Chapter 453

Chapter 453: No one can beat the Fifth Brother!

The Elderly Lady insists on pulling Ming to sit in the main seat. She’s extremely persistent about it. Yi and Shan furrow their brows, and everyone else is equally shocked. They thought the current ruler or a high-ranking official from the court would be sitting there. Perhaps someone like Chancellor Xiao, whose great-grandfather was a close friend of Lord Xu back in the day. If Chancellor Xiao were to attend, no one would object to him sitting in the main seat. But who would’ve guessed it’d be Ming?

“Old Patriarch, this is truly unacceptable. I’m but a junior, what virtue or ability do I possess to sit here?”

Ming continues to decline. In his heart, he doesn’t really care whether he sits in this position or not.

The Elderly Lady of the Xu Mansion shakes her head: “Ming, you’re the favorite by His Majesty and the Commander of the Jinyi Guard. You’ve also facilitated an alliance between Beihai and our Wu Kingdom. Though I stay within these courtyards, I occasionally hear things from the Imperial Court. Only if you sit here, leading the Xu and Qin Mansions, can this old woman rest easy.”

Ming remains silent.

Zheng then steps up, looking at Ming: “Ming, since the Old Patriarch has spoken, just sit down already. As the Old Patriarch said, whenever people mention the Xu and Qin Mansions, they think of you first. Though you’re young, father knows you’re mature inside. You have every qualification to preside over this ancestral ceremony.”

“Indeed, Fifth Brother, just sit down. The Old Patriarch wants a younger generation member to lead this grand ceremony. I was wondering who it might be. If it wasn’t you, Fifth Brother, whoever it was, I wouldn’t agree. But with you, Fifth Brother, I fully agree,” Pengda adds with a laugh, supporting Ming.

Phoenix and Shuiya, especially Ruhai, also join in. At this point, Ming feels that not sitting would seem overly pretentious.

“If so, then I’ll boldly take this seat temporarily on behalf of the Old Patriarch.”

Ming bows to everyone and sits down confidently.

The moment Ming sits, others look at him with strange expressions. But to Ming, this is normal. He’s a junior, born to a concubine in such a large family, yet he’s now sitting in the main seat. This is something many couldn’t even dream of. Moreover, sitting here also implies that the next head of the Xu Mansion will be Ming, possibly skipping Zheng’s generation.

Though Ming isn’t interested in the position of head of the household, it’s not a big issue. He’ll just hold it for his third brother and return it after he leaves.

With Ming seated, the family banquet officially begins. Maidservants bring out the dishes one by one. Only after Ming takes a bite can others at the main table start eating, and those at other tables can begin as well. However, some at the main table aren’t enjoying themselves much, particularly Yi and Shan.

“Fifth Brother, I heard you rank second on the Azurecloud List, practicing both body and law. Could you offer some guidance?” Yi asks.

“Indeed, I also wish to spar with Fifth Brother. I often see your name on the Azurecloud List, and it makes me itch,” Shan follows up.

After Yi and Shan speak, the atmosphere at the dining table becomes even more silent. Everyone knows Yi and Shan don’t approve of Ming leading the ceremony or becoming the head of the household. Ming understands their thoughts clearly.

Is the position of head important? For cultivators, it certainly is. It’s not just about prestige in the mortal world; it also relates to cultivation. The positions of Lord Xu and Lord Qin allow access to the Wu Kingdom’s Mountain and River Fortune. A dynasty’s fortune greatly benefits cultivation. Simply put, when facing tribulation, having the protection of Mountain and River Fortune increases the chances of passing the Thunder Tribulation.

Many cultivators are willing to sacrifice parts of their life essence to serve in the court for this reason. So why would Yi and Shan, who are already mountain-dwelling cultivators, come for the ancestral ceremony? Is it truly just for family sentiment? No, they only want to become the head of the household.

Now that Ming has taken the position, naturally, they’re unhappy.

Qian Lady and Lin Lady quickly chime in: “Yes, yes! You’re all cultivators, why not spar and give us a show?”

To Qian Lady and Lin Lady, it doesn’t matter if their sons lose. Losing is fine since Ming is second on the Azurecloud List, so losing wouldn’t be embarrassing. But if Ming loses, wouldn’t he feel awkward sitting in this position? Qin Lady wants to speak up for Ming but is stopped by Phoenix.

On the other side, Pengda simply eats his meal. He isn’t worried at all. Though Pengda doesn’t know much about the cultivation world, he firmly believes that among peers, no one can beat the Fifth Brother.

“Alright, since we brothers meet, let’s spar.”

Ming smiles and agrees to their request. Honestly, Ming thinks Yi and Shan are too confident in themselves. Since entering their sects, Yi and Shan haven’t left, so they don’t have rankings on the Azurecloud List. However, they’ve been highly respected in their sects, praised to the heavens, making them believe they’re invincible. They think those on the Azurecloud List are trash, only remaining there because they haven’t shown their true strength.

Such people usually calm down once they realize the gap in strength. But do Qian Lady and Lin Lady really think that if their sons spar with me, losing isn’t a loss, and winning is a big gain? Where in the world does such logic exist?

Just right, I need to use these two to establish authority. Otherwise, I don’t want trouble while handling matters in the Jinyi Guard.

Ming glances at a nearby branch, flicking his finger lightly, sending the branch flying into the air.

“Sparring is fine, but I fear I might injure the two older brothers. If the two of you can break this branch, we can spar afterward.”