Protect Our Patriarch

……

Just as Wang Dinghai's wife, Madam Chen, was leading a four or five-year-old boy with a delicate appearance to pay their respects, Wang Shihai's heart skipped a beat, sensing something was amiss.

Wang Shouzhe stepped forward and greeted first, "Shouzhe greets Sixth Aunt."

In any noble family, seniority and respect for elders are paramount. Even the clan leader or young clan leader must show the proper etiquette and respect when meeting their elders.

In fact, as the clan leader or young clan leader, one should set an example for the clan members, maintaining familial bonds and unity, showcasing a good family tradition.

Imagine if Wang Shouzhe relied on his position as clan leader or his outstanding achievements to disrespect elders and neglect the young. Other clan members would naturally follow suit over time. Such a family would inevitably become disunited and eventually decline.

Madam Chen first greeted the Ancestor, then somewhat nervously bowed to Wang Shouzhe, "Greetings, Shouzhe." She then urged Wang Shoucheng, "Hurry and pay your respects to your Fourth Brother."

"Greetings, Fourth Brother," Wang Shoucheng, his face pale with nervousness, greeted in a childish voice.

The reputation of Fourth Brother was terrifying among peers and juniors. Especially for the younger seventh and eighth generations, if caught by him, they would be tested rigorously...

If they passed the test smoothly, they would receive many rewards. But if caught being lazy, it would be troublesome... He would remember you, keep an eye on you, and find ways to torment you... making your nights restless.

These were all stories told by his older siblings...

"It's only been half a year, and Little Nine has grown quite a bit," Wang Shouzhe said with a kind smile, lifting Wang Shoucheng and patting his head, "Have you started your studies recently? How many characters have you learned? Can you do arithmetic?"

Wang Shouming and Wang Luoqing, who were standing nearby, stiffened. The kind tone and caring attitude brought them back to their "warm" childhood.

There were several times they failed Fourth Brother's tests, and upon returning home, they were beaten by their father, Wang Dinghai, and scolded tearfully by their mother for several nights.

"I-I know a few hundred characters..." the young Wang Shoucheng stammered nervously, swallowing hard, "I can also do some simple addition and subtraction."

Hearing this, Wang Shouzhe's interest was piqued.

He proceeded to test Wang Shoucheng, who, despite his nervousness, answered every question, showing that he had put in a lot of effort.

"Not bad, not bad," Wang Shouzhe praised, "It seems Sixth Aunt has put a lot of effort into teaching. You did a great job with Shouye, and now you're doing well with Shoucheng too."

As he spoke, Wang Shouzhe bowed slightly to Madam Chen, "Sixth Aunt, you've worked hard."

"It's no trouble, no trouble. It's Shouye and Shoucheng who are diligent," Madam Chen beamed with pride.

The two exchanged words back and forth.

Wang Shouming and Wang Luoqing exchanged awkward glances. They were only praising Shouye and Shoucheng, completely ignoring them. It was clear that the eldest and youngest were the favorites, while the middle ones were neglected.

After praising Shoucheng, Wang Shouzhe introduced Wang Shihai, "Shihai, this is our family's Little Nine of the Shou generation... and this is Sixth Great-Grandmother."

Wang Shihai's heart trembled, and his nose tingled. He had already sensed something was wrong and tried to hide in the back, but Fourth Uncle still remembered him. He was truly grateful!

But such is the way of noble families.

One cannot ignore seniority just because the other party is young. With tears in his heart and a smile on his face, Wang Shihai bowed, "Shihai greets Ninth Great-Grandfather and Sixth Great-Grandmother."

At that moment, Wang Shihai wished he could go home.

He should never have come alone. Now all the attention was focused on him.

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For the next stick of incense time.

Wang Shihai didn't know how he got through it. Fortunately, it wasn't customary for noble families to kowtow, or he would have been kowtowing non-stop!

Afterward.

Wang Shouzhe personally arranged Wang Shihai's accommodation. Knowing his young relative liked new things, he arranged for him to stay in the top-floor suite of the Wang Clan's internal guest hotel.

This lakeside hotel was originally built for Ancestor Long Yan's Celestial Banquet, incorporating many modern aesthetics from Earth. The top-floor suite was luxuriously and cleanly decorated, with hot water available 24/7, ceramic bathtubs, ceramic toilets, a bright array lighting system, and large floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of Zhuhui Lake.

Even the maids and servants were uniformly dressed and rigorously trained.

Everything was quite different from the traditional architectural and decorative style of the Great Qian.

"Fourth Uncle~" Wang Shihai looked around the suite like he was in a grand garden, finding everything new and exciting, "Why is this bed so bouncy? This ceramic toilet feels strange, and it's connected to the bottom. How do the servants empty it?"

"There are springs under the bed... As for the toilet and other things, you can experience them yourself," Wang Shouzhe said. "Press this bell, and a maid or servant will come to assist you. You can ask them to teach you."

"Rest for a while after your journey," Wang Shouzhe said. "I'll arrange a welcome banquet for you tonight. I need to go back home to handle some matters first."

"Fourth Uncle, I'm not tired. I can follow you around," Wang Shihai said energetically, looking ready to go wherever Fourth Uncle went.

"No, you are tired..." Wang Shouzhe said seriously.

"..." Wang Shihai was left speechless.

……

In Wang Shouzhe's courtyard.

Six-year-old Wang Liyue and three-year-old Wang Zongrui were being cared for by Liu Feifei.

Liu Feifei was Liu Ruolan's niece and had married into the Wang Clan, making her relationship with Liu Ruolan particularly close. The two families frequently interacted.

"Second Sister, Second Sister," Wang Zongrui, still with a childish voice, tugged at his sister's sleeve, "Why did Father get pulled away by Mother to Shuiyue Pavilion as soon as he came back?"

"I don't know either," Wang Liyue pouted slightly, also a bit unhappy. After all, she had barely seen her father before he was taken away by her mother. "Mother said something about concubines and fairies. She sounded very happy and pleased, saying Father had achieved great things and had become very capable..."

"That's praising Father. It must be a good thing," Wang Zongrui nodded seriously, "I'm really happy for Father..."

Liu Feifei, who was watching over them, broke out in a cold sweat. This was not a good thing at all... She was genuinely worried for Fourth Uncle... Aunt Ruolan was not someone to be trifled with.

……

Meanwhile.

In the Lingyun Holy Land, within the Purple Mansion lineage.

The Purple Mansion lineage was located in the northeastern part of the Lingyun Holy Land, encompassing a vast and rugged mountain range.

At the center of the mountain range lay a deep valley surrounded by peaks.

This valley was known as "Thunder Valley."

In the center of Thunder Valley stood a floating mountain called "Purple Sky Peak."

Purple Sky Peak was entirely composed of Thunder Stones. From a distance, it looked like a sharp sword piercing the sky. The peak was shrouded in thunderclouds, with blue and purple lightning occasionally tearing through the night sky, creating a series of explosive sounds, truly a sight to behold.

It was said that Purple Sky Peak was established by the first-generation ancestor of the Purple Mansion lineage, "Master Zixiao," and had a history of 6,800 years.

Unfortunately, the Purple Mansion lineage had not produced a Divine Realm master for two or three generations. The current Master Zixiao, despite his exceptional talent, had only reached the peak of the Zifu Realm.

Unwilling to accept this, Master Zixiao had entered seclusion, vowing not to emerge until he achieved the Divine Realm.

Fortunately, the Purple Mansion lineage was known for its powerful thunder techniques, making it a formidable force. Even without a Divine Realm master, it remained one of the nine lineages of the Holy Land, not to be underestimated.

Around Thunder Valley were the daily living quarters of the Purple Mansion lineage disciples. One of the peaks had its top flattened to create a training ground.

As night fell, many disciples had gathered on the training ground, led by their senior brothers and sisters in their evening exercises.

Depending on their strength, progress, and cultivation methods, the disciples were divided into several groups. Some practiced the Purple Sky Thunder Sword technique, others trained in body techniques or martial arts, and some engaged in sparring to gain combat experience.

In a corner, a few senior brothers and sisters formed a circle, discussing their cultivation insights.

The disciples of the Lingyun Holy Land were all highly talented, at least of middle-grade aptitude. For example, Ancestor Long Yan's aptitude would have made her an ordinary disciple here.

Only those with extraordinary talent could become core disciples and receive focused training from the various peaks and lineages.

As a result, although the total number of disciples was not large, their quality was exceptionally high. Any one of them would be considered an elite outside.

During a break in the evening exercises, a round-faced young man finished practicing a sword move and couldn't help but glance at the distant Purple Sky Peak, sighing, "How much longer will Master be in seclusion? I've been here for decades and haven't even seen Master once."

"Master is in a death seclusion, not emerging until he reaches the Divine Realm. It won't be that quick," a narrow-faced senior brother sighed, "I heard that when the Heavenly Fire Master of the neighboring Heavenly Fire lineage was breaking through to the Divine Realm, he was in seclusion for over 130 years. And that was a successful breakthrough. Some who fail to break through directly pass away."

"Don't dwell on it. With our aptitude and strength, even if Master comes out of seclusion, we might not have the chance to seek his guidance. If we have cultivation questions, we can ask the elders or senior disciples," another square-faced senior brother said optimistically. "Look at Senior Sister Cao. She's been here for 160 years, and Master has been in seclusion for 100 of those years, yet she has still reached the seventh level of the Celestial Realm."

"Senior Sister Cao?" The narrow-faced senior brother's eyes lit up, "Are you talking about Cao Youqing, who was in Monan Commandery recently?"

"Yes, that's her."

"I heard about her too," the round-faced young man said excitedly, "Senior Sister Cao is amazing. She even discovered Zuoqiu..."

As he spoke, an eagle's cry suddenly echoed through the night sky.

"A Thunder Eagle?"

"Who's back?"

The group looked up instinctively.

In the night sky, a massive blue-purple eagle was circling down from the high altitude. Its enormous wings reflected the starlight, making it look particularly majestic and imposing.

This was the exclusive spiritual mount of the Purple Mansion lineage, the "Thunder Eagle."

Thunder Eagles were fifth-tier spiritual beasts, with strength equivalent to Celestial Realm cultivators upon reaching adulthood. Some with exceptional talent and bloodlines could even break through to the sixth or seventh tier, becoming "Thunder Eagle Kings."

Some of these Thunder Eagles usually stayed at the reception peak, the gateway to the Holy Land. When disciples of the Purple Mansion lineage returned, they could ride the Thunder Eagles directly back, much faster than taking the Holy Land's flying carriages.

However, unlike the naturally gentle Yuan Water Spirit Turtles, Thunder Eagles were inherently proud. They accepted the Purple Mansion lineage's territory and sustenance and were willing to serve as mounts, but few disciples could truly tame them as spiritual pets.

Avoiding the thunderous area around Purple Sky Peak, the Thunder Eagle circled widely before landing on the training ground.

A figure gracefully descended from the Thunder Eagle's back.

It was a woman in a plain white gauze dress, her face veiled, her clothes fluttering in the breeze.

The thin night, occasionally illuminated by flashes of lightning, created a dreamy interplay of light and shadow, making her white dress appear almost luminous, pure and translucent.

This figure was none other than Cao Youqing, who had returned to the Lingyun Holy Land after a long absence.

"Senior Sister Cao!"

The round-faced young man exclaimed in delight.

Others on the training ground also paused, casting respectful glances her way.

Suddenly.

"Senior Sister Cao! Well done!" someone shouted, "We support you!"

"Yes! As disciples of the Purple Mansion lineage, we should have the courage and integrity like Senior Sister Cao! Don't mind the rumors; we support you!"

"Yes! We stand upright and fearless, unafraid of Zuoqiu's retaliation!"

For a moment, the training ground was filled with voices of support.

Seeing the enthusiastic faces and the admiration in their eyes, Cao Youqing was utterly confused.

Why was everyone acting so strangely towards her this time?

Not only had she received an unexpected amount of valuable points when collecting her Holy Land points, but people also kept saying inexplicable things to her. What was going on?

And what were they talking about with Zuoqiu Qingyun and defying Zuoqiu's Clan?

She had a vague sense of foreboding.

……

At Zhuhui Lake in Changning.

In Shuiyue Pavilion.

The surrounding waters surged like whirlpools, crashing against the island's embankment. The roaring waves seemed like a giant beast ready to devour the entire island.

Yet, on the island, life thrived. The wildly growing leaves and vines stood like flood warriors, resisting the onslaught of the waves, holding the final line of defense.

"Hmph, you've achieved a fourfold bloodline spiritual body!"

"My husband has indeed grown more capable. No wonder you couldn't resist the temptation and started flirting with enchantresses and fairies... Come, try this move of mine. If you can take it, you can marry as many concubines as you want."

"My dear, let me explain~ My heart and soul are devoted to you, and heaven and earth can attest to this~~ This has nothing to do with my increased strength..."

"Devoted heart and soul? Then explain why you know so much? Such complexity? ... Such..."

"This was taught by a fairy in my dreams..." Wang Shouzhe weakly explained, "Didn't you enjoy it too?"

"Shameless~ Try this move!"

"Boom!"

The lake water surged like ocean waves, crashing down with overwhelming force.

……