Protect Our Patriarch

Chapter 1: Becoming the Clan Leader Starting Today

Great Qian Dynasty 3,145th year - April 9th.

The Wang Clan is at peace, but the previous clan leader, Wang Dingyue, has passed away at a young age.

After a 7-day mourning period, Wang Shoujie, the legitimate heir of the bloodline, officially took over the position of the new clan leader under the guidance of the elder Wang Clan member Wang Gongxun and the elders.

The Wang Clan is a 9th-rank Mysterious Martial Clan registered in the Great Qian Empire, with its influence limited to the Changning Guard Ping'an Town area, making it a declining aristocratic family.

[Tl: I have translated XuanWu as Mysterious Martial as Xuan can be translated as Black, Wu as Warrior. So I took a bit more our of hand approach and translated it as Mysterious Martial.]

However, the clan's ancestors were once prosperous. Tracing back the lineage, the family can be traced back to the Great Qian Wang Clan.

Centuries ago, the ancestors of the clan split from the Great Qian Wang Clan and traveled thousands of miles to the Longzuo Prefecture, where they established the Longzuo Wang Clan, laying the foundation of the family.

At that time, the Longzuo Wang Clan was considered a prestigious and influential clan.

Unfortunately, their glory was short-lived.

In the 3,090th year of the Longchang era, the talented Wang Zhouxuan of the Longzuo Wang Clan, along with his family, migrated south to the Changning Guard under a land reclamation order. They opened up and settled in the area where the Six Flat Mountain Range meets the An River, establishing the Ping'an Wang Clan and laying the groundwork for the human settlement.

In his prime, the ancestor Wang Zhouxuan reached the late Spirit Realm and dominated the Ping'an Town area.

Wang Zhouxuan was also proud of his direct descendant, Wang Longyan, who was a prodigy. At the age of 18, she had reached the 7th layer of the Qi Refining Realm and was accepted by the renowned Purple Palace Academy. By the age of 30, she had broken through to the Spirit Realm, and before the age of 60, she had advanced to the middle Spirit Realm, earning the high regard of the Purple Palace Academy.

Additionally, Wang Longyan and Liu Xuanfu of the Shanyin Liu Clan were known as the "Twin Beauties of Changning," renowned far and wide.

Furthermore, Wang Zhouxuan's direct descendant Wang Qiongyuan was also exceptionally gifted. Under the ancestor's guidance, he reached the Spirit Realm by the age of 40 and took over the position of the clan leader.

At that time, the Wang Clan had three members in the Spirit Realm, and their family influence extended throughout the entire Changning Guard region.

Until the 3,095th year of the Longchang era, when Wang Zhouxuan, at the age of 145, personally held back a 5th-rank fierce beast, the Golden-Winged Sun-Devouring Tiger, while waiting for reinforcements to arrive to protect the century-old foundation of the family.

The battle was extremely brutal. Although the Golden-Winged Sun-Devouring Tiger and the beast calamity were eventually surrounded and slain by the reinforcements from the Changning Guard, the Ping'an Wang Clan suffered severe losses.

Not only did the ancestor Wang Zhouxuan perish, but the clan leader Wang Qiongyuan, who was in the initial Spirit Realm, as well as the next-generation successor Wang Xiaokang, also fell in the beast calamity.

The loss of two generations of Spirit Realm members greatly diminished the strength and prestige of the Ping'an Wang Clan.

The obedient Liu and Zhao clans, which were vassals of the Wang Clan, became restless and tried to conspire to swallow up the Wang Clan's assets.

At this critical moment, Wang Longyan, the third-generation member of the Wang Clan, resolutely abandoned her promising future at the Purple Palace Academy and returned to the clan, taking the initiative to confront the three Spirit Realm experts of the enemy.

She single-handedly defeated and slew the Spirit Realm allies of the Liu and Zhao clans, deterring the elders of these clans.

Unfortunately, Wang Longyan sustained severe injuries in the battle, and her cultivation level fell back to the initial Spirit Realm, with her lifespan greatly reduced.

Nevertheless, Wang Longyan shouldered the heavy burden and barely managed to protect the Ping'an Wang Clan. The Liu and Zhao clans did not dare to provoke Wang Longyan too much and settled for a gradual encroachment strategy.

Time flew by, and another four or five decades passed. No one in the subsequent generations of the clan had reached the Spirit Realm, and this time, even the previous clan leader, Wang Dingyue, had passed away.

All the responsibilities now seem to fall on the shoulders of the new clan leader, Wang Shoujie!

...

In the main residence of the Wang Clan, in an ancient and elegant courtyard.

"Young master, no, clan leader~ The deceased has passed, please have something to eat. If you continue like this, your health may not be able to withstand it. These dishes were personally prepared for you by Lady Gongxun." The personal attendant, Wang Gui, carefully carried a rosewood food box, his brow furrowed with worry.

"Sigh..." Wang Shoujie exhaled a deep breath, putting down the "Wang Clan Inheritance Records," his gaze regaining some clarity. A thought crossed his mind, "I never expected a car accident to transport me to a fantasy world and mysteriously become the leader of a declining Marital Arts Clan. Unfortunately, it seems the burden is quite heavy."

It turns out that three days ago, the original Wang Shoujie fainted in front of his father's coffin due to excessive grief. When he finally regained consciousness, he had become a transmigrator.

Over the past three days, the process of merging memories has left Wang Shoujie somewhat dazed, and the others only thought he was deeply saddened and had lost his soul, not knowing the true situation within. They simply followed the clan rules and inheritance to install him as the new clan leader.

After reading the "Wang Clan Inheritance Records," Wang Shoujie has a general understanding of the clan and the world he is in. The place he is in is called the Great Qian Empire, where the Marital Arts Clans form the foundation of the empire, with the imperial family being the largest Marital Arts Clan, and the other large and small Marital Arts Clans scattered like stars.

They are intricately intertwined, directly or indirectly influencing the politics, economy, and even the destiny of the entire Great Qian Empire.

Although the Wang Clan is only a declining 9th-rank aristocratic family, it is still considered a powerful local force in the Changning Guard Ping'an area, and it also holds significant influence within the local government agencies.

Even so, as early as the generation of Wang Shoujie's great-grandfather, the Wang Clan family had already been the undisputed overlord-level family in Ping'an Town, with the tentacles of their power able to influence the surrounding Changning Guard.

It's just that after the two heart-pounding turning point battles recorded in the "Wang Clan Inheritance Chronicles," which resulted in the fall of the family's top experts, the family has been going downhill year after year. Even with the support of the venerable Longyan, it was difficult to resist the joint encroachment of the Liu and Zhao families.

The former family head, Wang Dingyue, in order to cultivate to the Spirit Realm and turn the tide, did not hesitate to venture into the dangerous outer domain in search of a breakthrough opportunity.

However, Wang Dingyue's efforts ended in failure, and he unfortunately passed away in his prime, adding to the woes of the declining Ping'an Wang Clan.

If no unexpected events had occurred, the Wang Clan's territory and assets would have been gradually eroded and replaced by the other two families in Ping'an Town over the next few decades, and the once grand and glorious family would have declined and collapsed, with the family bloodline falling into the common people.

"But it seems to be an interesting world." Wang Shoujie narrowed his eyes, and as his memories gradually integrated, he couldn't help but ponder, "It seems that the previous Wang Shoujie, although young, was not a simple character."

The memories told him that Wang Shoujie had been hailed as a child prodigy since childhood, and his talent and aptitude were second only to the venerable Longyan among the seven generations of descendants in the family.

Under the concentrated cultivation resources of the family, Wang Shoujie had reached the sixth layer of the Qi Refining Realm at the age of eighteen, and was not far from the seventh layer.

This was good news, at least he hadn't transmigrated into a waste.

The servant Wang Gui, seeing the changing expressions on Wang Shoujie's face, became more worried: "Master, you should rest first, I'll go and summon the physician."

"No need, I'm fine now." Wang Shoujie stopped him, "Wang Gui, you can go out first, I have some things to think about."

"Yes, sir!"

Wang Gui put down the food box and left, carefully closing the door behind him.

After Wang Gui left, Wang Shoujie was finally able to relax, his spirit loosening. These days of guarding the spirit and integrating his consciousness had left him without a proper meal, his stomach growling with hunger. Reviving the family clan, with all its complexities, could wait - first, he needed to fill his stomach.

Opening the exquisite sandalwood food box, a wonderful aroma of food wafted out. The box was divided into several compartments, with rice, dishes, and a steamed fish fillet.

Stimulated by his appetite, he quickly picked up the chopsticks and stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth. The seasoning was just right, and the rich, fragrant meat flavor filled his mouth as he chewed, with a subtle heat flowing through him after swallowing.

Mm, this is so delicious?

What kind of meat is this? Pork? No, the texture is too fine for pork. Lamb? No, there's no gamey taste at all, the meat is rich and juicy, with a texture like the expensive imported beef he had occasionally tasted before his transmigration.

However, the "memories" soon informed him that this was Spirit-Horned Yak meat, a rare and precious meat that could strengthen the body and promote cultivation.

As the head of the younger generation, and with exceptional talent, he was naturally entitled to enjoy such resources from the family.

Wang Shoujie felt the slight warmth flowing through his body, and his energy quickly recovered. He couldn't help but sigh in appreciation - this was truly good meat. Succumbing to the temptation of the delicious food, he finished the limited amount of yak meat in just a few chopstick bites.

Still unsatisfied, he then turned his attention to the steamed fish fillet, which his memories told him was Crimson-Tailed Spirit Fish. It was a rare spiritual fish that originated from the nearby An River, belonging to the second-tier demonic beast level, capable of growing to hundreds of pounds and possessing formidable strength.

Ordinary fishermen would flee in terror if they encountered such a ferocious beast, for fear of their boats being overturned and lives lost.

This Crimson-Tailed Spirit Fish was captured by the previous family head, Wang Dingyue, and a few other top experts of the clan last year, and had been preserved in the family's ice cellar as a precious spiritual food supplement for the younger members of the clan.

The chef had already removed all the bones, and the fish meat was tender, fresh, and refreshing, accompanied by a soothing, cool sensation flowing through his body - it was truly a delicious delight.

The rice was also no ordinary fare, with plump, shiny grains and a rich, fragrant aroma of Lily-Orchid, the renowned spiritual food known as Jade Lily Rice.

This meal left Wang Shoujie feeling deeply satisfied, as the sense of weakness and listlessness had completely dissipated, replaced by a surge of energy and vitality.

If he could eat like this every day, his cultivation would undoubtedly progress at an extraordinary pace.

However, this was clearly an impossible dream, as the family was no longer in its former glory. Even his own status and position could not afford such lavish meals, let alone the other family members.

Now that he had become the family head, he could not selfishly monopolize the resources and leave the others deprived. If he did so, it would not be long before the family would fall apart and accelerate its decline.

Even if it meant forgoing such delectable feasts for himself, he had to help the Wang Clan family grow stronger.

"System!" Wang Shoujie lay on the bed, digesting the meal, and calmly called out with his mind.

[Heartfelt thankyou for the support! SlaySaga]