Cheng Zongyang watched from beginning to end as the elders conducted the process of establishing the Earth Branch Lineage, and in doing so, he learned the full procedure.

It began with the sixteen initiates, who had already been informed of the rules, lining up in an orderly fashion. At Zhou Hansong’s direction, they paid their respects to heaven and earth and worshipped the ancestors.

Next, the Clan Leader, Cheng Guanghai, addressed them, recounting the history of the Cheng Family, explaining its rules, and outlining the arrangements that would follow.

Then came the renaming. Each new name was announced, and Cheng Zongyang would write it down using a special Blood Ink, after which the individual would press a thumbprint in blood onto the Clan Tree. At that moment, the black ink of the name would turn red.

This signified that they were alive and in good health.

Their life status was displayed with three colors: red, gray, and black.

The first and last colors represented life and death, respectively, while the one in the middle signified a state between the two.

If one day a name among them were to change from red to black, it would mean that person had died.

However, the Flower Roster had another function: it would automatically absorb the Soul of a registered person upon their death, using it to restore itself.

This also meant that Cheng Zongyang, who possessed full authority over the Flower Roster, could summon these Souls from it.

However, this was limited to calling them forth for conversation; he could not do anything else with them.

Next was the swearing of the Immortal Ancestor’s Oath.

This version of the Immortal Ancestor’s Oath had been modified by Cheng Zongyang; it was different from the one sworn by Martial Artists of the Foreign Races. However, its purpose was the same: to bind the members of the Earth Branch Lineage.

As a result, forty-eight days were deducted from their Lifespan.

With the successful swearing of the Immortal Ancestor’s Oath, everyone who knew the details could finally relax.

Its successful completion meant that they were truly willing and held no ulterior motives.

And while the future was uncertain, the Immortal Ancestor’s Oath ensured they could be dealt with before they ever had a chance to bring harm to the clan.

Afterward, everyone paid their respects to the ancestors one last time. Then, the sixteen new members were led outside for an announcement to the entire village.

With that, the establishment of the Earth Branch Lineage was complete. The sixteen orphans, aged eleven to sixteen, were now all members of the Cheng Family, and the ancestral rites came to an end.

The entire ceremony had lasted about an hour.

As the crowd dispersed, only four elders, their four eldest sons, and the sixteen new members of the Earth Branch Lineage remained in the Cheng Family Ancestral Hall.

Cheng Guanghai then began to give them their new arrangements.

"You are all now members of the Cheng Family’s Earth Branch Lineage. Your status has changed, and so too will your arrangements. You will be given new residences and will begin to live your own lives. However, given your age, all your daily needs will be provided for until you come of age at eighteen.

"In time, you will be expected to work, study, and undergo Martial Arts Training to make your due contributions to the Cheng Family Village. You must also be mindful of your new status, for you now represent a branch of the Cheng Family. Are there any questions?"

"None!"

The sixteen of them replied, one after another.

With that, Cheng Guanghai had Zhou Zhendong take them to the Household Affairs Hall. There, they would have their identities updated, receive their new Identity Cards and supplies, and be assigned their new homes.

After they had left, Cheng Zongyang spoke up.

"Perfect. Since everyone is here, there’s something I’d like to discuss. It concerns the new Earth Branch Lineage and may take some time. Father, has the inventory of the public property been completed?"

Though he didn’t know what his son was planning, Cheng Guanghai nodded slightly. "Your Second Aunt finished the inventory yesterday."

Zhou Hansong immediately sent his son, Zhou Zhenyuan, to arrange tables and chairs, while Cheng Guangshan sent his son to fetch his mother.

Meanwhile, Cheng Zongyang excused himself to his room to retrieve some documents.

A quarter of an hour later, everyone had assembled, and the doors to the ancestral hall were closed. All eyes turned to Cheng Zongyang as he hung a large wooden board on a frame.

Seeing how serious Cheng Zongyang was, they all waited in silence.

After hanging the board, Cheng Zongyang took the public property inventory brought by his Second Aunt, Mrs. Chen of the Cheng Family. After looking it over, he had a clear picture of their assets.

"I had originally planned to bring this up at the clan assembly at the end of the month, but since the establishment of the Earth Branch Lineage is complete, I’ll take this opportunity to speak now. After I’m done, please feel free to point out anything that is unclear, and we can all work to refine the proposal together."

Cheng Zongyang picked up a charcoal pencil made by the Ministry of Works Hall and wrote four words on the board: Cheng Clan Public Property.

"Elders, I propose we establish the ’Cheng Clan Public Property’ system ahead of schedule. Initially, this system will be divided into four main pillars."

"First: food, clothing, and shelter. Second: marriage, childbirth, and funerals. Third: scholarly and martial advancement. Fourth: aid and charity."

Cheng Zongyang wrote these four points on the board.

The elders watched, somewhat baffled. But no one spoke, and they waited quietly for Cheng Zongyang’s explanation.

Cheng Zongyang first pointed to the four words and explained:

"Cheng Clan Public Property refers to the public assets of the Cheng Family Village. It can also be called the Cheng’s Benevolent House, and its significance is embodied in the word ’Benevolent.’" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"It is intended for the future members of the Cheng Family, the Zhou Family, and the Earth Branch Lineage, as well as any in the Cheng Family Village who are widowed, orphaned, childless, disabled, or infirm. The purpose of this public property is to provide for or subsidize them."

"Currently, our public assets are modest, consisting only of the fields we’ve reclaimed, some houses, and so on. For now, we—and the entire village—are doing well, so there is no immediate cause for concern. But as the clan and the village expand in the future, the unexpected is bound to happen.

And when it does, there will be those who are widowed, orphaned, childless, disabled, or infirm.

"Therefore, we must establish this rule from the very beginning and gradually refine it, so that future generations will have this system to rely on. It will guarantee a basic safety net for the clan, and indeed the entire village, giving our people peace of mind so they can work for the good of the clan and village without reservation."