Protect Our Patriarch

……

"This…"

In the private box with an excellent view, Wu Xue'ning's pretty face had frozen.

Wang An'nan was considered a well-known young expert in the capital.

Yet he was being beaten by Wang Liyao like a grandson, running around the arena with his head in his hands, wailing and screaming.

Several times, Wang An'nan tried to escape the arena, thinking he could just give up if he couldn't win. But Wang Liyao, with her ghostly speed, blocked him every time, using the scabbard of her sword to whip him, making him howl in pain.

It was utterly miserable!

"Ah-choo~" Wu Xue'ning shivered, blinking her big eyes at Wu Zhixing, "Zhixing, my dear grandson, that great prodigy Liyao seems quite formidable. You wander around all day, are you even a match for her?"

Wu Zhixing blew on the floating tea leaves in his spirit tea, took a sip, and said, "You haven't even reached the Lingtai Realm, so what do you know?"

"Wu Zhixing!" Wu Xue'ning puffed up her cheeks in anger, her eyes wide open, "I'm worried about you. As a royal great prodigy, don't tell me you can't even beat a country girl."

"Whether I can beat her or not doesn't matter," Wu Zhixing said indifferently, "It doesn't affect my promotion to the Purple Mansion Realm."

Wu Xue'ning was so angry she almost slammed the table, "How can it not matter? If you end up like Wang An'nan, being beaten by a girl, where's our royal family's face? Where's the face of the capital's top ten outstanding youths? I'm so mad, if I were fifty, no, sixty years older, I wouldn't let Wang Liyao run rampant in the capital!"

"Her sword is extraordinary, and her background isn't ordinary either," seeing that this little princess was really angry, Wu Zhixing explained helplessly, "She hides it well, doesn't seem like an ordinary great prodigy. Forget it, if she wants to take first place, let her. She has the qualifications."

"No way," Wu Xue'ning strongly opposed, "If you dare to give up easily, I'll... I'll go complain to His Majesty! What's so great about a powerful sword? Our royal family can't find a good sword? I'll get you a better one."

"That's a top-grade treasure sword with a spirit artifact…" Wu Zhixing said helplessly, "It's really powerful."

"I'll get you one too… What? A sword with a spirit artifact?" Wu Xue'ning's eyes widened, "The kind that can talk?"

After a pause, she gritted her teeth and said, "Alright, wait for me, I'll ask His Majesty for one. I absolutely won't allow you to lose to her."

She remembered that Uncle Chengsi seemed to have one, maybe she could ask to borrow it? No, no, Wu Chengsi was so arrogant because he was a quasi-imperial heir, he probably wouldn't give her face.

Forget it, she'd better ask Grandfather…

Is this even possible?

Wu Zhixing scratched his head, a helpless smile on his lips.

I, Wu Zhixing, don't want to compete, I just want to cultivate quietly, why is it so hard?

Not to mention the discussions in the various private and open seats.

On the arena, Wang An'nan had gone from crying and begging for mercy to curling up on the ground, holding his head and letting Wang Liyao whip him, not even struggling.

His appearance was truly pitiful to the extreme.

Everyone had thought that Chen Muying, who was defeated in three breaths, was the most miserable. But it turned out, Wang An'nan was even more unlucky.

A stick of incense.

Wang Liyao fulfilled her promise to the Commandery Prince of Heng, beating him for a full stick of incense before stopping, coldly asking, "Wang An'nan, are you my grandfather?"

The disheveled Wang An'nan trembled as he covered his butt, not daring to look at Wang Liyao.

Hearing this, he quickly shook his head, "No, no, you're my great-aunt, I'm your grandson. I was out of my mind earlier."

He also felt that although he was beaten badly during this stick of incense, the other party didn't go for the kill, leaving no fatal or crippling injuries, just some damage to an unspeakable part…

"Why aren't you going back to heal? Do you want me to send you?" Wang Liyao's eyes flashed coldly, "Get lost."

"Yes, yes, grandson will leave now." Wang An'nan hurriedly scrambled off the arena, supported by his household guards and attendants, and left White Cloud Tower.

Soon, they had walked quite a distance.

The household guard, with a somewhat gloomy face, said, "Young master, are we just going to let this go? Should we ask the family's elders to regain our face…"

"Slap!"

Before the guard could finish, Wang An'nan slapped him to the ground.

He roared, "You fool, do you want to get me killed? Do you know who she is? She's Wang Liyao, a senior of the Li generation!"

The guard got up, looking aggrieved, "But didn't you say the family hasn't confirmed this yet?"

"Slap!"

Wang An'nan gave him another smack, laughing angrily, "Can you be any dumber? She's a great prodigy and a true disciple of Tianhe Daoist, why would she lie about something like this?"

"Isn't she taking advantage of our Wang Clan? No, it's our Wang Clan taking advantage of her. From my perspective, this is probably true."

Hearing this, the guard felt even more aggrieved, "But young master, weren't you quite arrogant on the arena? You even said… you even said you were her grand…"

Seeing his young master's expression change, the guard's voice trailed off, not daring to continue.

"I was… I was just… Damn it, I was out of my mind, okay?" Wang An'nan rolled his eyes, "If I had thought it through, I wouldn't have needed this beating."

Wang An'nan was supported back to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, where the family physician was shocked by his condition and quickly treated him.

But before he could rest, he was summoned by the current family head, Wang Yuchang.

In a third-grade family, the family head was usually a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator to ensure they were not inferior to other family heads in terms of cultivation.

In most cases, the direct lineage had the best bloodline, and it was easy to select an outstanding individual from the direct lineage to be the family head.

Therefore, in such families, the family head position was rarely passed to the eldest son or grandson, but often skipped several generations.

The current head of the Daqian Wang Clan, Wang Yuchang, was such a carefully selected family head. He was from the direct lineage, only three hundred and thirty years old, and had been the head for just fifty or sixty years.

However, he had not disappointed his elders.

Under his careful management, the Wang Clan had somewhat recovered its vitality.

Wang An'nan, one of the top ten outstanding youths under a hundred years old, was a direct descendant nurtured by Yuchang, bringing considerable fame to the Wang Clan.

Soon, Wang An'nan arrived at the ancient, historically rich family head's study.

Under the light of the spirit stone lamps, the family head Wang Yuchang, dressed in luxurious attire, was sipping tea with a stern expression.

Thanks to the Wang Clan's excellent genes, although he appeared middle-aged, he was still handsome and dignified, with a mature and steady demeanor that surpassed the young and handsome Wang An'nan. His accumulated authority as the family head made him stand out even in the capital, Guilong City.

Dragging his injured body, Wang An'nan nervously reported the incident to Yuchang, then said with deep shame, "This time, I have disgraced the ancestors and the Duke of Dingguo's mansion."

"How are your injuries?" Wang Yuchang put down his tea cup and asked with concern.

"Thank you for your concern, Ancestor. My injuries look severe, but that Wang—no, Great-aunt Liyao was careful not to hit any vital spots." Wang An'nan felt warm inside, knowing he was still cherished by his ancestor.

"Good, as long as there are no fatal injuries, I'm relieved." Wang Yuchang's tense expression relaxed a bit.

"Ancestor, I…" Wang An'nan choked up.

He had lost face this time, but his ancestor still treated him like a treasure, which moved him deeply.

However, just as he was feeling touched, Wang Yuchang's face suddenly turned stern, "Guards! Take this disrespectful brat and break his legs. Carry him to apologize to Miss Liyao."

"Yes, family head."

Two Celestial Realm guards entered, holding Wang An'nan down, "Young master An'nan, please don't make this difficult for us."

"What!?" Wang An'nan was struck by lightning, his face full of disbelief, "Ancestor, I… I'm your beloved An'nan."

"Wretch! It's my fault for spoiling you." Wang Yuchang's face was full of anger, "You've become so arrogant and disrespectful. Liyao is two generations above you, and you dare to speak such rebellious words?"

Liyao?

Wang An'nan's body swayed, his expression incredulous.

When he was favored, his ancestor always called him "An'nan." Now, he was a wretch and a brat.

And Wang Liyao had suddenly become "Liyao"… They hadn't even met before…

"Ancestor, has the Changning Wang Clan been confirmed?" Wang An'nan asked in terror, "Shouldn't it take time to verify, to avoid impostors?"

"Nonsense, what's there to verify? Liyao's bloodline is so excellent, she must be a relative of our Duke of Dingguo's mansion. Other Wang Clans can't produce such a great prodigy." Wang Yuchang said confidently, "Even if the records don't match, it's the records that are wrong."

"Alright… I give up." Wang An'nan's face turned ashen.

It seemed his ancestor was determined to recognize this relative, even if she was an impostor.

Actually, the Daqian Wang Clan encountered many people claiming to be relatives every year. Most were impostors, and even the genuine ones had to go through a lengthy verification process.

But for Wang Liyao, even the preliminary verification was skipped.

Wang Yuchang waved his sleeve, full of authority, "I've made up my mind. Your disrespect for your elder brings shame to our Duke of Dingguo's mansion. This is not only your fault but also mine. After breaking your legs, I will personally visit White Cloud Tower to see Liyao."

When he mentioned Liyao, a trace of uncontrollable joy and pride appeared in Wang Yuchang's stern eyes.

Alright~

Wang An'nan's tears flowed.

He knew his legs were doomed. But fortunately, as a Celestial Realm cultivator, his legs could heal with proper treatment.

Though being carried to apologize…

Forget it~ He had already begged for mercy on the arena. After all, Wang Liyao was his elder, his great-aunt, so it wasn't too embarrassing.

……

"Great-aunt Liyao, even I call you great-aunt now." The Commandery Prince of Heng paced back and forth in the box, his face dark with anger, "Do you know how much I lost today? Five hundred and thirteen thousand top gold, over five hundred thousand! Just your fifty percent share is two hundred and fifty thousand!"

"I asked you to beat him for a stick of incense, and you really did. Now, the high-paying guests in the boxes are all big shots. Some of them, even I can't afford to offend."

"Now the crowd is agitated. If this escalates, the losses will be huge, and we'll lose a lot of future earnings. Wang Liyao, do you have a grudge against money?"

Ignoring the Commandery Prince's rant, Wang Liyao calmly sipped her tea, "That junior spoke disrespectfully. Not breaking his legs was already giving face to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion."

"Sigh~ Forget it, it's already done. Complaining won't help. I need to use my brilliant business mind to think about the next match… Just so you know, you must follow my plan this time…" The Commandery Prince reluctantly accepted the situation and was about to plan the next match when the manager's voice came from outside, "Your Highness, great news, great news!"

"Get in here, what's so great about this mess?" The Commandery Prince scolded with a dark face.

The manager rolled in, his face beaming, "The distinguished guests are very satisfied with this match. They found it exciting and interesting. The story of Miss Liyao beating her 'grandson' has spread throughout Guilong City."

"Moreover, Miss Liyao's display of unparalleled strength has sparked widespread discussion about her upcoming match with Young Commandery Prince Zhixing. The odds are now fifty-fifty."

Wu Zhixing was adopted into the royal family and was known as the Little Commandery Prince.

However, he wouldn't inherit the Commandery Prince title. Once he reached the Purple Mansion Realm, he would be sent to the outer region battlefield to earn merits, and eventually be titled as a new Commandery Prince.

In five or six hundred years, if all went well, Wu Zhixing would be promoted to the Divine Realm and become a Daqian Prince, adding another powerhouse to the royal family.

Undoubtedly, it was a predictable and boring life.

"Congratulations, Your Highness. Many people are already booking the next great prodigy match, willing to pay any price for the best seats." The manager was overjoyed.

White Cloud Tower had made a fortune, and he was reaping the benefits.

"Good, good, Liyao is indeed my lucky star." The Commandery Prince's mood flipped, and he said to Wang Liyao, "From now on, you're my niece. Anyone who dares to bully you will answer to me."

"Your Highness…" Wang Liyao broke into a cold sweat, speechless, "My father is still young."

"Don't call me Your Highness, call me Uncle Heng." The Commandery Prince said nonchalantly, "Age doesn't matter, your father and I are destined to be lifelong friends."

……

At the same time.

Wang Shouzhe, the Commandery Prince's "lifelong friend," had arrived at the outer region beyond Shouzhe Pass.

Thanks to the efforts of the Wang Clan's "excellent elder" Wang Zongchang and others, the fifteen-hundred-mile fan-shaped area outside Shouzhe Pass had been thoroughly explored.

While Wang Liyao was in the capital for the "great prodigy trial," the Wang Clan had begun systematically clearing the outer region of beasts. With intelligence, strength, and other factors in place, they had eliminated numerous third, fourth, and fifth-grade beasts.

The beast meat became the best nourishment for the Wang Clan members, and the materials from the beasts were used for various purposes.

The Wang Clan, adhering to tradition, utilized every part of the beasts.

Moreover, the areas occupied by beasts often had spirit veins, treasures, and other natural resources.

As a result, the Wang Clan had gained significant additional income.

However, farming remained the main source of income. The cleared areas would enter the second phase of development, becoming the Wang Clan's and their allies' territories and granaries.

Despite thorough planning, unexpected events were inevitable.

Wang Zongchang, Wang Xiaohan, Wang Long Yan, and Ancestor Mang of the Gongsun Clan discovered a massive sinkhole behind the lair of a newly defeated sixth-grade bear beast.

Previously, they couldn't explore too closely for fear of alerting the bear.

While sinkholes were rare, they weren't unheard of. However, the Wang Clan elders found a large formation deep within the sinkhole.

Unable to break it, they invited the formation master Lu Xiaoxiao from the Changning Lu Clan. After careful examination, Ancestor Xiaoxiao concluded it was an ancient formation, dating back three to five thousand years.

Despite the formation's age and partial failure, the original creator's skills far surpassed Lu Xiaoxiao's, and she couldn't break it.

Eventually, the matter was reported to Wang Shouzhe, seeking his decision on whether to involve the academy.

Involving the academy would ensure the formation's breakage but would require sharing any potential benefits.

After some consideration.

Wang Shouzhe decided to take his great-grandson Wang Anye to investigate. If unsuccessful, they could still seek the academy's help.

Thus, the following scene unfolded.

Seventh Young Master Wang Anye stood pitifully on the cliff, shivering in the cold wind. Below, Wang Shouzhe and several Celestial Realm ancestors floated around the formation.

"Little Seven, jump. With so many of us watching, nothing will happen." Wang Zongchang called out, "Not even a fly will get hurt."

Wang Anye's handsome face showed a helpless smile. What kind of elders were these? Using cliff-jumping to trigger a fortuitous encounter and break the formation? How did they come up with such a bizarre idea?

Great-grandfather was right; those fantastical adventure stories shouldn't be circulated at home. Even the elders were obsessed.

Not jumping wasn't an option.

Wang Anye gritted his teeth and leaped, experiencing a thrilling bungee jump at a young age. As expected, just before hitting the ground, he was caught by several elders, unharmed.

But no miracle occurred.

"See, those stories are nonsense," Wang Anye pouted.

"Maybe it's the wrong spot. Jump again." Wang Zongchang suggested, "Our Little Seven is quite special."

The suggestion was eagerly accepted.

Over the next few days, Wang Anye jumped off the cliff over thirty times, always caught, but never triggering a miracle.

At the bottom of the cliff.

Wang Anye shook off Wang Zongchang's hold, angrily walking away, "I'm done jumping. It's not even thrilling anymore. If you want to jump, do it yourselves. Childish."

Maybe in a bad mood, maybe in a hurry.

Wang Anye tripped over a vine and fell, "Ouch, unlucky, tripping while walking…"

The vine's pull caused a rumbling of rocks within the foggy formation.

The mist gradually cleared, forming a vortex-like passage.

"It's open, the formation has a breach." Ancestor Lu Xiaoxiao, the "formation master," was ecstatic, hugging Wang Anye and kissing his cheek, "Anye, not only are you as handsome as your cousin, but your luck is unparalleled."

……

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