Chapter 51 Take the Bait! The Mastermind Behind the Scenes Took the Bait

…

"I understand this matter." Wang Shouzhe already had concerns in his mind, so he changed the subject and said, "Wang Shoulian, your fourth sister-in-law made me some snacks. I couldn't bear to eat more, so I left some for you."

Wang Shoulian's expression changed slightly, and he forced a smile: "Thank you, fourth brother, for your consideration. I just ate some dry food on the road."

"How can you, a young man, only eat dry food?" Liu Ruolan scolded slightly, "You should eat some snacks to fill your stomach first, and the fourth sister-in-law will cook for you in a while."

Wang Shoulian's face turned pale, and he forced a smile and said, "Thank you so much, Sister-in-law Four."

Wang Zongchang's calves were trembling and he said, "Fourth Uncle, I'm going to complete the task right now."

"Why are you so anxious?" Liu Ruolan looked like a eldest sister-in-law, "You are all young and middle-aged, and you have to be full before you can do anything. No one is allowed to leave, everyone stays to eat."

Then, Liu Ruolan went to prepare the meal.

She said she would cook by herself today.

The three men of the Wang family all had heavy expressions on their faces, and the atmosphere was depressing, as if the end was approaching.

…

Almost the same time period.

To the northwest of Changning Acropolis, there is a large pasture with abundant water and grass as far as the eye can see.

Here, there are groups of cattle and sheep, as well as groups of strong horses, driven by herders to run and train.

This is the famous "Huangfu Ranch", one of the main pillar industries of the Huangfu family of the Tianren family.

The Huangfu family has been rooted in Changningwei for hundreds of years, and has completed the transition of heaven and man. It can be said that it has been prosperous forever, and its status is as stable as Mount Tai.

In the middle of this vast pasture, there is a ring-shaped volcano that has been silent for a long time.

This is a ring-shaped volcano, resulting in a large amount of volcanic rocks in the land of this large ranch, making it difficult to cultivate large areas and cultivate vast tracts of fertile land.

The large amounts of volcanic ash and minerals contained in the land are suitable for the growth of large amounts of pasture, which is conducive to the development of animal husbandry.

The quality of the beef and mutton produced by Huangfu Ranch is also very high, and the horses are also very strong, which has generated considerable economic benefits.

Right in the middle of the ring volcano, more than a hundred feet deep under the crater, there is a huge red rock.

On the rock, a stone house was built.

Next to the stone house, there is a red lake with a radius of dozens of feet. But what accumulates in this small lake is not water, but red magma that is constantly popping.

Scorching heat filled the air, and the surroundings were distorted.

From time to time, there are still lava bubbles rising from the magma lake. The bubbles burst and black smoke rises. It is the ashes formed by the burning of impurities in the magma that cannot withstand high temperatures.

The temperature within the entire magma lake is horribly high. Ordinary people entering this place will be roasted within a short time.

However, in such a desperate situation, there was a red-haired old man sitting cross-legged on a red exposed volcanic rock.

The volcanic rock is located in the middle of the magma lake, and magma bubbles are constantly exploding around it, like red flame flowers exploding. The surrounding air was also distorted and the temperature was obviously extremely terrifying.

However, the red-haired old man was still relaxed and content in this environment, as comfortable as a fish in the water.

His eyes were closed tightly, his breathing was long, and he exhaled like a dragon.

Every time he inhales, a large amount of the extremely high-temperature air around him will be sucked into his lungs. Every time he exhales, a white wave of air will spurt out.

With each breath, the temperature of the surrounding air seemed to drop a bit, and the magma in front was shocked to the point of creating waves.

And so it goes, over and over again.

His face gradually turned red, as if he was drunk with old wine, and bursts of green smoke rose from the top of his head.

At this moment.

On the stone steps leading to the interior of the crater, there was a majestic-looking middle-aged man in rich clothes quickly descending.

His aura was steady, and he walked like a tiger and a dragon. Although his speed was fast, it was as if his feet were on flat ground, and he had a calm and unhurried demeanor.

His body surface was covered with a thin layer of red aura, helping him resist the terrifying high temperature in the crater.

But even so, when he walked to the stone house by the magma lake, sweat was already visible on his face and his face was red with heat. It was obvious that he was not relaxed.

But he still only dared to watch the red-haired old man from a distance and did not dare to disturb him at will.

After a long time, the red-haired old man finally stopped.

With his bare feet, he stepped on the rolling lava and arrived at the small stone house as if walking on flat ground.

It was only then that the famous middle-aged man in fine clothes raised his hand and said, "I've met my ancestors."

As he spoke, he shook out a coat with his own hands and put it on his ancestor.

"Jinhuan." The red-haired old man glanced at him lightly, "You know that I am at a critical juncture in my practice of the "Red Dragon True Art". If there is nothing important, I believe you don't dare to disturb me."

"Ancestor." The middle-aged man in fine clothes cupped his hands and said, "Ancestor, do you still remember the Ping'an Wang family?"

"Ping An Wang's family?"

The red-haired old man frowned slightly, as if he was thinking about something.

After a long while, he suddenly said: "I remembered it. That foreign pioneering family named Wang Zhouxuan. There are also two Celestial Being families in our small Changning Wei District. He actually wants to attack the Celestial Beings, ridiculous~!"

The man in colorful clothes said: "Yes, according to your instructions from our ancestors back then, we took advantage of the momentum of the beast tide to randomly stumble on the opponent and make them fall down."

He spoke in a very relaxed manner.

They had no enmity with the Wang family back then, but they just wiped it out casually.

The red-haired old man frowned slightly: "I remembered what you said. This family seems to have some relationship with the Longzuo Wang family. At first, the Longzuo Wang family asked for a letter from the academy, and then they saved it. That little family. Why did you suddenly mention this little family? Could it be that they can still conquer the sky?"

"Old Ancestor." The man in gorgeous clothes said in a deep voice, "This small family is really going to be turned upside down now. Recently, news came back from our clansmen in the Zifu Academy that for some reason, the Ping An Wang family has gone out of control. Three geniuses. Two of them are regarded as direct disciples by Wandie Valley and Xiaoyao Peak."

"And their head of the family, Wang Shouzhe, is even more remarkable..."

He explained some of the recent events in the academy to his ancestors.

Of course, the affairs of Wang Longyan and Wang Lizi were relatively low-key and not known to outsiders, so they did not receive any news.

"Old Ancestor, if this continues, within two hundred years, this Wang family will probably get on top of us. I wonder if the other party will investigate what happened back then?"

"Those two in the academy are too young to pose a threat in a short period of time." The red-haired old man said calmly, "It is impossible for the teachers in the academy to intervene in disputes between local powerful men. The real threat is the one from the Wang family. The head of the family, Wang Shouzhe."

His eyes were calm: "At first, due to the warning from the academy, we were unable to eradicate the root. This time we do it more covertly, and we will definitely hit its vital point with a thunderous strike."

"Yes, ancestor." The middle-aged man added, "In addition, our spies also discovered a top-secret matter. The 'cement' that has recently become famous in Donghaiwei is actually the masterpiece of the Heian Wang family."

Speaking of this, his eyes shone.

No wonder the Ping An Wang family has risen so rapidly in recent years, probably because they have earned a lot of resources from cement.

"Cement?"

The red-haired old man obviously didn't know this.

The middle-aged man explained to him, and then said: "Cement sells for a lot of money. But in recent years, a lot of cement has been used in many buildings in Pingan Town, including roads and embankments. It can be inferred from this that the price of cement The manufacturing cost should be very low, which is really huge profit. If we can hold this business in our hands..."

Hearing this, even the red-haired old man's breathing became slightly heavier.

If a family wants to grow and develop, it cannot do without resources.

The Huangfu family was very powerful, with numerous industries and a large scale. The total annual income reached an astonishing approximately 300,000 gold.

However, their expenses are even more staggering.

An ancestor of the Celestial Realm, a dozen backbones of the Lingtai Realm, two Celestial Being seeds, a dozen Lingtai seeds, plus two to three hundred important clan members, including family generals and worshipers, there are more than 100 people. , the number of other servants reached one to two thousand.

With so many people, the annual expenses are astronomical.

How much can be left over from the three hundred thousand dry gold?

As the saying goes, "Every family has its own sutras that are difficult to recite." A ninth-grade aristocratic family has its own difficulties. Although a seventh-grade aristocratic family seems to have infinite glory, it also has its own difficulties.

The family's accumulation is not enough, and the red-haired old man simply does not dare to open up to practice and attack the Purple Mansion Realm. Otherwise, he will be a black hole of resources, and the rest of the family's descendants will not be able to develop.

At present, their plan and direction is to become a sixth-grade aristocratic family.

But if they can take the cement industry as their own, based on the background of their Tianren family, the value that cement can generate will be far greater than that of Ping'an Town.

By then, let alone the sixth-grade aristocratic families, after one or two hundred years of accumulation, the Zifu aristocratic families may be eligible to make a splash.

As the saying goes, a common man is not guilty, but he is guilty of carrying a jade. Ping An Wang, this is asking for death.

A strong look of greed flashed across the eyes of the red-haired old man, and a powerful and suffocating aura gradually spread from his body.

"Jinhuan, just go ahead and do it. There's just one thing, you must leave no trace."

"Yes, ancestor."

The middle-aged man perked up and realized that his ancestor approved of his idea.

He said excitedly: "This is also in line with the rise of our Huangfu family. During this period, I will make arrangements first, and we will take action as soon as the disaster relief team from Zifu Academy leaves."

…

A few days later.

Changningwei.

The city capital.

As the political core of the Acropolis, the city capital was built in a square shape, with an upright and upright appearance, yet without losing its majesty in every detail. In the center, there is a tall tower that offers a panoramic view of the entire Acropolis.

Outside the city capital, there is a huge square in each of the four directions.

The square is paved with bluestone and dotted with rune tiles, forming a huge protective formation surrounding the city capital.

It can be said that the city capital itself is an extremely strong fortress. Even if a seventh-level ferocious beast charges the formation, it can withstand it for a long time.

However, at this moment, these four huge squares were already filled with carriages. These carriages have different emblems and belong to various aristocratic families who come to the capital for meetings.

At this moment, in the main hall, all the major eighth-grade aristocratic families have already arrived.

There are Liu Gaowang, the clan leader of the Shanyin Liu clan, and Liu Zhisheng, the ancestor of Zhisheng.

Obviously, because the clan leader Liu Gaowang has not yet reached the Lingtai realm, he came to support Patriarch Zhisheng.

In addition, there is Chen Dewei, the patriarch of the Chen family in Donggang.

He is the leader of the Lingtai Realm clan, so only one person came.

Correspondingly, there is also Gongsun Yan, the head of the Shanyang Gongsun clan.

Gongsun Yan is only twenty-three years old, but he is already at the peak of the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm. His demeanor is calm and restrained without losing his grandeur. He is the new generation leader of the Gongsun clan.

As for his father, Gongsun Qiang, he had been the young clan leader all his life, but in the end it was not his turn to be the clan leader. After he reached the Lingtai realm, he became an elder.

As for Wang Shouzhe's maternal clan, the Yingxiu Lu family, there are currently only two Lingtai realm monks who have not yet reached the threshold of an eighth-grade family, so they are not qualified to participate in this welcoming meeting.

In addition, Xu Anbang, the patriarch of the Ningxu family, an established eighth-grade family, was also waiting here early.

In addition, Dang Zhenghe, the patriarch of the Ningxi Dang clan, Huangfu Deyun, the former patriarch of the Ma Huangfu clan, Wangxia Lei clan and other famous family heads have arrived.

Among them, the former Ma Huangfu family and the Wangxia Lei family were offshoots of two celestial families in Changning, the Huangfu family and the Lei family. Under the care of the main family, they developed into eighth-rank families in just one or two hundred years.

Together with the Ping'an Wang family, now there are eight eighth-grade families in the entire Changningwei area.

When Wang Shouzhe walked into the main hall led by a city guard general, the eyes of everyone in the room fell on him.

Naturally, the three families, the Liu family of Shanyin, the Gongsun family of Shanyang, and the Chen family of Donggang, all cast friendly and cordial looks.

The eyes of Xu Anbang, the head of the Xu clan in Changning, were obviously much more complicated.

Once upon a time, the Changning Xu family, as an established eighth-grade family, was aloof and proud. The relationship with the Ping An Wang family is also very complicated.

Over time, the contact between the two parties became less and less, and only Zhimui still maintained the status of occasional intermarriage.

But now, in just ten years, the Wang family of Ping An has risen rapidly, and has monopolized a corner of Ping An, an entire territory. Not only has its strength been faintly catching up with and surpassing the established eighth-grade family, but its future potential is immeasurable.

The heads of the other eighth-grade families looked at Wang Shouzhe with profound meaning, as if they each had their own scheming and plans.

"Cousin Shouzhe." Gongsun Yan, the youngest clan leader present, took the lead to greet Wang Shouzhe and said, "Why are you here, cousin? Everyone has been waiting for a long time."

"Cousin Yan." Wang Shouzhe replied with a smile, "I'm in Ping'an Town. The mountains are high and the rivers are far away. It's normal for me to come late."

Afterwards, Wang Shouzhe met and greeted the clan leaders one by one.

Everyone is a person of status, and it is normal for them to be close to their in-laws and allies. Even if they have had some friction with other clan leaders, they will not lose their grace in such formal occasions, and they will greet each other with smiles. , chatting and laughing, like friends they haven’t seen for many years.

However, in this scene, what everyone said was completely meaningless.

It's busy time.

The general outside shouted: "Huangfu Jinhuan, the head of Tianren Huangfu clan, has arrived..."

Everyone who was talking and socializing suddenly stopped talking and looked towards the door.

I saw a middle-aged man in well-dressed clothes stepping in with a quick pace.

He glanced around the room, and a smile suddenly appeared on his face: "I'm sorry, everyone, I'm late."

After the usual courtesy, his eyes fell on Wang Shouzhe.

And Wang Shouzhe's eyes also fell on him.

The two people's eyes collided.

…