"Big girl, maybe we should just drop it." Wang Shouyong’s voice rang out, clearly a bit shaky. "Fourth Brother is really strong, even Big Brother might not be able to beat him." "Drop it? Wang Shouyong, when you were munching on my little fish snacks, why didn’t you say drop it?" Wang Lici said with an air of maturity. "You ate my things, so now you belong to me. I’m warning you, if you don’t listen, I’ll tell Fourth Uncle about our alliance." "Wang Lici, you’re going too far. When you gave me the fish snacks, you didn’t mention dealing with Fourth Brother." Another male cousin, Wang Shou Lian, said with a voice almost in tears. "Fourth Brother almost got into the Purple Mansion Academy, who can beat him?" "Idiot, I’m not asking you to fight him one-on-one." Wang Lici said disdainfully. "We should trap the Great Demon King with a plan, and swarm him with a sack over his head, so he won’t even know who hit him." Wang Shouzhe found it both funny and exasperating, as this group of little brats seemed to be plotting to beat him up. Especially Big Girl Wang Lici, who in his presence behaved like a gentle little bunny. But the moment he turned his back, she rallied a group of little rascals to turn the tables on him. The change in behavior was so quick, it caught him off guard. This Big Girl’s nickname was truly well-earned. "Wang Luojing, are you acting all sneaky because you’re planning to sell us out?" Another voice with the bossiness of a little girl piped up. "Big Girl said that Fourth Brother prepared a bunch of books for us to read, and if we don’t finish them, he’ll get all stern and scold us. You may like reading, but I don’t." Wang Shouzhe recognized the voice as that of Wang Luqiu from Third Uncle’s family, who was only eleven this year. He had heard from Luojing that this girl had already reached the second level of the Qi Refining Realm and had exceptional talent. Wang Shouzhe had intended to find time to encourage her, but hadn’t had the chance. "Wang Luqiu, I don’t want to read either, but I don’t think your plan can deal with Fourth Brother." Wang Luojing said. "Fourth Brother is much stronger than you." "Luojing, don’t you keep bugs?" Wang Luqiu said again. "You could have the bugs sting him." "No, no." Wang Luojing shook her head hurriedly. Wang Shouzhe’s face started to darken. What kind of siblings are these, to think about harming their older brother just to avoid reading? Thankfully, Wang Luojing was somewhat rational and had a lot of respect for Fourth Brother, which brought Wang Shouzhe some relief. "If we are going to deal with Fourth Brother, we need to hatch the second batch of Purple Crystal Spirit Bees." Wang Luojing was plotting over there. "Also, attacking head-on has no chance of success. Luqiu, you can pretend to sprain your ankle in front of Fourth Brother, then I’ll use the opportunity to release the Purple Crystal Spirit Bees. You’re still young, Fourth Brother will definitely protect you first... then Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother can storm in with the sack in the chaos..." Slipped down Wang Shouzhe’s temple. What kind of sinister thoughts were these? So cunning and ruthless. I’m your brother after all... especially you, Wang Luojing! That Purple Crystal Spirit Beehive was bought by me for you! Wait a minute, she managed to keep the Purple Crystal Spirit Bees alive? Truly a little demon. This group of younger siblings and nieces are really not behaving themselves. In front of him, they’re all obedient and well-behaved little darlings. Yet once he turned his back, he truly underestimated them. However, Ruotong was right, never underestimate Wang Luojing. That girl has been quick-witted and mischievous since she was little, how could she possibly be a truly harmless and obedient girl? "Luojing, you always have the best ideas." Big Girl Wang Lici praised her. "I’ll reward you with a pack of dried octopus, and tell you about the vast sea, the majestic Golden Sand Island City, and the stories of how I roam triumphantly through Golden Sand Island City." Wang Shouzhe’s mouth twitched. Well, Wang Lici, I asked you to distribute snacks fairly. Yet you took it upon yourself to use these snacks as resources to conspire against me. Triumphantly roaming indeed, what capabilities does a brat like you have? With your intelligence, you’d probably get rubbed on the ground by Wang Luojing. "But there’s something to be said first." Wang Luojing said. "We’ll just get Fourth Brother to agree not to force us to read, and make sure not to hit Fourth Brother’s face. Fourth Brother is so handsome, it would be a shame if his face got swollen." Really couldn’t listen any longer. Wang Shouzhe walked out with a smile: "Luojing, I never thought you would actually cherish your Fourth Brother so much, it makes me feel so warm inside." A group of little troublemakers plotting on how to deal with the Great Demon King suddenly froze in shock on the spot. Was this some kind of joke? They were plotting well, but the Great Demon King overheard it all, and caught them red-handed. It’s over, it’s over. The most terrified amongst them were undoubtedly Wang Luojing and Wang Lici. One was the mastermind, the other the planner, neither were particularly good elements. "Hello Fourth Uncle, goodbye Fourth Uncle." Wang Lici’s knees went weak, and her neck shrank as she prepared to dash away. Wang Luojing’s little face turned pale, and she quietly slipped behind Wang Shouyong. Of the three girls, only the eleven-year-old Wang Luqiu glared at Wang Shouzhe, surprised at his sudden appearance, but also seemed somewhat defiant. As for Wang Shouyong and Wang Shou Lian, the two boys seemed to have the least courage, bowing their heads and trembling. According to Wang Family’s rules, boys were disciplined more strictly. Wang Shouzhe was not only their older brother but also the head of the direct lineage family. If they dared to show disrespect, they deserved to be taught a lesson. Wang Shouzhe said with a grin, "Wang Lici, Wang Luojing. You better think it through; you can run away as a monk, but you can’t run away from the temple." The two girls, one big and one small, glanced at each other and then obediently returned to stand before Wang Shouzhe, behaving like little quails. "Fourth Brother, I won’t dare to do it again." "Fourth Uncle~ wuu wuu, I was just joking with you." Wang Shouzhe ignored them and instead turned his gaze to Wang Shouyong and Wang Shou Lian, smiling faintly as he said, "Shouyong, Shou Lian. You two have a lot to say about Fourth Brother, don’t you?" The two younger brothers were frightened, immediately waving their hands eagerly: "No, no, we usually admire Fourth Brother the most." And this was the truth; among the Shou Generation, Wang Shouzhe was like a star, shining brightly, and they had always held him in high regard. "Then why did you try to put Fourth Brother in a sack this time? Were you instigated by someone?" When Wang Shouzhe said this, he was somewhat amused; the thought of putting someone in a sack was rather creative of them. "No, no one instigated us." The two of them shook their heads fervently, clearly frightened, yet they still said, "It was all our idea. If Fourth Brother wants to punish us, we will accept it." This was more like it, at least showing some responsibility as men of the Wang Family. Just as he was about to speak, Wang Luqiu, who had been glaring at him, put her hands on her hips and said, "Fourth Brother, you’re bullying us." The little girl, though tiny, was full of vigor. "Luqiu ah," Wang Shouzhe chuckled, "tell me, how is Fourth Brother bullying you?" "I don’t want to read those books; just looking at them gives me a headache," Wang Luqiu said, looking distressed, "Fourth Brother, can you not make me read anymore?" "If you don’t want to read, that’s fine." Wang Shouzhe nodded. "Really?" Wang Luqiu said, eyes wide with surprise and joy, "Fourth Brother, you’re the best." "Don’t be too happy yet. If you don’t want to read, there’s a condition." Wang Shouzhe smiled as he looked at the four younger ones present, plus one big niece, "If I were to use my status as your elder brother or the Clan Leader to force you all to do your studies properly, I’m afraid you’d all comply outwardly but not sincerely. So why don’t we make an agreement? Every year, you can team up to challenge me once, openly or secretly. If you win, I’ll let you be. But if you lose, no skipping studies for the year." "Okay, it’s a deal." Wang Luqiu’s eyes lit up, "On behalf of everyone, I accept." Then, the others looked at her with soulful eyes, saying, "Who asked you to accept on behalf of us? If Fourth Brother weren’t prepared and we schemed well, there might be some hope. But now he’s obviously on guard, how do we challenge him?" "Show some spirit, don’t be so dejected," said Wang Luqiu, "Losing just means studying hard and practicing properly. Just win it back next year." Such boldness earned Wang Shouzhe’s attention. This little girl had quite the spirited courage. No wonder she had already reached the Qi Refining Realm’s second level at such a young age. If she maintained this momentum, with the family’s current financial resources, she could become an outstanding woman, even if not as formidable as Ancestor Longyan. Their encounter this trip, albeit slightly surprising to Wang Shouzhe, also made him feel that his sisters were rather lively. But the two younger brothers lacked strong will and resolution, a bit too rigid, and needed some serious honing. If a family wants to develop, it cannot rely on Wang Shouzhe alone. The more outstanding talents and a continuous flow of rising stars will truly elevate the family’s prosperity. "Haha, let me teach you a lesson first." Wang Shouzhe said with a smile, "In the future, if you plan on plotting anything, be sure to find a secluded and safe place." "Fourth Brother, I was wrong." Wang Luojing, teary-eyed and aggrieved, approached, "You’ve been so good to me, yet I did this because I dislike reading... wuu wuu~" "Alright, alright, I’m not mad at you." Wang Shouzhe also felt a pang of sympathy for Luojing; with her father’s early death and leaving behind orphans and a widow, even with the family’s care, she still lacked paternal love. "Can Fourth Brother forgive me?" Wang Luojing asked hopefully, her eyes filled with anticipation. "What’s there to forgive? I never blamed you," Wang Shouzhe comforted her by patting her head. "In fact, it’s quite normal for you to be so energetic, have your own unique thoughts, and even be a bit rebellious. Fourth Brother doesn’t mind, as you weren’t seriously trying to harm me." Could it be that easy? Wang Lici was astonished and quickly scrambled over, her chubby face pulling into a reluctant apology, "Fourth Uncle, Fourth Uncle, I’m a bit rebellious too, surely you haven’t blamed me either, right?" Wang Shouzhe gave her a stern look, causing Wang Lici to back away in fear, clutching her chest as her heart pounded with fright and frustration. Why could Wang Luojing get away with acting spoiled? "Thank you, Fourth Brother." Wang Luojing murmured, throwing herself into Wang Shouzhe’s arms, "Anyway, Luojing swears, I will definitely protect Fourth Brother for life." "Hehe~ Luojing, your words touch Fourth Brother deeply, and I believe you." Wang Shouzhe laughed, "Except, while clinging, can you not throw weird bugs into my lap? Your little honey trap won’t work on me." As he spoke, he flicked his finger, sending a foot-long red-headed centipede flying before it could do any harm, where it thrashed for a moment on the ground before meeting its end.