The Ye Clan held a grand family banquet every season.
For ordinary clan members, it was a day of celebration.
For others, it was a day that reminded them of their place.
As the sun began to set, lanterns illuminated the clan hall. Servants hurried back and forth carrying trays of food while clan members arrived in their finest robes.
Our family arrived shortly after.
"Stay close," Mother reminded us.
Ye Tian nodded obediently.
Ye Luo's attention, however, was entirely on the aroma of roasted meat drifting from the hall.
I could already guess what was on his mind.
Food.
Nothing but food.
As we entered, my eyes swept across the enormous hall.
At the very front sat the Patriarch, my eldest uncle.
His seat was elevated above everyone else's.
Beside him sat the elders of the main branch.
The second branch occupied seats near the front.
The more influential families sat closer to the center.
As for us…
Our seats were near the back.
Not the last row.
But close enough.
Nobody needed to explain what that meant.
Strength determined status.
Status determined respect.
And respect determined where one sat.
Father simply took his seat without complaint.
As though he had long grown accustomed to it.
The banquet soon began.
Laughter filled the hall.
Clan members exchanged greetings and discussed cultivation progress.
Occasionally, praise could be heard.
"Young Master Ye Ming has already reached the fourth stage of Body Tempering."
"Remarkable!"
"As expected of the Patriarch's grandson."
The elders nodded approvingly.
Several younger disciples looked at Ye Ming with admiration.
At only fourteen years old, he was already considered one of the clan's brightest talents.
Then another voice spoke.
"I heard Elder Ye Ren's cultivation hasn't progressed this year."
The hall grew slightly quieter.
The speaker was one of Father's cousins.
His tone sounded casual.
Almost concerned.
But everyone understood what he truly meant.
A few people glanced toward our table.
Father calmly lifted his cup.
"Cultivation is not always smooth."
The man chuckled.
"Indeed. Some paths are simply harder than others."
Several people laughed softly.
My hands tightened beneath the table.
I wasn't stupid.
I knew they were mocking Father.
Mother lowered her eyes.
Ye Luo stopped eating for the first time that evening.
Even little Ye Tian seemed to sense something was wrong.
Yet Father remained calm.
As though the words had not affected him.
The conversation soon shifted elsewhere.
But the damage had already been done.
The banquet proceeded as usual.
Laughter and conversation filled the hall.
Then one of the elders raised his wine cup and smiled.
"Third Brother, seeing your children grow so quickly reminds me of the old days."
Father smiled politely.
"The old days?"
The elder chuckled.
"Back when everyone thought you would become the next Patriarch."
Several elders exchanged glances.
The atmosphere changed slightly.
I noticed Mother's hand tighten around her cup.
Father's smile remained unchanged.
"That was a long time ago."
The elder nodded.
"Indeed."
Then he sighed.
"What a pity."
The hall became quiet.
Some of the younger generation looked confused.
Others seemed to understand.
The elder continued.
"If things had gone differently, perhaps your branch would not be sitting where it is today."
A few people laughed softly.
I frowned.
I didn't understand what he meant.
Father calmly drank from his cup.
"Life is full of choices."
The elder looked at Mother for a brief moment.
"Some choices cost more than others."
Mother lowered her eyes.
No one said another word.
Yet somehow, that silence felt heavier than any insult.
A while later, the Patriarch stood.
The entire hall immediately fell silent.
"Tomorrow, the clan academy will begin preparations for this year's youth examination."
Excitement spread among the younger generation.
"The examination will determine future resource allocation and training opportunities."
Many disciples straightened in their seats.
Resources.
Medicinal herbs.
Cultivation manuals.
Personal instruction.
Everything depended on performance.
The Patriarch's gaze swept across the hall.
"I hope the younger generation will bring honor to the clan."
The banquet continued late into the night.
When it finally ended, families gradually returned home.
The moon hung high above the sky.
As we walked back, nobody spoke.
After some time, I glanced at Father.
His expression remained calm.
The same calm expression he always wore.
Yet for some reason, that made my chest feel heavy.
"Father."
He looked at me.
"Yes?"
I hesitated before speaking.
"Does it bother you?"
Father smiled.
"A little."
His answer surprised me.
"But some things cannot be changed by anger."
"Then how can they be changed?"
Father looked toward the stars above.
"By strength."
His voice was quiet.
But those two words echoed within my heart.
By strength.
That night, as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, I could not fall asleep.
The laughter from the banquet continued to ring in my ears.
The way they looked at Father.
The way they spoke about him.
The way everyone accepted it as normal.
Slowly, I clenched my fists beneath the blanket.
One day.
One day, nobody would dare look down on my family again.
No matter how difficult the path ahead was…
I would become strong enough to change it.