CHAPTER 83: CHAPTER 83: WANG SHOUZHE’S TRUE STRENGTH (THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT)

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The two girls were full of gains and had already begun trading with each other for what they needed.

On the contrary, the two older boys in the family were still entangled with their respective opponents. Their opponents were only at the high stage of the second layer of the Qi Refining Realm, but they were very skilled at coordinating in joint attacks.

Forcing the two brothers to also team up in battle. They were evenly matched, fighting intensely.

In addition, the scar-faced bandit leader hadn’t moved all this time.

Among the group of bandits, his cultivation was the highest, looking like it was almost at the fifth layer of the Qi Refining Realm. As a loose cultivator, reaching such a level in his forties was indeed not easy.

They, unlike family disciples and household generals, did not receive substantial support every year. If things went well, there would also be additional rewards.

The sources of cultivation resources for loose cultivators were often very unstable, with most resources requiring them to risk their lives to obtain.

Some might say, since loose cultivators are so poor, why not join a noble family to become household generals? This is naturally a path for loose cultivators, but noble families are very strict about recruiting household generals, the basics being a clean background, clear provenance, and no issues with character.

Even so, most noble families are not willing to recruit wild loose cultivators as household generals, preferring to cultivate their own people from a young age.

If noble families have to use loose cultivators, it’s mostly to hire them at high prices to act as cannon fodder or to do some shady business.

The reason the scar-faced loose cultivator hadn’t moved was that he was being watched by Wang Shouzhe all the time.

The youth who looked only eighteen or nineteen gave him a feeling of being completely unfathomable and profound. It was very clear that the opponent’s strength far exceeded his.

Such a terrifying sense of oppression had only been felt from experts in the late stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

A young expert at the late stage of the Qi Refining Realm like this must be a legitimate son meticulously cultivated by the family with all resources, destined to walk the path of the Spirit Platform in the future.

And those who reached such a level in Ping’an Town were only that one from the rumors.

He had tried to escape several times, but he was always within Wang Shouzhe’s line of sight. He knew that if he moved, he would be met with the opponent’s thunderous strike.

By this time, he could no longer hold back and swallowed hard, saying, "You must be Wang Shouzhe, the Clan Leader of the Ping’an Wang Family, right? I am Scarface Lao Wu. Since I’ve run into you, I’ll admit defeat." Of course, the name wasn’t his real one — in the world of loose cultivators, there were plenty of names like that.

"Heh~" Wang Shouzhe didn’t reply, merely continued to focus on the fight between Wang Shouyong and Wang Shou Lian. As for Scarface Lao Wu, unable to discern Wang Shouzhe’s pattern, he could only stay put obediently.

As for the two male family members of the Wang clan, their previous performance was just so-so. Under the pressure of their elders, their cultivation was passable. But since the family was too poor, most resources were inclined towards Wang Shouzhe.

Therefore, they merely stopped at getting by on the path of cultivation and never aspired to walk the path of the Spirit Platform.

Until Wang Luqiu, the catfish spirit, stirred things up, which "triggered" their desperate cultivation. They had made some progress but their opponents were also very seasoned, and the two sides were just about evenly matched.

On this mission to exterminate bandits, Wang Shouzhe had come with a plan to kill two birds with one stone: not only to eliminate the bandits but also to hone his younger siblings and instill in them a correct worldview.

Yet, they couldn’t break the stalemate.

Wang Luoqiu began her taunting again: "Wang Shouyong, Wang Shou Lian, can you get any more useless? Luojing and I will split them, one each." Her eyes were full of excitement, clearly hoping to make a gain and fatten her small purse.

The two boys flushed, gritted their teeth, and began fighting desperately. Finally, after a few risky moves, they managed to take down the two loose cultivators. Such a performance could only be considered passable.

Wang’s "Profound Origin Technique" was a middle-grade cultivation technique, and the various basic body technique combat techniques at home were also good things, with a solid foundation. Against these often incomplete lower-grade technique loose cultivators, they should have had a relative advantage.

Yet unexpectedly, with similar cultivation realms, they still had to exchange injuries to barely take down their opponents.

Though they were indeed embarrassed, having been ridiculed too much by their younger sister recently, Wang Shouyong and Wang Shou Lian had grown thicker skins and quickly learned from the two girls to gather their spoils.

"Not bad, overall there is some honing effect." Wang Shouzhe recognized this to some degree and praised, "Shouyong, Shou Lian, you were very brave in battle, and you’ve made good progress. Although you’re injured, well, a man has to weather some storms to see rainbows. Go bandage yourselves up."

He had been watching closely; had his younger brothers been in great danger, he would have intervened immediately.

"Yes, Fourth Brother." Both boys dutifully withdrew to the side to bandage their wounds, their faces flushed with excitement, feeling both the joy of defeating strong enemies and the happiness of being praised by their fourth brother.

The family’s elders had far stricter rules for the boys than for the girls, making their characters generally more composed. And the girls, in their view, were destined to be married off eventually, so they just needed to be adequate.

Moreover, Wang Shouzhe was their most revered and admired brother; receiving his praise was a first and delighted them greatly.

"Not bad, you’ve shown some manliness, enough to make this young lady look at you with new eyes. It seems my special training for you hasn’t been in vain." Even the previously biting Wang Luqiu, along with Wang Luojing, whose face was slightly pale, went up to help their two brothers apply some golden sore medicine and bandage them up.

Being sharp-tongued was one thing, but in the end, they were bound by blood as family. How could they not feel heartache over injuries?

At this moment, Wang Shouzhe finally turned his gaze to the scar-faced loose cultivator, his tone calm, "Surrender, you have no chance."

Scarface Lao Wu’s face turned ashen, large beads of sweat continually dripping down: "Lord... Lord Wang. I was wrong; I shouldn’t have been deceived by the Liu Family and Zhao Family into doing things not fit for pigs or dogs. As long as you let me go, I’ll hand over all the evidence, ensuring the Liu Family and Zhao Family get nothing out of it."

He knew quite well that the feud between the Wang Family and the Zhao and Liu families was significant.

"Sounds tempting," Wang Shouzhe said coldly, "but if I agree, how can I face my conscience? There’s only one road for you, surrender and confess, and I’ll grant you a dignified death afterward."

"You... if you don’t agree, don’t think you can get the evidence." Scar-Faced Five threatened savagely, "You’ll lose an excellent opportunity to deal with the Liu and Zhao families."

"Doesn’t matter, if it can be interrogated out, fine, if not, so be it." Wang Shouzhe said with a breezy demeanor, "Your little evidence is dispensable and cannot topple the Liu and Zhao families anyway."

"You!" Scar-Faced Five grew increasingly fierce, like a cornered beast, "Alright then, you forced me, I’ll fight you to the death!" The only path to survival was blocked by Wang Shouzhe, he determinedly took out a pill and swallowed it.

In an instant.

His face turned bright red, his eyes filled with a fierce glare, the Profound Qi swirled around him, even making his body seem larger.

"Fourth Brother, be careful, that’s a Frenzy Pill, they say it can allow you to battle across levels." Wang Luojing exclaimed anxiously, taking out an Insect Flute.

Even Wang Luqiu’s expression changed: "So despicable, actually swallowing a Frenzy Pill. Fourth Brother, let’s team up to fight him."

"No need. This person is too dangerous, you can’t handle him, back off a bit." Wang Shouzhe casually drew his sword and leisurely walked toward the Loose Cultivator, "Today was meant to hone our skills anyway, remember this—never underestimate any enemy, they may have some hidden means of survival."

"Yes, Fourth Brother." "Yes, Fourth Brother." "Wang, Fourth Brother, be careful."

Wang Luqiu could see the danger of the man, growing worried for Wang Shouzhe.

"Roar!"

That scar-faced Loose Cultivator’s eyes filled with a brutal bloody aura, wielding a large saber, he fiercely chopped at Wang Shouzhe, Qi Force surging, the saber blade carrying a domineering sharpness as if it would cleave the warehouse.

Wang Shouzhe’s expression didn’t change in the slightest, casually pointing his sword, striking the side of the saber like lightning.

"Clang!"

A sound of metal clashing rang out, the saber’s ferocious style was completely dismantled, the blade unable to withstand the force, swinging back, the muscular scar-faced Loose Cultivator seemed as if he was hit by a punch, stumbling backward several steps.

"Impossible!" A trace of remaining sanity left the scar-faced Loose Cultivator terrified. He was confident that this move, even if it couldn’t injure someone, could at least push them back.

"Alas!"

Wang Shouzhe sighed softly, "You underestimated the foundation of our Wang Family and underestimated me, Wang Shouzhe, too much. Just one Frenzy Pill and you think you can fight me to the death? Haha~"

With a faint laugh, Wang Shouzhe’s body floated like smoke as he charged at him, incredibly fast yet elusive and unpredictable.

A sword swung out.

The thick white Sword Aura transformed into a bolt of lightning, cleaving toward the Loose Cultivator’s head.

"’Willow Catkin Body Technique’"

"’Wang’s Profound Origin Swordsmanship’"

Wang Luojing and Wang Luqiu almost shouted at the same time, these were all family inherited essences of the Wang Family, Middle-grade Body Technique, Middle-grade Sword Technique.

Previously, they had seen Wang Shouzhe’s Willow Catkin Body Technique, elusive and unpredictable, one adversary after another being knocked around, unable to even touch his coat hem. Yet it was their first time witnessing the family’s inherited mastery, the ’Profound Yuan Sword Technique’.

"Clang!"

The scar-faced Loose Cultivator barely blocked it, spewing blood as he retreated. But before he could catch his breath, a more powerful second sword followed closely.

Block again...

The third sword!

"Clang!" With a sound of bell and drum resonating, the scar-faced Loose Cultivator’s saber shattered into two pieces, the impact sending him flying back, spewing blood as he fell to the ground, unable to rise again.

"Ugh!"

The four younger siblings saw Wang Shouzhe fighting for real for the first time, all shocked and awed on the spot, followed by faces flushing with excitement, Fourth Brother was truly formidable, indeed formidable!

"This is the power of our Wang’s Profound Origin Technique, combined with the Profound Yuan Sword Technique." Wang Shouzhe gracefully landed, as if he had done something trivial, smiling as he explained to them, "The initial power is ordinary, but as the Profound Origin Technique is cultivated to greater depths, its power becomes more profound. Train well in the Profound Origin Technique, it becomes more powerful towards the later stages."

"Yes, Fourth Brother."

Even Wang Luqiu had a flushed face this time, nodding excitedly, filled with admiration for Wang Shouzhe.

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