Commoner status was the lowest rank of identity in the Empire. It was also the most numerous and easiest identity to obtain.
So long as one had not committed any major crimes within the Empire, one could exchange one thousand merits or ten thousand Divine Origin Coins for it.
For someone as heinous as Slande Luser, whose name hung high on the Empire's wanted list, no amount of money could buy him an identity.
After an investigation confirmed that Jiang Feng had no criminal record on file within the Empire, he finally submitted the mission concerning Slande Luser as he had wished and received one thousand merits.
He then directly used those thousand merits to obtain an Imperial identity for himself.
A specially made plaque forged from Jade Toad Iron served as his identification.
On the front of the plaque was the mark of his identity rank—Commoner.
Although commoners enjoyed the protection of Imperial law, they still faced the risk of being reduced to slavery.
Shen Xiaohe, for instance, had previously held commoner status. But after her clan was defeated by another, everyone in it had their identities revoked and became people without identities, liable to be seized by the strong and made into slaves at any time.
To receive greater protection under Imperial law—or rather, to enjoy more privileges within the Empire—one had to raise one's identity rank, which meant obtaining a noble title.
From highest to lowest, the noble titles of the Silver Empire were Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, and Baron.
Once one possessed a title, the chance of being reduced to slavery became exceedingly low—unless one committed a grave crime, had one's title personally stripped by the Imperial Emperor, and was demoted to a slave.
The back of the plaque recorded Jiang Feng's identity information in detail: