Xianyang City, Qin Dynasty, Imperial Palace
Smack!
"Absurd! It's the Ming Dynasty again. Where are the people of Great Qin?"
Ying Zheng's fury erupted once more.
Even a princess of the Ming royal family had surpassed his subjects, who still had the audacity to boast in front of him.
What mattered most was…
If no one from Great Qin appeared on the ranking list, and the Heavenly Dao eventually rewarded something like the Elixir of Immortality, would he not miss out completely?
Still…
For the sake of immortality, he was not opposed to using extreme measures.
———
Sui Dynasty, Imperial Palace
Yang Guang looked at the name on the list and burst into hearty laughter.
"It's Ming. As long as it's not that dog Li Shimin from Tang, I'm satisfied."
"To think a princess of the Ming Dynasty could be this outstanding. Only slightly inferior to my own daughter."
"What a pity she was taken by Li Shimin."
The moment he thought of his precious daughter falling into the hands of the man he hated most, his wine lost its taste, and music and dancing became meaningless.
"Yuwen Huaji, is there any news from the men we sent to rescue the princess from Tang?"
"Your Majesty, the Tang palace is guarded by the Bad Marshal Yuan Tiangang. Our men can't even get close. The moment they approach, they are captured by the Tang's secret agents."
"Only someone stronger than Yuan Tiangang might have a sliver of a chance."
"That cunning Li Shimin clearly anticipated this move."
"Never mind, continue to monitor the situation."
———
Tang Dynasty – Taiji Hall
At this moment, Li Shimin sat on the dragon throne, worry etched across his face.
"Master Yuan, why is it that no one from Tang has made it onto the Hidden Dragon Ranking?"
"Even a declining Sui Dynasty has multiple entries. I truly cannot accept this."
"If the Heavenly Dao rewards treasures that strengthen the nation, would we not miss out?"
Yuan Tiangang stepped forward with a respectful bow and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, our Tang Dynasty was only recently established. The prior wars cost us many martial artists. In terms of sheer numbers, we naturally lag behind other nations."
"But this does not mean we are weak. On the contrary, we are extremely strong."
"Far beyond the weak Song or crumbling Sui."
"As long as Your Majesty rules wisely and allows the people to recover, our Tang Dynasty will one day rise above all others and may even unify the Nine Provinces."
Yuan Tiangang's passionate words ignited Li Shimin's spirit.
Unify the Nine Provinces.
What an enticing goal.
Li Shimin's confidence surged, and his eyes lit up with burning determination.
Even without the rewards of the Heavenly Dao, so what?
He alone would lead the Tang to greatness.
Immediately, he looked up at the list in the sky. The eager gaze from before was gone, replaced with a calm detachment.
It mattered little now.
———
Southern Song Dynasty – Imperial Palace
"Qin Hui, send someone to summon Guo Jing to the palace. I must meet him."
"We can't afford to wait. If another country wins him over, it would be a huge loss for the Song."
"Your Majesty, he is just a mere Innate martial artist, and the last name on the list at that. There is no need to pay him such attention, lest we become the laughingstock of other nations."
"There's no harm in waiting for Grandmasters or Great Grandmasters to appear on the list before acting."
Qin Hui looked reluctant, doing his best to persuade Emperor Zhao Gou to abandon the idea.
"Besides, I have just received news."
"This Guo Jing appears to have deep ties with the Mongolian tribes."
"He grew up under the care of Genghis Khan himself. He cannot be trusted."
"If he is a spy placed in our Song Dynasty by Genghis Khan, what then?"
As a leading civil official, Qin Hui would never allow a single martial artist like Guo Jing to threaten their political standing.
"What? Does he have such a background? Then kill him immediately. If I cannot have him, no other country shall."
"Qin Hui, this matter is yours to handle."
Upon hearing Guo Jing's ties to Genghis Khan, Zhao Gou was instantly enraged.
He was convinced the man had already defected to Mongolia.
Now that Guo Jing has appeared in Song, it must be for a secretive and sinister reason.
As this thought took hold, he looked at the list in the sky with increasing irritation.
"Your Majesty, please calm yourself. Guo Jing cannot be killed."
"If he truly is one of Genghis Khan's men, killing him would give Mongolia the perfect excuse to invade."
"If the neighboring Jin Dynasty joins in, our Song Dynasty would be in grave danger."
Qin Hui, a typical appeasement advocate, would never willingly provoke the Mongols.
Killing was out of the question, and releasing him was equally dangerous.
The best solution was to keep Guo Jing confined to the martial world.
Only then could everyone rest easy.
"You speak wisely. Very well, from now on, Guo Jing is your responsibility."
"I do not want to hear any further reports about him."
Qin Hui's lips curled into a smug smile.
At the same time, his gaze toward Zhao Gou was filled with contempt.
As expected, a complete weakling, incapable of achieving anything.
But perhaps that was for the best.
If the emperor were truly competent, what use would the ministers have?
———
Northern Song Dynasty, Imperial Study.
Emperor Zhao Ji was already immersed in his calligraphy.
As for the outside world's Hidden Dragon Ranking, he had only glanced at it briefly before losing all interest.
Whether or not Northern Song had anyone on the list meant little to him.
Martial artists with their constant fighting were such a nuisance.
What could be more delightful than elegant calligraphy and paintings?
Elsewhere in the palace, in a quiet corner of the library pavilion.
A refined and gentle middle-aged man looked at the list, then cast a disappointed glance at Zhao Ji, still lost in his brushwork.
He shook his head and chose not to intervene further.
———
Han Dynasty, Imperial Palace.
Emperor Liu Hong was completely consumed by indulgence and debauchery.
Each day passed in a drunken haze. His health had long since deteriorated.
He had no interest in the Hidden Dragon Ranking at all.
Internally, the Han Dynasty had already fallen into utter disarray.
Power had been carved up by noble families and feudal lords.
As for Emperor Liu Hong, he remained blissfully unaware.
Or perhaps…
Even if he knew, he pretended not to.
The court and the entire dynasty were in their final death throes.
In the martial world, chaos reigned.
Countless lives were lost daily.
Territory was divided up by powerful factions.
Even the government had no say in these matters.
The imperial court and the martial world were completely disconnected.
Neither had any control over the other.
In terms of instability, the Han Dynasty was the worst of all the nations.