Chapter 735
by fanqienovelChapter 735: The Sanqun Wang Family
Which branch of the Wang Family are you from?
This question caught Wang Chen off guard, and he nearly blurted out, "I am Wang Chen from Earth!"
After a moment of thought, he countered, "And who might you be?"
The old cultivator exuded an aura at the higher level of the Purple Palace. His attire and demeanor clearly indicated he was from one of the powerful families, not an ordinary individual.
Uncertain of the old cultivator’s intentions, Wang Chen proceeded with caution.
"My apologies,"
the old cultivator chuckled, "I forgot to introduce myself. I am Wang Xincheng, the steward of the Sanqun Wang Family. I am here today at the behest of our Master to visit you, Shopkeeper Wang."
The Sanqun Wang Family!
Wang Chen began to grasp the situation.
Qianxing Immortal City is composed of thousands of businesses. While it is nominally governed collectively by these merchants, many small and medium-sized families are actually dependent on the larger merchants, forming various factions.
These factions vary in size and strength, interconnected and balancing each other, creating a delicate equilibrium.
The Sanqun Wang Family is one such faction, with a strength that is above average.
That is indeed formidable.
When Wang Chen first rented this shop, someone had already inquired about his background, speculating whether he might be a distant relative of the Sanqun Wang Family.
Large clans have numerous branches, and it is common for members to start their own businesses to establish their own households.
Failure is not uncommon, but if one achieves remarkable success, they are sure to be welcomed back into the main branch!
However, Wang Chen had not even the slightest connection to the Sanqun Wang Family.
"My apologies,"
Wang Chen nodded and said, "I hail from Yongle Immortal City. After Yongle was besieged by the Yishan Sect, I relocated to Qianxing Immortal City. My family background is humble, so I dare not seek connections with the Sanqun Wang Family."
If he were one of those unscrupulous individuals chasing after fame and fortune, he might fabricate a background to cling to the large tree of the Sanqun Wang Family.
Wang Chen found such behavior beneath him and did not think the old cultivator before him would be easily deceived.
Wang Xincheng chuckled, "I see."
Wang Chen then asked, "May I know the purpose of your Master sending you here?"
Wang Xincheng did not answer directly but instead inquired, "Shopkeeper Wang, do you know the ancestral origins of our Sanqun Wang Family?"
Wang Chen was taken aback: "I do not know."
How could he know the ancestral origins of the Sanqun Wang Family, which traced back to their family tree’s beginnings!
Wang Xincheng said in a deep voice, "Our Wang Family comes from the lower realm."
According to Wang Xincheng, the ancestors of the Wang Family from the Haotian Realm can be traced back ten thousand years.
The ancestors ascended as a family from the lower realm and subsequently spread in the Haotian Realm, expanding their lineage. Today, they have branches in many immortal cities, and their number is countless.
Therefore, anyone with the surname Wang, unless they are outsiders who have changed their surname, must possess a trace of bloodline from the Wang ancestors!
From this, it can be inferred that Wang Chen is also a member of the Wang family.
After listening to Wang Xincheng’s words, Wang Chen felt a mix of emotions—it was quite amusing since he had crossed over.
Wait!
Wang Chen suddenly realized he was trapped in a thought error; he himself was a soul traveler, while the original owner was actually a native of the celestial realm!
Wang Chen cautiously asked, “May I ask which lower realm the Wang ancestor came from?”
This was not a secret, and Wang Xincheng answered without hesitation, “The Mountain-Sea Realm!”
The Mountain-Sea Realm!
Wang Chen was speechless.
What a coincidence!
In countless realms, the Wang ancestors came from the Mountain-Sea Realm, and he had also smuggled himself from there. Perhaps he truly had a blood connection with the original owner.
Wang Xincheng observed Wang Chen’s reaction and smiled slightly, “Actually, our clan has a way to test bloodlines.”
Wang Chen couldn’t help but ask, “Steward Wang, you didn’t come here to make me recognize my ancestry, did you?”
That would be ridiculous.
Even if the original owner had a connection with the Wang ancestors, after ten thousand years between two realms, that bloodline would have thinned significantly.
Recognizing his ancestry would be far-fetched!
Wang Xincheng looked around.
Two battle cultivators quickly retreated outside the shop and closed the door.
Only then did Wang Xincheng speak, “Shopkeeper Wang, if you were a member of my Wang family, then what you experienced today would not have happened. Do you believe that?”
Wang Chen was clear-headed!
What the other party said was clearly not mere talk; it was not empty words.
There is no true fairness in this world. Personal interests can only be protected by strength. He was a young cultivator with no power or background. If others imitated or copied what he invented, he couldn’t demand justice.
However, if Wang Chen were a member of the Sanqun Wang family, the situation would be quite different.
He could easily defend his rights through the Sanqun Wang family.
The Sanqun Wang family is a large merchant clan; if they remained indifferent to the damage to their interests, they would soon have no footing in Qianxing Immortal City and be completely exploited.
Wang Chen believed that there must be a set of rules among large clans and merchants that differed from those at lower levels, and this set of rules maintained the stability and prosperity of Qianxing Immortal City.
Things like ice cakes and refrigerators would not simply be taken away for profit.
“Maybe.”
Although he agreed in his heart, Wang Chen still maintained his composure on the surface, smiling and saying, “I’m just a small person; I cannot compare to the Sanqun Wang family.”
Wang Xincheng stared at Wang Chen, as if a flower had sprouted on the latter’s face.
It was a rare sight.
He had put his words forth clearly, and it was unmistakable.
Yet, Wang Chen not only did not show any signs of closeness but also indicated that he was not interested in getting involved with the Sanqun Wang family.
This was very different from what Wang Xincheng had initially expected.
In the old steward’s view, Wang Chen had suffered a few losses; he should feel frustrated and angry. When the Sanqun Wang family extended their hand to accept him, he should have been overjoyed and eagerly accepted the offer!
Could it be that he was waiting to see a better offer?
Wang Xincheng frowned and said, “You can’t write the character Wang in two different ways, Shopkeeper Wang. Have you thought this through?”
Wang Chen sighed, “I truly do not dare to seek connections.”
In truth, the benefits of relying on the Sanqun Wang family were fully evident.
As the saying goes, having a big tree to lean on is good for shade. With the golden signboard of the Sanqun Wang family, Wang Chen would no longer be just a young cultivator whom others could bully. If anyone wanted to steal his things, they would have to think twice.
The issue is, things don’t just fall out of the sky, and there is no free lunch!
If he relied on the Sanqun Wang family, would the Sanqun Wang family provide him protection without asking for anything in return?
Dream on—such things don’t happen!
Wang Chen was no longer a naive child, and he dared not hope for such good fortune!
Moreover, and more importantly, he was currently running a small shop and earning spirit stones quite well, enjoying his independence and freedom.
Why go searching for an ancestor?
Also, big mansions have many troubles. Wang Chen suspected that the master represented by this old steward was not the head of the Sanqun Wang family.
Because at his current status, he likely wouldn’t even catch the attention of the Wang family head.
Wang Chen estimated that the other party was most likely from some branch of the Wang family!