Chapter 56

Update Time: April 25, 2013

There was nothing to be done; the lord of this largest coastal city, 'Ziye City,' was someone who would beat up nobles at the drop of a hat! Back in the capital, he was even on a first-name basis with the emperor! In the entire empire, who would dare to provoke this martial arts grandmaster who had a fiery temper and had once beaten the chief minister? So, some losses had to be swallowed, and no one dared to make a fuss!

In the Ziteng Empire, the nobility system was based on the ennoblement of titles! Below the emperor, there were five ranks, from highest to lowest: Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, and Baron, each divided into three classes!

For example, the lowest rank, Baron, was divided into First-Class, Second-Class, and Third-Class Baron! Of course, the Third-Class Baron was the smallest of all noble titles! Despite its low status, many commoners dreamed of obtaining it, as ennoblement could only be achieved through civil or military service, and one had to make significant contributions to the empire for a commoner to have a chance to be ennobled as the lowest rank of nobility!

The path to becoming a noble through education and officialdom was basically monopolized by the nobility, leaving few opportunities for commoners. The few commoners who entered education each year due to special reasons had little impact!

For a commoner to be ennobled, besides marrying into a noble family that held a title, the only other way was through cultivation! However, marriage could only elevate one's own status, not the entire family. Therefore, whether male or female, the best way to become a noble was to achieve it through one's own abilities. When one person succeeded, the entire family would benefit, and the title could be inherited.

Many people had the talent for cultivation, but very few reached the peak of the seventh level of Heavenly Punishment. The empire had set a process for commoners who reached the peak of the seventh level of Heavenly Punishment to apply for noble status: one had to not only achieve this level of cultivation but also serve the empire for more than five years in the military or in the private armies of various nobles, with excellent performance and recommendations from the top nobles. Only then would the application be approved! As a result, the number of commoners who became nobles through this path each year was definitely not many! Of course, if one could directly reach the Heavenly Destiny level or higher, obtaining a First-Class or Second-Class Baron title would be easy, but the key was to have the ability!

This was precisely one of the empire's methods to control the ennoblement system! The opportunity to rise to the top existed, but it was very difficult! Otherwise, everyone would become a noble, and the noble system would become a big joke!

The lord of Ziye City, however, had a First-Class Duke title, second only to the royal family. It was easy to imagine that the other nobles would both hate and fear him! They couldn't fight him, and their own lords could at most match his rank. But he had a deep friendship with the emperor, which the lords of the four smaller cities surrounding Ziye City couldn't match! So, they had to grit their teeth and accept it, even smiling while being extorted. These powerful merchants with deep backgrounds were also helpless!

High rank, strong martial power, and a vast network of influence! Logically, the lord of Ziye City should have been the local tyrant of the Lin Tianjie Ocean region!

But in reality, he could only maintain the status quo! Because he was not without enemies; on the contrary, he had many, and they were very strong!

For example, to the west, southwest, northwest, and east of Ziye City were four major cities: Zihua City, Zixia City, Zilong City, and Ziyang City!

These cities were slightly smaller in area than Ziye City and had fewer counties and towns under their jurisdiction, but their four lords were closely connected and acted together! They appeared to be on good terms with the lord of Ziye City, but secretly, they were always looking for opportunities to act!

Individually, these four lords might be slightly weaker than the lord of Ziye City, but together, they would definitely win! He might not die, but he would certainly be humiliated. Therefore, the lord of Ziye City had been more restrained in recent years!

Why did this situation arise? The reason was simple! Originally, Ziye City was an unclaimed city, secretly controlled by these four old noble families, providing them with countless profits each year!

The lord of Ziye City rose to prominence a few decades ago, becoming a prominent figure in the capital and a close friend of the emperor. He was ennobled and given this major city due to his military achievements, along with the thousands of counties and towns surrounding Ziye City! The four ancient noble families, who had long enjoyed the rich profits from Ziye City, were not willing to give it up. Therefore, over the past few decades, there had been constant friction, large and small, between them and the lord of Ziye City. Whenever there was an opportunity to cause trouble for the lord of Ziye City, the other lords would not hesitate! After all, their titles were also at the top, their power was great, and their networks of influence were deeply rooted, possibly even connected to the royal family. If they were to take it seriously, they would not be lenient!

The major merchants and wealthy people who controlled the economy in Ziye City were mostly remnants of the original four families. Therefore, when the lord of Ziye City extorted them, it was also a way to show his power to the nobles behind them! The situation was extremely complex and not something to be discussed with outsiders.

Speaking of Yun Mo and the newly acquainted 'Meng' sister, they were chatting and laughing as they walked towards a small cosmetics shop controlled by the four families. Meanwhile, Gongsun returned to his residence, feeling somewhat restless and wanting to visit his concubine Lin Meier. Unfortunately, at this moment, one of his confidants came in to report that they had not found Yun Mo all day!

If Gongsun had gone to Lin Meier's place, he would have seen the traces of the wall mechanism being activated and known that an enemy had invaded. He might have become more cautious, and Yun Mo's plan could have easily failed! Or, if the maid Lianlian, who Yun Mo had locked in the storage room of the bathing pavilion, had woken up and raised the alarm, the matter might have been avoided!

Unfortunately, just as he was about to go to his concubine, he heard this frustrating news! Lin Meier did not call for anyone, and no maid dared to go up, not even Bi Xin, for fear of interrupting her with her lover. So, no one had discovered the abnormality at Lin Meier's place! Yun Mo's point striking technique was so precise that Lianlian would not wake up for at least a day and a night! The location was remote, and no one needed to store anything in the storage room, so no one would notice the person inside! Thus, the situation became interesting!

Oh? Gongsun Fu was very unhappy when he heard the news from the guard! After all, the item sent by Cheng Fugui was a treasure that could help him reach the Heavenly Destiny level. It was not just a matter of value; Gongsun almost considered it his life!

In the unremarkable spatial ring on his hand, the transparent, colorful crystal stone lay quietly! He, who valued wealth like his life, was not willing to give it back!

But if the task was not completed, even if Gongsun had a thick face, he would still have to return the invaluable treasure to Cheng Fugui!