Etiquette (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

The Fang family's ancestral land lies within a village under the jurisdiction of Qixi County, with a small stream flowing in front and a dense grove of trees behind, a profusion of blooming flowers.

To preserve its original appearance as much as possible, the Fang clan members have made repairs over the years, but never touched the foundations.

The rural path leading to the ancestral land is built even wider than the main road of Qixi County town.

Along the way, there are many small towns, scattered like stars in the sky, guarding the village.

To this day, people still live in Fang Family Village, though their identities are far from ordinary.

Either they are clan elders seeking seclusion in retreat, or village elders of very high seniority—the latter mostly ordinary people.

Ordinary clan members of the Fang family simply have no qualification to come to Fang Family Village; at most, they live in the nearby towns.

"Greetings, Dingguo Duke!"

The Qixi County Magistrate, having seen off the Fang family delegation from the Royal City, whipped his horse and rushed to the only road leading to the Prefecture City Fang family, waiting there obediently.

He knew full well what day it was.

These two great figures—he could afford to offend neither, only to curry favor.

"Just some sacrificial gifts, a small token of respect. I hope the Fang Family Head will accept them."

The Qixi County Magistrate waved his hand, and a group of subordinates from the Punishment Office carried the items over.

"You're too kind."

Fang Zhongwu nodded.

Fang Family Village was large enough to accommodate both family branches, each occupying the east and west sides.

By long-established custom, they would not meet until the day of the ancestral rites themselves.

The ritual process was tedious, requiring careful timing, preparation of offerings, and various ceremonial processions.

Fang Yuan didn't need to handle any of these matters; he only had to wait patiently for the time to come and participate in the ceremony.

At the New Moon hour.

The ancestral rites officially began.

On the altar inside the Fang family Ancestral Hall, offerings had already been laid out: various rare spirit fruits, pastries, and even pigs, cattle, and sheep.

At this moment.

The two great families finally met.

The two leaders and many elders sat calmly in their seats, while the disciples of both sides sized each other up.

"He has hostility toward me?"

Fang Yuan sensed an unfriendly gaze cast his way, furrowed his brow, and followed the line of sight back.

The young man whose eyes met his was quite provocative, as if invisible sparks of gunpowder could clash in the air between them.

"I've never even seen him before—where does this conflict come from?" Fang Yuan was puzzled.

At the Fang family ancestral rites, only Council Elders were qualified to sit in chairs; ordinary elders had no such right.

Let alone the outstanding disciples of the younger generation, who were usually outside the Ancestral Hall.

Five years ago, Fang Yuan hadn't even been qualified to attend the ancestral rites, so naturally, he had never met Fang Xuan.

Now, as the Young Master, his seat was quite prominent, right beside Fang Zhongwu.

"Ancestors above, your descendants offer incense, praying for your blessing, for the family's prosperity, and for the younger generation's diligence."

The ritual master began reading the eulogy, a long-winded speech resounding.

After some time, it came time for the descendants to offer incense and perform the kneeling bow.

The rule here was that the Fang Family Head would offer the first stick of incense, followed by the heir—ritual law could not be disrupted, and customs could not be abandoned.

It emphasized order by seniority and distinction by rank.

"Hold on!"

Fang Zhongwu was just about to step forward with the offering tablet when the Grand Elder of the Royal City Fang family interrupted.

"According to ancestral ritual law, only the Main Family's honored one has the right to offer the first incense."

"Fang Zhongwu, your virtue no longer matches your position. You should step down."

As these words fell, the atmosphere of the ancestral rites, which should have proceeded smoothly, instantly dropped to freezing point.

"Do you even understand ritual law? For thousands of years, the Main Family's position has never changed."

The Second Elder of the Prefecture City Fang family retorted: "If it weren't for our branch acknowledging you, you wouldn't even be able to enter the Ancestral Hall."

Since ancient times, the Fang family had never had a concept of "branch families."

That was all the doing of the Royal City line—they first rebelled and left, then developed to a certain scale, and begged to return to the Main Family.

In this world, people deeply valued returning to their roots; even in death, they refused to let the clan registry erase their names.

This was the inheritance of the family!

Even after all these years, with the Royal City Fang Family experiencing its own rises and falls and at times surpassing the Prefecture City Fang Family in strength, the Main Family remained the Prefecture City Fang Family, holding the clan genealogy and presiding over all sacrificial rites.

These things seemed ordinary on the surface, but in terms of ritual law, they were major matters, representing the legitimacy of status.

"It looks like they want to fight for the legitimacy of the family's status." Fang Yuan's eyes flickered.

What the Royal City Fang Family's Grand Elder had just said was meant to provoke confrontation, wanting the Prefecture City branch to defer to them.

"Ancestral law stipulates that when more than two-thirds of the Council Elders agree, the family head can be replaced."

Both families adhered to this standard.

"If I recall correctly, your Prefecture City Fang Family now only has seventeen Council Elders."

The Royal City Fang Family's Grand Elder had sharp eyes and an imposing manner.

"Within our clan, there are now a full thirty-five Council Elders. Here is the roster."

As Fang Zheng handed over the roster, the atmosphere seemed to freeze, and every member of the Prefecture City Fang Family had flames blazing in their eyes.

The Second Elder waved his hand, letting a ritual attendant take the roster and carefully flip through it. His expression grew darker by the moment.

It seemed they were dead set on seizing the title this time and had come fully prepared.

Once the Royal City Fang Family gained orthodox status, the Prefecture City Fang Family would lose all face and never be able to hold their heads high again.

This made the elders, who already had little goodwill toward the Royal City Fang Family, feel even more stifled.

"Hurry up and hand over the family head's ceremonial seal and credentials. Later, you'll also need to deliver the genealogy." Fang Zheng showed no mercy.

The Prefecture City Fang Family members clenched their fists, their eyes fixed on the opposite side, their hearts full of unwillingness.

Yet they were powerless.

The Royal City Fang Family had always developed at a better pace than them.

If not for Fang Zhongwu leading the family and making it the foremost of the Three Great Families in recent years, the gap would have been even wider.

"Ancestral law does have that rule, but there are additional conditions, aren't there?"

Fang Yuan, who had been observing from the sidelines, suddenly spoke, breaking the deadlock in the hall.

"What brat is this, daring to bring up ancestral law and bandy it about?"

An elder from the Royal City Fang Family stood up and rebuked him.

"How dare you! Fang Yuan is the young master of the Main Family. In the Ancestral Hall, his status is higher than yours!"

It was the hot-tempered Ninth Elder who spoke up.

He was a supporter of the Prefecture City Grand Elder, but now that the family's honor was at stake, he also defended Fang Yuan's dignity.

"You..."

The rebuked elder's finger trembled, and he couldn't get a word out for a long time.

In all sacrificial ceremonies, the heir often held an extremely high status, after all, he was the future leader of the clan.

"Are you trying to say that the new family head's chosen heir must be the most outstanding junior in the clan?"

Since Fang Zheng had invoked ancestral law, he naturally intended to use those rules. He gestured for the scolded elder to sit down.

"Naturally."

Fang Yuan's gaze swept over Fang Zheng, his tone neither servile nor arrogant.

Changing the family head was a factor that could destabilize stability.

Not only did it require the support of the majority of Council Elders, but the heir he appointed also had to be capable of carrying the banner in the future.

"Fang Yuan, don't think that just because you participated in the Azure Cloud Sect's trial, you can look down on all the talents under heaven."

Fang Xuan, who already held a grudge against Fang Yuan, shouted directly.

"In the ancestral hall, do you have the right to speak?" Fang Yuan sneered coldly.

Fang Xuan, standing behind his elder brother, had eyes blazing with fury, but he could not respond in any way.

Otherwise, it would be disrespecting the ancestors and defying ritual law.

"You want to fight me?"