36. Ancestral Rules

Chapter 36: Ancestral Rules

"Joking with you is one thing, but I wouldn't dare joke with our ancestors," Li Muxiu said calmly.

The old man with long eyebrows frowned slightly, realizing this was true. Although his second brother usually acted carelessly, he was always very respectful in the ancestral shrine.

He asked, "Could it be this child looks young? Is he nine years old?"

"Eight."

"Eight?!"

The old man's eyes widened with waves of emotion. "Are you saying he's already reached the pinnacle of the Celestial Stage at eight?"

"Yes."

Li Muxiu said calmly and then walked over to the prayer mat in front of the golden statue and knelt down.

"Hao'er, come here."

After bowing three times, he knelt and called softly.

Li Hao immediately walked to his side.

"Kneel down and bow to our ancestors."

Following instructions, Li Hao knelt on the prayer mat and bowed to each tablet.

Li Muxiu raised his head and softly said, "Descendant Li Muxiu, today I bring a young one here to listen to the ancestors' teachings. I ask all ancestors to bestow their inheritance!"

As he spoke, the many tablets above seemed to vibrate slightly.

After bowing, Li Hao looked up and saw figures appearing in front of each tablet, sitting in the void. Some wore Confucian robes, some were clad in heavy armor, and others had only half their bodies, wrapped in battle flags.

These were clearly the ancestors of the Li family.

"Ah, another good seedling."

"At the Celestial Stage pinnacle, with such a young bone structure, only eight years old, even better than the little one from twenty years ago!"

"Didn't expect our Li family's luck in the last hundred years to be so prosperous. We must warn the young ones not to become arrogant because of this, or that child will be a lesson."

The ancestor spirits whispered among themselves, each expressing their views.

Upon entering the ancestral shrine, Li Hao had temporarily concealed his Vastness attribute. Although he didn't know if these ancestral spirits could see through its concealment, it was better not to stir up unnecessary trouble.

"This child's talent is excellent; I won't interfere. You should bestow it."

"With this talent, only the ancestor and a few of you can grant it."

After a while of discussion, many ancestor spirits dimmed and returned to their tablets, leaving only four spirits still hovering above their tablets, silently observing Li Hao.

"I..." One spirit holding a spear was about to speak when suddenly, the central golden statue glowed as if coming to life.

The other spirits looked over, then slightly bowed.

And all the other tablets trembled slightly, producing almost unified voices: "Greetings, ancestor."

In front of the golden statue, the spirit of a tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man sat. Compared to the other spirits, his figure seemed more solid.

His appearance was identical to the golden statue.

"If you can abide by my oath, you shall receive my inheritance," the middle-aged man said, his expression warm and calm, without any waves.

Li Hao could feel the old man beside him trembling slightly, as if very excited. He also recognized this spirit as the first ancestor of the Li family, Li Tianyuan!

"Greetings, ancestor!"

Old Man Li Muxiu bowed his head.

Li Hao quickly followed suit, mimicking his actions.

"When I followed the founding emperor of Dayu to campaign across the eight wildernesses of Donghuang, subduing countless demons and tribes, I made two oaths to the first emperor, which have granted our Li family a thousand years of glory."

Ancestor Li Tianyuan's spirit spoke slowly, "The first oath is that the Li family must protect its own, sharing life and death!"

"The second oath is to defend the Dayu dynasty with one's life, standing together with Dayu in life and death!"

"Can you do this?"

After speaking, Li Tianyuan looked down at Li Hao.

Li Hao was stunned. Protect the Li family? Did this refer to certain people or everyone?

The shrine was silent, with all eyes seemingly focused on the child, waiting for him to speak.

After a long pause, Li Hao softly said, "Ancestor, forgive this junior's ignorance, but I have questions."

"Speak," Li Tianyuan's spirit said calmly.

"Protecting the Li family, does this include everyone, even branches of the clan?" Li Hao cautiously asked, "Does protecting mean I can't harm them?"

"Only protect the direct bloodline. Since it's protection, naturally, you cannot harm them. Otherwise, if you chop off their limbs and leave them a breath, it could still be considered protection," Li Tianyuan explained, clearly the oath was very strict.

Li Hao asked, "What if there are traitors among the direct bloodline, or someone plots against me?"

"Such degenerates can be handed over to those who have not undergone the ancestral shrine's soul inheritance for punishment."

"But if such a degenerate attacks or ambushes me, am I supposed to just dodge?" Li Hao asked.

"With my soul inheritance, you should be invincible in the same realm, except for the royal family!"

Li Tianyuan replied indifferently, "Avoidance should be easy. If faced with someone of a higher realm, just escape; don't attempt counterattacks."

"What if they die in front of me, and I stand by idly?"

"You must step in to save them, even if they are degenerates," Li Tianyuan said. "But during the enforcement of law on degenerates, you can choose to be absent, avoiding a broken oath."

Li Hao thought for a moment; this was a viable option.

"But isn't this a bit unfair?"

As a prodigy, he must hide from those of the same realm in the Li family.

If they were in trouble, he had to help even if he didn't want to. It seemed unreasonable.

"Don't speak nonsense."

Beside him, Li Muxiu's face changed slightly, and he whispered to Li Hao.

However, Li Tianyuan's spirit was not angry. He glanced at Li Hao calmly and said slowly, "It is indeed unfair, but do you know why I make prodigies with the right to soul inheritance endure such grievances and take this oath?"

Although the Li family had an ancestral shrine with numerous ancestor spirits, not every Li family descendant was eligible to undergo soul inheritance here. The eyes of these ancestral spirits were very discerning.

Li Hao shook his head. "I don't know."

"It is for continuation."

Li Tianyuan said slowly, "The first oath is to prevent the family's prodigies from becoming arrogant, disregarding the lives of ordinary clan members, or using family resources to soar, then leaving the family behind."

"This kind of restriction may seem unfair to prodigies, but it is merely a minor grievance, whereas the benefit is the family's continued legacy through generations!"

Li Hao thought for a moment. From the ancestor's perspective, this was indeed true.

"And the reason the Li family has endured a thousand years without inciting royal suspicion is because of the second oath!"

Li Tianyuan stated calmly, "Initially, there were twelve generals who followed the founding emperor. Today, there are only five generals' mansions in Dayu, with two rising in the past millennium, while the descendants of those old comrades have long been lost to history. The remaining ones hide their names, their whereabouts unknown."

"These two oaths, appearing as restrictions and chains, are actually for the continuation of the bloodline!"

"Otherwise, with the Li family's millennium, its accumulated military achievements, and the number of generals and officers, how could the royal family easily cede power? How could they not employ imperial tactics to weaken and destroy?"

Hearing his words, Li Hao was stunned.

From the ancestor's perspective, it had indeed been achieved.

The benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

A thousand-year generalship, maintaining continuity, a simple statement, yet the difficulty was unimaginable.

Perhaps the royal family knew that the Li family's top prodigies would undergo soul inheritance in the ancestral shrine and take these two oaths, allowing the Li family its current glory.

"Now that you understand, are you willing to take the oath?" Li Tianyuan asked calmly.

Li Hao hesitated, still undecided.

These two oaths felt like a curse on the Li family.

Although it perpetuated a millennium of glory, wasn't it also a binding shackle? Generations of fame, a hall full of spirits, six out of nine war-torn generations, how many died naturally?

Instead, the ordinary members of the family mostly enjoyed protection and a peaceful life.

In the Li family, being a prodigy seemed like a misfortune.

Because they had to carry the entire Li family! In this case, it would be better to undergo soul inheritance at the Martial Temple, living an easy life.

Seeing Li Hao's hesitation, Li Tianyuan's spirit displayed a trace of coldness before gradually vanishing, leaving only an echo:

"This child is exceptionally gifted, but his resolve is weak. Let him reconsider."

The other tablets trembled slightly, as if seeing the ancestor off, and then returned to silence.

Li Muxiu was stunned for a moment and then looked helplessly at Li Hao. He said nothing further before these ancestor tablets but got up, bowed deeply, and led Li Hao out of the shrine.

Seeing this, Li Hao inexplicably felt relieved, following Granduncle Li Muxiu out.

Before leaving, his peripheral vision unconsciously caught sight of the chessboard, not his fault, being imbued with a chess heart. Just as Swordless had said, a lover of swords would notice a sword first among a thousand weapons.

That was merely at the stage of love, let alone having a heart.

Among ten thousand things, Li Hao would notice the chessboard at a glance.

"Granduncle, black at seven thirteen, can win."

After speaking, Li Hao followed Granduncle out of the shrine.

Outside, it seemed to have started drizzling, fine rain falling gently.

Li Muxiu sighed; this was the best time for fishing, with the lake surface mingling with new water, fish demons loved to come out for air, but he wasn't in the mood.

"You, think it over yourself," Li Muxiu knew Li Hao was playful by nature, reluctant to be shackled, and he couldn't persuade him.

Children were bound to be a bit willful.

Li Hao nodded.

Granduncle had undergone soul inheritance too, though he seemed carefree, he also cared for the Li family.

Inside the shrine, the long-browed old man withdrew his gaze. Unfamiliar with Li Hao, he didn't care about the boy's thoughts, figuring he would return eventually.

His gaze returned to the chessboard, and just as he was about to pick up a piece, he suddenly exclaimed softly.