Chapter 136: 129 Hidden Dragon List! (Please Subscribe)

Chapter 136: Chapter 129 Hidden Dragon List! (Please Subscribe)

Tao Qingyuan said with a somewhat helpless smile,

“You are putting this official in a difficult position.”

The Heavenly Patrol Envoys of each state’s government were not fixed, and the power of the Green Envoy partly came from how strong their subordinates, the Heavenly Patrol Envoys, were. For instance, Nanling Prefecture had a total of five Heavenly Patrol Envoys, which could only be considered average throughout Qingzhou.

Some Green Envoys had nearly ten Heavenly Patrol Envoys under their command; naturally, they were assigned more tasks, and with that, their power and reputation grew even larger.

Every Green Envoy wished for an increase in the number of their subordinate Heavenly Patrol Envoys.

Zhang Xuan believed in what he said; with his means and capability, mobilizing a Heavenly Patrol Guard would be quite easy.

“I am not threatening; I, too, hope that the number of Heavenly Patrol Envoys under the lordship’s command can be restored as soon as possible,” said Zhang Xuan softly.

Tao Qingyuan was slightly startled, his eyebrows furrowed slightly,

“What do you mean by that?”

“Not to hide from my lord, I might possibly breakthrough to the Reach Profound Realm soon and will have to leave Nanling Prefecture for some time. It is still uncertain when I will return. Therefore, wouldn’t it be ideal for Chen Yuan to take over my position?”

“You’re about to make a breakthrough?”

A hint of joy flashed across Tao Qingyuan’s face.

“Yes.”

“Good, Zhang Xuan, you are truly worthy of being one of the top hundred figures on the Hidden Dragon List. If you manage to breakthrough to the Reach Profound Realm at the age of twenty-six, you might very well ascend into the top fifty!”

Tao Qingyuan clapped his hands and laughed.

Chen Yuan stood by, puzzled—Hidden Dragon List?

What was that?

“The lordship flatters me too much. Chen Yuan’s potential is no less than mine. Till now, he’s only a little over twenty…”

Zhang Xuan said with a smile.

Tao Qingyuan’s gaze lingered on Chen Yuan, and after a long silence, he finally spoke,

“Since you have the guarantee of Envoy Zhang, and in addition to the merit you have achieved… this official can indeed promote you to become a Heavenly Patrol Envoy first, but afterward, you will need to complete a few tasks.

That way, it will not be considered bending the rules.”

“Thank you very much, my lord.”

Chen Yuan quickly bowed in thanks.

Becoming a Heavenly Patrol Envoy first and then completing tasks is very different from completing tasks first before becoming an Envoy.

Without being a Heavenly Patrol Envoy, the power one could borrow was limited, and exactly how much merit was needed to become an Envoy was still up to Tao Qingyuan’s discretion, wasn’t it?

If there were any other obstructions, it might take Chen Yuan quite a while.

But if one were promoted to Heavenly Patrol Envoy first, then completed tasks, one would not only have the support of Heavenly Patrol Guards but also wield considerable authority, which would make the accomplishment of tasks much more efficient.

These were all things that Zhang Xuan had warned him about on the way here.

“Don’t be in a hurry to thank me. Although Envoy Zhang has vouched for you, whether or not you are competent for the position, merits will ultimately decide that. Nevertheless, I believe you can do it,” Tao Qingyuan said somberly before his expression relaxed into a smile.

If it had not been for Zhang Xuan’s imminent breakthrough and departure and the fact that Chen Yuan’s potential indeed seemed significant, he would not have given his consent to directly promote a Heavenly Patrol Guard, who had just entered the Heavenly Patrol Bureau a few days ago, to the rank of Envoy.

Tao Qingyuan would still have to negotiate and speak well of him to the superiors.

Chen Yuan smiled and said,

“My lord is too kind; in the future, I shall go through fire and water for my lord.”

“Tomorrow, I will introduce you to the other Envoys.”

With these words, from now on, Chen Yuan would be introduced in a new capacity.

Heavenly Patrol Envoy!

He would have the power to act first and report later, making him a significant figure in Nanling Prefecture.

“Thank you very much, my lord.”

“You better thank Envoy Zhang,” Tao Qingyuan said with a hearty laugh.

Afterward, Tao Qingyuan advised Chen Yuan on some matters and engaged in casual conversation for a while before Zhang Xuan and Chen Yuan took their leave from Tao Qingyuan’s residence.

…

…

Inside the government office where Zhang Xuan was stationed.

“I owe you a great deal for this time, my lord.”

Chen Yuan said with a very earnest expression.

“There’s no need to call me lord anymore; we are now of the same rank,” Zhang Xuan joked.

“My lord jests.”

“As an Envoy, I will recommend you to the Green Envoy not only because I value your potential but also there’s no need for such formalities,” Zhang Xuan waved his hand, unconcerned.

“Previously, the Green Envoy mentioned the ‘Hidden Dragon List,’ but I am unsure what it is. I hope you can enlighten me, my lord,” Chen Yuan said, still addressing Zhang Xuan as ‘my lord.’

Not to mention the big favor Zhang Xuan had done for him this time, the mere fact that he would soon step into the Reach Profound Realm warranted Chen Yuan’s respect.

Given Zhang Xuan’s background and ability, it would be easy for him to become a Green Envoy of a prefecture in the future, and he might even be Chen Yuan’s superior. It would be troublesome to change the way he addressed him again then…

Zhang Xuan didn’t mind the formal address and let Chen Yuan continue to refer to him that way.

“The Hidden Dragon List…” Zhang Xuan paused, then smiled.

It was perfectly normal for Chen Yuan, who had recently left the small region of Ping’an County, to be unaware of the Hidden Dragon List. He then began to explain,

“The Hidden Dragon List is also known as the Human List and is a ranking of prodigies from the Central Plains, determined by the strong ones within the East Sea Martial Emperor City. Together with the Heavenly List and the Earth List, it is known as the Ascending Immortal List.”

“East Sea Martial Emperor City.”

“Heaven, Earth, and Man, three lists.”

“The Ascending Immortal List…”

Chen Yuan was silent, amazed that someone had the leisure to compile such a list.

“The Hidden Dragon List includes three hundred and sixty-five geniuses from the Central Plains, judged based on strength, age, and talent as benchmarks for potential. The top ten will be known as Hidden Dragons…”

Through Zhang Xuan’s explanation, Chen Yuan gained a preliminary understanding of the Hidden Dragon List.

The Human List only includes martial artists below the Core Realm and under thirty years old. Otherwise, they will be removed from the list, and another martial artist will take their place.

Since ancient times, those who have made it onto the list are each exceptional.

“To compile a list of heroes from all over the world, do the martial artists of Jianghu really let others rank them so freely?” Chen Yuan was puzzled. Were the people in Jianghu so good-natured?

To let others evaluate them at will without getting annoyed.

Zhang Xuan smiled faintly:

“When the three lists first appeared, they indeed caused a sensation in Jianghu. It is said that hundreds of years ago, several peerless strong men joined forces to ascend to the Martial Emperor City, intending to abolish the list.

That day, a great battle ensued, turning the sky upside down and making rivers flow backward. It ended with the peerless figures retreating in defeat. Since then, this list has gradually been passed down.”

“For the later generations, it is an honor to be on the three lists.”

“I see…” Chen Yuan suddenly understood.

He wondered why martial artists of Jianghu were so easy-going, but it turned out that they had been defeated and had suffered a setback, eventually having to begrudgingly acknowledge the list.

“But the world is so vast, how can the people from Martial Emperor City be aware of everything?”

Chen Yuan knew that the so-called Central Plains referred to the lands of Great Jin.

Great Jin’s territory, almost perfectly inheriting the predecessor dynasty, was divided into Thirteen States, spanning tens of thousands of miles, wasn’t it?

Qingzhou was only one of the Thirteen States.

“Martial Emperor City possesses an extremely powerful information network called Ascending Immortal Tower, which spreads throughout the world, trading in intelligence and also compiling lists of geniuses from various places.

It’s a pity that it cannot be used by the government; otherwise, the government’s control over the world would be absolutely extraordinary.”

Zhang Xuan sighed, somewhat regretful.

Nowadays, the authority of the government is declining, and every loyal subject feels sorry in their hearts.

“Previously, Tao Qingyuan mentioned that you were within the top hundred, I wonder…”

Zhang Xuan shook his head:

“Being in the top hundred is nothing special. Only by entering the top fifty can one become famed throughout the world. However, those in the top fifty are all Reach Profound strong ones. Since the list was established, everyone who has managed to get into the top fifty in the Gang Condensation Realm has later achieved great success.”

Zhang Xuan’s ranking was eighty-one, which was a fair ranking. In the entire government, there weren’t many martial artists in the Gang Condensation Realm who ranked higher than him.

“With your strength, entering the top fifty in the future would be like taking something out of your pocket…”

“There’s no need for such flattery. I have a sense of where I might rank, but as for you, if you could make it into the top one hundred within the Gang Condensation Realm,

your superiors would give you more support.”

“Although the Hidden Dragon List can’t fully predict a person’s potential, it is accurate about seventy to eighty percent of the time. The higher your position on the list, the more support you will receive.”

“Those without any background will also enter the list to gain attention.”

“Let alone the government, even many major sects of Jianghu would use this list to increase investment in their disciples’ training. Therefore, the competition for the Hidden Dragon List is extremely fierce.”

“Every moment, there are various people challenging, seeking to make a name for themselves…”

Zhang Xuan shared much information, and Chen Yuan absorbed it eagerly, like a sponge, as he listened to the secrets that were beyond his understanding. His insights were indeed not comparable to those of Zhang Xuan.

But his words did have merit.

Without any background and wanting to climb up in the government, one needed to show their potential. That way, one might attract the bets of high-ranking, influential figures.

That was part of the reason why Zhang Xuan favored Chen Yuan so highly, even willing to challenge Tao Qingyuan for Chen Yuan’s appointment as Heavenly Patrol Envoy—it was because of Chen Yuan’s potential.

And the reason why Tao Qingyuan had relaxed his stance was also because he saw Chen Yuan’s talent.

The stronger Chen Yuan’s talent, the greater his say would be. Tao Qingyuan might also go all in to continue supporting him.

For someone like him, who had almost no hope of progressing further in martial arts, to survive in the official arena, he needed help, and investing in a genius with great potential

was a good option.

Zhao Nanshan felt the same way.

All of this was because Chen Yuan had demonstrated his potential.

Zhang Xuan continued, “Given your age, if your strength is decent, it’s not difficult to get onto the Hidden Dragon List. The difficult part is whether you can improve to the top one hundred before reaching the Reach Profound Realm.”

“According to the assessment of the Hidden Dragon List, nearly everyone in the top hundred can step into the Reach Profound Realm.”

“And those in the top fifty have a thirty percent chance of advancing to the Core Realm…”

“Thank you for the clarification, sir.” Chen Yuan bowed.

“You can learn these things if you are determined. There are people from Ascending Immortal Tower in Nanling Prefecture City right now. If you want to buy some information, you can go there…”

Afterward, Zhang Xuan mentioned a very ordinary place name.

“Alright.”

Chen Yuan was indeed eager to meet these people from Ascending Immortal Tower.

————

Seeking Monthly Tickets, seeking subscriptions, you persistent men!