Protect Our Patriarch

……

Even though it's only half of it, and it's in such a tattered state, it's still a Dao Artifact~~!

You must understand, nurturing a legion flag isn't easy. It's different from a Divine Spirit Artifact; the most important aspect isn't its material, but the military soul it nurtures. And a military soul can only grow stronger through war, gradually accumulating from quantitative change to qualitative change.

A powerful military soul significantly boosts the combat strength of an army.

Since the founding of the Great Qian, it has been emulating the Shenwu Royal Dynasty's method of nurturing legion flags. After thousands of years, it has barely managed to nurture three legion flags with formed military souls.

Among them, the most formidable is the legion flag of the Canglong Army, named "Canglong," which is currently stationed at the outer region battlefield. In terms of power, Canglong is roughly equivalent to a rather powerful Divine Spirit Artifact.

As for the other two, they barely step into the Divine Spirit Artifact level, roughly equivalent to a Divine Spirit Artifact with a blank Spirit Artifact.

But even if you add those three together, they can't compare to this half-piece Dao Artifact level legion flag!

What did he just do?

Emperor Longchang clutched his bleeding heart, his face pale, and he looked as if he was about to collapse.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you must hold on." Old Yao hurriedly supported Emperor Longchang nervously, "Calm down first, let's discuss this matter at length, no rush, no rush."

"Uh... haha, this tolerance is a bit weak, I was just getting started, and now..." Seventh Sister, the legion flag, seeing Emperor Longchang in such a state, felt she might have gone a bit overboard.

Forget it~ Let it go, it's not fun if you really anger someone to death.

She gave a sheepish smile, then retracted her aura, transforming back into a plain piece of black cloth that fell into Wang Anye's hand, neatly folded, as if the arrogant flag from before wasn't her at all.

Wang Anye held the black cloth, feeling speechless.

Although he knew that a talking, sound-transmitting, and so skilled black cloth sister was definitely not simple, he never expected it to be Ancestor Chuanwu's legion flag, and a Dao Artifact at that!

The royal family hid the Canglong Sword so tightly, not even allowing a glimpse, it's obvious that Dao Artifacts are extremely rare and incredibly precious treasures.

After a long while, Emperor Longchang gradually recovered from the state of "losing a Dao Artifact," his spirit slightly restored.

He looked Wang Anye up and down with a peculiar gaze: "You brat, were you born just to vex me? I've been to the Divine Weapon Hall countless times. That piece of cloth, no, Seventh Sister, I've seen her many times, yet I've never found anything special about her. I just can't figure it out, why would she choose to go with you?"

"Your Majesty," Wang Anye pondered for a moment before answering, "Perhaps it's because I'm a descendant of Ancestor Chuanwu, the commander of the Seventh Legion."

Ancestor Chuanwu's descendant, my foot!

Emperor Longchang inwardly ranted.

I've been at odds with the Duke of Dingguo's mansion for thousands of years, and I've never heard of a "Wang Chuanwu" among the Wang Clan's ancestors who was a commander of the Shenwu Army. If there really was one, with the shameless style of the Wang family, it would have been proclaimed to the world long ago, and it wouldn't have been kept under wraps until now. Don't pull my leg.

Not to mention the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, even the Wang family of the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty hasn't heard of such an ancestor.

"Anye, don't belittle yourself. Actually, the Divine Weapon Hall is quite boring, staying there for too long is dull. Previously, Sister learned that the Shenwu Royal Dynasty had perished, unwilling to accept reality, she used work to numb herself. Now... forget it~ In short, Sister just wanted to go out for a walk." Seventh Sister, the legion flag, said, "I tested you before, you're a child with a pure and gentle heart, who knows how to tidy up. It's just that you happen to be a descendant of Old Wang, which strengthened my resolve to go with you."

"It's all fate~~ It must be Old Wang guiding you to me in the dark, to save me, a legion flag with a sinking heart, giving Sister the courage to face the world again."

"Seventh Sister, don't be sad." Wang Anye, hearing the legion flag's spirit's tone filled with a touch of desolation and undeniable loss, couldn't help but think of the Spirit Artifact sister from the new recruit camp. 𝙧Ａ𝐍Ȫ𝐛Ɛ𝙨

He had the most contact with the Spirit Artifact sister and understood her the best.

Although the Spirit Artifact sister never said it, he always suspected that she had long guessed the Shenwu Royal Dynasty had perished, but was unwilling to accept reality, deceiving herself. He couldn't bear to shatter the Spirit Artifact sister's illusion, so he played along.

These Spirit Artifacts from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty era probably all collapsed upon learning of the dynasty's fall. After all, that was their obsession, their pride.

He looked at the black legion flag in his hand with some reluctance, speaking seriously to comfort it: "Sister, although the Shenwu Royal Dynasty is indeed gone, the bloodline of the dynasty remains, and you are still here. As long as we are here, everyone will always remember the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, and the dynasty will not truly fade away."

"Anye~~ I knew I wasn't wrong about you, you're a good child." Seventh Sister, the legion flag, seemed to have come to terms with it, smiling, "I never thought, as a Spirit Artifact living for hundreds of thousands of years, I'd be less open-minded than a little kid like you."

"Uh..." Anye scratched his head awkwardly, "Actually, these words aren't mine, they're from my great-grandfather, Wang Shouzhe, also a descendant of Ancestor Chuanwu."

"Ahem~"

Seeing the conversation between the person and the Spirit Artifact, Emperor Longchang felt a bit awkward, especially with the idle chatter.

He interrupted, "Anye~~ let's make a deal. You're still young, holding a Dao Artifact in your hand is too showy and unsafe. How about I keep it for you, and when you grow up..."

"Anye, don't believe his words." Seventh Sister, the legion flag, quickly interrupted, "This rascal clearly wants to go back on his word and seize me."

She then turned to Emperor Longchang, "Hey, I'm telling you, even if you seize me, I won't help you."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Emperor Longchang's old face turned red, "I've lived for three or four thousand years, why would I deceive a twelve-year-old child? Besides, he's the future son-in-law of our royal family. It's just that he's too young and can't go to the battlefield, holding a legion flag is a waste~~ The army and battlefield are the true home of a legion flag."

"No problem~~ I'm just tired now, and my heart still has unhealed wounds, I don't want to go to the battlefield for now. During this time, I can accompany Anye as he grows up, and when he's grown, I'll take him to the battlefield to fly, to build achievements..." Seventh Sister, the legion flag, responded calmly, clearly having planned everything out.

"This..."

Emperor Longchang had no choice.

A legion flag unwilling to cooperate, even if it's a Dao Artifact, would be useless on the battlefield. If he forcibly seized it, she might really refuse to exert any effort.

After all, she's a legion flag of the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, with little sense of belonging to the Great Qian.

Fortunately, she seemed to recognize Anye, at least she was willing to accompany him to the battlefield.

After some contemplation, Emperor Longchang reluctantly accepted the reality: "Fine, let Anye keep it. After all, Seventh Sister has been gathering dust in the Divine Weapon Hall for too long. If Anye hadn't brought her out, she would likely continue to remain dormant."

"Oh, you rascal... well, you as an emperor are not bad, you have some of the demeanor and tolerance an emperor should have, Seventh Sister has a slightly better opinion of you." Seventh Sister was surprised that Emperor Longchang conceded so quickly, having prepared to deal with him further.

Although, as an emperor, one should have the capacity to accommodate others, and have some magnanimity and courage, so the country can be stable and the powerful families under his rule would be convinced.

But this is the kind of magnanimity the Holy Emperor spoke of, she didn't expect the emperor of this small Great Qian to achieve this. After all, this Great Qian emperor is just at the Lingxu Realm.

Now, she found Emperor Longchang much more agreeable, and she relaxed a bit, saying: "How about this, if you encounter a general situation, naturally there's no need to trouble me. But if you meet a formidable opponent that you can't handle, I can take Anye to support, but you must ensure Anye's safety."

"That would be great. Anyway, Anye doesn't need to command, I can send experts to protect him." Emperor Longchang was also pleased, feeling this was a good solution.

He didn't mind Seventh Sister's high-and-mighty, big sister attitude, after all, she was a legion flag from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, with seniority, naturally having the right to speak like that.

Although the matter was resolved, Emperor Longchang still felt deeply hurt when looking at Wang Anye.

He, a dignified emperor, had entered the Divine Weapon Hall countless times, yet the black cloth sister ignored him.

Wang Anye, just a little brat, entered the Divine Weapon Hall once and managed to coax out a hidden Dao Artifact.

The gap between people is truly vast.

The most important thing is, he still has to find a way to protect him, lest someone learns of this and secretly harms the boy.

"Old Yao, I'm a bit tired, I'll go rest first. By the way, arrange for the Wang Clan's little ancestors to stay in the Wangxian Pavilion next to the Imperial Garden, the scenery there is beautiful, and the spiritual energy is abundant, beneficial for children of their age. Also, ensure their daily needs are met, comparable to Xue Ning, don't let them be mistreated."

"Zhixing and Xue Ning should also stay and entertain the little guests on my behalf."

After arranging everything, Emperor Longchang couldn't wait to go rest. Today's events had dealt him continuous blows, staying any longer would surely shorten his lifespan by several years.

At this moment.

Emperor Longchang was already somewhat regretting "inviting" those little ones to the palace for hospitality. But as a dignified emperor, once he spoke, he couldn't easily change his words.

He could only hope that Wang Shouzhe would come quickly to take the little ones away.

Oh, and take those five little wolf cubs away too... sigh, it's hard to explain.

Those five little wolf cubs, while bringing him joy and healing, also occasionally caused great psychological trauma, truly a mix of pain and pleasure. Even now, they're still engaged in a battle of wits...

"Awoo awoo~" In the emperor's bedchamber, a few little wolf cubs came running joyfully, bouncing around him. Sensing the emperor's bad mood, they all pounced, performing various tricks.

Some acted cute, some massaged, and some were responsible for making him laugh.

"You little rascals, hahaha~~ you really know how to please people. Come, come, I've prepared some spiritual beef for you~~" Before long, the emperor surrendered, his stern face returning to a kindly smile, his wounded heart seemingly healed once more.

……

At the same time.

Around noon.

After lunch, the busy officials finally welcomed a rare lunch break. Some gathered in small groups under the corridor with tea, chatting in low voices, exchanging the latest gossip from various places, while others leaned on their desks for a nap, relaxing their weary minds.

This was the outer court of the palace.

Centered around the Zhenghe Hall, the surrounding area was where officials worked. It was also the political power center of the Great Qian, the location of the cabinet.

The political structure of the Great Qian adopted a cabinet system.

The cabinet was directly responsible to the emperor.

In the cabinet, there were generally four cabinet elders. One served as the chief assistant, and the other three as secondary assistants.

Of course, depending on the actual situation, there might occasionally be five or even more cabinet elders, depending on the emperor's will.

Below the cabinet, there were five departments: the Supervisory Office, the Penal Office, the Three Talents Office, the Military Affairs Office, and the Engineering Office.

Among them, the Supervisory Office monitored the clans and court officials. The Penal Office managed all criminal cases nationwide. The Three Talents Office controlled all the land and taxes, and also coordinated the four seasons of the weather.

As for the Military Affairs Office and the Engineering Office, as the names suggest, they managed military and engineering-related affairs.

Of course, this was just the big framework, and there were many detailed responsibilities involved in specific matters.

All the memorials of the Great Qian, after being filtered layer by layer, those that should be handled by the five departments would be directly sent to them for processing.

Only those relatively complex, broadly involved, or extremely important would be copied to the cabinet, where the cabinet elders would discuss and come up with a general handling plan and overall regulations, which would then be handed over to the relevant departments, i.e., officials within the five departments, to refine the details.

Afterward, the entire plan would be submitted for imperial review and implemented after the emperor's approval.

Of course, there were some less important matters that didn't even need to be submitted for imperial review, they were directly handled within the cabinet, with only a record needed for the emperor.

Therefore, the cabinet's power was actually very significant.

And the cabinet elders held power second only to the emperor.

However, the cabinet didn't consist of just a few cabinet elders; there were also many subordinate officials responsible for copying documents, transmitting information, and filtering memorials, among other auxiliary tasks.

Some officials were from the five departments, stationed here on rotation, specifically responsible for coordinating matters related to the cabinet and the five departments.

Just as everyone was enjoying a leisurely lunch break.

A carriage pulled by a Snow-stepping Spirit Horse suddenly stopped by the side gate of the outer court.

Soon, the curtain of the carriage was lifted.

An elderly man wearing a purple official robe, embroidered with a golden eagle, stepped out of the carriage.

The old man showed his waist token to the guards at the gate and was allowed entry.

The style of official robes in the Great Qian had strict regulations. The purple official robe was a symbol of the top three grades, and the golden eagle was the mark of a third-grade official.

Seeing the newcomer, the slightly noisy outer court of the palace instantly quieted down.

Several officials exchanged glances, then collectively went up to greet him, bowing in respect. Other officials also saluted from a distance.

"Director Meng."

It turned out the visitor was Meng Yuanbai, the Director of the Three Talents Office.

The Three Talents Office controlled the nation's taxes, wielding immense power.

As the Director of the Three Talents Office, Meng Yuanbai was one of the few third-grade officials in the court, holding authority and high prestige.

He was also the eldest and strongest among the direct lineage elders of the fourth-grade Meng Clan of Guilong City, not to be underestimated.

Although these subordinate officials worked in the power center, their ranks were generally below the sixth grade, most being newcomers to the officialdom, naturally incomparable to a big shot like Meng Yuanbai, who could decide life and death.

And those officials who went up to greet him were from the Three Talents Office, stationed in the cabinet, directly under Meng Yuanbai, naturally showing extra respect.

"At ease~ everyone should continue with their work or rest, don't mind me." Meng Yuanbai waved his hand, smiling, not putting on the airs of the Director of the Three Talents Office.

Afterward, he encouraged his direct subordinates who came up to greet him, then walked leisurely toward the central Zhenghe Hall of the outer court.

The cabinet elders conducted their daily work and handled political affairs in the Zhenghe Hall.

As for the five departments, since they often needed to liaise with officials from various places and handle numerous miscellaneous matters, their offices were set outside the palace, each having its own yamen.

Usually, without a summons from the cabinet elders or encountering particularly tricky matters, even the directors of the five departments rarely appeared in the cabinet.

Although Meng Yuanbai appeared calm and composed, he was actually a bit anxious inside.

Why did Chief Assistant Zhao suddenly summon him, and for what reason?

On the way, he had already reviewed his recent actions several times in his mind, feeling there were no mistakes, which slightly reassured him.

In a few steps, Meng Yuanbai arrived at the entrance of the Zhenghe Hall.

He tidied his attire, adjusted his facial expression, then walked in, coming to a door at the deepest part, and knocked solemnly: "Subordinate Meng Yuanbai, here by order. May I ask if the cabinet elder has time to spare?"

The cabinet elders naturally didn't all crowd into one room for work; each had their own dedicated room. Usually, there were officials responsible for running back and forth, transmitting memorials and documents, and only for particularly significant matters would the cabinet elders meet face-to-face.

The room at the deepest part of the Zhenghe Hall belonged to the current Chief Assistant, Zhao Hongbo.

Hearing Meng Yuanbai's voice, a low, aged voice soon came from inside: "Come in."

"Yes."

Meng Yuanbai raised his hand in salute to the door, then gently pushed it open and entered.

Inside was a spacious room.

Apart from rows of bookshelves, there was a huge desk piled with neatly organized memorials.

Behind the desk sat a thin old man.

The old man wore a purple official robe, with deep brows and a high nose, exuding a deep and restrained aura, with almost no outward display of power. He held a pen in his hand, quickly writing on an open memorial in front of him.

In the Great Qian, only a strong person in the Divine Realm could be appointed as a cabinet elder, and for someone like Meng Yuanbai, a Purple Mansion Realm strong person, a third-grade director was already the limit.

The person before him, although his aura was restrained to the extreme, appearing no different from an ordinary person, Meng Yuanbai dared not underestimate him in the slightest. Even standing before him like this, Meng Yuanbai felt immense pressure.

Because this person was the current Chief Assistant, the most powerful cabinet elder in the Great Qian, and also the second ancestor of the second-grade Zhao Clan, Ancestor Hongbo.

In the Great Qian, this person was, to some extent, "second only to one, above all others," truly standing at the pinnacle of power.

Even the princes holding military power were generally unwilling to conflict with him.

Beside the old man, a young scholar in a red fourth-grade official robe was patiently and seriously grinding ink. Noticing Meng Yuanbai's gaze, the young scholar nodded at him.

Meng Yuanbai was momentarily stunned, then quickly responded with a nod.

He naturally recognized this young scholar.

Although this person was currently only a fourth-grade official, technically a rank lower than him, his background was not simple.

His name was Zhao Zhikun, one of the three most valued Divine Realm seeds of the second-grade Zhao Clan, often accompanying Elder Zhao. It was rumored that Elder Zhao intended to groom him as his successor.

Perhaps, in a few hundred years, he might occupy one of the four cabinet elder positions in the Great Qian.

With such a status, Meng Yuanbai dared not neglect him.

"Subordinate Meng Yuanbai, pays respects to Elder Zhao."

After silently exchanging greetings with the young scholar, Meng Yuanbai respectfully saluted the old man behind the desk, then stood with his hands at his sides, waiting for instructions.

"Director Meng... I remember you became the Director of the Three Talents Office fifty years ago, right?" Zhao Hongbo spoke without looking up, seemingly casually.

"Yes, Elder." Meng Yuanbai replied respectfully.

"Unknowingly, fifty years have passed~" Zhao Hongbo seemed a bit sentimental, "I still remember what you were like when you first entered the officialdom, back then, you were just over a hundred years old, a young man who knew nothing but cultivation."

"Yes." Meng Yuanbai respectfully lowered his head, sincerely agreeing, "Back then, I acted recklessly and offended Elder Chen Boyong of the Chen Clan, almost getting dismissed. It was Jianming who couldn't stand it and brought me to Elder Zhao, persuading you to help me, giving me a chance to turn things around. Over the years, thanks to Elder Zhao's guidance, I've achieved what I have today. I'll never forget Elder Zhao's kindness. If there's ever a chance to repay it, I'll do my utmost."

This was a declaration of loyalty.

"No need for pleasantries. Just do your job well, and that's helping me." Zhao Hongbo said indifferently, "I called you here today not for anything major, just a matter that, if arranged directly, might overwhelm your subordinates, so I wanted to give you a few words of advice. Zhikun."

"Yes, Ancestor."

The young scholar grinding ink responded, immediately putting down the ink block, then picked out a memorial from a stack in front of him, and handed it to Meng Yuanbai.

Initially puzzled, Meng Yuanbai took it, only to find it was a sealed report. The reporter's name was sealed with lacquer, and the report was about tax evasion, with the subject being...

"The Changning Wang Clan?"

Meng Yuanbai was stunned.

Isn't this the family that's been making waves recently?

As the Director of the Three Talents Office, with a professional sensitivity, he naturally paid attention to the various movements in Shangjing City.

Starting from the year before last, first, Miss Liyao, the great prodigy, entered the capital and made a name for herself. The following year, another great prodigy, Zong An, entered the capital, setting up a joint office for desert development, attracting a large number of families in the capital to invest, all related to the Changning Wang Clan.

Moreover, as the Director of the Three Talents Office, managing taxes and land, he was more aware than others of how much land the Changning Wang Clan had reclaimed over the years and how significant their tax contributions were.

Typically, families would reclaim land to secure enough territory for their survival and then stop to focus on development. But the Changning Wang Clan kept reclaiming land one after another, as if they intended to turn the entire southern wasteland into their backyard.

He hadn't seen a family more enthusiastic about land reclamation than the Changning Wang Clan.

From his position as the Director of the Three Talents Office, he actually liked families like the Changning Wang Clan. After all, the land reclaimed by the Changning Wang Clan belonged to the Great Qian, and he could collect taxes without doing anything, what wasn't to like?

Thus, he hesitated for a moment: "Elder, this Changning Wang Clan..."

"What, are you also intimidated by the power of Commandery Prince An and dare not investigate?" Zhao Hongbo, seeing his hesitation, put down his pen and glanced at him.

Those eyes were deep and cold, even a casual glance carried an indescribable deterrent force.

Meng Yuanbai's heart skipped a beat, cold sweat immediately pouring down: "No, Elder, you've misunderstood. Since there's a report, as the Director of the Three Talents Office, I naturally have an unshirkable responsibility. I'll investigate, I'll investigate."

Saying this, he bowed and wanted to leave.

However, before he could speak his farewell, Zhao Hongbo's voice came: "This matter involves tax evasion by a family, and the amount is huge, which is beyond the jurisdiction of the Three Talents Office alone. I've already informed the Supervisory Office and the Penal Office, and the three offices will work together, led by the Three Talents Office, to thoroughly investigate this matter. Yuanbai, don't disappoint me."

The last sentence was like a heavy stone pressing down, weighing heavily on Meng Yuanbai's heart, leaving no room for any wishful thinking.

He raised his hand in salute, solemnly agreeing: "Yes, Elder. Yuanbai knows what to do."

He understood that Elder Zhao was telling him that this time, he was determined to investigate thoroughly, and he should not think of secretly informing the Changning Wang Clan or trying to please both sides.

If he wanted to remain in his position as the Director of the Three Talents Office safely, he had to fully side with Elder Zhao and handle this matter well.

Having been in his position for so many years, Meng Yuanbai understood one thing very clearly: no family in the world doesn't evade taxes.

This was almost an open secret.

After all, every family had countless industries under their name, and if they paid taxes honestly, the amount would often be huge.

Therefore, almost every family used some means to avoid part of the taxes, the difference being only in how much they evaded.

However, as long as it wasn't too excessive, the government turned a blind eye.

Thus, when it came to tax evasion by families, a report was almost always accurate, and an investigation always yielded results.

He didn't know who wrote the report this time or who was behind this move against the Changning Wang Clan, but he knew that the Changning Wang Clan was in big trouble this time.

……

Several days later.The Four Seasons Garden of the Great Qian Wang's Clan's main residence.

Though the garden wasn't large, through the use of formations and meticulous care, it managed to create a distinct four-season atmosphere, with a different view every ten steps and a change of season every hundred steps.

While this was quite extravagant, Wang Shouzhe found it extremely comfortable.

What he enjoyed most, however, was being away from the family's complex affairs and the noise of a bunch of unruly kids. Wang Shouzhe loved children and was deeply attached to his family, but the occasional stolen moments of leisure were truly delightful.

Every day, he would chat about future plans with the head of the Great Qian Wang's Clan and the elders, sip on spiritual tea, and enjoy a carefree life.

His miniature portable abode was temporarily set up in his room, allowing him to enter and exit at will.

Though called miniature, the actual space inside was quite ample. Upon entering, the first thing one would see was a simple yet charming wooden house.

From the recruit camp, he had obtained a guardian puppet named Wang Shouzu. It was about the same height as an average person, crafted with such precision that it was hard to tell it was just a puppet. Yet beneath its unassuming exterior, it possessed strength comparable to the late Purple Mansion Realm.

Moreover, Wang Shouzu was a defensive-type puppet, excelling in defense rather than offense. Once fully activated, it could hold off a Divine Realm cultivator for a short time.

If supplemented with a "Legion Commander's Protection," even a Divine Realm enemy would find it hard to gain the upper hand.

This was one of Wang Shouzhe's current sources of confidence, and one of the foundations of the family's strength.

The Changning Wang's Clan had grown to a point where it could truly stand among the many clans of the Great Qian, no longer needing to act with caution in everything.

Today, Wang Shouzhe was once again indulging in laziness.

In his portable abode, in front of the wooden house, he lay half-asleep in a grandmaster chair. Behind him, the puppet Wang Shouzu fanned him with a palm-leaf fan. Whether it was hot or not didn't matter; it was all about the atmosphere.

In front of the house, a tree several meters tall and full of vitality used its branches to hold a teapot and cups, brewing a pot of tea and pouring a cup for Wang Shouzhe.

This tree was naturally one of Wang Shouzhe's beloved daughters—Wang Lixian.

"Yiya yaya~" Wang Lixian, still young, couldn't speak yet, but communicating with Wang Shouzhe was easy. Father, drink tea. These are the leaves shed during my growth, used by the puppet Wang Shouzu to make tea.

Life Immortal Tree Tea!

Although Wang Lixian had not yet reached the level of a true immortal plant, she was still a powerful immortal seedling. Even the leaves shed during her growth were filled with unique life energy, making the tea brewed from them exceptionally effective.

One sip and Wang Shouzhe felt refreshed, his fatigue swept away, and both his body and spirit rejuvenated.

Good tea, good tea.

Though the tea was excellent, every time Lixian referred to it as made from her shed leaves, Wang Shouzhe couldn't shake the feeling that something was off...

Oh well, no point in overthinking it.

As Wang Shouzhe sipped his spiritual tea, he began to tell the familiar story of Pigsy carrying his wife. This time, however, the audience wasn't the unruly kids of the Wang Clan, but the young immortal seedling Wang Lixian and a "shield."

Yes, a shield. It was a blank spirit artifact divine shield Wang Shouzhe had acquired from the recruit training camp. A blank spirit artifact had a consciousness as vague as a blank slate.

In terms of power, it was certainly less potent than a divine spirit artifact with a mature spirit. However, the advantage of a blank slate was that it could be nurtured from scratch, allowing the spirit's personality to align with one's own, preventing it from developing in undesirable ways. Of course, this process was quite lengthy.

"Yiya yiya." Wang Lixian, listening happily, trembled with excitement, shedding another dozen leaves, contributing to the stock of Life Immortal Tea.

"Ying ying ying." The shield's spirit, still very weak, could already perform simple tasks, like catching the falling leaves with its shield body and gathering them.

"Good little Tank." Wang Shouzhe patted the spirit shield, as if encouraging it.

"Ying ying." The shield, affectionately called Wang Tank, echoed back excitedly.

Wang Shouzhe had always been interested in shield-type treasures because they represented protection and safety. With Wang Lixian's formidable offensive capabilities, Wang Shouzhe needed to focus more on personal defense. As long as he remained unharmed, he could continuously supply Wang Lixian with firepower, ensuring an invincible position.

One shield was somewhat lacking; if he could acquire another divine spirit artifact shield, he could play the legendary double-shield style.

"Yiya yiya." Wang Lixian waved her branches, demanding scratches, hugs, and to be lifted high. Though she was a tree, she was still a child, wasn't she?

However, this child's personality was somewhat fiery.

Though she was a life-type immortal plant, her greatest passion was firepower, constantly urging her father to catalyze and upgrade her firepower seeds. Don't ask how much firepower is enough; the answer is always more.

"Alright, alright, lifting you high is out of the question, but I'll give you a hug and a scratch." Wang Shouzhe said leisurely, "Lixian, oh Lixian, you must grow up quickly. Once you can speak, I'll send you to the clan school. Let me tell you, the clan school is so much fun, with many interesting little friends to grow up with."

"Yaya yiya." Wang Lixian was very happy, shaking off a few more leaves. Then, Little Tank eagerly caught them and presented them to Wang Shouzhe like a treasure.

"Good, all good."

...

While Wang Shouzhe was enjoying his leisurely days away from the mundane world and the unruly kids.

In the palace, inside Zhuozheng Pavilion.

Emperor Longchang lay half-asleep in a grandmaster chair, looking somewhat lacking in energy. Those five little wolf cubs were already enough to tire and trouble him, yet unexpectedly, in the past two days, the five little wolf cubs had successfully joined forces with the three little ones from the Wang Clan.

As a result, it was no longer a simple one plus one equals two.

In just a few days, one piece of "bad news" after another kept pushing Emperor Longchang to his limits.

Finally, having a moment of peace, Emperor Longchang didn't want to deal with state affairs; he just wanted half a day of peaceful rest. Yet, before two quarters of an hour had passed, an eunuch came to report, "Your Majesty, something's wrong. The three little ones from the Wang Clan and the five little ones, along with one big and one small from the royal family, have all suddenly disappeared."

"What? I even had 'Little Ji' personally watching over them, and they still got lost?" Emperor Longchang's heart skipped a beat, sensing something amiss, and he quickly said, "Find them quickly, as fast as possible."

Then, after another quarter of an hour, the eunuch came to report, "Your Majesty, we've found them."

"That's good, it hasn't been long. Where were they found?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, in the back mountain's Immortal Medicine Garden..." The eunuch trembled in fear.

"What? Was there much damage?"

"We're still assessing."

"Ugh!" Emperor Longchang nearly spat blood, feeling like he'd lost a few more years of life. He turned to Old Yao and said with a sigh, "What's Wang Shouzhe doing? It's been so many days, why hasn't he come to see me?"

"Your Majesty, it's said that every day he's just drinking tea, chatting, or visiting seed markets to collect some odd and rare seeds... In short, he's quite idle," Old Yao said softly, "Your Majesty, do you wish to summon him?"

"Summon him, my foot. What is his status, and what is mine? If he doesn't come to see me on his own, do I have to beg him to come?" Emperor Longchang's face grew darker, "Anyway, the longer he takes to come, the more I'll hold it against him. The longer he delays, the more he'll have to endure my wrath."

"Wang Shouzhe, oh Wang Shouzhe, I'll remember you."

Old Yao's mouth twitched, but he said no more.

Meanwhile.

Emerging from his portable abode, Wang Shouzhe sneezed twice.

Suddenly!

The jade talisman in his arms trembled slightly.

Wang Shouzhe held the jade talisman, his brows furrowing slightly before relaxing. He rubbed his nose, gazed at the sky, and murmured to himself, the weather is getting cooler, another season of bountiful harvests.

Perhaps, the snakes and rats will start to stir.

...

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