Inside the castle, within a pavilion along a corridor.
Dongbo Xueying and Master Si An sat opposite each other, with servants bringing snacks and hot tea. Others, including Zong Ling, Tong San, You Tu, and more, waited outside the pavilion along the corridor.
Master Si An held his hot tea, sipping it gently while watching the snowflakes drifting outside the pavilion.
“Lord Dongbo, your quiet and peaceful domain is truly a wonderful place. The city is far too noisy, with people constantly coming and going. Even when sleeping, one can hear the clamor outside,” Master Si An smiled. “Once I step down from my position, I will also seek a quiet place to enjoy myself.”
Dongbo Xueying chuckled, “So many people strive for high positions yet fail to attain them.”
“High position? I’m merely the head of the Longshan Pavilion in a small county—hardly a lofty rank,” Master Si An said, then flipped his hand and produced a small stack of golden notes. “This is eight hundred gold coins, the bounty for Gai Bin. It’s a bit low, but still must be paid.”
Dongbo Xueying accepted it.
Criminals wanted by the Empire usually had bounties only if they were at least Star-ranked or had committed truly heinous crimes. Ordinary thieves or bandits were not worthy of such rewards.
“This is the Black Iron Token,” Master Si An flipped his hand again, revealing a black token engraved with the words “Longshan.” “Among the Empire’s citizens, those generally reaching Meteor-ranked strength receive this Black Iron Token.”
“Black Iron Token for Meteor-ranked strength?” Dongbo Xueying mused.
“The tokens are mainly divided into two types.”
Master Si An continued casually, “One is the Black Iron Token, and the other is the Bronze Token. Meteor-ranked strength grants the Black Iron Token, while Title-ranked strength is required for the Bronze Token… Beyond that lies the Transcendent! The Transcendent are the true pillars of our Xia Clan and the entire Empire. Naturally, that’s an entirely different world, so no need to elaborate further.”
“Take this, it’s your own exclusive Black Iron Token. It has great uses,” Master Si An placed the token before Dongbo Xueying.
Dongbo Xueying examined it carefully. Besides the words “Longshan,” the black token bore intricate patterns, naturally flowing and harmonious, aesthetically pleasing.
Master Si An casually flipped his hand again, handing over a booklet: “This is our Longshan Pavilion’s ‘Imperial Gazette,’ generally recording a few major events across the Empire, but mainly detailing matters within Qinghe Prefecture. For instance, you killed a Silver Moon Wolf King and single-handedly eliminated the entire Cutlass Alliance. These feats will be recorded in the next issue of the Gazette, which all the powerful individuals in Qinghe Prefecture will read.”
“Oh?” Dongbo Xueying accepted and flipped through it.
The Gazette consisted of a dozen pages; only one recorded events outside Qinghe Prefecture, while the rest focused on Qinghe:
“Longshan Year 9623, November 19th: On the third day entering the Destroyed Mountains, the Fifth Regiment stationed in Qinghe Prefecture encountered a six-tier Magical Beast, the ‘Darkness Bear,’ which had just awakened from slumber. Two thousand-man battalions were completely annihilated…”
“Longshan Year 9623, November 10th: In the Tianping City of Qinghe Prefecture, a Transcendent appeared—a barefoot, ragged old man with white hair wandering in ascetic practice…”
“November 5th: The Si Clan and Zhang Clan have arranged a marriage…”
…
The Gazette recorded significant news from various parts of Qinghe Prefecture, formal and important, even including annual calendars.
As for amusing anecdotes from different regions, they were recorded more casually.
Dongbo Xueying was fascinated, realizing how much was happening across Qinghe Prefecture’s vast expanse of nearly ten thousand miles.
“Master Si An, a Transcendent appeared in Tianping City?” Dongbo Xueying asked curiously.
“He appeared and vanished immediately,” Master Si An smiled. “Transcendents stand far above us. Their pursuits differ greatly from those of ordinary mortals. Ascetics wandering the world like him are not uncommon. Recording it in the Gazette serves to remind noble families and powerful clans to be cautious, lest they offend a Transcendent unknowingly. Offending one could bring catastrophe, even total annihilation of an entire clan.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded.
Indeed.
Imagine casually bullying a beggar on the roadside, only to suddenly discover he’s a Transcendent—terrifying!
“Transcendents are extremely rare. Across the Empire’s nineteen provinces, there are only so many. Even Qinghe Prefecture, despite its size, has no native Transcendent!” Master Si An shook his head. “This Gazette is a monthly publication. Reading it regularly helps one understand major and minor affairs of the Empire and recognize which forces must never be offended.”
“The Gazette is for entertainment.”
“What I’m giving you next is increasingly important.”
“This is the second most important thing—two rankings!” Master Si An’s expression turned serious as he flipped his hand, revealing two thick volumes. One had a black cover with the words “Longshan,” while the other bore a blood-red cover depicting only a dripping blood blade.
“Two rankings?” Dongbo Xueying looked curious.
“This is the Longshan Ranking, compiled by our Longshan Pavilion. The other is the Blood Blade Ranking, compiled by the Blood Blade Tavern,” Master Si An explained.
Dongbo Xueying accepted the two heavy books.
He first opened the black Longshan Ranking. It listed names from first onward, with dense rows of names and brief annotations beside them.
“The Blood Blade Ranking is the assassin ranking!” Master Si An’s words surprised Dongbo Xueying.
“Assassin ranking?” Dongbo Xueying looked at the blood-red book beside it.
“Precisely. The Blood Blade Tavern has a very mysterious background; even our Longshan Pavilion dares not provoke them! There is a Blood Blade Tavern in every city across the Empire,” Master Si An explained. “Based on actual assassin feats, the Blood Blade Tavern compiles this ranking. Nearly all names on this list are code names, as assassins usually remain anonymous.”
“The other Longshan Ranking is more authoritative and respected by all powerful individuals across the Empire,” Master Si An said proudly. “The Longshan Ranking, compiled by our Longshan Pavilion, includes the top three thousand Bronze-ranked warriors across the Empire’s nineteen provinces.” Master Si An continued, “From first to three thousand, each ranking is carefully considered by our Longshan Pavilion, based on achievements and multiple evaluations.”
“Three thousand elite warriors across the entire Empire?” Dongbo Xueying’s eyes lit up.
Bronze-ranked.
Only those with Title-ranked strength could qualify for the Bronze Token! This list contained three thousand names.
“The Empire’s Transcendents are so few that no ranking is necessary,” Master Si An explained. “Below the Transcendents, those with Title-ranked strength are only one step from Transcendence. Some among them possess strength rivaling Transcendents. Across the Empire, Title-ranked warriors are relatively numerous.”
“Qinghe Prefecture has twelve Bronze-ranked warriors. Only five are listed in the Longshan Ranking,” Master Si An said.
Dongbo Xueying nodded slightly. With a limit of three thousand, not every Bronze-ranked warrior could make the Longshan Ranking.
“Of these five.”
“The fifth-ranked is Chang Qingze, ranked 2895th overall in the Longshan Ranking.”
“The fourth-ranked is Zhang Yong, ranked 2822nd overall.”
“The third-ranked is Dan Chen, ranked 1259th overall.”
“The second-ranked is Si Lianghong, ranked 569th overall.”
“The first-ranked is Xiang Pangyun, ranked 525th overall.”
Master Si An easily recited the detailed rankings of these five warriors.
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