Protect Our Patriarch

……

Inside Wang Shouzhe's study.

He gazed at the mysterious woman with a complex expression, his eyes filled with a mix of shock and the subtle emotions of long-buried memories being stirred.

Her blue twin-tails, black and white stockings, uniform black boots, and short skirt—everything about her was indescribable.

After a long while.

Wang Shouzhe frowned slightly and asked, "What exactly are you thinking?"

The mysterious woman smiled faintly, "Master, this is what I think. Since someone is secretly investigating the events of the past in Monan Commandery, it is most likely related to Cao Youqing..."

"I'm asking you, what were you thinking dressing like this?" Wang Shouzhe's mouth twitched, feeling an urge to kick her out.

"This? Isn't this the type you like, Master...?" The mysterious woman spun around, her short skirt and twin-tails flying, "Understanding the master's preferences and catering to them is my duty."

Wang Shouzhe had a headache and rubbed his forehead. The image of Spirit Artifact Xiaoxue was originally created just to reminisce about his lost youth.

He didn't expect that this would cause chaos at home. He had wanted to change the image of the Spirit Artifact, but Liu Ruolan and Spirit Artifact Xiaoxue had both opposed it...

The former thought he was guilty of something, while the latter believed he was disrespecting the Spirit Artifact's image rights, insisting that unless she was wiped clean and reset as a "blank Spirit Artifact," she wouldn't allow the "beautiful" image to be changed.

As a result, that awful image had persisted. The younger generation of the family dared not question it, though they secretly made up countless stories.

Yet Wang Mei chose to imitate this taboo image and even came to report her work to him openly.

From now on, there would inevitably be some rumors within the family.

"Alright, alright, let's get to the main business." Wang Shouzhe waved his hand, feeling powerless to pursue this matter.

"Yes, Master. Through my efforts, my bloodline has been elevated to the level of a minor prodigy of top-grade B, and I've found a way to obtain the Wuji Baodan, with a good chance of becoming a great prodigy and reaching the Celestial Realm and Purple Mansion Realm early. Only then can I be worthy of a great prodigy like you, Master."

"Most importantly, I have been consistently taking beauty pills and using the maintenance products produced by the Wang Clan, allowing me to maintain a youthful and vigorous state for hundreds of years, with supple skin... ready to serve you at any time..."

"..." A drop of cold sweat slid down Wang Shouzhe's forehead. He interrupted word by word, "I asked you to talk about the Zuoqiu Clan's business!"

Wang Mei, in the image of "Xiaoxue," couldn't help but roll her eyes secretly, thinking to herself that the master was too difficult to serve. Earlier, when she talked about the Zuoqiu Clan's business, he had to bring up her attire. Now, when she talked about bloodline enhancement and beauty maintenance, he wanted to talk about the Zuoqiu Clan?

His thoughts were indeed unpredictable and hard to grasp.

"Ahem! For the past fifteen years, under your orders, I have been keeping an eye on relevant people in Monan Commandery. Besides Celestial Maiden Tianyan and some people around her, whose whereabouts are somewhat erratic, the sisters under your command in the 'Palace of Immortals' have tried several times to infiltrate but failed. Everyone else is under surveillance." When it came to serious matters, Wang Mei was very earnest.

"Wait, what is the 'Palace of Immortals'... and when did it become under my command?" Wang Shouzhe had a bad feeling.

"Master..." Wang Mei's eyes were stern, "You are now a great prodigy, so you must have the grandeur of a great prodigy. Think about it, the two quasi-imperial heirs who are gradually engaging in the Imperial Heir Struggle, one has an intelligence and assassination organization called 'Tianque,' with Tianyan as one of the leaders."

"The other prince, although hiding deeply on the surface, has a close friend, the great prodigy of the Holy Land, Gongyang Ce, who has secretly established an intelligence organization called 'Dawn,' with someone named 'Luo Yuqing' in charge."

"Over the years, haven't you allocated a large sum of money to me every year to build an intelligence organization?" Wang Mei said seriously, "While establishing those peripheral intelligence organizations, I have gradually built a core organization for you, 'Palace of Immortals,' composed of orphans collected from various places, who must undergo rigorous training and assessment before being admitted."

"Although the 'Palace of Immortals' is small in scale, it is barely usable. After long-term brainwashing and education, they have a strong sense of belonging, loyalty, and worship towards the 'Immortal Lord.' As long as the 'Immortal Lord' gives an order, they will go through fire and water, sacrificing their lives without hesitation."

"This 'Immortal Lord'..." Wang Shouzhe's eyelids twitched, "Isn't referring to me, right?"

"Of course, they have nothing to do with the family and are only loyal to the Immortal Lord. They will unconditionally obey any order from the Immortal Lord... including me." Wang Mei's eyes seemed to show a hint of fanaticism, "I will continue to work hard to make the 'Palace of Immortals' the number one organization, surpassing 'Tianque' and 'Dawn.'"

Uh... Thank you very much, Wang Mei!

Wang Shouzhe was both shocked and nervous. This sounded like the standard behavior of a treacherous minister or a villain. If the Great Qian government knew about this, who knows what kind of traitor label they would put on him.

Family heads needed to be officially recognized by the government, and in a sense, they were also subjects of the Emperor...

"Master, rest assured, the 'Palace of Immortals' has nothing to do with the family, and no one knows your true identity." Wang Mei said with a well-thought-out expression, "When you meet them, you only need to wear a special mask and show your token. Even if a sister fails, it won't implicate you or the Wang Clan."

Wang Shouzhe was speechless. Although he had been building an intelligence system and investing in it, he hadn't intended to create such an exaggerated organization... But since Wang Mei had already thought it through, he might as well let her continue. At least it sounded quite impressive.

"Continue talking about Zuoqiu Qingyun." Wang Shouzhe's expression turned serious. He had known for more than ten years that the initial plan was just a temporary measure.

Therefore, he had already made various arrangements to prevent the Zuoqiu Clan or Cao Youqing from investigating the truth.

"Yes, Master. When the dark line of the 'Palace of Immortals' discovered someone investigating Zuoqiu Qingyun's death back then, they traced the clues back and found out that it was someone from Gongyang Ce's 'Dawn.' To avoid alerting the enemy, the dark line did not act rashly." Wang Mei continued, "But not long after, our dark lines in the Cao Clan and Zuoqiu Clan territories also reported back. Their hostile relationship seemed to have eased, and there were some unusual actions."

"Therefore, I analyzed that Gongyang Ce had ruled out Cao Youqing's suspicion regarding Zuoqiu Qingyun's death."

Wang Shouzhe nodded expressionlessly, "Your analysis is reasonable. Cao Youqing herself knows best whether she did it or not. As long as someone is patient and investigates deeply, they can eventually convince the Zuoqiu Clan that Cao Youqing is innocent."

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"Do you mean that the Zuoqiu Clan will definitely take action against our Wang Clan?" Wang Mei asked coldly.

"Cao Youqing can be proven innocent, but the Zuoqiu Clan also has no evidence that we did it." Wang Shouzhe said calmly, "Therefore, even if the Zuoqiu Clan opposes us, they will only use normal suppression methods."

"They won't send a large number of experts to attack us openly without solid evidence for an old, scandalous case."

"As the saying goes, a clan has its rules, and a country has its laws, but ultimately, national laws take precedence. If the Zuoqiu Clan were really that foolish and impulsive, it would be easier to deal with. Unfortunately, a fourth-grade clan with a two-thousand-year history would never be foolish enough to openly trample on national laws and challenge Emperor Longchang's bottom line."

"That's why I had to eliminate Zuoqiu Qingyun back then. The Zuoqiu Clan wouldn't dare to trample on national laws, but the demonized Zuoqiu Qingyun would. Therefore, I would rather be enemies with the Zuoqiu Clan than let a reckless madman live."

Wang Mei showed admiration for Wang Shouzhe, "Master, you are wise. No wonder you started making arrangements in Qing'an Commandery and Longyuan Commandery more than ten years ago."

Indeed!

Speaking of this, Wang Shouzhe was also filled with emotion. Being a family head was easy, but being a good family head was extremely difficult. Every decision had to be responsible for the family and future generations.

Therefore, after killing Zuoqiu Qingyun and returning to the Wang Clan, Wang Shouzhe began preparing for this day. It wasn't that he was predicting the enemy's moves, but some crises were foreseeable, and not making arrangements in advance would be extremely foolish.

To have kept it hidden for fifteen years, Wang Shouzhe already felt he had gained a lot. The Wang Clan today was no longer the Wang Clan of fifteen years ago! Anyone who treated the Wang Clan as a seventh-grade clan would be asking for trouble.

"Wang Mei, next, you should do this... and that..." Wang Shouzhe pondered for a moment and instructed.

"Yes, Master." Wang Mei listened carefully, her eyes growing brighter.

……

Meanwhile.

In Shouzhe's Small Courtyard.

Wang Zongrui anxiously paced back and forth, his eyes fixed on his father's study in the side hall.

Earlier, he had confirmed that as soon as his father saw the "mysterious woman," he let the children play in the courtyard and went into the study with her alone!

"Wang Lijue, are you sure 'Xiaoxue' went to the study with Father?" Wang Zongrui, unable to bear his anxiety, grabbed his third sister, who was playing with her niece, and asked again.

"Second Brother, if you have something to ask Father, you can go directly to him." Wang Lijue rolled her eyes at him, "I've done some family tasks, and I recognize Xiaoxue."

Wang Zongrui's heart sank again. It had already been two incense sticks' time, right? It's over, it's over, whatever was going to happen has already happened. What should he do, what should he do?

The only thing that slightly comforted Wang Zongrui was that his mother had gone back to her family to visit, so there wouldn't be a scene of carnage.

Just as Wang Zongrui was feeling uneasy.

"Squeak!" The door of the study opened.

His father and the mysterious woman appeared at the door. The woman bowed gracefully to his father and then turned to leave.

As she passed by Wang Zongrui, she smiled faintly, "Young Master Rui, you are quite handsome."

With that, she left a trail of fragrance and gracefully departed.

Wang Zongrui shivered and hurried towards Wang Shouzhe, "Father, this matter..."

"So, Zongrui, you're back." Wang Shouzhe looked him up and down, his brows furrowing with displeasure, "How many times have I told you, as the heir of the Wang Clan, you should set an example for your siblings. You must remain calm and composed. What has you so flustered?"

Wang Zongrui felt bitter inside.

How could he remain calm in such a situation?

Father, oh Father, even if you are meeting an old lover, could you please be more discreet? Making it so public, it's bound to cause big trouble...

"Father, who is that..." Wang Zongrui asked weakly.

"A family retainer." Wang Shouzhe said calmly.

"A family retainer? Why have I never seen her before?" Wang Zongrui shook his head with a bitter smile. Father, this excuse is not convincing; you need to come up with a better one to maintain family stability and safety.

Suddenly.

Seven-year-old Wang Yingtong ran over, blinking her curious eyes, "Grandpa, Grandpa, Second Uncle said that the lady just now called 'Xiaoxue' is your hidden old lover. Grandpa, what is an old lover? You didn't tell that story in your tales..."

Wang Zongrui was struck by lightning, his face turning pale. In his haste, he had forgotten that Wang Yingtong had the loosest lips.

Wang Shouzhe's face twitched slightly, and he looked at Wang Zongrui "kindly," "Zongrui, it seems we haven't had a good father-son talk in a long time."

Then, the dignified heir of the Wang Clan was dragged into the study like a chick. The door closed, and soon, Wang Zongrui's wails and pleas for mercy could be heard from inside, "Father, I was wrong. She's not your... Ouch, I was wrong. Don't worry, I won't tell Mother. I swear I won't say a word~"

But just as he finished speaking.

Outside the door came Liu Ruolan's cold voice, "Wang Zongrui, explain clearly, what won't you tell me even if you're beaten to death?"

"Ah, Mother!? I mean, I won't tell you about Father's old lover visiting him..."

"Wang Shouzhe, you really have someone outside." Liu Ruolan's voice became even colder, "That woman is the original form of 'Xiaoxue,' no wonder you've been thinking about her."

"Wife, let me explain." Wang Shouzhe broke out in a cold sweat, "It's not what you think."

"The children are here, I'll wait for your explanation at the 'Shuiyue Pavilion.'" As she spoke, Liu Ruolan's voice grew more distant, clearly heading to the Shuiyue Pavilion to wait for Wang Shouzhe.

"You brat, there was nothing wrong!" Wang Shouzhe glared at his son.

"Father, you taught me to remain calm in major events." Wang Zongrui reminded from the side, "You should hurry to the Shuiyue Pavilion. Remember, admit your mistakes if you have to, and don't be stubborn..."

"..." Wang Shouzhe.

……

Longzuo Commandery is located in the southeast of the Great Qian, while Longyuan Commandery is in the northeast. The two commanderies are separated by the vast, boundless sea known as the "Qingluo Sea."

Speaking of the "Qingluo Sea," there is a story behind it.

Emperor Longchang once had an eldest princess titled "Princess Qingluo." This princess was exceptionally intelligent and gifted from a young age, with a top-grade A bloodline. She was deeply loved by the former emperor during her childhood.

After reaching adulthood, she was personally taught by the former emperor, and with the help of elixirs, her aptitude reached top-grade B. She successfully advanced to the Divine Realm before the age of five hundred, making her one of the top talents in the royal family.

In terms of favor, only Emperor Longchang, who was then an imperial heir, could compare with her.

She lived up to the former emperor's love, earning great fame on the outer battlefield at a young age.

Due to her military achievements, the former emperor left a will before his death, allowing Princess Qingluo's descendants to bear her surname "Wu" and be included in the royal family genealogy, granting them the same rights as other royal offspring to participate in the "Imperial Heir Struggle."

After Emperor Longchang ascended the throne, he also relied heavily on her, and none of the other princes could surpass her.

Princess Qingluo spent her life earning countless military merits for the Great Qian on the outer battlefield, her achievements rivaling those of the current princes, earning her the title of a legendary female war god.

Many high-grade families' female Basalt cultivators in the Great Qian idolized her.

Unfortunately, heaven is jealous of beauty. Princess Qingluo later encountered an accident on the outer battlefield and died before reaching the age of twelve hundred. Her death caused a great uproar in the Great Qian.

Coincidentally, Longyuan Commandery's coastal area was being developed at that time. Emperor Longchang, heartbroken, named the developing sea area "Qingluo Sea" in her memory.

Over the years, as the Great Qian's development of the sea area increased, the Qingluo Sea's "safe sea area" has expanded to three or four times its original size, bringing considerable economic benefits to the Great Qian.

At this moment, in a rocky bay near the northern part of the Qingluo Sea, several large sea ships were anchored.

These ships were made entirely of giant wood, with a roaring red dragon painted on the hull. The bow was high and covered with thick metal, exuding a cold, menacing aura.

Unlike flat-bottomed riverboats, these sea ships had pointed bottoms, as the deep waters and strong waves of the sea could easily capsize flat-bottomed boats. Only pointed-bottom boats could withstand the waves.

Since they were docked in the rocky port, the sails of these ships were not raised, leaving only the bare, sturdy masts standing.

Dozens of ballistae were mounted along the deck's edge.

These ballistae were already strung, with thigh-thick bolts ready to fire, glinting coldly in the sunlight.

Just past noon, when the sun was at its hottest, the crew on the ships were lethargic, lying around with their chests and bellies exposed, some even covering their faces with cloth to block the glaring sun.

Apart from the crew's snores and teeth grinding, the rocky bay was eerily quiet.

Suddenly.

The cabin door opened, and two figures emerged, one following the other.

One was a middle-aged man, burly and dressed similarly to the crew, though more neatly and finely, with distinctive slightly red curly hair.

The other was a young man in luxurious clothing.

He wore a jade crown and a finely embroidered robe, looking elegant and noble, a stark contrast to the other crew members.

The crew at the door scrambled to their feet in fear, bowing respectfully, "Boss, Young Master Cao."

It turned out that the middle-aged man was the leader of this fleet.

His name was Nie Long, nicknamed "Red-Haired Dragon King," the leader of the "Red Dragon Pirates," a notorious pirate group in the Qingluo Sea.

Publicly, he was the pirate leader, but few knew he was actually affiliated with the Purple Mansion Cao Clan.

Years ago, he was discriminated against in his clan for his "Sea Barbarian" bloodline and nearly drowned in a whirlpool during a sea expedition, only to be saved by Cao Youbin, the then head of the Cao Clan. Since then, he had been under Cao Youbin's command, infiltrating the pirate ranks. Over the years, he had unknowingly become the pirate leader. Although his fleet wasn't the largest, it was quite renowned among the pirates.

As for the young man beside him, he was Cao Bangyan, a scion of the Purple Mansion Cao Clan, and a well-known figure in Longyuan Commandery, a prodigy in his own right.

"Are your men reliable?"

As soon as he stepped out of the cabin, Cao Bangyan covered his nose and mouth, looking at the surrounding crew with undisguised disdain. If it weren't for his aunt Cao Youqing's personal orders, he wouldn't have bothered coming to this wretched place.

These crew members had dark, rough skin, resembling old tree bark, and emitted a strong fishy smell. They didn't look like they had any combat capability.

"Don't worry, Young Master Cao. Despite their appearance, when it comes to real combat, they're all top-notch fighters." Red-Haired Dragon King Nie Long was confident.

His men, though unkempt from years at sea, were formidable in battle.

Besides himself, a Celestial Realm early-stage cultivator, he had over a dozen Lingtai Realm leaders and hundreds of Qi Refining Realm subordinates. Taking down a merchant fleet was a piece of cake for them.

He casually called over a young crew member and instructed, "Go fetch your Uncle Wen."

The crew member responded and quickly ran to the stern.

Soon, an elderly man in a brown robe approached from the stern, respectfully saluting Nie Long and Cao Bangyan, "Boss, Young Master Cao."

His robe had many pockets, a stark contrast to the other crew members.

Nie Long waved him over and asked, "Wen Da, when will the Shouda Trading Company's fleet arrive?"

"Boss, the messenger pigeon has already spotted the Shouda Trading Company's fleet. At their usual sailing speed, they should arrive within a quarter of an hour," the old man named Wen Da replied.

Their ship had specially trained messenger pigeons. These pigeons had special jade talismans tied to their legs, emitting unique spiritual energy waves that could be detected from a distance.

When they needed to plunder, they would release the pigeons, which would find the target fleet and circle above it. The jade talismans' position would then help them accurately locate the target fleet.

Wen Da was responsible for training these pigeons and was well aware of the target fleet's current location.

"Alright, go ahead. Notify me immediately when the Shouda Trading Company's fleet enters the target sea area." Nie Long waved him off, and Wen Da bowed and left.

"I remember you mentioned that the Wang Clan's young lady is also on the ship?" Cao Bangyan suddenly asked, recalling something.

"Yes," Nie Long nodded. "According to our informants at the dock, the Shouda Trading Company has dispatched ten large sea ships this time, half of which are loaded with 'glass products.' Due to the valuable cargo, Wang Clan's young lady Wang Luomiao is personally overseeing the shipment, and Longyuan Fang Clan's scion Fang Jinghui is also on board. The informants saw them board the ship with their own eyes."

"Good." Cao Bangyan grinned, "Fang Jinghui, though a scion, is just a minor prodigy. And he's young, not a threat. But that Wang Clan young lady, I've heard she's quite a beauty~"

"Hehehe~" Nie Long immediately understood, his face breaking into a lewd smile, "Once we seize their ship, you can do as you please with the people. As for the cargo..."

"Don't worry, the cargo is yours." Cao Bangyan waved dismissively.

"Young Master Cao, you're indeed generous!" Nie Long's smile became more genuine.

Cement and glass were valuable commodities. Those ten ships' worth of goods were at least worth fifty thousand top gold. This haul would be a huge windfall for him.

"Look at you, getting excited over such a small amount." Cao Bangyan shook his head in exasperation.

Having spent over ten days on the ship, he had become quite familiar with Nie Long, making their conversations more casual.

"Yes, yes, I'm just a pirate leader, not as promising as you, Young Master Cao," Nie Long said, laughing and flattering him, "You're a prodigy of the Purple Mansion Cao Clan, loved by the ancestors and cared for by your elder brother. You lack nothing and naturally wouldn't be interested in such a small amount."

Cao Bangyan had reached the Celestial Realm at seventy-eight and was now under a hundred and twenty, already at the third level of the Celestial Realm. Although his cultivation level was slightly lower than Nie Long's, his actual combat power was formidable, being a prodigy-level Celestial Realm cultivator, a top figure even in the academy.

Moreover, as a scion of the Cao Clan, the youngest brother of the current head Cao Bangning, his status within the Cao Clan was far higher than Nie Long's, so Nie Long naturally had to give him face.

As they chatted, the old man Wen Da hurriedly approached from the stern, reporting, "Boss, Young Master Cao, the Shouda Trading Company's fleet has entered the target sea area. We can intercept them now."

Both Cao Bangyan and Nie Long's eyes lit up.

Nie Long excitedly slapped the railing, "Good! We've missed them a few times before, but with Young Master Cao personally overseeing this time, we can't fail."

Cao Bangyan sneered, "Rest assured. Not a single ship or person will escape."

"Hahaha~ Excellent!"

Nie Long laughed heartily, leaping to the bow and shouting with profound energy, "Brothers! Raise the sails! Weigh anchor! Let's go rob them!"

His booming voice echoed over the rocky port.

In an instant, all the resting pirates sprang to life, moving swiftly.

Within moments, everyone was in position, quickly raising the anchor and hoisting the pirate-marked sails.

Soon, the large sea ships shot out of the rocky port like arrows, heading into the vast sea.

Cao Bangyan stood at the ship's side, exuding confidence. With their strength, dealing with a merchant fleet was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Wang Clan, Wang Clan, you dared to get close to the Qian Clan and even opposed my aunt Cao Youqing.

You caused the Cao Clan to be suppressed by the Zuoqiu Clan for fifteen years!

This debt, I, Cao Bangyan, will settle for the Cao Clan.

……