When Li Sisui woke up again, it was noon the next day. He got up despite his splitting headache, ate some wild vegetables and fruits, and then ran to the edge of the cliff to start cultivating, leaving his work behind.
This wine has a strong aftereffect. I drank a few glasses on a whim yesterday, and now I'm feeling so unwell. I really brought this on myself.
However, yesterday, fueled by alcohol, I chatted freely with my clansmen and learned many things that I would normally find difficult to know.
According to Tu ethnic tradition, no one is killed at the end of the year, and no lamps are lit at night.
So on this day at the end of the year, even if you speak recklessly, you won't cause yourself any trouble.
In ordinary times, discussing matters concerning the inner clan could cost one's life, let alone calling out the names of members of the inner clan directly—a highly rebellious act.
The Tu ethnic group has three major surnames: Su, Li, and Dongfang. These three surnames together form the present-day Kowloon Clan.
Apart from those born into these three major surnames who can directly acquire a surname, other members of the Tu ethnic group are born without a surname.
Among the Tu people, surnames are more of a symbol of status and power.
The Tu people regard surnames as a precious legacy passed down from their ancestors, and obtaining a surname means gaining the recognition and protection of one's ancestors.
The Nine Dragons Sect manages its inner and outer sects in the form of a sect. After hundreds of years of development, the inner and outer sects have become separated, and the polarization is becoming more and more serious.
Strictly speaking, the Inner Sect is the true Nine Dragons Sect, while the Outer Sect is at best a support department for the Nine Dragons Sect in its later stages.
The vast majority of ordinary Tu people live in Waizong, which is more like a large family with relatively loose and free management.
The inner sect, on the other hand, must strictly abide by the sect's discipline; transgressing the rules will result in severe punishment or even execution by the sect.
Therefore, the outer sect is more affectionate, while the inner sect operates as meticulously as an organization. Those who enter the inner sect will no longer be as free as they were in the outer sect, and all their actions will be subject to the sect's orders.
Within the inner sect, it was further divided into three forces by the three major clans.
The current sect leader of the Nine Dragons Sect, Su Daozhi, is a representative of the Su surname, which is rightfully the number one surname in the Nine Dragons Sect.
Another major surname is Li, which has the most inner sect elders. The Su and Li surnames, together, control the inner sect of the Nine Dragons Sect.
Although the surname Dongfang is the third largest surname, it is a second-class surname, which puts it at a disadvantage from the start. In addition, the family's strength is no match for Su Li's, so it has been the third largest surname for many years, even though the previous sect leader was a member of the Dongfang family.
Because Dongfang Bubai has been in charge of the outer sect for many years, and all the key positions are held by members of the Dongfang family, the outer sect is firmly in the hands of the Dongfang family.
In recent years, due to the scarcity of female members in the clan and the persistently low birth rate, coupled with the decreasing number of new members from outside the clan, the inner clan as a whole has suffered from a decline in talent.
The Dongfang family, relying on its control over the outer sect, sends outstanding members to the inner sect every year and bestows upon them the surname Dongfang, thus absorbing fresh blood.
As a result, the power of the Dongfang family has been gradually increasing in recent years, and it seems that the strength of the Dongfang family is beginning to rival that of the Su and Li families. This can be seen from Dongfang Bubai's attitude towards the young lady of the clan.
The people of the outer sect are different from those of the inner sect. The people of the inner sect are all cultivators, and as their cultivation level increases, their dependence on food gradually decreases.
Those from outside the clan will starve to death if they don't have food to eat. Although everyone has a long lifespan, you won't live to that age if you don't eat.
The Dongfang family firmly controls the life and death of the outer sect, making the combined strength of the outer sect members, even though they are all ordinary clansmen, not to be underestimated. In particular, the fresh blood that is injected into the Dongfang family every year makes the Su and Li families extremely envious.
The Su and Li families naturally could not sit idly by and watch the Dongfang family gradually rise to power, so they also began to take action.
Originally, the outer sect trials were held once every ten years, but now they are held once a year, and anyone with a little cultivation and comprehension can go to participate in the trials.
Faced with the three major surnames, no one could resort to tricks, so they had no choice but to compete head-on.
Although the Dongfang family was unwilling, there was nothing they could do. However, at least their second-class surname could compete with the two first-class surnames, which was a rare honor and recognition.
After all, the Dongfang family knew perfectly well that, in terms of absolute strength, the Su and Li families were naturally far superior.
Killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own is a situation that none of the three major surnames want to see.
Ultimately, the three major surnames are still of the same clan and origin, so why should they fight each other so fiercely?
Since force cannot be used openly, other means must be used to suppress it, which led to the so-called outer sect trial.
Any clansman who passes the outer sect trial can choose whether to enter the inner sect for further study. This choice is a two-way selection, somewhat similar to the college entrance examination in the past. It will only take effect if both parties agree, and either party has the right to veto.
After all, if one is chosen by one of the three major clans, entering the inner sect will naturally bring various preferential treatments.
However, if one passes the trials but is not selected by the three major clans, although one can still enter the inner sect, one will ultimately be a marginal person.
Therefore, such people usually choose to stay in the outer sect and wait for a better opportunity to make further plans.
If someone passes the outer sect trials and is selected by one of the three major clans, in order to win over the talent, the three major clans will often choose to bestow a surname and change the name, thus making the talent their own.
Ordinary Tu people do not have surnames, and their given names are made up at will. People can call you whatever they want, as long as you know that others are calling you.
Being chosen by one of the three major surnames and having one's surname and given name changed is a momentous event for ordinary clansmen, almost as significant as passing the imperial examinations in the past.
After you have your own name, a memorial tablet will be placed in the corresponding family ancestral hall, with your name engraved on it. You will enjoy the family's incense offerings, which is a rare highlight in the life of an ordinary family member.
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