Protect Our Patriarch

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Emperor Longchang and Jiang Zhencang were both in disguise, trying to look as much like ordinary old men as possible.

Especially Emperor Longchang, who had a wealth of experience in causing trouble over the years, naturally had plenty of experience in disguises. His current appearance was quite different from usual.

Wang Ansong, who had been stationed in Xinping Town for years, rarely had the chance to meet Emperor Longchang, so he didn't recognize him at first.

"This brat Wang Ansong!"

These words almost made Emperor Longchang jump up in anger.

What do you mean by "an old troublemaker"? I am acting as a "messenger of justice," helping the Wang's Clan fill in the gaps!

Moreover, he had successfully escaped several times before, never being caught by Wang Ansong. Only once was he cornered and too embarrassed to tear the space and reveal his identity...

Emperor Longchang was furious inside, but for the sake of the "big picture," he decided to endure it for now.

Once he successfully caught Wang Shouzhe's slip-up, he would reveal his identity and enjoy a moment of triumph. By then, Wang Ansong would surely be scared pale, begging for mercy.

And that brat Wang Shouzhe would be so frightened that he'd break into a cold sweat, admitting his mistakes and shortcomings.

The thrill of revealing his identity at the last moment was something Emperor Longchang had tasted many times outside. But on the Wang's Clan's territory, he had never fulfilled this wish.

This had become an obsession for Emperor Longchang.

Even though he had successfully executed his plans in other commanderies, capturing the local powers with ease, he felt no sense of accomplishment, only boredom.

Indeed.

If he couldn't catch Wang Shouzhe's slip-up, what sense of achievement was there in catching others?

With this thought, Emperor Longchang glared at Wang Ansong and said, "Young man, I only stepped in because I heard about some injustice. We can't let your Wang's Clan run rampant, bullying men and women, can we?"

"Old man," Wang Ansong scrutinized him, frowning, "Xinping Town has a garrison office. If anyone is suspected of breaking the law, they can report it there, not disrupt public order like you."

"Report? The garrison office is run by your Wang's Clan. Your clan covers the sky with one hand. What use is it to report your Master Wang Shouzhe?" Emperor Longchang snorted, "The informant might even be taken out and buried by you."

"Old man, don't make trouble!" Wang Ansong's face darkened with anger, "Our Fourth Elder has always been upright and law-abiding. How dare you slander him with such baseless accusations?"

Within the Wang's Clan, juniors like Wang Ansong revered Ancestor Shouzhe as a god.

Wang Shouzhe had led the Wang's Clan to prosperity, becoming a legend among other families. The younger generation of the Wang's Clan grew up hearing his tales, their respect and admiration for him ingrained in their bones. How could they tolerate any slander against him?

Wang Ansong was naturally furious, snorting coldly, "Such unreasonable troublemaking, this old thief must be a spy sent by hostile forces! Men, take him back for a proper interrogation."

"Yes, Commander Ansong."

The subordinates responded loudly, ready to swarm and capture the detestable old thief.

"Wait!" Jiang Zhencang, sensing something amiss, quickly intervened, "Commander Ansong, please hold on. Why not first hear what the Zhao's Clan has to say before making a decision? Perhaps they do have some grievances."

Jiang Zhencang also felt that something was off.

"Commander," Zhuge Liangcai advised in a low voice, "there are too many onlookers now. If we just take him back, even if our Wang's Clan is in the right, it will be hard to explain. I believe in our Wang's Clan's innocence. Let's clarify things publicly."

"Very well." Wang Ansong nodded confidently, "In that case, let's clear things up in front of everyone. If there's any grievance, speak it out. If it's truly our Wang's Clan's fault, we won't shirk responsibility."

The onlookers cheered at Wang Ansong's openness.

After all, the Changning Wang's Clan was known for its integrity and good reputation. Other families might not have such confidence, as most relied on privileges, often resulting in injustices.

The dramatic turn of events left the Zhao's Clan members in the private room dumbfounded.

They had just come out for a meal, casually mentioning their family's current difficulties, never expecting to be caught up in such a bizarre situation.

"Ahem~ I am Zhao Mingzhi, the head of the Tianfu Zhao's Clan, and this is our clan's Ancestor Zhijing." As the crowd's attention focused on them, a composed middle-aged man stepped forward, bowing politely, "We don't quite understand what's happening, but there's no point in hiding it now."

Zhao Mingzhi, being the clan head, was quicker to react than his family members.

He sighed and began to explain, "Our Tianfu Zhao's Clan is a branch of the Great Qian Zhao's Clan. Due to various reasons, our family has declined. In recent years, to reverse our fortunes, we've been seeking business opportunities. Thanks to Ancestor Xiqing's introduction, we established some connections with the Wang's Clan, securing the distribution of their iron pots in Tianfu Commandery, using our family's reputation as collateral."

"This business, worth tens of millions of Top Gold, isn't a big deal for the Wang's Clan, but for us, it's a lifeline. If we can prove our capabilities, we might secure more projects from the Wang's Clan in the future."

"But we never expected that the dozens of ships of iron pots we acquired on credit would be seized by the Tianfu Commandery Governor's mansion under false pretenses before they even reached our family warehouse. So, we came to the Wang's Clan to plead for an extension on the loan repayment, hoping to find a way to retrieve the goods."

As Zhao Mingzhi narrated, everyone understood the situation.

"This iron pot business should be under the jurisdiction of the Artifact Refining Department, right?" Wang Ansong frowned, "I remember my Aunt Yinglei is in charge of this business."

"Commander Ansong is correct. President Yinglei is indeed in charge. We are very grateful to her. Without her willingness to extend credit, we wouldn't have had the capital to secure that batch of goods given our current situation." Zhao Mingzhi, over two or three hundred years old and in the mid-Celestial Realm, was the head of a fifth-grade family, yet he was very respectful towards Wang Ansong.

It's no wonder. Wang Ansong, only eighty years old, had already reached the second level of the Celestial Realm, undoubtedly a prodigy. Such a talent would be a core member, a Purple Mansion seed, in the Tianfu Zhao's Clan.

However, in the Wang's Clan, Wang Ansong was just an ordinary elite among the younger generation, not yet a true core member.

This showed the terrifying foundation of the Wang's Clan.

On the surface, both were fifth-grade families, but the Wang's Clan's revealed strength was far beyond reach.

"Since our Wang's Clan extended credit to you, it was a form of support. Why then slander our Wang's Clan? Even slandering our Fourth Elder?" Wang Ansong asked angrily.

Zhao Mingzhi's face tightened, but before he could speak, Emperor Longchang interjected, "Isn't it because your Wang's Clan set a trap, first extending credit, then using connections to have the Tianfu Commandery Governor's mansion seize the Tianfu Zhao's Clan's goods, forcing them to offer their daughters? Tsk, tsk, Shouzhe must be looking to take a concubine. I'm all too familiar with this tactic."

"?" Everyone was dumbfounded, looking at Emperor Longchang. His words seemed plausible, as if he was well-versed in such matters.

Just as Emperor Longchang was feeling smug, Zhao Mingzhi hurriedly said, "Old man, don't make wild guesses. When did we say it was the Wang's Clan using connections to seize our goods?"

"If not the Wang's Clan, then who?" Emperor Longchang confidently replied, "The An Guogong's Mansion may have taken the wrong side in the Imperial Heir Struggle, but as the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Who else but the Wang's Clan could influence the Tianfu Commandery Governor's mansion to act against the Tianfu Zhao's Clan?"

His words made sense, even Jiang Zhencang and Wang Ansong frowned. In the current Great Qian, there were almost no families that dared to disregard the Wang's Clan.

A legitimate project between the Changning Wang's Clan and the Tianfu Zhao's Clan leading to seized goods was simply unbelievable.

Could it be that the Fourth Elder really wanted to take a concubine to contribute more to the family?

This was a recipe for disaster...

Their Fourth Grandmother wasn't one to be trifled with. If she caused a ruckus, the family might fall into internal strife.

"Everyone, don't overthink it. This really isn't Master Shouzhe's doing." Zhao Mingzhi said helplessly, "Though the Wang's Clan is powerful, in our Great Qian, there are still two families that can contend with the Wang's Clan."

"Impossible!" Emperor Longchang said firmly, "I can't think of one."

"Not to mention, the Great Qian royal family is also a family and naturally wouldn't fear the Wang's Clan." Zhao Mingzhi said with a cold smile.

"The royal family?" Emperor Longchang's heart skipped a beat, "Zhao Mingzhi, are you suggesting the royal family is behind this?" It's not impossible, the royal family had many members, and there were always those who acted recklessly.

"It's not the royal family." Zhao Mingzhi shook his head, "The Changning Wang's Clan and the royal family are closely allied through marriage. I was just giving an example."

Emperor Longchang raised an eyebrow, ready to scold him for giving random examples, when suddenly he thought of something, incredulously saying, "Could it be... the Tianfu Jiang's Clan?"

That seemed to be the only explanation.

"Impossible!" Jiang Zhencang's face turned cold, "The Tianfu Jiang's Clan barely holds onto its fourth-grade status. How could they dare contend with the Wang's Clan? Even the reclusive Zhao's Clan wouldn't dare provoke them, right?"

"This old man must be mistaken." Zhao Mingzhi said coldly, "The Jiang's Clan isn't weak. After all, they have a statue of the current Holy Master Jiang in their ancestral hall."

"I only learned from President Yinglei that the Tianfu Jiang's Clan had sent a business manager to negotiate the iron pot business. However, their offer was too low, and President Yinglei rejected it."

"President Yinglei didn't know that while the Jiang's Clan couldn't deal with the Wang's Clan, they could suppress any collaborators with the Wang's Clan in their territory."

Jiang Zhencang's old face showed disbelief, "Impossible, impossible, I remember the Jiang's Clan being quite low-key." He knew he had long been disappointed with the Jiang's Clan, refusing to see any members for over a thousand years.

"They were low-key." Zhao Mingzhi said, "But with the Imperial Heir Struggle concluded and the Holy Son Struggle upcoming, it's clear the Holy Master Jiang doesn't have long left, maybe a few hundred years at most."

"The Jiang's Clan has become active again, trying to gain as much as they can before the Holy Master Jiang passes. The Tianfu Commandery is now in chaos, but with the Jiang's Clan having the Holy Master Jiang above them, who dares challenge them?"

"The families in the Tianfu Commandery speculate that the Holy Master Jiang has had a late-life epiphany, preparing to lay a solid foundation for the Jiang's Clan to advance to a third-grade family."

Jiang Zhencang staggered, his face turning black and white.

He never expected that following Longchang to watch the drama would end up involving himself.

What do they mean by a late-life epiphany, preparing to gain as much as possible?

His lifetime of reputation... ruined by a family that had disappointed him to the core.

"Zhao boy, are you sure it's the Jiang's Clan?" Emperor Longchang's face was awkward, intending to catch Wang Shouzhe's slip-up, only to catch his old friend Jiang Zhencang instead.

"How could I not be sure?" Zhao Mingzhi said angrily, "Even though our Tianfu Zhao's Clan has declined, we still have our own information channels. We came to see Master Shouzhe just to ask for an extension on our loan, so we can find a way to deal with this batch of goods. With our Zhao's Clan's capabilities and channels, without the Jiang's Clan's interference, we could easily sell these pots."

His resentment was evident, clearly having suffered much oppression from the Jiang's Clan in recent decades.

"Old Jiang, what should we do?" Emperor Longchang's arrogance deflated, weakly transmitting his voice, "Should I ask Shouzhe to help cover it up?"

After all, having collaborated for thousands of years, Emperor Longchang still cared for Jiang Zhencang.

"Cover what up?" Jiang Zhencang angrily transmitted back, "If Shouzhe were bullying others, you'd hold him accountable. Why back down when it's an unrelated Jiang's Clan? Handle it as it should be, suppress their arrogance."

"Fine, fine, I was just competing with Shouzhe, not really bullying him." Emperor Longchang transmitted, feeling a bit wronged, "You have no idea how many traps Shouzhe set for me since the Imperial Heir Struggle, how many times he slandered me, how much I've suffered. I need to regain some ground, right?"

"Forget it, let's withdraw for now and discuss this later." Emperor Longchang, sensing the atmosphere was off, prepared to slip away.

Just then, Wang Ansong called out, "Fourth Elder, you're finally here."

This startled Emperor Longchang, making him shrink his neck. How did Wang Shouzhe arrive so quickly? Even with special means to notify him, he shouldn't have arrived this fast, right?

Wait!

He forgot something.

Wang Shouzhe had dismantled a multi-space anchor one-way teleportation array from the Blood Venerable's relic... Xinping Town, being such an important economic hub, surely had a space anchor set up.

A miscalculation, a miscalculation indeed.

"Your Majesty, you're here too?" Wang Shouzhe greeted the sneaky Emperor Longchang, who looked like he was about to flee after making a mistake, with a smile, "Are you on another incognito visit?"

Though Emperor Longchang was in disguise, his skills were mediocre, only enough to fool those unfamiliar with him.

The Emperor often loitered around Wang Shouzhe's courtyard, appearing before him daily when there was nothing else to do.

Simply put, even if Emperor Longchang turned to ashes, Wang Shouzhe would recognize him.

"Your Majesty?"

The scene fell silent. This old man, full of a sneaky aura, was actually the current Emperor? This didn't match the majestic aura of the Longchang era, leaving people feeling like their idol had crumbled.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." The Zhao's Clan members hurriedly bowed.

The little girl Jun'er, quick-witted, added, "Grandpa Emperor, please help our Zhao's Clan."

"Well... I haven't managed affairs in a long time. Let Shouzhe handle this, Shouzhe will handle it." Emperor Longchang glared at Wang Shouzhe, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.

What a mess!

He had intended to enjoy a moment of triumph, only for Wang Shouzhe to steal the spotlight again.

Was it that his lifetime of unparalleled achievements had caught the attention of the heavens, sending Wang Shouzhe specifically to embarrass him?

"If not, you can talk to the Holy Master Jiang, right, Old Jiang?" Emperor Longchang deftly shifted the blame to Jiang Zhencang, then tore the space and fled.

This place was too embarrassing to stay in.

Holy Master Jiang?

Thunderstruck once again, the crowd was stunned.

One old man was Emperor Longchang, and the other was the current Holy Master Jiang Zhencang!

What was this?

The only two Lingxu Realm experts in the Great Qian, both incognito here.

The restaurant owner first felt weak in the legs, but then became excited. This was a golden opportunity. He could rename the restaurant to "The Restaurant Where Emperor Longchang and Holy Master Jiang Disguise Themselves," and wouldn't that be a fortune?

"Shouzhe, I'll leave this matter to you. Don't show mercy to the Jiang's Clan, handle it as it should be." Jiang Zhencang, his old face burning, left a parting remark before tearing the space and escaping.

Wang Shouzhe shook his head with a smile, then bowed to the Zhao's Clan, "You've come from afar, and I've been busy with matters in the Holy Land, unable to greet you. Please forgive me."

"Master Shouzhe is too kind, too kind." The Zhao's Clan members hurriedly returned the gesture.

"Let's sit down and discuss this slowly. Rest assured, regardless of the outcome, the debt can be repaid in installments. As for using children as collateral, let's not mention it again..."

"Yes, yes, we'll do as Master Shouzhe says." The Zhao's Clan members were overjoyed, never expecting such a turn of events, turning misfortune into fortune.

Otherwise, given their current status, having an elder from the Wang's Clan to receive them would have been the best they could hope for.

Now, they had directly connected with the head of the Wang's Clan.

The girl named Jun'er, her eyes wide with curiosity, looked at Wang Shouzhe, feeling a surge of excitement. She, Zhao Yujun, aspired to be as awe-inspiring as Ancestor Shouzhe in the future.

---

Shortly after the restaurant incident.

Zhuge Liangcai received a Xisui Dan and a pile of cultivation materials from the Wang's Clan.

These were personally rewarded by Wang Shouzhe, the head of the Wang's Clan, to commend him for actively defending the Wang's Clan's reputation during a critical event. This incident was also used as a typical case, widely publicized within the Wang's Clan.

Meanwhile.

Emperor Longchang, hiding in the Stay Immortal Residence, too embarrassed to even play cards, received a red armband from Wang Shouzhe, inscribed with the words, Wang's Clan Supervisor.

"What does this mean?" Emperor Longchang was puzzled.

"Your Majesty," Wang Ansong, tasked with delivering the armband, said with a complicated expression, "Our Fourth Elder said that if you want to supervise the Wang's Clan, do it openly, not sneakily. It's not good for rumors to spread."

"This red armband is your privilege, allowing you to supervise any matter or person within the Wang's Clan."

Emperor Longchang's eyes lit up, "Is this like the imperial sword I bestow?"

"Exactly, this way you can manage affairs openly." Wang Ansong replied honestly.

"Bah!" Emperor Longchang, full of disdain and anger, said, "What is my status? And what is Wang Shouzhe's status? Isn't this land under my rule? Do I need Wang Shouzhe to give me an imperial sword? Let me tell you, this is overstepping~"

"Alright, if Your Majesty doesn't want it, I'll return it to the Fourth Elder." Wang Ansong prepared to take back the armband and leave.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Longchang snatched the armband, "I'm just scolding Wang Shouzhe, who said I didn't want it?"

Then, he put on the armband, looking proud and pleased, "I must say, Wang Shouzhe is quite sensible, giving me this privilege. Ansong, you must behave yourself in the future, don't let me..."

"Your Majesty," Wang Ansong interrupted with a strange look, "Have I really never caught you before?"

"Catch? I was just bored, visiting your patrol camp's detention center incognito." Emperor Longchang said arrogantly, "I was there to observe the people's situation."

Wang Ansong broke into a cold sweat. His memory wasn't wrong; he had indeed caught Emperor Longchang.

"Alright, you may leave, don't get in my way." Emperor Longchang waved impatiently, "Since I can supervise the Wang's Clan anytime, I'll go to Shouzhe's courtyard to supervise, and maybe play some cards with your Fourth Grandmother. It's been a while since I played cards."

Play cards?

Wang Ansong was speechless. He had heard that the Emperor had already lost heavily in debt.

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