In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

However, all of this was within Zhang Xiaoshan's calculations.

After the discussion, these martial arts masters went into seclusion for half a month to reflect on their gains. It would be strange if they didn't make progress.

But the heroes of Kyushu didn't know this; they all thought that these people had made great progress in martial arts after only grasping the basics.

Moreover, Zhang Xiaoshan also incorporated their martial arts insights into the game, so the superficial understanding these people gained more or less had something in common with the divine skills in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer".

Therefore, apart from the clear-headed Zhang San and the Old Celestial Master, most people also believed that their great improvement in martial arts was related to their superficial understanding.

This illusion is the magic of the chivalrous kung fu.

····

"Zhao Gao, is this all the intelligence you've gathered?"

Looking at the meager intelligence report in his hand, the Dragon Emperor's piercing gaze made Zhao Gao uneasy, and he immediately knelt down in fear, saying:

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. It is not that Luo Wang is incompetent, but Xia Ke Island is located in an uninhabited area thousands of miles overseas, and Luo Wang has nowhere to start."

Moreover, the Zhang family's overseas bases are extremely strict in their recruitment. Anyone who enters the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) disappears without a trace, not even a single message can be sent out. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!

Looking at the groveling Zhao Gao, the Dragon Emperor felt helpless.

Is Luo Wang's ability weak?

During this period, they even found Chiyou Village and infiltrated the Zhang family's mechanical city base.

However, there are still no clues about the Zhang family's overseas bases.

Even on Yizhou Island, the Zhang family held absolute control.

After the mirage left Yingcheng, the empire left only 10,000 armored soldiers to guard it, and the Zhang family's power had already surpassed that of the empire.

Moreover, on Yizhou Island, there is Xiao Feng, a powerful figure suspected to be at the Grandmaster level, who is stationed in Yingcheng. The tens of thousands of armored soldiers of the empire are no match for him.

·········Requesting flowers·· 0

Fortunately, the empire doesn't value Yizhou Island!

It's newly developed and doesn't have much potential.

Moreover, the Zhang family merely occupied Yingcheng and had no intention of establishing themselves as kings.

"Get up, how about Dongli Island?"

"Your Majesty, everything is normal on Dongli Island, and there are no other abnormalities."

After Bi Gu of Changli Sect took over the list of heroes, he began compiling it. At most, news will be available in a while!

The Dragon and Phoenix Ranking is fine; all you need to do is find top masters under the age of twenty-five.

The ranking is based on a combination of age, academic level, and background.

Even if there are doubts, the conditions are what they are.

But the list of heroes is different; it requires collecting information about heroes in the martial arts world and then making a ranking.

....... . .......

When Bi Gu received the list of heroes, he almost scratched his hair off. He wanted to refuse, but he was forced to accept it and had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

"The Zhang family didn't get involved?"

"No, apart from handing over the list, the Zhang family has never even inquired about the 'Heroes' Ranking' once."

The Dragon Emperor nodded. This way of handling things was indeed befitting the power he had always been wary of.

Because the Zhang family has no need to care about everything.

Once the list is distributed, the Zhang family is no longer involved; it becomes a matter for the five factions.

Wudang, Demonic Sect, Divine Marquis's Mansion, Changli Sect, Ghost Street!

Even Ghost Street is controlled by Ghost Yama and the Nine Gates of Ghost Street, so Zhang Xiaoshan doesn't need to worry about it at all.

Once the fire is lit, it spreads like wildfire; what does that have to do with him?

"Continue to monitor every move in the martial arts world."

As for the Zhang family? Aside from continuing to infiltrate the core of their base, ignore everything else!

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Zhang Xiaoshan's move served as an unexpected warning to the Empire.

However, the Zhang family's law-abiding behavior and lack of haste were precisely what the Dragon Emperor feared most.

If the Zhang family acts too hastily, they will inevitably expose their weaknesses.

The Zhang family is hiding too well now; what has been revealed is only the tip of the iceberg.

Whether it's the Luo Wang or the Black Ice Platform, they seem to have infiltrated every aspect of the Zhang family's business, but the Zhang family's true core provides an impregnable defense against the empire.

In particular, the empire has yet to ascertain the exact location of the Zhang family's maritime base.

Chapter 770 The List of Heroes: The Dragon Emperor's Eastern Tour

"Number One on the Heroic List—Guo Jing of the Divine Marquis's Mansion!"

"Second on the list of chivalrous heroes—Lu Xiaofeng with four eyebrows!"

"Third on the list of chivalrous heroes—Lu Zhongyuan, the Great Hero of the Southern Sky!"

···

The Hero Ranking was released a month after Xia Ke Island was launched.

Led by Guo Jing of the Divine Marquis's Mansion, the first batch of the Heroes List consisted of thirty-six people, each of whom was a renowned hero in the martial arts world.

In addition, there are some heroes from Kyushu who are not on the list, for various reasons they did not appear on the list of heroes.

For example, Yan Nantian, the number one hero in Kyushu, is a top grandmaster on the Heavenly Gang Ranking.

Yan Nantian has rarely traveled the martial arts world in recent years, and he has become a legendary figure in the martial arts world.

However, the fact that Lu Yuan, the Great Hero of the South, made the list is at least a satisfactory explanation.

Moreover, Lu Zhongyuan is fully qualified to be on the list.

A chivalrous spirit, a poignant and unforgettable "July 17th Incident"!

There was also Xiao Feng, the former leader of the Beggars' Sect, who was a man of great courage and unparalleled heroism.

However, after joining the Zhang Family Merchant Guild, Xiao Feng stayed in Yizhou Island. Although he had a very high reputation in Yizhou Island, his presence in the martial arts world of Kyushu almost disappeared!

Or perhaps it is the 'Heroic Beggar' recognized by all the heroes of Kyushu – Hong Qigong.

At this time, Hong Qi was already in his eighties, and his energy and spirit were far inferior to what they used to be;

Another reason is that he himself is indifferent to fame and fortune and is unwilling to compete with a group of 'kids' for the title of chivalrous hero!

Besides these true heroes, there are also some highly skilled individuals and extremely famous martial arts masters who are likely to be included on the list.

Li Xunhuan, known as Little Li Flying Dagger, is a universally recognized chivalrous figure in the martial arts world.

In terms of fame, Li Xunhuan's Flying Dagger is renowned throughout the land, and Li Xunhuan's title of "Top Scholar" carries on the scholarly tradition of "seven Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) from one family, and three top scholars from father and son."

But when it comes to chivalry, there are many heroes in the martial arts world who surpass Li Xunhuan in chivalry; Li Xunhuan is just famous.

Li Xunhuan is more like a gentleman who enjoys getting drunk.

Or perhaps Zhang Wuji or Gai Nie, who have recently gained immense popularity.

Zhang Wuji is the leader of the Fire Worshipping Cult, and is widely recognized as the leader of a demonic cult in the martial arts world.

If he were a Wudang disciple, Zhang Wuji would naturally be qualified to be on the list, but he was implicated by the reputation of the Fire Worship Sect and was not unjustly eliminated.

Gai Nie was once the empire's number one swordsman, and many 'chivalrous' people died at his hands.

Furthermore, Gai Nie was a strategist, and although the Guigu School of Diplomacy was a mix of righteous and evil, they were not purely江湖侠客 (jianghu xiakeke, a chivalrous martial arts world), so Gai Nie was also excluded.

Excluding those who are detached from worldly affairs, in their seventies, or flawed, Bi Gu's ranking, while not entirely fair, is neither sloppy nor haphazard.

When the list was released, most people in the martial arts world of Kyushu were speechless.

However, they are still arguing about the order.

Everyone has their own close friends, fans in the martial arts world, or people who have benefited greatly from the kindness of these heroes. Therefore, everyone has their own number one hero in their heart.

Fortunately, these people are all rational, and they admire famous heroes who are not mindless fan clubs.

They might argue privately, but on the surface, they all seem to be doing well.

Moreover, the list of heroes is filled with admirable figures from all over the land, and no matter the theory, they are respected by everyone.

If a fight breaks out over this, it will be bad for anyone's reputation.

This was also the theory that the Zhang family privately promoted, used to ease the tension that erupted during the debate.

As for the remaining '72 rising stars', Bi Gu plans to announce them a year from now.

After all, the chivalrous spirit was just beginning to take hold at this time, and the thirty-six people on the list were all recognized heroes of the Nine Provinces. The remaining lists were specifically prepared for the heroes who would emerge like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

···

"Is the Dragon Emperor preparing for an eastern tour?"

Amidst the fervent passion of the martial arts world across the land, a message traveled from Xianyang to the East Sea.

Zhang Xiaoshan originally thought that the Dragon Emperor would come to Sanghai after the Mirage set sail, but he didn't expect the Dragon Emperor to keep delaying until now.

He knew that historically, the Dragon Emperor's fate was to die on his sixth eastern tour.

Even though the Dragon Emperor had already 'defied fate', the Way of Heaven is not easy to change. At least, the higher Zhang Xiaoshan's realm, the more he felt that mysterious existence.

If it weren't for Zhang Xiaoshan's millions of merits protecting him, he would probably have been deeply entangled in it as well.

With the Dragon Emperor's eastern tour and the presence of the chosen one, Jing Tianming, the Dragon Emperor's fate was essentially sealed.

"With the fall of the Dragon Emperor, the empire is bound to crumble and fall apart, and chaos is imminent!"

Gazing at the vast expanse of blue water, Zhang Xiaoshan frowned deeply.

Whether in his past life as an ordinary person or now as a powerful ruler wielding a vast force, Zhang Xiaoshan dislikes war.

All his accumulation in this life was for the purpose of self-preservation.

But now, to protect himself, he has to do something against her will; that's life.

However, he had no choice; between possibly regretting it and definitely regretting it, he could only choose 'possibly regretting it'.

"Piaoxu, grant the city of government and the plains outside the pass an additional million and five million gold coins, respectively, to encourage them to recruit more people and speed up the project."

We must ensure that the established goals are achieved within the next year.

And let's start stockpiling the resources needed after the city is built. Stockpile as much as we can now.

"Yes, son!"

Upon receiving news that the Dragon Emperor was about to make an eastern tour, Liu Sheng Piaoxu understood that the heavens were about to change.

Even if Hu Hai can suppress the rebellion for two more years after the Dragon Emperor's death, these two years will inevitably be a time when various warlords rise up, and the imperial court will gradually lose control over the local areas.

Therefore, the next three years were bound to be three years of warlordism, and Zhang Xiaoshan's stockpiling of supplies was naturally in preparation for war.

Moreover, in the entire Kyushu, only the Zhang family dares to hoard supplies so openly.

···

"The Dragon Emperor is about to make his eastern tour; our opportunity has arrived!"

In a place somewhere in Sanghai, nestled between cliffs, a group of so-called "chivalrous men" including the Mohists, the strategist Gai Nie, the Taoist Xiaoyaozi, and the Confucian Zhang Liang, received news that the Dragon Emperor was about to make an eastern tour.

Moreover, this was a long-planned scheme, and the Dragon Emperor's eastern tour would undoubtedly be the time for it to unfold. 2.0

"Avenge the Grand Master and overthrow the Dragon Emperor's tyranny!"

Although the Zhang family took on the task of the 'Chidao' (imperial road), they relieved a lot of pressure on the empire.

However, the Dragon Emperor's construction of the Dragon Emperor's Mausoleum, the Epang Palace, and border defense projects... required the conscription of tens of millions of laborers every year, and many of them never returned.

The Dragon Emperor's tyranny is also widely acknowledged.

Moreover, the empire has now begun to conquer all directions, launching campaigns in the north against the grasslands, in the south against the Baiyue tribes, and westward beyond the Jade Gate Pass.

Only in the east, the kingdoms of Japan, Goguryeo, and the Later Jin, with the help of the Zhang family, have been pacified and incorporated into the empire.