CHAPTER 123: CHAPTER 105: MAKING FRIENDS THROUGH MARTIAL ASSOCIATION_2

"Therefore, among the disciples of Medicine King Hall, your cultivation is actually the lowest. Yet, they intentionally ranked you on the list. What does that make the three senior brothers and sisters think? Everyone has a competitive spirit. Several senior brothers and sisters have more seniority and experience, and stronger cultivation than you, yet they didn’t make the list... This is clearly a conspiracy by those outsiders from Qiu Dragon Mansion to create internal discord among the young people of Baojiao County."

Upon hearing Lan Fuxi say this, the hall’s apprentices, only now realizing the implications, were immediately filled with righteous indignation.

"Senior Brother Lan’s words are a true awakening! Indeed, this list is clearly driven by ulterior motives!"

Chen Ku heard Lan Fuxi articulate his own thoughts with such sincerity. This senior brother is straightforward and decent, he thought.

He immediately clasped his hands in salute. "Senior Brother, you are right. I understand and will not take this list seriously. Rest assured, I will go find the three senior brothers and sisters and invite them for a meal to eliminate any rifts between us disciples of Medicine King Hall. I absolutely will not be swayed by outsiders."

"As long as you don’t take it to heart, the three senior brothers and sisters won’t hold any grudges against you over such a matter," Lan Fuxi admonished. He was worried that Chen Ku, being so young and with such a promising future, might become arrogant. That would be the real issue affecting the harmony among the disciples.

Unexpectedly, not long after Lan Fuxi finished speaking, a voice came from outside the hall, laughing. "This Brother Lan from Medicine King Hall really makes us visitors from the Prefecture City sound like demons."

Chen Ku, Lan Fuxi, and everyone else in the hall looked towards the entrance. They saw someone stepping inside—a person in a blue long gown, with a fair complexion, willow-leaf eyebrows, and delicate features. Though clearly female, she was dressed as a man. It was precisely this androgynous, gentle beauty in male attire that made many customers in the hall brighten up, sensing a unique charisma emanating from her.

"Who are you?" Lan Fuxi frowned.

The woman dressed as a man held a folding fan. She offered a slight bow to Lan Fuxi and Chen Ku, her smile revealing two small dimples, her voice soft and melodious.

"My humble self is Mingsheng Nan, the one who compiled the ranking for all the young generation in the city."

At this pronouncement, everyone in Medicine King Hall was astonished.

Lan Fuxi’s expression changed, and a serious look immediately appeared on his face. "Mingsheng Nan... The descendant of the Ming Family from Qiu Dragon Mansion, known as the ’Know-it-all’ of the Martial Forest, is actually a woman."

The Ming Family? Chen Ku suddenly recalled seeing an author with a similar surname, Ming Qianqiu, on the cover of the "Qiu Dragon Demon List." From what Senior Brother Lan had said, this family apparently specialized in creating rankings for all sorts of things.

He then mused internally, Since ancient times, those ’Know-it-alls’ who rank others often meet a grim end—unless this Ming Family has the foundation to withstand the inevitable ’backlash.’ He could also understand the significance of such lists. They were akin to Jianghu tabloids, capable of generating profit behind the scenes. For instance, Jiang Shaoyou had mentioned that the Qiu Dragon Demon List, priced at one Tael of silver per copy, had sold hundreds of thousands of copies in Qiu Dragon Mansion over decades. It had become an almost indispensable item for every hunter venturing into the mountains.

"Women are not necessarily inferior to men. That is why my dear mother named me Mingsheng Nan." Mingsheng Nan lightly tapped her palm with her folding fan and addressed Lan Fuxi, "A moment ago, Brother Lan, you said that ranking the young experts in the city was a malevolent act, intended to incite internal strife among your factions. That is incorrect. I ask you to retract that statement, Brother Lan."

"How is it incorrect?" Lan Fuxi scoffed. "Was my challenge flawed? Among the major powers, there are clearly more formidable individuals. Yet, you specifically included someone like Junior Brother Chen, who hasn’t fully matured, in your ranking. Isn’t this intended to make the other senior brothers and sisters in the hall wary and dissatisfied with Junior Brother Chen?"

"My Ming Family creates lists with fairness and impartiality, Brother Lan. You simply do not understand the criteria for the ranking I compiled this time," Mingsheng Nan stated. "This particular ranking is not based on current strength. That is why individuals like yourself, Brother Lan, and other powerful figures in the city are not on it. The reason is that this ranking is primarily based on ’potential,’ which is why it’s called the ’Hidden Flood Dragon List.’ Everyone on this list has, at the very least, a complete assurance of cultivating to the Fourth Realm, ’Meridian-Opening.’ As for you, Brother Lan, and the other young talents in your hall... the reason you are not listed is that, even though you have already reached the Mystic Barrier Realm, you do not possess that complete assurance of being able to cultivate to the Four Realms Meridian."

Lan Fuxi was first astonished, then indignant. However, considering the Ming Family’s deep roots and the sting of her words, he could only clench his fists and endure.

Lies do not wound; truth is the Sharp Blade.

He and several others in the hall indeed lacked the absolute confidence to guarantee they could one day reach their master’s level of attainment.

But Junior Brother Chen... he was indeed different.

Chen Ku also furrowed his brows slightly at this. Although he was very confident about his own future, he was puzzled. He took a small step forward and asked, "Miss Ming, how can you be so certain that I can definitely cultivate to Four Realms Meridian?"

"When it comes to individual potential and style, my Ming Family has been compiling lists for hundreds of years and has long established methods for assessing people. Brother Chen, your cultivation speed—achieving Qi Sensation in three days and Sufficient Qi in half a month—is hardly a secret," Mingsheng Nan said with a slight smile. "Coupled with your Irresistible Power of Four Elephants Root Bone, Brother Chen, your future achievements will certainly not be below the Five Realms."