Chapter 56: Clan Celebration (Part One)

July 15 — Offering fruits on a high altar to honor the ancestors, fasting, and reciting teachings in remembrance of the spirits.

In the early morning on the day of the ancestral worship, whole pigs and sheep were prepared and placed on racks. Offerings, including the five sacrificial animals, sweets, food boxes, rice, soup, tea, and wine, were arranged neatly on the offering table.

All the members of the Chen clan who came to participate in the ritual wore blue ceremonial robes—Mandarin-collar Chinese tunics with sky-blue trim and two symmetrical gemstone buttons. The base color was dark blue-black, with no complex patterns. Everyone was neatly dressed and conducted themselves with great decorum as they gathered for the ancestral rites.

Though the Chen clan was small, members from the five main branches—"Yu, Shui, Wen, Ji, Guang"—along with their relatives and loyal followers, all paid meticulous attention to etiquette. They entered the ancestral hall in orderly lines. The clan leader, elders, and those with village positions stood at the front of the procession, draped in golden sashes.

Before the ritual began, three rounds of ceremonial ground cannon shots ("Three-Gate Thunder") were fired in front of the ancestral hall, Hanhui Hall.

The chief master of ceremonies, Chen Cong, formally announced the start of the ritual. The main officiant, Chen Hong, and other assistants took their positions.

Another ceremonial official, Chen Wu, led people in beating drums, setting off firecrackers, and playing traditional music. In front of the ancestral hall, a regional auspicious opera performance called "Five Fortunes Together" was staged.

At that moment, drums thundered, the suona blared, and firecrackers roared, creating an earth-shaking and electrifying scene full of excitement and fervor.

The clan leader, Chen Yu, personally presided over the ceremony. The offerings included five sacrificial animals—pig, sheep, chicken, goose, and fish—and the five grains—rice, millet, broomcorn, wheat, and soybeans.

Chen Wu recited the "Hand-Washing" chant. Chen Hong guided Chen Yu through the ritual washing before returning him to his position. Following Chen Wu's lead, Chen Yu then stepped up to the altar to offer incense, pour wine to invite the spirits, and present tea, olives, blood from a sacrificial animal, and precious silk.

Clan members stood in formation by gender—males on the left, females on the right. Elder Chen Hong read the solemn ancestral oration expressing their reverence and a legacy passage to educate descendants: to honor the past and never forget their origins.

Next, Chen Yu led the formal worship before the three ancestral statues in order of seniority. The ritual required strict form: four kneelings and four prostrations, with fists joined and palms pressed together in respect.

Clan members followed along, listening to the ancestral orations, and during the "Fortune Drinking and Meat Blessing" segment, they too knelt. At the final "Farewell to Ancestors" segment, they followed the main officiant in three prostrations.

In addition to the public offerings to the distant ancestors, each family line also presented offerings to their own more recent ancestors in the side halls, honoring both distant and near forebears.

Afterward, they moved to the back hall to honor the ancestors of other families who had married into the clan (at Muen Hall) and the loyal followers' ancestors (at the Hall of Loyalty).

Once the ceremony ended, the sacrificial meats—pork and lamb—were distributed to the clan members, and the feast began.

The banquet included:

Roast suckling pig, braised pig's trotters with black moss, poached mandarin fish, red-braised squab, stir-fried pork cubes with nuts, steamed pork with taro, pineapple sweet-and-sour ribs, shiitake with seasonal greens, premium soy-sauce chow mein, braised lamb with bamboo and shrimp, vermicelli stir-fried with dried shrimp, red-braised pork belly, dried beancurd with kudzu root, stewed Napa cabbage with pork skin, soup-seasoned vegetables, and seasonal fruit platters...

Pork, lamb, and river fish were the main dishes, requiring large amounts of meat, much of which was supplied thanks to Chen Xiaojun's efforts.

After everyone had their fill, at 2 p.m., the second traditional event of the clan celebration began: the Clan Martial Competition, held beside the ancestral hall in the martial training hall.

The martial arena was packed with people, abuzz with excitement. Almost the entire village, aside from the guards, had come to watch the children's clan tournament.

The Chen Clan's martial field was located east of the ancestral hall. It was vast and spacious enough to hold hundreds with ease.

Although Chenlin Village had fewer than fifty households, the Chen family, divided into several branches, mostly lived as large households and rarely separated. With plenty of land and living space, and little economic incentive to divide family property, it wasn't uncommon to find homes with four or even five generations under one roof. Some family courtyards housed dozens of people.

Altogether, the village population was around four to five hundred, comparable to a small sect.

Most village families were from follower soul master families. The soul master ratio was high, over 90%. Their levels ranged from Soul Master to Soul Douluo.

Even the lowest martial spirits among these families were of intermediate grade. Some had even evolved to top-tier Grade 7 martial spirits, such as the Azure Shadow Eagle.

These high-grade families had all followed the Chen clan for over a thousand years, benefiting greatly from their allegiance and, over time, becoming accustomed to their dependence. They never sought independence.

Typically, the clan competition was for children under 15, all below level 40, not exceeding the Soul Exalted rank.

This tournament was a way to gauge the clan's new generation of soul masters for their potential and combat aptitude.

As with the ancestral ritual, follower families' children were also allowed to participate. This time, 39 competitors were entered.

From the main branch of the Chen family: Chen Jianjun, Chen Jianzun, Chen Feng, Chen Yanwu, Chen Cong's grandson, and Chen Hua's son, Chen Mu—all joined.

These were all Chen Xiaojun's cousins. He ranked sixth among his generation in the clan. The younger ones hadn't even awakened their martial spirits yet.

Chen Jianjun, Chen Jianzun, and Chen Yanwu were Soul Exalts; Chen Feng and Chen Mu were Grand Soul Masters.

Originally, Chen Yu hadn't intended for Chen Xiaojun to participate. He was too young and had only just acquired his first soul ring. Generally, Soul Masters didn't compete—it would be hard to win against anyone. He could just join next time.

After all, most participants were Grand Soul Masters or Soul Exalts. Very few were merely Soul Masters. But Chen Xiaojun insisted, making him stand out among the competitors.

The tournament was divided into upper and lower brackets. Competitors drew lots to determine matchups: 1 vs 2, 3 vs 4, and so on. Numbers 1–20 were the upper bracket; 21–39 were the lower bracket. Number 39 received a bye in the first round.

Around the martial arena stood two-story wooden pavilions and corridors. Clan elders and VIPs sat in the main pavilion directly facing the arena.

Other guests were seated in the surrounding three directions of balconies and corridors.

Ximen Rongcheng and his group were seated in the guest pavilion to the left.

Xue Tianming looked at the children in the front row below—clad in blue swordsman attire—and said with some envy:

"Our generation of Chen clan members is still young. Some haven't even been married. But this generation's clan tournament has six main-branch children participating. Including those who haven't awakened yet, the number of children is already comparable to the last generation. This generation has flourished."

Top-tier martial spirit families often struggled with succession and typically had few descendants.

By tradition, the Chen clan's main line inherits the Seven Kill Sword, while the clan leader's line is the direct lineage. Chen Xiaojun, as the first mutated martial spirit user of his kind, would not be separated from the main branch.

In Douhun City, family generations followed a thirty-year cycle. The Chen and Ximen families, due to martial spirit erosion issues, had even slower generational turnover.

Most of the current clan leaders were in their eighties or nineties. Chen Yu was considered relatively young among them. The core generation was in their fifties or sixties, and the younger generation was just beginning to show their talents.

Ma Zhibin shook his head and said, "That may not be the case. There are only about twenty Chen clan members present, and maybe around thirty if you include those away. Children make up about a third, but the Chen clan's casualty rate is way too high, almost rivaling the Ximen family's oldest branch."

Ximen Rongcheng rolled his eyes. This guy always had to bring up the worst topic possible.

Xue Tianming turned his head and asked the bald, burly man beside him, "Zhong Kui, is your son competing down there?"

Indeed, that bald middle-aged man was his comrade-in-arms from the Mo Yang Sect—Zhong Kui.

(End of Chapter)