I Can See Your Combat Power

However, the clan system doesn’t mean that things are shared equally amongst everyone, nor does it mean favoritism is permitted; because you’re of a collateral line and someone else is of a direct line, does it mean they should always be given priority?

This sort of thing can only be seen in weakened families from hundreds of years ago. For a clan to grow and strengthen, they have to uphold the principle of promoting the talented and learning from the excellent.

To achieve this, they rely on the clan rules and self-discipline of the clan members.

For those in power to seek benefits and convenience for themselves is all too easy, not to mention the positions of clan leader, sect official, elder, and so on.

Even for the stewards of different departments, amassing riches wouldn’t be particularly challenging. But how many people dare to do so?

It’s not because the rules of the Tang Clan are particularly stringent but rather that from the clan leaders to the council of elders and almost all those in power, the interests of the clan are prioritized above all else.

Under the influence of their superiors, the Tang Clan of today has formed. As the Chief Guard, Tang Luo has the right to adjust the rank list. But this is more than just a simple matter of rearranging a list.

Suddenly, Tang Luo began to understand the predicament of those who held high positions in his previous life. Today, his own younger brother climbed a 100-meter tall tower to ask him for a simple favor—should he help or not?

It’s just reshuffling a ranking order. Tang Zhen is the daughter of a Martial Ancestor, a standout trainee from the training grounds, and has made significant contributions in the Minor Spiritual Realm. Such an exceptional clan member wouldn’t draw objections even if she were elevated to the top rank, right?

But how many such talented youngsters are there in the second ranking? Even the sons of the clan leader, Tang Peng, and Tang Zheng are among them, along with the Great Elder’s granddaughter, Tang Fengran. And because she’s female and born out of wedlock, she can only be in the second rank.

There are many, many children of old masters who have also contributed significantly to the Tang Clan in various ways. Yet their children are all in the second rank.

Tang Luo thought it was a small request, but who knew it would turn out to be such a headache? He stretched his mouth helplessly. Having a younger brother in puppy love was indeed bothersome.

Hesitating for a while upon seeing no response, the young Tang Xing looked up at Tang Luo and pleaded, “Brother, please agree!”

In Tang Xing’s eyes, this was a minor issue that could be resolved easily. He couldn’t foresee the deeper reasons behind it. After all, it’s just a rank promotion. What could be so serious?

Tang Luo didn’t want to disagree with his brother over differences in principles. Even if he explained that the matter wasn’t as simple as changing a name on a list, the young Tang Xing wouldn’t understand due to his age and perspective, and might even feel neglected. He might interpret Tang Luo’s unwillingness to agree with such a small request as a lack of brotherly love.

Even though their fraternal love wouldn’t suffer over such a minor issue and the stubborn young Xing would have forgotten about this in a couple of days, Tang Luo, who had always strived to maintain the kinship, did not want to create a rift over such a petty matter. That would make him look incompetent.

So, since the young Tang Xing wanted Tang Luo to accede to his unreasonable request, he needed to make the request sound reasonable.

Hving thought of a solution, Tang Luo casually replied, “It’s not impossible for me to agree.”

Before he could finish speaking, the young Tang Xing said excitedly, “Thank you, brother.”

“Hold on, don’t thank me just yet,” Tang Luo said with a smile. “To move Tang Zhen to the first rank, my agreement alone isn’t enough. You have to do something.”

“Huh?” The young boy looked puzzled, asking, “What can I do?”

Didn’t he come to his brother because the commanding officer of the first rank’s guards wouldn’t agree to his request? Now, was he supposed to get the clan leader’s approval too? His face turned pale, panic written all over it, as he muttered, “Is rank promotion that complicated?”

Tang Luo chuckled and replied, “You rascal, do you think changing the rank is as simple as changing a dish? For something of this magnitude, there has to be a reason, right? I can’t just write an order saying: ‘Because Tang Zhen is Tang Xing’s girlfriend, she should be moved to the first rank.\'”

The boy blushed when his relationship was mentioned, and quickly waved his hands. “Of course you can’t put it like that, of course.”

He muttered under his breath, thinking about how Tang Zhen would ignore him for a few days if that were the case.

“So you see, there has to be a plausible reason,” Tang Luo shrugged reasons. “As long as you present the marriage proposal at the sect, I’ll help move Tang Zhen to the first rank.”

“What… what?” The boy’s mouth fell open in shock, big enough to fit a bun. He could hardly believe his ears and stuttered, “Bro… are you joking? The sect official will kill me…”

For young clan members like Tang Xing, the sect office was almost synonymous with the law office. However, there were fundamental differences. Even though both were supervised by the sect office, the latter was in charge of overseeing clan laws.

On the other hand, the sect office was there to handle all sorts of affairs such as marriages, funerals, births, constructions, etc. In simple terms, if you were bullied outside, you could go to the Martial Hall to set a task and reclaim your dignity.

But if you wanted to build a house, get a wife, establish a household, build an industry, you had to report to the sect office. Even before setting off on a long journey, you need to visit the sect office, state your travel plans and let them know where you’re going and for how long. If you were gone for too long, the clan would send people to the said location to find you.

Espcially for marriages within the clan, it was the sect office’s responsibility to make arrangements and convey wedding invitations.

“I’m not joking,” said Tang Luo, his face calm and not one bit teasing. “Aside from that, I can’t think of any other reasonable excuse to move Tang Zhen to the first rank. If it’s as you say, you want her with you because you fancy her, then you should take responsibility for that sentiment. I can’t put Tang Zhen in the first rank. But I can have a ‘bride’ in the first rank. Do you understand?”

So, Tang Luo wanted the young boy to go through the process of bringing a bride. Tang Zhen, of course, could not move to the first rank, but as the future daughter-in-law of the Sect Head who is also a standout from the training ground, she would be eligible to enter the first rank.

For a boy of eleven, the idea of marriage is filled with fear and anxiety. Even if he was born into a happy family, it doesn’t take away his fear of this unknown future.

So, the young Tang Xing tried to argue once more: “Why isn’t there a plausible reason? Tang Zhen has gained great merits in the Minor Spiritual Realm. Moreover, their team is currently the best in the training ground. Didn’t the clan believe in promoting the talented? Such an excellent warrior, shouldn’t they be allowed to enter the first rank?”

“Oh, you’re using logic now; that’s good,” replied Tang Luo with a laugh. “Firstly, Tang Man, Tang Zheng, and Tang Fengran, who made the same contributions as Tang Zhen, are all at the second rank. Secondly, you need to remember that if it wasn’t for your competitive spirit, Tang Fengran’s group couldn’t possibly have become the best Mortal Realm group. Lastly, it’s because the clan believes in promoting the talented that even though Tang Zhen is a woman, she is still listed in the second rank.”