"Nephew, absolutely not," Wang Dinghai urged anxiously, "The Liu Clan's patriarch is already 40 years old, with rich experience."
"You're too impulsive," Gong Sunhui also showed some anxiety, "The clan leader's position is honorable, and is the family's core..."
If they were to fight Liu Yongzhou, they would be delighted to see it, after all, the gap in strength between the two sides was significant. But to directly challenge Liu Shengye, that would be too reckless.
Liu Shengye, on the other hand, secretly wiped away a cold sweat, feeling relieved that the Wang Clan still had sensible people who could advise their young clan leader, and that this was a good thing.
"What's the point of coming here and having the two clan leaders engage in a life-or-death battle from the start? Isn't that a mess?"
Moreover, Liu Shengye had been living a life of luxury for many years and hadn't fought with anyone for a long time, so a life-or-death battle was no joke.
"Grandma, Sixth Uncle," Wang Shoujie interrupted them directly, "The clan leader is just a member of the family, and every member of the family has the right and duty to sacrifice for the family's survival. What's more, Ancestor Longyan..."
As Wang Shoujie spoke, his emotions became agitated and sorrowful, as if he was about to explode, and the last three words were almost inaudible, as if he was choking back tears.
"Nephew!" Wang Dinghai was startled, hastily asking in a low voice, "Ancestor Longyan, she won't..."
However, his words seemed to be hiding something.
After speaking, Wang Shoujie turned to glare at Liu Shengye: "Liu Clan Leader, since our two families have deep-seated conflicts, why not take this opportunity to settle it once and for all? Let's sign a life-or-death contract, and the loser will withdraw from the An River Fishing Ground, and their family will not pursue the matter further." His words were resolute and decisive.
"Good, the young hero of the Wang Clan indeed has a heroic spirit."
"Since our two families have conflicts, why not have a showdown between us?"
The onlookers, of course, were excited to see the two clan leaders engage in a life-or-death battle, which was a rare and thrilling event, and they all cheered and chattered about it.
"Damn it This kid is like a hungry wolf, looking at his words, could it be... are the rumors true? If so, the situation has changed!" Liu Shengye was shocked, his eyebrows furrowed, and after a moment's thought, he had a plan, and changed the subject with a smile, "Nephew, I've known your father for many years, and it's not excessive to call you nephew, is it? Our Ping'an Three Great Families have been rooted in Ping'an Town for many years, and we're all neighbors who should support and care for each other. Such a small conflict, why take it so far?"
"Does Liu Clan Leader mean to compensate for my Sixth Uncle's medical expenses?" Wang Shoujie narrowed his eyes, with a cold smile.
Compensate for medical expenses?
Liu Shengye's face darkened, but he was skilled at hiding his anger and smiled even more warmly: "Conflicts between neighbors are unavoidable, but since this time it's Yongzhou's fault, we naturally have to acknowledge it. This is 30 taels of silver, as an apology to Dinghai brother."
After speaking, Liu Shengye took out three 10-tael silver notes and handed them to Wang Shoujie with a smile: "They say you're a dragon or phoenix among men, with potential that's not inferior to Ancestor Longyan's, and you'll definitely be a pillar of Ping'an Town in the future."
Wang Shoujie, who had merged with his memories, knew that this was a huge sum of money, and he immediately accepted it, smiling: "Liu Clan Leader is indeed the core of our peace, and as the newly appointed clan leader, I'll have to rely on Liu Clan Leader's guidance in the future."
Liu Shengye laughed twice and left the Deep Water Dock Area with his family and Liu Yongzhou.
The onlookers, seeing that there was no real fight, were disappointed and dispersed in twos and threes, as if they had missed a great show.
"Still, the nephew has skills," Wang Dinghai seemed to have released a breath of anger, and was overjoyed, "With just a few words, he turned the situation around and even got Liu Shengye to apologize willingly."
But Gong Sunhui didn't show any joy, and instead looked worried.
"Sixth Uncle, Grandma, since we're here, why not take a look at Sixth Uncle's boat?" Wang Shoujie smiled, "I've never been on Sixth Uncle's boat since I was a child."
"Great, great, great Sixth Uncle will take you to have a great time," Wang Dinghai said excitedly. "Later, I'll show you my amazing fishing skills."
As they were about to board the ship, Wang Shoujie gathered a few family members around him and gave them some whispered instructions. The family members nodded and, after paying their respects, dispersed to carry out their tasks.
Wang Shoujie then followed Wang Dinghai to the deep-water anchorage, accompanied by Gong Sunhui.
Meanwhile, outside the Dingpu Ferry Terminal, the young and vigorous Liu Yongzhou looked unhappy. "Master, we agreed to take a bite out of the Wang Clan, but why did we end up apologizing to them in the end?"
"Ah, Yongzhou, you're still too young," Liu Shengye said with a calm and carefree tone, his hands behind his back and a smile on his face. "As the saying goes, 'this moment is not the same as that moment.' In the current situation, we not only can't take the initiative to provoke the Wang Clan, but we should also be careful to avoid conflicts with them."
"Master..." Liu Yongzhou looked angry and puzzled.
"I reckon that old Wang Longyan's time is running out," Liu Shengye said, his eyes narrowed. "The Wang Clan is like a dying tiger, and this is the most dangerous time. If we pressure them too hard, they might go crazy and fight back. Although my Liu Clan is not afraid, we don't want to give the Zhao Clan an opportunity to benefit."
This name was like a thorn in the Liu Clan's throat, and as long as she was alive, the Liu Clan dared not to completely break off relations with the Wang Clan.
"Is this true, Master?" Liu Yongzhou asked excitedly.
"Originally, Wang Longyan had been in seclusion and didn't even appear for the Wang Clan's major events, so I had already guessed three or four parts of it," Liu Shengye said with a cold laugh. "And now, with Wang Shoujie, the new clan leader, being so impatient and wanting to risk everything to fight me to the death, it has confirmed seven or eight parts of my guess. Ha ha, I won't let him have his way. It'll take two to three years, or at most four to five years, until Wang Longyan passes away..."
"Master, do we have to wait that long?" Liu Yongzhou asked, looking frustrated.
"Do you understand? The rise and fall of a family's fortunes can't be achieved overnight. My Liu Clan has waited for many years, so what's a few more years? Besides, before Wang Longyan dies, we have a lot of preparation work to do. Yongzhou, remember, don't conflict with the Wang Clan without my orders, or you'll be punished by family law!"
"Yes, Master," Liu Yongzhou said, holding back his anger, but having no choice but to bid farewell to Clan Leader Liu Shengye's carriage as it departed.
Wang Shoujie left a few family members to guard the dock and execute tasks, and boarded Wang Dinghai's mid-sized fishing boat, the "Dinghai," with Gong Sunhui. The boat was about 26-27 feet long and 6-7 feet wide, made entirely of wood.
From the tall mast and the lowered sail, it was clear that it was a wind-powered boat.
Wang Dinghai ordered his sailors to set sail and was excited to show Wang Shoujie the various facilities on the boat, but Gong Sunhui's face turned serious. "Son, Sixth Uncle, let's talk at the back of the boat."
The two of them followed her to the back of the boat, which rocked gently as it sailed out of the deep-water harbor.
"Sigh... Son, you've gone too far today," Gong Sunhui said with a sigh. "Ancestor Longyan has sacrificed her whole life for the family, and her hardships and toils are countless. How could you speak so carelessly and hint at her age, and even do so in public? And you even sent family members to spread rumors earlier Your behavior today will definitely reach the ears of the elder generation, and they will surely scold you."
"This...," Wang Dinghai said, also looking worried, "what should we do, Fifth Aunt? Will the elder generation impeach Grand son?"
Ancestor Longyan was not only the family's core but also a towering figure, and Wang Dinghai naturally revered her deeply.
"Sixth Uncle, don't worry, don't worry," Wang Shoujie said with a calm smile. "The elder generation are our seniors, and I believe they will understand after I explain things to them. Fifth Aunt, how much longer can Ancestor Longyan hold on?"
"Grand son, how can you be so disrespectful to Ancestor Longyan? We can't casually discuss..."
" Fifth Aunt, as the clan leader, I naturally have to consider the overall development of the entire clan," Wang Shoujie interrupted Gong Sunhui's words. "If I can't even ask how much longer Ancestor Longyan can hold on, how can I plan for the family's future development? If that's the case, I, Wang Shoujie, might as well step down as clan leader."
[Heartfelt thankyou for the support! SlaySaga]