I Steal the Ancestors' Sacrifices to Nourish Myself-Chapter 36 - 7: Ancestral Rites and the First Reforms
They say it’s ancestral worship, but it’s not as solemn as imagined.
The tribe lacks depth, even if they wanted to pretend, they couldn’t.
Looking down, the stone steps on both sides were filled with children from the tribe climbing up, the older ones leading the younger ones, while shouting loudly.
"Hurry up and climb, whoever’s behind will get their little buns pinched!"
Someone had just opened their mouth in the crowd when they got smacked by a Clan Elder with a stick.
Today, the Clan Elders brought the Imperial Treasure Staff, which had been used to oversee the tribe’s martial training, along with them, and anyone who misbehaved would get knocked.
"The Sacrificial Beast is here!"
A group of people quickly vacated the central steps, a gigantic wooden frame carried by thirty-six tribe members, on which a Tier Three Monster Fish was bound, making its way upwards.
"Such a big fish, it won’t fit in one pot."
"Thump, shut up!"
...
Soon, the tribe members followed the offering and swarmed outside the Ancestral Temple.
The monster fish was brought to the stone platform, and everyone’s gaze fell on Shen Can.
It’s not the tribe’s fault for not understanding; it’s because no one in the Blazing Flame Division understands.
With well-stocked granaries comes the knowledge of etiquette; the tribe hasn’t yet moved beyond providing food and drink, so they make do for now.
Drawn Witch Talisman, Thorned Simurgh Blade, collect beast blood.
[Sacrificial Master extracted the Tier Three Profound Patterned Abdominal Fish’s lifespan of four hundred and seventy-three years]
Huo Chang watched as Shen Can indeed pierced the fish’s neck, quietly letting out a sigh of relief.
As long as this step was accomplished, he could intervene to help during the division process.
Very soon, the massive monster fish was divided into large and small chunks, with the best part offered by Shen Can in tribute to the ancestors within the Ancestral Temple.
A red glow emanated from within the cave.
Suddenly drawing the tribe’s attention.
Sacrifice happens every year, but such phenomena have never occurred before.
"Let the children all come inside."
Huo Xian’s aged voice rang out.
"Hurry, run!"
Upon hearing this, the tribe members outside the Ancestral Temple urged their children towards the Ancestral Temple Cave.
Inside the Ancestral Temple, Shen Can held the Blood Vase, beckoning the children to come forward.
He dipped three fingers into the Blood Vase, smeared beast blood horizontally across the children’s cheeks.
The beast blood within the Blood Vase had been quietly replaced by him; otherwise, the impact of Tier Three Beast Blood would be too much for the children to bear.
Outside the Ancestral Temple Cave, many tribe members waited eagerly.
Worshipping ancestors and receiving their blessings is a scene passed down through oral tradition, yet never witnessed.
While smearing the blood onto each child, Shen Can also took out a Beast Hide Scroll, spreading it open and hanging it before the Divine Platform.
Unfortunately, the children’s excitement at entering the Ancestral Temple ignored the Witch Runes on the Beast Hide Scroll.
Every gaze was clear beyond belief, glancing over the scroll’s Witch Runes.
Finally, Shen Can thought of one reason: there were too few children born.
With more children, it’s certain they’d eventually produce a gifted one; currently, the tribe is starting small, and he’d be satisfied with just one or two little prodigies for now.
Shen Can stood up, exchanged a look with Huo Xian, nodded, and walked towards the outside of the Ancestral Temple.
...
Outside the Ancestral Temple.
The tribe members watched as Shen Can came out of the red glow, each one falling silent and focusing.
A group of children followed behind him, each with three finger-length blood marks on their faces, running towards their parents.
"I just received the ancestors’ guidance, Clan Leader, please enter the Ancestral Temple."
Under the tribe members’ watchful eyes, Huo Chang followed Shen Can into the Ancestral Temple, swallowed by the red glow.
"Did you find any promising youngsters?"
Seeing Shen Can gently shaking his head, Huo Chang sighed, "The children are still too few. After the tribe’s sacrifice, I’ll make sure to whip these folks into shape; all they ever think about is eating."
Huo Chang glanced again at the three large basins of beast blood that had been released, glowing red amid the strong blood scent.
Unable to hold back, he asked, "How long should the beast blood be left out to remove the effects of the Mafei Powder?"
"Soon."
Shen Can replied briefly, wondering when he could calculate the Mafei Powder’s neutralization; shouldn’t he use lifespan to deduce it?
Hasn’t he been too busy?
"Clan Leader should linger in the Ancestral Temple a bit longer before coming out, this way the tribe members will believe in fully receiving the ancestors’ guidance."
Saying this, Shen Can entered the western side cave.
He needed to use the lifespan he’d just gained to deduce the Tier Three Neutralizing Witch Medicine, and also figure out the neutralization of the Mafei Powder.
Too much Mafei Powder had been used on this monster fish; before its death, it could be said to have spent over a month in an ethereal-like state.
Huo Chang lingered in the Ancestral Temple for a small portion of an hour.
Outside the Ancestral Temple, not a single tribe member was impatient; receiving the ancestors’ guidance was something they’d dreamt of, how could they possibly be anxious?
When Huo Chang walked out of the Ancestral Temple, the crowd began to speak.
"Clan Leader, what guidance has the ancestors bestowed?"
Figures showed eager greetings.
"The ancestors said that if our Blazing Flame Division wants to develop and prosper, it requires generations of clan members to unite and work together, each fulfilling their roles."
"Blazing Flame needs to change its current lifestyle to be able to face the harsh survival environment of the Great Wilderness."
"If we don’t change and don’t grow stronger, we will have to let the next generation of kids face greater dangers."
Huo Chang spoke, his voice rumbling.
Thinking to himself, "Acan’s words are really eloquent."
Talking about the next generation of kids directly touched the clan members’ hearts.
"Now the ancestors have given us guidance; we need to change for the tribe to become stronger."
"Listen to the ancestors!"
"Clan Leader, tell us, how should we change?"
The crowd responded, and Huo Chang seized the moment to begin discussing the clan’s improvement measures.
The Tier Three Monster Fish serves as the sacrificial offering, the Ancestral Temple Keeper and tribal Witch serve for the ritual, an anomaly appears in the Ancestral Temple, bestowing blessings on all the tribe’s children and providing guidance.
In the tribe, Huo Chang already had prestige, plus the ancestors’ support, pushing the matter forward without obstacles.
The seven improvement measures initially discussed with Shen Can weren’t read out one by one, as the tribe members might not understand them.
Post-reform, the clan members genuinely felt change through three items.
They established a system of Clan Elders to assist the Clan Leader in their selection.
Clan Elder Huo Yuo oversaw tribal logistics and storage.
Clan Elder Huo Yun took charge of farming, gathering, crafting, etc.
Clan Elder Huo Shan managed the Hunting Team.
Huo Yuo, Huo Yun, and Huo Xian are about the same age, and Huo Chang selected a few people from his generation as deputies to Clan Elders, both assisting and learning from them.
Future successors to the Clan Elders will be chosen from these people, and the remainder can be subdivided under the elders’ responsibilities, gaining more detailed control over various tribal affairs.
For example, under Huo Yuo, positions like warehouse guards and cooks were delineated, each tasked with guarding the tribal warehouse and processing and preserving tribal hunting spoils.
The second item was forming a full-time Hunting Team of three hundred, led by Huo Shan as the Hunting Team Leader, primarily focused on cultivation, protection, and external hunting.
The third item addressed the confusion in clan members’ names, implementing a simultaneous name change and generational naming method.
Currently, from Shen Can’s generation, upwards to Huo Chang and Huo Xian’s two generations, and down to the children’s generation.
Overall, there are four generations—old, middle, young, and children—and not many elders remain in Huo Xian’s generation.
Thus, when implementing generational naming, primary name changes are chosen from Shen Can’s generation up to the old, middle, and young generations, with generational names as supplementary.
After all, everyone is accustomed; generational names should be used after death.
It’s easier to distinguish generational differences on the Divine Platform.
To avoid ancestors being piled together, making it necessary to compare the crack degree of the Ancestral Divine Tablets to determine which ancestor is older, which itself may cause discrepancies.
A bit unfilial.
Starting with the tribe’s children, it’s easier to implement changes early.
When the younger generation grows up, they get used to it, and it smoothly extends to the next generation.
The day after the ancestral sacrifice, the tribe began to re-register all clan members’ names.
Duplicate male clan members were all given new names; the rule was for the younger ones to change names while the older ones maintained their original names.
However, not many women’s names changed; women rarely took part in tribe hunting tasks and had minimal external contact.
Nicknames were used by a few close women, so changing them didn’t hold much significance.
At least the men wouldn’t dare to misidentify on the brick bed.
Bag Zhuang’s wife herself couldn’t necessarily win in a fight; misidentifying could lead to a severe beating.
As for the establishment of a Martial Dao cultivation system, absorbing external survivors, further detailed division of labor, etc., discussed with Huo Chang, these don’t need to be spoken about but directly executed.
Gradual changes, when the clan members notice it, the system will already have become a habit.
...
Inside the tribe, the clan members were busy changing names, keeping Huo Xian occupied.
Shen Can was also busy; he was busy administering medicine.
The blood from the Tier Three Beast bubbled constantly; amidst the euphoria of the Mafei Powder, using beast blood was even more exhilarating.
The potency of Mafei Powder, the best approach would be to let the monster fish metabolize it itself, but once metabolized, the fish would become lively again; no one in the tribe could handle it.
After anesthetization, bloodletting is the only way; he must do whatever he can to neutralize the medicine’s potency.
"Acan, when will it be ready?"
"Let me add some more medicine."
Without even glancing at the eager clan uncle waiting to soak in beast blood, Shen Can sprinkled medicinal powder into the blood trough.
After applying the medicine, he took some of it himself and entered the ear cave.
Half a day later, he emerged with a flush on his face.
"It’s ready; the medicine’s effect might be a bit strong, clan uncle, be careful."
