Starting Today as the Clan Leader

This book is a slow burn. At the start, there were only five or six hundred subscribers, but the 24-hour follow-up rate for individual chapters has been rising steadily since it went live. It is clear that the plot of over three million words currently serialized has not collapsed. Readers who enjoy this can follow along with confidence. Latest intelligence: by the time it reached over 4.3 million words, the 24-hour follow-up had reached seven thousand, and the average subscription had exceeded ten thousand. It should be safe to say it hasn't collapsed.

The 3145th year of the Longchang era of the Great Qian Kingdom—the ninth day of the fourth month.

In the Ping'an Wang Clan, the former Clan Leader Wang Dingyue passed away prematurely due to injuries.

After the seven-day mourning period, Wang Shouzhe, as the legitimate son of the direct lineage, followed national laws and clan rules. Under the presiding of his eldest aunt, Gongsun Hui, and the various clan elders, and after reporting to Ancestor Longyan and the ancestors, he succeeded as the new generation of Clan Leader.

The Wang Clan was a Ninth-Rank Profound Martial Aristocratic Clan registered and rated by the Great Qian Kingdom. Its influence was limited to the area around Ping'an Town in the Changning Guard, making it a bottom-tier aristocratic clan.

However, their ancestors had once been prosperous, and tracing their roots, they belonged to the Great Qian Wang Clan lineage.

A thousand years ago, for reasons unknown, their ancestors split from the Great Qian Wang Clan and traveled ten thousand miles to Longzuo Prefecture, where they cleared mountains and broke ground to establish the Longzuo Wang Clan, laying the foundation for the family.

At that time, the Longzuo Wang Clan could be considered a prestigious and powerful family, with unparalleled prestige.

It was a pity that flowers do not bloom for a hundred days, and people do not stay prosperous for a thousand.

After the glory, the family's influence gradually withered.

Later.

In the 3000th year of Longchang, the talented Wang Zhouxuan of the Longzuo Wang Clan, along with his family and a Pioneering Order, traveled south to the Changning Guard. At the confluence of the Liuping Mountains and the An River, they cleared wasteland, built a stronghold, and established a town. Through arduous efforts to open up a human habitat, they established the Ping'an Wang Clan, taking root and multiplying.

At the peak of his combat power, Ancestor Zhouxuan reached the late stage of the Spirit Platform Realm, holding absolute sway over Ping'an Town.

What made Ancestor Zhouxuan even prouder was his great-granddaughter, Wang Longyan, who possessed extraordinary talent. At eighteen, she was already at the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm. After being admitted to the renowned Purple Mansion Academy, she broke through to the Spirit Platform Realm at thirty, and before sixty, she reached the middle stage of the Spirit Platform Realm, receiving great cultivation and importance from the Purple Mansion Academy.

At the same time, Wang Longyan and Liu Xuanfu of the Shanyin Liu Clan were known as the Changning Twin Beauties, their fame spreading far and wide.

Furthermore, the ancestor's direct great-grandson, Wang Qiongyuan, was also exceptionally gifted. Under the ancestor's cultivation and support, he reached the Spirit Platform Realm at forty and took over the position of Clan Leader.

At that time, the Wang Clan boasted three Spirit Platform Realm experts, and their glory was boundless, with the family's influence even affecting the entire Changning Guard region.

Until the 3095th year of Longchang, when Ancestor Zhouxuan was 145 years old, the Fierce Beasts deep within the long-calm Liuping Mountains suddenly rioted, and Ping'an Town bore the brunt, becoming a disaster zone.

To protect the family's century-old foundation, Ancestor Zhouxuan did not hesitate to personally hold off the fifth-order Fierce Beast, the Golden-Winged Sun-Swallowing Tiger, while waiting for reinforcements.

The battle was extremely tragic. Two ancestors from vassal families also went missing during the fight with the beast tide, their fates unknown. Although the Golden-Winged Sun-Swallowing Tiger and the beast disaster were eventually surrounded and killed by the arriving Changning Guard reinforcements, the Ping'an Wang Clan had already suffered devastating damage.

This battle not only saw the fall of Ancestor Zhouxuan, but also the death of the fourth-generation Clan Leader Wang Qiongyuan, who was in the early stage of the Spirit Platform Realm and had been highly regarded by the ancestor, as well as the fifth-generation successor, Wang Xiaoqi.

The fall of two generations of Spirit Platform Realm experts left the Ping'an Wang Clan severely weakened.

The Liu Clan and the Zhao Clan, two vassal families that had long harbored ulterior motives, had secretly preserved their strength during the beast disaster, with their two ancestors faking their deaths to escape. After the Wang Clan declined, they joined forces in an attempt to annex the Wang Clan's foundation.

At the critical moment, the third-generation member of the Wang Clan, Wang Longyan, resolutely violated the precepts of the Purple Mansion Academy, abandoned her bright future to return to the family, and took the initiative to face the enemy's three Spirit Platform Realm experts.

Fighting one against three, Wang Longyan fiercely killed an enemy Spirit Platform Realm ally, deterring the Spirit Platform ancestors of the Liu and Zhao clans.

It was just a pity that Wang Longyan suffered heavy injuries in this battle, her strength falling to the early stage of the Spirit Platform Realm and her lifespan greatly reduced.

But even so, Wang Longyan still carried the burden on her own, barely protecting the Ping'an Wang Clan. The Liu and Zhao clans dared not provoke Wang Longyan too much, so they settled on a strategy of encroachment.

Time flew by, and another forty or fifty years passed. Generation after generation of clansmen failed to produce another Spirit Platform Realm expert, and this time, even the former Clan Leader Wang Dingyue had died.

All the burdens seemed to have fallen onto the new generation Clan Leader, Wang Shouzhe!

In a room within an antique courtyard of the Wang Clan Main Residence.

"Young... no, Clan Leader~ The deceased are gone, please eat something. If you continue like this, your body won't be able to take it. These dishes were prepared personally for you by the eldest lady, Gongsun." The personal servant Wang Gui carefully held a sandalwood food box, his brow filled with worry.

"Hoo~" Wang Shouzhe let out a turbid breath and put down the "Wang Family Heritage Records". His eyes regained some clarity, and thoughts arose in his heart, I never expected that a car accident would lead to me transmigrating into a fantasy world, and inexplicably becoming the leader of a declining Profound Martial Aristocratic Clan. It's just a pity that the burden looks very heavy.

It turned out that three days ago, the original Wang Shouzhe had been too heartbroken while keeping vigil and mourning. He fainted in front of his father's coffin, and when he woke up, he had become a transmigrator.

Over these three days, the process of memory fusion made Wang Shouzhe appear somewhat dazed. Everyone thought he was heartbroken and had lost his soul, not knowing the truth of the situation, and simply followed clan rules and heritage to push him onto the position of Clan Leader.

After reading the "Wang Family Heritage Records", Wang Shouzhe had a general understanding of this family and the world. The world he was in was called the Great Qian Kingdom. Great Qian was founded on Profound Martial Aristocratic Clans, with the royal family being the largest Profound Martial Family, and other large and small Profound Martial Aristocratic Clans scattered like stars.

They were intertwined with each other, directly or indirectly affecting the entire politics, economy, and even the lifeblood of Great Qian's national destiny.

Don't look at the Wang Clan as just a bottom-tier Ninth-Rank aristocratic clan; in the Ping'an area of Changning, they were one of the powerful local snakes, and they occupied a significant voice in the Town Guardian Office, a government agency.

In fact, as early as his great-grandfather's generation, the Wang Clan was the undisputed aristocratic clan of Ping'an Town, and the tentacles of their power could influence the surroundings of the Changning Guard.

It was just that following the two thrilling turning-point battles mentioned in the "Wang Family Heritage Records", which caused the fall of the family's experts, things had gone from bad to worse year after year. Even with Ancestor Longyan struggling to support them, it was difficult to resist the joint encroachment of the Liu and Zhao clans.

Wang Shouzhe always felt that there was something fishy about that great battle. Why did the Liu and Zhao clans have the guts to secretly preserve their strength and eventually rebel? And why did the reinforcements arrive so late?

The records were vague, and many things were not explained clearly. However, Wang Shouzhe decided to keep an eye on it for now.

Later, the former Clan Leader Wang Dingyue, in order to cultivate to the Spirit Platform Realm and turn the tide, did not hesitate to go deep into the dangerous Outer Domain to seek opportunities for a breakthrough.

However, Wang Dingyue's failure and unfortunate premature death added insult to injury for the already declining Ping'an Wang Clan.

If no accidents occurred, as things developed, the Wang Clan's territory and industries would be gradually encroached upon and replaced by the other two families in Ping'an Town within the next few decades, and the once large and glorious family would collapse, with the family bloodline falling to the status of commoners.

But it's an interesting world. Wang Shouzhe narrowed his eyes. As he gradually integrated his memories, he couldn't help but think, It seems that the original Wang Shouzhe, although young, was not a simple character.

His memory told him that Wang Shouzhe had been hailed as a young genius since childhood. His talent and aptitude were only half a step behind Ancestor Longyan among the seven generations of descendants since Ancestor Zhouxuan.

Under the family's concentrated resource cultivation, Wang Shouzhe reached the high stage of the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm at eighteen, and he was not far from the seventh level.

This was good news; at least he hadn't transmigrated into a piece of trash.

The servant Wang Gui, seeing the changing expressions on Wang Shouzhe's face, became even more worried: "Clan Leader, please rest. I will go and invite a physician."

"No need, I am already fine." Wang Shouzhe stopped his actions. "Wang Gui, you go out first. I have some things to think about."

"Yes!"

Wang Gui put down the food box, received the order, and retreated, carefully closing the door.

After Wang Gui left and he was the only one left, Wang Shouzhe finally breathed a sigh of relief, his spirit relaxing. These days of keeping vigil and consciousness fusion meant he hadn't eaten properly, and his stomach was already growling with hunger. Revitalizing the family and all those other things could wait; he would fill his stomach first and then ponder slowly.

Opening the lid of the exquisite sandalwood food box, a wonderful aroma of food wafted over. The inside of the food box was divided into several compartments, with rice, vegetables, meat, and a piece of steamed fish.

Stimulated by his appetite, he quickly picked up his chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat, and stuffed it into his mouth. The seasoning was average, but the taste was exceptionally rich. With a good chew, the fragrant meat flavor filled his mouth. After swallowing it, he could faintly feel a subtle heat flow surging.

Hmm, so delicious?

What kind of meat is this? Pork? No, the texture of pork is coarse and not this delicate. Mutton? Also no, this meat has no gamey smell at all, the meat is mellow and full of juice, and the texture is like the expensive imported beef I occasionally tasted before transmigrating.

However, soon, the "memory" he had integrated told him that this was Spirit-Horn Yak meat, a precious food that could strengthen the body and promote cultivation if consumed over a long period.

As the former Young Clan Leader with extraordinary talent, he was in the first sequence of those supported by family resources, so he naturally had the qualifications to enjoy such resources.

Wang Shouzhe felt the slight heat flow surging in his body and the wonderful feeling of his energy rapidly recovering. He couldn't help but sigh to himself. It was indeed good meat. Under the temptation of the delicious food, he finished the small amount of yak meat in just a few bites.

Still wanting more, he set his sights on the piece of steamed fish. His integrated memory told him this was called Red-Tail Spirit Mandarin Fish. It was a rare spirit fish produced in the nearby An River, belonging to the second-order Fierce Beast level. Its body could easily grow to hundreds of catties, and its strength could overturn boats; it was extremely fierce.

Ordinary fishermen would avoid such Fierce Beasts if they encountered them, and if they were slow to escape, it would inevitably lead to capsized boats and lost lives.

This Red-Tail Spirit Mandarin Fish was caught by the former Clan Leader Wang Dingyue last year with the help of several experts in the clan. After being cleaned and salted, it was stored in the family's ice cellar as a spirit food supplement for the family's young bloodline.

The cook had already removed the fish bones. The fish meat was salty, fresh, smooth, and tender, accompanied by a cool and comfortable feeling wandering through his body. It was extremely delicious and refreshing.

The rice was also no ordinary thing. The grains were full and crystal clear, and it tasted firm and chewy with a rich scent of ganoderma. This was the famous spirit food, White Jade Ganoderma Rice.

Wang Shouzhe enjoyed this meal immensely. The weakness of his body and his listless spirit immediately dissipated, replaced by vigorous energy and a glowing appearance.

If he ate like this every meal, his cultivation would surely be exceptionally fast.

But this was obviously impossible. The family was no longer in its former glory. Even his status sequence was far from being able to afford such a luxurious diet, let alone other family members.

Now that he had been promoted to Clan Leader, he naturally could not disregard other family members and endlessly occupy their resources to supply himself. If he really did that, it wouldn't be long before the family's hearts were scattered, accelerating its demise.

Even if it was just to eat all kinds of delicacies every meal, he had to help the Wang Clan grow and become strong.

"System!" Wang Shouzhe lay on the bed digesting his food, closing his eyes and calling out calmly with his mind.

But after a long while, there was no response at all.

No way? Wang Shouzhe's heart skipped a beat. Transmigrating without a golden finger? This rhythm is a bit of a pit, right? Subsequently, Wang Shouzhe tried repeatedly, but he never saw any sign of a golden finger.

His heart grew colder and colder. This fantasy world was full of experts, and Fierce Beasts ran rampant. How could he play without a golden finger?

Author's PS: Adjusted the ending node of the first chapter based on suggestions. Also, the performance of this book has been rising steadily in the early and middle stages. After 1.3 million words in the middle stage, the performance started to soar. Currently, the later stage hasn't been written yet... Don't miss it if you pass by.

(Warm reminder: During the free period of any book, there will be many readers in the chapter comments who like to pick faults from various angles, or readers who lose patience after reading a few chapters and spray nonsense out of context. Almost none of these readers will see the end. Readers who don't want to affect their reading experience can close the chapter comments first and perceive the good and bad, likes and dislikes for themselves. You can open the chapter comments again in the middle stage to participate in real plot discussions and join the big family of Clan Leader readers. Don't miss the fate! ^_^)