Ouyang Ke of the Earth Ranking

Earth Ranking Ouyang Ke

Qinghe Prefecture City was one of the eighteen prefecture cities within Hengshan Prefecture. The one guarding it was a collateral branch of the Qi Family. The city lord, Qi Gongfu, was a Heaven Martial Realm expert who had lived for more than two hundred years. He was highly valued by the Qi Family's patriarch, Qi Xingyun, and his status was illustrious; even within the Qi Family, he held a rather lofty position.

In his early years, Qi Gongfu had been obsessed with cultivation. Only when he was one hundred and ninety did he have a son, named Qi Hao.

Qi Gongfu treasured this son dearly, fearing he might suffer the slightest hardship or fatigue.

Precisely because of that, Qi Hao had developed an arrogant and domineering nature from childhood.

Three years ago, Qi Hao had traveled through Zhushan Town and taken a fancy to a young girl, insisting on seizing her to be a bed-serving slave. It just so happened that Jiang Yunhai, who was patrolling the streets, saw it. Jiang Yunhai stepped in to stop him, ruining his pleasure and drawing his fury. Afterward, Qi Hao used his connections to force the charges of embezzling military pay and practicing favoritism onto Jiang Yunhai, demoting him to a slave. On a passing whim, he even ordered Jiang Yunhai's only son, Jiang Feng, to beg, making him suffer the utmost humiliation in the mortal world.

Qi Hao had long since forgotten this matter, because he did things like this almost every day. Once he had done them often enough, they became as common as meals at home, so naturally he could not remember them.

But not long ago, Qi Hao suddenly learned that the only son of the Jiang Family, whom he had reduced to a beggar three years ago, had actually astonished everyone at the martial annual gathering. Not only had he become a martial artist and cast off his identity as a beggar, he had even reached the cultivation of the Black Martial Realm, casually killing Wei Changqing, who had helped him convict Jiang Yunhai back then.

Following the principle of cutting the grass and pulling out the roots, Qi Hao privately found two deputy commanders of the prefecture city's city-guard army, Yuchi Hong and Su Di, and had the two of them make a trip to Zhushan Town to conveniently kill Jiang Feng.

In the end, to his surprise, a report arrived today saying that not only was Jiang Feng not dead, he had instead slain both Yuchi Hong and Su Di. As for Su Di, even after gaining the advantage through a sneak attack, he had actually failed to withstand even a single move from Jiang Feng.

"Young Master, this Jiang Feng is not simple!" said the adviser beside him, stepping forward. "Previously, Nie Hu sent people to report that although Jiang Feng's cultivation had reached the Black Martial Realm, it would not exceed the fifth level of the Black Martial Realm. Though Yuchi Hong and Su Di were not considered top experts in the prefecture city's city-guard army, they still possessed strength unrivaled within the Black Martial Realm. Su Di had even stepped half a foot into the Earth Martial Realm."

"So, in my view, this Jiang Feng likely possessed Earth Martial Realm cultivation long ago. When he killed Wei Changqing, he deliberately hid his strength to lure us into the trap."

Qi Hao was furious. Two deputy commanders of the city-guard army had died; this was not something he could cover up. It seemed he would inevitably be scolded by his father. However, the urgent matter at hand was to strangle Jiang Feng in the cradle.

At fourteen years old, he already had Earth Martial Realm cultivation. If he was not killed in time, his future achievements would likely be without limit.

The Qi Family's influence was enormous, and while they were not so far as to fear a tiny Jiang Feng, he would still become extremely troublesome when the time came.

After some thought, Qi Hao made his decision. "I'll personally report this matter to Father. You go to the estate and choose three senior guest officials. Invite them to make a trip to Zhushan Town. They must bring Jiang Feng's head back to see me."

Naturally, Qi Gongfu's estate kept quite a few experts. These people had rather special identities. They were not the Qi Family's slaves, nor were they the Qi Family's retainers, but guest officials. To become a guest official, one needed not only strength, but also a certain degree of aptitude.

Under normal circumstances, only those of ordinary birth but outstanding talent would be selected by great clans as guest officials. The clan would keep them and provide them with the resources needed for cultivation, but they had to take action to resolve certain difficult matters when the clan required it.

Generally speaking, guest officials were divided into three ranks, from low to high: junior guest official, middle guest official, and senior guest official.

For a senior guest official in Qi Gongfu's estate, one had to have cultivation above the fifth level of the Earth Martial Realm.

"Three senior guest officials?!" The adviser was stunned. "Isn't that thinking too highly of Jiang Feng?"

In his view, Jiang Feng was, after all, only a fourteen-year-old child. Perhaps he had some fortuitous encounter and reached the Earth Martial Realm, but using three senior guest officials at once to take his head seemed somewhat like using an ox cleaver to kill a chicken.

One had to know that the guest officials of the Qi Estate were all no ordinary figures.

"I want to ensure there is no chance of failure. What happened before cannot happen again," Qi Hao said.

Although he was a dandy, he was not stupid. If he could, he would even send a Heaven Martial Realm expert to kill Jiang Feng. It was just that martial artists of that level were not people whom Qi Hao could summon and dismiss at will by relying on family power!

How many Heaven Martial Realm martial artists were there in all of Hengshan Prefecture? By convention, Heaven Martial Realm martial artists could be enfeoffed as prefecture city lords, their status on par with his father's. How could such people possibly be under his control?

In short, sending out the estate's senior guest officials was already the limit of what he could do without suffering losses himself.

While Qi Hao reported the situation to Qi Gongfu and endured Qi Gongfu's scolding, his adviser had already arrived at the senior guest officials' courtyard.

"What? You want me to assassinate a milksmelling brat who has only just advanced to the Earth Martial Realm?"

Ouyang Ke was somewhat unwilling. He was the chief seat of the Qi Estate's senior guest officials, and his cultivation had already reached the perfected ninth level of the Earth Martial Realm. He was only one step away from entering the Heaven Martial Realm and becoming one of those very few existences. Yet that dandy Qi Hao actually wanted him to assassinate a milksmelling brat who had only just advanced to the Earth Martial Realm. This was truly... using great talent for a petty task, using an ox cleaver to kill a chicken!

As a guest official, he had a certain status and identity within the estate. Someone like Ouyang Ke was even more exceptional. In the entire Qi Estate, the only one who could influence him was Qi Gongfu. As for Qi Hao, if not for Qi Gongfu doting on him so much, Ouyang Ke would absolutely never let himself be dispatched by him.

"That's right." The adviser nodded and said, "The young master asks Mister Ouyang to take Baili Tu and Gusu Fu with you."

"Baili Tu and Gusu Fu?" Ouyang Ke frowned, then gave a cold laugh. "Young Master Qi must have too much idle time and is looking for amusement with the three of us, is he? Tell Young Master Qi that I will personally visit him another day, and that he need not amuse himself at my expense like this."

With that, Ouyang Ke was about to close his doors and refuse guests.

"Mister Ouyang misunderstands." The adviser immediately stopped Ouyang Ke. "This matter is genuine..." He then recounted the entire sequence of events. If he wanted to invite this Mister Ouyang to act, then without speaking of Jiang Feng's heaven-defying potential, Ouyang Ke would likely never agree.

"Young Master Qi fears more mishaps, and to ensure Jiang Feng's life can be taken, he ordered me to come invite Mister Ouyang. With Mister Ouyang's strength, that Jiang Feng has absolutely no possibility of contending against you." The adviser sent a flatterer's blow his way.

Ouyang Ke listened and smiled smugly. "My strength needs neither your words nor any proof. Since the young master has said so, I will make the trip. However, I need to use a flying boat, lest too much time be wasted on the road."

"Please rest assured, sir. The young master long since considered that your time is precious, so he has already prepared a flying boat. As long as you are willing, you can set out immediately. You will be able to reach Zhushan Town by nightfall. Once you act and take that Jiang Feng's dog head, you can return to the estate early tomorrow morning," the adviser said obsequiously.

"Very well. I'll make preparations." After Ouyang Ke finished speaking, he closed the door.

The adviser let out a breath of relief. If Ouyang Ke had refused, then with his status as chief seat of the senior guest officials, even Young Master Qi could not force him to go. Fortunately, though this fellow's strength was extraordinary, he had one fatal weakness: he was proud and complacent, and greatly enjoyed the flattery of others.

Ouyang Ke, cultivation at the perfected ninth level of the Earth Martial Realm, was the eighth-ranked expert on Hengshan Prefecture's Earth Ranking. His strength towered to the skies, and he had once heavily injured a Heaven Martial Realm mighty figure, becoming famous throughout Hengshan Prefecture from then on.

His Golden Toad Body Refining was extremely tyrannical and fierce. He excelled at using a heavy blade, and his set of "Dust and Cloud Blade Technique" had long since reached the true-intent realm. His layer of protective energy, "Mountains and Rivers for Me," was wondrous beyond the ordinary, and he also possessed an offensive martial skill called "Unrestrained Blade," which had tremendous power. Rumor had it that he had heavily injured that Heaven Martial Realm mighty figure back then precisely by relying on this blade. However, very few people had personally seen him use this blade.

Ouyang Ke's strength naturally needed no proof. Being ranked eighth on Hengshan Prefecture's Earth Ranking was already the best proof.

This Earth Ranking was compiled by the prefecture's Dragon Tower after comprehensively weighing all kinds of factors, and it was extremely accurate.

In all of Hengshan Prefecture, while Earth Martial Realm experts were not numerous, they still numbered in the thousands, even ten thousand. Those able to enter the Earth Ranking were all people whose strength towered to the skies. Those able to rank in the top ten of the Earth Ranking each possessed the strength to challenge Heaven Martial Realm mighty figures. Achieving the Heaven Martial Realm was certainly a matter of water flowing into a channel for them, and once they achieved it, they would inevitably be outstanding even among the Heaven Martial Realm.

In a word, every Earth Martial Realm expert on the Earth Ranking was an exceptional standout among standouts.

Ouyang Ke had joined the Qi Family's senior guest officials' courtyard with the status of eighth on the Earth Ranking, and the moment he arrived, he sat in the chief seat. His status was noble and he was highly respected; even Qi Gongfu treated him with courtesy.

Today, Qi Hao asking Ouyang Ke to act against Jiang Feng, in anyone's eyes, was using an ox cleaver to kill a chicken.

One had to know that even within the same Earth Martial Realm, the gap in strength was enormous.

For someone like Ouyang Ke, forget dealing with a martial artist who had only just advanced to the Earth Martial Realm; even facing an ordinary perfected ninth-level Earth Martial Realm martial artist, he could decide victory or defeat within five moves.

After he made his name, he had killed many perfected ninth-level Earth Martial Realm experts who came to challenge him, and the number of moves he used had never once exceeded ten.

It seemed that this time, Qi Hao truly did not want to let a long night bring many dreams.