Protect Our Patriarch

...

"Your Majesty, your descent just now was too violent, damaging quite a few precious floor tiles and public property," Spirit Artifact Xiaoxue's voice was icy as it spoke, "We'll deduct ten thousand contribution points first."

"Deduct them if you must, I've made quite a profit this time," Emperor Longchang's voice was full of boldness, with a tone of 'I'm rich, I do as I please.' "This is a large spiritual vein, and I've been drawing from it for over half a year. If you had Tianhe, that useless fellow, it might take ten years to get it done."

As an emperor who was technically retired but still held the title, he couldn't do whatever he wanted, but he certainly lived as he pleased. What was a little mockery of Tianhe? If he was in a good mood, he'd even curse Jiang Zhencang to his face.

"Your Majesty," Wang Anye hurried forward to greet him.

"Oh, isn't this Anye... my dear Anye?" Emperor Longchang beamed, looking amiable, "I'll delay paying back the money I owe you. Once I win this round, I'll repay you with interest."

"Your Majesty, that's not what I meant," Wang Anye was speechless, "Actually, Yiluo and Xue'ning asked me to advise you not to get too addicted to gambling..."

"What do those two girls know?" Emperor Longchang said indifferently, "I'm just finding something to do for myself. The higher I pile up the spiritual veins in the main residence, the faster Xian'er will grow. I'm doing all this for Xian'er."

While they were speaking casually, on the other side, the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy was already terrified, her body stiff, her scalp tingling, not daring to move an inch.

This was an emperor! A Lingxu Realm powerhouse!

That terrifying aura, as if it could extinguish her life with a flick of a finger, felt so close, making cold sweat drip down her back, her heart pounding like a thousand rabbits were jumping inside. Forget about pulling off a job; she wasn't even sure if she could leave the Wang's Clan alive.

Her disciple, Yu Ji, was even more frightened, her legs turning to jelly, barely able to stand.

What kind of terrifying family had they infiltrated? How could a fifth-grade family have such a terrifying existence as an emperor? Boohoo~ If she had known, she would have rather been taken away like Sister Qing Ji and Sister Zi Ji~~

"Huh?"

At this moment, Emperor Longchang also noticed the Red Enchantress and her disciple, glancing at them with curiosity, "Anye, where did you kidnap these two beauties from this time? I won't allow such things... unless you waive my debt."

"Your Majesty, please don't joke," Wang Anye quickly introduced, "These two are Senior Jiang and her disciple from the Immortal Palace. Senior Jiang, Sister Yu, this is our Great Qian's... uh, Emperor."

Wang Anye felt a bit embarrassed during the latter half of the introduction.

Their emperor was becoming more and more unpresentable with age.

The ruler of Eastern Qian!

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy's legs were trembling, filled with regret. If she had known there was an emperor here, she wouldn't have dared to sneak in even if it killed her~~

But since she was already on this pirate ship, she could only brace herself and see it through to the end.

"Xueqing greets Your Majesty," the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy gritted her teeth in secret, bowing respectfully.

"A Divine Realm from the Immortal Palace? Which sacred land of the Immortal Palace are you from? Why haven't I heard of you?" Emperor Longchang was slightly puzzled.

"Replying to Your Majesty," the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy said nervously, "This junior is a disciple of the Jade Pool Sacred Land of the Immortal Palace, having just recently advanced to the Divine Realm, so it's normal that Your Majesty hasn't heard of me."

"So, you're one of Yuling's people. Yuling has a strange temper, is reclusive, always claiming to be the reincarnation of a True Immortal, and doesn't like to interact with others. No wonder I haven't heard of you," Emperor Longchang spoke with a grand tone.

"Senior, please be cautious with your words."

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy had to maintain the facade of her fake master, forcing herself to put on a disgruntled expression.

"Alright, alright. I'll be cautious with my words," Emperor Longchang clearly didn't take it to heart, his eyes rolling as he suddenly asked, "Do you know how to play mahjong?"

"Mahjong? This..."

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy hesitated.

She dared not answer recklessly. After all, she had never heard of this mahjong. Could it be a new trend in the Immortal Palace?

"It's okay if you don't know how to play. It's just a simple leisure game. Mahjong is easy to learn, can cultivate one's character, bring people closer, and even prevent senility," Emperor Longchang's eyes lit up, "Recently, Lu Wei and Li Yao aren't around, and I'm running out of partners. You came just in time."

"This, this, this..." The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy felt very resistant, glancing at Wang Anye, "I see Your Majesty is quite familiar with Young Friend Anye, why not ask him?"

Ask Anye?

This time, it was Emperor Longchang's turn to be shocked.

He looked at the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy with an indescribable expression, "It seems, Fairy Xueqing, you haven't known Anye for long."

He felt a bit bitter inside.

Forget about asking Wang Anye to play mahjong, even asking his two wives was a painful memory.

"Your Majesty, I haven't even arranged accommodations for Senior Jiang and her disciple yet," Wang Anye said helplessly, "When guests come to our Wang's Clan, I must ensure they are well entertained."

There weren't many who could restrain His Majesty at the Wang's Clan, and Wang Anye had no way to deal with him.

"No need for you to arrange it. I'll entertain them for you, you can do whatever you want," Emperor Longchang, having found a new partner, was full of excitement, "Now, who else should I find... Hmm, let's get Wang Luoyi. The Chen's Clan is rich now, and her card skills are terrible."

Subsequently, Wang Anye was sent away.

According to the emperor, Wang Anye's luck was too good, and staying with him for too long would bring bad luck. It was better for them to avoid contact as much as possible.

And Emperor Longchang, pulling along his new friends, went off to find Liu Ruolan to settle an old score.

The Red Enchantress and her disciple were completely passive, not even understanding what was happening before being dragged to Liu Ruolan's courtyard. Somehow, they both felt an intense sense of danger.

This Wang's Clan was too terrifying~

...

Back home, Wang Anye was a bit exasperated, feeling a bit worried for that Senior Jiang.

However, although the emperor grandpa seemed unreliable, in terms of ruthlessness, he didn't even rank in the top three at the Wang's Clan. That Senior Jiang, aside from possibly losing some money, shouldn't have any other issues.

Forget it, better to spend time with the wives.

The return of Anye and his three wives quickly spread throughout the Wang's Clan estate, and all the unmarried peers and juniors flocked over, using their sweet tongues to advantage, usually leaving with smiles.

For the entire day, Wang Anye's courtyard was bustling with visitors, only quieting down as evening approached.

There was no helping it; the Wang's Clan was becoming more and more prosperous.

The next day.

Wang Anye was preparing to visit some elders with his wives when another guest arrived.

"Anye."

Outside the door, a mature man in dark, soft armor came to visit.

This was the second oldest of the family’s "Zong" generation, Wang Zongchang, also Wang Lici's younger brother.

At over a hundred and sixty years old, he had benefited from the new recruit training camp, his bloodline reaching the mid-stage of the third-grade great prodigy level early on. Now, over seventy years later, his cultivation had reached the late stage of the Celestial Realm.

With a few more years of hard cultivation, he could reach the peak of the Celestial Realm, and after refining for ten more years, he could advance to the Purple Mansion Realm. By then, he could extend his life to eight hundred years.

Due to his rapid advancement, he still appeared as handsome as ever, albeit with slightly darker skin.

Moreover, because he possessed the Xunfeng bloodline, Wang Shouzhe had positioned him as a pioneering scout, directly deducting contribution points to provide him with relevant treasures and techniques.

As a result, not only was he proficient in wilderness survival and exploration, but his collection of treasures was also quite impressive. Over the years of the family's rise, Wang Zongchang had silently made countless contributions to the family, becoming one of Wang Shouzhe's most trusted aides.

Seeing Wang Zongchang visiting, Wang Anye hurriedly led his two wives to greet him, "Anye greets Second Grandpa."

Wu Xue'ning and Wu Yiluo both paid their respects.

In the family, respecting one's elders was fundamental, and even though Xue'ning and Yiluo were princesses by birth, they had to show due respect to their elders at home.

After the greetings, spiritual melons, fruits, and tea were served in abundance. Then, the two young princesses excused themselves to their rooms, leaving the men to discuss serious matters.

The tea and fruits served to entertain elders in Wang Anye's home were naturally extraordinary, and Wang Zongchang was thoroughly satisfied.

After tea and fruit, he had Wang Anye dismiss everyone else before taking out a sealed letter, "This is a secret order from your great-grandfather, take a look."

Wang Anye's expression turned serious. If it weren't a major issue, his great-grandfather wouldn't issue a secret order lightly.

He took the secret order and, after reading it carefully, couldn't help but smile wryly.

His great-grandfather had only mentioned two things in the secret order.

The first was to order him to have two more children before advancing to the Purple Mansion Realm. Whether he wanted the same wife to bear two children or each wife to have one, it was up to him. Wang Shouzhe just wanted two!

His great-grandfather Wang Shouzhe had always been very fond of the younger generation, but there were two things he would never compromise on: one was the younger generation getting married and having children, and the other was that they must study hard, regardless of whether they were a fish or a tree, they had to study.

"Your Second Grandpa advises you," Wang Zongchang said earnestly while sipping spiritual tea, "Don't go against your great-grandfather on this matter. None of the younger generation who have gone against him have succeeded."

"This... Anye understands." Wang Anye's expression was a bit heavy.

His great-grandfather was clearly long displeased with the fact that the three of them only had two children.

The reason they weren't proactive in having more children was mainly due to their perspective and upbringing. The three of them weren't even a hundred years old yet, and they were two top-grade great prodigies and one peerless prodigy!

At such an age, it might seem old to ordinary people without cultivation, but for great prodigies and peerless prodigies, it was nothing.

In the Imperial Capital, prodigies or great prodigies of this age were still considered "young," and many hadn't even married yet.

When they first got married, Wu Xue'ning and Wu Yiluo each had a child, but after having children, they spent over a decade raising them. Then, they secretly decided not to have more for the time being, letting the children become independent early, and spent their days living like immortals with Wang Anye.

This time, it seemed they couldn't avoid it.

The other matter was to have Wang Anye cooperate with Wang Zongchang in searching for the Blood Venerable's lair, which seemed to be related to whether Ning Xi could be cured.

"Second Grandpa, regarding the Blood Venerable, I'll follow your lead," Wang Anye said respectfully.

"Please don't..." Wang Zongchang waved his hand, taking out all the information he had prepared about the Blood Venerable and placing it in front of Wang Anye, "Study the information carefully. I'll follow your lead on the specifics."

Wang Zongchang was well aware of his own abilities. The only fortuitous event in his life was when he was parasitized by the Marrying Blood Gu, which nearly cost him his life.

This matter had to be led by Wang Anye for the best outcome.

Wang Anye was speechless.

From a young age, the elders had always been too superstitious about his luck, though he personally felt his luck was just average. Wasn't it normal to find things while out and about?

Taking his wives and Zong Kun diving, getting trapped in an undersea trench, and eventually soaking in the essence of a seabed spiritual vein, turning into a peerless prodigy, was indeed a bit outrageous, but he had endured many hardships along the way.

Nothing in life was smooth sailing.

But superstitious or not, he couldn't convince these stubborn elders otherwise. He remembered when he was young, Second Grandpa used to encourage him to jump off cliffs all the time.

While Wang Anye was silently grumbling, he carefully studied all the known information.

However, after reading it, he couldn't help but frown, "The scope is too broad, and there are no specific clues. How should we even begin to search? Isn't this like finding a needle in a haystack?"

Wang Zongchang chuckled.

He patted Wang Anye on the shoulder, saying earnestly, "Anye, if there were clear clues, why would we need to trouble you? How about this, you just point in a direction, and we'll set off..."

"Second Grandpa, that's too random."

Wang Anye was utterly speechless at the elders.

Just point in a direction? What kind of operation was that?

"How about I just suggest something?" Wang Zongchang pondered, "Previously, we found Ice Shard Island, a blood nest sub-base, on the outskirts of the Baidao Garrison. Anye, do you think the Blood Venerable's lair might be in the eastern sea?"

"It's possible, but not very likely," Wang Anye thought seriously, "Over the years, I've been hunting with Zong Kun in the sea, and though I've stumbled upon many treasures, I've never seen any signs of the Blood Venerable's lair."

"Then let's temporarily rule out the East Sea," Wang Zongchang continued, "The southeast direction, up to the Shenwu Army's new recruit training camp, is our Wang's Clan's main pioneering direction, and no similar special signs have been found. What do you think, Anye?"

"There might be omissions, as the Blood Venerable's lair is theoretically very hidden," Wang Anye considered, "But it doesn't have to be our primary exploration direction."

"Then it's clear," Wang Zongchang clapped his hands, "Heading north is familiar territory in Longzuo Commandery, so it's not suitable as a primary direction. So, we can only head southwest."

Wang Anye thought carefully and nodded in agreement, "Most of the southwest is swampy, with a mix of dragons and snakes, rarely explored by humans. It does seem suitable for initial exploration. I remember Anxin is overseeing the project of enclosing and reclaiming the marsh. We can visit him to see if there have been any unusual findings."

"Since you've said so, Anye, it's most likely correct. Let's settle on that," Wang Zongchang stood up to take his leave, "Spend a couple of days with your family, and when you're ready, we can set off anytime."

Was that the end of the discussion? Wasn't it too hasty?

Wang Anye felt both helpless and exhausted.

Did the elders have too much faith in him? After all, in his own view, he was just an ordinary person, at most with slightly better luck sometimes.

But luck was such an elusive thing.

Oh well~ Since Second Grandpa was so confident, he might as well give it a try.

After seeing Wang Zongchang off.

Wang Anye took his two wives to visit Great-Grandmother Liu Ruolan, only to find that the mahjong game was in full swing, with the emperor's reluctant voice faintly heard: "Ruolan, this time I've brought enough capital, let's play again."

Alright!

Wang Anye turned around with his two wives and left, visiting Grandmother Xu and Mother Qian in order.

These were their duties as juniors.

In the family, apart from Great-Grandfather being temporarily away on a mission to a sacred land, Wang Anye's grandfather and father were both busy, one continuing to pioneer and build in the Dala Great Desert, the other assisting Prince An with state affairs.

They only returned for major holidays or the New Year to reunite with family. But that's how families were; men needed to bear the family's great responsibilities outside.

In comparison, Wang Anye was relatively relaxed, apart from managing fish, he just held a nominal position in the family industries. Most of the time, Great-Grandfather encouraged him to travel, to go wherever he wanted.

After all, traveling could bring back more treasures.

As Great-Grandfather said, who knows, he might just stumble upon a manual, immortal scripture, or a Dao artifact, or even a ten-thousand-year-old spiritual herb while walking!

After visiting all the elders, the three of them unknowingly ate too much and decided to rest at home.

At home, two young men were already waiting in the courtyard. Seeing the three return, they immediately came forward, formally greeting, "Ning Yi, Ning Yao, greet Father, greet the two Mothers."

These two young men were both handsome and elegant, and most remarkably, they looked very similar, almost like twins at first glance.

They were Wang Anye's two sons, Wang Ningyi and Wang Ningyao.

Though not twins, they were born on the same day, with only a slight difference in time. It was speculated that they were likely conceived on the wedding night, hence the similar gestation period and birth date.

Moreover, having the same father and mothers from the same clan, the brothers looked quite similar.

When they were born, they were "accidentally" mixed up during a bath, making it impossible to tell who was born to whom. So, under Liu Ruolan's guidance, Ning Yi and Ning Yao recognized both as their mothers.

The royal family couldn't do anything about it. Since they couldn't distinguish, they didn't bother. After all, both were descendants of the Wang and Wu Clans. Both the Imperial Prince's household and Commandery Prince Rong's household acknowledged the two children.

Because of this, the once discordant Wu Xue'ning and Wu Yiluo, who often quarreled over seniority, gradually became more harmonious. Living together for thirty years, they now seemed like true sisters.

Meanwhile, with Wang Ningyi and Wang Ningyao, the previously discordant factions within the royal family, due to the struggle for the imperial prince position, also gradually reconciled, which was beneficial for the development of the Great Qian.

"Yi'er, Yao'er, you're here," Wu Xue'ning asked with concern, "Have you eaten?"

"Replying to Mother, we haven't eaten yet," the brothers replied honestly.

"If you haven't eaten, find something to eat yourselves," Wu Xue'ning sighed, "We've been stuffed from eating several meals today, really not in the mood to entertain you."

"Yes..."

The brothers exchanged a glance, feeling quite helpless. Such things were not unusual.

Both mothers were princesses by birth, raised delicately, and not down-to-earth. After having two children, raising them was chaotic. Fortunately, there were some older, experienced aunts in the family to help, allowing the brothers to "survive."

Of course, that was a joke.

The two mothers were still very caring, just in a different way from typical mothers. With their playful nature, the brothers were used to independence, living separately in their own courtyard by the age of twelve.

"By the way, how are your studies going? Do you need Mother to help you with your lessons?" Wu Yiluo thought it had been a while since she checked on the children's studies, feeling it was time to show some motherly concern.

Wang Ningyi and Wang Ningyao nearly fainted.

They were already thirty years old! In the era of their great-grandfather, where early marriage was common, they could have been fathers of several children by now.

"Mother, we've graduated from the clan school years ago," the brothers said helplessly, "Ning Yi is an assistant director at the Wang's Clan Agricultural Headquarters, and Ning Yao manages storage and logistics at the Wang's Clan Oceanic Group."

"We heard you and Father returned, so we took leave to visit."

Now, the Wang's Clan's industrial cluster was vast, so even direct descendants had to start as middle-level deputies or interns with elders, learning and accumulating experience before gradually advancing based on ability.

The clan's industries were one of the foundations of the Wang's Clan's standing, painstakingly built by Shouzhe's generation, requiring future generations to manage and expand diligently.

Only then could the Wang's Clan continue to thrive and grow stronger.

"Oh, is that so! Haha~" Wu Yiluo laughed awkwardly, "Time flies. In the blink of an eye, you two little ones have grown up. Recently, we've been busy with family tasks, accidentally neglecting you."

Busy with family tasks?

The brothers exchanged a glance.

Such words might fool them before they were twelve. Clearly, they had been living like immortals with Father, accidentally forgetting about them.

Fortunately, their survival skills were strong.

However, as beloved nephews of the royal family, with both parents as princesses, and Father always bringing back treasures to cleanse and refine them, their bloodline talents were quite good, both entering the great prodigy ranks, currently in the second cultivation sequence of the family.

At around thirty, they were already at the sixth level of the Lingtai Realm, likely advancing to the Celestial Realm before fifty.

"Alright, alright," Wang Anye felt a bit awkward, smoothing things over, "I'm going on a mission with Second Grandpa soon, so Xue'ning and Yiluo will stay home for a while, spending more time with the kids."

"Father... we have work..."

"Then Yiluo and I will take turns helping at your workplaces, spending more time with you, making up for your lack of motherly love."

"......"

Wang Ningyi and Wang Ningyao felt a sense of foreboding.

Were their princess mothers going to help or cause trouble? Hopefully, they wouldn't turn the workplace into chaos.

Having such parents, the brothers felt truly exhausted.

While they were talking, Wang Anye suddenly heard Emperor Longchang's voice transmitting from afar, "Anye, quickly bring some immortal crystals to save the game, or the card game will end. Also, bring more, your Senior Jiang and your Great Aunt Luoyi also need to borrow."

Wang Anye: "......"

Meanwhile, in Liu Ruolan's courtyard, the Immortal Palace's celestial "Jiang Qingxue," dressed in white and exuding an ethereal aura, was looking pale as she stared at the mahjong tiles before her.

Was this Wang's Clan a celestial land or a demon's lair?

In just a day and a night, she had lost all the immortal crystals in her storage ring. This place was more like a demon's lair than the True Demon Hall!

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy felt her vision darken, her whole body swaying.

...