Chapter 3

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"Enough." Gongsun Hui scolded in a gentle voice, then continued, "Sixth Uncle, don't be impulsive. Let's resolve everything calmly."

Gongsun Hui, being the direct daughter of the Shanyang Gongsun clan, the wife of the former Wang clan leader, and the mother of the new Wang clan leader, was well-qualified to mediate this matter.

Wang Dinghai, with an agitated tone, said, "Fifth Sister-in-law, it's not that I, the old Sixth, am being impulsive, but that the Liu family's boy has gone too far. Everyone in Ping'an Town knows that the An River, from the right side of the Dingpu Ferry for thirty miles to the Rocky Beach, is the territory of the Wang family. But Liu Yongzhou has repeatedly crossed the line to fish. This time, he even boldly crossed ten miles over the line. If I don't take action to drive him away, will the Wang family have any place to stand on the An River?"

"Oh, oh, oh, Wang Lao Liu, don't be the first to accuse the wrongdoer," Liu Yongzhou said, feigning a great injustice. "The An River has strong winds and rapid currents, and our Liu family's territory is upstream. It's inevitable that our boats might drift. But you, from the start, rammed our fishing boats, and when we suffered a bit in the conflict, you called for your elders. How unreasonable, are you bullying us because we don't have a clan leader?"

Wang Shouzhe had been silently observing and pondering. He was already certain that the Liu family had initiated this conflict, likely to test him as the new clan leader and to gauge his capabilities.

If he, the clan leader, lacked the ability and was timid, the next step would likely be to ally with the Zhao family, and a series of conspiracies and open conflicts would flood in.

"Cough, cough!"

Wang Shouzhe coughed twice and calmly stepped forward.

"Shouzhe, you're here too?" Wang Dinghai's face lit up, then he said angrily, "Quickly, help your Sixth Uncle judge. This boy used underhanded tactics to ambush me. Your Sixth Uncle is not satisfied and wants a fair rematch."

"Ah, so it's the young leader of the Wang clan, no, it should be the clan leader who has arrived." Liu Yongzhou's eyes narrowed slightly, showing a mix of fear and jealousy towards Wang Shouzhe.

There was no doubt that Wang Shouzhe far surpassed Liu Yongzhou in overall strength. At just eighteen, Wang Shouzhe had already reached the high stage of the sixth level of the Qi Refinement realm, with great potential for future growth.

The Liu family was also very wary of Wang Shouzhe. If he had the chance to reach the Lingtai realm, the balance of power in Ping'an Town would change dramatically.

The onlookers began to whisper, showing great interest in the young new clan leader of the Wang family. They subtly pointed out that if the former clan leader, Wang Dingyue, had lived ten more years, the situation for the Wang family would be different once the young clan leader, Wang Shouzhe, had fully grown.

"Sixth Uncle, victory and defeat are common in battles." Wang Shouzhe narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice, probing, "But, Sixth Uncle, are you really confident you can win? If you lose again in front of everyone, it will damage the Wang family's prestige."

"About that..." Wang Dinghai hesitated and said in a low voice, "I've had several conflicts with that Liu family boy. Usually, we are evenly matched, each with advantages. I don't know why, but today that boy's Water Escape technique seemed to have improved greatly. He was slippery like an eel in the water, and I was caught off guard. But nephew, rest assured, your Sixth Uncle will do everything to win this time."

A great improvement in the Water Escape technique?

Ha, this is interesting, Wang Shouzhe thought, touching his nose. He had a good idea of the other party's strategy. They were creating conflicts to provoke Wang Dinghai's competitive spirit, and then, in front of everyone, they would let Liu Yongzhou, the rising star, defeat Wang Dinghai, damaging the Wang family's prestige.

If he could further incite emotions and get them to sign a bet, it would be even more perfect. Then, they could take a big bite out of the Wang family.

Wang Shouzhe made a clear judgment of the situation and said, "Sixth Uncle, leave this to me."

"This..." Wang Dinghai hesitated but, seeing Wang Shouzhe's calm demeanor, calmed down and stepped back, "Shouzhe, be careful. The Liu family is skilled at trickery."

"Sixth Uncle, don't worry, I won't be at a disadvantage." Wang Shouzhe reassured him, then looked around and said loudly, "The Xuanwu family has always been established through martial prowess. If the descendants are incapable of defending the ancestral territory, it is only right to retreat to a corner. Liu Yongzhou, if your Liu family wants to encroach on our fishing grounds, creating conflicts is just a minor tactic. Why not be straightforward? Let's have a fair duel, a life-or-death match between us, the same generation. The winner gets the fishing grounds, what do you say?"

"What?"

The crowd gasped in shock. A life-or-death match? Does the young clan leader of the Wang family need to be so aggressive?

Wang Shouzhe was five years younger than Liu Yongzhou, but his challenge of a life-or-death match made Liu Yongzhou's face turn pale. He dared not accept it and could only say awkwardly, "Clan Leader Wang, you're joking. You are the clan leader, how can you engage in a life-or-death match?"

From this, it was clear that although Liu Yongzhou was not bad among his peers, he was far inferior to Wang Shouzhe, who had been groomed as the young clan leader.

"Ha ha," Wang Shouzhe sneered, "If you lack the courage, just admit it. I, Wang Shouzhe, stand here. Any of the Liu family's Yong generation, I will accept all of them."

"Good! Well said, the new clan leader of the Wang family is truly bold."

"The Xuanwu family, established through martial prowess, this is interesting. I wonder how the Liu family will respond. As far as I know, the oldest of the Liu family's Yong generation is about thirty-six or thirty-seven, and the youngest is still a toddler. I can't think of anyone who can match the new clan leader of the Wang family."

"Brother, how strong is this young man? Can he really defeat all of the Liu family's Yong generation?"

"Are you from out of town? This is our new clan leader of the Ping'an Wang family, Wang Shouzhe. At just eighteen, he is almost at the high stage of the Qi Refinement realm. Moreover, it is said that he has exceptional talent in swordsmanship, with his sword skills already at a masterful level." A local person proudly introduced, "And Wang Shouzhe has passed the admission test of the Zifu Academy and will soon be enrolled, but unfortunately, a major event in the Wang family forced him to abandon his studies."

"The Zifu Academy, the one that claims anyone who enters will surely become a Lingtai? Impressive, impressive, what a pity!"

The discussions around him reminded Wang Shouzhe that he had indeed passed the initial selection of the Zifu Academy not long ago.

The Zifu Academy in Longzuo County held an admission test every three years, but their requirements were extremely strict. In the Changning region, only one to three people would pass the initial selection and be eligible for the final exam each time, and this year, Wang Shouzhe was among them.

However, saying he would soon be enrolled was an exaggeration. In the entire Changning region, it might take ten to twenty years to produce a Zifu student. Wang Shouzhe, though confident, knew that the probability of passing the final exam was less than thirty percent.

The public opinion began to shift in favor of the Wang family.

The previous conflict, which could have damaged the Wang family's reputation, now boosted their prestige.

"Great job, nephew." Wang Dinghai said with a delighted face, "See if that Liu family brat dares to be arrogant now?"

Gongsun Hui's beautiful eyes sparkled with admiration for Wang Shouzhe. She hadn't expected that his few words would turn a situation that could have damaged the family's prestige into one that disadvantaged the Liu family.

Before this, her son had always focused on his own cultivation and paid little attention to other matters. She hadn't expected that he would show such capability as the new clan leader.

"Good!"

Suddenly, a voice of approval rang out, "Clan Leader Wang's words are truly enlightening. I admire the Xuanwu family's tradition of establishing their family through martial prowess. If they cannot defend their ancestral territory, it is only right to retreat to a corner. Well said!"

As he spoke, a middle-aged man in a brocade robe, with a dignified presence, stepped forward, flanked by several fierce guards, and stared at Wang Shouzhe with a smile that was not quite a smile.

At his appearance, Gongsun Hui and Wang Dinghai both changed their expressions: "It's actually Liu Shengye!"

Especially Gongsun Hui, who, with a troubled look, whispered to Wang Shouzhe, "Zhe'er, the Liu family's clan leader appearing now must have a hidden agenda. You must be careful."

Liu Shengye.

Wang Shouzhe's eyes narrowed slightly. The current clan leader of the Ping'an Liu family, he was known for his cunning and deceit, not for his martial prowess. At forty, he had yet to break through to the eighth level of the Qi Refinement realm.

In Wang Shouzhe's memory, Liu Shengye was always known for his cunning and was a famous smiling tiger. He had often outmaneuvered the former Wang clan leader, Wang Dingyue, and was very skilled at managing the clan's assets, making the Liu family's strength grow steadily.

"Clan Leader Liu, it's an honor to have you here," Wang Shouzhe responded calmly. "Since you agree with my words, do you also agree to the life-or-death match between me and Liu Yongzhou?" He quickly tried to trap Liu Shengye.

"How can that be? Clan Leader Wang's words are reasonable, but as the clan leader, how can you bully a younger person?" Liu Shengye countered, "A life-or-death match should be between people of similar status."

His intention was to shift the focus back to Liu Yongzhou and Wang Dinghai.

"Clan Leader Liu, your words are very reasonable," Wang Shouzhe nodded seriously. "The Wang and Liu families have had many conflicts and accumulated grievances. If it's a life-or-death match, why don't the two clan leaders, you and I, personally face off? That would be a match of equal status."

"What?"

Liu Shengye's face twitched. The clan leaders personally engaging in a life-or-death match? Has Wang Shouzhe gone mad? First, he targeted Liu Yongzhou, and now he's directly targeting me, Liu Shengye! Is that what I meant?

The onlookers, including merchants and travelers, and other people at the ferry, were stunned into silence. A life-or-death match between two clan leaders right from the start? Is this too impulsive?

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