Chapter 79: The Incident Ends, The Heavenly Dynasty System

After Ling Wushuang revealed his status and threatened to involve the Qingzhou Governor-General, Chen Shunyi could only drop the matter and admit defeat.

Only now did Qin Xiao realize cultivation alone might not be enough. Connections mattered enormously too. For a powerful backer, he should look to the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty. If he could get a noble title, wouldn’t he be able to throw his weight around wherever he went?

“Brother Ling, I never expected you to have ties to the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty. Impressive indeed.”

Outside the City Lord Manor, Qin Xiao could no longer hold back his praise.

“This empty title of mine is only good for intimidating low-ranking City Lords in remote backwaters. In Central Province, few people would even bat an eye at it.”

Hearing Qin Xiao’s inquiry, Ling Wushuang replied with a smile.

“That’s still impressive. I had no idea the Immortal Dao Merchant Association had such strong backing. This has really opened my eyes.”

Even after Ling Wushuang’s explanation, Qin Xiao still marveled at the association’s influence.

“Qin Xiao, now that this is settled, I have other business and must hurry back. By the way, my younger sister is gaining experience in Tianyuan City. Please look after her, Brother Qin.”

Ling Wushuang did not respond to Qin Xiao’s praise. He had to hurry back, but took a moment to mention Ling Ruoxue.

He had already received word from Tianyuan City and knew Qin Xiao was no ordinary man. Otherwise, he would not have come personally. He wanted both to repay the debt of saving his life and to befriend Qin Xiao.

“If you have business to attend to, Brother Ling, go ahead. I’ve troubled you to come all this way. As for your sister, we’ve dealt with each other a few times already. Whenever I have business, your Immortal Dao Merchant Association will be my first choice.”

Qin Xiao did not try to keep him. Ling Wushuang had taken time out of his own business to help; he was grateful. Saying more would only put distance between them.

After exchanging a few more parting pleasantries, Ling Wushuang took his leave.

Qin Xiao, Ye Qiuyue, and the others returned together to the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion.

“Xiao’er, how did you become such good friends with that Ling boy?”

Back at the pavilion, Ye Qiuyue asked what had been puzzling her. She knew something major had happened in the secret realm, but not the details.

Ye Tianyi knew more. The pavilion’s disciples had reported what happened when they returned, so she knew Qin Xiao had saved Ling Wushuang. But did even that warrant his coming in person?

“Well, we’ve had some dealings. He’s a decent man. I didn’t expect him to come in person either. I only wanted him to help me find some connections. The Immortal Dao Merchant Association is so big, it must know some high officials. I didn’t expect him to be one himself.”

Not wanting to elaborate, Qin Xiao brushed the matter aside with a vague explanation.

He knew little about the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty, only that it was a powerful force governing the whole secular world, one ordinary sects dared not offend. He had simply thought it formidable. He had not expected the Immortal Dao Merchant Association to be one of its affiliated forces.

“We are fortunate that Ling Wushuang came himself, otherwise Chen Shunyi might not have backed down so easily.”

Ye Tianyi sounded relieved. The matter had been difficult to resolve; a single misstep could have led to their clan’s extermination.

“Senior Sister, why would it come to that? He’s just a City Lord, isn’t he?” Find the original chapter at nоvelping.com.

Qin Xiao asked, a trace of confusion in his voice.

“Chen Lou is only a seventh-grade City Lord of a mid-sized city, but Chen Shunyi is a fourth-grade commander. To keep him firmly in line, we would need someone at least third-grade in his chain of command. If we knew someone like that, would we have ended up in this situation?”

Ye Tianyi said helplessly.

“Oh? How exactly is this official ranking system divided?”

Qin Xiao wanted to understand so he could find a high-ranking backer in the future.

“I’m not clear on the details either, but I can tell you the broad ranks. That should stop you from going around causing trouble and offending someone you cannot afford to offend.”

Seeing that Qin Xiao really did not know, Ye Tianyi kindly explained, so he would not offend the wrong person in future.

At the top of the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty was the Celestial Emperor, followed by the Celestial Empress. They were the two strongest people alive. Offending either meant almost certain death.

Next came the Imperial Princes and Imperial Princesses, whom few dared offend. They held some authority in the dynasty: they could convict officials below the third grade, and execute those below the fifth grade before reporting it.

Next came the Supreme Princes. These princes held no private fiefs, but all served in the Imperial Capital. Their authority was on par with the Imperial Princes and Princesses, the sole difference being that they held the power of conviction without the right to execute first and report afterward.

Between the Supreme Princes and first-grade officials were honorary princely titles, divided into three grades. They carried privileges but no actual authority. Their descendants enjoyed the same privileges as a Supreme Prince’s children, as Heirs Apparent and Commandery Princesses.

Ling Wushuang belonged to this bracket, holding the privileges of an Heir Apparent without the accompanying executive power.

The Heir Apparent of a Supreme Prince was different. Although he could not convict someone as an Imperial Prince could, he had a say in the decision. If he wanted someone convicted, he only had to reach an agreement with the relevant departments. He was both a player and a coach.

After the imperial family and the princely titles came the officials. First-grade posts included the Chancellor, World-Suppressing Marshal, and Central Province Governor-General.

Second-grade posts included the Governor-Generals of other provinces, some key officials in the Imperial Capital, and generals leading military campaigns.

Third-grade posts included the Chief District Chiefs overseeing divisions within each province, and various garrison generals.

Fourth-grade posts included District Chiefs, Deputy District Chiefs, Grand Commanders, and others within those divisions.

City Lords of super-large cities were fifth-grade officials.

City Lords of large cities were sixth-grade officials.

The City Lord of a mid-sized city like Tianyi City was only seventh-grade.

City Lords of smaller or newly established cities were eighth-grade.

Ninth-grade officials worked at the lowest level. Others were ungraded.

Aside from the official hierarchy, there was the noble title system. Noble titles carried privileges but no real authority, much like the princely ranks. Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.

Dukes corresponded to the first grade, Marquises to the third, Counts to the fifth, and Viscounts to the seventh. These were symbolic rewards with neither authority nor stipends, usually granted to officials for meritorious service. Few ordinary people received them.

“Wait a moment… why does this entire system sound so familiar?”

Qin Xiao was bewildered. Ranked officials were one thing, but why were there Dukes, Marquises, Counts, and Viscounts too? It was much like what he had read about in his previous life. That made no sense. Could the founder of the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty be a transmigrator too?

He was confused. It all seemed too coincidental. The Supreme Heavenly Dynasty apparently did not cultivate immortality either; it cultivated something called providence. The more he thought about it, the more coincidental it seemed.

“What do you mean, familiar? Everyone knows something about the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty’s system. It has been around for countless years.”

Ye Tianyi asked, looking at him in puzzlement.

“Nothing. But how does the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty control the entire secular world? Are they all so powerful? Are even the super sects weaker than the dynasty?”

Qin Xiao still had doubts, but he did not know how to explain them, so he quickly changed the subject.

“Naturally. Rumor has it that the strength of the Celestial Emperor and Celestial Empress has surpassed the Tribulation Transcendence stage, reaching the Immortal Realm. In the Imperial Capital, cultivators at the Tribulation Transcendence stage are by no means rare, Great Ascension experts are commonplace, and those at the Body Integration stage are as numerous as ants on the ground.”

Ye Tianyi spoke longingly. She had never visited the Imperial Capital, but could imagine what an extraordinary place it must be.

“Are you making this up? I’m sure they’re powerful, but isn’t that a bit much? If they’re all that strong, what do they need the secular world for?”

Qin Xiao did not believe it. The Tianyuan Sect’s Supreme Elder was only at the Body Integration stage, and the Tianyuan Sect was a third-tier sect. By that logic, wouldn’t their Supreme Elder be just another ordinary person in the Imperial Capital?

“Master, she’s right. That really is what the Imperial Capital is like. Qingzhou is remote, so of course it’s weaker. If you visit Central Province one day, you’ll see.”

Yun Man spoke softly into Qin Xiao’s ear to keep him from embarrassing himself.

“Ah? Really? The gap is truly that wide?”

Hearing Yun Man say the same thing, Qin Xiao finally accepted it. Qingzhou really was a step below them.

“Enough, who cares about that? Xiao’er, you’ve done us a great favor. Your Master’s Wife has nothing much to offer, so how about this? The three of you can each choose an item from the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion’s treasury as your reward.”

Ye Qiuyue had no interest in their rambling discussion and quickly changed the subject.

“Master’s Wife, it was no trouble. How could we ask for a reward? There’s no need, no need.”

Qin Xiao hastily refused.

“No. If I say take it, you take it. Are you refusing to listen to your Master’s Wife now?”

When Qin Xiao kept refusing, Ye Qiuyue pretended to be displeased.

“All right. Since Master’s Wife says so, I shall do as you ask.”

With that settled, the three of them followed Ye Qiuyue toward the treasury of the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion.