The four elders of Huaiyuan Hall were also dressed in ceremonial robes today, standing at the entrance to the ancestral hall.
Amid the solemn atmosphere and the strict procedures of the Wheel-Turning Ceremony, Zhang Tie burned incense before the ancestral hall, lighting it. Then, when Elder Mu En, serving as master of ceremonies, cried, "Bow!" Zhang Tie began by bowing to Heaven, then to Earth, and finally inserted the incense into the bronze tripod directly facing the entrance of the ancestral hall before stepping inside.
At this moment, the entire ancestral hall was so lavish it was almost outrageous.
The floor was paved with golden bricks patterned with auspicious clouds. Ritual banners and prayer streamers hung from the pillars and beams, while costly Heavenly Star sandalwood burned in the bronze tripods. As it burned, the Heavenly Star sandalwood not only lit the hall as bright as day, but also filled it with a strange fragrance. The entire ancestral hall gleamed with gold and jade, solemn and magnificent—more splendid even than a royal palace.
Zhang Tie was the first to enter through the main doors. The moment he stepped inside, he withdrew the Battle Qi smoke rising from his body.
Behind Zhang Tie came the four elders of Huaiyuan Hall, followed by the other stewards and members of the family. Only after them came the guests attending the ceremony. The other stewards and family members of Huaiyuan Hall, as well as the observing guests, were not permitted to enter through the main doors. Instead, they entered through the side doors on either side, the order meticulous and flawless.
Ordinarily, no outsiders were allowed to enter the main doors of the ancestral hall. Only the family elders and the clan head could do so.
Zhang Tie walked slowly over the golden bricks