Chapter 36: The Ancestral Rules
"I might joke with you, but I wouldn't dare joke with the ancestors," Li Muxiu said calmly.
The elder with long eyebrows frowned slightly. He thought to himself that this was indeed true. While his second brother might act frivolously on most occasions, he was always respectful and disciplined within the ancestral hall.
He asked, "Could this child possibly be as young as nine?"
"Eight."
"Eight?!"
The elder was stunned, his eyes flashing with waves of astonishment. "Are you saying he achieved Zhoutian Perfection Realm at the age of eight?"
"That's right."
After Li Muxiu responded lightly, he walked straight to the golden statue at the front of the hall, knelt down, and began to bow.
"Hao'er, come over here."
After kowtowing three times, Li Muxiu knelt and softly called out.
Li Hao immediately walked over to his side.
"Kneel and bow to the ancestors."
Li Hao followed his instructions, kneeling and kowtowing to each of the ancestral tablets in turn.
Li Muxiu raised his head and spoke in a low voice: "I, Li Muxiu, a descendant of the family, have brought this young one here today to listen to the teachings of our ancestors. I humbly request that the ancestors bestow their inheritance upon him!"
As his words fell, the many ancestral tablets above seemed to tremble slightly.
When Li Hao finished his kowtows and looked up, he saw ethereal shadows appear in front of each tablet, seated in the void. Some wore scholar’s robes, others donned heavy armor, and still others had mutilated bodies, wrapped in battle flags.
Clearly, these were the illustrious ancestors of the Li family.
"Ah, another fine seedling," one of the shadows remarked.
"A Zhoutian Perfection Realm cultivator, and only eight years old. His talent surpasses that of the child we saw twenty years ago by a significant margin!"
"Who would have thought that the fortunes of the Li family, which have been steadily flourishing over the past century, would bring forth such a prodigy? We must warn the younger generation not to become arrogant. Let the previous generation's lessons serve as their cautionary tale."
The various ethereal ancestors murmured among themselves, expressing their opinions freely.
When Li Hao entered the ancestral hall, he had temporarily concealed his All-Manifestations Attribute. Though unsure whether the souls of these ancestors could bypass its concealment effect, he thought it best not to complicate matters.
"This child's aptitude is extraordinary. I’ll refrain from intervening. The rest of you may proceed," one shadow said.
"Indeed, only the first ancestor or a few others can bestow their inheritance upon someone of his caliber," another agreed.
As the ancestors conversed, many of their shadows gradually dimmed and returned to their respective tablets. Only four shadows remained suspended above their tablets, silently observing Li Hao.
"I..." One of the shadows holding a spear began to speak, but suddenly, the golden statue in the center of the tablets emitted a brilliant light, as though it had come to life.
The other shadows turned to look, bowing their heads slightly in respect.
The other tablets also quivered faintly, and a unanimous voice echoed: "We greet the First Ancestor."
Before the golden statue, a tall and broad-shouldered middle-aged man appeared, his ethereal form more substantial than the others. His visage was identical to that of the golden statue.
"If you can abide by my heart oaths, you shall receive my inheritance," the middle-aged man said, his gaze calm and steady as he looked down at Li Hao.
Li Hao could feel his grandfather's body tremble slightly with excitement. He immediately recognized this shadow as the first ancestor of the Li family, Li Tianyuan!
"Greetings, First Ancestor!"
Li Muxiu kowtowed deeply, followed promptly by Li Hao.
"I once followed Emperor Yu on his campaigns, warring across the Eastern Desolation and subduing countless demons and tribes. During those times, I made two heart oaths to the first emperor, ensuring a thousand years of glory for the Li family," Li Tianyuan’s soul spoke slowly.
"The first heart oath is that all members of the Li family must vow to protect the family with their lives, sharing life and death as one!"
"The second heart oath is to defend the Great Yu Dynasty to the death, standing with it through life and death!"
"Can you fulfill these oaths?" Li Tianyuan’s calm gaze bore into Li Hao.
Li Hao was momentarily dazed. Protect the Li family? Did that mean every member, or only some?
The ancestral hall was silent. All eyes were fixed on the young boy, waiting for his response.
After a long pause, Li Hao spoke softly: "First Ancestor, forgive my ignorance, but I am unclear on certain matters."
"Speak," Li Tianyuan’s soul replied evenly.
"Protecting the Li family—does this include all members, even those from branch families? And does protection mean merely shielding them, or am I forbidden from harming them?"
"Only the direct bloodline. As for protection, you must not harm them. Even if you sever their limbs and leave them alive, it still counts as protection," Li Tianyuan answered, his heart oaths evidently crafted with great precision.
Li Hao asked cautiously, "Then... what if there are traitors among the direct bloodline, or if someone plots against me?"
"Such degenerates can be dealt with by those who have not entered the ancestral hall to inherit the souls of the ancestors."
"But if such degenerates attack or ambush me, does that mean I can only evade?" Li Hao pressed.
"One who inherits my soul should be invincible within their realm, save for the royal family," Li Tianyuan replied coolly. "Evading them will be a trivial task. If you encounter someone beyond your realm, your only duty is to flee for your life. Do not attempt to counterattack."
"And if they die in front of me while I stand idly by?"
"You must intervene to save them, even if they are degenerates," Li Tianyuan said. "However, when such degenerates are dealt with by the enforcers, you can choose not to be present, thus avoiding harm to your heart oath."
Li Hao considered this carefully. It seemed like a feasible workaround.
"But isn’t this rather unfair?"
As a prodigy, to have to hide from other members of the Li family within the same realm, or even assist them in times of trouble, felt deeply unreasonable.
"Don't speak nonsense," Li Muxiu muttered hastily, his expression darkening.
However, Li Tianyuan’s soul showed no anger. Instead, he gazed at Li Hao calmly and spoke slowly: "Indeed, it may seem unfair. But do you know why I demand that the prodigies qualified to enter the ancestral hall and inherit the ancestral soul must endure such grievances and make these heart oaths?"
Li Hao shook his head. "I do not know."
"It is for the sake of continuity."
Li Tianyuan’s voice was steady as he explained, "The first heart oath ensures that the family’s prodigies, who often wield immense power and influence, do not become arrogant or disregard the lives of ordinary members of the clan. It prevents them from abandoning the family after rising to power, taking the family’s resources to soar on their own."
"This constraint may seem unfair to the prodigies, but the slight grievance they endure guarantees the family’s continued survival and inheritance for generations!"
Li Hao reflected on this, realizing that from the ancestors’ perspective, this was indeed a logical safeguard.
"And the second heart oath is why the Li family has endured for a thousand years without being targeted by the royal family."
Li Tianyuan’s tone remained calm. "In the past, there were twelve divine generals who fought alongside the First Emperor during his campaigns. Today, only five Divine General Mansions remain, and two of those rose to prominence in the past millennium. The descendants of my former comrades are long extinct, their lineages erased. Among the few survivors, many have hidden their identities, disappearing from history."
"These two heart oaths may seem like chains or shackles, but in truth, they are the foundation of our survival as a bloodline!"
"Without them, after a thousand years of military glory, with generations of generals and commanders, and a stronghold of influence within the military, how could the royal family permit us to exist without using imperial schemes to divide and destroy us?"
Hearing these words, Li Hao was left in stunned silence.
From the First Ancestor’s perspective, it was undeniable that these measures had allowed the Li family to thrive.
The benefits outweighed the costs.
The Li family had persisted as a line of Divine Generals for a millennium. While Li Tianyuan’s words seemed casual, the difficulty of achieving this feat was beyond ordinary comprehension.
Perhaps the royal family tolerated the Li family’s current glory because they understood that the strongest prodigies, those who entered the ancestral hall to inherit the ancestral soul, were bound by these heart oaths.
"Now that you understand, are you willing to make these heart oaths?" Li Tianyuan asked, his calm demeanor showing no trace of coercion.
Li Hao hesitated, his thoughts wavering.
These two heart oaths felt like a curse upon the Li family.
Although they had ensured a millennium of glory, they also seemed to impose strict limitations, binding the family tightly.
For all their accumulated merit and glory, this hall filled with heroic souls told a different story. Generations of prodigies had been burdened by these oaths, their accomplishments often overshadowed by the weight of family obligations.
In contrast, ordinary family members, sheltered by these rules, were more likely to live long and peaceful lives.
For the Li family, being a prodigy felt less like a blessing and more like a curse.
The burden of upholding the family fell squarely on their shoulders.
In that light, it almost seemed preferable to inherit the soul of a warrior from the Martial Temple rather than endure the heavy chains of the Li family’s ancestral hall.
Li Tianyuan appeared to sense Li Hao’s hesitation. His expression turned colder, and his figure gradually began to fade. His voice, however, lingered in the hall:
"This child is exceptionally talented but lacks firm resolve. Let him think it over further."
The other tablets trembled faintly, as though bidding farewell to the First Ancestor, before the hall returned to silence.
Li Muxiu stood still for a moment, looking at Li Hao with a mix of helplessness and resignation. He refrained from saying anything in front of the ancestral tablets. Instead, he bowed deeply to them, then led Li Hao out of the hall.
Li Hao followed, feeling an inexplicable sense of relief as they exited.
As they left, his gaze unconsciously fell on a chessboard inside the hall. This was an instinctive reaction for him, given his Chess Heart. Just as Jian Wudao had said, a sword lover would notice a sword among a thousand weapons at first glance.
For someone with a Chess Heart, it was even deeper. Among ten thousand objects, he would immediately notice a chessboard.
"Grandfather, black to seven-thirteen can secure the win," Li Hao remarked casually before following Li Muxiu out of the ancestral hall.
Outside, a light drizzle had begun to fall, the gentle rain filling the air with a refreshing coolness.
Li Muxiu sighed softly. This was the perfect time for fishing; the lake, replenished by the fresh rain, would draw out the fish demons for air. Yet, he found himself lacking the mood for it.
"You, stop overthinking and take some time to figure it out for yourself," Li Muxiu said, knowing that Li Hao’s playful nature made him resist the idea of being constrained. He chose not to push further.
The boy was still young, after all. A little stubbornness was inevitable.
Li Hao nodded.
Despite his usual carefree demeanor, Li Muxiu’s decision to inherit the ancestral soul in his youth revealed his dedication to the family.
Back in the ancestral hall, the elder with long eyebrows withdrew his gaze. He was not familiar with Li Hao and cared little for the boy’s hesitations. After all, Li Hao would return eventually.
Turning his attention back to the chessboard, the elder picked up a piece but suddenly paused, letting out a quiet "Oh?"