Chapter 68

Yang Hongyue still agreed, watching Shen Tianxing and Wang Dagang leave, Yang Tieqiang then said slowly:

"Those of the Wang family who survive are all experts; for three hundred years of the Great Zhou, the governor of Luoxia City has always been a Wang family member—don't look at Dagang like that, he truly is a Nine Pin Eight Layer."

"Moreover, as I know, his two elder brothers and his younger brother all possess Nine Pin strength, both have reached Perfection, one is close to half-step Grandmaster; they just have no responsibility to have children, so they wander around playing."

Yang Hongyue listened, dazed, really not knowing what to say about what's going on with the Wang family.

"This is my private residence, Shen Tianxing, little brother, now can you tell me where you learned those four characters? Or have you always known them?"

Wang Dagang was serious; he took Shen Tianxing not to the Governor's Office but to a manor he bought himself, where he usually drinks tea and fishes when idle, also occasionally enjoying life.

"If I'm not mistaken, the four characters I just mentioned are likely those mentioned in Lord Wang's ancestral precept; I just don't know when they were left behind—perhaps your ancestor and I come from the same place."

"Lord Wang summoned me now presumably to ask whether I share the same origin as your ancestor. Did your ancestor leave any words or items to be passed to me, or not?"

Wang Dagang originally wasn't quite sure, but after hearing Shen Tianxing's words, he is now certain.

"Indeed, you and my ancestors truly come from the same place; that must have been a thousand years ago—I reckon I'm the 36th generation."

"You shouldn't be surprised; despite so many years, we're only at the 36th generation—actually, the most important part of our Wang family's precept is to propagate branches and leaves, then cultivate the good ones."

"As for those lacking talent, we strive to let them live stable, peaceful lives; if they lack talent yet commit crimes, we kill them outright, but if they have talent yet commit crimes, we first imprison them to teach for a while, and only kill them if education fails."

"Thus, although each generation we can have at least dozens of descendants, ultimately only a few remain, and among them the weakest in strength must bear the responsibility of having children."

"In my generation, I am the weakest in strength, with no choice—I can only stay in Luoxia City as an official, guarding peace in one region, and only when I have trained a successor can I retire with accomplishment."

"As for the things and words you mentioned leaving behind, they do exist; I happen to have placed those items in this private residence—come with me, I never expected that in my generation I would actually fulfill my ancestors' dying wish."

Wang Dagang is also talkative; he spilled everything like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, saying all that needed to be said in one breath.

Shen Tianxing wasn't disappointed either; a person from a thousand years ago is fine—if they were still alive in this world, to him they'd be a major trouble. The vast majority of those coming from the same world can only become enemies.

One must know that in the same world, with the same dream, whoever comes to such a world and does not think of contending for the realm would truly be a ghost; moreover, Shen Tianxing has a system, making it impossible for him to settle for mediocrity.

"By the way, Lord Wang, I don't know if your ancestors ever mentioned the term 'system'?"

Wang Dagang instinctively shook his head, then rubbed his chin.

"I haven't heard of it, but among the things our ancestors left behind there is a bamboo slip, well preserved, also to be handed to you; as for the characters on it, none of us can read them, and if you are not someone from the same place as my ancestors, you also cannot read them."

Shen Tianxing nodded, asked no more, and the two proceeded onward, soon arriving at the rear courtyard and entering a small study.

Wang Dagang fiddled with an ornament on the study's bookshelf; subsequently the bookshelf shifted slightly aside, revealing a dark, black opening.

Wang Dagang did not immediately bring Shen Tianxing inside; instead he waited a moment, took a torch from a nearby bookshelf, pulled out a flint from his pocket, lit the torch and placed it into the opening, confirmed the torch burned normally, then led the way bringing Shen Tianxing inside.

After walking only a dozen or so steps, they reached an iron door; Wang Dagang took out a key, unlocked it, pushed the door open, waited a moment, then entered and lit all the torches in the basement.

The basement isn't large, about twenty square meters, with a few bookshelves, plus a table and two chairs; the table holds several boxes, and the bookshelves also hold many boxes.

These boxes contain things left by our ancestors, but only the two boxes on this table— their contents were instructed by the ancestors: if you meet someone who comes from the same place as him, you should hand them over.

Wang Dagang spoke very seriously; Shen Tianxing nodded and went over to look, and indeed they were two boxes made of golden-thread nanmu wood— of course it was obvious they were golden-thread nanmu, thanks largely to this pair of True Eye of Reality.

After all, Shen Tianxing needed to verify the truth of certain matters; in his conversations with Wang Dagang he had constantly used the True Eye of Reality to judge truth and falsehood, and if he weren't certain it was genuine, he wouldn't have come to this place.

Indeed, it's rather rare that these boxes are all made of golden-thread nanmu; Lord Wang's ancestors possessed such capability— why didn't they seek to seize the empire back then?

Shen Tianxing wasn't in a hurry to open the boxes either; having just asked that, Wang Dagang answered without any hesitation, smiling.

The ancestral precept also states that any descendant of the Wang Family may enter the court as an official, or wander the jianghu as a martial knight, even assist ambitious individuals in founding a new dynasty— but one must not proclaim oneself emperor.

The ancestors' explanation is also straightforward: even if your abilities are superb and you become emperor, you must constantly worry and toil over the affairs of the world; if you don't attend to worldly affairs, you are a dim ruler, but if you do, just how arduous would this life be?

The best life is one you can choose for yourself— you may do anything, just don't aspire to be emperor, for that is too exhausting, since your responsibility lies with the people of the world.

Among our Wang Family, many practice martial arts, yet they prefer to wander the jianghu as martial knights; those who become officials do so solely to preserve this ancestral precept.

This time it's confirmed— the person who came is indeed from the same place as Shen Tianxing, someone who only cares about carefree enjoyment and has no ambition.

Lord Wang's ancestors were truly extraordinary individuals; if they really came from the same place as me, it wouldn't be surprising— just the ability to witness all the world's splendor without being moved is itself rare.

In the course of their conversation, Shen Tianxing slowly reached out and opened the first golden-thread nanmu box; inside was wrapped in yellow cloth, and when he lifted the cloth he saw a scroll of bamboo slips.

Shen Tianxing reached out, picked up the bamboo slips, and slowly unrolled them; sure enough, the familiar characters met his eyes. The content made him both laugh and cry.

Should I call you younger brother or younger sister? Or perhaps older brother or older sister? Never mind, it doesn't matter— anyway, the fact that you can see these bamboo slips means we are fated to meet.

No more nonsense— we come from the same place; I fell into a pit and arrived here whole, bringing nothing except a book of a hundred thousand 'whys'— impossible to leave for you, it's worn out, and I'm too lazy to write it down.

I have no golden finger; at first my days were rather miserable, but after I took up martial arts they became tolerable. Actually, writing this isn't to convey any particular matter— it's purely meant to scare those who come after.

But later I thought, what's there to scare? So I just wrote some nonsense; however, I didn't leave you nothing— if you want to live a carefree life, then don't take that thing.

If you want to contend for supremacy over the world, the other box contains a treasure map— all good things I left for you; once you find it, you'll thank me. That's all.