sacrificial ceremony
Since ancient times, people have regarded the second day of the second lunar month as a day to pray for good weather, to ward off evil spirits and disasters, and to pray to dragons to eliminate disasters and bestow blessings, so as to pray for a good harvest. This day is also called the Dragon Raising its Head.
The Ye family still retains the tradition of seeking obedience on the day of the Dragon Raising its Head, but the Ye family does not pray to the dragon or worship gods, but instead offers sacrifices to their own ancestors.
At five in the morning, before daybreak, the Ye family was already busy. They were procuring the freshest fruits and meats, the finest wine, incense, and candles for the ancestral worship. After the purchases were returned, everything was neatly arranged in the living room, and Ye Zhuoran reviewed everything, ensuring no mistakes were allowed.
"Dad, I'm back!" Ye Jing'an held a slingshot in his left hand and a dead pigeon in his right hand, and walked proudly into the living room, "Look what this is."
Seeing Ye Jing'an covered in yellow mud, Ye Zhuoran glared and cursed, "You stinky boy, you killed another one of my precious pigeons, and you got it all dirty. How shameless!"
"Dad, don't you see what era it is now? What kind of behavior is this..." Ye Jing'an imitated his tone in a sarcastic tone, ran to the table, picked up the apple used for the sacrifice and started to eat it.
"That's not for you!" Ye Zhuoran quickly reached out to grab it. Seeing that the apple in his hand had been bitten by the child and was still covered with saliva, he frowned and lectured the ignorant child.
"What's there that I can't eat? I want to eat it!" Ye Jing'an took another new apple and took a big bite in front of his father, making a crunching sound.
"Poor kid, I..." Ye Zhuoran raised his hand, but it was suspended in the air and he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was so angry that he couldn't speak.
When Ye Jing'an saw the raised big hand, he subconsciously shrank his neck and quickly changed the subject to ask his father what these things were used for.
"This is something we need to use in worshipping our ancestors. You are eight years old this year. You will worship with me, and then you will start learning the spells and swordsmanship passed down by our ancestors." Ye Zhuoran said, suppressing his anger.
"If I learn it, can I become a god?" Ye Jing'an's eyes lit up.
Ye Zhuoran was stunned for a moment, and inwardly lamented that he shouldn't let this child watch Journey to the West all day long. He had no choice but to patiently explain and ask Ye Jing'an to establish a correct world view, outlook on life, and values. At least he should have a clear understanding of his own level, and not be so obsessed with it that he would always say that he could become an immortal.
Don't let him go crazy at school and be identified as a naughty student. As a father, he doesn't want to receive another expulsion notice. Ye Zhuoran got a headache when he thought of the expulsion call from the teacher. He just went out to deal with a refining ghost and came back to tell Ye Jingan about it.
This unfortunate kid exaggerated the incident and told it to scare other children at school, saying that a ghost was behind them. The whole class was so scared that they cried endlessly and shouted that there was a ghost. Some students fainted and were sent to the hospital. The teacher couldn't control the situation at all.
Ye Jing'an was taken to the office for a lecture, and he even told the teacher with an innocent look that it was his father who said it was a ghost. Ye Zhuoran was lectured by phone for over an hour. After one teacher finished lecturing, another teacher continued. Later, he was simply called to the school for further education. He frantically apologized to the teacher and his classmates' parents with a bow and scrape. In the end, negotiations failed and he was expelled directly.
Ye Zhuoran never told the unfortunate child again that there were ghosts and monsters in the world. If he asked why Na Hejian was going out, he would say he was going to a charity performance.
"Why should I learn it if I can't become a god? There are no ghosts for me to catch." Ye Jing'an's mouth fell. He hated listening to his father preaching the most, so he picked up the pigeon and went to the room.
"Even if there are no ghosts, you have to learn it from me!" Ye Zhuoran pulled him towards the bathroom.
"I don't want to take a shower!" He struggled and rubbed the mud all over Ye Zhuoran's clothes.
Ye Jing'an was beaten up and squatted in the bathtub to wash off the mud. After the bath, he was not allowed to have a good time. He was put in a strange and ugly set of clothes. He was extremely reluctant and took off his clothes immediately, shouting that he did not want to worship any ancestors.
Ye Zhuoran couldn't stand it any longer and slapped him hard on the back of the head.
Ye Jingan groaned, pouted, and shouted angrily, "I hate the Grandmaster. I'd rather die than go!"
"You can't show any disrespect to the founder. Without him, there would be no Ye family today!" Ye Zhuoran beat him again.
Ye Jing'an had been beaten many times since he was a child, but today's beating was more painful than any of the others. His butt was slapped so hard that he couldn't bear it. He had no choice but to lower his head unconvinced, and apologized to his father with the pitiful look of a good boy admitting his mistake. But in his heart, he secretly muttered: What's so great about the ancestor? I'm not afraid of him!
Ye Zhuoran warned him for a long time, but was still afraid that Ye Jingan would escape secretly, so he directly grabbed him and pulled him to his side, not letting him go anywhere.
As for this ancestor, Ye Jing'an had often heard his grandfather and father mention him since he was a child. Every year, the family would hold a grand sacrifice to him. However, this person was very mysterious. All he knew was that he was called the ancestor. There was no photo, not even a portrait. He had no idea what he looked like.
Ye Jing'an had never paid much attention to this ancestor before, but today, because this man was beaten three times in a row, he really had to pay attention to him. He shook Ye Zhuoran's sleeve and asked, "What is the ancestor's name? Tell me the story of the ancestor."
"There is no record of the ancestor's information in ancient books. The legends about him are passed down orally from generation to generation. I also heard it from your grandfather." Ye Zhuoran straightened up and recalled the stories about the ancestor of the Ye family that he had heard when he was a child.
Many years ago, the Ye family wasn't known for its expertise in metaphysics, but rather for its wealth and commerce. A remarkable figure emerged from the family, Ye Chenyi. He was interested in Taoist magic and spells, but unwilling to inherit the family business and become a merchant, he chose to travel extensively to study. During this time, he met a friend named Liu Muze.
Later, strange phenomena appeared, and demons plagued the world. With the skills he learned, he became the world's number one demon hunter, with outstanding achievements. His friend was equally as skilled, and because of them, the Ye family still lived a comfortable life in the chaotic world where families were destroyed.
But the gods are jealous of talented people. In a great battle between demons and monsters, this remarkable man was seriously injured and died. The Ye family never recovered from this and suffered from various natural and man-made disasters. Everyone said that it was God's will to destroy the Ye family.
His good friend gave up on becoming an immortal and protected the Ye family for generations, blocking the divine punishment of countless generations of Ye family members. He also taught them everything he had learned throughout his life, which led to the creation of the Ye family today.
"Oh, this ancestor is so nice. Why have I never met him?" Ye Jing'an asked curiously.
"Now that the Ye family's heavenly tribulation is over, the ancestor should have gone to heaven to become a god. Of course, we can't see him. He is a low-key and humble person. At first, he didn't agree to let us worship him as the ancestor." Ye Zhuoran said with a smile.
"Then why did you become one again?" Ye Jing'an asked again.
"Uh... it is said that the eighteenth generation head of the family, that is, our ancestor Ye Yao, is a stubborn person who likes to... act helpless. Grandmaster Liu Muzhe couldn't be stubborn enough, and couldn't afford to offend him, so he had to agree." Ye Zhuoran's expression was a little embarrassed, and his tone was also a little uncertain.
He patted Ye Jing'an on the shoulder and said earnestly: "Jing'an, you must study the spells passed down by the ancestors and develop the Ye family."
"I know!" Ye Jing'an became more and more curious about this ancestor.
Ye Zhuoran nodded happily: "Pack up, change into the clothes I just put on you, and prepare to go to the sacrifice."
The ceremony was held outside the iron gate of the forbidden area behind the Ye family mountain. The person in charge of the ceremony was Ye Jingan's grandfather, Ye Yu, who was dressed in a red long gown with a double-breasted front, and his expression was solemn and dignified.
This was Ye Jingan's first time participating in a ritual, and even his first time seeing one. In the past, Ye Zhuoran had locked him in the house and not let him out, fearing he would misbehave and disrupt the ritual. Today's grand and magnificent scene surprised Ye Jingan greatly.
He rolled his eyes at his grandfather standing on the dais. In his daily life, Ye Yu wore a Tai Chi suit, had a kind face, and was always smiling. He never frowned at his beloved grandson, Ye Jing'an. But today, his grandfather was so solemn and serious that Ye Jing'an almost suspected that he wasn't his grandfather.
At this time, all the sacrificial personnel had arrived. Ye Yu shouted loudly: "The sacrificial ceremony will now begin. The main priest and accompanying priests are in place."
Ye Zhuoran, wearing a crown with a dragon totem and feathers as decoration, and a luxurious sacrificial robe, walked towards the altar. There were two accompanying people, Ye Jingan and his sister Ye Jingning. There should have been three accompanying people, but Ye Jingan's mother died of heavy bleeding during childbirth. Ye Zhuoran was unwilling to let anyone else take this seat, so it remained vacant.
The two people's clothes were similar to Ye Zhuoran, except that they did not wear headdresses. They followed Ye Zhuoran to the altar.
Seeing the three people already in place, Ye Yu said loudly: "Light the candles and burn the incense, hold the incense and make a wish, and kowtow to the ancestors."
The three of them bowed respectfully and offered incense. Ye Jingan appeared calm and obedient, following his father's movements, but in reality, he was in turmoil.
My mind was full of questions. Why did the sacrifice have to be performed at the entrance to the forbidden area? Why didn't my father allow me to go to the forbidden area? What was inside? What did the ancestor look like?
At this moment, he was so curious that he really wanted to catch his father and grandfather and ask them everything. But looking at their serious expressions, he had no doubt that if he disrupted the sacrifice, he would definitely experience a mixed doubles match. Thinking of this, Ye Jing'an shuddered and shrank his neck.
So far, he has never been beaten by his grandfather, but he has seen his grandfather beat his father.
Tsk, oh... it's better to suppress your curiosity and stay still.
"The sacrificial music begins." As the sacrificial music played, the Ye family members shouted, "Our ancestors were glorious, and our descendants will prosper forever."
Ye Jingan followed suit, but his voice was louder than anyone else's. Being young and not yet reaching voice change, his raspy baby voice made him stand out in the crowd.
Ye Zhuoran knew that the unfortunate kid was getting impatient and was about to start making trouble again, so he turned around and glared at him fiercely.
Ye Jing'an pursed his lips awkwardly. Seeing his sister laughing at him, he wanted to kick her, but was afraid of being beaten by a mixed group of three. So he held his breath and turned his head to the side.
In the forbidden area, Liu Muze, who was drinking, heard the familiar ritual music. Looking at the osmanthus wine in his cup, he sighed and said, "Another year has passed..."
He continued drinking and began to pay attention to this year's sacrifice. This year, there was a child, darting around with his eyes, his face full of expression, and his hands and feet never stopping. It was obvious at first glance that he was a mischievous child who loved to stir up trouble.
This must be Ye Zhuoran’s child. Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, the child who has grown up has his own children.
Liu Muze sighed and laughed, "Looking at the look of this kid, I'm afraid he's going to be difficult to deal with. He's got Ye Zhuoran to tossing him around."
As a child, Ye Zhuoran was well-behaved, sensible, and obedient. He always followed his elders' advice and never talked back. He didn't need to be urged to study and would even help with housework. Even at such a young age, he was already capable of handling things on his own, needing no one to worry about him. But then he had this mischievous child.
Liu Muze thought it was interesting and gloated, "When I'm bored, I'll go see how Ye Zhuoran is tormented by this kid."
Outside the forbidden area, the ritual had reached the stage of offering sacrifices. Three animals and five tripods were neatly arranged on the altar, along with several jars of fine wine and a variety of fruits. These items, meticulously selected and arranged by Ye Zhuoran, were truly pleasing to the eye, a true blessing for those with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Ye Jingan had seen and eaten all of these things before, but seeing so many of them laid out so neatly was the first time he'd seen them. His eyes widened, his saliva watering. He thought to himself that the food for the Grand Master must be the best, so he had to try it. Even getting beaten up wasn't bad news.
Ye Jing'an had already chosen what he wanted to eat. He narrowed his eyes and decided to take action tonight.
"Prepare for the sacrificial dance!" Ye Yu shouted.
The butler brought Ye Anjian to Ye Zhuoran.
The sword that caught Liu Muze's eye was one he was very familiar with. He had specifically found the best materials to forge this sword for Ye Chenyi and named it Ye An, hoping that Ye Chenyi would use it to overcome all difficulties and live in peace.
But now, things have changed, and the sword's owner has changed countless times. Thinking of this, a gloomy look flashed in Liu Muze's eyes.
Ye Zhuoran took the sword and performed the sword moves passed down by his ancestors. His sword skills were sharp, soft yet strong.
"Dad is so handsome!" Ye Jing'an clapped his hands and shouted loudly.
Ye Yu looked at his precious grandson with eyes full of doting, smiled faintly and nodded, thinking that his grandson must like sword dancing, and the Ye family inheritance has great potential.
His father didn't think so. Seeing him making a fuss and not knowing the rules, he frowned deeply and had only one thought in his mind: beat him up after the sacrifice.
"Ring the bells and beat the drums to offer our merits." With the sound of the bells and drums, the sacrificial ceremony came to an end. Except for those who stayed behind to clean up, everyone else slowly left the venue.
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