Chapter 20

......

In any family of the Xuanwu lineage, there will always be diligent descendants who contribute to the family, but there are also bound to be some degenerate members. Fortunately, the Wang family has strict clan rules, and the pressure of the family's difficult survival and the glory of their ancestors ensure that most members adhere to their duties.

On the contrary, the eighth generation of the Zong lineage produced a good-for-nothing.

"Fourth Brother, you are now the clan leader, so it's not convenient for you to get involved," Wang Shouyi said with a stern face. "Wait a moment, I'll be right back."

With that, he stormed out.

A short while later, Wang Shouyi dragged in a young man in his twenties. The young man was bruised and swollen, crying pitifully: "Second Uncle, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong. Please spare me this time, don't tell my father!"

"You little brat," Wang Shouyi, enraged, kicked the young man, making him roll on the ground. "You've sunk to this level and still refuse to reflect. You have the nerve to beg for mercy, wanting me to cover for you?"

Oh no!

After wailing a couple of times, the young man was about to beg again when he suddenly saw a young man with an extraordinary demeanor sitting there, staring at him expressionlessly.

The young man's body trembled as if struck by lightning, his eyes filled with fear: "Fourth, Fourth, Fourth Uncle! You, you, you..." His body swayed, almost fainting. At such a time, he would rather face his father than his Fourth Uncle.

His father might beat him severely and lock him up for a few months, but he would still be a strong man when he came out.

But this one...

"How much did you lose?" Wang Shouzhe asked coldly.

"This little brat, in just over a month since he came to me, has already lost the casino twenty gold pieces. Including the private money his mother gave him and the small Peiyuan Pill he sold, he has lost a total of forty gold pieces!" Wang Shouyi's anger was burning. The family's fish stall, with over twenty employees working hard all year, could only earn about two hundred gold pieces.

This kid, however, lost forty gold pieces gambling, enough to buy four "Small Peiyuan Pills."

"Fourth Uncle, I was wrong, I really was wrong." The young man collapsed on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing to Wang Shouzhe. "Please, Fourth Uncle, give me another chance."

"Chances, you've had too many already," Wang Shouyi said angrily. "The family originally had you working at Xingmao Silkworm Farm with your older brother to learn skills. But you spent your days with your bad friends and even dared to harass virtuous women! Then, your grandfather and mother pleaded for you to join Sixth Uncle's fleet. But you found it too hard and secretly ran to me. I was wrong to take you in! The allure of Changning's world has blinded you."

Wang Shouzhe pondered for a moment before saying slowly, "Zongwei, as the eldest of the Zong lineage, you should set an example for your younger siblings. You are the son of the eldest brother, and it should be his responsibility to educate you. However, as the direct line and the clan leader, I have the authority and duty to discipline the family's degenerate members."

"Fourth, Fourth Uncle!" Wang Zongwei was scared stiff. "For the sake of my father, my great-grandfather..."

"Let's do this. Since you like gambling, Fourth Uncle will play a game with you," Wang Shouzhe said expressionlessly, taking out a gold piece and holding it in his hand. "Guess which hand the gold piece is in. If you guess right, today's incident will be forgotten. If you lose, I won't be harsh on you; I'll just take one of your hands. For the sake of your great-grandfather, you can live as a parasite in the family."

"What?" Wang Zongwei's tears stopped. "Fourth Uncle, I won't gamble, I won't gamble."

"Fourth..." Wang Shouyi's face changed, about to plead, but was stopped by Wang Shouzhe's wave. "Even if Second Great-Grandfather Wang Xiaohui, your grandfather Wang Dingchuan, and your father Wang Shouxin were here, it wouldn't matter."

Wang Shouyi trembled, instinctively closing his mouth, not daring to plead.

Although they were all Wang family members and brothers of the Shou generation, Wang Shouzhe was the direct line and the current clan leader, favored by the old ancestor since childhood. How could they be the same?

To the Wang family, even ten Wang Zongweis tied together were not as important as one finger of Wang Shouzhe.

After intimidating Wang Shouyi, Wang Shouzhe continued to stare at Wang Zongwei, saying coldly, "If you don't want to gamble, Fourth Uncle will consider it a loss. Extend your hand."

"No, no, no, I'll gamble, I'll gamble," Wang Zongwei said excitedly. "I bet the gold piece is in Fourth Uncle's right hand."

"Ha ha~" A cold light flashed in Wang Shouzhe's eyes as he slowly opened his empty right palm. "Zongwei, you lost."

"No, no! Fourth Uncle, give me another chance, just one more!" Wang Zongwei screamed hysterically. "In the left hand, the gold piece is in Fourth Uncle's left hand."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, I'm sure!"

Wang Shouzhe slowly opened his left palm, which was also empty. His gaze, sharp as a blade, fixed on Wang Zongwei: "Zongwei, a man must be credible, and one must accept the consequences of a bet. Wang Zhong, Wang Yong!"

"Yes, Clan Leader."

Two family guards stepped forward, lifting the limp Wang Zongwei, who was pale and trembling, only able to beg, "Fourth Uncle, spare me, spare me."

"Clang!"

Wang Shouzhe drew his sword, the blade gleaming.

Wang Shouyi couldn't bear to watch and turned away.

"Swish!"

Wang Shouzhe's sword flashed, and the next moment, the sword was back in its sheath.

"Aaaaaa!" Wang Zongwei screamed in agony. "My hand, my hand, it's gone, it's gone..." A smell of urine filled the air.

Wang Zhong and Wang Yong, the family guards, dropped him in disgust, their faces full of disdain. How could there be such a huge difference between the young master Zongwei and the Clan Leader, both descendants of the old ancestor Zouxuan? And Wang Zongwei was already twenty, two years older than the Clan Leader.

"Slap!" Wang Shouyi rushed forward, slapping him to stop his screaming, scolding him angrily, "Enough, stop howling, you disgraceful dog. Quickly thank your Fourth Uncle."

"Hand, my... it's still there, it's still there..." Wang Zongwei, tears and snot streaming down his face, shouted in joy, then repeatedly thanked Wang Shouzhe. "Thank Fourth Uncle, thank Fourth Uncle. I will, I will definitely be a good person, start anew."

"Remember, you owe me a hand, and I reserve the right to reclaim it at any time. Additionally, all your cultivation resources and salary will be temporarily revoked and transferred to, um~ transferred to Wang Luotong." Wang Shouzhe didn't want to see him anymore and turned to leave, the two family guards quickly following.

"Thank Fourth Uncle, thank Fourth Uncle." Wang Zongwei dared not object, repeatedly kowtowing.

Wang Shouyi glared at Wang Zongwei, then hurriedly caught up with Wang Shouzhe, sighing, "Fourth Brother, I understand your intention to teach Zongwei a lesson, but..."

"But what?" Wang Shouzhe sneered. "Do you think Second Great-Grandfather or the eldest brother will come to his aid?"

"I'm not worried about Grandfather and the eldest brother," Wang Shouyi said helplessly. "You know, the eldest sister-in-law Xu comes from the direct line of the Changning Xu family, raised in luxury, and has a rather... well, you know. You revoking Zongwei's resources is justified, and she can't find fault with it. But transferring the resources to Luotong might give her an excuse to cause trouble."

"Whether the eldest sister-in-law comes from the Xu family or the Liu family, she is now one of us Wangs," Wang Shouzhe said calmly. "I believe that as a member of a large family, she will understand my intentions eventually."

Wang Shouyi opened his mouth to speak but stopped, realizing that although the eldest sister-in-law Xu was fierce, she wouldn't dare to challenge Shouzhe. He felt much relieved.

......