After Ling Wushuang revealed his identity and invoked the Qingzhou Governor-General, Chen Shunyi had no choice but to drop the matter and concede defeat honestly.
Only at this moment did Qin Xiao realize that having cultivation alone was far from enough. Interpersonal connections were equally crucial. If one wanted to find a powerful backer, the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty was the place to look. If a person managed to secure a noble title, wouldn't they be able to walk sideways through the world?
"Brother Ling, I never expected you to have ties to the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty. Impressive indeed."
Once they stepped out of the City Lord Manor, Qin Xiao finally couldn't help offering a word of 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 remarkable. I never imagined the Immortal Dao Merchant Association possessed such deep roots. My eyes have truly been opened today."
Despite Ling Wushuang's modest words, Qin Xiao remained inwardly amazed by the profound foundation of the Immortal Dao Merchant Association.
"Qin Xiao, since this matter is settled, I have other affairs to attend to and cannot linger here. I must return posthaste. By the way, my younger sister is currently undergoing trials in Tianyuan City; I trust Brother Qin will look after her."
Ling Wushuang didn't dwell on Qin Xiao's flattery, needing instead to make haste, though he casually mentioned Ling Ruoxue before leaving.
In truth, he had received word from Tianyuan City beforehand informing him of Qin Xiao's extraordinary capabilities. That was the primary reason he had come personally: first, to repay a life-saving debt, and second, to forge a favorable bond with Qin Xiao.
"Since Brother Ling has urgent matters, you should be on your way. I can only thank you for making this trip on our account. As for your sister, we've already crossed paths on a few occasions. If there is business to be done, the Immortal Dao Merchant Association will certainly be my first choice."
Qin Xiao didn't try to detain him. When a man had business yet still came to one's aid, gratitude was the only proper response; to say anything more would be overly polite.
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 so well-acquainted with the Ling family young master?"
Once inside the pavilion, Ye Qiuyue voiced the question that had been weighing on her mind. Although she knew a major incident had occurred within the secret realm, she remained ignorant of the specific details.
Ye Tianyi, however, was well aware of the situation, having received reports from the returning pavilion disciples. She knew Qin Xiao had saved Ling Wushuang's life, but even so, it hardly warranted the young master making a personal appearance.
"Ah, we've interacted a few times, and his character is quite upright. I honestly didn't expect him to come in person. Originally, I only hoped to use his connections-after all, the Immortal Dao Merchant Association is vast and powerful, bound to know high-ranking officials. I never imagined he was a high-ranking official himself."
Not wanting to elaborate, Qin Xiao brushed the matter aside with a vague explanation.
He didn't understand much about this Supreme Heavenly Dynasty, knowing only that it was a supreme power governing the entire mortal realm, one that ordinary sects dared not provoke. He had simply thought it formidable, never suspecting that the Immortal Dao Merchant Association was one of its affiliated factions.
"We are fortunate that Ling Wushuang came himself, otherwise Chen Shunyi might not have backed down so easily."
Ye Tianyi said with a hint of lingering relief. The situation had indeed been perilous; a misstep could easily have brought down a calamity of clan extermination upon them.
"Senior Sister, why would it come to that? He's just a City Lord, isn't he?"
Qin Xiao asked, a trace of confusion in his voice.
"Chen Lou may only govern a mid-sized city as a seventh-rank official, but Chen Shunyi is a fourth-rank Grand Commander. To firmly suppress him, one would need a direct superior of at least the third rank. If we possessed connections of that caliber, we never would have been pushed to such extremes."
Ye Tianyi replied with a helpless sigh.
"Oh? How exactly is this official ranking system divided?"
Curious, Qin Xiao decided to get to the bottom of it so he could seek out a high-ranking backer in the future.
"I don't know all the intricate details, but I can give you a rough outline so you don't go around offending people you cannot afford to cross."
Seeing that Qin Xiao was genuinely clueless, Ye Tianyi kindly enlightened him to prevent future disasters.
Throughout the entire Supreme Heavenly Dynasty from top to bottom, the supreme authorities were naturally the Celestial Emperor and the Celestial Empress, the two strongest figures in the current age. To offend them was practically a death sentence.
Below them were the Imperial Princes and Imperial Princesses-figures not to be trifled with lightly. They wielded distinct authority within the Heavenly Dynasty, possessing the power to convict those below the third rank and the right to execute first and report afterward for those below the fifth rank.
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 the first-rank officials lay a tier of princely titles that carried no substantive power, enjoying only ceremonial privileges. This tier spanned three ranks, and their descendants shared the same privileges as the princes' offspring-namely, the titles of Heir Apparent and Commandery Princess.
Ling Wushuang belonged to this bracket, holding the privileges of an Heir Apparent without the accompanying executive power.
The Heir Apparent of a true prince, however, was different. Though lacking the unilateral conviction power of an Imperial Prince, they possessed participatory legislative rights. This meant that if they wished to level a charge against someone, coordination with the relevant departments ensured a conviction. They acted as both participant and arbiter.
Aside from the imperial house and the princely lineages came the official ranks. At the pinnacle stood the first-rank officials, which included the Chancellor, World-Suppressing Marshal, and Central Province Governor-General.
Second-rank officials comprised the Governor-Generals of other provinces, core officials within the Imperial Capital, and various expeditionary generals.
Third-rank officials encompassed the Chief District Chiefs of the various provincial sub-regions and stationed garrison generals of various categories.
Fourth-rank officials included the District Chiefs, Deputy District Chiefs, and Grand Commanders of each division.
Fifth-rank officials held the post of City Lord over super-large cities.
Sixth-rank officials governed large cities.
Tianyi City, being a mid-sized city, naturally warranted only a seventh-rank City Lord.
Smaller settlements or newly established cities had eighth-rank City Lords.
Ninth-rank officials formed the grassroots bureaucracy, while all others remained unranked.
Aside from the official hierarchy, there was the noble title system. Noble titles carried privileges but no real authority, much like the princely ranks.
Dukes corresponded to the first rank, Marquises to the third, Counts to the fifth, and Viscounts to the seventh. These were primarily symbolic honors devoid of executive power or official stipends, generally bestowed as rewards upon meritorious officials. Ordinary individuals rarely attained them.
"Wait a moment... why does this entire system sound so familiar?"
Listening to this, Qin Xiao felt a sudden wave of bewilderment. The ranked official system was one thing, but why did it include peerage ranks like Duke, Marquis, Count, and Viscount? It bore an uncanny resemblance to the structures he had known in his past life. That made no sense-could the founder of the Supreme Heavenly Dynasty have been a transmigrator as well?
For a moment, Qin Xiao was utterly confused by the sheer coincidence of it all. Furthermore, this Supreme Heavenly Dynasty didn't seem to practice traditional cultivation; instead, they cultivated something called providence. The more he pondered it, the more bizarre the parallels became.
"What is there to find familiar? Everyone in the world knows the basic framework of the Heavenly Dynasty's system. It has been passed down for countless ages, after all."
Ye Tianyi asked, looking at him in puzzlement.
"It's nothing. But tell me, on what grounds does this Supreme Heavenly Dynasty manage to control the entire mortal realm? Are their cultivators truly that formidable? Can even the super sects pale in comparison to the Heavenly Dynasty?"
Though harboring doubts, Qin Xiao chose not to dwell on them and hurriedly steered the conversation elsewhere.
"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 with a yearning expression. Though she had never set foot in the Imperial Capital, she could readily imagine the sublime nature of such a realm.
"Are you pulling my leg? I can accept that it's powerful up there, but surely not to that ridiculous extent. If everyone possesses that kind of cultivation, what possible use do they have for the mortal realm?"
Qin Xiao flatly refused to believe it. If rumors were true, the Grand Elder of the Tianyuan Sect-a third-tier sect-was only at the Body Integration stage. By that logic, throwing their Grand Elder into the Imperial Capital would reduce him to nothing more than an ordinary mortal.
"Master, she speaks the truth. The Imperial Capital is indeed as she describes. Qingzhou is merely a remote backwater with comparatively weaker strength. Once you eventually travel to Central Province, you will understand for yourself."
Yun Man murmured softly beside Qin Xiao's ear at that moment, subtly advising him not to make a fool of himself.
"Ah? Really? The gap is truly that wide?"
Hearing confirmation from Yun Man as well, Qin Xiao finally accepted the reality of the situation. Viewed in this light, Qingzhou was indeed a lower realm of existence.
"Enough, let's put that aside. Xiao'er, you've rendered us a massive service this time. Your master's wife has nothing extraordinary to offer as recompense, so how about this: the three of you may enter the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion treasury and each select one item as your reward."
Seeing them drift off into such trivial and chaotic talk, Ye Qiuyue lost interest entirely and promptly redirected the topic.
"Master's wife, it was merely a flick of the wrist. How could we possibly accept a reward? There's truly no need."
Qin Xiao hastily waved his hands in refusal.
"Nonsense. When I say you take something, you take it. Are you going to disobey your master's wife now?"
Seeing him continue to demur, Ye Qiuyue feigned a look of displeasure.
"Very well. Since master's wife insists, this disciple will respectfully obey."
With that settled, the three of them followed Ye Qiuyue toward the treasury of the Heavenly Clothes Pavilion.