Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Talent Bestowal
"Heaven and Earth are dark and yellow; the universe is vast and boundless."
"The sun and moon wax and wane; the stars and constellations spread in array."
"Cold comes and heat goes; autumn harvests and winter stores."
Early morning.
Wentian was teaching the two little ones the Thousand Character Classic.
He had written out two copies, one for each child to hold.
He had also personally crafted a set of desks and chairs suitable for their height, making it easier for them to study.
He read one line, and the two children looked at the corresponding words on the paper and followed after him.
Their clear, childish voices echoed throughout the small courtyard. The roosters and hens had all come out of their coop and were wandering around the yard, pecking here and there for food.
Above the kitchen, wisps of blue smoke slowly rose into the air.
After breakfast, Bai Jing held her youngest son while supervising Jianyi Mingwei and Jianyi Mingyuan as they practiced copying characters.
The two boys wrote stroke by stroke, extremely serious in their efforts.
Wentian began working on the renovation of the house.
Designing, preparing materials, finding people to help with the labor—he was so busy that he hardly had a moment to spare.
Even so, every day, he still made time to walk around the fields and mountain forest.
He checked the situation, pulled weeds, and handled whatever needed to be done.
After that, he would also practice the Little Dragon-Elephant Art for an hour.
With [Heaven Rewards Diligence], only by persisting without fail could one eventually gain results.
A month and a half passed in a flash.
The Jianyi family residence had already undergone a major transformation.
It had become a proper home with five main rooms, a reception hall, and a courtyard spanning half a mu.
In all of Dongxi Village, it could now be considered above average.
Once a new house was completed, there was a custom of holding a housewarming gathering. Naturally, that meant another banquet, and of course, gifts would be received as well.
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
Soon, it was the year-end ancestral sacrifice.
Under Wentian's daily teaching and Bai Jing's strict supervision, Jianyi Mingwei had already learned to recognize all the characters in the Thousand Character Classic, and he could write nearly half of them.
Because Jianyi Mingyuan was still young, he was only at the stage of recognizing characters.
After the year-end sacrifice, Wentian finally made his decision.
He would bestow a talent upon Jianyi Mingwei.
After his second-generation children were born, the Bloodline Family System's Register had gained an additional page.
At the same time, five fate talents had been born.
They were:
[Innate Divine Strength]
[Seek Benefit and Avoid Harm]
[Gifted at Wealth Creation]
[Eagle Eye]
[Whispers of All Spirits]
These were all ownerless talents and could be bestowed upon Wentian himself.
However, that thought only flashed through his mind before he discarded it.
Even if all of them were added to him, he was still only one mortal man. He could not split himself into many people.
Just like now, even though he already possessed three fate talents, [Daily Divination] was not especially useful to him at present.
If a family wanted to grow strong, everyone had to work together with one heart and one mind.
That was the path of long-lasting prosperity.
"Shitou, you are the eldest legitimate son. In the future, you will have to support the Jianyi family. Father plans to let you walk the martial path. Do you have any objections?"
Wentian was no longer as gentle as usual.
His expression was solemn.
Jianyi Mingwei also sensed the heaviness in the air around him. He raised his little face, looked directly at Wentian, and nodded.
"These days, Father has taught us many principles. Shitou understands."
"I will obey Father's arrangements in everything."
"Shitou will set a good example for my younger brothers!"
"I will not disgrace the Jianyi family, and I will not make Father lose face!"
Wentian nodded in satisfaction and took out the System Register.
"Drip a drop of blood onto this."
Inside the main hall, there were only Wentian and Jianyi Mingwei.
Everyone else had been told not to enter.
Jianyi Mingwei trusted Wentian absolutely and did as instructed without hesitation.
His blood was absorbed by the register.
Seeing this, Jianyi Mingwei was surprised in his heart, but he did not ask any questions.
"Now kneel down, close your eyes, and repeat after me."
"In the year of Yisi, we reverently sacrifice to the ancestral spirits. Their virtue descends upon later generations, and their grace shelters the household. Through spring and autumn, we do not slacken; with filial thoughts, our sincerity remains true. May the spirits descend in brilliance, protect us, and open the family's renown. Humbly, we offer this sacrifice."
"In the year of Yisi, we reverently sacrifice to the ancestral spirits. Their virtue descends upon later generations, and their grace shelters the household… Humbly, we offer this sacrifice."
As the first-generation ancestor and the true controller of the System Register, Wentian could directly bestow talents upon himself.
But for others, the process had to follow strict requirements.
If Wentian personally presided over the ritual, he could choose a specific talent to bestow.
Without him, the System Register would randomly grant one fate talent.
When Jianyi Mingwei finished reciting, Wentian sensed a semi-transparent thread connecting him to the register.
The register emitted a faint blue light, as if it were about to grant a talent at random.
Wentian stopped it.