Protect Our Patriarch

Though Wang Shihai was a young scion prone to stirring up trouble, he dared not overstep when it came to matters of ancestral customs and family honor.

But adhering to rules was one thing; calling someone "Fourth Grandpa" against his will was quite another, leaving him full of silent grievances.

"Shihai," Wang Shouzhe said, looking at him with a "kindly" gaze and patting his shoulder, "you're young, but your cultivation foundation is solid. Your future is boundless... However, talent alone isn't enough; you must also cultivate diligently."

Wang Shouzhe, now forty, had already reached the sixth level of the Spirit Platform realm and was steadily advancing towards the latter stages. Especially after a recent surge in his bloodline power, which had awakened to the triple peak, he was just a hair's breadth away from the Spirit Body.

As a result, aside from a more mature aura, his appearance was no different from a man in his twenties, making him look like a peer of Wang Shihai.

Such an odd situation made Wang Shihai feel a rush of blood to his head, with a strong urge to punch Wang Shouzhe.

But a clan elder was still an elder.

I'll endure it!

Wang Shihai's mouth twitched as he forced a smile, "Thank you for the praise and guidance, 'Fourth Grandpa.' I'll remember it in my heart."

"Since it's our first meeting, I didn't bring anything special," Wang Shouzhe said with a smile, then took out a red envelope from his storage ring and handed it to Wang Shihai, "so I'll just go with something cliché. Buy whatever you like."

Boom!

Wang Shihai felt thunderstruck, thinking to himself: Do I look like someone who lacks money?

However, with his father watching, he didn't dare to act out. Instead, he accepted the red envelope with a flushed face and feigned gratitude, "Thank you for your generous gift, Fourth Grandpa."

He had already learned that Wang's Clan of Changning was a newly risen seventh-rank family. How much could they possibly earn in a year, and how much Top Gold could they save after expenses?

The thin gold note was probably worth a hundred Top Gold at most. As the direct descendant of the Wang's Clan of Monan, a young prodigy doted on by his Ancestor, did he lack a mere hundred Top Gold?

Wang Zonghao, the Clan Leader, watching his son's flushed, aggrieved face, felt not displeasure but satisfaction.

His son was usually unruly, but today he managed to control his temper... That's progress.

Wang Shouzhe was just teasing the clan's prodigy and didn't mean to provoke. Seeing things were going well, he formally engaged in conversation with Wang Zonghao, the Clan Leader of Monan Wang's Clan.

He also introduced Long Yan, Qian Xuehan, and the two elders from Qian's Clan.

After a warm exchange of greetings, Wang Zonghao bowed and said, "Wang Shouzhe and Long Yan are our relatives from Monan Wang's Clan. Since you're here in Monan Commandery, it's only right to stay with us. I've arranged a top-quality residence for our distinguished guests. Fourth Uncle, please don't decline."

His words were sensible.

This was the expected courtesy between relatives; otherwise, it would be easy to attract gossip.

Wang Shouzhe couldn't refuse, "In that case, I'll trouble Clan Leader Zonghao."

Wang Zonghao had come specifically to prevent Wang Shihai from causing trouble. After the necessary formalities, he made an excuse to leave, entrusting Wang Shouzhe to Wang Shihai, who was to host them at the main residence of Monan Wang's Clan after the banquet and arrange a welcoming feast the next day.

Poor Wang Shihai was thus left by Wang Shouzhe's side.

After enduring the torturous meal, he eagerly made arrangements, respectfully escorting Wang Shouzhe and the others back to the main residence.

***

The next day at noon, Monan Wang's Clan hosted the welcoming feast. However, the attendees were limited to Clan Leader Wang Zonghao, an elder of the "Shou" generation from the Heavenly Man realm, another elder of the "Ding" generation from the Heavenly Man realm, and the young scion Wang Shihai.

After meeting the "Shou" generation elder, Wang Shouzhe understood why Monan Wang's Clan had such low seniority. The "Shou" generation was generally between one hundred to three hundred years old.

Even the "Zong" generation was no longer young, and the "Shi" generation had "elders" over two hundred years old, followed by the "An," "Ning," "Fu," "Bao" generations, and so on... Monan Wang's Clan had all the generational titles that Changning Wang's Clan had yet to use.

In fact, the youngest members of their clan were already in the "Yi" generation!

Under such circumstances, anyone from Changning Wang's Clan would be considered an ancestor in Monan Wang's Clan.

However, this was quite normal. Monan Wang's Clan had a long history, and the generational gaps between branches would only grow. This meant that Wang Shihai's seniority in Monan Wang's Clan was not low!

After the customary welcome and cleansing, Wang Zonghao invited Wang Shouzhe to stay in Monan for a while to enjoy the local scenery, with his son Wang Shihai taking care of everything.

Afterward, he made an excuse to leave with the elders.

Throughout the process, he was neither too cold nor too warm, always polite, simply fulfilling the necessary courtesies.

With Wang Shouzhe's temperament, he naturally wouldn't blame Monan Wang's Clan. Even the Wang's Clan of Longzuo had little contact with Monan Wang's Clan, let alone the smaller branch of Changning Wang's Clan.

Their relationship was distant, and the class difference was significant, so warmth was hard to come by.

If not for Monan Wang's Clan's previous negligence in welcoming them, Wang Zonghao might have just made a token appearance at the welcoming feast, leaving the hosting to a Heavenly Man realm elder.

As the Clan Leader, Wang Zonghao only needed to present a gift to Changning Wang's Clan when Wang Shouzhe and the others were leaving, fulfilling the expected courtesy between clans.

This was why Wang Shouzhe didn't want to disturb Monan Wang's Clan this time.

Given their relationship, feelings, and family ranks, it was enough to go through the motions. Wang Shouzhe wouldn't even meet Monan Wang's Clan's Ancestor of the Purple Mansion; there was no point in notifying them.

***

Poor Wang Shihai was drafted by his father to serve as the host and guide for Changning Wang's Clan during their stay in Monan.

The next morning, with reluctance, he went to Wang Shouzhe's temporary residence and invited him to tour the city, secretly praying that Wang Shouzhe would refuse, so he could be spared the trouble.

The two thousand Top Gold his father had given him for hospitality could then be pocketed. For him, two thousand Top Gold was a substantial sum.

"Shihai, thank you for coming so early to host," Wang Shouzhe said with a smile, "I was planning to rest for a few days after the journey. But seeing your sincere invitation, I can't bear to disappoint you. Let's go for a stroll."

Wang Shihai nearly choked, thinking, why can't you just disappoint me? Go ahead, please be merciless.

Unfortunately, Wang Shouzhe seemed in good spirits and walked with Wang Shihai towards the main gate. Behind him, a humanoid puppet "Wang Shouzhe" followed silently, shrouded in a black robe, his true face hidden, his steps silent and unobtrusive.

"Is that a puppet guard?" Wang Shihai asked curiously, "Such a Spirit Platform realm guard puppet is worth a treasure. You really splurged on this useless thing," he muttered to himself, showing off!

A Spirit Platform realm puppet guard could be a mainstay in a ninth-rank family, but in the eyes of a Purple Mansion family, it was just a trifle, far less practical than a lower-grade treasure.

After all, by the time you reach the fifth-rank Purple Mansion, Spirit Platform realm cultivators are almost standard. Unless one's talent is too poor or they're born illegitimate and don't work hard, most with the Wang bloodline reach the Spirit Platform realm.

Initially, only Long Wuji could see through the puppet "Wang Shouzhe," how could Wang Shihai fathom its true purpose?

"It's just something I picked up. I'll use it for now since it's been repaired," Wang Shouzhe said nonchalantly, "Our Changning Wang's Clan is just seventh-rank, so this puppet guard is quite satisfactory."

Wang Shihai pursed his lips and said no more.

As they walked out, they encountered young people heading to the clan school or training grounds. Seeing Wang Shihai, they all changed color and scattered as if they had encountered a fearsome demon king.

Even a frail little girl, unable to escape in time, fell to the ground, crying out in terror, "Demon King Grandpa, don't eat Tao Tao, Tao Tao is so scared."

Wang Shouzhe's mouth twitched as he looked at Wang Shihai with an odd gaze. What kind of existence was this kid to frighten children like this?

It's a misunderstanding!

A huge misunderstanding!

Wang Shihai nearly spat blood. He was just a bit hot-tempered and had beaten a few juniors. Eating people? That was a rumor! Besides, he didn't even recognize this bean sprout of a girl.

Monan Wang's Clan was vast, with many people, and Wang Shihai couldn't possibly recognize every child. The girl's crying annoyed him, and normally, he would have just walked away.

But with a "senior" relative from an external clan present, to avoid unfavorable rumors about Monan Wang's Clan, Wang Shihai reluctantly went to comfort the girl, and as expected, she cried even more pitifully.

Helpless, he took out a red envelope from his pocket and gave it to the girl, "Alright, alright, your Grandpa Shihai apologizes. This red envelope is my peace offering."

That red envelope was the one Wang Shouzhe had given him the day before.

He had forgotten about it after putting it in his pocket and hadn't opened it. Figuring it was just worth a hundred or so Top Gold, he used it to appease the child.

Wang Shouzhe's mouth twitched as he glanced at Wang Shihai with a hint of sympathy.

The little girl was indeed a weirdo. As soon as she received the red envelope, she clung to it and stopped crying, wiping her tears and snot, she said gratefully, "Thank you, Demon King Grandpa, you're a good person."

"What's your name?" Wang Shihai asked, feigning a friendly demeanor as he patted her head.

"I'm Wang Meitao. Just call me Tao'er," she replied, unable to contain her curiosity as she began to open the red envelope. She had just torn a corner when a purple gleam peeked out.

She pulled out the gold note, her eyes widening in shock, "Demon King Grandpa, why is this gold note purple? You're not tricking me, are you?"

"What?" Wang Shihai glanced over, and upon seeing it, he nearly fainted.

This... this was the famed purple gold note!

As a direct descendant and prodigy of a fifth-rank family, he recognized it instantly. It was a precious purple gold note, made from Purple Blood Dragon Spirit Wood through a special process.

It was highly durable, fireproof, and waterproof, and could be stored for thousands of years without decaying.

It also represented a vast fortune, with each purple gold note worth—one hundred thousand Top Gold.

"Four, four..." Wang Shihai swallowed hard, turning to Wang Shouzhe with hopeful eyes, "Is that real?"

"Shihai, you're mistaken," Wang Shouzhe said seriously, "As the head of Changning Wang's Clan, would I use a fake gold note for a red envelope? Shihai, are you looking down on your Fourth Grandpa?"

"No, no, no... Ah!" Wang Shihai was both shocked and heartbroken, collapsing to the ground, his eyes filled with endless regret, "One hundred thousand Top Gold, that's ten thousand Top Gold. I... I actually gave it to a mere girl?"

Monan Wang's Clan was wealthy and powerful, and Wang Shihai, as the direct descendant and young prodigy, was at the top of the family's cultivation resources. The family spent twenty to thirty thousand Top Gold on him annually.

But that was the family's cultivation resources... With Wang Shihai's status, getting two to three thousand Top Gold for pocket money each year was already good, and he relied on his mother's secret support to squander more.

One hundred thousand Top Gold...

That was decades of his pocket money.

In a moment, Wang Shihai looked at the little girl with hopeful eyes, "Meitao, can you..."

"Wuwu!"

Wang Meitao threw herself into Wang Shihai's arms, "Thirty-nine Grandpa, wuwu~ Everyone says you're a big demon king, a big bad guy. Tao'er has misunderstood you all along. Wuw~ It turns out, Thirty-nine Grandpa is the best grandpa in the world~~ Tao'er will work hard and not let down Thirty-nine Grandpa's expectations."

"Wah~"

Wang Shihai couldn't hold back his tears anymore. Heaven had given him a chance to get rich, but he had squandered it.

"Fourth Grandpa, why did you give such a big red envelope... wuwu, how could you..." Wang Shihai's heart was shattered.

"Eh hehe..." Wang Shouzhe's mouth twitched twice. It was the kid's own fault for showing off... When he, Wang Shouzhe, gave a red envelope to a young prodigy of a clan relative, could he be stingy?

Besides, such red envelopes were profitable. Speaking of prodigies, there were even more among the Wang's younger generation...

Many onlookers had secretly gathered around, and the story spread like wildfire. They said the visiting elder from Changning had given Thirty-nine Young Master a purple gold note red envelope.

And Thirty-nine Young Master had casually given it to the young Wang Meitao!!

As the rumor spread, Wang Shihai, no matter how thick-skinned, couldn't ask for it back.

"Shihai, it's getting late, we still have to go shopping," Wang Shouzhe said with a smile, patting his shoulder kindly, "Let's go, let's go, show your Fourth Grandpa the charm of Monan Commandery."

"Yes... Fourth Grandpa."

Wang Shihai had taken a purple gold note red envelope from him, and even though he had passed it on, he still owed that favor, didn't he? Otherwise, he would be too ungrateful.

Though his heart was broken, his attitude towards Wang Shouzhe became much more respectful.

For the rest of the day.

He showed Wang Shouzhe around Monan Commandery, and gradually his mood improved. After all, he was still the direct descendant and prodigy, and the family's future resources wouldn't be lacking for him.

The one hundred thousand Top Gold hadn't gone to a stranger; after all, the meat was still in his own pot.

"Fourth Grandpa," Wang Shihai's eyes gleamed, and he whispered with a sly smile, "As evening approaches, the sights in Monan Commandery are just so-so. How about... as night falls, I take Fourth Grandpa to 'Dongchacha Lake' to play on the erotic boat?"

"Erotic boat?" Wang Shouzhe frowned slightly, "That doesn't sound like a proper place."

"Of course it's not proper. What fun is there in proper places?" Wang Shihai's eyes shone, "There are eighty-one Erotic boat on Dongchacha Lake, and the most prestigious one is 'Tian Yan Boat,' owned by the Celestial Maiden Tianyan. Fourth Grandpa, do you know that the Tian Yanyang Fairy is a prodigy who reached the Heavenly Man realm at just over eighty years old?"

Wang Shouzhe frowned in disbelief, "Shihai, don't talk nonsense. Prodigies are so noble, how could they stoop to such a profession? Not to mention, even if they went to the academy, they would be a personal disciple."

"That's not the case. Otherwise, how could she be called a fairy? No one knows why she ended up there," Wang Shihai said excitedly, "Fourth Grandpa, do you know how many young and promising scions in Monan Commandery wish to see the fairy even once, but can't fulfill their longing?"

Seeing his excitement.

Wang Shouzhe "kindly" reminded, "Seeing you're not sad anymore, I'm also at ease. Shihai, you have a good mindset. You lost a purple gold note in the morning, and now you've let it go. Such an open-minded attitude is a model for cultivators."

Pfft!

Wang Shihai nearly spat blood, thanks for the reminder, Fourth Grandpa. Just as I was starting to calm down, you've stabbed me again. Thinking of that purple gold note, Wang Shihai felt like crying again...

"That Tian Yan Boat must be quite expensive, do you have enough hospitality money?" Wang Shouzhe struck his heart again, "I didn't expect you to respect me so much, Shihai. Are you planning to pay out of your own pocket to treat me?"

"Fourth Grandpa, why must you be so pragmatic... I just want to experience it... I've never been there," Wang Shihai's heart bled, we might as well not go.

"Forget it, I'm just teasing you," Wang Shouzhe laughed, "Since you want to see it, Fourth Grandpa will accompany you."

"Thank you, Fourth Grandpa," Wang Shihai's eyes lit up, bowing repeatedly, "I've long wanted to see the Tian Yanyang Fairy, but I didn't have enough money, and I was afraid my father would break my legs. With Fourth Grandpa here, I'm relieved."

Unknowingly, Wang Shihai's calling of Fourth Grandpa became more and more natural, and his resistance gradually faded.

Suddenly.

At that moment.

A haughty and pleasant female voice rang out: "Wang Shihai, it's a small world. Today, I'll avenge my good sister and whip you to death."

"Damn, it's Huangfu Feifei!"

Huangfu? Wang Shouzhe also slightly startled, Huangfu's Clan... it had been a long time since he had heard that name.