Chapter 1849: Chapter 593: Ranks Diverge, Xiang Yan’s Setback

"Great Yan Coal Company, you must be the younger brother of Punishment Chief Xiang, right?"

The one on duty at the city gate today was Luo Cheng, the commander of the Seventh Camp of the Dragon Forbidden Guard. After carefully examining Xiang Yan and confirming his identity, he returned the gate control token to him and inquired with a smile.

Xiang Yan felt honored, cupped his hands, and nodded, "Sir, you know my elder brother?"

Luo Cheng was only a year younger than him and belonged to the noble families of the Inner City, so they should have known each other, but they had never actually met before, not even exchanged words.

However, despite this, Xiang Yan was extremely familiar with this peer genius.

Having broken into the top ten of several martial arts competitions, possessing top-grade Battle Body talent, and at a young age already serving as the commander of the Third Camp of the Dragon Forbidden Guard, he had peak cold resistance cultivation. It’s rumored that his strength has nearly reached 50 bristles. In all of the new generation of Great Xia, he is undoubtedly one of the most dazzling individuals.

Importantly, Luo Cheng’s family background is not simple. His father, Luo Ming, was the former leader of Rogel Camp, who once offered Twin Dragon Valley to Great Xia. Not only did he have old ties with Lord Xia Hong but also with the three Zhao brothers, Cheng Feng, Mu Dong, and many others in the core high-level ranks of Great Xia.

In the second year of Great Xia, after the pacification of Longyou, Luo Ming rejoined the ranks under the lord.

He diligently served in the position of Mirror Valley Defense Commander for a few years, then with the recommendation of the Zhao brothers, he entered the sight of Director Yuwen Sizheng. Taking advantage of Great Xia’s military expansion during those years, he established the Luoyang Army, one of the thirty numbered armies of Great Xia. He was later promoted to the Military Preparation Envoy of the Six Districts of Outer City West and then was noticed by Jiang Xinfan, the Deputy Director of the Military Department, leading to his direct transfer to the Inner City Military Department.

Currently, there’s a rumor about Luo Ming. It’s said that Director Yuwen Sizheng ordered Deputy Director Jiang Xinfan to lead the formation of a mysterious department dedicated to gathering intelligence on foreign fiefs. Luo Ming, having served as a leader for many years, with seasoned experience and steady conduct, was much appreciated by Jiang Xinfan and followed him to infiltrate the foreign fiefs.

Luo Ming himself is not lacking in strength, gaining the appreciation of a deputy director, plus having connections with so many core high-level officials. As long as he doesn’t fall behind in cultivation, advancing step by step like this, it is only a matter of time before the lord makes significant use of him.

This is exactly what elder brother Xiang Liang had said, and Xiang Yan remembered it clearly.

Although there has been no news of Luo Ming in recent years, the growth trajectory of his son Luo Cheng reveals some clues. Luo Cheng’s top-grade Battle Body qualification is certainly excellent. However, if there was no provision of matching resources, it would be impossible for his growth to be so rapid. Where did these resources come from if not from his father Luo Ming?

Moreover, this March, Luo Cheng married Zhao’s daughter, Zhao Yuandao. The Zhao family is considered to be one of the top aristocratic powers in Great Xia today. When it comes to family prosperity, none can surpass them. For an ordinary household, it is exceedingly difficult to catch the Zhao family’s eye. To ally through marriage with the Zhao family is in itself a testament to the strength of one’s family.

Since Lord Xia Hong established the Sect Temple and founded the sect in the seventh year of Great Xia, the concept of clans has gradually emerged. Over the following years, this notion has fermented so deeply that the idea of clans has long been ingrained in the collective consciousness of Great Xia.

The status of the great Xia Family needs no further elaboration. Families eligible to establish and worship in the Sect Temple are all considered minor sects, who must acknowledge the Xia Family as their main, with the Xia clan leader, namely Lord Xia Hong, as the sect master.

The competition among clans, of course, only occurs on the level of minor sects.

Currently, in Great Xia, although there has been no public distinction of clan strengths, enthusiasts in private have already ranked them. They categorized them into four levels: Aristocratic Strength, Prestigious Lineage, Noble Family, and Noble Household.

At the top tier of Aristocratic Strengths, primarily consisting of the six surnames from the earliest Mud Slope period who rallied behind Xia Hong—namely Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Lu Yang, Xu Ning, Yue Feng, Lin Kai—plus the Yuwen Family, Luo Yuan Luo Family, and Zhao Long Zhao Family, there are only nine families in total.

From this, it is evident that to join the top Aristocratic Strengths, having a clean family background is the basic requirement. Secondly, the clan must have a member who has reached the Xianyang Level. Lastly, they must hold a core high-level position in Great Xia. These three points are indispensable to truly be called a top Aristocratic Strength.

The second tier, Prestigious Lineages, is somewhat more numerous. This includes families like the Mu Family, where the Craftsmanship Department Director Mu Dong belongs, and the Cheng Family, where the Forestry Department Director Cheng Feng belongs. Additionally, there are about a dozen families from the Hongmu Ridge faction, such as Li, Zou, Bai, and others, as well as the three families from the Mirror Valley faction: Meng, Hong, and Zhu. There are also Bashang Xiang Family, Jiangxia Jiang Family, and the Xiahou Family clans, the Muyin Murong Family, the Chui Mountain Mu Family, and the original five lord families from the South Slope Towns who first pledged allegiance to Great Xia—along with several others from Longyou like Li, Chen, Peng, Hou, Wang, accumulating around fifty to sixty in total.

The requirements for a Prestigious Lineage are lower than those for an Aristocratic Strength, yet Xianyang Level remains the baseline requirement. They may not need to be among the core high-levels but should have some voice in the Eight Divisions of Great Xia.

The subsequent third tier, Noble Families, primarily consists of clans led by military officers or high-ranking officials of the Eight Departments, mostly former camp leaders who merged into Great Xia over the past decade. These individuals have a wide following, command respect, and have notable personal strength and achievements. Currently, there are over two hundred families in this category.

Lastly, the fourth tier, Noble Households, also known as Noble Families, has only two requirements. First, it should be a family that has been awarded a noble title. Second, it must hold an office position.

These two requirements aren’t excessive. Especially after this March, following the conclusion of the military campaign against the feudal town, which resulted in the recognition of military merit to the soldiers of the Northern Expeditionary Army, there was a massive awarding of military merits. This has consequently given rise to numerous newly titled nobles. Currently, the total number of nobles in Great Xia exceeds 1,500. Excluding those of the same clan and surname, the count of noble families easily exceeds a thousand.

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