Rise of the Wang Clan: Starting with a Portable Farm

Chapter 180: Wang Wenrue

“Fine, fine. When I have a moment, I’ll go take a look,” Wang Hao assured him. “The rules in the Clan School are well-established now, and you’ve seen the results yourself. You can rest easy about Wenrue being there. With you as the Family Head and her father, who would dare bully her?”

“Ah, you’ve never been a father. It’s easy for you to say,” Wang Yanzhao shook his head, a bitter but affectionate smile playing on his lips.

After giving Wang Hao a few tasks to handle, Wang Yanzhao and Wang Longyou retired to their respective caves for seclusion.

Wang Hao immediately summoned Wang Yanzhi and Wang Wenyuan.

“The Patriarch and Sixth Granduncle have entered seclusion,” Wang Hao announced, his voice grave. “That leaves the three of us as the only active Foundation Establishment cultivators. From this moment on, we operate under the doctrine of ‘outward calm, inward vigilance.’ Nothing can go wrong.”

Wang Wenyuan blinked in surprise. “Seclusion? Now? Are they both on the verge of a breakthrough?”

“I found two spirit fruits that may help them past their bottlenecks,” Wang Hao said. “After you have cultivated for a few more years and steadied your realms, I will find two for you as well.”

Wang Yanzhi shook his head, looking alarmed. “That is too much! We haven’t even repaid the Contribution Points for our Foundation Establishment Pills yet. We cannot accept more charity. Since the Patriarch is away, leave the market management to me. That is my specialty.”

Wang Wenyuan scratched his head. “I do not know much else, so I will oversee security. I will organize patrols and make sure nothing slips past us.”

“Good. That’s the best arrangement,” Wang Hao agreed. “Let the stewards and Qi Refining Elders handle the trivial matters. For major decisions, the three of us will convene.”

After they left, Wang Hao felt that the family still had too few Foundation Establishment cultivators. More would ease the pressure.

He decided to inspect the clan school for promising children and check on Wang Wenrue, as his father had asked.

Cultivation needed to begin young.

Since Wang Guang’an had taken a group of elites away, the school was quieter than usual. However, the Wang family’s birth rate had been climbing steadily for years, so the classrooms would not remain empty for long.

Cultivators were physically stronger than ordinary people, but children under ten still struggled to care for themselves. Their minds and cultivation were still developing, so the school divided them by age.

Children from five to eight attended an introductory class. They learned basics and developed an interest in cultivation through play.

From eight to twelve, they entered a basic class with more instruction in cultivation and practical arts, pills, herbs, beasts, and other materials.

After twelve came an accelerated class with different tests to push them forward.

Wang Hao stood outside the fence of the Enlightenment Class courtyard. Inside, an elderly clansman and two female instructors were leading over twenty children in meditation practice.

“Meditation is the state you will spend most of your life in,” the old instructor lectured, his voice carrying across the yard. “Cultivating, recovering Qi, healing injuries—it all starts here. A proper posture doesn’t just keep your body comfortable; it increases your efficiency.”

Some of the little ones listened with rapt attention. Others stared blankly at the clouds. A few mischievous brats took advantage of the elder’s turned back to poke each other.

Wang Hao smiled. It reminded him of his own youth.

A seven-year-old girl with features like his own sat on a white cushion, pigtails on either side of her head. She meditated earnestly with her eyes closed.

It was Wang Wenrue.

Wang Hao observed her for a moment. She was already at the Second Layer of Qi Refining.

Early cultivation was relatively quick for someone with two spirit roots, but her progress showed she had not been lazy. Some of Wang Hao’s other siblings lived idly on their father’s position; the oldest was past thirty, and none was above the fifth Qi Refining layer.

Wang Hao didn’t disturb the class. He marked a few other promising children in his mind and returned to his cave dwelling. His role was to watch over them and provide resources at critical moments, not to micromanage every step of their path.

The Wang family then enjoyed six quiet months after the battle.

Wang Yanzhao emerged first. He had reached the fourth Foundation Establishment layer and was not far from the fifth.

He was delighted to have a chance of catching Wang Hao. He had two spirit roots; Wang Hao had five.

“I say, Old Wang,” Wang Hao teased as he greeted him. “Six months ago you were grumbling about going into seclusion. Now you’re grinning so hard your eyes have disappeared.”

“I’m in a good mood today, so I won’t bicker with you,” Wang Yanzhao shot him a playful glare before turning his gaze to the woman waiting anxiously nearby—his wife, Li Dexi.

His expression softened. “Madam, you’ve worked hard these past six months. Have those good-for-nothing brats given you any trouble?”

“Qing’er and the others have been… surprisingly well-behaved,” Li Dexi said softly, though her eyes kept darting nervously toward Wang Hao.

Wang Yanzhao caught the look immediately. “What happened?”

“Nothing much,” Wang Hao interjected smoothly. “I saw that those lazy bums were wasting their lives, so I sent them out to find work. From now on, they eat what they earn. They’re adults; why should they be begging their parents for Spirit Stones every day? It saves you the headache.”

He turned to Li Dexi. “I noticed Aunt Xi is at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining. With a little push, Foundation Establishment is not out of reach.”

He patted Wang Yanzhao on the shoulder. “Old Wang, you two catch up. I’ll give you some space.”

Wang Yanzhao watched Wang Hao leave, his mouth twitching. He had asked his son to look after Wenrue, not discipline the other children, though it was something an elder brother ought to do.

“I think Wang Hao was right,” Li Dexi said carefully. “The children were hard to manage. Since he dealt with them, they have stopped asking us for Spirit Stones. I visited at first to see whether they were managing. They have begun supporting themselves. Qing’er even learned to draw talismans, so I brought home the stones I had meant to give her.”

Wang Yanzhao closed his eyes. “Perhaps Wang Hao was right. We will leave the children to it. As for you—if you want to reach Foundation Establishment, I will find a way to buy you a pill.”

Li Dexi nodded. She had three spirit roots and was in her fifties. Wang Yanzhao was already in his sixties. If she waited until after sixty to cultivate seriously, her chances of Foundation Establishment would diminish.

Wang Yanzhao understood her wish. “Use my cave for seclusion. Here is a bottle of Yellow Dragon Pills and two Spirit Apricots. They should help.”

Shortly after Wang Yanzhao’s exit, Wang Longyou also emerged, successfully advancing to the Seventh Layer of Foundation Establishment.

Around then, the Qingyuan Sect began summoning family cultivators to garrison Qingyuan Mountain.

It promised that after victory it would compensate participating families twofold.

If a family lost its spirit mountain because it had sent help, the sect would assign it a new one and grant several Foundation Establishment Pills according to its losses.

It was an offer many couldn’t refuse.

The Lei, Zhao, and Cheng families answered in force. Having fought Maple Leaf Market, they had little hope of joining the Burning Heaven Sect.

After discussion, the Wang and Li families decided to send some cultivators. The rest would disperse or break out if circumstances demanded.