Divine Tang Era

Chapter 147 The Four Rankings of the Divine Tang Dynasty

Chapter 148 The Four Rankings of the Divine Tang Dynasty

The weather on the plateau is unpredictable; one moment it may be sunny, but the next it could be rain, snow, or hail.

Sure enough, the clear sky changed in the blink of an eye, and a light drizzle began to fall.

All day long, everyone was either running through the wilderness following the scent of ghosts or digging in the dirt. Coupled with the battle with the ghosts earlier, they were already exhausted, both physically and mentally. Now that the drizzle didn't seem like it would stop anytime soon, they found a relatively flat spot on the hillside to camp.

After setting up the tent, the weather changed again, and a light rain began to fall, mixed with small hailstones.

Seeing the weather, no one was in the mood to chat, and they all crawled into their tents to rest.

However, Xue Diao and Xue Bao'er did not go back, but followed Xu Dan to his tent.

"Your tent is huge!" Although it wasn't the first time Xue Bao'er had stepped into Xu Dan's tent, she still couldn't help but exclaim in admiration every time she entered. Compared to Xu Dan's spacious tent, the tent she and Xue Diao shared was practically a doghouse.

Xu Dan had wandered the wilderness and knew how to survive better in harsh environments.

Therefore, the tents he brought were all carefully crafted according to the comfortable style of his previous life when he was at home or traveling.

The tent is extremely spacious, with not only an exquisite little bed, but also practical cabinets and clothes racks. A luminous pearl hangs high on the top of the tent, illuminating the entire tent.

In addition, there is a stove inside that can both provide warmth and cook food.

This fire stove doesn't require burning firewood; just put in the firestone to cook rice and keep warm. It's truly an essential item for traveling.

Of course, this is all predicated on having sufficient financial resources; if you don't have money, forget about it. And Xu Dan happens to be one of those people who has some money.

Xue Diao and Xue Bao'er were illegitimate sons from a collateral branch of the Xue family, and their wealth was ultimately limited. Naturally, they couldn't afford to prepare as many extravagant items as Xu Dan and enjoy life to the fullest. So every time they came over, they were filled with envy.

"You can make one yourself when you return to the city; it won't cost much."

As Xu Dan spoke, he took out the food he had prepared earlier from his storage bag and enthusiastically shared it with Xue Diao and Xue Bao'er. At first, the two were shy and embarrassed, but he pulled them several times before they reluctantly agreed, and they continued to eat like this afterward.

"That would cost a lot of money, and buying such a big tent wouldn't be very useful. The one we have now is enough."

Despite her envy, Xue Bao'er had a clear understanding of herself and knew what she should and shouldn't want.

After saying that, he and Xue Diao took out their own dry rations and placed them next to Xu Dan's food, and began to eat.

Xu Dan's meals consisted partly of pre-ordered food from restaurants and partly of food prepared by his mother. There was a great variety of dishes, and they were all stored in insulated storage bags. He could take them out whenever he wanted to eat, so he didn't have to worry about not being able to have a hot meal in the desolate wilderness.

In fact, with his abilities and the Hidden Mystic Cauldron in hand, he could easily cook rice inside it; he just found it too troublesome.

However, I still cooked the soup myself.

Making soup is relatively easy, unlike stir-frying or cooking. All you need is a large pot, water, and various ingredients, then simmer it slowly over a wood fire. Since the young lama is watching over him, he doesn't need to do anything himself.

This pot of soup contains precious ingredients that are highly nourishing to the blood and qi, such as monster meat, dried sea fish, and highland herbs. The soup is fragrant and very tempting.

Before Xu Dan even started eating, he eagerly scooped up a large bowl and gulped it down.

Xue Diao and Xue Bao'er were speechless with astonishment upon seeing this.

They wouldn't dare drink soup like Xu Dan. This soup contains surging blood and energy; if they drank it down in such large gulps, their bodies simply couldn't handle it, and it might even explode.

Previously, they were curious about how Xu Dan, at such a young age, possessed such powerful qi and blood.

Now that I see him drinking soup like this, it seems normal.

If a martial artist could drink like this every day, even if their blood and energy weren't as abundant as his, they probably wouldn't be much different.

"Ah, fine wine!"

Xu Dan pretended to be drinking, shaking his head and looking intoxicated, which made Xue Diao and Xue Bao'er laugh.

After finishing the soup, Xu Dan filled a large bowl with rice and, while eating, asked Xue Diao, "I almost forgot to ask you, what did that person mean by 'a name left behind by a young fish' when we received the reward last time?"

"Young Scales, that is, the Young Scales Ranking."

Xue Diao took a bite of food and said, "The Young Scale Ranking, also known as the Prodigy Ranking, was established during the reign of Emperor Gaozong to encourage talented young people in our Divine Tang Dynasty and to discover those with extraordinary talents."

Any boy aged fifteen or under who excels in any of the following arts—martial arts, painting, archery, literature, magic, craftsmanship, agriculture, astrology, or any other skill—can be included on the list. This Young Talent List is not only an honor but also the standard by which our Divine Tang Dynasty selects its people, hoping that talented young men will emerge early and serve the country.

Upon hearing this, Xu Dan cursed inwardly, "Damn it, isn't this just a scoreboard?!"

What he hates most is this kind of ranking list.

Back in his school days, he thought he was doing well with a score in the seventies. But when the grade rankings came out, he realized that there were many people who scored in the 100s, 100s, 90s, and even 80s. His score was only considered below average. Was there no justice in this world?

When he was in junior high school, he was in the so-called elite classes (first and second tier) because of his good grades in elementary school. However, his grades later fell short, and he was placed in class three in the second year of junior high, then class four, and then class five. Because of this, he really had no affection for the school.

As for his junior high school classmates, he didn't even know which one was him.

So now that he heard Xue Diao's explanation, he simply skipped the list and didn't want to participate at all, to avoid the mental strain later.

"What's the deal with the Qilin Ranking?" Xu Dan remembered that Zhang Bin was extremely concerned about getting on the list.

"The Qilin Ranking is the advancement list of the Young Scale Ranking. Any male between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five, regardless of social status, who excels in martial arts, literature, calligraphy, painting, or other skills among his peers, can be listed. This ranking can be called the adult version of the prodigy ranking, and it is also an important way for our Divine Tang Dynasty to select pillars of society."

As for the Young Phoenix Ranking and the Divine Phoenix Ranking, these are rankings specifically established for women.

The List of Prodigies is similar to the List of Young Scales, also a list of child prodigies, but it is for girls aged thirteen and under. If they are exceptionally talented and have extraordinary skills, they can be included on the list.

The Divine Phoenix Ranking selects women aged between thirteen and twenty-three.

Those who excel in literature, skills, martial arts, magic, or other fields and stand out from the crowd are eligible to be listed. These two lists are specifically for women, intended to highlight their talents and virtues, encourage outstanding women, and allow their talents to be known to the world and used for the benefit of the nation.

These four lists are intended to discover young talents.

Regardless of gender, if one can earn a place in this field through their own talent and skills, they can serve the country, bring glory to their family, and become famous throughout the world.

After finishing their meal, the three chatted for a while before Xue Diao and Xue Bao'er got up and returned to their tents.

It had long since darkened, and the light rain and fine hail had stopped, but the weather was getting colder and colder.

Xu Dan cultivated for a while, then went into the Hidden Profound Cauldron to instruct the spirit child to plant some vegetables, before lying down on the bed and falling into a deep sleep.