Chapter 139 - 137: Prodigies of the Hidden Dragon Rankings
As Chen Yuan continued his practice, he finally understood why the Great Brightness Sect had been labeled an Evil Cult back in the day.
It wasn’t just because the Daoist, Buddhist, and Demon Three Veins, as well as the Court, all wanted to utterly annihilate them. It was also because the Great Brightness Sect’s cultivation techniques were truly extreme.
The Great Brightness Sect’s Martial Dao path was different from the Daoist, Buddhist, and Demon Three Veins. It was both righteous and wicked, pursuing the ultimate in killing power.
One could say that elements from the cultivation paths of all Daoist, Buddhist, and Demon Three Veins had been integrated into the techniques of the Great Brightness Sect.
The *Celestial Fire Secret Manual* possessed the foundational depth of a Daoist Cultivation Technique, the explosive power of a Buddhist Cultivation Technique, and the sinister, treacherous aspect of a Demonic Cultivation Technique.
Even within the Heart-Burning Karmic Flame he had just witnessed, one could find traces of Cultivation Techniques and Secret Arts from both the Buddhist and Demon lineages.
However, this technique suited Chen Yuan’s Martial Dao path perfectly. What he pursued was ultimate killing power, not the distinction between righteous and evil sects.
After several days of arduous cultivation in the inn, Chen Yuan took a stroll around Danyang Prefecture.
With the furnace-opening conference drawing ever closer, the number of Martial Artists in Danyang Prefecture was swelling, especially young ones, making the entire prefecture seem vibrant and full of life.
When noon arrived, Chen Yuan casually found a restaurant to grab some food, not wanting to be a sucker at a place like the Celestial Fragrance Building again.
The moment he stepped into the restaurant, he immediately drew the gazes of the crowd, followed by a wave of hushed discussions.
The furnace-opening conference was about to begin, and countless young talents had flocked to Danyang Prefecture.
But the one who had been in the spotlight the most recently was none other than Chen Yuan.
In the battle before the Celestial Fragrance Building, Chen Yuan had fought one against six and even killed Zhu Chengzong of the Blazing Sect. His combat prowess was staggering.
Some betting houses were even taking wagers on Chen Yuan, betting on how high his rank would climb on the Hidden Dragon Rankings after next month’s update.
Chen Yuan glanced around the restaurant and discovered that this ordinary, relatively unknown place was actually full.
A waiter came out with a humble expression and explained, "My apologies, honored guest. We have too many customers today, and there are even a few others waiting. If you wish to wait, it will likely be another hour before you can be served."
Just as Chen Yuan was about to find another place, the door to a private room on the second floor of the restaurant suddenly swung open.
A handsome young noble, dressed in an ink-black brocade robe and wearing a Profound Gold Qilin Crown, stepped out and smiled at Chen Yuan. "Brother Chen, if you don’t mind, you could come up and join us for a simple drink. We have room here."
Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly. The aura emanating from the man was profound and unfathomable; he had clearly cultivated an extremely deep Daoist Cultivation Technique.
Judging by his age and bearing, he was definitely one of the prodigies on the Hidden Dragon Rankings.
But since the other party had taken the initiative to invite him and showed goodwill, Chen Yuan saw no reason to refuse.
"Then I thank you, brother."
Stepping into the private room, he saw there were two other people inside.
The young noble wore a gentle smile and said, "I’ve long heard about Brother Chen’s great display of power at the Celestial Fragrance Building, fighting one against six. I’ve been wanting to make your acquaintance.
"But you’ve kept a low profile since that battle, Brother Chen. It seems today is finally my chance.
"I am Cui Xuanye of the Cui Family from Celestial Official City."
Of the other two, a burly young man with rugged, masculine features stood up, cupped his fists, and said, "I am Lu Chuanshan of the Jianghai Alliance."
The last person, also in his twenties, had a simple and resolute face. Surprisingly, he was wearing the black and red official robes of the Six Gates. He was likely a Chief Constable.
He rubbed his head, looking a bit reserved, and smiled. "Brother Lu and Brother Cui both come from major powers. Only my background is not worth mentioning. My name is Qin Suguang, and I am the Chief Constable of the Prefecture for Jieyang Prefecture in Qin Province."
Chen Yuan looked at the men before him with some surprise, cupped his fists, and said, "So you are all prodigies from the Hidden Dragon Rankings. It’s a pleasure to meet you."
’These three before me... Cui Xuanye is ranked forty-second on the Hidden Dragon Rankings. He comes from the Cui Family of Celestial Official City, one of the Eight Great Noble Families, who are most proficient in Qimen Dunjia, Feng Shui Secret Techniques, and Stellar Divination.
The Cui Family has a long and storied history, stretching back even to the Ancient Era. Nearly every dynasty has invited members of the Cui Family to serve in the Astronomical Bureau, performing Stellar Divination and geomancy for the ruling dynasty.
In the early days of Great Xia, the Cui Family also served in the Court’s Astronomical Bureau, but they had a falling out with the Court two hundred years ago over some palace secrets and resigned their positions.
The Cui Family does not excel in Martial Dao combat, but their mastery of Arrays and Qimen Dunjia makes them no less powerful.
As for Lu Chuanshan, he is thirty-ninth on the Hidden Dragon Rankings. The Jianghai Alliance is one of the Seven Alliances of the World, controlling the Three Rivers Estuary and most of the canal transport business across the Nineteen Provinces. Their influence extends across several provinces.
Although the Jianghai Alliance isn’t the strongest of the Seven Alliances of the World, it has the most members. Its core members alone number over a hundred thousand. If you include all the canal boatmen and sailors, the number probably exceeds a million.
One from the Cui Family of Celestial Official City, the other from the Jianghai Alliance—both belong to major sects listed on the Jianghu Wind and Cloud Rankings.
The most unassuming of the three is Qin Suguang, the Chief Constable of the Prefecture. His rank on the Hidden Dragon Rankings is also the lowest, at forty-eighth, just one spot above my own previous rank.
But of these three, Qin Suguang is the one who will achieve the most in the future.
Don’t be fooled by his current position as a mere Chief Constable of the Prefecture. In the future, he will take command of the Six Gates and become the renowned ’God of Capture’ Qin Suguang, famed throughout the Jianghu and the Court.
However, he will eventually have a falling out with the Great Xia Royal Family, be severely wounded by them, purged from the Six Gates, and forced to wander the Jianghu.
Moreover, because he offended many Jianghu People during his time in the Six Gates, he will also be targeted by numerous Jianghu Major Sects. For a time, there will be no place for him in either the Court or the Jianghu, leaving him in a desolate state.’
After they were seated, Cui Xuanye poured Chen Yuan a cup of wine and said with a smile, "Brother Chen, your battle at the Celestial Fragrance Building has made you famous throughout Danyang Prefecture. To fight one against six and still achieve such a result is truly astonishing.
"That bastard Shangguan Yun is usually so full of himself, always saying he’s only ranked forty-seventh because he’s still young. He claims that in a couple of years, he’ll be in the top ten of the Hidden Dragon Rankings just like his elder brother, Shangguan Moyuan.
"But you, Brother Chen, are even younger than Shangguan Yun. I’d like to see how he can keep boasting and acting so arrogant now!"
Cui Xuanye seemed quite happy to see Shangguan Yun taken down a peg. It was clear the two of them had some prior conflict.
"Did you and Shangguan Yun have a grudge before this, Brother Cui?"
Cui Xuanye took a sip of wine. "To be precise, my Cui Family of Celestial Official City and his Shangguan Family of Unrivaled City share some enmity, but that’s an old grudge from our ancestors’ time.
"I never paid it much mind since I started wandering the Jianghu, but that bastard Shangguan Yun deliberately targeted me. During a gathering, he intentionally and severely injured a friend of mine to force my hand, hoping to defeat me and surpass me on the Hidden Dragon Rankings.
"My friend was a man of honor. He risked his life to stop me from fighting, refusing to let me become Shangguan Yun’s stepping stone. But in the process, his own Meridians were damaged, affecting his future cultivation."
Chen Yuan looked at Cui Xuanye with surprise.
’He’s ranked forty-second on the Hidden Dragon Rankings, a full five places higher than Shangguan Yun. How could he have been pushed into a corner where he didn’t dare to fight back?’
Cui Xuanye smiled bitterly. "Brother Chen, you may not know this, but my Cui Family doesn’t excel in direct combat. We specialize in various Heterodox Sects’ arts. I myself focus on Arrays, and most of my cultivation is tied to them.
"That gathering was hosted by a Major Sect, and their grounds were protected by their own Sect Protection Array. I couldn’t deploy my arrays at all, which was like crippling more than half of my cultivation. Naturally, I was no match for him."
Lu Chuanshan, sitting nearby, snorted coldly. "Shangguan Yun just took advantage of the situation. The man’s a scoundrel. If I had been there, I would have beaten the shit out of him!"
Cui Xuanye shook his head. "Don’t be too reckless. A section of the Jianghai Alliance’s waterway runs right through the Shangguan Family’s territory. If you really injured Shangguan Yun badly, you’d have a hard time explaining yourself when you got back."
After chatting with them for a bit, Chen Yuan had a general idea of why they had invited him.
Among the three, Cui Xuanye and Lu Chuanshan had been friends for a long time. Since Shangguan Yun had targeted Cui Xuanye, it naturally made Lu Chuanshan share his friend’s animosity.
Chen Yuan defeating Shangguan Yun while fighting one against six had caused Shangguan Yun to lose face. This pleased both of them, and their favorable impression of Chen Yuan naturally soared, making them want to get to know him.
As for Qin Suguang, he was just tagging along with the other two.
Although Qin Suguang was a man of the Court, he was also considered a semi-Jianghu person.
He had been just an ordinary constable before he unexpectedly saved a Loose Cultivator master and was accepted as his Closed-door Disciple.
That Loose Cultivator master was the sole successor of a Hidden Sect, the Celestial Mountain Sect. By inheriting the man’s Martial Dao, Qin Suguang had naturally inherited the many karmic ties of the Jianghu that came with it.
That was why his status was so special, allowing him, a man of the Court, to be ranked on the Hidden Dragon Rankings.
His brazen attendance at the furnace-opening conference this time was as a representative of the Celestial Mountain Sect, not the Court.
Qin Suguang didn’t know Cui Xuanye before. He had first become acquainted with Lu Chuanshan.
One was a Court Chief Constable, the other a disciple of the Jianghai Alliance. They had even had misunderstandings and friction over some cases in the past.
But after the misunderstandings were cleared up, their straightforward and magnanimous personalities led them to become good friends. After arriving in Danyang Prefecture, Lu Chuanshan introduced him to Cui Xuanye.
Cui Xuanye pointed at Qin Suguang and teased, "Brother Qin, you were previously ranked forty-eighth on the Hidden Dragon Rankings, but I’m afraid you’re going to drop a spot in the next update.
"Brother Chen here showed off his might at the Celestial Fragrance Building, and you’re dropping a rank without having done a thing. What a senseless disaster for you."
Chen Yuan defeated Shangguan Yun, so his rank would rise. Qin Suguang, being ranked after Shangguan Yun, would naturally drop.
Had it been anyone else, they might have felt jealous and resentful.
However, Qin Suguang had a straightforward and magnanimous personality. He was also upright and hated evil as if it were his mortal enemy, so he didn’t take such things to heart.
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Brother Chen’s strength is astonishing. He’s definitely going to rise more than just one spot this time. With so many people getting pushed down the list, what does a nobody like me matter?
"I’m just an ordinary little Chief Constable. Besides his cultivation techniques, my late master left me nothing but a pile of enemies. I don’t even have a backer.
"It’s already a great fortune for me to have lucked my way onto the Hidden Dragon Rankings in this lifetime and to meet prodigies like all of you. I wouldn’t dare ask for more."
Chen Yuan raised his wine cup to Qin Suguang. "Brother Qin, don’t sell yourself short. Though you started from humble beginnings, you are no less than the disciples of the Major Sects. In the future, you will surely become famous in the Jianghu. Even in the Court, you are destined for a high position.
"On the Hidden Dragon Rankings, you are a Hidden Dragon. When the time comes for you to leave the rankings, you will surely soar into the heavens."