Protect Our Patriarch

……

Beyond Tianfu Commandery, heading further south, lies a vast expanse of rolling hills.

Here, there are no insurmountable peaks or treacherous ridges, only hillocks that rise no more than a hundred feet high.

The hills are unpredictable, sometimes stretching into continuous ranges, sometimes appearing hundreds of miles apart, with occasional river valleys and wetlands, creating a diverse geographical environment.

Tall trees claim the sunlit spots, while verdant bamboo groves fill the gaps between them. Various shrubs and vines thrive in the forests, making the vegetation extremely rich.

Due to the humid and warm climate, along with abundant natural resources, this area is home to a wide variety of bird species and numerous spiritual birds.

However, the humid environment not only suits birds but also breeds a multitude of snakes, insects, rodents, poisonous bugs, and frogs, along with various brightly colored mushrooms, any of which can easily be fatal. Some are even beyond the defense of Basalt cultivators.

Moreover, due to the unique geographical location, mountain winds converge here. Every summer, the mountains are shrouded in miasma that can easily claim lives.

No matter how you look at it, until these issues are resolved, this is not a place suitable for human habitation.

That is the Southern Barbarian Gu Clan.

The Southern Barbarian Gu Clan's settlement is deep within the jungle, far from the border of Tianfu Commandery.

In fact, in the earliest times, the entire mountain range belonged to the Southern Barbarian Gu Clan, including the river valley basin on the Tianfu side, which was also their territory.

But as the Great Qian occupied Tianfu and subsequent wars ensued, the Southern Barbarian Gu Clan's settlement moved further and further away, gradually retreating into the remote dense forests.

Over the years, they have gradually regained their footing.

The Southern Barbarian Gu Clan has a very long history, having lived on this land long before the Great Qian was established. Over countless years, they have developed a unique regional culture.

Following ancient traditions, the Gu Clan is organized into villages, scattered throughout the forests and hills.

These villages range from small ones with just under a thousand people to large ones with tens of thousands. Centered around the Gu God Village where the Saintess resides, the villages radiate outward, forming the entire Gu Clan settlement.

The harsh living environment has kept the Gu Clan's population relatively small.

Their combined territory is much larger than Longzuo Commandery, but the total population of the Gu Clan is less than ten million, not even an eighth of Longzuo Commandery's current population.

However, this was the situation decades ago.

In recent years, the Gu Clan has undergone significant changes, to the point where it's no exaggeration to say the changes have been earth-shattering, with the population increasing dramatically.

In an ordinary part of the Gu Clan settlement, there is a moderately-sized village called "Golden Mushroom Village."

This village is situated next to a series of rolling hills, covering a considerable area.

Scattered throughout the village are many stilted bamboo houses typical of the Gu Clan, with people living upstairs and earthen stoves downstairs for cooking. The adjacent open spaces are used for raising livestock and poisonous insects.

In the morning light, the golden bamboo stilt houses appear to be bathed in a halo, with wisps of smoke rising, full of vibrant life.

In the village, terraced fields stretch across the undulating hills, extending from the foot to the top of the mountains for miles, creating a spectacular sight from afar.

The terraces are planted with tall mulberry trees, low tea bushes, and other economically valuable plants and herbs. Near the spiritual veins, several acres of spiritual farmland have been cultivated specifically for growing spiritual mulberry trees, spiritual tea trees, and some special varieties of spiritual herbs.

Everything is meticulously arranged.

At the break of dawn, several young girls are already busy picking mulberry leaves in the mulberry groves on the terraces.

The mulberry leaves for the silkworms must not have dew on them, as it would cause the silkworms to have diarrhea, and the leaves do not keep well, quickly withering after being picked. Therefore, the leaves for the silkworms must be picked and stored before the sun rises.

As the sun is about to rise, the girls quicken their pace. By the time the morning light fills the ground, the group of girls has finished picking the leaves and gathers together, laughing and chatting with baskets full of mulberry leaves on their backs.

The girls are clearly young, the oldest looking around twenty, and the youngest about thirteen or fourteen.

It's unclear whether it's due to the local environment or genetics, but the girls' skin is exceptionally fair and delicate. When they gather together, they form a beautiful scene.

On the nearby road, the rugged, dark-skinned men carrying hoes to the fields can't help but stare.

Among the girls, one stands out with her exceptional beauty.

She wears the Gu Clan's distinctive light green short-sleeved top and capri pants, with her fair arms and ankles exposed. Around her waist is a sash skirt made of colorful fabric, embroidered with a beautiful phoenix totem in golden thread, looking very pretty.

Her name is A-Sang, and she is nineteen years old.

Nineteen, just the age for marriage. Although A-Sang is tall and her figure is beginning to take shape, her face still carries a childlike innocence.

She easily carries a basket full of mulberry leaves on her back, her face beaming with a bright smile as she happily chats with her friends, "Last night when I checked the silkworm room, my dad said our silkworms have shed their skin for the fourth time and are about to cocoon. My dad plans to start setting up the silkworm mountain today. In a few days, when the silkworms stop eating, we'll put the silkworm mountain in, and they'll start cocooning."

"Oh, so soon?" a nearby girl said enviously, "Ours haven't finished shedding yet. Looks like your family's silkworms will cocoon first again this year."

"Well, not necessarily. The family at the east end of the village is also doing well. I heard they're researching silkworm breeding techniques, so they might surpass us this year," A-Sang said with a humble smile.

"Don't be so modest~ Your dad is really amazing, raising silkworms that grow fast and well. The cocoons are the largest, and you make more money than others with the same number of silkworms," said a more mature-looking sister with a smile.

"Actually, it's not that great~" A-Sang said shyly, explaining, "My dad is the great-grandson of the previous generation's Grand Gu Master. His bloodline is just a bit stronger than others, but he's still far from the geniuses who can become Gu Masters. My uncles and grandfathers are the truly amazing ones."

Hearing her words, the girls couldn't help but admire the Gu Masters.

In the Gu villages, Gu Masters hold a revered position. Typically, the village chief is chosen from the most powerful Gu Masters, known as the "Grand Gu Master."

Only Gu Masters and Grand Gu Masters can protect the village in the dangerous wilderness.

To ensure the Gu Master's bloodline is passed down, some powerful Gu Masters even take multiple wives. With more offspring, there's a chance of producing descendants with excellent bloodline aptitude, who can better protect the village when they grow up.

The girls chatted away, somehow bringing up stories from the past.

"I heard our village used to have less than two thousand people, the smallest kind of village. It wasn't until [Saintess Jing] came and improved our living conditions that we gradually grew," one girl said.

"In the past, our ancestors worked hard to develop the terraces, but irrigation and production were difficult, and the annual grain output was very limited. If the weather was bad, there might be no harvest at all. It was hard to feed a village of a thousand people, let alone more. It's only now, with all the terraces converted to mulberry and spiritual mulberry trees, that we have more income sources and a better life."

"And back then, children couldn't withstand the miasma, and many didn't survive to adulthood. We didn't have the good life we have now."

The more mature sister sighed, lamenting the hardships of their ancestors.

"I heard from my grandma too," A-Sang added, "She said when she was young, life was tough. There was something called insect burial. When the elderly couldn't work anymore, they'd leave everything valuable at home, wear only one outfit, and go into the mountains, where they'd die and feed the insects. My grandma saw her grandma go into the mountains back then."

As A-Sang spoke, she got goosebumps and quickly shook her head to dispel the image, then sighed, "Thankfully, life is better now. Otherwise, my grandma might have had to go into the mountains at her age. I couldn't bear that."

"That's right," the other girls nodded, "It's better now. If it weren't for Saintess Jing, we wouldn't have the good life we have now."

When a group chats, the topic tends to drift. As they talked, they somehow returned to the topic of silkworm cocoons.

"When autumn comes, the Changning United Weaving Bureau will come to collect the cocoons. I heard the price is going up again this time. What are you planning to buy with the money?" one girl asked.

"Speaking of which, in winter, the Gu Masters working outside will return home. They'll bring back a lot of grain and many good things from the Great Qian. We can buy from them. Last time, the jewelry and cosmetics brought back by Sister Dihua were very popular~" another girl said, then hesitated, "Is 'popular' the right word?"

These "words" from the Great Qian are still new to them. The so-called working outside refers to the young Gu Masters in the village being hired by the Wang's Clan to work in the Great Qian, specifically for pest control in farmlands.

A young Gu Master can rear many beneficial insects like lacewing kings, and once skilled, can protect tens of thousands of acres from pest disasters. Their annual income is astronomical.

With their "fortune," they naturally buy many advanced goods to bring back.

"Sister Dihua's things are great, but you have to fight for them. Especially the beauty cream, if you're a bit slow, it's gone," one girl complained, "I heard Saintess Jing uses that beauty cream, and only the Wang's Clan has it. Last time, my dad managed to get a box, and I thought it was for me, but he gave it to my mom."

"My mom was so happy when she got it, dinner was much better than usual that night. But I had to sleep over at my sister's place, and she complained about me all night. Hehe~~"

Hearing this, the girls immediately understood and laughed. Only the thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl was still confused, not knowing why they were laughing.

At this moment, one girl nudged A-Sang and teased, "Hey~ A-Sang, your Shanlang will be back soon. I heard a Gu Master in the neighboring village saved up to buy a small estate in the Great Qian and took his wife and kids there to enjoy life. Did your Shanlang say when he'll take you to the Great Qian?"

"Oh, I'm not married yet~ Why are you saying this?" A-Sang blushed and turned her head shyly.

"Isn't it just a matter of time? With your Shanlang's skills, saving up to buy an estate in the Great Qian is possible~~"

"I heard the Great Qian is amazing, everything is better than here. It would be great to enjoy life there."

A-Sang, influenced by her words, also began to dream of the prosperity of the Great Qian.

Shanlang had mentioned some things about the Great Qian in his letters, and she found it unbelievable, thinking the people there were amazing. If she had the chance, she'd like to see it for herself.

Laughing and chatting, the group of girls arrived at the other side of the mulberry grove.

Here, several iron rail cars were parked. They just needed to put their baskets into the cars, and the cars would slide down the track to the foot of the mountain.

Then they could pick them up at the bottom, much more convenient than carrying them down themselves.

The Grand Gu Master in the village said the rail cars move due to "gravity."

A-Sang didn't really understand what it meant, and the Grand Gu Master might not either, as he just repeated what the people from the Great Qian said. But it didn't matter, as long as it worked.

Laughing and chatting, the group of girls returned to the village together.

At this time, the morning light was just beginning, and the day's work in the village was just starting. But unlike before, now everyone had hope and anticipation on their faces.

Because they knew, life was getting better and better.

The little things happening in "Golden Mushroom Village" are not uncommon in the Southern Border. More and more villages are joining the Wang's Clan Development Company's "Common Prosperity" plan.

The terraces, once used for meager grain and spiritual crop production, have rapidly transformed into production bases for spiritual mulberry, regular mulberry, spiritual tea, and regular tea, driven by high profits.

As for grain sources, it's simple.

By using about ten percent of the income from mulberry and silkworm farming, they can buy enough food and spiritual rice for their families through the Wang's Clan Development Company.

Moreover, the rice and spiritual rice from the Wang's Clan are soft and chewy when cooked, fragrant and delicious, much better than the millet and spiritual millet originally grown on the terraces.

Nowadays, only a fool would plant millet in the fields.

The elderly grandmothers and grandfathers no longer need to resort to "insect burial" due to lack of labor ability. They can raise silkworms, fry tea, and still have plenty of residual heat to contribute.

Decades have passed, and every household's life is getting more promising.

However, a massive crisis is looming over the Southern Border without warning.

……

The military flags fluttered!

The Great Qian army crossed Tianfu Commandery, advancing straight into the Southern Border.

Among them, the famous Cangxiong Corps, Rosefinch Corps, and White Tiger Corps formed the vanguard.

These three corps are among the Great Qian's renowned elite main corps, each led by a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, with thirteen battalions under their command. Only Celestial Realm cultivators are qualified to serve as battalion commanders and deputy commanders, with each battalion comprising thirteen squads, led by Lingtai Realm cultivators.

Thus, a fully staffed elite corps consists of about 5,200 people.

The vanguard, composed of a mighty force of 15,000 to 16,000 troops, built bridges when encountering water, opened paths through mountains, and cleared forests when faced with miasma. Everywhere they passed was leveled.

Including some villages of the Southern Barbarian Gu Clan near the Great Qian. The villagers had no power or courage to resist, fleeing to the deeper forests.

The left and right wings of the Great Qian army were protected by the Kui Niu and Xi Qu, two elite corps skilled in defense, preventing enemy attacks on the central army.

The central army was led by the famous ace corps—Canglong Corps One to Five, with five regular corps as auxiliary forces, totaling nearly 60,000 troops forming a massive central army.

Additionally, the Basalt Corps served as the rear guard, with two logistics corps maintaining the supply line.

In total, over 100,000 troops formed the mighty [Southern Border Expeditionary Corps].

The corps commander was Prince An.

However, the emperor, fearing Prince An's youth and inexperience in military matters, appointed the semi-retired [Xiao Limei] to assist.

Xiao Limei, already over a thousand years old, hailed from a military family and had a lifetime of military achievements for the Great Qian. He had made significant contributions in the Western Jin and Southern Qin campaigns.

Later, as the commander of the Great Qian's outer region battlefield, he gained fame and prestige, making the Great Qian's military might renowned internationally, even instilling fear in the violent demons.

Thus, Xiao Limei was known as the legendary military god of the Great Qian.

However, over a hundred years ago, during Xiao Limei's tenure as the outer region corps commander, the Commandery Prince Hao, hailed as the Great Qian's future hope, pursued a demon squad alone and was ultimately surrounded and heroically sacrificed.

Although the Ancestral House investigation concluded that the main reason was Commandery Prince Hao's overconfidence and recklessness, unrelated to Xiao Limei, it still affected many people's futures.

Xiao Limei resigned in guilt and returned to Guilong City in a semi-retired state.

But the emperor trusted Xiao Limei greatly and didn't want his skills and reputation to be buried, so he appointed him as a Grand Marshal in a nominal position, responsible for various military construction and training tasks.

Under these circumstances, with Xiao Limei's supervision, Prince An couldn't fully command the corps as he wished. If any military action seemed too dangerous to Xiao Limei, he had the authority to intervene and suggest better plans.

But this time, the entire army was full of confidence.

With such formidable military strength, they could easily sweep through the Southern Barbarian Gu Clan. The challenge lay in establishing a foothold in the Southern Border and consolidating the gains. However, Prince An had prepared for forty years, clearly having a comprehensive plan.

Therefore, the [Southern Border Expeditionary Corps] advanced unopposed, reaching within hundreds of miles of the Southern Border's sacred site, the "Gu God Village," and temporarily set up camp.

In the central army's camp.

The endless tents covered the land.

Inside a tent that appeared neither luxurious nor conspicuous.

Prince An, clad in luxurious Basalt armor, looked exceptionally heroic. Decades of regency had also given him a regal demeanor. Sitting casually, he exuded an aura of authority.

Wang Shouzhe and a group of confidants sat in turn, holding a small meeting for Prince An's inner circle.

"Shouzhe's previous arrangements were very successful," Prince An said with satisfaction, "Now that the Gu Clan is living better, their fighting spirit is weaker than before. As we anticipated, our army encountered no significant resistance."

"Shouzhe, you've worked hard for decades."

Wang Shouzhe shook his head calmly, "The credit belongs to Luojing, Luo Qiu, and other members of the Wang's Clan. I merely directed from afar, hardly any hardship."

When planning the Southern Border expedition, Wang Shouzhe learned that his fifth sister, Wang Luojing, seemed connected to the Gu Clan's "Holy Gu True Method." Her "found" master, Zhou Changfeng, was even related to the Gu Clan's Saintess.

With Wang Luojing's consent, they devised the true "Southern Barbarian Gu Clan Conquest Plan," a comprehensive plan targeting the Gu Clan from top to bottom.

After decades of hard work, the entire Southern Barbarian Gu Clan had completely changed their way of life.

"The most brilliant move in this plan was replacing the Gu Clan's traditional terrace farming industry with high-value-added industries," Tianyan Fairy, sitting nearby, said with admiration, "The spiritual mulberry, silkworm, and other industries have indeed provided the Gu Clan with a prosperous life, but they also destroyed their original backward and meager agricultural practices."

"With a small portion of the high income from mulberry and tea cultivation, they can buy cheap and delicious Wang's Clan grain, an irresistible temptation. Unfortunately, once war breaks out, if the Wang's Clan cuts off the grain supply, the entire Gu Clan will face a food shortage panic. Naturally, they will collapse without a fight."

"Of course, some smart people realized this, but in the face of the general trend, their opposition was futile."

"Master Shouzhe, I didn't expect your mind to grow more cunning with age," Tianyan Fairy said, her eyes glancing at Wang Shouzhe, "The entire Gu Clan has been thoroughly tricked by you this time."

"Why do you say that, Fairy?" Wang Shouzhe sipped his tea leisurely, "Our Wang's Clan has always advocated for common prosperity and development. We've indeed led the Southern Border people to a happy and prosperous life."

"From another perspective, if not for my 'bloodless' plan, the Emperor would have undoubtedly used force to conquer the Southern Border before abdicating, resulting in countless deaths in both the Southern Border and the Great Qian."

"I've saved the Gu Clan."

A series of rebuttals left Tianyan Fairy rolling her eyes, "Anyway, Master Shouzhe, you can talk your way out of anything."

In recent years, Tianyan Fairy seemed to have some grievances with Wang Shouzhe. Especially with rumors that Wang Shouzhe's great-grandson, Wang Anye, might marry two princesses, she seemed filled with a sense of melancholy.

As if expressing, Master Shouzhe, your great-grandson can marry two wives, yet you still don't dare to take a concubine?

"Tianyan," Prince An changed the subject for Wang Shouzhe, "You know, this Southern Border expedition is just a side mission. Our main goal is crucial, and we can't afford any mistakes."

"Yes, Your Highness," Tianyan Fairy became serious, a fiery determination in her eyes, "I've waited a long time for this day, and I won't make any mistakes, even if it costs my life. Thank you, Your Majesty, for seeking justice for me!"

"Our goals align, and we should thank Shouzhe for planning this," Prince An said solemnly, looking at Wang Shouzhe, "Shouzhe, this matter is more important to me than ruling as Emperor. I entrust everything to you."

"I will do my best," Wang Shouzhe bowed respectfully.

……

While Prince An and his group held a private meeting.

In Grand Marshal Xiao Limei's tent, something urgent seemed to be brewing.

A man in Grand Marshal's guard armor paced back and forth in front of Xiao Limei, his sinister eyes showing anxiety, "How could this happen? How could this happen? The Wang's Clan has deceived the heavens and crossed the sea, quietly conquering the Southern Border and seizing control of its food supply."

"With this, what courage and trump card does the Southern Barbarian Gu Clan have to engage in guerrilla warfare with the Great Qian army?"

"If there's no fierce battle, what chance do we have? We could…"

The legendary military god of the Great Qian, Xiao Limei, no longer appeared as heroic as in his youth, looking somewhat old and desolate. He frowned slightly, "Dexin, capturing the Southern Border bloodlessly is a soldier's lifelong wish."

"Both Prince An and Wang Shouzhe have shown extraordinary abilities. Since there's no opportunity, for the sake of the Great Qian, we should withdraw and leave a future for the Great Qian."

The man disguised as a guard was none other than Prince Dexin.

"Withdraw? Why should I withdraw? If I, Dexin, were born in a different era, the position of Prince would be mine. Now, I've spent countless efforts and preparations to push Chengsi to the throne," Prince Dexin's voice was filled with madness and resentment, "The position of Prince belongs to my Dexin line. It was Deshun and Wu Mingyuan who forcibly took it."

"They caused my Dexin line to be so miserable, with Chengsi suffering in the cannon fodder camp. You want me to withdraw? Hehehe~ Xiao Limei, don't forget, you're no saint either. Back then… hahahaha~"

A series of low, mad laughter echoed.

Xiao Limei frowned, seemingly disgusted, yet helplessly sighed.

Meanwhile.

Another "guard" with a slightly smaller stature spoke in a delicate voice, "Please calm down, Your Highness. We still have one last chance." The voice was that of a woman.

"Luo Yuqing, do you still have the face to speak?" Prince Dexin's voice was filled with blame, "The Wang's Clan secretly made such a big move in the Southern Border for decades, and your so-called 'Dawn' organization didn't detect a thing? You're a waste, and I wasted my efforts to protect you."

"Your Highness," Luo Yuqing's voice was a bit aggrieved, "Despite your protection, our 'Dawn' barely survived, but our intelligence network was severely damaged. Moreover, we're still fugitives, how could we operate openly?"

"And the Wang's Clan did this too secretly, blocking all information. The Great Qian and Southern Border had no dealings… we didn't expect them to do so much secretly…"

Prince Dexin impatiently waved his hand, "Enough, arguing is pointless. Tell me, in this situation, what chance do we still have?"

"I received intelligence that the 'Gu God Village' is facing a 'Saintess transition'…" Luo Yuqing whispered, "So and so, such and such…"Prince Dexin furrowed his brows. "This plan does have some feasibility, but even if the Grand Marshal's personal guards trust him completely, they would never agree to act directly against Prince An."

"That's right," Xiao Limei agreed. "The primary allegiance of all military forces is to the Emperor of the Great Qian, and their secondary allegiance is to the princes. Unless the Emperor orders it, no army will take action against Prince An."

"When did I ever say we should act against 'Prince An'?" Luo Yuqing's eyes gleamed as she lowered her voice.

"We have 'intelligence' indicating that Wang Shouzhe of the Changning Wang's Clan is actually a demonic aberration from the Demon Dynasty. It is he who has bewitched the Emperor and confused Prince An with his dark arts. The evidence is that both Prince An and the Emperor seem to have agreed to let the two young princesses marry Wang Shouzhe's great-grandson!"

"If not for demonic sorcery, how could such an outrageous thing be accomplished?"

Prince Dexin's eyes lit up. "Good, good, good. This plan is excellent. We are not targeting Prince An at all; we are targeting the demonic aberration of the Wang's Clan! We're after that scoundrel Wang Shouzhe~"

The more Prince Dexin thought about the plan, the more feasible it seemed, and he grew increasingly excited.

"Once this plan succeeds, all the efforts of Prince An and the Wang's Clan will have been in vain, serving only to benefit us."

"Our rallying cry will be—'Purge the court! Execute Shouzhe!'"