Chapter 175: Newcomer List Succession

Sheng Yuanyao didn't know what family rule she had broken. She had gone to the garden innocently, and nothing "more than friendly" had happened, so it couldn't be considered pre-marital indecency. Her lips had just accidentally touched, and no one even knew about it. She hadn't violated any family rule concerning honesty either; she said she was going out to play, and she did just that. Old Sheng was clearly using his position for personal revenge, claiming she violated a family rule but not specifying which one. Well, next time, she'd just find an excuse to trick people when asking for leave.

Sheng Yuanyao was more interested in compiling the Great Gan Heroes List. This not only meant enjoying gossip on public funds but also gave her a legitimate reason to dig for gossip from other people's affairs. For example, she openly sought an audience with the Grand Preceptor.

Ye Tinglan indeed received her. "I hear Yuanyao has just taken up her new post. How do you have time to come here?"

"I came to see the Grand Preceptor about the New Talents List... Last time, I intended to include Miss Qingli, but she herself said she didn't want to be on the list. At the time, she probably couldn't reveal her identity; otherwise, if a Sacred Land descendant protected Shen Tang, everyone would immediately know Shen Tang's identity was problematic... Now that they've left, the matter has faded. If I omit Qingli's past of protecting Shen Tang from the list, would she be able to be included?"

Ye Tinglan nodded slightly. "This Grand Preceptor has no intention of hiding Qingli. It was indeed inconvenient for her to be on the list back then because of Princess Chaohuang; she ought to experience the challenges of the New Talents List herself. If Editor Sheng believes Qingli is qualified, then she can be included."

"When I first met Miss Qingli, she was a peak fifth-rank, and soon after, she seemed to break through to the fourth-rank. Several months have passed since then; I wonder if she has made any further progress?"

Ye Tinglan mused to herself that her disciple was in seclusion and unreachable. Otherwise, she herself would want to ask how, having only recently broken through to the fourth-rank, she had reached the third-rank threshold and required seclusion. But then again, Qingli's thought process was unique. Her "seclusion" didn't necessarily mean sitting idly in a secret chamber; it could mean training in an uninhabited ruin, and if no one could see her, it counted as seclusion. Moreover, her "working towards breaking through to the third-rank" might not mean she was at the threshold; the entire journey through the fourth-rank was "working towards the third-rank" for her. That was very Qingli. Since so much time had passed, she should at least be mid-fourth-rank, so Ye Tinglan simply said, "Let's list her as mid-fourth-rank."

Sheng Yuanyao seemed to smile. "Mid-fourth-rank, and a direct descendant of the Sacred Land... The Grand Preceptor also said she needs to undergo challenges and trials. How about directly replacing Ye Wufeng with her?"

Ye Tinglan thoughtfully scrutinized Sheng Yuanyao. *Why do I get the feeling you harbor some ill will towards my good disciple?* As the dignified Master of the Sacred Land, she indeed didn't care if her disciple underwent a New Talents challenge. What she did care about was her disciple parachuting into the top spot, which would lead to accusations of the Sacred Land manipulating the list, needlessly sullying their reputation. So she said, "Editor Sheng..."

"Huh?"

"What's your reasoning for wanting Qingli at the top?"

"Because I think Lu Xingzhou will eventually take the top spot, so I want to put Qingli there to clash with him and see what he does."

Ye Tinglan: "...For such a trivial reason?"

Sheng Yuanyao's eyes widened. "What great drama!" The Grand Preceptor truly wasn't a kindred spirit. Perhaps that "green tea" Pei would want to enjoy this drama. Wait, did "green tea" Pei even know Dugu Qingli? Poor "Melon Girl" still didn't know how Pei Chuyun and Lu Xingzhou had met; otherwise, she might have blasted that "little white hair" (Lu Xingzhou).

Ye Tinglan clearly couldn't comprehend such a trivial reason and calmly said, "First place isn't appropriate, but she should be worthy of a spot in the top three." Sheng Yuanyao felt a little regretful but readily agreed. "Alright, then second place."

Ye Tinglan casually asked, "What about Lu Xingzhou and his disciple?"

"Lu Xingzhou at seventh. Ah Nuan is better off not being on the list; it's everyone's responsibility to protect children."

Ye Tinglan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. By the way, I have some news here that you can also include in the character biographies."

Sheng Yuanyao was startled. "What news?"

"This Grand Preceptor has a friend, Madam Ye, who has expressed interest in helping Lu Xingzhou heal his leg... Thus, it's predictable that this person can be expected to rank high on the next list."

Sheng Yuanyao's heart stirred. She recalled what Lu Xingzhou had told her earlier: he needed a legitimate reason to stand up, such as being treated by a high-rank alchemist or by continuing his studies at an alchemy academy. The latter was clearly inferior to the former; further study would only prove an increase in medical skill, not necessarily access to suitable rare materials to treat his decade-old broken leg. If a high-rank alchemist helped, resources wouldn't be an issue. *Who is this Madam Ye? This is like a pillow delivered just when you're sleepy—what a good person!*

Sheng Yuanyao loved her new job very much and was full of energy. After questioning the Grand Preceptor, she went to question Lu Xingzhou. This was the first time recently she had sought Lu Xingzhou for official business, rather than finding an excuse because she wanted to see him.

"Your Shen Tang has broken through, right?" Even mentioning Shen Tang didn't elicit any jealousy; official business occupied most of her thoughts.

"Mhm." Lu Xingzhou found her demeanor somewhat amusing. "What's wrong?"

"She's already third-rank. Should we put her directly on the Heroes List instead of the New Talents List? Would it cause her trouble?"

This question made Lu Xingzhou consider for a while. "If she wants to develop the Heavenly Sword Sect, as the Sect Master, a third-rank reputation and deterrent power are essential. As for other matters, in reality, as long as she maintains the stance of not healing her leg, there shouldn't be much..."

Sheng Yuanyao was very satisfied and continued her "interview." "Can I ask a few questions about her character biography?"

Lu Xingzhou glanced at her askance. "What is it?"

"She keeps her own guest elder as a male companion, can we say that?" Sheng Yuanyao asked seriously. "And by the way, has she eaten food cooked by her male companion?"

Lu Xingzhou was caught between laughter and tears. "When will Editor Sheng invite me to dinner? The kind you cook yourself."

"Never," Sheng Yuanyao said. "Someone hasn't fulfilled their promise for something more delicate yet."

"Are you sure you want me to give it?" Lu Xingzhou stood up.

Sheng Yuanyao turned and ran away. "No, no, I have a ton of things to do..."

Lu Xingzhou sat back down, examining her new hair tie. The grass ring was clearly replaced; he just didn't know if she'd thrown it away or put it somewhere. Sheng Yuanyao ran a few steps, saw Lu Xingzhou wasn't chasing her, then stopped and looked back. "Madam Ye said she wants to help you heal your leg!"

Lu Xingzhou paused, then thoughtfully said, "I understand."

Sheng Yuanyao then asked, "Will your 'green tea' be on the list this time?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled faintly. "Of course, Prime Minister Pei would be very happy to see his daughter on the list."

Sheng Yuanyao scratched her head, then suddenly a lightbulb went off in her mind. "Hey, you're full of crooked ideas, how about becoming a deputy editor-in-chief?"

"Would that require a public office in the Demon Suppression Division?"

"Well, you could at least be a consultant, right? What, you can be someone else's guest elder, but not a brother's consultant?"

"My surname isn't Xue..." Lu Xingzhou thought for a moment, then suddenly chuckled. "But I could try it, it sounds quite interesting."

Sheng Yuanyao was delighted. "So, Consultant Lu, do you have any creative proposals? Besides the timeliness you mentioned before—that's too difficult—how about something else?"

"Yes, your list is too dry. You should add some commentary or remarks. It's all about attracting attention..."

"If you can do it, you do it."

In mid-March, after half a month of research, the newly appointed editor-in-chief of the Heroes List, Sheng Yuanyao, released the latest edition of "The Great Gan Heroes List." This completely new version quickly captured everyone's attention, drawing interest even from other nations and the demon tribes.

First, Shen Tang, originally ranked thirtieth on the New Talents List and the Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect, broke through to the third-rank. No longer considered a new talent, she officially entered the Heroes List at its lower end, competing with heroes across the land. The editor thoughtfully provided a commentary: "Swimming against the current, with waves strong enough to stop a flying boat." This was, of course, not Sheng Yuanyao's contribution; it was a creative idea from the new consultant, whose identity remained unknown. Shen Tang was only twenty-three in virtual age, her birthday not yet passed. To boldly step into the third-rank at such an age, though not unprecedented, placed her among extremely rare geniuses. Gu Zhanting hadn't shown such performance in his time. The last person to break through to the third-rank at such an age was named Ye Tinglan.

This single event alone was enough to ignite worldwide discussion, but the most significant changes in this edition of the list weren't there; they were on the New Talents List. Ye Wufeng, formerly first on the New Talents List, was removed, having died at the hands of Lu Xingzhou and his disciple. Qi Tuizhi, formerly second on the New Talents List and the Young Master of Lingtian Pavilion, moved up to first place. The original third-ranked individual did not advance to second; he couldn't even hold onto third place.

Second was a completely new, "parachuted in" individual: Dugu Qingli, the direct descendant of Heavenly Yao Sacred Land, the sole disciple of the world's number one, Ye Tinglan, eighteen years old, mid-fourth-rank. Editor's commentary: "Frosty sky, frozen moon, reflecting on a cold river."

Third was also a completely new, "parachuted in" individual: Pei Chuyun, daughter of the Hedong Pei clan, eighteen years old, lower-fourth-rank. Editor's commentary: "Returning to the Jianghu, her fame crowns the capital." This line wasn't written by Lu Xingzhou. Sheng Yuanyao refused to let him write it, but the magazine editors enthusiastically added it anyway, and it sounded very nice, infuriating the editor-in-chief. Pei Chuyun had already reached peak fourth-rank, but unfortunately, without revealing her true abilities, she could only be listed as lower-fourth-rank. Normally, a lower-fourth-rank couldn't occupy this position, but the consultant believed she was qualified, the editor-in-chief wanted her to take a beating (on the list), and the final reviewing leader, Old Sheng, wanted to save face for the Pei family, so by consensus, she was placed here.

Just these two "parachuted in" individuals were enough to leave people dumbfounded, but there was a third. Lu Xingzhou, the guest elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect, who was originally only on the Alchemists' sub-list and hadn't even made it onto the main New Talents List, boldly replaced the original seventh-ranked New Talent, pushed down to eighth by the previous "parachuted in" individuals. This number greatly satisfied a certain consultant, but he didn't have the nerve to add his own commentary. The editor-in-chief personally penned the commentary: "A man like jade on the path, a peerless gentleman in the world."

The list with commentary was several orders of magnitude more interesting and readable than the original. Those who enjoyed drama watched enthusiastically, unable to look away, while serious individuals could only gasp in surprise at such a dramatically changed list. Three "parachuted in" individuals, all in the top ten, two aged eighteen, one twenty. And then there was Shen Tang, also so young... Was this a gathering of anomalies on one list? This was with Ah Nuan still hidden. If Ah Nuan were on the list, the changes would be even more outlandish, almost as if a new generation had arrived. Even without Ah Nuan, the discussion surrounding this list was already sweeping across the world.

Generally, diviners would call such a situation "the Year of Rising Winds," often symbolizing the beginning of significant changes. And within the storm, there was usually a core, the "eye" where winds and clouds converged. At least in Ye Tinglan's eyes, this core was essentially pinpointed on Lu Xingzhou, because almost all the significant figures involved in these changes could be linked to him. And if one were to scrutinize it, this "Year of Rising Winds" didn't begin this year, but rather last year or even the year before. In the winter of the year before last, Lu Xingzhou left the Underworld Hall on a snowy night, marking the rise of the winds. In late autumn and early winter of last year, Lu Xingzhou met Shen Tang, marking the day of convergence. Thus, this year's New Talents List saw a tempestuous surge, shaking the entire world.