When the maids saw Wang Chen enter, they all bowed gracefully, their voices soft and sweet:
"Greetings, my lord."
At that sight, both Zhao Yurou and Ye Guyi started to believe it, at least three parts of it.
Wang Chen led the two of them into the main hall's sitting area.
They took their seats on the luxurious sofa, and several maids stepped forward to pour tea and set down plates of delicate pastries.
Then, with a wave of his hand, Wang Chen dismissed them all.
He smiled gently and said,
"Aunt Zhao, Guyi—please, have some tea first."
Even seated, both Ye Guyi and Zhao Yurou still found the situation hard to believe.
Ye Guyi couldn't help asking again,
"Wang Chen, are you really the Patriarch of the Wang Family?
What… what on earth happened?"
Wang Chen took a light sip of tea and replied casually,
"It's a long story, really.
To put it simply, I have indeed become the Patriarch of the Wang Family.
A few days ago, I defeated the previous Patriarch, Wang Yan.
According to the family's rules, that means I succeeded his position."
Ye Guyi blinked in disbelief.
"Wang Chen, your strength… wasn't it about the same as mine?
How could you possibly defeat the Patriarch of the Wang Family?"
Though her experience was limited, she had at least heard of Wang Yan, the long-famed elder who was said to be nearly invincible among Soul Douluos.
Wang Chen smiled faintly—and released his spiritual power.
In an instant, a vast, crushing wave of spiritual force swept through the entire hall, filling the space with overwhelming pressure before he calmly withdrew it.
Zhao Yurou felt that powerful, Soul Douluo–level spiritual aura and went completely blank.
Where before she had believed three parts of his story, now she believed at least seven.
She had already reasoned that anyone capable of making the Wang Family's Great Elder—a Soul Douluo powerhouse—bow in greeting could only be the Patriarch himself.
She just hadn't dared to think that far, because Wang Chen was far too young.
She had assumed he must be the illegitimate son of some great figure.
But this—this was solid, irrefutable proof.
The reality hit far harder than any speculation could.
To think that Wang Yan, a peak Soul Douluo only one step away from becoming a Rank Nine Soul Engineer, had been defeated by this young man—it was simply unbelievable.
Even if Wang Chen had started cultivating from the moment he was born, with innate full soul power, it still shouldn't have been possible.
Zhao Yurou finally managed to ask, voice trembling slightly,
"Wang Chen… your strength—
Has it already reached the Titled Douluo level?"
Wang Chen smiled again, not answering directly.
"You'll understand in time."
Zhao Yurou nodded slowly, but her heart was already churning like a stormy sea.
Her meridians might be shattered, but her insight as a former Soul Saint was as sharp as ever.
She could clearly feel the terrifying energy hidden behind Wang Chen's calm, handsome exterior.
Ye Guyi's blue eyes were wide as saucers.
Though still shocked, she was gradually beginning to accept that Wang Chen truly was the Patriarch of the Wang Family.
But then, as she remembered all the times they had sparred over the past three years—when Wang Chen had always won by just a tiny margin—her cheeks puffed up in mock anger.
She pouted and glared at him playfully.
"Wang Chen, if you were this strong all along,
why did you act like every match was such a struggle?"
The teasing look in her beautiful eyes made Wang Chen's heart tremble for a moment.
Three years had changed not only him, but her as well.
Ye Guyi had grown from a budding girl into a graceful young woman.
Her features were exquisite—delicate brows, bright autumn-like eyes, a high, straight nose, and lips rosy as cherry blossoms.
Her sapphire eyes were still pure and radiant, her fair skin smooth and soft, glowing faintly under the light.
Her long golden hair shimmered like spun sunlight, catching the rays that fell through the window.
Her figure had developed fully—tall, slender, and elegantly curved, her posture full of quiet strength.
Her slim waist and gently rounded hips formed a perfect, graceful silhouette.
Now Ye Guyi possessed not only a maiden's purity but also a mature woman's charm—
a beauty that was both sacred and dangerously captivating.
As Wang Chen met her luminous eyes—those liquid blue irises reflecting his own image—he felt a momentary daze.
That shy yet alluring expression… utterly enchanting.
But only for a heartbeat.
He quickly steadied himself again and smiled.
"That's because I didn't want to hurt your confidence.
If you'd prefer, I won't hold back next time."
Ye Guyi thought of how Wang Chen had defeated even the famed Wang Yan, and the image of trying to spar against that power made her flinch.
She shook her head quickly.
"No way! I'm not sparring with you again—you'd only bully me."
Zhao Yurou watched the two of them bicker affectionately, the corners of her mouth curling upward.
That fleeting glint in Wang Chen's eyes just now hadn't escaped her notice.
She could tell—Wang Chen definitely had feelings for Ye Guyi.
Her mood instantly brightened.
Given her own broken meridians and lost cultivation, she knew that if her old enemies ever discovered her current state, even the Pingfan Alliance's protection might not last forever.
If something happened to her, Guyi would be left alone—and with her extraordinary talent and growing beauty, countless men would covet her.
So Zhao Yurou had long been searching for someone Guyi could both love and rely on.
If that failed, she'd have no choice but to push Guyi into joining a powerful faction for protection.
That was why she had come here—to see for herself whether Wang Chen was truly worthy.
And after seeing this young man today… she was stunned.
He had power, influence, talent—and was handsome, composed, and impossibly young.
A man like that was rarer than a phoenix feather.
She had never even dared to imagine such a match for her niece.
If Guyi could truly be with him, her future would be one of happiness and security.
Her mind made up, Zhao Yurou decided right then and there:
She would absolutely help bring these two together.
Letting Guyi miss out on such a man would be a regret lasting ten lifetimes.
After chatting for a while longer, Wang Chen finally learned the reason for Zhao Yurou's injuries—her recent battle with an Evil Soul Master from the Xishui Alliance, which had left her meridians severed and her body gravely wounded.
Wang Chen immediately understood the danger both she and Ye Guyi were in.
As someone whose strength had already reached the Titled Douluo level, protecting his friend Ye Guyi and her aunt would be effortless.
So, without hesitation, Wang Chen offered,
"From now on, you two can stay here, in the Wang Family.
You'll be safe.