Protect Our Patriarch
Book 5: Chapter 124: The joy of preserving a business is beyond your imagination

……

Yao Chengchao, standing nearby, suddenly felt an invisible aura of killing intent spreading around, causing him to nervously swallow.

What just happened? Why did the atmosphere suddenly become so tense?

"This sister is so beautiful," Wang Lixian, noticing the tense atmosphere, couldn't help but approach with eyes full of admiration. "Hmm~ You smell really nice too. I wonder if you're married? If you have any needs, you might consider my father, Wang Shouzhe."

"?"

At first, Princess Luojia had a favorable impression of the pretty and delicate Lixian, so she didn't resist her approach. But the latter part of her words made her face flush red: "Little girl, don't speak nonsense. I'm not interested in your father... Wait, your father is Wang Shouzhe? Isn't he the elder brother of Young Master Shouye?"

Her mood suddenly brightened, and she quickly understood everything.

She hastily adjusted her clothes and, with a hint of nervousness, politely greeted the Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor: "So it's sister-in-law who has arrived. Lingxiao failed to welcome you from afar, please forgive me."

Sister-in-law?

That title revealed quite a bit of information~

The Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor also keenly sensed the anomaly, her red lips curling into an amused smile: "You must be mistaken. I'm not your sister-in-law."

Princess Luojia was taken aback, her pretty face turning awkward: "Lingxiao was presumptuous. Lingxiao and Young Master Shouye are confidants, um, that is, friends..."

"What I mean is, I'm not Wang Shouzhe's wife." The Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor chuckled lightly, "There's no need to explain your relationship with Young Master Shouye to me."

"......"

In an instant, Princess Luojia felt so embarrassed she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

Concern really does lead to confusion, and she accidentally caused a misunderstanding.

She could only awkwardly change the subject: "So what is this sister's relationship with Young Master Shouzhe?"

"Don't misunderstand, I have no interest in that cunning old fox Wang Shouzhe. I'm just afraid that one day he'll sell me, and I'll still have to count the money for him." The Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor spoke of Wang Shouzhe with evident caution, "I'm purely in an employment relationship with him."

"Nonsense, you're brother Shouzhe's mother-in-law." The little red fox in her arms, Chi Wei, was displeased, swishing its tail, "And don't keep slandering my brother Shouzhe. Isn't it just that your charm spells didn't work on him? It just shows that brother Shouzhe has a firm mind and only likes me and Sister Ruolan."

"Even someone who can resist my charm spells, isn't that kind of person terrifying?" The Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor's beautiful peach blossom eyes widened slightly as she looked down at her daughter, "And you dare provoke him?"

"That's because you're getting old, naturally losing your allure! When I transform, I'll lean towards Xiaoxue's direction, and brother Shouzhe will definitely like me."

"You little brat, you're driving me mad..."

The fox mother and daughter started bickering again.

Princess Luojia watched from the side, utterly bewildered.

Young Master Shouye's fourth brother's love life is truly complex and lively~ Why is Young Master Shouye's life so monotonous? It's just alchemy and more alchemy.

And Yao Chengchao was even more speechless.

He could see it now; Princess Luojia seemed quite fond of Wang Shouye. And that fox mother and daughter seemed to have some interest in Shouzhe.

But they're both married men...

Thinking of this, Yao Chengchao couldn't help but feel sour inside.

Here he was, Yao Chengchao, wholeheartedly focused on his career, yet still unmarried. Why hasn't any girl taken the initiative to approach him?

He's a hotshot in the Immortal Dynasty now~

As the two foxes' argument heated up, revealing each other's secrets, Princess Luojia finally couldn't stand it and interrupted them: "Ahem, let's get back to business."

"Alright, let's discuss business first." The Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor finally came back to her senses, glancing at Yuwen Chi Wei before turning to Princess Luojia, speaking seriously, "Wang Shouzhe called me to Northern Zhou, firstly to protect Young Master Shouye's safety, and secondly, to convey some matters that require his personal communication with Young Master Shouye."

"Protect his safety?" Princess Luojia frowned slightly, "He's been cooped up at home refining pills all day. I haven't seen him for half a month. What danger could there be?"

"The specifics will have to wait for Wang Shouzhe to explain. After all, he's the one in charge," said the Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor. "But to keep things confidential, unrelated people should leave first."

"Everyone out."

Princess Luojia understood and waved her hand, and the maids and guards sensibly bowed and exited.

Soon, only the Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor, Princess Luojia, Yao Chengchao, Wang Lixian, and Yuwen Chi Wei remained in the reception hall.

The Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor's gaze fell on Yao Chengchao.

Yao Chengchao looked bewildered, pointing to his nose: "Do I have to leave too?"

"Hehe~" The Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor smiled, but her words were blunt, "This is Wang's Clan business. What does it have to do with your Yao Clan? If you insist on staying, I don't mind throwing you out."

Yao Chengchao felt indignant: "That's too much! When I became a confidant of Master Wang Shouzhe, you, Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor, didn't even know where you were! Hmph, anyway, your fists are bigger, I'll endure it!"

He grumbled as he turned and quickly walked out. By the time he finished his last sentence, he was already out of sight.

Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor?

Princess Luojia was slightly taken aback.

This beautiful and charming woman with an extraordinary aura was actually a Demon Emperor?

She wasn't too familiar with the situation in East Qian, only vaguely remembering that there seemed to be a "Myriad Demon Nation" over there. Could this stunning beauty be the Demon Emperor of the Myriad Demon Nation?

Regardless, anyone who could bear the title of "Demon Emperor" was at least an eleventh-tier Fierce Beast, an absolute powerhouse.

In an instant, Princess Luojia's attitude towards the Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor became even more respectful.

After Yao Chengchao left.

The Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor took out a crystal screen and handed it to Wang Lixian: "Xian'er, it's up to you now."

This was a long-distance communication method developed by Wang's Clan years ago, utilizing the information-sharing principle between Wang Lixian's avatars and her true self to achieve remote communication and messaging.

This method had obvious advantages, but naturally, it also had significant drawbacks, namely the reliance on Wang Lixian's avatars.

Fortunately, Lixian now had three avatars, so even if she sent two out to handle tasks, it wouldn't affect her studies.

Soon, the connection was established.

Wang Shouzhe's image appeared on the crystal screen.

Princess Luojia had often heard Young Master Shouye mention his fourth brother, but she had never met him in person. Now, seeing him for the first time, she found Wang Shouzhe to be indeed elegant and extraordinary, even surpassing Shouye in demeanor.

No wonder even the Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor was moved.

However, Princess Luojia still felt that Shouye was more to her liking.

This Wang Shouzhe looked like an old fox, hard to deal with, unlike Shouye, who was pure-hearted and steady, with no other flaws besides being a bit of a homebody.

"Lingxiao greets Master Wang Shouzhe." Princess Luojia hurriedly stood up to greet him.

"Shouzhe greets the princess." Wang Shouzhe also stood up and returned the greeting, his attitude very polite.

"Master Wang Shouzhe, please don't be so formal with Lingxiao." Princess Luojia quickly said, "I am a confidant of Young Master Shouye, a friend. You are Young Master Shouye's fourth brother, so I should be the one greeting you. You can just call me Lingxiao."

The Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor couldn't help but glance at her.

You keep mentioning "confidant" to everyone, and your posture towards Shouye's family is very low, showing your intentions quite clearly.

Wang Shouzhe, being a shrewd person, immediately understood the situation and smiled: "Since you are Shouye's friend, Lingxiao, you can just call me 'Fourth Brother.' No need for formalities."

"Yes, Fourth Brother." Princess Luojia felt a surge of joy in her heart.

It seemed that Fourth Brother didn't dislike her.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Princess Luojia said, "Shouye is still refining pills. If Fourth Brother has urgent matters, I can send someone to fetch him."

"No need, it's more appropriate to discuss this matter with you, Lingxiao." Wang Shouzhe waved his hand, speaking politely, "Our seventh brother is simple and introverted, wholeheartedly devoted to alchemy. In fact, he doesn't truly love alchemy; he's just been silently contributing for the family. Over time, he's inevitably lacking in social affairs, so I ask you to bear with him."

"Rest assured, Fourth Brother, Lingxiao understands this. In today's world, people are restless and eager for quick success, while those who are steadfast and honest are rare. Shouye's pure heart, unaffected by external influences, is a rare treasure." After praising Shouye, Princess Luojia said seriously, "If there's anything Lingxiao can do to help, please instruct me, Fourth Brother."

"Are you aware of the Little Demon Lord of the Demon Dynasty?" Wang Shouzhe asked.

"This..." Princess Luojia's expression turned serious, "Lingxiao has indeed heard of this person. It's said that his bloodline is exceptionally strong, making him the most powerful among the younger generation of the Demon Dynasty."

Wang Shouzhe nodded and then shared some information with Princess Luojia.

Ji Yue'er had recently defected to the Immortal Dynasty camp to escape the Little Demon Lord. According to Ji Yue'er, she had secretly discovered that the Little Demon Lord had excavated a True Immortal relic, which contained some powerful pills and secret techniques, and had conducted some secret experiments.

Those experimental methods were extremely cruel and seemed to be related to a secret technique of harvesting yin to supplement yang, which made Ji Yue'er even more fearful, prompting her to find a way to escape the Little Demon Lord's clutches and eventually seek refuge in East Qian.

"When Ji Yue'er first shared this information with me, I wasn't sure what those pills and secret techniques were. But as the investigation progressed, we gradually gathered some clues. Later, when you and Shouye captured the remnant soul of Magicauldron Venerable, I realized after communicating with it that the True Immortal relic the Little Demon Lord had opened was one of Magicauldron Venerable's lairs." Wang Shouzhe's expression was exceptionally serious.

Princess Luojia immediately reacted, shocked: "Blood Fetus Demon Pill! So the Blood Fetus Demon Pill of the Wei Clan actually came from the Demon Dynasty?! How bold of them to have ties with the Little Demon Lord of the Demon Dynasty!"

Wang Shouzhe nodded, confirming her speculation, but added, "However, I don't have absolute certainty about the authenticity of this speculation."

"According to Magicauldron Venerable, he had created many lairs to evade capture, leaving behind many treasures. Although most were destroyed, there should still be two or three remaining." Wang Shouzhe said seriously, "Colluding with the Demon Dynasty is a major taboo for the Immortal Dynasty camp, but who can be sure that the Wei Clan didn't find a Magicauldron lair themselves?"

"Fourth Brother's reminder is right. Lingxiao will investigate this matter secretly. If the Wei Clan truly dares to collude with the Demon Dynasty, I will not let them go." Princess Luojia's eyes flashed with determination, her aura sharp, "No wonder Fourth Brother sent someone to protect Shouye's safety. It must be to prevent the Wei Clan from retaliating and acting desperately. Rest assured, I will ensure Young Master Shouye's safety."

At the same time, two forces discovered and excavated a Magicauldron Venerable lair relic, and the probability that they were different relics was extremely low.

Princess Luojia was almost certain that the Wei Clan was connected to the Demon Dynasty.

Wang Shouzhe nodded secretly, satisfied with Princess Luojia's response, but added, "A high-profile investigation is more advantageous than a secret one, and it's faster."

Princess Luojia was momentarily stunned, then realized: "Fourth Brother means we should deliberately alert the enemy? To lure them into making mistakes and catch them all at once?"

"Smart." Wang Shouzhe nodded approvingly, then continued, "The Little Demon Lord has two major flaws in his character. First, he doesn't tolerate mistakes from his subordinates, and once a mistake is made, it must be corrected. Second, he has a 'grand vision,' often expressing his ambition to unify the world."

"Having such ambition is understandable. He started from a high position and stands at a high vantage point. With such a vision, he will inevitably plan and strategize for the future. The events happening in Northern Zhou are likely part of his plan."

Princess Luojia nodded in agreement: "I understand Fourth Brother's point. The previous events are not over; they will return. Even if Wei Donglai retreats, those behind him, possibly the Little Demon Lord's people, won't retreat, as this is the Little Demon Lord's 'grand plan,' related to his subsequent arrangements."

"If the Little Demon Lord doesn't come out of seclusion, this matter might be delayed. But now that the Little Demon Lord is out, the pressure will naturally fall on the Wei Clan, who caused the plan to fail."

"And since Young Master Shouye disrupted their plan, he will naturally be seen as a thorn in their side." Princess Luojia quickly responded, her eyes gleaming, "Moreover, the Little Demon Lord has the ambition to unify the world, and eliminating a genius alchemy grandmaster in advance would be beneficial."

Princess Luojia's quick thinking and familiarity with the behavior patterns of people like the Little Demon Lord, due to her royal background, allowed her and Wang Shouzhe to analyze the possible layout of the Little Demon Lord in just a few words.

Then, the two of them engaged in a discussion, continuously advancing their analysis and plans, and began strategizing on how to maximize the effect, considering various details...

The Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor, listening from the side, felt her hair stand on end.

Humans are truly terrifying.

Especially Wang Shouzhe, with his calculations, temptations, and acting.

If he really intended to deal with her, Nine Tails, she might be sold by him without even realizing it.

After an hour, their discussion finally came to an end.

Princess Luojia clasped her hands in admiration: "Fourth Brother's meticulous thinking has greatly benefited Lingxiao."

"Lingxiao, you are also quick-witted, a heroine among women." Wang Shouzhe, rarely encountering someone who could keep up with his thoughts, praised her with a smile, "There's no need to disturb Shouye with this matter. Let him focus on alchemy, and he can cooperate when necessary."

"Thank you, Fourth Brother, for trusting Lingxiao." Princess Luojia was secretly delighted.

Such an important task was directly entrusted to her by Fourth Brother. What trust!

It seemed that Fourth Brother truly regarded her as one of his own.

After a pause, Princess Luojia's face showed a hint of confusion: "Lingxiao is still unclear about one thing."

"Doing this benefits Northern Zhou greatly and significantly disrupts one of the Little Demon Lord's grand plans. But this matter has little to do with East Qian or Wang's Clan and might even make the Little Demon Lord more wary of East Qian and Wang's Clan. Why doesn't Fourth Brother just recall Shouye to avoid trouble? Could it be that Fourth Brother is..."

"This matter will become clear in due time," Wang Shouzhe smiled, "Just think of Fourth Brother as having a grand vision too, looking at the world from a global perspective, preemptively targeting the Little Demon Lord."

Princess Luojia was initially surprised, then respectfully clasped her hands: "Fourth Brother has a heart for the world, Lingxiao is impressed. If everyone in the world were like you, actively sharing the burden of the Immortal Emperor, how could the Immortal Dynasty not prosper?"

Princess Luojia thought Wang Shouzhe was sharing the burden for the Immortal Emperor, but the Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor's thoughts took a different turn, and she couldn't help but mutter.

Could Wang Shouzhe, that old fox, really be aiming to become the Immortal Emperor?

Should she, Nine Tails, consider hitching a ride in advance?

After all, being the Immortal Empress sounds quite appealing.

……

Some time later.

Less than a hundred miles from the capital, Muxian City, there was an estate. On the surface, it looked no different from the surrounding farms, but beneath the ground lay a hidden world.

Deep corridors, like a spider's web, crisscrossed beneath the farm, forming a vast underground palace, like an independent underground world.

At this moment.

In the underground palace.

Lamps were embedded on both sides of the corridors, illuminating the stone walls. However, it seemed these lamps hadn't had their spiritual stones replaced in a long time, and their dim light barely dispelled the darkness, not even clearly illuminating a person's shadow.

A figure walked slowly through the corridor, silent and alone.

The corridor was too dimly lit, and the person's face was hidden in darkness, indistinguishable. Only the tall and slender figure and the upright posture suggested it was a young man.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, the corridor finally came to an end.

Ahead was a brightly lit underground palace.

The palace was simply furnished but not at all crude, with everything in sight being of high quality.

At this moment, a cloaked figure was already seated on a jade chair in the palace.

The black cloak enveloped his entire body, concealing his aura, making it almost impossible to sense his presence. Even the light from the lamps seemed absorbed by the cloak, giving him an extremely mysterious appearance.

Under the cloak, only a small section of his chin was exposed, thin and pale, reminiscent of a corpse's skin.

Upon seeing the cloaked figure, the newcomer immediately stepped forward to salute, his posture respectful: "Greetings, Envoy."

The bright light illuminated the newcomer, clearly revealing his features and form.

He was a tall, handsome young man.

If Princess Luojia were here, she would immediately recognize him as none other than the young prince of the King of Wei's Mansion, Wei Donglai.

"So the young prince still remembers me?" The cloaked figure sneered, his voice hoarse and dry.

"You're joking, Envoy. You represent the will of the Master, and Donglai has always held you in reverence, never daring to show any disrespect," Wei Donglai replied with a wry smile, his expression somewhat anxious and uneasy. "I wonder why the Envoy summoned Donglai here?"

"Recently, things have been unsettled in Muxian City. Several of our hidden posts have been uprooted. Are you aware of this?" The cloaked figure's voice was cold, with an unmistakable anger.

If those hidden posts hadn't been loyal enough to take poison and die immediately upon sensing something was wrong, he might have been exposed!

"Forgive me, Envoy." Wei Donglai panicked, quickly bowing, "It was that Blood Fetus Demon Pill that aroused Ji Lingxiao's suspicion, prompting her to launch a high-profile investigation. I've already ordered people to clean up the traces and sever the connection to us. Rest assured, she won't trace it back to us."

"At least you're not entirely useless." The cloaked figure sneered, "According to our plan, once you married Ji Lingxiao, we would secretly support the weak and incompetent Ji Linyu to become the imperial son. In a few hundred years, when Emperor Yuanping dies, the Northern Zhou royal family will no longer pose a threat."

"By then, you, as the new King of Wei, could take over, leading Northern Zhou to submit to our Demon Dynasty. But you messed up the first step. Now, most of the Northern Zhou royal family favors Ji Lingxiao, and there's even talk of making her the imperial daughter. If this continues, the Master's plan will be ruined."

By the end, the cloaked figure's tone had become extremely severe, and his aura was becoming increasingly terrifying: "Tell me, how do you plan to explain this to the Master?"

Wei Donglai's face turned pale, and he immediately bowed his head in supplication: "Donglai knows his mistake. Please give me another chance. Donglai will do everything possible to make amends."

The cloaked figure snorted coldly, clearly still angry.

The atmosphere in the cave became tense.

After a while, he spoke again: "I'll give you a chance, considering you're still sensible."

"The Master has ordered that Wang Shouye and Princess Luojia must not be allowed to live. You have one year to eliminate them at any cost."

Wei Donglai's heart skipped a beat: "This..."

"What, you're unwilling?" The cloaked figure's voice turned icy upon seeing his hesitation.

"No, no." Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, Wei Donglai quickly said, "Donglai doesn't mean that. It's just that Wang Shouye is obsessed with alchemy and has hardly left his house lately. Princess Luojia is always surrounded by strong guards. With Donglai's abilities, I'm afraid I can't handle it."

"And if I use too many people from the King of Wei's Mansion, it might expose us."

"Rest assured, the forces at the Master's disposal are beyond your imagination." The cloaked figure snorted, "You focus on finding and creating opportunities. I'll handle the manpower."

With that, he stood up and walked towards another corridor in the cave.

"You have only one year. If you haven't completed the task by then, don't blame me for being rude." His voice echoed from the corridor, reverberating endlessly.

After a while, his figure disappeared into the dark corridor.

Wei Donglai maintained his bowing posture, watching him leave. Only when his figure completely disappeared did he straighten up.

Under the light, the humility and fear on his face had completely faded, replaced by a mocking sneer.

"There's still a use for you now, so I'll let you be arrogant for a while longer."

Submit the entire nation to the Demon Dynasty? Do they think I'm a fool?

The Wei Clan has no foundation in the Demon Dynasty. If we truly submit, we'll likely be marginalized and used as cannon fodder.

Rather than taking such a risk, it's better to stay in the Immortal Dynasty camp. At least in the Immortal Dynasty, there's the Jing'an Wei Clan, a family of the same origin, to support each other. And as long as I prepare in advance, I can find a way to cover up the usurpation.

The blame for colluding with the Demon Dynasty will naturally fall on Ji Linyu.

As for their retaliation...

If I truly become the Northern Zhou Emperor, with the Immortal Emperor backing me, why should I fear them?

Once I ascend to the throne, these people will lose their value. Then, I'll see how they can be arrogant on the Immortal Dynasty's territory!

After cursing a few times in his heart, Wei Donglai didn't linger, turning to retrace his steps into the corridor.

Soon, his figure disappeared into the depths of the corridor.

The underground palace returned to silence, with only the faint flickering of the lights, as if nothing had ever happened.

As both sides began to plot in secret.

An invisible net, under Wei Donglai's arrangement, gradually began to envelop Wang Shouye.

All it would take was for Wang Shouye to leave Princess Luojia's mansion once, and they could find a way to lure him to a remote area outside Muxian City.

But what Wei Donglai never expected was that day after day, Wang Shouye never left the house.

According to reports from spies, he spent every day either refining pills or refining pills.

Even Princess Luojia had lost her temper several times.

This made Wei Donglai furious. What the hell is wrong with this guy? How can he be such a homebody?

Meanwhile.

Wang Shouye looked at a newly refined batch of sixth-grade pills, the Wuji Baodan, his face full of joy and a sense of accomplishment.

This batch of Wuji Baodan cost fifty thousand immortal crystals to produce. Typically, three pills would be needed to break even, but he had refined five pills in this batch! Not only could he break even, but he could also make a significant profit.

But Wang Shouye wasn't satisfied. After putting away the pills, he continued to reflect on the shortcomings of this batch, gradually becoming immersed again.

After resting for a few days, he decided to refine another batch of Wuji Baodan.

The joy of alchemical growth is something others cannot imagine.

Even the Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor was about to go crazy.

What the hell kind of protection is this? Isn't Wang Shouzhe wasting money hiring her as a bodyguard?

Wasteful, extravagant!

……