¯s the point of arguing? Sit down and eat first. We can talk about it while we eat.¡± ¡°Yes, Brother-in-law.¡± Madam Xu immediately put away her shrewish air docilely. After sitting down obediently, she said gently, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to Brother-in-law. We¡¯re family. No arguments. Let¡¯s be reasonable.¡± ¡°Hss!¡± jas On the side, Wang Shouxin gasped, his heart filled with shock and bewilderment. Did his fourth brother use some kind of spell? This was the first time he had seen Madam Xu so docile and obedient in his entire life. She had instantly suppressed her violent temper and was even being reasonable now? Chapter 39 - Ill Listen to You! Fourth Brother-in-law Chapter 39 I¡¯ll Listen to You! Fourth Brother-in-law ¡°Big Brother, you can sit down too.¡± Wang Shouzhe stood up and cupped his hands in invitation. ¡°Fourth Brother.¡± There was a complex expression on Wang Shouxin¡¯s slightly weathered face. More than that, there was some shame. He opened his mouth, but hesitated and sat down. ¡°It¡¯s rare to have a meal with Big Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law,¡± Wang Shouzhe said tactfully. ¡°Everyone, have a taste of the clear hotpot.¡± Water was boiled in the copper basin on the high-quality carbon brazier. There was only some salt, as well as cooking wine and ginger for improving flavor, sprinkled in the water. The thin slices of Spirit Horn Yak beef were dipped inside. In a couple of seconds, they were cooked. ¡°This?¡± Everyone was a little surprised and uncertain. How could the food be delicious with such a simple cooking method? The spirit food shouldn¡¯t be wasted. However, as soon as the thin slices of meat entered the mouths, they found it fresh, chewy and tender. A fiery energy of Qi and blood surged throughout their entire body from the abdomen. ¡°The best ingredients should be cooked with the simplest method.¡± Wang Shouzhe poured spirit wine for everyone and said unhurriedly. ¡°Only by doing so can you taste the most original flavor of the food. Big Brother, you started working at Silkworm Farm when you were 18. In the blink of an eye, 25 years have passed. In thanks of your dedicated and uncomplaining contributions to the clan over all these years, I toast you.¡± Eating spirit meat with spirit wine was a rare experience for Wang Shouxin, even having lived to the age of 43. Wang Shouzhe¡¯s words especially warmed his heart. He hurriedly lifted his wine cup and said, ¡°It¡¯s my duty. Those are just my duty.¡± After the two of them finished their drinks at one go, Wang Shouzhe solemnly toasted Madam Xu. ¡°Eldest Sister-in-law, you¡¯ve been married into the Wang Clan for 21 years. You¡¯ve added two sons and two daughters to the eighth generation of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an. You¡¯ve worked hard, and you¡¯re a great contributor to the Wang Clan. I toast you.¡± Madam Xu¡¯s heart ached all of a sudden. That¡¯s right, had anyone known the difficulties therein? Yet apart from Shouzhe, no one had ever praised her like this. She immediately raised her wine glass and replied in a slightly choked voice, ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Fourth Brother-in-law.¡± This spirit wine was so sweet that even her body felt as if it was floating. ¡°Mother, you married my father during your prime years. Not only do you have to work hard to manage the clan business, you¡¯ve also treated my older sister and I as your own, taking good care of us in all aspects and raising us.¡± Wang Shouzhe toasted the third cup of wine and said, ¡°Shouzhe will always remember your kindness and beneficence.¡± Gongsun Hui froze as a lump rose in her throat. She glared and said with mild balefulness, ¡°Luoyi is my legitimate daughter, and you¡¯re my legitimate son. It¡¯s only right that I take care of and raise you two. Why are you saying all this for no reason?¡± However, despite saying that, she drank this cup of spirit wine with joy. Shouzhe¡¯s gratitude was enough to prove that all her hard work over the years had not been in vain. With these words, everyone gradually relaxed. After three rounds of drinks, most of the pot of spirit wine was finished. The spirit wine was the most intoxicating item, and everyone was already a little drunk. ¡°Fourth Uncle.¡± Madam Xu also began to muster up her courage to say, ¡°I also know that that little bastard Zongwei deserves to be beaten and punished. However, can Fourth Uncle spare him this once on account of your sister-in-law and big brother? Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely teach him a good lesson later.¡± As soon as these words were out, even Wang Shouxin stopped drinking. His gaze was also slightly expectant. Although he wished he could kill that little bastard, he was still his son after all. How could parents not want their children to succeed in life? ¡°Sister-in-law, Big Brother, we¡¯re family.¡± Wang Shouzhe put down his wine cup and said solemnly, ¡°Zongwei is my nephew, and also the future hope of the younger generation of the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an. The two of you wish for your son to succeed in life. How could I, as his Fourth Uncle, have any reason to wish against it?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Fourth Brother-in-law is right.¡± Madam Xu beamed with joy. ¡°You decide what the disciplinary actions should be. We¡¯ll listen to whatever you say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple. From now on, all youngsters below the age of 30 in the clan will be evaluated by their virtue and results.¡± Wang Shouzhe stated his final goal. ¡°I will arrange five sequences in terms of first sequence, second sequence, and so on. The rations and resources of the clan available to each sequence is different. Moreover, I will list various criteria and conduct an assessment every year.¡± ¡°What?¡± This surprised even Gongsun Hui. The clan would indeed define sequences for the younger generation, but they were usually determined after factors such as bloodline, potential, age, and so on, and fixed once they are determined. ¡°Not only that, I will also introduce a comprehensive system of contribution to the entire clan. As long as you contribute to the clan, you can obtain an unending stream of contribution points. With contribution points, you can exchange for various cultivation resources from the clan. You can even exchange for spirit tea, spirit wine, cultivation techniques, and anything in the clan¡¯s treasure vault,¡± Wang Shouzhe said seriously. ¡°As long as you have the ability, you can obtain more cultivation resources.¡± To put it bluntly, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s method came from the set-up in novels and games. This prevented everyone in the clan from gaining shares regardless of contributions. Although many clan members were willing to work hard without complaints, this was ultimately not a long-term solution. This was because things would be fine when everyone was poor. They worked hard while holding on to hope. In the future, when the clan became rich, their faith would deviate. ¡°But¡­ But this¡­¡± Madam Xu¡¯s mouth fell open.¡± What¡­ What has this got to do with Zongwei¡¯s incident?¡± ¡°Eldest Sister-in-law, you¡¯re confused,¡± Wang Shouzhe said. ¡°Is Zongwei¡¯s natural talent poor? It¡¯s not excellent, but it¡¯s not bad either, right? But why is he still only in the advanced second level of the Qi Refining Realm when he¡¯s already 20 years old? And even surpassed by some of his younger siblings? That¡¯s because he received all kinds of pampering since he was young. Some came from the Second Old Master, some from Eldest Uncle, and some from Eldest Sister-in-law and Big Brother. This caused him to lack competitiveness and refuse to work hard. Gradually, he developed all kinds of bad habits.¡± ¡°Then¡­ then can Zongwei still be saved?¡± Madam Xu asked weakly. To be honest, she was also very disappointed in her son¡¯s actions. However, no matter how disappointed she was, that was still her son. ¡°Yes!¡± Wang Shouzhe said seriously, ¡°The way to save him is to strip him of all his resources, and let him rely on himself to fight for cultivation resources. One gains courage from realizing their mistakes. He will rely on himself to enter the first sequence of the clan, and take back the cultivation resources that were stripped away from him. Only when he grows and improves bit by bit through his own efforts will he mature.¡± ¡°Fourth Brother is right.¡± Wang Shouxin smacked the table and voiced agreements. ¡°That little bastard¡¯s conditions are too good. How can he grow up without suffering a little?¡± ¡°But if the Zongwei still doesn¡¯t work hard¡­¡± Madam Xu said hesitantly, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he miss the best period for cultivation?¡±. ¡°Heh, if he¡¯s unwilling to work hard even in such a situation,¡± Wang Shouzhe said with a cold smile, ¡°Eldest Sister-in-law, can you still expect him to be successful in this lifetime? It¡¯s fine. Although our Wang Clan is a little poor, we can still afford to feed a leech. Eldest Sister-in-law, he isn¡¯t your only son. I think Zongchang is quite promising. I remember that he¡¯s only 13 years old this year, right? And he¡¯s already at the second level of the Qi Refining Realm. If such potential is properly nurtured, he will definitely be the mainstay of our Wang Clan in the future.¡± At the mention of Wang Zongchang, Madam Xu and Wang Shouxin both revealed gratified expressions. No matter what, this youngest son of theirs was still quite capable and was much better than his brother. ¡°Shouzhe, you¡¯re right.¡± Wang Shouxin seemed to have made up his mind as well. ¡°Then give that little bastard one last chance. If he still can¡¯t do it, he can fend for himself. I will treat it as if I¡¯ve never had this son.¡± Madam Xu was a little anxious. Just as she was about to say something, Wang Shouzhe consoled her, ¡°Eldest Sister-in-law, don¡¯t be anxious. Big Brother and I would never harm Zongwei. If it still doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll make arrangements. I really don¡¯t believe that we can¡¯t deal with that brat.¡± Hearing this, Madam Xu put away her anxiety and said gratefully to Wang Shouzhe, ¡°Fourth Brother-in-law, I¡¯ll leave everything to your decision, then.¡± Without realizing it, there was more reverence and trust towards Wang Shouzhe in her eyes. Since this matter had been settled, everyone stopped talking about it. Wang Shouzhe and Wang Shouxin, the two brothers, drank and interacted with each other. They only talked about their brotherly bond and finished the entire pot of spirit wine. After the meal, the rather drunk Wang Shouxin returned with the support of Madam Xu. Gongsun Hui, who had witnessed all of this, looked at Wang Shouzhe with both relief and lament. If Zongwei¡¯s matter hadn¡¯t been handled properly, it was very likely to drive a wedge between the two brothers. However, not only did he handle it very well, he even roped Madam Xu and Wang Shouxin into it as well. Just think about it. If even the most disappointing person in the clan, Wang Zongwei, had to follow the rules of sequencing, what reason did others have to object? ¡°Mother, regarding the clan¡¯s contribution points system, I¡¯ll have to trouble Mother to manage it.¡± Wang Shouzhe felt that Gongsun Hui was the best person to do this. Then, they began to discuss the various aspects of the contribution system. At the same time¡­ Wang Shouxin returned home with the support of Madam Xu. Madam Xu also seemed a little tipsy. She said with a flushed face, ¡°Shouxin, I think Fourth Brother-in-law is really not a simple person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Why don¡¯t you take a look at whose brother he is?¡± Wang Shouxin said smugly. ¡°If he didn¡¯t have to take charge of the clan, Fourth Brother might already be a student of the Violet Palace Academy.¡± Today, Wang Shouzhe¡¯s various actions made him feel much more respected. He felt like he was holding his head high in front of Madam Xu. ¡°You¡¯re so full of it¡­ What are you trying to do, old man?¡± Madam Xu had only spoken halfway when Wang Shouxin hugged her. She immediately frowned and got grumpy. ¡°Didn¡¯t Fourth Brother praise you for being a great contributer?¡± Wang Shouxin carried Madam Xu and headed to the bedroom. ¡°We can¡¯t disappoint Fourth Brother. We have to give birth to more children and contribute more to the clan.¡± ¡°Wang Shouxin, you bastard. Do you think I¡¯m¡­ Ah¡­¡± Chapter 40 - Obsession with a Cheat System Chapter 40 Obsession with a Cheat System The next five or six days passed without event. On the food transportation line, Gongsun Qiang and Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai completed their mission first. In return, Wang Shouzhe promised Gongsun Qiang that the last batch of aged grain could be transported back to the Gongsun Clan. Of course, they had to charge a fee for that and sell it to the Gongsun Clan at a flat price. In the end, his ¡°convenient uncle¡± was also a ¡°ruthless figure¡±. He got a total of 3,000 quintals on overloaded carriages and carried by mining workers. The next day, he eagerly sent 200 gold over for the grain purchases, as if he was afraid that Wang Shouzhe would go back on his word. It was no wonder he was so ruthless. The disaster in the entire Changning Wei was becoming more and more violent. The Arcane Martial Clans which had the ability to hire a Spirit Insect Master or had connections to purchase a large amount of insecticide powder at a high price could still hold out. However, most of the last-rate noble clans were not so lucky. Their fields were flooded with bugs, and they could only rely on a large amount of wood ash water to kill the bugs. However, the effects were limited against the increasing aphids, and a large-scale reduction in production was inevitable. Wang Shouzhe also heard some even worse news. It was very likely that this disaster had spread beyond the Longzuo County. Then, the food in their hands would become even more ¡°valuable¡±. At the same time, Wang Shouzhe did not idle about. Cultivating every day was mandatory. As he had been eating too well recently, the Qi and blood in his body were exuberant. Every day, he could clearly sense that his cultivation was firmly advancing towards the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm step by step. Of course, the path of cultivation was not easy. It was a process of gradually metamorphosing and strengthening the body. It required time and effort to proceed little by little. He also wished he could like those protagonists in fantasy worlds in novels, popping pills every day to increase his level effortlessly, or simply kill some chickens and dogs with a sword for his experience points to skyrocket. However, in his world, all those were fantasies. Everyone¡¯s cultivation level was obtained through perseverance and continuous cultivation. Apart from cultivation, Wang Shouzhe was also designing his system interface. Since his transmigration did come with a system, he could only rely on himself to create some crude system interfaces. First would be for the clan¡¯s expenses. Before sorting out the interface, Wang Shouzhe was rather confused about the clan¡¯s expenses. However, after checking with Mother¡¯s account book, he was really shocked. It turned out that the expenses of a clan were really huge. Consider the allocations and resources that Wang Shouzhe enjoyed as the current Patriarch. Annual allocation of general supplies: Three hundred catties of refined rice (24 large coppers), 150 catties of refined flour (15 large coppers), 200 catties of various vegetables (8 large coppers), 400 catties of fruits (48 large coppers), 20 catties of preserved fruit (20 large coppers), 250 catties of pork (75 large coppers), 150 catties of ordinary beef and mutton (60 large coppers), 100 poultries (60 large coppers), 30 geese (45 large coppers), 100 catties of eggs (20 large coppers), 20 catties of lard (8 large coppers), 20 catties of refined soybean oil (12 large coppers), 10 catties of high-grade soy sauce (20 large coppers), 5 catties of high-grade refined salt (20 large coppers), 1 catty of snowflake salt (10 large coppers), 10 catties of snowflake sugar (20 large coppers), 1 catty of condiments (10 large coppers), 5 catties of incense (20 large coppers), 500 catties of fine charcoal (15 large coppers), 30 quintals of amortized firewood (6 large coppers), amortized purchase of clothes and bedding (100 coppers), other amortized living necessities (20 large coppers). Just a portion of Wang Shouzhe¡¯s ordinary supplies alone cost a total of six gold and 51 large coppers per year. He looked at the list and felt that he was eating a bit too much. However, on careful thought, he really could eat a lot. He was already about to reach the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm, and his appetite was far beyond that of ordinary people. Moreover, cultivation did not just involve meditation and Qi refinement. He also needed to cultivate the Arcane Martial combat technique, movement technique, sword technique, control of the bow, and riding technique. Those consumed a great deal of physical strength as well. These ordinary food items could barely satisfy his current state. Madam Gongsun Hui would often transfer some of her allowance to Wang Shouzhe. Of course, this was only the minority. The majority was the annual allocation of resources for Wang Shouzhe¡¯s cultivation. Sixty catties of spirit rice (12 gold), 60 catties of spirit fish (20 gold), 60 catties of spirit meats (20 gold), and 12 Small Essence Enhancing Pills (120 gold). Cultivation resources worth 172 gold were provided to him alone every year. Moreover, as his cultivation level increased, this portion had to continue increasing. Otherwise, it could not keep up with his consumption at all. This was also why Wang Shouzhe was already about to reach the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm at such a young age. It was definitely not just because his cultivation aptitude was outstanding, but because the clan had invested a lot resources in him. Just think about it: although the clan¡¯s spirit fishes were produced by their own fishing fleet, the average amount was only about 400 catties per year. Wang Shouzhe¡¯s share alone would take up 60 catties. As for the source of spirit meats, there were more. They were usually hunted or purchased, because the Wang Clan did not have the financial resources and ability to rear Spirit Horn Yaks. For hunting, the clan would organize an autumn-and-winter hunt a month after the autumn harvest every year. It was mainly to train the abilities of the clansmen and replenish some meat at the same time. However, because they did not dare to go deep into the wilds in the Outland, they rarely caught dire beasts. At the very least, the Wang Clan had not hunted dire beasts in the autumn-and-winter hunt for five years. Therefore, the Wang Clan¡¯s main source of spirit meat was external purchases. This was also a huge expense. In addition, Wang Shouzhe was now the patriarch. He had a monthly allowance of five gold, which added up to 60 gold a year. He could use this sum of private money at will. As the patriarch, there were many places where private spendings were needed. Thus, just Wang Shouzhe¡¯s direct annual expenditure alone reached about 240 gold. This did not include the clan¡¯s amortized expenses for maintenance and repair of housing, expenses for the carriages and horses, and the expenses allocated to the specialized menservant, because those were all included in the clan¡¯s other expenses. Therefore, when some accounts were calculated, it was an astronomical figure. If he married his main wife, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to give her so many cultivation resources, only about a third of it. However, the expenses for the main wife of the patriarch were proportional to that of the patriarch. This would be another expense of over a hundred gold. In addition, the rest of the clan¡¯s expenses were also very astonishing. The average annual expense of all the clansmen of the bloodline, including Wang Shouzhe, was about 1,800 gold. The expenses and treatment of the nine clan guards and their families added up to nearly 350 gold. There were also seven clan guards who were minors or children in the midst of cultivation. The cost of this resource was about 80 gold. In addition, there were more than a hundred clan servants. They were divided into several levels, and their total annual expenses were about 170 gold. The total consumption of the personnel in the main residence of the clan reached 2,400 gold annually. Of course, this 2,400 gold wasn¡¯t all expenditure in gold. A considerable portion of it was provided as resources, and gold was just the measuring unit. For example, the white jade spirit rice produced by the spirit fields in the clan¡¯s Prosperous Farm would be included in the farm¡¯s earnings account when the resources entered the clan. When it was distributed to someone in the form of resources, its value would ultimately be reflected in gold. Similarly, when some live fishes, fresh fishes, and spirit fishes produced by Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai¡¯s fishing fleet entered the clan, they would also account for the profits, and the clan would also account for the expenses. Of course, such accounts only had supplies coming and going, and there would be no real transfer of gold on the accounts. Therefore, the so-called profits from the fishing fleet usually referred to the profits on the accounts, and not the earnings in the form of real money. This portion of the profits had already been converted into supplies for the clan. However, in such a huge Arcane Martial Clan, huge expenditures of resources were obviously unavoidable. In fact, because the Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an was too poor, their overall expenses were already considered low. Ancestor Longyan and the elders of the Xiao generation had already cut corners and tried their best to save on expenses. Fortunately, the clan still had three main industries for business. Among them, the Bountiful Farm, which practiced ordinary agriculture, was the industry with the lowest income in terms of accounts at the moment. Other farms like the Prosperous Farm were more productive because they had 20 acres of spirit fields. Apart from that, the Flourishing Silkworm Farm mainly produced raw silk cocoons and provided a long-term stable supply to the Xu Clan of Changning. Overall, most of the profits were in gold. As for the other two family businesses, the ¡°Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an¡¯s Fish Stall¡± and the ¡°fishing fleet¡± were all managed by juniors. In terms of earnings in the past years, they were far inferior to the three major industries. However, after Wang Shouzhe¡¯s work, the fishing fleet and the Wang Clan¡¯s fish stall definitely improve by leaps and bounds this year. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if their profits exceeded the main industries. Moreover, as the largest food-producing farm, the Bountiful Farm would also welcome a moment of glory due to the arrival of the pest disaster this year. More importantly, Wang Shouzhe brazenly made a big deal based on some information from the pest disaster. That wave of pure profit of over 10,000 gold was enough to bring qualitative changes to the Wang Clan, which had been living thriftily. At the thought of the huge stack of gold bills and the piles of food in the backyard, Wang Shouzhe felt a sense of pride! The Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an would definitely see a rise to power! After collecting his thoughts, Wang Shouzhe focused his attention on the self-made crude system interface. The first was the main interface. [Clan Name: Wang Clan of Ping¡¯an, Changning, Longzuo] (Clan Level): Ninth Grade [Clan Reputation]: [Town Reputation (75) Extraordinary Reputation] (City Reputation (21) Slight Fame] (County Reputation (00) Unknown] (Clan Industries): 5 (Click to check details) (Clan Members): (Within Clan (35)] (Married Out (10)] (Click to check details) (Clan In-laws]: 6 (Click to check details) (Clan Guards): (Adult (9)] [Minors (7)] (Click to check details) (Clan Servants]: [Adult (112)] [Minors (32)] (Click to check details) (Income List]: (Click to check details) After finishing this, even Wang Shouzhe felt that he had played too many games in his previous life and read too many system novels. If he did not create a ¡°system interface¡±, he would feel uncomfortable all over. However, this system was relatively simple. It was composed of paper panels, and there were many templates that needed to be added slowly. ¡°Click to check details.¡± Wang Shouzhe pretended to click on the item for clan industries, then jumped to the ¡°details¡± page of (Clan Industries). In reality, he only took out the small notebook for clan industries¡­ and he had punctured holes and bound it with thread himself¡­