Protect Our Patriarch

Book 4: Chapter 53: Crystal Fairy Array gathers spirit! Wolf cub troubles the royal palace

……

Zhuhui Lake in Ping'an Town, Changning Garrison, Longzuo Commandery.

This small pearl, Zhuhui Lake, has become increasingly radiant under the meticulous management of the Wang's Clan. It has become an indelible memory for generations of the Wang's Clan, accompanying their growth.

Today, the sun is shining brightly, the flowers are in full bloom, and the shimmering light on Zhuhui Lake is breathtakingly beautiful.

The flood control embankments on both sides are filled with tourists and visitors, most of whom are residents and children from Ping'an Town.

A "small Dragon Whale" over fifteen meters long is swimming freely in Zhuhui Lake, occasionally performing spectacular feats like leaping into the air and spouting water, drawing cheers from the crowd on both banks. The children are especially thrilled, shouting "Dragon Whale, Dragon Whale."

When the "small Dragon Whale" gets tired and hungry from playing, it casually drives a school of fish, stunning them with a loud cry before swallowing them in one gulp.

This small Dragon Whale is naturally Wang Zongkun, the new direct descendant of the Wang's Clan's "Zong" generation.

Such carefree days and environment allow Wang Zongkun to grow up happily and without worries.

To avoid drawing attention, the Wang's Clan claims that this is a small Dragon Whale picked up by Wang Anye by the East Sea.

Dragon Whales are one of the ocean's rulers.

In the deep sea, seventh-rank Dragon Whales often appear, and occasionally a Dragon Whale King that has grown to the ninth rank may emerge. It is even rumored that in the deepest parts of the ocean, there exists an eleventh-rank Dragon Whale Emperor.

Clearly, the bloodline level of Dragon Whales is not low.

However, the bloodline concentration varies among Dragon Whales of different ranks, and not every Dragon Whale is qualified to become a Dragon Whale King or even a Dragon Whale Emperor.

Moreover, there are many subtypes of Dragon Whales, and strange, previously undiscovered subtypes often appear. The differences in appearance between different subtypes are also significant.

It is said that the Dragon Whale species carries some Kun bloodline, which is why they somewhat resemble each other in appearance.

Therefore, Wang Zongkun pretending to be a Dragon Whale as a child is not a big problem, as no one has ever seen a real Kun.

"Still just a kid, such a childish fool, an ugly big-headed fish." Wang Lilong, sitting on the back of the Yuan Shui Old Turtle, crossed her claws and watched Wang Zongkun jump around in the water with a hint of dissatisfaction in her words.

The reason is simple.

Now, with the sudden addition of a tree and a fish to the Wang's Clan's "Zong" and "Li" generations, Wang Lilong feels an increased pressure.

Originally, she was the most beloved child of her father and mother, living a "happy" and "carefree" life. Now, with an unexpected sister and brother, her parents' attention is naturally divided.

What pressures Wang Lilong the most is that Wang Lixian and Wang Zongkun are both immortal species, with growth potential far surpassing hers.

Although she can still suppress them for now, as time goes on, Wang Lilong will inevitably be suppressed by her younger siblings, which would be quite embarrassing.

Even though she has transformed into a Yuan Shui Azure Dragon, completing a bloodline transformation that brings her closer to the innate spiritual body level among humans, above a great prodigy but below an innate spiritual body!

However, given the cultivation speed of the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan, it is still a bit difficult for her to advance to the eleventh rank with her current bloodline concentration, unless...

Wang Lilong's eyes lit up, but then dimmed again.

No, no, that thing is guarded by Ancestor Long himself.

The human world is so interesting, and spending time with family is so enjoyable. If she goes back now, it would be like walking into a trap, and it would be hard to come out again.

"What's wrong, Aunt Lilong?" Wang Anye noticed that Wang Lilong seemed a bit upset and asked with concern, "Is there some homework you haven't finished? If you really can't, I can imitate your handwriting and help you out a bit, just to get by with the teacher."

"Anye, you're so kind." Wang Lilong looked at Anye with watery eyes, touched, and then pulled out a large stack of homework from her backpack, stuffing it all into Wang Anye's hands, "Thank you so much."

Wang Anye almost fell off the Yuan Shui Old Turtle, looking at Wang Lilong with a dazed expression, "Aunt Lilong, what have you been doing during this month's break? You haven't touched any of your homework."

"It's all because of that troublesome Yao Xuan. She led the Beautiful Girl Alliance to challenge boys over sixteen and got beaten so badly they were like stray dogs. As her aunt, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing, right?" Wang Lilong said righteously.

"You spent your break fighting..." Wang Anye held his forehead, looking exceptionally troubled.

This Aunt Lilong can't be left alone for a moment, or she'll cause a heap of trouble and leave it to Wang Anye to clean up the mess.

At least she's using idioms now, which is somewhat comforting.

However, as his thoughts drifted for just a moment, Wang Anye keenly sensed something was off.

"It's not that simple, is it?" He looked at her suspiciously, "As far as I know, Aunt Lilong, you're not exactly a helpful dragon."

"Well..." Wang Lilong said with a silly smile, "The main reason is that the Beautiful Girl Alliance paid me. They gave me so much money that I couldn't refuse."

Money is a good thing; it can buy lots of delicious food without having to steal. Although stealing is fine too, since she's now a direct descendant of the Wang's Clan, always stealing would get her beaten.

"But don't worry, the boys I beat up later also paid me, and then I helped them sweep the Beautiful Girl Alliance, achieving the fairness and justice that Father talks about."

"Anye, I think this is a good path. I can take money from both sides and help neither."

I'm relieved, relieved my foot.

Wang Anye's gaze became deep and serious.

The task entrusted to him by Great-Grandfather is indeed a heavy one.

While Wang Anye was sighing deeply.

Above Zhuhui Lake, a spirit bird flying carriage was circling at low altitude.

On the carriage, at either end of a table and chairs carved from spiritual wood, Wang Shouzhe was sitting opposite an old man.

The old man had a tall and slender figure, an elegant demeanor, and was dressed in white with white hair, resembling an immortal. At first glance, he looked like a powerful master of divine abilities.

However, his figure was somewhat ethereal, neither real nor unreal, clearly not in a normal state. Not far behind him, an ancient sword floated in the air, exuding an ancient aura.

He was none other than Wang Anye's master, the Spirit Artifact Grandpa Ji Wuchen.

"Thank you, Master Wang Shouzhe, for the Soul Restoration Baodan." Ji Wuchen expressed his gratitude, "With the help of the Baodan, my soul has solidified significantly, no longer in a state where a 'gust of wind' could disperse it."

The Soul Restoration Baodan and Wuji Baodan are both sixth-rank Baodan, typically valued at millions of Qian gold and require special channels for auction to obtain.

In Ji Wuchen's previous state of a weak soul body, always on the verge of dispersing, it was difficult to acquire such treasures.

Wang Shouzhe sipped his spiritual tea and chuckled lightly, "Senior Ji, you're too kind. As Anye's master, you're like half a patron of the Wang's Clan. The Wang's Clan will naturally do its best to support you. If there's an opportunity, I can acquire more Soul Restoration Baodan, and in the future, even the Soul Molding Sacred Dan is possible."

Soul Molding Sacred Dan?!

Ji Wuchen's heart trembled.

Even with his state of mind, hearing those four words made his soul tremble slightly with excitement.

Such a Sacred Dan can greatly enhance his remnant soul, even reconstructing the missing parts of it. However, such Sacred Dan is extremely rare and precious, even in the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty.

"Master Wang Shouzhe is thoughtful." Ji Wuchen suppressed his excitement and said, "Currently, it's more appropriate for the Wang's Clan to use resources where they are most needed. My mere remnant soul body can still hold on for a long time without the Baodan."

With that, he shifted the topic, "Earlier, I observed the terrain and topography of Ping'an Town. The 'Five Elements Gathering Spirit Array' that Master Wang Shouzhe envisions can theoretically be constructed."

He is a top expert in both swordsmanship and formations, and the concept of the Five Elements Gathering Spirit Array was something he inadvertently mentioned to Anye. Anye then passed this information to Master Wang Shouzhe.

Wang Shouzhe was quite intrigued, leading to today's meeting.

"But the master should be prepared mentally. Setting up the Gathering Spirit Array is a long-term project, requiring not only a huge investment in purchasing various array materials but also extracting spiritual veins as the array's core, which is extremely complex. Among these, the extraction and arrangement of spiritual veins require the intervention of a Divine Ability Master."

Everyone knows that the Gathering Spirit Array is a good thing, serving as the foundation for a family, accelerating the cultivation speed of young clan members, and enhancing the growth and reproduction of spiritual plants and beasts within the array. Over time, it can even very slowly improve the bloodline quality of newborns.

However, the cost of the Gathering Spirit Array is indeed substantial, and it's not something an ordinary family can afford to set up.

Even in the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty, only the most well-established top third-grade families would consider constructing a Gathering Spirit Array of this scale.

Note, consider...

Because not every top third-grade family has the financial resources to construct it.

"Financial resources are not a major concern." Wang Shouzhe said calmly, "Precisely because the construction period is long, we need to prepare early. Our Wang's Clan can slowly raise funds and build gradually."

"As for hiring a Divine Ability Master, that's not difficult. Currently, Tianhe Daoist is short of funds and owes a lot of external debts, making it a good time to hire him."

"Such ambition, such ambition." Ji Wuchen praised, "Master Wang Shouzhe plans to build the Five Elements Gathering Spirit Array with an immortal plant as the core. Once successful, the entire Ping'an Town will gradually become like an immortal's abode, transforming into a sacred land. By then, cultivation within this area will surely progress rapidly."

As he spoke, Ji Wuchen used his soul power to hold a pen and wrote down a long list of treasures and the quantities needed.

This writing filled several large sheets of paper.

The types, prices, and quantities of materials needed, even for someone like Wang Shouzhe, who is accustomed to dealing with large sums of money, couldn't help but take a deep breath.

Fortunately, these materials don't need to be purchased all at once.

The setup of the Gathering Spirit Array is not a one-time task, as it involves countless details and critical points in the process. A single mistake could ruin everything, so it needs to be done in stages and steps.

From preparation to completion, it will take about a hundred years. The Wang's Clan has ample time to slowly gather the materials needed for the array.

For now, the most urgent matter is the relocation of ordinary residents in Ping'an Town.

In Wang Shouzhe's plan, as time goes on, the number of clan members will increase, and the current main residence won't be able to accommodate everyone for decades due to overpopulation.

However, Ping'an Town is the ancestral place of revival, and Wang Shouzhe and the clan elders do not want to move the main residence elsewhere.

In that case, the relocation of the original residents of Ping'an Town needs to be expedited.

Currently, the Wang's Clan holds significant influence locally, with high prestige. As long as the compensation is sufficient and the replacement is adequate, and they don't intentionally oppress the common people, relocation is not a difficult task, and there won't be any "nail households" like in Wang Shouzhe's previous life.

In fact, to put it extremely, even if Wang Shouzhe went mad and wanted to oppress the common people, they would only comply obediently. In the Wang's Clan's territory, it's almost impossible for anyone to dare defy Wang Shouzhe.

Of course, Wang Shouzhe wouldn't do that.

……

While Wang Shouzhe was laying the foundation for the family's millennia-long future.

In the Daqian Imperial Palace, Imperial Garden.

As the residence of the Emperor and the power center of the Great Qian, the Daqian Imperial Palace naturally has formations. The entire palace is actually enveloped in a massive formation that combines offense and defense. If anyone thinks they're powerful and dares to infiltrate the palace, they will naturally be taught a lesson.

The Imperial Garden also has formations, but these are not for attack or defense, but rather a small Gathering Spirit Array.

Under the effect of the small Gathering Spirit Array, the spiritual energy in the entire Imperial Garden is much denser than outside, and all kinds of exotic flowers and plants thrive in it, growing vigorously. Even the color of the leaves is more lush and vibrant, making them particularly pleasing to the eye.

Moreover, rare exotic spiritual flowers that are hard to find elsewhere bloom year-round under the nourishment of this spiritual energy. Their flowers are colorful, with unique qualities—some are elegant, some ethereal, some dazzlingly beautiful, and some uniquely charming, truly competing for beauty and dazzling the eyes.

With meticulous arrangement and regular pruning, the scenery of the entire Imperial Garden is exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

After finishing his "daily affairs," Emperor Longchang would often take a stroll in the Imperial Garden, admire the flowers, and use a lure to fish for various spiritual fish in the pond, relaxing his mind and body.

In the past, only Old Yao would accompany him.

After all, an emperor is an emperor. Having lived for over three thousand years, his friends and family from the past have long since passed away, and he has become accustomed to being a solitary figure.

As for the younger generations, they are actually descendants many generations removed, and most of them don't dare to breathe heavily in his presence, making them quite boring, so he naturally doesn't enjoy summoning them.

However, on this day, five little wolf cubs were frolicking around his feet.

They ran joyfully around Emperor Longchang, rolling and playfully tussling, occasionally stopping to sniff various exotic flowers and plants, truly lively and adorable, and very well-behaved.

So far, they hadn't damaged a single flower or blade of grass, or a single tree or plant.

"Come, come~ I have a ball here. Whoever grabs it first gets a piece of spiritual meat as a reward." Emperor Longchang, in high spirits, threw a small ball for the five little wolves to compete for.

Unexpectedly, only one little wolf rushed over, quickly returning with the ball in its mouth, while the other wolf cubs sat obediently at Emperor Longchang's feet.

"Oh, are you not hungry?" Emperor Longchang chuckled, "I keep my word, and I will reward as promised."

With that, he had Old Yao hand over a small piece of spiritual meat, which he tossed to the little wolf that had earned it.

Unexpectedly, the little wolf that had earned the reward was very well-behaved and didn't eat it alone. Instead, it shared the spiritual meat with its siblings.

"Awoo~ Awoo~"

The five little wolf cubs took turns eating the spiritual meat, each taking a bite in an orderly manner, and then looked at Emperor Longchang with adorable and silly expressions.

They weren't in a hurry, nor did they beg, just looking at him with their big, watery eyes, making it hard to resist.

"Oh, I didn't expect these little wolf cubs to be so well-behaved and orderly." Emperor Longchang laughed, "It seems that the Wang girl who transported them really put in some effort in training them."

"Old Yao, give them a reward."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Old Yao responded and took out a whole piece of large spiritual meat from his storage ring, tossing it to the little wolf cubs.

The little wolf cubs remained extremely well-behaved, sharing the spiritual meat in an orderly manner, each taking a bite.

Clearly, having lived with humans for a long time, these five little wolf cubs were quite intelligent and knew that the kind old man was the one feeding them.

So, after eating, the five little wolf cubs all rushed forward, some rubbing against his legs, some rolling around to act cute, and even one jumped onto Emperor Longchang's shoulder, curling up its paws and mimicking a massage.

"Bold!" Old Yao was startled by them and hurriedly scolded in a low voice, "You little wolf cubs dare to touch His Majesty's sacred body? Quickly retreat!"

But Emperor Longchang chuckled and waved his hand, "They're still young~ It's fine, it's fine. I must say, their massage is quite comfortable."

"This behavior must have been trained." Old Yao was both amused and exasperated, "That Wang girl is quite a weirdo. Is she training battle pets or cute pets?"

Good bloodline Silver Moon Wolves, trained into this state, where's the combat power?

Old Yao couldn't help but sigh at the waste.

"What's so good about battle pets? I've seen plenty in my life." Emperor Longchang rarely enjoyed the little wolf cubs' antics, praising, "That Wang girl is truly talented, much more interesting than our royal beast trainers."

"Wait." As he spoke, Emperor Longchang suddenly realized something was off, furrowing his brows with authority, "These little wolf cubs are so well-behaved, how could they be as unruly as Yao Chengchao claimed?"

"Could it be that Yao Chengchao accidentally damaged my Divine Dynasty's Twilight and other treasures, and to avoid punishment, he blamed these poor and innocent little wolf cubs?"

"Outrageous! Yao Chengchao is too much! He's clearly bullying them because they can't speak, shamelessly framing them!"

Emperor Longchang, known for projecting his own thoughts onto others, grew more convinced of this reasoning, his expression darkening.

Yes, yes!

The five little wolf cubs nodded repeatedly, their innocent and pure eyes looking gratefully at Emperor Longchang.

Kind and friendly old grandpa, you're absolutely right. We're just a bunch of well-behaved little wolf cubs, how could we have any bad intentions? It must be that bad guy framing us.

"Hmph~"

Emperor Longchang snorted coldly, his gaze turning unfriendly, "Old Yao, investigate whether Yao Chengchao accidentally broke something and used the wolf cubs as scapegoats, or if the Yao Clan is trying to meddle in the Imperial Heir Struggle of my Great Qian."

"Trying to sow discord and make me develop a dislike for the Changning Wang's Clan, thereby affecting the progress of the Imperial Heir Struggle."

Upon hearing this, Old Yao's expression also turned serious.

He immediately bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. I will send someone to investigate right away."

As Old Yao left, the five little wolf cubs seemed to sense the kind old man's mood souring and immediately began to entertain him with various antics. Some stood on their hind legs, others lay on the ground playing dead with their tongues out, and one even sat upright and started "singing."

Emperor Longchang couldn't help but laugh, "You little wolf cubs are quite intelligent. The Wang girl who trained you must be a remarkable person."

With these obedient and well-behaved little wolf cubs for company, Emperor Longchang's mood improved significantly. He even took out a lure rod to fish in the spiritual fish pond.

The fish caught naturally became a treat for the little wolf cubs.

These well-behaved little wolf cubs provided Emperor Longchang with a rare moment of leisure, allowing him to experience a sense of mental relaxation.

He began to ponder how to persuade Wang Shouzhe to willingly give him one when he came to court.

The third one is good, the second one is fine too, and the fifth one is the most obedient...

Which one should he choose?

For a moment, Emperor Longchang found himself in a dilemma, his decision-making anxiety flaring up. This one looks good, that one seems obedient too.

Forget it, forget it, he might as well discuss with Shouzhe and take all five little wolf cubs.

As for the reward, well, he could reduce the tax pressure in Longzuo Commandery, changing the growth from five percent to three percent.

Shouzhe, oh Shouzhe~

See how good I am to you, you must remember my kindness.

"Hahahaha~~~"

Thinking of those scenes, Emperor Longchang couldn't help but burst into a hearty laugh.

At night.

The luxurious wolf den arranged by the eunuchs at Emperor Longchang's command was already set up in the Imperial Garden. The wolf cubs were all nestled inside, looking very happy and content.

"Your Majesty, should we lock the fence?" a eunuch asked in a low voice.

Emperor Longchang was about to say "lock" when he saw the five little ones' pitiful eyes and felt a pang of compassion.

"My five little ones are so well-behaved, why lock them?" Emperor Longchang waved his hand, making a decision, "Just have two eunuchs keep watch at night."

That night, Emperor Longchang had a rare, restful sleep.

The five little wolf cubs provided him with healing energy, allowing him to relax his mind.

The next morning.

After waking up and freshening up, Emperor Longchang was having breakfast, eagerly anticipating seeing the five little ones again.

How long had it been since he felt such excitement and anticipation?

A hundred years, or two hundred years? Or perhaps even longer...

Because of the five little wolf cubs, even the usual bland breakfast seemed a bit more delicious.

Soon, Emperor Longchang finished his breakfast and walked with a spring in his step towards his Imperial Garden.

He was thinking about taking the five little ones out for a hunt or something today.

However, at that moment, two eunuchs came running out in a panic, shouting, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, something's wrong!"

"What has you so flustered?" Emperor Longchang frowned, his voice full of authority.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the five little ones..."

As the eunuchs tried to explain in their panic, Old Yao appeared beside Emperor Longchang, seemingly out of nowhere, and reported, "Your Majesty, the matter you asked me to investigate yesterday has results."

"It seems that the Yao Clan isn't secretly causing trouble. The five little ones are indeed mischievous. According to the crew on the Yun Yao flying boat, the five little ones have impressive stealth and concealment abilities, and have awakened some spatial abilities. Ordinary cages can't hold them. If you keep an eye on them, it's fine, but if you dare blink, they'll 'whoosh' and disappear."

"Yes, yes! They 'whoosh' and disappear, and then something happens." The two eunuchs nodded vigorously, loudly agreeing.

Emperor Longchang's eyelids twitched.

What do you mean by 'whoosh' and disappear? What do you mean by something happened?

A sense of foreboding enveloped Emperor Longchang's heart.

He hurried into the Imperial Garden.

Moments later, the garden echoed with Emperor Longchang's trembling voice, filled with heartache.

"My ninth-grade immortal spiritual flower, how did it become damaged? My golden phoenix flower, how did its stem break? My... my top-grade brocade longevity fish~~~"

The spiritual flowers, exotic plants, and spiritual fish in the Imperial Garden were all rare species, meticulously cared for by professionals. Even a single leaf or scale lost would cause heartache for days, but now, the garden was in disarray.

"You little ones, you..." Emperor Longchang was so angry he was trembling, ready to punish them, but then he saw their five pairs of innocent and pitiful eyes, blinking at him.

Kind and friendly old grandpa, we're just a few little wolf cubs. We're just a bit playful, is that so wrong?

Pfft~

Emperor Longchang nearly spat blood, roaring in frustration, "Wang Shouzhe, you brat! You're setting me up. I won't let you off easily!"

Why is it that ever since Wang Shouzhe appeared, Emperor Longchang's life has been filled with surprises?

Could it be that Wang Shouzhe is truly Emperor Longchang's nemesis?

……