Chapter 42: Tranquil Years & Spirit Artifact |
Yuwen Nianjing couldn't help but laugh as she watched the spectacle unfold, especially at Qian Xuefu's comical expression. "Clan Leader Wang Shouzhe is indeed a man of talent and charm, no wonder Valley Master Sister has him in her thoughts. Brother, I think you stand little chance, better give up early~"
Last time when Pill Cauldron Master was recruiting disciples, Yuwen Nianjing's performance was quite good in all aspects, but she was ultimately eliminated.
Fortunately, the reputation of the Yuwen Clan wasn't too shabby, and after some time had passed, Pill Cauldron Master secretly accepted her as a Named Disciple. As for Dongfang Yuxi, he was completely out of luck, not even qualifying as a Named Disciple.
Qian Xuefu was already feeling miserable, and her words only added salt to his wounds. He looked at Yuwen Nianjing despondently: "Nianjing, if all else fails, how about we just pair up and muddle through life together?"
Yuwen Nianjing gave him a disdainful glance: "If you were half as handsome as Shouye, I might consider it."
Qian Xuefu rolled his eyes.
If he had half the looks of Shouye, why would he need her?
Without further ado, he grabbed Wang Shouye: "Come on, you need to teach your brother how to improve his looks!"
With that, he dragged Wang Shouye into the inner courtyard.
Wang Shouye was still confused when, to his surprise, he found someone already seated inside.
It was a young man exuding nobility.
He wore a white jade crown adorned with auspicious cloud patterns on his head and was dressed in black gold spirit silk brocade. With a spirit jade pendant hanging from his waist, he had the demeanor of a refined gentleman, truly the epitome of a noble son.
However, his figure and face were slightly plump, bearing a resemblance to Qian Xuefu.
Upon seeing Wang Shouye and Qian Xuefu enter, the slightly overweight young man immediately stood up.
"Junior Brother Shouye, let me introduce you," Qian Xuefu said with uncharacteristic seriousness, "This is my fourteenth brother, Qian Xuehan. Fourteenth brother, this is Wang Shouye from the Changning Wang's Clan that I've mentioned to you."
"I've often heard my brother speak highly of Brother Shouye. Seeing you today, you truly are a young dragon among men, towering like a great peak, destined to soar above the clouds." Qian Xuehan greeted Wang Shouye with a bow, his manners impeccable.
"How dare I, how dare I. Shouye has met the Fourteenth Master."
The Changning Wang's Clan was also strict with their upbringing. Although Wang Shouye was devoted to alchemy, he knew his etiquette and promptly returned the gesture deeply.
"Shouye, Fourteenth Brother is the current legitimate eldest son of the Qian Clan," Qian Xuefu quietly reminded Wang Shouye, then added, "He came to find you today in secret, and it must remain confidential. You two talk; I'll excuse myself."
After speaking, he turned and left, going outside to stand guard.
Wang Shouye immediately felt a chill, sensing that the situation was far from simple.
The legitimate eldest son of the Purple Mansion Clan held a prestigious status, and now he had come to find him in secret—what could this be about?
Before Wang Shouye could react, Qian Xuehan, the legitimate son, suddenly threw himself at him, weeping and begging, "Shouye, save me…"
Wang Shouye was utterly astonished.
***
Changning Wang's Clan, Ping'an Town.
These days, due to the confrontation with the Qian Clan and the full-scale implementation of aerial cold chain transportation, the Wang's Clan had seen a new wave of development.
However, this also meant that the already stretched manpower of the Wang's Clan became even more insufficient. There was a need for people everywhere, yet there was a shortage of hands everywhere. Even the young lads and lasses who had just graduated from the clan school had to shoulder responsibilities, contributing to the development of the Wang's Clan.
Nevertheless, no matter how busy it was outside, the internal affairs of the Wang's Clan remained largely undisturbed. Especially the younger generation of the Wang's Clan, who continued their studies and lives in an orderly manner.
Behind the main hall of the Wang's Clan's main residence, there was a newly built complex of buildings in recent years.
This complex mainly housed facilities such as the Mission Hall, Scripture Repository, and the Treasure Vault. It was here that the disciples of the Wang's Clan would take on missions, calculate contribution points, and exchange or collect elixirs and other cultivation materials.
At the entrance of the Mission Hall, Fourth Uncle Wang Zongyao, along with the eleven-year-old family guard trainee Wang Ping, walked in.
In the center of the hall, there was an energy array with a crystal ball the size of a head suspended in the middle.
As Wang Zongyao approached, the crystal ball emitted a soft glow, and in a sweet and coquettish voice, it announced, "Ding-dong! Welcome, Fourth Young Master Zongyao, and the young family guard, Wang Ping."
"Ding-dong! The Clan Leader has decreed that the training sequence for the young family guard Wang Ping be upgraded from priority to special priority, with treatment equivalent to the direct descendants of the clan."
As it spoke, the light transformed, and beside the crystal ball appeared a two-dimensional beauty.
She resembled a girl from Earth's fantasy works, with cute cat ears, long beautiful legs, and proportions that were exaggerated in every aspect.
Every time Wang Zongyao saw the Spirit Artifact's form, his eyelids would twitch uncontrollably, and he dared not look too long.
At the same time, he couldn't help but criticize inwardly. What was Fourth Uncle thinking when he came up with this image? What had he experienced to develop such a unique and weird aesthetic?
Because of this, there had been no shortage of chaos and disorder in Fourth Uncle's courtyard, as his wife always suspected that Fourth Uncle harbored some unspeakable secrets from the past.
"Spirit Artifact, I'm here to collect the supplies for the past two months and to request early access to all resources for the next year," said Wang Zongyao, looking down, "The reason being, due to the cultivation of the 'Heavenly Refinement Art' and learning the craft of artifact refining, I need to undergo prolonged seclusion in the Qinglian Fire Valley."
"Ding-dong~ Fourth Young Master Zongyao's request is logical, application approved," the Spirit Artifact's sweet voice rang out, "I hope Fourth Young Master Zongyao works hard and strives to become a master artifact refiner soon, to become a pillar of our Wang's Clan."
The voice was pleasant, but the constant "ding-dong" made Wang Zongyao's head ache.
He quickly had Wang Ping also claim his resources, then took the list of resources and hurriedly left. Any longer in there, and he felt like even his dreams would be haunted by the sound of "ding-dong."
However, before he could take Wang Ping out of the Mission Hall, he ran into Wang Shouye coming from the opposite direction.
He was overjoyed and greeted him with respect: "Seventh Uncle, what brings you back?"
"Zongyao," Wang Shouye said with a smile, patting his shoulder, "I've heard about your situation. You and Wang Ping study hard together. Whether our family can make a name for itself in artifact refining and shine brightly depends on you two."
Currently, the Wang's Clan was just starting in the fields of alchemy and artifact refining and wasn't particularly skilled.
But if a clan wanted to become a true top-tier household, even if they didn't need to be proficient in everything, they had to dabble in various areas. Those fifth-grade Purple Mansion Clans all had their own pill workshops and artifact refining workshops as part of their heritage. Only in this way could they avoid being easily strangled by other powers.
"Seventh Uncle, I still have much to learn from you," Wang Zongyao said with admiration in his eyes, "You've already made significant contributions to the family on the path of alchemy."
"The development of the family isn't an overnight affair. As long as you study hard, there will come a time when you can contribute to the family," Wang Shouye encouraged, "I need to handle some tasks first, then I'll go talk to Fourth Brother about some matters. Come find me and Fourth Brother in the evening; we'll have a meal together."
"Yes, Seventh Uncle."
To be honest, Wang Zongyao was somewhat intimidated by the thought of meeting Wang Shouzhe; the psychological pressure was too great. But he dared not disobey Fourth Uncle's words and agreed.
After parting ways.
Wang Shouye first dealt with some miscellaneous matters, then went to Wang Shouzhe's courtyard to meet up with him.
Wang Shouzhe's courtyard was as lively as ever, filled with the warmth of family life.
The two brothers sat opposite each other at a stone table, drinking tea.
Several small children were running around the yard, then one by one, Liu Ruolan caught them and brought them back, insisting they study or begin their enlightenment.
The sun was just right, the greenery lush.
The children's laughter and playful shouts, along with Liu Ruolan's firm and stern scolding, sounded like a melodious symphony, filled with a heartwarming and comfortable charm.
"Fourth Brother, I remember when you first took over as Clan Leader, I was only ten years old," said Wang Shouye, who was now in his thirties, as he sipped his spiritual tea, filled with emotion, "In the blink of an eye, our Wang's Clan has changed dramatically. Liyao has already gone to the academy, and Liyue and Zongrui are also here."
"Children are like leeks, one batch after another," Wang Shouzhe said helplessly, shaking his head, "When will my courtyard ever be quiet?"
He said this, but deep down, he was filled with a sense of warmth.
Wasn't he working hard to develop the Wang's Clan so that the children could have a better space to grow up in? So they wouldn't have to beg or borrow for a simple minor Yuan Dan.
After a brief exchange.
Wang Shouye finally got to the point: "Fourth Brother, the main reason I came back this time is because of Qian Xuehan. Here's what happened…"
After their conversation.
Wang Shouzhe held his spiritual tea and fell into deep thought.
A moment later, he frowned and said, "The Qian Clan is a merchant family that values profit over reputation. Our dispute with them is merely a conflict of interests, not a matter of life and death."
"So, Fourth Brother, you mean..." Wang Shouye said, "Are we going to reconcile with the Qian Clan?"
"What's there to reconcile when there's no enmity?" Wang Shouzhe said lightly with a chuckle, "Besides, the Qian Clan is a fifth-grade family. What qualifications does our Wang's Clan have to be their full-fledged enemy? Just this piece of fat meat is enough for our Wang's Clan to digest for a long time."
"However, I did underestimate Qian Xuehan. Previously, intelligence reported that as the legitimate son of the Qian Clan, he was mediocre in all aspects, a man of no consequence."
Wang Shouye nodded: "From his words, we can see that he is very cautious. It also shows that his stepmother, Cao Lina, is the mastermind behind this grudge with us."
"Who is right and who is wrong remains to be verified. At least, this incident shows that Qian Xuehan is not simple, and we need to be cautious," Wang Shouzhe nodded, "I'll write a letter tonight, and you'll take it back to the commandery city tomorrow."
"Yes, Fourth Brother." Wang Shouye had returned as soon as possible by flying carriage, knowing the gravity of Qian Xuehan's words.
Since Fourth Brother had made a decision, there was no need for him to be anxious anymore.
His task, Wang Shouye, was to focus on alchemy. The major affairs of the family were better managed by Fourth Brother, who was far more capable than him.
At this moment.
Liu Ruolan had already settled the children and, with the diligence of a virtuous wife, prepared a few dishes and brought them over, saying with the air of an elder sister, "Uncle Seven, it's rare for you to come back. Later, have a few more drinks with your Fourth Brother and have a good chat."
Wang Shouye's face turned pale in an instant. Oh no, his reinforcements hadn't arrived yet, and Fourth Sister-in-law had already made her move too quickly.