Protect Our Patriarch

……

Wang Anye lacked neither divine spirit artifacts nor cultivation resources, and even the coveted manuals from the Holy Land were not beyond his reach. After all, he had Ji Wuchen as his master.

Back in the day, Ji Wuchen's reputation as the "Sword and Formation Master" stemmed from the sect's ultimate technique, the "Sword Formation Manual."

At that time, Ji Wuchen was already a formidable expert in the later stages of the Divine Realm. If not for seeking revenge, he could have advanced to the Lingxu Realm.

Fortunately, when he decided to seek revenge against the Demon Dynasty, he hid the "Sword Formation Manual" away, and only he knew its location. Once Wang Anye reached the Purple Mansion Realm, he could retrieve it from the Immortal Dynasty and inherit it directly.

Thus, money was just a series of dull numbers to him. When Emperor Longchang asked to borrow from him, he naturally had no objections.

After sending his two sons away, Wang Anye went to the mission hall to find Spirit Artifact Xiaoxue. He exchanged a small portion of his contribution points for three checks worth a million immortal crystals each and happily delivered them to the Emperor, Jiang Qingxue, and his great-aunt Wang Luoyi.

"Ruolan, your luck is just too good," Wang Luoyi, dressed as a noblewoman, said as she regained her composure with the help of the million immortal crystals. Her delicate eyebrows relaxed slightly, but she couldn't help but complain, "But as they say, fortunes change, and I'm sure I'll win back my losses next time."

Thanks to the growing strength of her husband's Chen Clan and the occasional subsidies from Wang Shouzhe, Wang Luoyi's aptitude was now quite impressive. Although she was over 170 years old, she still appeared as a young woman, with a mature charm that made her even more captivating than in her youth.

Her cultivation had also successfully advanced to the later stages of the Celestial Realm in recent years. In terms of strength, she ranked among the top three ancestors of the Donggang Chen Clan. Coupled with the backing of the Wang Clan, she thrived in the Donggang Chen Clan, enjoying a high status and growing more confident and carefree.

"Luoyi, your Donggang Chen Clan is now truly the East Sea King," Emperor Longchang said. "Your business spans overseas, so what's a mere million immortal crystals? Pity this half-retired emperor, who is truly poor! You should all let me win some retirement money."

The Donggang Chen Clan was no longer simple. Ancestor Ruhong, who was unremarkable in his youth, survived a shipwreck at forty, and everyone thought he was dead. But two years later, he miraculously returned and advanced rapidly in cultivation.

It wasn't until the Donggang Chen Clan truly prospered that people realized Ancestor Ruhong had a fortuitous encounter, becoming a prodigy during that time.

However, Ancestor Ruhong kept his abilities well hidden.

It wasn't until over twenty years ago, when both the Wang and Chen Clans had grown stronger, that Ancestor Ruhong invited the Wang Clan to secretly develop the "Overseas Immortal Island" he had discovered. It turned out to be the resting place of the famous rogue cultivator "Yanshui Daoist" from over twenty thousand years ago, with a "Yanshui Palace" containing the inheritance of water-based divine realm true techniques.

Throughout history, the number of rogue cultivators who reached the Divine Realm was extremely rare, highlighting the extraordinary nature of "Yanshui Daoist."

The "Yanshui Palace" hadn't been opened for over twenty thousand years, accumulating two inheritance opportunities. After discussions, both clans decided to each take one inheritance and jointly own the "Yanshui Palace" as a divine inheritance site.

After internal discussions, the Chen Clan decided to give this opportunity to the current head of the Chen Clan, "Chen Fangjie." The reason was simple: Chen Fangjie was Wang Shouzhe's brother-in-law and had a close relationship with the Wang Clan.

If he could cultivate to the Divine Realm, the relationship with the Wang Clan could last for at least a thousand years.

The other opportunity was originally intended for Liu Ruolan of the Wang Clan, but after advancing to the Purple Mansion Realm, her aptitude unknowingly improved, and she spontaneously awakened an unnamed cultivation technique. Although she didn't know the true name or level of the technique, it seemed no weaker than a true technique.

The inheritance of the "Yanshui True Technique" held little significance for her, so she decided to reserve this opportunity to select a water-based great prodigy from the younger generation of the clan to inherit it.

This demonstrated the Chen Clan's potential for the future, especially as they collaborated with the Wang Clan to develop overseas markets, earning substantial profits over the years.

Moreover, Chen Fangjie was shamelessly devoted to his wife, Luoyi. To him, losing money in card games was trivial. Even if he lost the entire Chen Clan, it wouldn't matter.

This showed just how much wealth Wang Luoyi could wield.

Ordinary Divine Realm cultivators couldn't compare to her wealth, and even Emperor Longchang, who was relatively poor, envied her prosperity.

"Your Majesty, you're mistaken," Wang Luoyi deftly organized her cards, showing no fear of Emperor Longchang. "Our Chen Clan is just a small seventh-grade household. How can we compare to the wealth accumulated by Your Majesty over thousands of years? Besides, Your Majesty has contributed to the Great Qian throughout your life and is supported by the state."

Emperor Longchang was speechless.

Your Chen Ruhong is about to advance to the Purple Mansion Realm, Chen Fangjie has reached the later stages of the Celestial Realm, and your clan already has a bunch of Celestials, yet you still claim to be a seventh-grade clan!

What's wrong with you people?

It's all because of that Wang Shouzhe and his bad influence.

Unfortunately, Emperor Longchang thought he didn't have many years left, so he distributed his private savings to the descendants he favored, leaving himself with little. Had he known his later years would be so interesting, he would have saved more for himself.

"Come on, let's continue."

Emperor Longchang eagerly wanted to start the next round.

Seeing the expression on the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy's face, he kindly reassured her, "Xueqing, don't be afraid. In mahjong, when luck comes, no one can stop it. You might win back everything in one hand."

"Yes... Senior!"

What else could the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy say? She could only grit her teeth and continue playing.

Facing an emperor, she dared not be careless and focused intently on the game.

And so it went, round after round.

Half a month later.

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy, once a penniless Divine Realm cultivator, had become a heavily indebted one.

After another day of mahjong, she was weakly supported back to her luxurious and comfortable top-tier guest suite by Yu Ji. Her once bright phoenix eyes were now completely vacant, filled with philosophical questions.

Who am I? Where am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?

Alright~ I'm the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy, infiltrating the Wang Clan to gather intelligence and control them!

But before the plan even began, she spent half a month playing mahjong, winning and losing, ultimately ending up in debt.

After a long while, the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy slowly regained her senses.

However, the situation showed no signs of improvement.

Recalling her massive debt, her vision darkened, and her heart felt cold.

So many immortal crystals, she couldn't repay them even if she sold herself!

Meanwhile.

In Shouzhe's Small Courtyard.

After the card game ended, Wang Luoyi returned to her courtyard, while Emperor Longchang stayed behind, leisurely sipping tea and chatting with Liu Ruolan.

Old Yao stood by, occasionally pouring tea for the two.

"Ruolan, I told you, that Jiang Xueqing was definitely suspicious. Losing so much in half a month without planning to run away. If it were that old Tianhe, he would have disappeared long ago." Emperor Longchang squinted, looking wise and cunning. "I felt something was off the moment I saw her. If she were impersonating a disciple from another Holy Land, it would be one thing, but she chose to impersonate Yuling's girl."

"Hehe~ I know Yuling well. She may seem aloof and unsociable, but those who truly know her understand that she's crafty and ruthless, quite similar to that Wang Shouzhe. If Jiang Xueqing were truly Yuling's disciple, she wouldn't have reacted that way. And come to think of it, Yuling and Shouzhe do seem more alike the more I think about it..."

As Emperor Longchang pondered, he couldn't help but mutter, "Could Shouzhe also be a reincarnated True Immortal? Did he know Yuling in a past life?"

"Hehe~" Liu Ruolan sipped her tea, smiling subtly, "Is that so? I'll ask my husband when he returns."

Old Yao's heart skipped a beat.

Your Majesty, could you be more careful with your words? Is Liu Ruolan someone you can easily offend?

He quietly stepped back and discreetly moved half a step closer to Liu Ruolan.

"Ruolan, what do you think Jiang Xueqing's true identity is? Why did she come to our Wang Clan?" Emperor Longchang asked with great interest. "How do you plan to deal with her?"

"There aren't many possibilities. The most likely is that she's from the Demon Dynasty," Liu Ruolan calmly replied. "Let's keep her for now; she might be useful. Besides, she can't cause much trouble."

"Either way, I did contribute," Emperor Longchang said eagerly, "Shouldn't I be rewarded? How about this: I've been playing mahjong for official business these past two weeks, so Ruolan, you should reimburse me."

"Your Majesty, you're joking. Would you return the money if you won?" Liu Ruolan smiled at him.

"No," Emperor Longchang shook his head helplessly.

"Neither will I," Liu Ruolan's smile remained, but her tone was firm. "I won that money fair and square. As for discovering a spy, you can settle the contribution points with Spirit Artifact Xiaoxue. A Divine Realm spy is worth quite a bit."

"..." Emperor Longchang was so angry he blew his beard and glared, "Ruolan, you're worse than Yuling's girl, so crafty and ruthless! I'm old, is it easy for me to make money?"

"Recently, Zongchang returned and mentioned discovering a high-quality medium-sized wood spirit vein," Liu Ruolan said calmly. "I wonder if Your Majesty is interested..."

"Interested, very interested, that's good stuff!" Emperor Longchang's eyes lit up with joy. "Extracting a high-quality spirit vein is tricky, it costs extra! But it's not about the money; it's for Xian'er. She's still too weak. If she can reach the ninth rank, she can protect herself even against a Lingxu Realm opponent in a defensive battle."

"As long as Your Majesty is happy," Liu Ruolan handed him a map.

Emperor Longchang glanced at it and gasped, "That's quite far, almost in the territory of the Myriad Demon Nation."

"Over ten thousand miles away," Liu Ruolan said. "The spirit vein's location is well-hidden, and the Myriad Demon Nation likely hasn't discovered it yet."

"No, no, the three old monsters of the Myriad Demon Nation are too powerful, one of them is almost at the twelfth rank! I want to enjoy my retirement~~ How about this, I heard Anye is going on a mission, I'll stay and protect him, and keep an eye on Jiang Xueqing."

"Anye already has protection, and Your Majesty needn't worry about Jiang Xueqing."

"?" Emperor Longchang was puzzled, "When did the Wang Clan recruit a Divine Realm enforcer?"

"Ahem~" Old Yao coughed twice, "Your Majesty, I took on that mission. So, I won't be able to assist Your Majesty with the spirit vein extraction."

"..." Emperor Longchang was momentarily stunned, then his eyebrows shot up in anger, "Old Yao, you're my man."

"Your Majesty, I have to make a living too," Old Yao said with a bitter face. "You know, for an old eunuch like me, the meager support isn't enough. When Your Majesty was in power, I could still get some benefits. But now that you've retired and are addicted to gambling... sigh~ not to mention benefits, even your rewards have decreased!"

"I have no choice; Ruolan offers too much."

"You old thing! I'm not dead yet, and you're already planning to switch allegiances."

"Forgive me, Your Majesty, I'm just doing odd jobs to earn some daily expenses."

At the courtyard gate, Wang Anye was about to enter but paused when he heard the commotion inside. He quietly backed away.

Forget it~ He'd wait until Emperor Grandfather left the courtyard to say goodbye to Great-Grandmother.

……

A few days later.

The Great Swamp.

After decades of development, the Great Swamp had undergone a dramatic transformation compared to the past.

North of the An River, the area once isolated by dikes had been divided into many different regions.

A large area near the edge of the Great Swamp was enclosed for lake reclamation and farming. Combined with the surrounding spiritual farmland, it had been transformed into a vast, fertile water-based spiritual farmland, specifically for growing "Crystal Spirit Rice."

Every autumn, when the Crystal Spirit Rice ripened, the uneven husks would crack open, revealing the crystal-clear grains inside, resembling a crystal mine from afar.

The dense network of small water-based spirit veins in the Great Swamp provided ample spiritual energy for them, resulting in high-quality Crystal Spirit Rice with significant economic benefits each year.

Within the Great Swamp, various high-value water-based spiritual plants were intercropped according to the terrain, along with some spiritual herbs and fish. Although their grades weren't high, they were economically valuable species with a steady market demand, generating substantial economic benefits annually.

In addition, there were isolated breeding grounds for aquatic fierce beasts within the Great Swamp, housing the iconic fierce beast of the Great Swamp—the "Great Swamp Fierce Crocodile."

The Great Swamp Fierce Crocodile had a high rank, thick skin, and abundant meat. It required a small range for breeding and had relatively low intelligence. If raised to the sixth rank, it produced a substantial amount of meat, making it an ideal meat-producing fierce beast.

Moreover, its tough and thick skin was an excellent defensive crafting material, easily processed into protective gear with good defensive capabilities.

When Wang Shouzhe learned about the habits of this fierce beast, he recognized its economic value. This breeding ground became a key project in the Great Swamp's development, generating significant economic benefits annually.

Over the years, not only did the Wang Clan benefit greatly, but the Wang Clan also turned their fortunes around, long since overcoming their previous difficulties.

Decades later, even the towns surrounding the Great Swamp had become increasingly prosperous.

Centered around the Great Swamp's production, these towns had developed a highly efficient industrial chain, from processing spiritual rice and handling spiritual plants to slaughtering fierce crocodiles, further processing crocodile meat, handling crocodile skin, and processing various by-products. Every step was well-established.

In the past twenty years, with the comprehensive development of the Great Swamp north of the An River, the "Changning United Swamp Economic Development Bureau," led by the Wang Clan, began focusing on the Great Swamp south of the An River, formulating a series of development plans.

Initially, the plan progressed smoothly, but as development continued, the Great Swamp's growth encountered some challenges.

The Yuan Shui Azure Dragon lineage residing in the Southern Desolate Swamp felt threatened by humans encroaching on their territory, leading to conflicts with the development bureau.

Tensions and conflicts between the two sides had been escalating.

At this critical juncture.

The Wang Clan unleashed their trump card.

Wang Anye rode a striking "Jade Horn Flying Horse," passing through the southwestern ring of Ping'an Town, the Wang Clan's main residence, and traversing a rugged and remote hilly area before entering a small delta plain.

This was Wangxia Town, part of the Changning Garrison, originally settled by a branch of the Celestial Lei Clan who crossed the An River to reclaim land on the edge of the Great Swamp.

This branch of the Lei Clan became known as the "Wangxia Lei Clan."

Originally an eighth-grade clan, the Wangxia Lei Clan naturally followed the main branch and clung tightly to the Wang Clan after their main branch, the Celestial Lei Clan of Changning, married into the Wang Clan.

With the Wang Clan's Great Swamp development plan, Wangxia Town was chosen as the bridgehead, and the headquarters of the now-renowned "Changning United Swamp Economic Development Bureau" was built in Wangxia Town.

Benefiting from this, the Wangxia Lei Clan rose from an eighth-grade clan to a seventh-grade one in less than sixty to seventy years.

"Onward, onward."

The Jade Horn Flying Horse, white as jade, was nearly a hundred years old but still as beautiful and proud as a little princess.

Under the careful care and nurturing of the Wang Clan's ranch, she had become a fifth-rank flying horse.

However, aside from being beautiful, fast, and having a haughty temperament, the Jade Horn Flying Horse's combat ability was quite average. In a fight with a fierce beast of the same rank, she would likely be the one getting beaten.

But because the Jade Horn Flying Horse was so beautiful, rare, and fast, and could be cultivated to the seventh rank, it was considered a luxury mount, especially favored by the celestial sisters of various Holy Land academies.

Once available for sale, people would go to great lengths to acquire one, and some simping senior brothers would try to get one to impress the goddesses.

As a result, a high-quality fifth-rank Jade Horn Flying Horse typically sold for over a hundred thousand immortal crystals!

The reason for mentioning this was that Wang Anye, with the help of this beautiful female Jade Horn Flying Horse, managed to attract a male Jade Horn Flying Horse. After spending seventy to eighty years researching how to breed and tame Jade Horn Flying Horses, he finally succeeded.

No one could have predicted that the biggest challenge in breeding Jade Horn Flying Horses lay in the cultivation of special feed. With Wang Shouzhe's support, they overcame one obstacle after another.

Now, the Wang Clan's ranch had initially mastered the breeding and taming of Jade Horn Flying Horses. With their rarity, the Wang Clan's ranch was poised to gradually dominate a high-profit industry.

Wang Anye rode the Jade Horn Flying Horse at a leisurely pace.

Behind him were Wang Zongchang and five flying Silver Moon Wolves. Yes, they were the once-famous Wang Clan's Five Little Wolves.

However, as time passed, they had grown into the Wang Clan's Five Big Wolves, thanks to the good food and care from the Wang Clan.

The once fluffy little creatures had become large wolf cubs the size of young bulls, but their eyes were more intelligent and clever, clearly showing their wisdom.

Because of their excellent bloodline, with some specializing in stealth, others in shadow clones, and possessing some impressive spatial abilities, they not only received clan school education but also frequently accompanied Wang Zongchang on dangerous exploration missions.

Over time, they developed a brotherly bond with Wang Zongchang.

And with their strength reaching the sixth rank, their excellent teamwork allowed them to pose a threat even to seventh-rank enemies.

High above in the clouds, an old man and a celestial-looking woman followed from a distance.

The old man had a delicate face and a slightly sinister aura, yet appeared at ease. He was the renowned chief eunuch of the imperial palace, Old Yao.

The celestial-looking woman, however, had a vacant expression, resembling a soulless puppet.

She was none other than the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy, disguised as Jiang Xueqing.

In less than a month, due to gambling, she had fallen into debt and had no choice but to accept the task assigned by Liu Ruolan to protect and assist Wang Anye in carrying out the family mission.

"Fairy Jiang, I know you're not used to this yet," Old Yao glanced at her, his voice filled with concern. "The first time doing this kind of work, there will inevitably be some psychological adjustment. But once you get used to it, working isn't so bad."

"Ruolan is being considerate this time. You just need to make an appearance and show your presence; you don't actually have to do anything."

"Senior Yao, isn't it a bit embarrassing for us Divine Realm cultivators to work like this?" The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy felt internally shattered but dared not show it, only asking tactfully.

"What's there to be embarrassed about? Everyone works to make a living," Old Yao replied confidently. "I used to work for His Majesty, and now I work for the Wang Clan. And you, didn't you work for the Immortal Palace before? It's all about making money, nothing to be ashamed of."

"Didn't you see how happy His Majesty is while working?"

"The pay is indeed quite generous..." The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy admitted honestly, "If I work diligently for a hundred years, I can pay off my debt of several million immortal crystals, which is enough for a high-quality divine spirit artifact!"

Working for the Wang Clan meant she didn't have to worry about food and shelter, as they provided for all employees, along with cultivation resources.

As a Divine Realm cultivator, her minimum annual resource consumption was at least ten to twenty thousand immortal crystals, but the Wang Clan offered a yearly allowance of thirty thousand immortal crystals for food and resources.

This treatment was far superior to what she received at the True Demon Hall.

At least at the True Demon Hall, she would never have the opportunity to save up for a high-quality divine spirit artifact in just a hundred years.

Because that meant a Divine Realm cultivator could accumulate over ten divine spirit artifacts or equivalent treasures during their prime years.

Consider how Tianhe Daoist had to borrow money to buy a divine spirit artifact for Wang Liyao... it showed that Divine Ability Masters couldn't save much money.

"Moreover, this time, we're assisting Young Master An Ye in resolving the Great Swamp dispute and searching for some kind of relic. If we make a contribution, Young Master An Ye might reward us handsomely," Old Yao continued to reassure the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy.

"Relic? What relic?" The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy's heart skipped a beat, and she asked.

"Something about blood, I'm not sure of the details. We're just workers, so let's focus on our tasks and not meddle in the master's affairs."

Blood Venerable's relic?

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy suddenly felt ecstatic.

Wonderful, wonderful, this is truly a case of finding what you seek without effort!

……