Chapter 123: Achievements, Single Hand Covers the Sky (3276 words) (Patreon)

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As the Wang Clan's procession, one by one, entered the city of Ping'an.

The surrounding crowd's murmurs and cheers grew louder, especially among some traveling merchants and Rogue Cultivators who had come from afar. They were shocked by the scene before them, and at the same time, they would spread the Wang Clan's reputation far and wide.

An Aristocratic Family must have awe-inspiring power, which can make people feel reverence and not dare to act recklessly. Firstly, it reduces unnecessary troubles, and secondly, the greater the reputation, the easier it is to gain benefits.

However, at the same time, an Aristocratic Family must maintain its awe-inspiring power while keeping people guessing about its true strength.

In simple terms, it's about establishing a strong reputation while keeping people in the dark about the true extent of one's power.

This subtlety is something that requires careful consideration and grasp.

It was precisely because of this that, under Wang Shoujie's arrangement, the head of the Mountain Devouring Python was placed on top of the first horse-drawn carriage, and the White-Fronted Golden Tiger's head was "accidentally" half-exposed from the carriage.

Meanwhile, the Water Spirit Turtle carried a large amount of prey, slowly and steadily entering the city, shocking the onlookers to the extreme.

The shock and awe inspired by the Wang Clan's display would make people feel reverence, and even Third-tier Fierce Beasts could be tamed. The Wang Clan's rise to power was now a certainty.

This was called "parading one's power," laying the foundation for the Wang Clan's future dominance over Ping'an Town.

What to display, what not to display, and how to display it were all carefully planned and discussed by the Wang Clan members, not done impulsively.

As the surrounding crowd couldn't help but praise the Wang Clan, they all shifted their attention to Wang Shoujie, saying he was a young and talented Clan Leader with a bright future ahead.

"Brother!"

Wang Luomiao broke free from her mother's hand and ran over, her small face flushed with excitement, her eyes shining with pride and admiration for her brother.

The merchants, Rogue Cultivators, and town officials who were blocking the way all voluntarily stepped aside to make way for her.

That was Wang Luomiao, the young Legitimate Daughter of the Wang Clan, Clan Leader Wang Shoujie's younger sister, with a noble status.

She took small steps, running over to her brother.

Suddenly, Wang Shoujie stretched out his arm and swept her up onto the horse, riding together into the inner city, laughing and asking, "You little thing, how did you become so cute in just a month?"

"Brother, your words are as sweet as honey," Wang Luomiao said happily, "I didn't waste my time writing to Aunt Ruo, praising you to the skies."

"Uh... you actually wrote to Miss Ruo?" Wang Shoujie laughed, "Can your handwriting even be recognized? This would expose our Wang Clan's lack of cultural foundation, wouldn't it?"

"Wang Shoujie, you're too much," Wang Luomiao said angrily, "I helped you make Aunt Ruo happy, and you're still teasing me. Humph, I was going to show you Aunt Ruo's reply, but now I won't."

"I didn't want to see your private conversations with the girls anyway."

"You, you, you, next time I write to Aunt Ruo, I'll tell her you're a big bad egg."

"I don't care, I'll marry you off to someone else if I can't find a wife."

Gongsun Hui, who was following closely behind, couldn't help but laugh and feel relieved.

This was a familiar scene between Shoujie and Luomiao, who would always bicker like this whenever they met.

Later, Wang Shoujie dismounted, thanking Gongsun Hui, Liu Ruolei, and Liu Yuanrui, before following the procession back to the Wang Clan Manor.

Many people followed behind, and the crowd grew larger and larger.

The originally bustling Zhouxuan Pass city gate was now empty, with only the Liu and Zhao Clans' people and some soldiers who couldn't leave their posts remaining.

Ping'an Town Governor Lei Yangqiu watched this scene, feeling a sense of nostalgia. "Ping'an Town has truly changed."

The young people of the Liu and Zhao Clans' faces fell, and some of them, who were emotionally fragile, directly collapsed to the ground, crying.

...

The Wang Clan's procession moved slowly, taking two and a half hours to cover a distance that would normally take only one and a half hours.

Behind them, a crowd of at least three to four thousand people followed, looking like a dark, endless sea.

The Wang Clan Manor had already received the news, and the family members, servants, and maids had all come out to welcome them. They had even summoned people from the side branches to help with the arrangements.

"Shoujie," Wang Shouxin came over, his face flushed with excitement.

The Wang Clan had fallen for fifty years, and he, Wang Shouxin, had lived for forty-three years, never seeing the Wang Clan so prosperous.

He carefully advised, "Some powerful Aristocratic Families, after returning from the Autumn-Winter Hunt, would take out a small portion of the prey and cook it on the spot, distributing it to the poor who couldn't afford meat. This is called 'Celebrating the Harvest.'"

"Of course, some powerful Aristocratic Families would also take out half a head of Ferocious Beast meat and sell it at a low price to local, non-mainstream families, to win over their hearts and increase their prestige."

In the forty-three years of Wang Shouxin's life, the Wang Clan had never had the power or status to hold such an event.

Every time they went on the Autumn-Winter Hunt, they would quietly leave and return, without any fanfare.

It was only during Ancestor Zhouxuan's time that they would hold a "Celebrating the Harvest" event when the harvest was good.

As soon as this was mentioned, several older family members' eyes lit up with strong expectations. The Wang Clan had fallen for fifty years, and now that they had finally risen again, they wanted to increase their family's prestige and influence over the territory.

"Alright," Wang Shoujie thought for a moment before saying, "Let's take out one head of ordinary wild boar and one head of wild giant pig, and the rest will be pickled and stored. We'll also take out some stored meat from the family's storage room to hold a 'Celebrating the Harvest' event, and clear out the storage room at the same time."

"Right, let's set up a few soup stalls and distribute soup to the people. There might not be enough meat to go around."

"As for selling Ferocious Beast meat at a low price, let's take out that one-tier higher Blue-Hoofed Wild Ox. It weighs around three thousand pounds, which should be enough. Warn those non-mainstream families that if they dare to sell the low-priced spiritual meat to traveling merchants, they'll face the wrath of the Wang Clan."

The family's food storage room was not small, but this harvest was too abundant, and they feared that the ice cellar might not be enough.

Moreover, with just the Wang Clan's people, they estimated that they could eat well for two years.

"Good," Wang Shouxin was overjoyed, leading the others to make the arrangements.

When the townspeople and local martial arts families discovered that the Wang Clan was preparing to hold a "Celebrating the Harvest" event, with a large amount of food to be distributed, they were all shocked and excited.

In the past few decades, the Liu and Zhao Clans had held similar events, but the scale was much smaller, and they were just trying to show off their status as the "top Aristocratic Families" in Ping'an Town.

Holding a "Celebrating the Harvest" event didn't require Wang Shoujie's personal presence. A few elder brothers, as well as the family's women, younger brothers, and sisters, could handle it.

At this time, Wang Shoujie, along with Liu Ruolei and Liu Yuanrui, returned to the main residence and went to visit Ancestor Zhi Sheng.

Accompanying them were Ancestor Longyan and Ancestor Xiaohan.

This was a necessary courtesy, as Ancestor Zhi Sheng had come to help the Wang Clan without hesitation after receiving the news.

This favor was not small.

After exchanging pleasantries, Ancestor Zhi Sheng took his leave.

Naturally, Wang Shoujie wouldn't let Ancestor Zhi Sheng leave empty-handed. He would soon send a carriage of spiritual meat and grain to Shan Yin's Liu Clan.

After handling all the matters, Wang Shoujie finally relaxed, feeling as if he had shed all his burdens.

He then took a leisurely bath, instructing Wang Gui to not let anyone disturb him, and spent the whole day and night in bed.

This period of time, spent dealing with the Liu and Zhao Clans, had been truly exhausting, and the most important thing was the mental toll, allowing no room for error.

But now, he could finally relax.

...

The Wang Clan's "Celebrating the Harvest" event was held with great fanfare, as if it had become the most popular festival in all of Ping'an Town.

Almost everyone was talking about the Wang Clan, and the other two Aristocratic Families in Ping'an Town, the Liu and Zhao Clans, seemed to have been forgotten, with no one mentioning them anymore.

It seemed that the entire Ping'an town only had one Martial Clan, the Ping'an Wang Clan.

At this time.

A carriage with the Daqian Government's emblem quietly stopped in front of the Wang Clan Manor.

The first to get off the carriage was a middle-aged man wearing a town governor's official uniform, exuding an aura of importance. This person was none other than Town Governor Lei Yangqiu.

Following him, two elderly men in their seventies and eighties, trembling with fear, got out of the carriage.

In the courtyard of the Wang Clan Manor, the atmosphere was bustling with people. Some were lining up to buy cheap spiritual meat, while others from local martial arts families were purchasing gold.

This was an opportunity that normal people wouldn't miss.

However, the Wang Clan's business was always transparent, with clear records of who had bought how much. The locals who enjoyed the celebratory feast also needed to provide proof of residency and registration to avoid being taken advantage of.

Whoever dared to cheat would face the Wang Clan's wrath.

Despite the strict rules, there were still many people lining up three days and three nights later.

"Ha ha, the Wang Clan is indeed prosperous," Town Governor Lei Yangqiu praised with a smile, then turned to Wang Luoqiu, who was busy distributing meat, and said, "Luoqiu, do you remember me?"

Wang Luoqiu glanced at him and continued to work, saying casually, "I remember, you're the one who was scolded by my Fourth Brother, surnamed Lei or something..."

Lei Yangqiu's face turned red, and he felt embarrassed. When was he scolded?

But he didn't want to argue with the young girl, so he forced a laugh and said, "That's in the past. By the way, is your Fourth Brother here? I'd like to see him. Luoqiu, can you help me send a message?"

"You haven't seen me busy?" Wang Luoqiu replied impatiently, then gestured to a servant, "Jian, go find Wang Gui and send a message to Fourth Brother. There's someone named Lei who wants to see him."

"Okay, Sixth Miss," Ouyang Junyan replied, hurrying off to complete the task.

He felt proud to be working for the Sixth Miss, even the town governor had to wait.

Very soon...

In the main hall of the Wang Clan Manor.

Wang Shoujie and Lei Yangqiu sat facing each other, sipping tea and chatting casually.

Lei Yangqiu kept laughing and agreeing with Wang Shoujie's views, as if he were a subordinate facing his leader.

The two elderly men, Liu and Zhao Clans' elders, stood with their heads bowed, their hands clasped together, trembling with fear, as if waiting for their fate to be decided.

After three rounds of tea.

Lei Yangqiu carefully asked, "Shoujie, as the town governor, I have some things I don't want to handle, but I have to. There are many eyes watching me from above. I just want to ask, how do you plan to deal with the remnants of the Liu and Zhao Clans?"

"Deal with them?" Wang Shoujie replied with a smile, "You're joking, Town Governor. My Wang Clan is a law-abiding aristocratic family and doesn't have the power to deal with other aristocratic families."

Lei Yangqiu knew that Wang Shoujie was not easy to deal with and had already prepared himself mentally. He said, "Let's speak plainly, Shoujie. Your Wang Clan and the Liu and Zhao Clans' business in the Outlands is well-known, but since it's already happened, no one will pursue it further."

"However, some surface-level issues still need to be resolved to avoid blame from above. I can't take it."

Wang Shoujie drank his tea, glancing at the two elderly men, and said, "I'll say it again, my Wang Clan is a law-abiding aristocratic family and doesn't do illegal things."

The two elderly men trembled even more, their bodies shaking.

Lei Yangqiu thought to himself, "Indeed, with your abilities, Shoujie, you can eliminate people while following the law. You don't need to take risks and do illegal things."

Lei Yangqiu couldn't help but feel a bit bitter. "Why don't I propose a solution, Shoujie? You can listen first."

Wang Shoujie didn't respond.

"It's like this. Similar cases between aristocratic families have occurred in our Da Qian country, even in Longzuo County or Changning Guard. The usual practice is that if one side loses and withdraws, the other side won't pursue them further." Lei Yangqiu explained carefully.

"Now, the Liu and Zhao Clans only have some elderly, women, and children left. I think it's better to let them sell their properties to the Wang Clan at a 50% discount. Then, the Liu and Zhao Clans can take the money and move to a distant county to buy farmland and maintain their livelihood. They'll also have to promise not to return to Longzuo County again."

After finishing, Lei Yangqiu carefully observed Wang Shoujie's expression.

Unexpectedly, Wang Shoujie remained silent, continuing to drink his tea with an indifferent expression.

Lei Yangqiu felt frustrated, but as the town governor, he had to participate in this messy affair.

He continued to persuade, "Shoujie, it's just some elderly, women, and children. Even if they can establish themselves in a distant county, they'll only be a small, insignificant family. They'll never be able to return to their former glory as a Ninth-Rank Aristocratic Family."

"In a hundred years, this family will be forgotten."

"And if you, Shoujie, want to eliminate them completely, it will tarnish your family's reputation."

Wang Shoujie smiled and said, "Town Governor, you're still treating me like a bad person. This is unacceptable. Although I'm reluctant to part with my old neighbors, the Liu and Zhao Clans can leave whenever they want. No one is stopping them."

This Wang Shoujie was really difficult to deal with, Lei Yangqiu thought.

If not for his position as town governor and the favors he had received from the Liu and Zhao Clans, he wouldn't want to get involved in this mess.

Currently, without Wang Shoujie's agreement, would they dare to sell their properties and leave?

This large family still had many people, and they wouldn't be afraid of encountering "bandits" on the road, ultimately leading to their demise?

"I'll make a decision for them. Since they were in the wrong, they can sell their properties to the Wang Clan at a 30% discount." Lei Yangqiu said, "Shoujie, give me a straight answer. I'll leave immediately and won't get involved in your messy affairs again."

Wang Shoujie hesitated for a moment before saying, "Since you, Town Governor, have spoken, I'll give you face."

Lei Yangqiu let out a sigh of relief, thankful for Wang Shoujie's face-saving gesture. Without waiting for him to speak, Wang Shoujie added, "But I have two conditions."

"Shoujie, say it, and I'll try to accommodate you," Lei Yangqiu said seriously.

"First, they can move to whatever county I, Wang Clan, decide. I'll keep an eye on the situation there." Wang Shoujie said.

Lei Yangqiu agreed without hesitation, "That's no problem, as long as you give them a way to survive, don't let them go to a county where they'll struggle to live."

"Then it'll be Liu Clan to Lingshan County, and Zhao Clan to Moshan County. It's just a few thousand miles away." Wang Shoujie randomly assigned a location, then said, "Second, all men between 12 and 60 years old will have to stay behind and serve as laborers for the Wang Clan for five years, as a form of atonement for their ancestors."

Lei Yangqiu's face turned bitter, thinking that Wang Shoujie was really ruthless.

Without those young men, the Liu and Zhao Clans would struggle to establish themselves in a distant county. They would likely be targeted and bullied by local families.

And after those young men served as laborers for five years, how much of their fighting spirit would be left?

It was all over!

The Liu and Zhao Clans were basically finished, and in the future, they would at most be an ordinary martial arts family. No one would remember the Liu Clan or Zhao Clan.

The two elderly men's faces were filled with despair.

Wang Shoujie's plan was to eliminate any possibility of their revival. He was prepared to let the Liu and Zhao Clans never rise again.

But if they didn't agree, it was estimated that not a single person from the Liu and Zhao Clans would be able to leave Ping'an town alive.

"Alright, alright, the Liu and Zhao Clans can at least have a glimmer of hope. They should be grateful to the Wang Clan Leader." Lei Yangqiu concluded, "Everything will be done according to the Wang Clan Leader's wishes."

He, Lei Yangqiu, had also done his part for the deceased Liu Zhide and Zhao Bojun. He couldn't afford to offend Wang Shoujie, who had a bright future ahead of him.

"Is, Governor Lei." The two elderly men, although filled with sorrow, had no choice but to accept their fate. They also bowed to Wang Shoujie, saying, "Thank you, Wang Clan Leader, for giving us a way to survive."

"I won't keep you, Governor Lei. You can leave now." Wang Shoujie sent him off with a cup of tea.

Lei Yangqiu led the two elderly men out, smiling and bowing. "Thank you, Wang Clan Leader. Farewell."

As they walked out of the main hall, Wang Shoujie added, "Governor Lei, don't forget to take their Ninth-Rank Aristocratic Family seal before you leave. Some families are just pretending to be aristocratic, and giving them a chance would only lead to trouble."

Lei Yangqiu was taken aback, then hurriedly bowed. "Yes, yes, I'll take care of it."

As Lei Yangqiu sat on the carriage, looking at the Wang Clan Manor's gate gradually disappearing into the distance, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret.

"From today on, the Wang Clan's dominance over Ping'an town is set in stone."

Lei Yangqiu didn't know that after they left, Wang Shoujie casually took out a small notebook and made some changes to the "Family Prestige" column.

【Family Prestige】: 【One Hand Covers the Sky (100)】

[Heartfelt thankyou for the support! SlaySaga]

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