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"This... this... why go to such lengths?"

Wang Shihai was almost spitting blood, his eyes filled with a profound sense of loss.

After all, Celestial Maiden Tianyan was the goddess of his dreams. Why would she stoop to marry Fourth Grandpa as a concubine?

Even the act of humbling herself was on display. With such an attitude, which man could resist? It was over, his goddess was surely going to be grandmother-level now.

Unexpectedly.

"Sigh~" Wang Shouzhe sighed, shaking his head, "Thank you for your misplaced affection, senior. Unfortunately, my Wang\'s Clan is but a mere seventh-rank family, with limited resources, and we can no longer afford to support more prodigies. Here is the payment for today\'s music, I shall take my leave now."

Saying so, he stood up and left a stack of gold notes.

The stack of notes amounted to tens of thousands of Top Gold, clearly exceeding the normal expenses, showing that Wang Shouzhe had no intention of further entanglement with her.

Immediately after, he left without regard to the changing expressions of Celestial Maiden Tianyan, his departure graceful and swift.

"Fourth Grandpa, wait for me."

Seeing the situation turn sour, Wang Shihai, though reluctant, had no choice but to quickly follow.

"Hehe~ Wang Shouzhe truly lives up to his name, possessing such self-control," Huangfu Feifei was secretly delighted, casting a proud glance at Celestial Maiden Tianyan before following Wang Shouzhe\'s lead and swiftly leaving.

***

Meanwhile.

Inside Tianyan\'s pleasure boat.

After Wang Shouzhe left, the smile that Celestial Maiden Tianyan had forced under her veil vanished instantly.

"Who would have thought that Wang Shouzhe would be so impervious, leaving me no chance at all," she frowned slightly, a trace of solemnity crossing her eyes, "Aunt, your insight into people surpasses mine. In your opinion, what kind of person is Wang Shouzhe?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged maid who had been silently standing in the corner stepped forward.

"I observe that this young man\'s actions seem frivolous, but they are actually methodical, and his mind is sharper than most," she said, her attire unchanged, but her back had straightened at some point, and her dull eyes now shone with intelligence and depth, "Miss, you are a prodigy of the Celestial Realm, willing to lower yourself to be a concubine, yet he, as the head of a seventh-rank family, remains unmoved, even showing great resistance. This is highly unusual. Either he is extremely cautious, unwilling to take any risk, or he has been forewarned and has a rough guess of our intentions, hence his strong resistance earlier."

"Forewarned?" A hint of surprise flashed in Celestial Maiden Tianyan\'s eyes, "Impossible, right? The \'Imperial Heir Struggle\' has just begun, and the conflicts between the commanderies are still hidden beneath the surface. Even the Monan Wang\'s Clan and Monan Huangfu\'s Clan are oblivious, how could he, a head of a seventh-rank family, be so prepared?"

"It\'s just a possibility, not necessarily accurate," the middle-aged maid\'s eyes flickered, as if recalling something, and sighed, "The world is unpredictable, an insignificant cultivator today might become a master of the Zifu Realm tomorrow. History is not short of visionary leaders who have led their families to glory. Remember, miss, anything is possible. A Basalt cultivator who wishes to live long must never underestimate anyone."

Seeing her like this, Celestial Maiden Tianyan knew her aunt must be thinking of that person.

She felt a twinge of sadness but didn\'t know how to console her, only respectfully nodding, "Yes, aunt, I understand."

The middle-aged maid returned to the present and continued, "Moreover, when Wang Shouzhe first met you, his gaze was clear and calm, showing no signs of feigned composure, and there was not much reverence for the bloodline of a prodigy in his eyes. If not for his broad experience, he would not have behaved like this."

Celestial Maiden Tianyan nodded in agreement.

She was confident in her own appearance and demeanor. With her looks, temperament, and talent, even within the Great Qian, she could compete with the "Seven Beauties of Langya Pavilion," and in an ordinary commandery like Monan, her status was comparable to the direct descendants of the Purple Mansion Clan.

If it weren\'t for this, she wouldn\'t be so sought after in Monan Commandery.

To remain so calm upon first meeting her, an ordinary head of a seventh-rank family could not do it.

But she still had doubts: "But according to the intelligence from Longzuo Commandery, Wang Shouzhe seems to have never left Longzuo Commandery. Coming to Monan is his farthest journey yet. How could he have such insight? Could it be that our intelligence is wrong?"

"It\'s not impossible..." The middle-aged maid nodded slightly, "Don\'t forget, miss, our intelligence network in Longzuo Commandery has not been established for long, and it\'s entirely possible that there are omissions. Of course, it\'s also possible that he has had some extraordinary encounters. In any case, no matter what the situation, this man is worth our further exploration and alliance."

Celestial Maiden Tianyan pondered, "Aunt makes sense. This person and the entire Changning Wang\'s Clan are very extraordinary, perhaps hiding other secrets. Who would have thought that a mere seventh-rank family could be so formidable, producing several prodigy seeds in the academy, not to mention a great prodigy daughter who has become a disciple of Tianhe Zhenren... Such a family with potential, how can we not strive for it?"

"Wang Shouzhe, oh Wang Shouzhe, do you think you can escape the palm of my hand with just this?" A slightly crazed glint passed through Celestial Maiden Tianyan\'s eyes, "There\'s nothing that I, Tianyan, have decided upon that cannot be changed."

"I refuse to believe that you, as a prodigy, would not be moved by me offering to be your concubine. There must be a secret I have yet to notice... What could that secret be?"

Seeing Tianyan reveal a hint of madness, the middle-aged maid\'s heart tightened, and she became secretly anxious and worried, "Miss, for the sake of the family, you must control yourself."

***

"Fourth Grandpa..."

On the way to the main residence of Monan Wang\'s Clan, Wang Shihai finally caught up with Wang Shouzhe, who had slowed down.

Even now, his face still showed surprise and curiosity: "That\'s a prodigy of the Celestial Realm! If you married her as a concubine, wouldn\'t the prestige and strength of Changning Wang\'s Clan rise to a new level?"

If it were him, Wang Shihai, not just taking Tianyan as a concubine, but even as a wife would be acceptable. After all, he was not the direct eldest son of his family, and he had much more freedom in choosing a marriage.

Moreover, marrying a prodigy of the Celestial Realm was an honor that would greatly enhance one\'s glory.

For a fifth-rank family, it is very difficult to marry a prodigy from a family of the same level. Even if the direct eldest son is also a prodigy, it is hard to marry a prodigy wife.

This is because for a fifth-rank family, prodigy bloodlines are rare. Even the prodigy daughters within the family are not easily married off; they are usually kept at home to be nurtured into the next generation of Zifu Ancestors. If there is already a Zifu seed in the family, they are often sent to local academies or Lingyun Holy Land to seek another path.

Even if they marry in the future, they are more likely to choose to marry into a higher-ranked family.

"Hehe~~ I, Wang Shouzhe, know my own weight," Wang Shouzhe said with a light smile, "Tianyan and I are neither arranged by our families, nor childhood sweethearts, nor close friends. Her willingness to lower her status and become a concubine must have other motives."

"Our mere seventh-rank family is a small household with a thin hull, and cannot withstand any storms or whirlpools. Therefore, I neither want to know her secrets nor have any entanglements with her."

At the same time, Wang Shouzhe secretly mused that his Wang\'s Clan currently did not lack a prodigy.

Thus, even if Tianyan had no ulterior motives, she held little attraction for Wang Shouzhe.

The cost of nurturing a prodigy to the Zifu Realm is astronomical. Having one more prodigy in the family means taking on responsibility.

"Fourth Grandpa\'s words make some sense," Wang Shihai pondered seriously and agreed, but still regretfully said, "It\'s just a pity to miss the opportunity. A prodigy as a concubine, just thinking about it is thrilling..."

Wang Shouzhe glanced at him with annoyance. His own wife, Liu Ruolan, was a great prodigy. It\'s not like he saw much... Well, he admitted some things were indeed thrilling, especially when he couldn\'t win...

Having nothing else to do outside, he returned to the main residence and rested. In the following days, Wang Shihai took Wang Shouzhe around Monan Commandery City, which was quite an eye-opener for him. Meanwhile, Huangfu Feifei also invited Wang Shouzhe to a spirit meat feast, which served as a mutual exchange.

Of course, this exchange was just as friends, and Wang Shouzhe didn\'t dislike Huangfu Feifei. After all, she was also a prodigy, and under the full cultivation of Monan Huangfu\'s Clan, she had a good chance of becoming a Zifu Ancestor in the future.

It was good to expand one\'s network of relationships.

At the same time, during these days.

The attitude of Monan Wang\'s Clan towards Wang Shouzhe and Ancestor Long Yan had subtly changed. The usually busy "managing myriad affairs" family head, Wang Zonghao, would now "make time" every day to see the \'visiting\' Wang Shouzhe, chatting warmly about family matters.

Also.

The hospitality for Ancestor Long Yan had become more attentive. Not only did they send a direct daughter with a group of maids to attend to Ancestor Long Yan, but the family matriarch also visited her daily to offer warm greetings.

Such hospitality standards seemed to treat Changning Wang\'s Clan as guests of equal status.

In this way, several days passed, and just before the auction was about to officially start.

One day, early in the morning.

Monan Wang\'s Clan head, Wang Zonghao, and his son arrived early at the courtyard where Wang Shouzhe was \'staying\', accompanied by a man who appeared to be in his fifties or sixties.

"Shouzhe Fourth Uncle, did you rest well last night?" Wang Zonghao asked with concern, bowing, "If there\'s anything unsatisfactory, just tell me, don\'t be polite."

"Thank you for your concern, family head Zonghao, everything is very good," Wang Shouzhe returned the bow with a smile, then glanced at the older man, asking, "Family head Zonghao, this elder is..."

This man\'s demeanor was restrained, like an unfathomable ocean, giving Wang Shouzhe a profound impression.

"Come, come, let me introduce you," family head Wang Zonghao enthusiastically introduced, "This is the ninth-ranked elder of the \'Ding\' generation—my Ninth Grandfather, Wang Dingxin. Ninth Grandfather, this is Fourth Uncle Wang Shouzhe from Changning Wang\'s Clan."

Wang Dingxin?

Wang Shouzhe\'s expression immediately became solemn, and he bowed respectfully, "Changning Shouzhe, greets Ninth Uncle."

If one were to talk about the strongest and most prestigious in Monan Wang\'s Clan, aside from the Ancestor, it would be this \'Ding\' generation\'s Old Nine—Wang Dingxin.

He was not just an ordinary elder of the Celestial Realm, but a successor carefully cultivated by Monan Wang\'s Clan for the Zifu transition. Despite his appearance of being just over fifty, he was actually over two hundred and fifty-sixty years old.

A prodigy, Wang Dingxin ascended to the Celestial Realm at ninety and is now said to have reached the eighth layer of the Celestial Realm. In another forty or fifty years, he would be ready to make a push for the Zifu Realm.

This fits the general process of a Zifu family cultivating a successor for the Ancestor. If one were to pursue faster cultivation, it would inevitably lead to additional resource investment due to diminishing returns, resulting in a waste of resources.

If the pace is slower, bodily functions will gradually decline, increasing the difficulty of breaking through to the Zifu Realm.

Such a person, how could Wang Shouzhe neglect?

"Family head Shouzhe is indeed as Zonghao described, handsome and accomplished at a young age. Not yet forty, and already at the late stage of the Lingtai Realm," Wang Dingxin praised, "You must have reached the upper-grade Yi bloodline. If you can maintain this momentum, you might break through to the Celestial Realm before sixty."

Cultivation is like this, each major realm is fast at the beginning, but slower towards the end. Ancestor Long Yan was an exception because her fifty years of painful life greatly tempered her spirit, allowing her to accumulate and burst forth, creating a miracle that cannot be replicated.

"Ninth Uncle flatters me, I\'ve just been a bit too aggressive in consuming resources for the sake of speeding up cultivation," Wang Shouzhe said helplessly, "Our Changning Wang\'s Clan is not as stable as Monan Wang\'s Clan, and we urgently need Celestial Realm cultivators, so we had to resort to this strategy."

Wang Zonghao and Wang Dingxin both nodded in understanding: "Different families have different situations, and naturally, they will make different decisions. However, with you as a high-grade prodigy, Changning Wang\'s Clan is truly blessed with good fortune, and the future looks promising for the fifth rank."

After a few words of small talk.

Wang Zonghao said, "This is not the place to talk. After we visit Ancestor Long Yan, let\'s sit down and have a chat."

Wang Shouzhe\'s heart stirred, guessing their purpose.

Indeed, it was about time. With the strength of a Zifu family, if they really wanted to get a rough understanding of Changning Wang\'s Clan, these days were enough for them to gather intelligence.

Then, everyone went to visit Ancestor Long Yan together.

Although Wang Dingxin was much older and had a higher cultivation level than Ancestor Long Yan, the difference in seniority was too great, so Wang Dingxin still respectfully performed the junior\'s courtesy, addressing her as Ancestor Long Yan.

This is how it is within the same clan, first discussing seniority, then cultivation. No matter how high your cultivation or status, you must show respect to your elders. Monan Wang\'s Clan has a slightly faster reproduction rate, so they are at a disadvantage in terms of seniority.

After the greetings.

Arranged by Wang Zonghao, everyone enjoyed morning tea and some exquisite and spiritual breakfast delicacies in the guest lounge. There is a kind of spirit wheat that can be ground into flour and processed into buns, steamed buns, noodles, and so on.

Most of Monan Commandery is grassland, with a small amount of fertile soil and spirit fields, which are also relatively water-scarce, making it unfavorable for rice cultivation that requires a lot of irrigation.

Therefore, besides meat, the main food in Monan Commandery is mostly various kinds of noodles.

Everyone chatted about family matters, and after enjoying the food, the atmosphere warmed up a lot. Wang Zonghao then brought up the main topic: "Fourth Grandpa Shouzhe, to be honest, out of curiosity about Changning Wang\'s Clan, we used some connections to learn a bit about it."

"To tell the truth, Fourth Uncle, your Changning Wang\'s Clan scared me," Wang Zonghao said with a wry smile, shaking his head, "I never imagined that besides you, a prodigy, there are Luo Jing and Luo Qiu, two aunts in the Purple Mansion Academy who are also prodigies and direct disciples of the master."

"Besides, there is an uncle of the \'Shou\' generation who has even become a disciple of the renowned Pill Cauldron Master..."

"Not to mention, your daughter Liyao is a great prodigy and has become a disciple of Tianhe Zhenren."

With each statement, Wang Zonghao\'s face twitched as if he was shocked.

Regarding the academy and Longzuo Commandery, Wang Zonghao missed Wang Lici. But it\'s understandable, as Lici was low-key when she became a disciple of Yunyang, and then she was out of sight for years.

Not to mention external intelligence, even within the Longzuo Purple Mansion Academy, there were not many who knew of Wang Lici\'s existence.

As for Ancestor Long Yan, since she ascended to the Celestial Realm late, they did not expect her bloodline to be extraordinary. Other family disciples were also overlooked due to Wang\'s Clan\'s low profile.

But just the surface strength of Wang\'s Clan was enough to attract the attention of a Zifu family. Of course, if it were just prodigies, it would be fine, at most, they would have the potential to advance to a fifth-rank family in the future.

But a great prodigy is different, especially one with a master of the Divine Realm.

If it weren\'t for Wang Liyao, Wang Dingxin would not have taken the initiative to come to Wang Shouzhe, at most he would have invited Wang Shouzhe to meet.

"Don\'t blame me," Wang Shouzhe apologized with a bow, "I didn\'t mean to hide it, but I can\'t just come to Monan and boast about myself, can I?"

The information currently revealed is all public intelligence, which anyone with a little interest can gather. But some of Wang\'s Clan\'s real trump cards and strengths are still unknown to outsiders.

"Where would I blame Fourth Uncle?" Wang Zonghao laughed heartily, "Our Wang\'s Clan producing a great prodigy is also a glory for my Monan Wang\'s Clan, a joyous occasion, a great joy."

"Therefore, as soon as I received the news last night, I immediately went to consult with Ninth Grandfather. Early this morning, we came to discuss with Fourth Uncle Shouzhe and Ancestor Long Yan..."

"Discuss?" Wang Shouzhe was slightly taken aback. What was there to discuss? Could it be that they wanted Liyao to be transferred to Monan?

Wang Zonghao\'s expression suddenly became serious: "The situation is this, I\'ve also heard that Changning Wang\'s Clan seems to be quite good at making money. But no matter how good, limited by the current scale, it naturally pales in comparison to a Zifu family. Moreover, Wang\'s Clan will need to support several prodigies to reach the Zifu Realm in the future."

"Luo Jing and Luo Qiu, although both are affiliated with the academy, Wang\'s Clan will inevitably need to subsidize them. The uncle of the \'Shou\' generation will also need support from Wang\'s Clan. With all this, funds must be tight. But no matter how tight the funds are, we cannot delay the growth of a great prodigy."

"I discussed with Ninth Grandfather and decided to allocate some resources to assist niece Liyao on behalf of Monan Wang\'s Clan. We hope she can walk more smoothly on the path to the Divine Realm in the future."

"However, my Monan Wang\'s Clan is after all just a fifth-rank family, with large expenses and huge consumption, we can only provide her with prodigy-level support until she achieves the Zifu Realm. We hope this gesture can alleviate some of the financial pressure on Changning Wang\'s Clan."

Alleviate financial pressure?

Wang Shouzhe understood; Monan Wang\'s Clan was planning to co-sponsor Liyao with Changning Wang\'s Clan.

In plain terms, they wanted to ride on the coattails of Changning Wang\'s Clan\'s great prodigy...