Ancestor Mingsheng (Please Vote)

Before long, under the maid's guidance, Wang Shouzhe arrived at the rear courtyard of the Lu Clan's main residence, where Ancestor Mingsheng lived in seclusion and cultivated.

This place bordered Yingxiu Lake. From the towering, magnificent pavilion, one could take in nearly half the lake's scenery. Lake breezes, crashing waves, leaping fish, and birdsong all made the building seem woven into nature itself.

Standing before the pavilion named Yingxiu Rising Moon Pavilion, Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands and said, "Wang Shouzhe of the Ping'an Wang Clan requests an audience with Ancestor Mingsheng."

"Come in."

A gentle voice sounded directly beside Wang Shouzhe's ear.

Wang Shouzhe entered as instructed, climbing the solid wooden steps to the pavilion's upper floor. Beyond the windows, an old man in gray robes sat with his back to Wang Shouzhe in a grand chair, fishing in Yingxiu Lake with a long line.

His posture was exceedingly casual, yet with Wang Shouzhe's discernment, he could not see through the man in the slightest. He was like an insurmountable mountain range, and like a lake whose depths could not be sounded.

Beside him stood a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl in red. She was Wang Shouzhe's cousin, Lu Xiaoxiao. She glared at him with puffed cheeks, clearly still angry.

"Great-grandfather, tell me, isn't Cousin Shouzhe awful?" Lu Xiaoxiao pouted. "Why does that Wang-surnamed little sister get an Amethyst Spirit Bee Honeycomb, while Xiaoxiao doesn't?"

"Uh..." Wang Shouzhe rubbed his nose, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. This girl Xiaoxiao had really run to the ancestor to lodge a false complaint.

"Then tell me, how should I punish your cousin? Last time, you said Cousin Shouzhe was your favorite." The old man spoke softly. "You don't like him anymore?"

"I do, but Mother said the Wang Clan is in bad shape right now and short of money everywhere." Tilting her head, Lu Xiaoxiao said with utmost seriousness, "I think Cousin must be desperately short of money. How about you give Cousin five hundred Qian Gold, Great-grandfather, so he can buy an Amethyst Spirit Bee Honeycomb for me? Then Xiaoxiao won't be angry at Cousin Shouzhe anymore."

"Why five hundred Qian Gold?" the old man asked in astonishment. "Great-grandfather remembers that an ordinary Amethyst Spirit Bee Honeycomb only costs two or three hundred Qian Gold. Could prices really have soared so wildly now?"

"It's hard work for Cousin Shouzhe to go buy a honeycomb too."

Pfft!

That nearly made Wang Shouzhe spit blood. This Lu Clan cousin's logic was truly formidable. To get a honeycomb, she even intended to make Ancestor Mingsheng pay extra. He could no longer bear to listen and immediately coughed twice. "Shouzhe greets Ancestor Mingsheng."

Unexpectedly, Ancestor Mingsheng ignored Wang Shouzhe completely and continued speaking to Lu Xiaoxiao. "Then if your Cousin Shouzhe buys you an Amethyst Spirit Bee Honeycomb, will you listen to Great-grandfather properly?"

"I will!" Lu Xiaoxiao nodded firmly.

Ancestor Mingsheng nodded slightly, then turned and smiled at Wang Shouzhe. With a casual flick, several gold notes flew toward him.

Wang Shouzhe hurriedly caught them and looked closely. They were actually five gold notes worth one hundred Qian Gold each. His face immediately filled with astonishment. What had just happened? Could it be...

"Shouzhe, did you hear that?" A teasing smile appeared on Ancestor Mingsheng's face, which looked no older than a man in his fifties. "Later, buy your cousin Xiaoxiao an Amethyst Spirit Bee Honeycomb. Consider the remainder your fee for running the errand."

"This, Ancestor..." A bead of cold sweat formed on Wang Shouzhe's forehead as he hurriedly said, "This absolutely will not do. If Cousin Xiaoxiao truly likes an Amethyst Spirit Bee Honeycomb, I'll find a way to buy one myself."

"Enough. Do you not know what state your Wang Clan is in now?" Ancestor Mingsheng waved him off impatiently. "Take this Qian Gold for now and prepare more cultivation resources. As for the Amethyst Spirit Bee Honeycomb, wait until your hands are less tight."

Wang Shouzhe felt a slight warmth in his heart. Cupping his hands, he said, "Thank you for your support, Ancestor." It seemed Ancestor Mingsheng intended to support him, his great-grandson-in-law. Naturally, he stopped standing on ceremony and accepted the money first.

"Thank your cousin Xiaoxiao." Ancestor Mingsheng smiled. "If I hadn't been unable to withstand her pestering, this old man would not have parted with the Qian Gold." Even for the Lu Clan, a full five hundred Qian Gold was no small sum. After all their enormous expenditures, they might not even save that much in a year.

"Thank you, Cousin Xiaoxiao." Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands as well.

"Hmph." Lu Xiaoxiao turned her head aside and gave a delicate snort, as though unwilling to acknowledge him.

"Xiaoxiao, you must strive hard. Don't let that little Spirit Insect Master girl surpass you." Ancestor Mingsheng stirred the pot from the side. "If you can successfully learn the path of a Formation Master and become a first-rank Formation Master, I guarantee Cousin Shouzhe will see you in a new light."

"A Formation Master?"

Wang Shouzhe said in surprise, "Ancestor, could Cousin Xiaoxiao have talent for formations?"

"What, the Wang Clan is allowed to produce a Spirit Insect Master, but our Lu Clan is not allowed to produce a Formation Master?" Ancestor Mingsheng said with a half-smile.

A bead of cold sweat appeared on Wang Shouzhe's forehead. "Ancestor, that isn't what I meant. I was only a little surprised. Congratulations, Ancestor. Congratulations, Cousin Xiaoxiao."

Yet inwardly, he marveled that talent was truly impossible to predict. He vaguely remembered that Lu Xiaoxiao had been atrocious at the Nine Chapters of Arithmetic, yet she actually possessed talent for formations...

"Great-grandfather, from now on, I'll definitely work hard and stop slacking off." Lu Xiaoxiao said obediently. "Once I become a first-rank Formation Master, I'll infuriate that little Spirit Insect Master girl, and I definitely won't let Cousin Shouzhe look down on me."

"That's the spirit. Now you look like a great-granddaughter of mine, Lu Mingsheng. Come, come, let's lay the foundation first. Later, Great-grandfather will take you to find a master." Ancestor Mingsheng was all smiles toward Lu Xiaoxiao, but he casually waved at Wang Shouzhe. "Shouzhe, go do whatever you need to do."

So he had been treated like a tool.

Wang Shouzhe was secretly speechless, but if being a tool once earned him five hundred Qian Gold, he would be willing to do it any number of times. Moreover, Lu Xiaoxiao having talent for formations was a tremendous boon. She was his cousin through both direct bloodlines; their blood relationship was exceptionally close.

But it was rare to meet Ancestor Mingsheng, and Wang Shouzhe did not wish to waste the opportunity so easily. He immediately cupped his hands and asked, "Ancestor, Shouzhe has several obscure points in cultivation that I hope you can enlighten me on."

"You brat, don't push your luck." Ancestor Mingsheng blew out his beard and glared. "Your Ancestor Longyan is experienced and knowledgeable. Why do you still need my guidance?"

"Listening to many sides brings clarity." Wang Shouzhe grinned foolishly. "Having the chance to verify things from multiple angles would greatly benefit this boy's path to the Spirit Platform. I see the environment here is quite good, so your cultivation must advance a thousand miles in a day..."

He put on the shameless air of someone who would not leave unless Ancestor Mingsheng agreed to instruct him. As a junior, acting a little shamelessly before his great-grandfather-in-law was completely fine.

"Fine, fine, fine. Ask whatever questions you have quickly. Once you're done, leave quickly. Don't disturb this old man's quiet cultivation," Ancestor Mingsheng said helplessly.

Wang Shouzhe promptly threw out the questions he had prepared, one after another.

In truth, Ancestor Mingsheng merely appeared disdainful on the surface. He naturally did not dare be careless with Wang Shouzhe's cultivation questions, considering each one before answering. Yet as the questions continued, Wang Shouzhe's questions gradually became increasingly tricky. Even Ancestor Mingsheng had to ponder carefully before he could answer them.

Before transmigrating, Wang Shouzhe had been a taciturn man who only knew how to cultivate on his own. Sometimes he had bottled up many questions without daring to seek instruction from Ancestor Longyan. But the present Wang Shouzhe was completely different. Influenced by the mindset of a modern Earthling, he had accumulated many cultivation questions from all sorts of angles.

This was one of the differences between disciples of aristocratic clans and Rogue Cultivators: clan elders could answer their doubts and guide them.

"You brat, that's about enough. This ancestor needs to cultivate too." After more than two hours straight, Ancestor Mingsheng was feeling overwhelmed. Where had this boy gotten so many strange and bizarre questions? If he kept asking like this, he feared he would no longer be able to answer.

For things he did not understand, he could not simply make something up. If something went wrong, would he not be harming a junior?

He truly could not hold on any longer!

At first, Lu Xiaoxiao had pretended to listen from the side, but the more she listened, the less she understood and the more bored she became. Before long, she had sprawled off to one side and fallen asleep.

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Ancestor. Shouzhe truly feels as though the clouds have parted and the sun has appeared." Seeing the right moment, Wang Shouzhe stopped while he was ahead. Rising to his feet, he cupped his hands and said, "This boy wishes Ancestor an early completion of your profound arts and a glorious ascent to Celestial."

Those words made Ancestor Mingsheng quite happy. Though he was still trudging along the road toward the Mid Spirit Platform Realm, what cultivator who had attained the Spirit Platform Realm did not wish to go a step further?

One had to know that all below the Spirit Platform Realm were mortals, with lifespans of no more than a hundred years. After reaching the Spirit Platform Realm, one's lifespan could double, reaching a limit of two hundred years. This was why those in the Spirit Platform Realm were called ancestors: as they lived on and on, they would discover that their descendants and juniors died one by one before them.

During the new book period, thank you all, brothers and sisters who like "Clan Leader"