Chapter 55: The situation is critical! What will the Wang's Clan do? |
Outside the pavilion, a vast celestial river stretched far into the distance.
Under the sunlight, the turbulent river splashed with sparkling droplets, creating a scene that looked like a ribbon adorned with tiny diamonds stretching across the sky. It was both romantic and beautiful, yet it carried an overwhelming sense of the grandeur of heaven and earth, making one tremble in awe.
No one knew how long Wang Shouzhe had been waiting.
Suddenly.
"Boom!"
Long Wuji stepped onto the celestial river outside the pavilion, shattering it into a downpour that fell into the An River.
In the next moment.
Long Wuji landed lightly outside the pavilion.
His demeanor was relaxed and carefree, as if he had just done something trivial.
Long Wuji's narrow eyes scanned the area and finally focused on Wang Shouzhe.
He immediately laughed heartily, "This must be the famous Master Wang Shouzhe. I am Long Wuji, here at the invitation of the master."
Wang Shouzhe stood up, smiling warmly as he cupped his hands, "Master Long and esteemed guests have traveled far, bringing great honor to our Changning Garrison. I am deeply grateful and can only offer a few cups of spirit wine to welcome you."
"This is my son, Zong'an. Zong'an, come greet Master Long."
With that, he glanced at Wang Zong'an behind him.
Wang Zong'an immediately stepped forward, composed and dignified, and bowed to the three, "Junior Wang Zong'an greets Master Long."
His posture and demeanor clearly showed he had undergone specialized training. Every move was elegant and poised, displaying the grace of a noble young master.
"Good, good," Long Wuji praised, "Master Wang truly has great fortune, with such talented children like phoenixes among men."
Then, Long Wuji introduced Jiang Yusong and the third leader Du Tiangang according to etiquette.
After some polite exchanges, Wang Shouzhe invited Long Wuji to sit. As for Wang Zong'an, Jiang Yusong, and the others, they naturally couldn't sit with Wang Shouzhe and Long Wuji in such a setting, so they stood behind them.
Once they were seated, a puppet stepped forward, picked up a spirit treasure gourd, and began pouring wine for the two. The wine was as clear as jade, and as soon as it entered the cup, a delightful aroma filled the air.
However, Long Wuji's attention was mainly on the puppet.
Although this puppet was exquisitely crafted and highly lifelike, he could tell at a glance that it was not a real person but a puppet with the strength of the Celestial Realm.
"The foundation of the Changning Wang's Clan is truly unfathomable," Long Wuji squinted and smiled, probing, "This Celestial Realm puppet has a bit of the style of the Tianji State's crafting school."
"Master Long is indeed knowledgeable and has a keen eye," Wang Shouzhe smiled and toasted, "This is a damaged puppet I acquired by chance and had it repaired by the Heavenly Workshop."
"Haha, the crafting skills of the Heavenly Workshop are indeed strong, but their prices are exorbitant," Long Wuji said with a hint of mockery as he drank the fine wine, "Master Wang must have spent a fortune."
"Who says otherwise?" Wang Shouzhe also showed a pained expression, "It cost me a full eight hundred thousand top gold, not including future maintenance costs. But, Celestial Realm puppets are rare, and our Wang's Clan lacks high-end combat power, so I had no choice but to let the Heavenly Workshop take a bite. Unless Master Long has connections at the Heavenly Workshop and can get a discount?"
"I don't have that capability," Long Wuji shook his head with a wry smile as he drank, "The people at the Heavenly Workshop are all very stubborn and won't budge. Their slogan is, 'Repair if you want, buy if you want.' I've 'contributed' to them for hundreds of years and haven't gotten a single discount."
With a common "enemy," the two seemed to bond over their shared grievances, exchanging complaints about the "unfairness" of the Heavenly Workshop as they drank.
After a few rounds of drinks, their relationship seemed to grow closer.
"Brother Shouzhe, this spirit treasure gourd is quite nice. I've only seen it twice in my life," Long Wuji, seemingly a bit "tipsy," spoke more freely, "You don't seem like a heavy drinker. Why not give me a good price and let me have it?"
"Master Long has a good eye. This treasure automatically brews high-end wine, bringing our Wang's Clan an annual profit of thirty thousand top gold. Over a thousand years, that's thirty million top gold! I'll give you a fifty percent discount, fifteen million top gold, and it's yours," Wang Shouzhe poured him another cup, quoting the price honestly.
Wang Shouzhe couldn't help but feel emotional.
At first, he didn't think much of this spirit treasure gourd that only brewed wine from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty's trial ruins. But after using it, he realized its true value!
If managed well, it could bring long-term benefits to the clan. Over five hundred or a thousand years, its value would far exceed other treasures.
As expected, Long Wuji rolled his eyes, "The price is too high; I can't afford it. Master Wang should keep it to save money slowly."
Let alone Long Wuji, even the Qian's Clan, known for their wealth, would find it hard to come up with fifteen million top gold in liquid assets at once.
However, this exchange seemed to bring the two closer.
When the time was right.
Long Wuji downed his cup of wine and sighed with a "troubled" expression, "Brother Shouzhe, we truly met too late. If we had met six months earlier, such misunderstandings wouldn't have occurred."
"Fortunately, there are no irreconcilable conflicts yet," Wang Shouzhe knew the time was right and handed over a "ladder," "There is still room for negotiation between us."
Earlier, the two had exchanged words and tested each other, aiming to gain the upper hand in the negotiations and lead the other by the nose.
This process was also a way for both sides to showcase their "strength."
If Wang Shouzhe had faltered once and been suppressed by Long Wuji's momentum, the Wang's Clan's weight in Long Wuji's mind would have greatly diminished.
Fortunately, with thorough preparation, Wang Shouzhe managed to maintain the upper hand.
Seeing that he couldn't gain the upper hand, Long Wuji took the opportunity to relent, "Indeed, our Flood Dragon Gang is a business-oriented organization and values harmony. My son Zhao Wuqing acted rashly and deserves some punishment. I'll have him compensate the Wang's Clan with one million top gold and personally come to apologize. What do you think, Brother Shouzhe?"
Wang Shouzhe played with his wine cup and smiled, "Compensate with one million top gold? It seems Master Long has more to say... Why not lay it all out so I can consider it comprehensively."
"Brother Shouzhe is indeed sharp and perceptive. I'll be frank," Long Wuji smiled, "The shares of Donggang Port have been fully acquired by our Flood Dragon Gang. What's ours is ours. Additionally, our Flood Dragon Gang is willing to follow the example of the Qian's Clan and cooperate with your alliance. We'll handle all the goods along the An River, including those in Changning Garrison, and only take a ten percent cut."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Wang Shouzhe smiled calmly, "But what other costs will our marriage alliance have to bear?"
"We need some shares in the Shouda Trading Company and a cooperative alliance with your Wang's Clan," Long Wuji laughed heartily, "I, Long Wuji, rarely admire someone so much or value a seventh-grade clan so highly. From now on, if I have a bite to eat, you won't go hungry."
Wang Shouzhe raised an eyebrow, not answering directly but pondering with his wine cup, "Master Long, I have a proposal."
"Oh? Let's hear it," Long Wuji leaned slightly, smiling warmly.
"I can let Zhao Wuqing go, but your Flood Dragon Gang must agree not to enter the waters of Changning Garrison for a hundred years," Wang Shouzhe said calmly.
Long Wuji's smile froze, and a fierce light appeared in his eyes, "Brother Shouzhe, do you know what you're saying? You're rejecting my goodwill."
Clearly, Wang Shouzhe's words had touched his bottom line, and his voice carried anger and a hint of pressure.
"My Wang's Clan is small and weak," Wang Shouzhe seemed unaware, his tone steady, "We can't afford to climb the high branch of the Flood Dragon Gang. So, I must decline your goodwill."
Long Wuji leaned forward slightly, a cold smile on his lips, his gaze sharp as a blade on Wang Shouzhe.
"What if I don't agree?"
Wang Shouzhe met his gaze fearlessly, his tone unwavering, "Then we'll fight to the death."
"Good, good," Long Wuji laughed in anger, "It's been years since anyone dared to threaten me like this. Wang Shouzhe, you disappoint me."
As he spoke, he no longer restrained his aura, and the immense pressure of a Purple Mansion Realm expert erupted.
The air seemed to hum.
The overwhelming pressure swept through like a hurricane, causing the air above Broken Dragon Gorge to stagnate.
Even the surging river below seemed to be stimulated, becoming more turbulent.
If the pressure of a Celestial Realm expert was like a mighty river, the pressure of a Purple Mansion Realm expert was like an endless ocean. Calm at times, but when a storm hit, it was like a natural disaster, far more terrifying than a Celestial Realm expert.
Wang Shouzhe felt a sudden tightness in his chest, making it hard to breathe.
Back when the Changchun Immortal had tested him with Purple Mansion Realm pressure, it was clear that the Immortal had held back, and the pressure was far less than what Long Wuji was exerting now.
However, Wang Shouzhe, having lived two lives, had a stronger spiritual sense than ordinary cultivators and a higher tolerance for pressure. Despite the tightness in his chest, he remained calm, showing no signs of discomfort.
In contrast, Wang Zong'an behind him lacked such composure.
The moment the Purple Mansion pressure erupted, he trembled, his face turning pale.
Fortunately, the Celestial Realm puppet beside him stepped forward, shielding him from much of the pressure, allowing him to recover.
It also helped that he was a great prodigy with a wood spirit body, giving him a higher tolerance for pressure than ordinary Lingtai Realm cultivators. Otherwise, he might have embarrassed himself on the spot.
At this moment.
The little fox curled up at Wang Shouzhe's feet also sensed the Purple Mansion Realm pressure and woke up suddenly, "Which bastard dares to disturb my sleep..."
Halfway through her words, she realized something was wrong. Her gaze fixed on Long Wuji, and her eyes flashed with fierce light, "You dare bully my brother Shouzhe?!"
As she spoke, her body began to swell rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, a giant red fox appeared in the pavilion, standing protectively in front of Wang Shouzhe and Wang Zong'an.
This was the Fire Fox Ancestor in her full glory.
Seven red fox tails spread out behind her like dancing demons. The overwhelming Purple Mansion pressure swept out, fiercely dispelling Long Wuji's pressure.
Wang Shouzhe and Wang Zong'an both breathed a sigh of relief.
"A seven-tailed fire fox?" Long Wuji's breath hitched, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes, "The Fire Fox Ancestor of the Yuwen's Clan in Longzuo? Why are you here? Is the Yuwen's Clan planning to oppose my Flood Dragon Gang?"
Wang Shouzhe spoke loudly, "Master Long, please don't misunderstand. The Fire Fox Ancestor and I share a personal friendship. The Yuwen's Clan will not interfere in the conflict between the Flood Dragon Gang and my Wang's Clan and will remain neutral. You can rest assured."
In this world, there were countless clans that had been around for hundreds or even thousands of years.
For a clan, development was important, but the most crucial thing was to ensure its continuous existence.
Because of this, most clans tended to be cautious and conservative in their actions.
Unless necessary, no clan would want to go to war with other forces.
Thus, the Yuwen's Clan's choice to remain neutral was understandable, and Wang Shouzhe did not blame them. After all, if the roles were reversed, he would likely make the same decision.
"The Yuwen's Clan may remain neutral, but I, the Fire Fox Ancestor, do not need to listen to them," the seven-tailed fire fox said arrogantly, "Anyone who dares to bully my brother Shouzhe will have to deal with me."
Her repeated use of "brother Shouzhe" made Long Wuji's head ache and feel nauseous. He thought to himself, "When you, the Fire Fox Ancestor, made your name, I was still a child... What are you pretending to be cute for?"
However, spirit beasts and fierce beasts generally had stronger combat abilities compared to Basalt cultivators of the same level. Even a seasoned expert like Long Wuji, who had been in the Purple Mansion Realm for over a hundred years, couldn't be sure of winning a fight against the Fire Fox Ancestor.
With this, his plan to pressure the Wang's Clan with his Purple Mansion Realm strength naturally failed.
"Haha~~ Brother Shouzhe, I was just joking with you earlier," Long Wuji, a cunning figure, immediately retracted his powerful aura and laughed heartily as if nothing had happened, "Let me ask you, why are you willing to cooperate with the Qian's Clan but not accept my proposal?"
His address for Wang Shouzhe changed quickly, now calling him "Brother Shouzhe" again!
Seeing Long Wuji back down, the seven-tailed fire fox also retracted her aggressive stance. She returned to her small, delicate fox form and obediently crouched at Wang Shouzhe's feet.
"Sigh~" Wang Shouzhe sighed, "Master Long is bold and unrestrained, and I also wish to make friends. However, as I said, our Wang's Clan is small and weak, and we only wish to live peacefully. Some whirlpools are too big and deep for our small boat to handle."
Long Wuji was initially puzzled but then suddenly understood, squinting his eyes with interest, "I didn't expect Brother Shouzhe to be so perceptive. You've made me see you in a new light. Tell me, how did you figure it out?"
Wang Shouzhe smiled bitterly, "I didn't expect to be right."
"You were testing me?"
Long Wuji's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Wang Shouzhe stood up, unhurriedly cupped his hands, and said, "Master Long, please forgive me. I had my suspicions but was only seventy percent sure. Given the gravity of the matter, I dared not make a hasty decision, so I tested you. I meant no offense."
"Oh?"
Long Wuji's interest grew.
He had thought Wang Shouzhe was bluffing, but it turned out he was seventy percent sure. Now he was genuinely curious.
He believed he had kept the matter well-hidden and couldn't understand how Wang Shouzhe had discovered it.
He tapped the table, "Brother, tell me honestly, where did I slip up?"
Wang Shouzhe knew that with Long Wuji's emphasis on this matter, he wouldn't allow him to brush it off.
So, he explained honestly, "It's not that Master Long slipped up, but that the situation has reached a point where I, being more perceptive than most, noticed something was amiss."
"Explain in detail."
Long Wuji didn't believe it was that simple.
"Since Master Long wants to know, I won't hide it," Wang Shouzhe sat back down and organized his thoughts, "Longzuo Commandery is on the frontier, and with only a thousand years of development, the conflicts between clans are relatively mild, leading to stable growth with few major changes. But in recent years, I've noticed a shift in the situation."
"First, Xiahou Hongde, the commander of Changning Garrison, was transferred. Within two years, the commander of Dingnan Garrison, who had served for twenty years, was also transferred. If it were just these, it would be fine, but within three years, the commander of Zhenze Garrison was replaced for negligence... Similar incidents have occurred multiple times in the past decade."
"Moreover, the conflicts between the Tantai's Clan and the Tuoba's Clan in the East Sea Garrison have intensified. It's hard not to suspect that there's a hand behind these events," Wang Shouzhe sighed, "Considering the unpredictable situation in the capital, I naturally had my suspicions."
Hearing this, Du Tiangang remained impassive, but Jiang Yusong's face changed slightly.
Although Wang Shouzhe's words were simple, they gave the impression that he had a thorough understanding of the entire Longzuo Commandery. Achieving this required a strong intelligence network and keen insight.
Moreover, each of these incidents seemed normal on their own, and even the local clans might not notice anything amiss. Yet, Wang Shouzhe, far away in Changning, had detected the problem.
Such terrifying insight and foresight were chilling.
Even Long Wuji was thoughtful, "But you still haven't explained what this has to do with my Flood Dragon Gang."
"The Flood Dragon Gang is nominally a business, but in reality, it monopolizes the waterways and operates across several commanderies along the An River. Frankly, this couldn't be achieved by Master Long alone. So, I suspect you have backing."
Seeing Long Wuji's lack of reaction, Wang Shouzhe continued, "In the past, the Flood Dragon Gang didn't expand overseas because of strong factions controlling the seas, with mutual understanding. Now, the Flood Dragon Gang is eyeing Donggang and even intends to incorporate our marriage alliance. If it were just for our Wang's Clan's interests, it wouldn't be enough. So, I boldly speculate that the Flood Dragon Gang's real target is the sea, likely related to the plans of the person behind the scenes."
Wang Shouzhe sighed and cupped his hands to Long Wuji, smiling bitterly, "Our Wang's Clan is just a small seventh-grade clan, insignificant in the grand scheme... Please spare us."
"Spare you? Haha~~ How amusing, Brother Shouzhe is indeed clever and witty," Long Wuji laughed heartily, "But you've underestimated the importance of Changning Garrison. Though remote, it can expand sea power to the east, control the An River route to the west, and endlessly expand territories to the south. It's a rare strategic location. I must have it."
"However, Brother Shouzhe, you are an extraordinary talent. At less than fifty, you have turned the tide, transforming a declining clan into a seventh-grade, no, likely surpassing many sixth-grade clans. Such ability is rare."
```
"Brother Shouzhe, if you are willing to place your bet early..." Long Wuji looked at Wang Shouzhe with evident admiration in his eyes, his tone unusually sincere, "The future of your Wang's Clan will be limitless. Don't miss this golden opportunity."
"Master Long, I understand your intentions. However, I must decline your generous offer. Our Wang's Clan prefers to develop steadily and gradually," Wang Shouzhe said with a deep bow, "Changning Garrison is but a tiny speck in the grand scheme of things, not a place of strategic importance. Please, Master Long, grant us this favor."
"Fine!" Long Wuji responded straightforwardly, "Since you insist, I'll make the decision to temporarily leave Changning Garrison alone. But a hundred years is too long; I can't agree to that."
"What does Master Long propose?" Wang Shouzhe asked, frowning slightly.
"Fifty years. I'll give you fifty years. With your capabilities, Brother Shouzhe, fifty years will be enough to develop Changning Garrison significantly. Whether it's expanding sea territories or external development, you'll have initial results," Long Wuji said candidly, "These fifty years will also allow you to fully understand the changes in the grand scheme. By then, the situation in the capital will be clear. At that time, every piece on the chessboard will be invaluable to that person, and you won't be able to refuse."
Fifty years? That person?
Wang Shouzhe secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The initial hundred years was just a high starting point, leaving room for negotiation. Winning fifty years was already a success.
Wang Shouzhe agreed, "Then it's settled. Fifty years from now, we will meet again."
"This time, you won, Brother Shouzhe. You caught Zhao Wuqing's misstep and dismantled my plan to pressure you, winning yourself fifty years," Long Wuji looked at Wang Shouzhe with a mix of seriousness and respect, "But next time, it may not be so easy. Don't be complacent."
"Thank you for the reminder, Master Long," Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands in gratitude.
After a pause, he added, "By the way, should I address you as Master Long or Brother Wu?"
Long Wuji's expression froze.
After a few seconds, he burst into laughter, "Interesting, very interesting. Brother Shouzhe, I have even higher hopes for you now. I will take my leave. Fifty years from now, we will meet again. Don't disappoint me!"
With that, he waved his hand, and a surge of azure light enveloped him, Jiang Yusong, and Du Tiangang.
"Boom, boom, boom~"
The azure light soared into the sky, as grand as the mighty river, its brilliance dyeing half the sky blue.
But soon, the azure light disappeared into the horizon.
From the pavilion, the sky looked clear again, with only faint white clouds swirling, as if nothing had happened.
Only then did Wang Zong'an, who had been observing and learning, speak with a worried expression, "Father, will we really be forced into that conflict fifty years from now?"
"If the time and circumstances are right, it may not be a bad thing," Wang Shouzhe said calmly, "Zong'an, what did you learn from today's events?"
"Father, I understand," Wang Zong'an said seriously, "Only by becoming strong can we control our destiny. Otherwise, we'll be pawns in others' hands, living and dying at their whim."
"No, what I meant was, you should get married soon and contribute to the family," Wang Shouzhe said with a smile, "I want to be a grandfather soon."
"......"
Wang Zong'an's body trembled, and he felt like crying. So, his role as the young clan leader was just to produce heirs...