189: The title of Chapter 189 is prominently displayed at the beginning: "Autumn Water Ranking"!

Now in this city, he was just an old storyteller, unrecognized and unremembered, living a life of ease and freedom.

Teaching his granddaughter, earning some reward money, and planning how to get her into a martial arts academy to learn, his days were fulfilling.

“Good grandchild, you mustn’t slack off, understand?” After the Aura dissipated, the old man whispered his instructions.

“Don’t worry, Grandpa, I’ll study hard!” Sun Little Red nodded vigorously.

“Good, then this afternoon, we’ll talk about the influential figures on the liangyu list and the hundred weapons ranking!”

“Grandpa, do you really know about these things?” The little girl smiled mischievously.

“Heh, don’t underestimate your grandpa.

These past few decades in the Jianghu weren’t for nothing.” The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets smiled mysteriously.

To dare to call himself “Heavenly Secrets” means he knows a great deal about the world’s affairs.

Although he was new to Northern Li, in these past few days, he had already thoroughly grasped all sorts of secrets, their causes, and effects—what the true intentions of the Demonic Sect’s Eastern Expedition were, the identity and background of Di Shitian, and even the unfathomable depth of the City Lord of Xueyue City, Li Changsheng; he had heard it all.

Only Su Rui remained like a mist, inscrutable and unpredictable, as if bottomless.

Clap!

With a bang of the gavel, the four seats fell silent.

“Today, let’s talk about the various young heroes on the liangyu list!”

As his voice fell, many people in the restaurant perked up their ears.

“Old Man Sun, we’re all familiar with those on the liangyu list. Why don’t you talk about the hundred weapons ranking? How can the martial arts academy Revered Master be so strong yet not be on the list?”

A shout, and a golden leaf flew over.

“Oh, thank you for your support! However, there are still some intricacies within this liangyu list. Please listen to my segment first; if you find it uninteresting, it’s not too late to switch to the hundred weapons ranking!”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s interest grew even more.

“First, let’s talk about the Alluring Sword Immortal, Li Hanyi, famous on both lists—do you all know that her surname shouldn’t be ‘Li’?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the entire hall erupted in an uproar.

“Not surnamed Li? Is there another hidden story behind this?”

Everyone held their breath.

“This matter, ah, must begin with the previous generation of the Eight Young Masters of Northern Li.

There was one back then, known as ‘Startling Thunder, Hidden Current, Killing in Dreams.’ Do you all still remember him?”

“Could it be the Silver-Clad Marquis, Pillar State Great General—Lei Mengsha?”

Someone blurted out.

“Precisely! However, this lord has now resigned from his military post and, I hear, is planning to move to Snow Moon City to settle down.”

The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets finished with a chuckle, while on the third floor by the window, a middle-aged man with a two-pronged mustache looked slightly embarrassed.

Being discussed in public was indeed a bit awkward.

Li Xinyue, holding a small baby next to him, couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle at the sight.

“Hanyi’s identity ultimately couldn’t be kept secret.”

Li Xinyue said with a light laugh.

“Of course. Now Hanyi’s reputation is widespread, and even her Revered Master is rumored to be an Immortal-like existence. How could such a background not be dug up?” Xiao Ruofeng nodded in agreement.

On the second floor, Sun Baifa continued:

“The birth father of the Alluring Sword Immortal is none other than that Young Master Zhuomo from the Lei Clan back then—Lei Mengsha!”

Someone asked, puzzled: “Then why doesn’t she take her father’s surname, Lei?”

Sun Baifa smiled faintly: “The Lei Clan has an iron rule: no generation shall enter officialdom; they must seal their blades and retire to seclusion.

But this person insisted on becoming a Grand General, going against ancestral teachings, and naturally could no longer be listed in the family genealogy.”

He said no more, but everyone understood in their hearts.

Xiao Ruofeng was slightly surprised: “This Senior indeed knows many secrets.”

“You forgot? During the battle on Qingyun Terrace, he was standing among the crowd, most likely an expert sent by some country.” Lei Mengsha’s tone carried a hint of disdain, but his gaze involuntarily fell upon the Fire Qilin lying in front of the martial arts academy across the street, a flicker of interest in his eyes.

“Senior Brother, aren’t you going to take a look?” Xiao Ruofeng noticed his gaze and asked casually.

“Go, of course, I’ll go.

But first, I need to find that kid Eastern Monarch. After all, I’m his elder brother; he has to arrange a grand three-courtyard mansion for me to live in!” Lei Mengsha slapped his thigh, speaking with righteous indignation.

Xiao Ruofeng and Li Xinyue exchanged glances, speechless for a moment.

Who would have thought that this fellow, whose temperament was as wild as ever, had now become even more so.

...

Deep within the Imperial Palace of Tianqi.

Emperor Mingde held the dual list presented by Jin Xian, and after reading it carefully, his expression slightly froze.

“The little girls from those martial arts academies, their strength already exceeds the standards of the liangyu list, yet they are still on it.”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, Ji Ruofeng left a message saying that the list was determined according to the results of the Snow Moon City writing competition earlier.” Jin Xian explained with a smile.

“If so, it is quite reasonable.

It’s just… that Mr. Su, after all, is difficult to get close to.”

Emperor Mingde’s tone was filled with regret.

Currently, within Northern Li, there were two peerless Revered Masters, but no matter how he bestowed favors or showed goodwill, he couldn’t sway them in the slightest.

Li Changsheng, Su Rui.

If either of them were willing to serve the court, why would Northern Li worry about instability? Unfortunately, both were transcendent, and even he, the Emperor, dared not easily provoke them.

The State Preceptor was once the person closest to the Peak in his eyes, at the Half-Step Divine Roaming Realm, and for a long time was considered the strongest in Northern Li.

At that time, Li Changsheng lived in seclusion, and Emperor Mingde almost believed that no one in the world could surpass him.

Until Ye Dingzhi led Heaven Beyond Heaven and the thirty-six foreign nations to march east, and the situation changed dramatically.

The State Preceptor, once renowned, was instantly pushed out of the top ranks, barely even making it into the top five.

Especially that battle on Qingyun Terrace—Su Rui transformed into a lightning giant, sweeping across the Central Plains, shaking heaven and earth.

That battle made Emperor Mingde truly understand that so-called Masters didn’t just contend at the same level, but had different tiers.

When Di Shitian and Su Rui clashed, the heavens and earth lost their color, and the aftershocks were felt hundreds of miles away in Tianqi City, causing mountains and rivers to tremble.

Such power was beyond ordinary human comprehension.

“Your Majesty,” Jin Xian carefully began, “Although this person is not under control, he is still within Northern Li’s territory.

We can handle ordinary matters ourselves, but if we encounter someone like Di Shitian again, we can still seek his help.

Ultimately, he is a reliance.”

These words somewhat comforted Emperor Mingde’s mood but did not completely resolve his regret.

“He is, after all, not bound by royal decree…” He sighed softly.

Seeing this, Jin Xian quickly added: “However, looking at it from another perspective, it may not be a bad thing.

If this person truly entered officialdom, with his cultivation and prestige, how should the court officials treat him? With etiquette higher than the monarch? Or with strict obedience?”

Emperor Mingde frowned slightly, his expression a little displeased.

Jin Xian immediately changed the subject: “In my humble opinion, it would be better to use this opportunity to cultivate our own talents within the court, which might fill the void in the future.

Perhaps… we could even send people to Snow Moon City to try and join that martial arts academy for cultivation.”

Emperor Mingde was slightly startled, then his eyes lit up.

This was indeed a feasible strategy.

Suddenly, he remembered something else: “Oh, how is Chuhe doing now?”

Previously, Xiao Chuhe wanted to become Su Rui’s disciple but was politely refused, and this matter had always weighed on his mind.

“I heard that Ji Ruofeng of the Hundred Knowledge Hall and Your Highness got along very well, and he intends to take him as a disciple.” Jin Xian reported truthfully.

“If that is the case, then agree to it.

Additionally, all resources required for my imperial son’s cultivation must be fully supplied.”

Emperor Mingde knew Xiao Chuhe’s talent well; although he hadn’t gained Su Rui’s favor, he had heard Su Rui himself praise his extraordinary Aptitude.

Since his path forward was not cut off, then it should be paved even further for him.

At this moment, he should naturally spare no effort in cultivating him.

Su Rui was still young, yet he had already shown his prowess.

This precisely indicated that true prodigious talent lay not in the length of time spent cultivating, but in one’s innate bone structure and Comprehension Ability.

Emperor Mingde was curious to see how far this exceptionally talented son of his could go!

Inside the Hundred Knowledge Hall.

Xiao Chuhe stood before Ji Ruofeng, his brows slightly furrowed.

“Master, there’s a problem with the list you published.

Mr. Su’s strength is extraordinary, so why isn’t he on the hundred weapons ranking?”

Ji Ruofeng was already prepared for such questioning.

As soon as the list was announced, he anticipated that some would be unconvinced, and some would cause trouble.

He had done his best to mediate and balance.

As for Su Rui himself—

During the previous grand ceremony, he had personally asked if he was willing to be on the list, but was politely refused.

Facing a figure like Su Rui, Ji Ruofeng dared not force the issue, nor did he dare to arbitrarily include him.

Young Xiao Chuhe could not yet understand these intricacies.

Ji Ruofeng sighed softly: “There are many reclusive Masters in the world; some have long since retreated to the mountains and forests, and we deliberately exclude them to avoid disturbing their peace with false fame; there are also some who simply do not wish to show their faces or contend for these rankings.”

“Then what’s the use of this list?” Xiao Chuhe blurted out.

Ji Ruofeng was momentarily speechless.

“It’s just a reference.” He waved his hand, then pulled another scroll from his sleeve, “Here, there’s also this.”

He handed it to Xiao Chuhe.

The young man looked down, and the title page boldly read the three characters “Autumn Water List”.

He opened it and was immediately stunned.

“Beauty List?”

His voice was full of surprise, and he looked up at Ji Ruofeng with eyes as if he were looking at an old rascal.

“Cough… What do Jianghu people care about? Young heroes, Sharp Weapons, and peerless beauties are all watched by the world.” Ji Ruofeng explained earnestly.

But Xiao Chuhe clearly didn’t believe him.

However, he also understood that once this list was spread, it would likely cause even more sensation than the previous two lists.

It’s just—

“Isn’t Consort Xuan universally recognized as the number one beauty in the world? Why is the top spot a Demonic Sect enchantress instead?”

He pointed at the name at the top of the list, his tone displeased.

The person at the top of the list was Yue Yao, the acting Sect Master of the Demonic Sect.

Xiao Chuhe had always disliked Heaven Beyond Heaven, especially knowing that they had caused excessive slaughter during their Eastern Expedition, and felt a strong aversion whenever the Demonic Sect was mentioned.

“Consort Xuan is currently in the imperial palace, so it’s not convenient to include her on afolk list, otherwise it might cause controversy.” Ji Ruofeng patted his head and stood up, “We don’t do things that would bring her trouble.”

“But why is she at the top of the list?” Xiao Chuhe still didn’t understand.

Ji Ruofeng was silent for a moment.

He had long known the news of Su Rui appearing in Heaven Beyond Heaven.

And Yue Yao—as early as her childhood, Ji Ruofeng had seen her twice in Jiangnan Dao.

Even then, her beauty was astonishing, a fleeting glimpse of unparalleled grace.