The Fang Family's Ancestral Land lay in a village under Qixi County, with a stream flowing in front and woods growing thick behind, surrounded by a riot of blossoms.
To preserve its original appearance as much as possible, the Fang Family had repaired it over the years, but never changed its foundations.
The country road leading to the Ancestral Land had been made even wider than the main road in Qixi County.
Along the way stood many small towns, scattered like stars and guarding the village.
People still lived in Fang Family Village, but they were all far from ordinary.
Some were senior members of the family who wished to cultivate in seclusion, while others were village elders of very high generation. The latter were mostly ordinary people.
Ordinary members of the Fang Family had no right to come to Fang Family Village. At most, they could live in the nearby towns.
"Greetings, Dingguo Duke!"
After seeing off the Fang Family party from the Royal City, the Qixi County Magistrate had hurried on horseback to a place along the route the Prefecture City Fang Family had to take, where he waited dutifully.
He naturally knew what day it was.
He couldn't afford to offend either of these two great personages, so all he could do was curry favor and welcome them.
"These are merely a few offerings for the ancestral rites. They're nothing much, but I hope the Fang Family Head will accept them."
The Qixi County Magistrate waved his hand, and several subordinates from the Punishment Office carried the things over.
"You're too kind."
Fang Zhongwu nodded.
Fang Family Village was large enough to accommodate the people from both branches of the family, with each occupying one side, east and west.
By custom, they did not meet until the day of the ancestral rites.
The ancestral rites were a complicated affair. They required choosing an auspicious time, preparing offerings, and arranging all kinds of ceremonial processions.
Fang Yuan didn't need to take care of any of that. He only had to wait patiently until the time came, then attend the ceremony.
At the New Moon.
The ancestral ceremony officially began.
Offerings had already been arranged on the altar in the Fang Family Ancestral Hall: all kinds of rare spirit fruits, pastries, and even pigs, cattle, and sheep.
At that moment,
the two great families finally met.
The two leaders and the many elders sat down calmly, while the disciples from both sides sized each other up.
"He's hostile toward me?"
Fang Yuan sensed an unfriendly gaze and furrowed his brow, following it back to its source.
The young man whose gaze met his was openly provocative, as though invisible sparks of hostility were flying between them.
"I've never met him before. Where did this grudge come from?" Fang Yuan wondered.
At the Fang Family's ancestral rites, only Council Elders were qualified to sit in the chairs. Ordinary elders weren't eligible.
The outstanding disciples of the younger generation, needless to say, usually waited outside the ancestral hall.
Five years ago, Fang Yuan hadn't been qualified to attend the ancestral rites, so he naturally couldn't have met Fang Xuan.
Now, however, he was the Young Master, seated near the front, right beside Fang Zhongwu.
"Our ancestors above, your descendants offer incense and pray for your protection, for the prosperity of the family and the diligence of future generations."
The officiant began reading the sacrificial text, its long passages ringing out.
After a long while, it was time for the younger descendants to offer incense and bow down.
The rules stipulated that the Fang Family Head would offer the first incense stick, followed by the heir. The rites could not be disordered, and the rules could not be discarded.
The principle was that the young and old had their proper order, and high and low their distinctions.
"Hold it!"
Fang Zhongwu had just taken the ancestral tablet and was about to step forward to offer the sacrifice when the Grand Elder of the Royal City Fang Family interrupted him.
"According to the rites of our ancestors, only the head of the Main Family is qualified to offer the first incense stick."
"Fang Zhongwu, you're unworthy of your position now. Step aside."
At those words, the atmosphere at the ancestral ceremony, which should have proceeded smoothly, instantly plunged to freezing point.
"Do you even understand the rites? For thousands of years, the Main Family's position has never changed."
The Second Elder of the Prefecture City Fang Family retorted, "If our branch hadn't recognized you, you wouldn't even be allowed into the ancestral hall."
Since ancient times, the Fang Family had never had a concept of splitting into separate branches.
The Royal City branch had first broken away, then grown to a certain scale, and only afterward asked to return to the Main Family.
People in this world placed great importance on fallen leaves returning to their roots. Even on their deathbeds, they did not want their names erased from the family genealogy.
That was the family's legacy!
Even after all these years, the Royal City Fang Family had experienced ups and downs, and there had been times when its strength surpassed that of the Prefecture City Fang Family.
The Main Family was still the Prefecture City Fang Family. It held the genealogy and oversaw all kinds of ancestral rites.
These things might seem ordinary, but in terms of rites, they were major matters, representing the legitimacy of one's standing.
"It seems they want to fight for the legitimate authority of the family." Fang Yuan's eyes flickered.
What the Grand Elder of the Royal City Fang Family had just said was meant to provoke a confrontation and make the Prefecture City branch acknowledge their superiority.
"According to the ancestral rites, if more than two-thirds of the Council Elders agree, the family head can be replaced."
Both families adhered to this standard.
"If I remember correctly, the Prefecture City Fang Family has only seventeen Council Elders now."
The Grand Elder of the Royal City Fang Family fixed them with a sharp, imposing gaze.
"But our branch now has thirty-five Council Elders. Here is the register."
When Fang Zheng handed over the register, the atmosphere seemed to congeal. The people of the Prefecture City Fang Family all glared, fire burning in their eyes.
The Second Elder waved for the officiant to bring over the register. He examined it carefully, his expression growing darker by the moment.
It seemed they were determined to fight for legitimacy this time, and had made thorough preparations.
If the Royal City Fang Family gained legitimate authority, the Prefecture City Fang Family would lose face completely and never be able to hold their heads high again.
The elders, who already had little goodwill toward the Royal City Fang Family, felt increasingly stifled.
"Hurry up and hand over the family head's ceremonial authority and seal. You'll also have to bring over the genealogy later," Fang Zheng said without the slightest concern for their feelings.
The people of the Prefecture City Fang Family clenched their fists and stared at the other side, deeply unwilling.
But they were powerless to stop it.
The Royal City Fang Family had always developed faster than they had.
If Fang Zhongwu hadn't taken charge of the Fang Family all these years and led it to become the foremost of the Three Great Families, the gap would have been even greater.
"The ancestral rites do contain that provision, but there are additional conditions, aren't there?"
Fang Yuan, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly spoke, breaking the deadlock.
"What young upstart thinks he can bring up the ancestral rites and toss them around so casually?"
An elder from the Royal City Fang Family stood and rebuked him.
"Outrageous! Fang Yuan is the Young Master of the Main Family. In the Ancestral Hall, his status is higher than yours!"
The speaker was the hot-tempered Ninth Elder.
He was a staunch supporter of the Prefecture City Fang Family's Grand Elder, but now that the family's dignity was at stake, he also stood up for Fang Yuan.
"You..."
The elder who had been scolded trembled with rage, unable to speak for a long while.
During various ancestral rites, the heir often held an extremely high position, after all, he was the family's future leader.
"Are you saying the new family head's chosen heir must be the most outstanding younger member of the clan?"
Since Fang Zheng had invoked the ancestral rites, he naturally meant to use their rules. He gestured for the elder who had been rebuked to sit down.
"Of course."
Fang Yuan glanced at Fang Zheng, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.
Changing the family head was a destabilizing factor.
Not only did it require the support of most of the Council Elders, but the heir the new head chose also had to be capable of shouldering the family's future.
"Fang Yuan, don't think that just because you took part in the Azure Cloud Sect's trial, you can look down on all the talented people in the world!"
Fang Xuan, who already resented Fang Yuan, shouted at him.
"Do you have the right to speak in the ancestral hall?" Fang Yuan sneered.
Standing behind his elder brother, Fang Xuan glared so furiously that he looked ready to spew fire, but he couldn't respond at all.
Otherwise, he would be showing disrespect to the ancestors and dishonoring the rites.
"Do you want to fight me?"
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