Rookie Rankings

"Alright, let's set aside matters that are too far off for now," Xue Mu said with a smile. "Beyond our cooperation on official business, we can also engage in some smaller collaborations."

Xiahou Di's attitude was as good as it could possibly be at this moment, her face beaming with smiles. "Any suggestion proposed by Young Master Xue is bound to be interesting. We are all ears."

Xue Mu chuckled. "The Six Fan Gates could take a stake in our Hundred Flowers Garden. Every year, you'd receive a share of the dividends to buy wine for the brothers. If the Garden happens to fall under the jurisdiction of any of your men, those brothers are free to enjoy themselves as they please."

The solemn expression Xuan Zhe had maintained finally shifted. He pointed at Xue Mu and shook his head with a laugh. "Once this proposal of yours gets out, the brothers will be fighting tooth and nail over the territory around the Hundred Flowers Garden. I won't be able to handle that."

Xue Mu asked a question he already knew the answer to. "How so?"

Xiahou Di laughed. "You men are always thinking about such things. Even the Marquis of Weisu is itching for it... Don't rush to deny it; who can't see that look on your face? If the men on patrol can play, surely a noble Marquis like yourself would have even more fun, right?"

Xuan Zhe gave a dry cough, then sat upright with a look of righteous indignation. "This Marquis has his own places to go..."

At this moment, Xiahou Di and Xue Qingqiu finally found common ground. The way both women looked at the men was filled with mockery. Xue Qingqiu took the lead for the first time. "Is this trivial nonsense worth discussing here? Let's talk about the real business."

Xue Mu complained, "I'm just trying to let the brothers have some fun. How can we get by without giving our own people some benefits?"

"Fine, fine, fine." Xue Qingqiu couldn't be bothered with him. "Are you done having your fun now? Talk business."

Xue Mu thought to himself that people in the Jianghu like them, who prioritized the path of martial arts, were truly blind in this regard. They hadn't yet realized the true benefits of such collusion. In time, they would naturally understand that this was by no means a trivial matter.

No one was truly above the mundane world. The Six Fan Gates were clearly not wealthy; Xiahou Di had once admitted that they needed to generate their own revenue and that their subordinates needed their own perks. Once the Six Fan Gates held a stake in the Hundred Flowers Garden, the relationship would become intimate. As the Garden's revenue grew, so would theirs. They would be seen as "one of our own" by the Six Fan Gates, who would then provide their full protection—that was what you called a rolling source of wealth. At the very least, it provided a protective umbrella; even if Xue Qingqiu were to leave the Capital in the future, the Hundred Flowers Garden would have no fear of trouble.

Looking further ahead, if he and Xiahou Di were to fall out over other matters, his trusted aides might lean toward the Star Moon Sect because of this connection. For instance, there was a possibility of winning over someone like Xuan Zhe. Eunuch Li was a eunuch, so his interest in women was hard to say, but generally speaking, eunuchs loved money...

However, there was no need to elaborate right now, so he finally steered the conversation to the main topic. "Regarding our cooperation, will the Six Fan Gates provide full support?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere suddenly turned cold and murderous. Xue Mu's meaning was clear: the publication project was of great importance. The Six Fan Gates needed to mobilize fully, purge their internal ranks, unify their thinking, and cooperate wholeheartedly. If anyone dragged their feet, it could lead to failure. For a simple example, if someone sabotaged the printing process and burned the materials, how many such losses could the Six Fan Gates sustain? Or, if they were to drag their feet and work half-heartedly, it would be a terrible blow to the debut of the publication.

"Do you see the flagpoles outside?" Xiahou Di said indifferently. "There were a few noisy ones who kept repeating the same nonsensical reasons, so I had them beheaded. Now, at least on the surface, the world is at peace, and everyone is of one mind."

Xue Qingqiu nodded. "Well executed."

These two women, who had been at each other's throats, were becoming increasingly sympathetic to one another? Xue Mu rolled his eyes. Don't call Xiahou Di a madwoman; how normal is Xue Qingqiu, really?

He had assumed the heads on the flagpoles outside belonged to some notorious bandits, but he hadn't expected it to be like this... This Xiahou Di was truly insane. Once she determined that Xue Mu's strategy was absolutely beneficial to the Six Fan Gates, she immediately adopted the stance of "I will remove even the most fragrant orchid if it blocks my path." Xue Mu believed some of the opposition had selfish motives, seeing that it was disadvantageous to the Righteous Path, but most were simply stuck in their ways and unwilling to adapt. That wasn't too strange, and it certainly didn't mean they had ulterior motives. A bit of modern-style mobilization would have sufficed, yet she had actually killed them...

He hadn't realized she was this decisive and ruthless during their previous encounters. That such qualities would appear in a woman—now Xue Mu understood why, despite Xiahou Di's strength not being top-tier—stuck at the peak of the Hua Yun Realm without breaking through—the Emperor still used her to lead the Six Fan Gates, even having Void-Piercing experts assist her... Calling her a madwoman was an understatement.

While his mind wandered through these idle thoughts, Xue Mu pulled a stack of paper from his robes. "This is my proposal."

Xue Qingqiu was stunned for a moment, then sent a voice transmission: "When did you write this proposal?"

Xue Mu mouthed a word: "Qianqian."

Xue Qingqiu fell silent. Before Qianqian went to serve in Xue Mu's Bamboo Pavilion, she and Xiaochan hadn't yet gone to watch the live stream. During that time, Xue Mu had been working on this proposal. He was truly dedicated to helping the Star Moon Sect develop, yet she hadn't fully trusted him at the time. Even his messing around with Qianqian in front of her had been intended to put her at ease; he knew that if he refused, she would become suspicious.

Xue Qingqiu sighed, her gaze falling on the manuscript.

The first page appeared to be the cover, inscribed with: Jianghu New Talent Register.

Everyone nodded; the name was very fitting. It didn't rank anyone, but served as a character profile, perfect for a periodical format. Xue Mu explained from the side, "In my view, we can launch many other things in the future, such as ranking lists, but the time isn't right yet. Let's test the waters with the New Talent Register first and see the reaction. The cover needs to be designed by someone to be eye-catching enough to grab attention the moment it's placed in a bookstore. No generic blue covers with black text."

Xiahou Di took note of this, humbly asking, "For this debut issue, how should the content be structured?"

"A vivid, lifelike portrait, followed by their place of origin, age, sect, primary cultivation technique, and current realm. Then, introduce their life story—the more detailed the better. Finally, provide a joint review in the name of the Six Fan Gates' jade-token constables, evaluating their combat record, potential, methods, and wisdom. The reviewers can even have differing opinions; that adds to the gimmick. But take note: do not mention their flaws or weaknesses, otherwise, the publication will only incite fear, which would be counterproductive."

It was a relatively simple framework, but in this world, it was a true innovation. Even after Xiahou Di, Xuan Zhe, and Eunuch Li had spent a long time brainstorming, they couldn't have imagined something this clear and concise—it was as if he had seen how it was done before. Xue Mu's words made everything suddenly clear. The three great figures felt that the ideas they had previously conceived could be tossed into the trash, and they couldn't help but praise in unison, "Young Master's thoughts are thorough and clear."

Xue Qingqiu didn't look back down at the proposal, her beautiful eyes fixed on Xue Mu's face, wondering what he was thinking.

Xue Mu continued, "The first issue shouldn't feature too many people; four or five is best. And there must be at least one person with enough fame to guarantee eyeballs. If we put out a few people whom no one in the Jianghu recognizes, the appeal of the debut issue will plummet."

Everyone pondered, seemingly considering who would be the best candidate for the first entry.

Xue Mu said, "I recommend the first candidate: Mu Jianli. Her fame is high enough, and she is the 'Sword Fairy' in the hearts of many, admired by all. Many will want to see Mu Jianli's various exploits; she will definitely boost the appeal of our publication."

Xiahou Di nodded. "Mu Jianli is very suitable. She is already world-renowned; our promotion will merely be the icing on the cake. We won't be losing money to promote a new talent for someone else."

Xue Mu smiled. "Exactly. With Mu Jianli's drawing power, we don't have to worry about the publication going unnoticed. For the other candidates, we can insert our own interests—a bit here, a bit there, including both the Demon Sect and rogue cultivators. In any case, we won't write about the other members of the Ten Hidden Dragon Prodigies. After a few issues, the reputation of the so-called 'Ten Prodigies' won't even be as big as the names we've inserted, and their sects won't be able to sit still."

This was the influence the Six Fan Gates needed, and the effects would manifest in other areas as well. If handled well, it could even sow discord among the various sects... Xiahou Di understood this perfectly. She revealed a faint smile and, returning the favor, said, "Then for the second candidate, how about your Yue Xiaochan? Let's help her make a name for herself."

Xue Qingqiu shook her head. "Chan'er doesn't have many combat records yet, and I don't want people to become more vigilant toward her. It's not the time to make her famous. Let's choose someone else."

Xiahou Di thought for a moment. "Then Feng Lieyang of the Blazing Sun Sect. His combat record is astonishing, not inferior to Mu Jianli's, but his fame is not yet widespread. Since he happens to be from the Demon Sect, it can demonstrate the Six Fan Gates' impartial evaluation of new talents from all sides."

"That works. Feng Lieyang is also someone who can't stand being left out, which is why he's always stirring up trouble. If this succeeds and he becomes world-famous, he will owe this sect a massive favor, no less than the time Yin Ye saved his life." This candidate gave Xue Qingqiu a taste of the benefits, making her feel even more that Xue Mu's plan was brilliant. High-spirited, she laughed, "I suggest adding someone from a neutral sect, like Medicine King Manor? Or Sword Casting Valley. I think the two brothers, Zheng Haoran and Zheng Yichen, would both work."

This was returning the favor. So-called neutral sects were nothing more than those close to the imperial court; everyone knew this. Xuan Zhe nodded solemnly. "I think we can include both. The brothers from Sword Casting Valley being featured together is also a nice gimmick."

Eunuch Li stroked his chin. "Add a random rogue cultivator, and this issue will be set."

Rogue cultivators were important. Since the New Talent Register would include them, it would naturally include countless small sects—this was the foundation of the vast Jianghu, and it would make countless other Jianghu travelers look forward to the day they appeared in the register. But rogue cultivators were also unimportant, because anyone would do. Unlike the candidates from major sects, which involved political considerations, they didn't need to be carefully selected. Instead, others would think, "Damn, if even this guy counts as a new talent, then I definitely do. I'll surely be in the next issue," and thus, the anticipation would be built.

With a few words, the atmosphere became very lively. Everyone looked at each other and smiled, their eyes filled with a certain expectation.

One could only wonder what kind of storm this publication would stir up in the Jianghu once it was released. Perhaps the shift in the world's landscape would begin from this very moment.