Counter-Wave Ice Firmament

The men in the Si Clan have a very low status, and you can hardly see any men in the family. Although the Si Clan has changed a little after Si Jingyu removed the family rule that forbade the practice of martial arts, the effect is not significant. Moreover, there are many stubborn older members in the Lineage who are openly or secretly obstructing the reform.

Si Ming followed Si Huaruo inside, crossing the outer circle of the branch and entering the inner circle of the main branch. Many people frowned slightly when they saw him, but after hesitating, no one stepped forward to stop him, because this kid was too arrogant!

Si Ming walked with a swagger, arrogant and haughty, his chin held high, looking down at people with his nose in the air, his face full of arrogance and domineering, practically wearing the words "disdain for everyone" on his face.

Everyone understands the principle of bullying the weak and fearing the strong, and members of the Aristocratic Clan families are no exception. If Si Ming were a gentle and refined gentleman, they wouldn't mind coming out to reason with him and make things difficult for him. But Si Ming clearly stated, "I'll subdue Laozi with my fists," "I'm a bully, who am I afraid of?" and "Eat shit, Liang Feifan." After weighing the difference in their strength, everyone wisely chose to give up.

Si Ming traveled smoothly without any obstacles. Although he received many disdainful or disgusted looks, he adjusted his attitude, thinking, "I like it when you can't stand me but can't do anything about it." This attitude only made everyone more annoyed.

"Why does it feel like everyone's staring at us? And they all seem really angry?" Si Huaruo asked, somewhat confused.

"They're probably jealous of you because I look especially handsome today, and they want to take your place," Si Ming said shamelessly.

Perhaps it was because his words were too shameless, or perhaps it was because he had walked to the innermost part, separated from the ancestral hall only by a porch, that someone finally stood up indignantly and blocked his way.

This was an old woman, quite old, her face lined with wrinkles like parched earth. She held a dragon-headed cane, slamming it heavily on the ground, and said, "Only those whose names contain 'Mirror' or 'Flower' can enter here. For hundreds of years, not a single person with 'Emptiness' in their name has ever entered..."

Si Ming delivered a swift chop to her neck, knocking her unconscious without letting her finish speaking. Then, under the shocked gazes of those around him, he brazenly distorted the truth, saying, "The old lady has fainted from heatstroke. Quickly, someone help her back to her room to rest. Sigh, don't be so reckless at her age. She's practically in the grave; wouldn't it be better to just lie in bed and wait to die?"

A middle-aged woman came over and helped the old woman up, angrily saying, "Do you even know what you've done? How dare you hit her..."

"Ugh!"

Si Ming grinned and gave the other person a look that said, "If you utter another word, Laozi fists won't discriminate." The other person immediately shut up, took three steps in two, helped the old lady, and quickly retreated. Only after entering the crowd did he feel more confident. He turned back and snorted in dissatisfaction, but dared not say anything more. The others were also angry but dared not speak out.

"Why do you all think I'm respectful to the elderly and kind to the young? Haven't I acted fierce enough?" Si Ming stroked his chin, unable to help but examine his acting skills.

An elder, unable to bear it any longer, complained to Si Jingyu, "Young clan leader, look at what your brother has done! He's arrogant and takes advantage of his position; he's clearly..."

"Elder Mu is really getting on in years; she can't handle even a little heat. Luckily, my brother noticed in time and helped her up. Otherwise, given her frail health, a fall would have kept her bedridden for half a year. My brother is truly compassionate and kind to the elderly!"

Si Jingyu wore an expression of sisterly affection and pride, which shocked everyone so much that their jaws almost dropped. They were truly siblings; their ability to call a deer a horse was exactly the same!

Si Ming clearly doesn't care about reason and only uses his fists, while Si Jingyu clearly sides with her relatives and ignores the truth. One bullies the weak with his strength, and the other bullies others by relying on his power. They are exactly the style of villains. However, the wicked need the wicked to deal with them. No matter how indignant the others are, they can only keep quiet.

At the very front of the courtyard, closest to the ancestral hall, stood the elders who had once held high positions of power.

Steward Kui quietly approached Si Jingzhi and whispered, "Old Clan Chief, look at your granddaughter. She's already so disrespectful to her elders even before becoming clan chief. What will she do when she becomes clan chief? She'll turn the world upside down!"

Si Jingzhi hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "Alas, she used to be quite cautious in her dealings, rarely showing off. Perhaps it's because our ancestor has passed away... However, as the next clan leader, her performance has been adequate. Those in power are supposed to be ruthless and cunning; using power to oppress others is a form of political maneuvering. But what you said also makes sense. Recently, she's been a bit impulsive. For example, changing the clan rules was done rather frivolously. We, as elders, should remind her."

Si Jingyu's act of protecting her younger brother was beyond reproach in her eyes, because this "younger brother" was strong enough to warrant protection. He was a martial artist who was close to the Spirit Transformation Grandmaster, and he was so young. What was wrong with letting him come in to pay his respects at the ancestral hall? It was a good opportunity to do someone a favor.

As the head of a clan, sometimes you have to be shameless and do some unreasonable things. This is why Si Jingzhi never thought highly of Si Huaruo, even though she has similar martial arts talent to Si Jingyu. This child is too innocent, just like her second daughter, the current clan head Si Jingyue. She can't do anything against her conscience, so she is destined to be a puppet clan head. It's fine for a transition during peacetime, but she can't be relied on in times of crisis.

Another elder chimed in, "That's right. Passing down the family tradition to daughters, not sons, was a rule established by our ancestors. The Si Clan has never had any trouble thanks to this rule for hundreds of years. But she changed it without considering the consequences. In just a few days, the atmosphere in the clan has deteriorated considerably, especially among the underage boys, who are becoming increasingly unruly. If we don't curb this trend in time, I'm afraid the Lineage will descend into chaos within two years."

Si Jingzhi and said, "A new broom sweeps clean, and it's understandable that a young person in a high position wants to show her ambitions. However, she may be too hasty and exert too much effort. At this time, it is necessary for us experienced elders to remind her to slow down and share our life experience with her. This is our inescapable responsibility."

"The old clan chief is right."

Honest advice is hard to hear, but it's as solid as gold and stone!

After Si Ming swaggered into the courtyard at the entrance of the ancestral hall, he didn't do anything out of line. Although just by standing there, he created a large empty space around him, making everyone want to avoid him.

Fortunately, it wasn't long before everyone stopped focusing on him, because there was something else more noteworthy: Si Huaruo's challenge to Si Jingyu.

After seven days of fermentation, the matter had become common knowledge, and everyone was looking forward to a wonderful duel between the two young geniuses. After all, this matter did not violate the family rules, and almost all Lineage encouraged their members to learn from each other and compete peacefully, so that outstanding talents could continue to emerge.

As Si Huaruo walked towards Si Jingyu without any attempt to conceal her actions, everyone began to anticipate a dramatic and earth-shattering scene.

"You've forgotten the pain once the wound has healed. I thought that after so many lessons, even a dog would know what not to mess with. But it turns out that sometimes people are harder to train than dogs." Si Jingyu was the first to speak.

Failure is not shameful; what is shameful is giving up halfway; and the most shameful thing is choosing to give up before the finish line. The bitterness accumulated in the past is to make the taste of success even sweeter.

"Oh, you've gotten quite the smooth talker, haven't you? I heard you've been doing some special training these past few days. Did you train your mouth a little bit?"

"Your arrogance ends today. Hopefully, this experience of failure will brighten your darker side."

"This is the worst joke I've heard all year, but out of politeness, I'll still laugh it off, haha."

The mere exchange of glances between the two sparked an intense rivalry, neither willing to back down. Their verbal sparring was equally aggressive, until they were forced to temporarily cease hostilities just before the ancestral worship ceremony was about to begin.

Next comes the tedious worship ceremony. Hundreds of years of tradition have made the whole ritual incredibly complicated, with a total of six major parts and thirty-six minor parts. Every detail is regulated, including the color and style of the clothes to wear, the standing position, the hand gestures, and even the length of the hair.

Although Si Ming was also quite impatient, he would not disrespect the dead even if he was disrespectful to the living. Since the person was already dead, it wouldn't hurt to give him some face. So he followed the crowd and pretended to bow and pay his respects without causing any trouble.

The ceremony started at nine in the morning and didn't end until four in the afternoon. Many people were starving, but they had no choice but to endure it. After all, missing a meal won't kill you, but family discipline can kill you.

The final step of the ancestral worship ceremony is to determine the next clan leader, thus truly establishing the title. Si Jingyu has served as the young clan leader for many years and has made great contributions in turning the tide, so it can be said that she is the one who deserves to inherit the position of clan leader. Among her peers, only Si Huaruo can compare with her, but Si Huaruo has never been able to defeat her, so no one else has the right to jump out and oppose her.

As the outgoing elder, Si Jingzhi received the crystal blue jade staff, symbolizing her status as clan leader, from Si Jingyue, and then handed it to Si Jingyu. She wore her usual kind and gentle smile, saying, "This day has finally come. My little Qilin has grown up. From the moment you were born, Grandma has been looking forward to this day; it's been almost eighteen years. In the past, to cultivate you into a qualified successor, Grandma forced you to do many things you didn't like. I hope you can forgive Grandma's painstaking efforts."

Si Jingyu smiled understandingly and said, "I was ignorant in the past, but now my granddaughter has grown up and can understand her grandmother's good intentions. It's all for the sake of the Lineage."

Si Jingzhi nodded with immense satisfaction. "That's right, it's all for the Lineage. I hope that under your leadership, Water Mirror Manor will become even more prosperous and restore the glory of the Shaman School as soon as possible."

The grandfather and grandson's eyes met, and a smile erased all past grievances; at that moment, silence spoke louder than words.

Following the rules of the ceremony, Si Jingzhi stood on the altar and addressed the crowd. "After discussion among the clan elders, Si Jingyu has been elected as the next clan leader. Are there any clan members who disagree?"

Everyone fell silent, all turning their gazes to Si Huaruo, with her mother Si Huamu's gaze being the most intense.

Si Huaruo did not disappoint everyone's expectations. She stood up, stepped forward, and shouted, "I refuse to accept this!"

Chapter 318 Counter-Wave Ice Firmament