Protect Our Patriarch

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……

Changning Garrison, Ping'an Town, Zhuhui Mansion.

As the most prestigious wealthy area in Ping'an, this place was a swampy wasteland more than thirty years ago.

It was Wang Shouzhe, the rejuvenating patriarch of the Wang's Clan, who spent ten years filling the swamp and turning it into fertile land, creating the prosperous scene it is today.

The excellent environment, the gathering of the rich, and the convenience of commerce and living in the central location have made it highly sought after by local tycoons. Even wealthy people from the entire Changning Garrison area are willing to spend a fortune to acquire a mansion here.

This has caused the value of the main residences and farmland in Zhuhui Mansion to skyrocket. Many of the first buyers made a fortune by reselling their properties. However, they later regretted it deeply.

As the Changning Wang's Clan grew stronger, the environment of the entire Ping'an Town improved, becoming more prosperous and powerful. The price of the first phase of Zhuhui Mansion has risen to a level that even ninth-grade clans from other regions find daunting.

A mansion with a front and back yard plus eighty acres of farmland has soared to two or three thousand Top Gold, and still, there are no sellers. The closer the courtyards are to the river and Zhuhui Lake, the more expensive they are.

On this day, it was the fiftieth birthday of Master Ouyang, and the house was bustling with guests of high status coming to celebrate. However, Master Ouyang seemed somewhat melancholic. After offering a few cups of wine to the guests, he retreated to the backyard.

In a corner of the backyard.

The weather was getting cooler.

Some special varieties of plum and chrysanthemum flowers in the courtyard were in full bloom, competing with each other in beauty.

Master Ouyang lay in a reclining chair. At fifty, he already looked quite old. His slightly cloudy eyes seemed somewhat lifeless.

He was only a year or two younger than Wang Shouzhe, but in appearance and spirit, they were worlds apart, not looking like they were from the same generation at all.

After a while.

The weather grew even cooler.

A man in his thirties, dressed in luxurious clothes, carefully walked into this small garden that belonged to his father, holding the hand of a seven or eight-year-old girl. Since he was a child, whenever his father was in a low mood, he would retreat to this corner of the garden.

"Father," the man in luxurious clothes said in a low voice, "many guests are waiting to wish you a happy birthday."

Master Ouyang glanced at him indifferently and said, "Let them wait."

"Father, is that appropriate?" the man in luxurious clothes said in a low voice, "Among the guests are many distinguished individuals... the third manager of Hengxiang Shop, the young clan leader of the Li Clan, the deputy garrison commander of the garrison office, the young master of Xinyi Shipping Company..." He listed the high-status guests one by one.

"Hmph!" Master Ouyang half-closed his eyes and said, "The world is bustling for profit, and the world is bustling for profit. These so-called distinguished guests are here to flatter an old man like me for one reason only, 'profit'!"

"Botao, you must remember, I, Ouyang Junyan, am a personal attendant of the Sixth Miss and one of the chief stewards of the Wang's Clan," Ouyang Junyan said sternly, "We must be loyal to our benefactor and only have official dealings with outsiders, never personal interests. Our Ouyang family has what it has today because of loyalty. Now that you have been promoted to a steward of the Wang's Clan, you must remember this."

Since being promoted to a trusted aide by the Sixth Miss, he had been involved in various affairs of the Wang's Clan, such as the silt-clearing and land-filling project, the construction and sale of Zhuhui Mansion, the resettlement of refugees, the organization of laborers to dredge the river, the An River embankment project, the resettlement housing project, the management of a section of Shouzhe Road in the outer regions, and the major management of a part of Shouzhe Pass...

He had worked diligently all the way, serving as a backbone in the rise of the Wang's Clan. Therefore, to commend his contributions and loyalty, the Wang's Clan had bestowed this main residence in Zhuhui Mansion upon him more than ten years ago.

As one of the chief stewards of the Wang's Clan, Ouyang Junyan was naturally a target for many to curry favor with.

"Yes, Father," Ouyang Botao quickly bowed and said, "Then I will go entertain the guests to avoid people saying our Ouyang family doesn't understand etiquette. Let Muqiu accompany you for a while."

"Go," Ouyang Junyan waved impatiently. He seemed dissatisfied with his son.

After Ouyang Botao left.

The little girl, Ouyang Muqiu, sweetly said, "I wish Grandpa happiness as vast as the East Sea and longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountain."

"Hehe, little one. Grandpa's fortune is good, but as for longevity, in my younger days, I was too... cough cough~ forget it~" Ouyang Junyan lovingly patted his granddaughter's head and smiled, "How are your studies lately? You must study well in the Wang's Clan School and never neglect your cultivation."

"Grandpa tells you, our Ouyang family has what it has today all because of the Wang's Clan and the Sixth Miss. You must work hard to become a useful person and repay the Wang's Clan and the Sixth Miss in the future."

"Yes, Grandpa," Ouyang Muqiu nodded obediently, though she didn't fully understand.

"Good child," Ouyang Junyan praised, his eyes filled with emotion.

After his financial situation improved, he spent a lot of money and Wang's Clan contribution points to barely raise his eldest son Ouyang Botao's bloodline from waste to lower-grade Ding, allowing him to step into the realm of Basalt cultivators.

Later, he married a daughter-in-law with bloodline potential from an unremarkable Basalt family in the outer garrison.

Whether it was ancestral virtue or Ouyang Junyan's own good fortune, his granddaughter was recently tested at the Wang's Clan Spirit Testing Platform and found to have lower-grade B bloodline potential.

Ouyang Junyan then gritted his teeth and spent contributions and credit to exchange a high-priced fourth-grade spirit pill, the Blood Refining Pill, from the Wang's Clan, raising his precious granddaughter's bloodline to lower-grade A.

With such bloodline potential, if Ouyang Muqiu could become a trusted family general of the Wang's Clan and make some contributions, she would have a good chance of becoming a Lingtai Realm family general in the future.

This showed how high Ouyang Junyan's expectations were for his granddaughter.

While the grandfather and granddaughter were talking.

Suddenly!

A graceful figure flew into Ouyang Junyan's garden. With each step, she seemed to tread on the air, creating ripples as if walking on solid ground.

In a few breaths, she landed in front of Ouyang Junyan with her hands behind her back.

She wore a goose-yellow female Basalt combat suit, exuding heroic spirit. Just standing there, she had an unparalleled aura of dominance.

"Six, Six, Sixth Miss," Ouyang Junyan rubbed his eyes in disbelief and sprang from his reclining chair, trembling and excited as he knelt, "Jun, Junyan greets the Sixth Miss."

His heart was filled with excitement and emotion. The Sixth Miss had been busy with her cultivation at the academy and rarely returned. Even when she did, it was always in a hurry.

Ouyang Junyan counted on his fingers; the last time he had caught a glimpse of the Sixth Miss was eight years ago.

"Junyan, I've heard about your deeds. Over the years, you have always been diligent and dedicated to the Wang's Clan," Wang Luo Qiu nodded, "I've been busy with other matters for the past six or seven years. This time, I was summoned back by Fourth Brother and heard about your fiftieth birthday... so I came to congratulate you. Junyan, you have aged a bit, sigh~"

"Thank, thank you, Sixth Miss, for remembering a humble servant," Ouyang Junyan was moved to tears, "My humble birthday is not worth mentioning, yet you personally came to congratulate me. I am overwhelmed."

"A humble servant like me is fifty now, so it's normal to be a bit old. But you, Sixth Miss, are more dazzling than ever, as if you were still in your twenties. Muqiu, why are you standing there? Quickly greet the Sixth Miss and kowtow."

Ouyang Muqiu knelt and said crisply, "Muqiu greets the Sixth Miss."

Her eyes were filled with a mix of fear and curiosity. Was this the Sixth Miss that Grandpa always talked about? She was so beautiful and young, like a goddess in a painting.

"Muqiu?" Wang Luo Qiu glanced at her indifferently, her eyes showing no emotion.

"This... is my presumption. I will change it immediately..." Ouyang Junyan broke into a cold sweat, feeling both guilty and anxious.

"It's a pretty good name, no need to change it," Wang Luo Qiu didn't care at all. At the Purple Mansion Academy, she was known for her domineering and strong personality, having crushed countless young talents with her iron fists.

Despite this, many senior and junior brothers admired and adored her, even provoking her anger just to be beaten up by her.

Although Wang Luo Qiu couldn't understand this peculiar hobby, she was used to being admired and adored.

With that, Wang Luo Qiu waved her delicate hand, and a jade bottle floated into Ouyang Junyan's hand: "Here is a Longevity Pill. It won't grant you a century of life, but it will restore some of the lifespan you've lost due to overwork."

"Sixth Miss, this is too precious... my humble life..." Ouyang Junyan hurriedly refused in panic, "How could I be worth such an expense from the Sixth Miss?"

"It's just a small Longevity Pill, useful only for those below the Lingtai Realm," Wang Luo Qiu waved her hand domineeringly and looked at Ouyang Muqiu, "This child seems to have some potential. Make sure to train her well and don't waste it."

With that, she gave a few more bottles of cultivation pills and then left gracefully.

"Thank you, Sixth Miss," Ouyang Junyan said loudly.

Soon, Ouyang Botao and several distinguished guests arrived upon hearing the news. When they heard that the legendary Sixth Miss of the Wang's Clan had personally come to congratulate and even gifted a fourth-grade spirit pill, the Longevity Pill, their eyes lit up, and they flattered Ouyang Junyan even more.

"Brother Junyan," Liu Tianyi, the third manager of Hengxiang Shop, said regretfully, "I heard that Luo Qiu Sixth Miss is a prodigy at the academy, and your granddaughter has excellent potential. Why not ask the Sixth Miss to take her as a maid? That way, your granddaughter's future would be limitless."

The others also expressed regret, saying that Ouyang had missed a great opportunity.

"Hmph, what do you know?" Ouyang Junyan waved his sleeve in dissatisfaction, "The Sixth Miss is an extraordinary person, even at the academy, many people want to curry favor with her. My Muqiu, with just lower-grade A potential, is not qualified to be her maid."

"Lower-grade A isn't enough to be a maid?" The young clan leader of the Li Clan, who had lower-grade C potential, was astonished, "I heard that lower-grade A has a chance to get into the academy with some effort."

Ouyang Junyan swept the room with a calm gaze, "What's so strange about that? Any prodigy at the academy is destined to be a top figure in the future. And I firmly believe that the Sixth Miss will become a legendary figure."

The guests continued to flatter Ouyang Junyan. With the Sixth Miss's gift of the Longevity Pill, Ouyang Junyan's position as one of the chief stewards of the Wang's Clan was secure until his death.

……

Wang's Clan Main Residence.

Shouzhe's Small Courtyard.

"You two, how dare you!"

Wang Shouzhe's face was as cold as ice, standing with his hands behind his back. It had been many years since he had been this furious.

Standing before him, being scolded, were two women of exceptional beauty and temperament. One wore a goose-yellow Basalt combat suit, the other a mysterious purple dress.

These two were the prodigies of the Wang's Clan at the academy, Wang Luo Qiu and Wang Luo Jing.

At this moment, both of them had their heads down, not daring to breathe too loudly. Fourth Brother rarely got angry, but when he did, it was not easy to calm him down.

"Wang Luo Jing, Wang Luo Qiu," Wang Shouzhe's anger was like a tidal wave, "Do you think your Fourth Brother can't control you anymore?"

"You dared to deceive the heavens and cross the sea, secretly joining the outer regions battlefield for several years. Do you still have any respect for me as the clan leader?"

"What did I tell you? Always prioritize safety, never gamble with your lives. Does our Wang Clan lack resources for your cultivation?"

Wang Luo Jing's pretty face was full of grievance, almost on the verge of tears.

But Wang Luo Qiu, still somewhat defiant, muttered, "Fourth Brother, Li Yao is now a great prodigy at the academy. As her aunts, we are only lower-grade C bloodline. It's embarrassing, so we took a risk to see if we could achieve some great feats."

"The outer regions battlefield has many Lingtai Realm cultivators, we are not the weakest... and we were following Senior Sister Lu Wei... we gained a lot of benefits and even got lucky with a big find..."

"Shut up, I'll deal with Lu Wei later," Wang Shouzhe said angrily, "I've been working on getting the Wuji Baodan, do you need to worry about it? Don't I know about the outer regions battlefield? Even Celestial Realm cultivators often fall there! You..."

"Husband, don't be angry, it's bad for your health," Liu Ruolan gracefully approached, gently persuading, "Luo Jing and Luo Qiu are your sisters, don't scold them too harshly."

This made Wang Luo Jing and Wang Luo Qiu feel warm inside. Sister-in-law still cared for them...

"Ruolan, you... the outer regions battlefield is so..." Wang Shouzhe's face was filled with anger and fear. Even the academy prohibited Lingtai Realm prodigies from going to the outer regions battlefield.

"Husband, I mean don't scold them too harshly," Liu Ruolan said gently, "Just beat them directly, beat them to death, don't hold back. Or is it that you can't hit them anymore?"

What?

Wang Luo Jing and Wang Luo Qiu's faces fell instantly. Sister-in-law, thank you so much for your comfort. We'd rather be scolded all day~

……

:.:

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