Protect Our Patriarch

Unless Chen Fang Jie was not in Donggang, if he didn't come to welcome them, it would be a complete disregard for the Wang Clan.

Given the deep familial relationship between the two families, such an impolite act would never occur.

As expected, after Wang Dinghai responded with flag signals, the other party's ship quickly approached. Standing at the bow of the ship was a young man wearing a tight-fitting outfit, exuding a strong and handsome aura.

With Wang Shoujie's keen eyesight, he recognized the young man from a distance as Chen Fang Jie, the young patriarch of Donggang's Chen Clan. Last year, he had visited the Wang Clan with Wang Shoujie's elder sister Wang Luoyi after their engagement was settled.

When Wang Dingyue passed away, he also represented the Chen Clan to pay his respects. However, since the two families had not yet formally become in-laws, according to etiquette, he could not wear mourning attire or hold a memorial service.

Chen Fang Jie had clearly seen Wang Shoujie, and a smile appeared on his face. With a single foot on the ship's rail, he jumped over like an arrow leaving a bowstring, flipping in mid-air before landing steadily on the deck.

Laughing, he bowed to Wang Shoujie and said, "Brother Wang, you should have come to Donggang earlier, and I would have sent a ship to pick you up directly."

"Greetings, Brother Chen," Wang Shoujie bowed in response, "The journey was decided too hastily, please forgive me, Brother Chen."

No mistake, this Chen Fang Jie was his future brother-in-law. But since they had not yet formally become in-laws, he couldn't address him casually.

As they spoke, Wang Shoujie secretly assessed Chen Fang Jie, who had become even more majestic compared to last year. Even Wang Shoujie's strength couldn't fully gauge his cultivation.

It was evident that Chen Fang Jie had already reached the 7th layer of the Qi Refining Realm at a young age, and it wasn't just a superficial achievement. This was already considered an exceptional talent, and on the surface, he was not inferior to Wang Shoujie.

However, Wang Shoujie was internally very confident, thinking that Chen Fang Jie's overall level was at most comparable to Wang Shoujie's before his rebirth. As for the current Wang Shoujie, he had enough confidence to surpass Chen Fang Jie at his age.

At the same time, Chen Fang Jie was also secretly assessing Wang Shoujie, and his heart was filled with surprise. Previously, he had thought Wang Shoujie had good innate talent and worked hard at cultivation, but his overall aura still needed refinement.

But he didn't expect that after just a short time, Wang Shoujie's demeanor had transformed, and his aura had become more mature. What surprised him even more was that Wang Shoujie's breath was exerting pressure on him, indicating that he was close to breaking through to the 7th layer of the Qi Refining Realm.

Eighteen years old and already at the 7th layer of the Qi Refining Realm!

In the entire Changning Guard region, this was already a remarkable achievement. He himself had only reached the 7th layer at the age of 19. This future brother-in-law was not simple at all.

With this thought, Chen Fang Jie's affection towards Wang Shoujie grew even stronger: "Brother Wang, what's with the formalities between us? Let's meet my father later, and I'll take you on a tour of Donggang to relax."

"Brother Chen, I wouldn't refuse under normal circumstances," Wang Shoujie laughed, "But after visiting your father, I need to head to Hundred Island Guard."

Although he was also a clan leader, Chen Clan's patriarch Chen Dewei was his sister's future father-in-law, and as a senior, he had to pay his respects when passing by.

"Hundred Island Guard," Chen Fang Jie's expression turned slightly serious, "You mentioned this in the letter you sent earlier, but Brother Wang, I must remind you that Hundred Island Guard is a remote island city, and Longzu County's influence is weak there. It's a mixed bag of people, unlike our orderly Changning Guard."

"Brother Chen, I'm aware of this," Wang Shoujie responded seriously, "I just need the Chen Clan to arrange the route for me."

Following the An River further, they would soon enter the East Sea.

The ship Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai had borrowed had no major issues navigating the An River. However, entering the sea would be a different story. A sea-worthy ship not only needed to be large and stable but also had to have excellent wind resistance and experienced sailors.

In short, the mysterious and unpredictable sea was not so easily traversed, especially in this fantastical world.

"It's not too much trouble, anyway." Chen Fang Jie said with a slight hesitation, "I'm sure you know that our Chen Clan's merchant ships sail to Hundred Island Guard once a month, but most of the cargo is various goods. Except for the crew's quarters, there are about 10-15 guest rooms available for passengers, although the overall conditions are relatively simple. If you really want to go, I can arrange for some seats to be vacated, and we can set off this afternoon and arrive at Hundred Island Guard by tomorrow morning. However, our ship can only stay at Hundred Island Guard for five days."

A sea voyage is a huge investment, and the cost of a single trip is extremely high. The route, tides, and weather all require careful calculation and estimation.

Wang Shoujie, of course, would not be so impolite as to ask the Chen Clan to charter a ship just for himself, and he immediately expressed his willingness to accept the arrangement, requesting three guest rooms.

Once the itinerary was confirmed, Chen Fang Jie naturally wouldn't make a fuss and agreed to the arrangement.

Later, under the guidance of the ship's crew, Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai's ship docked, and Ancestor Longyan and others temporarily remained on board. Wang Shoujie, on the other hand, followed Chen Fang Jie to pay a visit to Chen Dewei, the current patriarch of the Chen Clan, according to etiquette.

Chen Dewei naturally received Wang Shoujie with corresponding courtesy and expressed gratitude for the early warning about the honeybee plague outbreak. For the Chen Clan, agriculture was not their main business, and they only had two small farms totaling around 12-16 hectares. With the early warning, their overall losses would not be too great.

Chen Fang Jie then quickly helped Wang Shoujie arrange the sea voyage and introduced several Chen Clan members to Wang Shoujie, entrusting them to take good care of Wang Shoujie's group.

Because Wang Shoujie had refused his offer to send someone to accompany him on the ship, Chen Fang Jie handed him a small booklet before his departure, which contained information about the various powers and intelligence in Hundred Island Guard.

Not long after, at the Donggang deep-water port, Wang Shoujie's group boarded the ship named "Golden Glory Ship" in a low-key manner. This ship was named after the Chen Clan's "Old Ancestor Jun Yao" and could intimidate some petty thoughts.

After boarding, they were led to their guest rooms by a Chen Clan member named Chen Fanghua, who was polite and courteous.

Chen Fanghua was Chen Fang Jie's older cousin, and at just 25 years old, he had already reached the fifth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, making him an elite among the younger generation of the Chen Clan.

The three guest rooms were connected, with one of them being a luxurious upper room for distinguished guests.

It was clear that Chen Fang Jie attached great importance to Wang Shoujie, as he had managed to vacate the upper room, which was a testament to his diligence.

"Thank you, Brother Chen," Wang Shoujie said to Chen Fanghua with a bow, "Please take care of us along the way."

"It's only natural," Chen Fanghua hurriedly returned the courtesy, "You are our honored guest, and we will do our best to serve you. Please feel free to ask for anything you need."

With that, he took his leave. The ship was about to set off, and it was the busiest time.

To avoid drawing attention, Wang Shoujie had asked Chen Fang Jie to keep his identity confidential, so the Chen Clan members on the ship only knew that he was a distinguished guest of the young master.

After ensuring they were alone, Wang Shoujie bowed to Ancestor Longyan and said, "Ancestor, I apologize for the inconvenience of having you take a cargo ship. If we were to charter a ship, it wouldn't be just a matter of money; it would be a complicated process."

"No need to apologize," Ancestor Longyan said calmly, "The arrangement is well-made. It's best to go to Hundred Island Guard quickly and quietly."

"Fourth Aunt, please take care of Ancestor's rest," Wang Shoujie said to Xu Zhirou, "This journey will take over 20 hours, so please don't let Ancestor get too tired."

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of Ancestor," Xu Zhirou said seriously, and then helped Ancestor Longyan into the upper room.

The upper room was divided into inner and outer chambers, allowing distinguished guests and their entourage to rest separately.

Wang Lici was about to follow them in when Wang Shoujie called her back, "Big girl, come with me for a moment. I have something to say to you."

"Yes, Fourth Uncle," Wang Lici replied, her heart racing as she wondered if she had done something wrong again. She followed Wang Shoujie into the adjacent room with a guilty expression.

Wang Shoujie looked at her expression and couldn't help but tap her forehead, "What's with that face? I'm your Fourth Uncle, not a monster who eats people."

Wang Lici quickly changed her expression, forcing out a dry, nervous laugh.

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