My seniority is extraordinary: I was only eight years old when the whole village came to wish me a H

The night grew deeper.

Wujia Village, this hidden kingdom of wealth deep in the mountains, shows no sign of falling asleep.

The entire valley was brightly lit, as bright as day.

Countless figures were busy all night preparing for tomorrow's grand ancestral worship ceremony.

On the ancestral hall square.

The technical team in Wujiacun is making final adjustments and disguises to the live streaming equipment at the thirty-two camera positions.

They cleverly concealed the cold cameras and cranes using specially made materials that blended into the surrounding environment.

From a distance, these modern facilities are completely invisible.

The entire square still maintains that ancient and solemn atmosphere.

On the other side of the square, the team in charge of the banquet was also busy at work.

Hundreds of huge round tables, each crafted from a single piece of Phoebe zhennan wood, have been neatly arranged in the square.

Each table was covered with a bright yellow tablecloth with hand embroidery.

The tableware on the table was also custom-made, gold-painted bone china.

The value of these thousands of sets of tableware alone is enough to buy a luxury house in a first-tier city.

The kitchen was bustling with activity.

Dozens of top chefs, hired at high salaries from all over the world, are processing the finest ingredients that have been air-freighted from around the globe.

Cutting, marinating, simmering... every step is done in an orderly manner, full of professional beauty.

The security team has been placed on the highest level of alert.

The number of sentries hidden in the mountains and forests around the village has doubled.

The village patrol team also changed from patrolling once an hour to patrolling once every half hour.

Even in the night sky above Wujia Village, there are several state-of-the-art stealth drones that cannot be detected by radar, conducting 24-hour continuous high-altitude reconnaissance.

The entire Wujia Village is like a giant, activated beehive.

Every villager is a hardworking worker bee.

They are all contributing all their strength to protect the glory of this home and to welcome their only "queen bee".

Inside the council chamber, the lights remained on.

The head steward, Wu Jingzhi, was sitting here, processing the final preparation reports that had gathered from all directions.

"The sacrificial animals have been put into the pen and are being cared for by a dedicated person; they are in good condition."

"The wine, fruits, and vegetables used in the sacrificial rites for the elderly have all been inspected and stored to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

"The music band responsible for playing music for the elderly is all in place. They have rehearsed three times and there have been no problems."

"Respecting the elderly, the team responsible for setting off the firecrackers is also ready. All 99,999 'Thunderclap' firecrackers have been loaded."

……

Reports came in one after another through the antique-style walkie-talkie in front of him.

There was no sign of fatigue on Wu Jingzhi's face.

His aged eyes were bright and piercing, sparkling with a sharp light.

He listened carefully to each report, and from time to time he would ask some very detailed questions.

"How is Xuan Niu's mood? Is he anxious or restless?"

"After the 'Supreme Emperor' was opened, did you personally oversee the sealing process?"

"Wu Laosan, who plays the xiao (vertical flute) in the music troupe, has a chronic illness. It's cold today, did you remind him to wear more clothes?"

He was like the most demanding and meticulous director, overseeing every detail of this grand ceremony.

He knew that this grand ceremony was not only for his ancestors, but also for the whole world.

There must be absolutely no room for error.

By the time all the tasks were completed, it was already midnight.

Wu Jingzhi stood up and stretched his somewhat stiff body.

He did not go to rest.

Instead, he walked out of the council hall alone and headed towards the magnificent Wu Clan Ancestral Hall in the deepest part of the valley.

He wanted to pay homage to his ancestors one last time before the ceremony began.

I also want to see the young master who, at this very moment, is probably just like him, having stayed up all night.

The ancestral hall appeared even more solemn and dignified under the night sky.

At the entrance stood two guards dressed in black, with ancient swords at their waists.

They were the inner guards of Wu Family Village.

They are the guards among guards, the elite among elites.

They only obeyed the young master.

Upon seeing Wu Jingzhi approach, the two guards merely nodded slightly without offering a salute.

Because their duty is to protect the ancestral hall and the young master.

In this place, apart from the young master, no one else needs to bow to them.

Wu Jingzhi didn't take it to heart.

He walked to the tightly closed vermilion gate of the ancestral hall, but instead of pushing it open, he respectfully bowed through the door.

"This old servant, Wu Jingzhi, requests an audience with the young master."

His voice carried far in the quiet night.

There was no response from inside the door.

Wu Jingzhi wasn't in a hurry; he simply remained in a bowing position and waited outside the door.

After a long while, a clear, emotionless child's voice drifted out from inside the door.

"What is it?"

"Reporting to Young Master," Wu Jingzhi said, still bowing, "all preparations for the ceremony are complete, and this old servant has come to report to you."

Silence fell once again inside the door.

After a while, Wu You's voice rang out again.

"understood."

"You should get some rest too."

"Tomorrow, there will be another tough battle."

Upon hearing the young master's words of concern, a warm smile, genuine from the heart, appeared on Wu Jingzhi's aged face.

He knew that the young master was being considerate of him, an old man.

"Yes, young master."

"This old servant takes his leave."

After saying this, he bowed deeply again, then slowly straightened up and turned to leave the way he had come.

Inside the ancestral hall.

Wu You remained alone, sitting cross-legged before the nine enormous ancestral tablets.

There was no incense burner or offerings in front of him.

There was only one ever-burning lamp emitting a pale golden light.

The lamplight illuminated his youthful yet serene face, casting his shadow upon the thousands of ancestral tablets behind him.

It was as if he had become one with all the gods and Buddhas in the sky.

He slowly opened his eyes.

There was no trace of drowsiness in those dark eyes, only a depth and vastness like the cosmos.

"tomorrow……"

He murmured to himself.

"It's not just about letting people online see this..."

Beside Wu You, there was a news article on the tablet.

Recently, South Korea held a ceremony to celebrate its ancestors' passing on its UNESCO World Heritage application...

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(A fourth update! I'm begging for your kind reviews and little gifts to satisfy this humble author. I wonder if my casual readers will be able to do that~)