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All Profound Martial prominent families have diligent members who contribute to their clan. Just as well, they may also have rotten members. Luckily, the clan regulations in the Ping'an Wang family are strict, and there's also the pressure of the family's hard fight for survival and ancestor's glory. Thus, the majority of the clan members usually behave in accordance with their roles.
However, the eighth generation of the Zong generation has produced a layabout who doesn't strive to advance.
"Fourth brother, you're now the Clan Leader, so it's inappropriate to get involved," said Wang Shouyi with a cold face, "Wait a bit. I'll be back soon."
After saying this, he walked out in a rush.
Before long, Wang Shouyi came back in, dragging a youth of about twenty into the room. The youth, with a swollen and bruised face, was sobbing uncontrollably, "Second uncle, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong. Please spare me this time and don't tell my father!"
"You bloody wild creature!" Wang Shouyi, consumed with anger, gave the youth a kick sending him rolling, "You've fallen so low, but still refuse to reflect on your mistakes. You shamelessly beg for mercy, expecting me to cover for you?"
Oh no!
After the youth howled a couple of times, he raised his head and saw an extraordinarily graceful youth sitting motionlessly, looking at him expressionlessly.
The youth immediately shivered, like struck by lighting, his eyes reflecting the terror of doomsday: "Fo-fourth Uncle! You, you, you…" His body wobbled and he seemed to be about to faint. At this point, he would have preferred to confront his father, but definitely not his Fourth Uncle.
His father would merely give him a sound beating, and after being locked up for a few months, he would be back on his feet.
But this guy…
"How much did you lose?" asked Wang Shouzhe coldly.
"This bloody wild creature. He has only been here for a little over a month and owes twenty Qian Gold to the gambling house, and with his mother's money and a Cultivation Pill that he secretly sold off, his total losses amount to forty Qian Gold!" Wang Shouyi's anger flared up. Under normal circumstances, twenty or thirty people toiling day and night for a year, would be able to earn just over two hundred Qian Gold.
This lad, on the other hand, managed to gamble away forty Qian Gold, an amount that could buy four Cultivation Pills.
"Fourth Uncle, I was wrong, I was really wrong." The youth, collapsing onto the floor, began to repeatedly kowtow to Wang Shouzhe, "I beg Fourth Uncle to give me one more chance."
"Chance? I've given you far too many chances already." shouted Wang Shouyi, "The family had originally assigned you to the Xinmao Silkworm Farm to work under your eldest brother and learn something useful. But you've spent all your time with bad company, even daring to harass good women! Subsequently, your grandfather and mother sought mercy for you and allowed you to work under your sixth uncle's ship team. But you found it too laborious, so you sneaked over here. I was wrong. I really shouldn't have taken you in! The charms of the outside world have completely blinded you."
After pondering for a moment, Wang Shouzhe slowly said, "Zongwei, being the eldest among the Zong generation, you should be setting a good example for your younger siblings, but you turned out to be so disreputable. As your eldest brother's son, it's his responsibility to educate you. But since I, Wang Shouzhe, am of the direct line and presently the Clan Leader, I also have a right and duty to discipline wayward clan members."
"Fo-fourth Uncle!" cried out Wang Zongwei, collapsing into a heap of mud in fear, "For my father's sake, for my, my, my great grandfather's sake…"
"Let's do this. Since you like to gamble, I'll gamble with you." Wang Shouzhe said, his face devoid of any expression as he took out a Qian Gold coin and squeezed it in his palm, "Let's gamble to see which hand I have the Qian Gold coin in. If you guess right, we'll consider today's matter as not having happened. If you lose, I won't be excessively harsh, I'll just take one of your hands. Out of respect for your great grandfather, you can then live a peaceful life in the clan as a parasite."
"What?" Wang Zongwei froze in fear, the tears in his eyes drying up, "Fo-fourth Uncle, I don't want to gamble, I don't."
"The fourth…" Wang Shouyi changed his countenance and was about to plead when Wang Shouzhe waved his hand to cut him off. In a cold voice, Wang Shouzhe said, "Even if Wang Xiaohui, your grandfather Wang Dingchuan, or your father Wang Shouxin were present, it would make no difference."
Wang Shouyi shivered and instinctively closed his mouth, not daring to plead any further.
Although they were all members of the Wang clan and brothers of the Shou generation, Wang Shouzhe, as the direct line successor and currently the Wang Clan Leader who had been cherished by the Old Ancestor Longyan since he was young, naturally held a different status.
For the Wang clan, even ten of such worthless scoundrels like Wang Zongwei would not equal a single finger of Wang Shouzhe's in importance.
After intimidating Wang Shouyi, Wang Shouzhe turned his gaze back to Wang Zongwei and said coldly, "If you don't want to gamble, then I'll take it as your surrender. Hold out your hand."
"No, no, no, I'll bet, I'll bet." Wang Zongwei insisted frantically, "I bet the Qian Gold is in Fourth Uncle's right hand."
"Hehe~" Wang Shouzhe's eyes flashed a cold glint as he slowly opened his empty right palm, "Zongwei, you lost."
"No, no! Fourth Uncle, give me another chance, just one more!" Wang Zongwei started to scream hysterically, "It's in your left hand, the Qian Gold is in Fourth Uncle's left hand."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure, I'm sure!"
Wang Shouzhe slowly opened his left palm, which was still empty. His gaze, sharp as a blade, fixed on Wang Zongwei, "Zongwei, you should uphold your credibility, if you are willing to bet, you should be willing to accept loss. Wang Zhong, Wang Yong!"
"Yes, Family Head."
The two head of households emerged, holding up a trembling Wang Zongwei who had collapsed like a pile of mud, mumbling, "Fourth Uncle, spare me, spare me."
"Clang!"
Wang Shouzhe's sword was unsheathed, its cold glint flickering.
Wang Shouyi could no longer bear to watch, turning his head away.
"Swoosh!"
Wang Shouzhe's sword slashed, a flash of light and then back in the sheath.
"Ah~~~~" Wang Zongwei screamed tragically, "My hand, my hand is gone, is gone..." The smell of urine filled the air.
The faces of Wang Zhong and Wang Yong, the two head of households, twisted in disgust as they dropped him. Pitying how drastically different this young master Zongwei is from the family head when they both come from the same bloodline of old ancestor Zhou Xuan. It's hard to believe Zongwei is already twenty, even two years older than the family head.
"Smack!" Wang Shouyi stepped forward, slapping his wailing short, scolding angrily and disgustedly, "Enough, stop howling, you disgraceful dog. Quickly thank your Fourth Uncle."
"My hand, my... it's still there, it's still there..." Overjoyed, Wang Zongwei began yelling amid tears and snot, quickly bowing down to Wang Shouzhe, "Thank you, Fourth Uncle. I will, I will become a better person, start anew."
"Remember, you owe me a hand and I reserve the right to reclaim it at any time. In addition, your cultivation resources and salaries will be temporarily confiscated, and transferred to, um... transferred to Wang Luotong." Wang Shouzhe, not wanting to see anymore, turned and walked away, with the two head of households closely following behind.
"Thank you, Fourth Uncle, thank you, Fourth Uncle." Wang Zongwei didn't dare argue and kept kowtowing.
Wang Shouyi shot Zongwei a fierce glance, quickly catching up to Shouzhe. With a sigh, he said, "Fourth Brother, I understand that you want to teach Zongwei a lesson, but…"
"But what?" Wang Shouzhe scoffed, "Could it be that Second Uncle or Big Brother will win for him?"
"I'm not worried about Grandpa and Big Brother." Wang Shouyi said helplessly, "As you know, sister-in-law Xu is of the direct bloodline from the Xu Family of Changning, having lived a pampered life her character is quite... You confiscating Zongwei's resources is deserved, she cannot nitpick about that. However, you transferring the resources to sister Luotong might give sister-in-law an opportunity to cause a fuss."
"Regardless if sister-in-law hails from the Xu or Liu family, she's now one of our Wang Family." Wang Shouzhe stated calmly, "I believe being born in such a prominent family, sister-in-law is definitely a person who knows right from wrong. In due time, she will appreciate my good intentions."
Wang Shouyi opened his mouth wanting to counter but decided against it. He understood that although sister-in-law Xu is bold, she doesn't necessarily dare to oppose Shouzhe, and that relieved him significantly.
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