Wang Xuzhi had just returned to the forbidden land when Wang Chenliu paid a visit without a moment's delay.
“Ancestor, is there a problem with that child?”
Who exactly was Wen Jingshu? Was she really just the younger sister of a Second-Grade Alchemist?
If not, then who was the backer behind her? With her demeanor, she did not believe for a second that this was a child raised by some minor clan.
With a hint of longing in her eyes, Wang Xuzhi said, “She is Jinye's youngest daughter.”
Jinye? Wang Jinye?
Hearing this name suddenly, Wang Chenliu dithered slightly, her thoughts involuntarily drifting back to several thousand years ago...
In her mind, the image of a young girl in a peach-colored dress emerged. She felt somewhat surprised, yet also enlightened.
Back then, Wang Jinye's ascension had been too sudden, leaving behind a premature daughter for Wen Shuyi. For a hundred years afterward, there had been no news of that premature daughter, leading Wang Chenliu to once believe she had died young.
Was she already ten years old now?
If the one standing behind Wen Jingshu was Wen Shuyi, with her backing from the Pill Sect, it was only reasonable that Xu Haoguang regarded her so highly and even reminded the Wang family to build a good relationship with her.
After all, very few people knew the true identities of the Wen sisters...
Wang Chenliu asked somewhat anxiously, “Then, her ninety-five percent lightning spiritual root...”
“It is a hundred percent heavenly lightning spiritual root.”
Hearing this, Wang Chenliu's heart pounded wildly. Before she could ask her remaining questions, Wang Xuzhi continued:
“Since you have gifted her the Lightning Stone Source, then let her enter the forbidden land to temper her spiritual root.”
“I see that her ambition is quite grand. Not satisfied with a heavenly lightning spiritual root, she even wants to temper it to gain a mutated attribute.”
In the cultivation world, whether one took their mother's or father's surname depended entirely on whether the founding ancestor was male or female. The Wang family happened to be a matriarchal family.
Wang Xuzhi's aura completely vanished. Wang Chenliu gave a respectful bow to the tightly shut doors and then departed in a hurry.
Wen Jingshu was also pondering her family's relationship with the Wang family. Unfortunately, Wen Shuyi had not replied yet, and Granny had not made things completely clear either, so she could only pretend to know nothing.
Forget it. Since Granny bore no ill will toward her, she would include the Wang family in her list of those she could build good relations with.
Just as her thoughts were drifting all over the place, Wang Yanci came to visit. He did not waste any words either. Bowing with hands clasped, he went straight to the point:
“Auntie, the Ancestor asked me to take you to the Wang family's main hall to meet some people. The Clan Ranking Tournament is coming up soon. If you can take first place, the Ancestor will let you enter the Thunder Region Forbidden Land to temper your spiritual root.”
Looking at Wang Yanci, whose attitude was a hundred times more respectful than yesterday, Wen Jingshu's mind could not quite process this.
Besides, what on earth was with the “Auntie”?
As if knowing what was on Wen Jingshu's mind, Wang Yanci explained, “Mother said that according to seniority, I should address you as Auntie.”
Wen Jingshu was completely dumbfounded this time.
She had started as the younger sister of a Ninth-Grade Alchemist, then she was gifted a Law Enforcement Hall disciple token by the Qingyun Sect's Sect Master, and now the direct young master of the Wang family was calling her Auntie?
Why was her prize pool of backers still stacking up?
Was this what she deserved after suffering for over a thousand years as the talisman cultivator Wen Jingshu?
The ten-year-old girl was suddenly made uneasy by Wang Yanci's words, especially when facing a giant nephew who was much taller than her.
Wang Yanci, however, appeared perfectly natural, saying with his usual gentle demeanor:
“Auntie, there is no need to be formal. The Wang family is your home.”
Unable to figure it out, Wen Jingshu simply changed the subject. “Where is the Thunder Region Forbidden Land?”
Wang Yanci said, “Auntie should also know that lightning spiritual roots are the rarest among all spiritual roots, yet forty percent of our Wang clan members possess them!”
“This is partly due to genetics, and partly because of...”
Seeing that Wang Yanci was about to reveal the Wang family's secrets, Wen Jingshu quickly held up a hand to stop him. “Stop right there. I don't have the habit of listening to other people's secrets.”
Seeing the young female cultivator so resistant, Wang Yanci laughed in spite of himself. “Auntie, we are on the same side.”
“I know you don't wish to be entangled in too much karma, Auntie, but you already share a bloodline with our Wang family. The Wang family has even preserved Cousin Aunt Ruofu's residence. Since you have come to the Wang family as well, the family will naturally arrange a residence for you too.”
Great families would only arrange residences for their own clan members; everyone else was assigned to guest rooms.
Although Wen Jingshu held a Guest Elder token, most guest elders were only nominal and rarely stayed in the Wang family for long, so she had also been arranged a guest room.
Hearing Wang Yanci's words, Wen Jingshu smiled without saying a word, nearly rubbing her transmission stone raw.
Had her sister emerged from closed-door cultivation yet?! The Wang family was being so enthusiastic toward her; she was really afraid this was some kind of trap!
She could view the matter of Cangwu Island as a well-meaning notification between fellow disciples, but this Thunder Region Forbidden Land of the Wang family sounded like somewhere an outsider like her shouldn't be going.
The Thunder Region Forbidden Land sounded like an excellent place, and she was indeed tempted. But what exactly was the relationship between the Wen family and the Wang family? Why did they want her to participate in the Wang family's Clan Ranking Tournament?
Should she refuse this opportunity first? Or perhaps find some excuse to stall for time?
Just as Wen Jingshu was growing anxious, Wen Shuyi finally replied. Wen Jingshu swept her divine sense over the message and breathed a sigh of relief.
Why didn't she say earlier that their grandmother was from the Wang family...
So they really were family...
Wait, their grandmother was from the Wang family?
And since the Wang family was a matriarchal family, didn't that mean they were actually members of the Wang family too?
As if to confirm Wen Jingshu's thoughts, Wen Shuyi transmitted her voice again:
“We also have names registered in the Wang family. On the Wang family genealogy, Wang Ruofu is me, and Wang Fuyan is you.”
“When Mother was traveling and gaining experience in the past, she found that as soon as she announced her name, others would guess she was from the Wang family. Feeling that this didn't align with our tenet of keeping a low profile, she gave us names from Father's side instead.”
“I thought you knew, haha.”
“Alright, it seems I forgot to tell you.”
Wen Jingshu: ...
She went around wearing disguises every day, but as it turned out, her so-called true name was also a disguise!
Originally, Wen Jingshu had thought Wang Yanci addressing her as Auntie was just a polite gesture, but they actually shared a genuine blood relation!
At this moment, when Wen Jingshu looked at Wang Yanci again, her gaze became much more affectionate.
She still had a few Body-Tempering Pills on hand. She might as well give them to him as a meeting gift, since she was his auntie after all.
Thinking this, Wen Jingshu did just that. Wang Yanci dithered for a moment as he accepted the small jade bottles she handed over.
“I only learned of my background today. Since I am your elder, I shall gift you these few Body-Tempering Pills.”
Even though the Wang family had its own Alchemy Courtyard, these Body-Tempering Pills were still rare treasures to them.
One should not refuse a gift from an elder. Even though his auntie was younger than him, Wang Yanci still accepted them and said, “Thank you, Auntie!”
Afterward, the two of them made their way toward the main hall, one after the other.
The main hall of the Wang family was located halfway up the cliffside. Flying up on swords required passing through waterfalls and clouds. A casual glance upward revealed intoxicating scenery everywhere.
When Wen Jingshu arrived, five people were already waiting in the main hall. The leader was none other than the Wang Family Head, Wang Chenliu.
On her left and right sat two people each, making a total of four—three women and one man.
Out of politeness to her elders, Wen Jingshu bowed with hands clasped toward the host seat. Before she could introduce herself, Wang Chenliu spoke first:
“This is Jinye's youngest daughter, Wang Fuyan. Fuyan, this is Third Elder Wang Guanlan, this is Fifth Elder Wang Zhimo, this is Sixth Elder Wang Xingcan, and this is Seventh Elder Wang Zhixue. The four of them respectively manage the Wang family's treasury, school, miscellaneous affairs, and cultivation manual pavilion.”
Wang Fuyan?
Hearing this name out of the blue, Wen Jingshu paused.
Oh, right, her real name was indeed Wang Fuyan.
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