In the fifteenth year of Emperor Jing's reign, at the end of May, in the eastern outskirts of Grain City.
The blazing sun beat down, sweat pouring like rain as Zhao Xing bent over, planting seedlings in the rice paddy.
With each seedling he planted, a line of small numbers appeared beside him.
[Successfully planted a seedling, basic cultivation technique proficiency +1]
[Successfully planted a seedling, basic cultivation technique proficiency +1]
[Successfully planted a seedling, basic cultivation technique proficiency +1]
...
[Basic cultivation technique has reached maximum level, you comprehend the beginner spell 'Thrive']
[Thrive: Beginner Spell]
[Progress: (1/9999)]
[Effect: Accelerates nutrient absorption, shortens plant maturation time.]
After another quarter of an hour of planting, Zhao Xing was drenched in sweat, so he went to the ridge to replenish his fluids.
However, the sun was scorching, and the heat in his heart could not be quelled.
So he pointed a finger at the sky.
"Buzz~"
A beam of golden light shot from his fingertip, dissipating about three to four meters above his head.
Immediately, a gray-white cloud appeared, swirling above him.
[You have activated the spell 'Cloud Walking', this spell has triggered a Fortune enhancement, effectiveness doubled, cloud walking for ten meters.]
[Beginner spell 'Cloud Walking' proficiency +2]
"Phew, this is much more comfortable."
The cloud obscured the sunlight, acting like a parasol, enveloping Zhao Xing in its shade.
As Zhao Xing moved, the cloud above followed him.
The eastern outskirts of Grain City were public fields managed by the Agricultural Affairs Bureau; a portion of the officials' sustenance came from here.
With the Grain in Ear season approaching, Agricultural Affairs clerks like Zhao Xing were everywhere in the eastern outskirts.
Because if not planted during this time, it would be useless to plant later.
Moreover, the harvest from the public fields not only affected their meals but also determined whether they could be promoted this year, from a non-official clerk to a formal Agricultural Affairs official; the treatment between the two was worlds apart.
Since he had crossed over here a year ago, he had discovered that he seemed to be in an early version of that mysterious game—last life, it had suddenly appeared on Earth, without a name, only an entrance, inside resembling a real world, with extremely high freedom and realism, causing a massive sensation.
At this time, it was during the reign of Emperor Jing of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the dynasty was at its peak, and the overall environment was relatively stable, compared to later versions, the safety factor could be said to be the highest.
The benefit was that spiritual energy had not yet fully revived, combat power was not excessively high, and there would be no situation where a great power could wipe out a city with a wave of their hand.
After all, he was no longer a player; the panel did not indicate he could resurrect.
The downside was that it was too stable, and the initial identity was also mediocre, making it relatively difficult to find opportunities as an NPC in the early stable social order.
"In my last life, I could change jobs in two or three days. Now, I’ve spent half a year and still see no hope."
"The initial identity is also average, starting as an orphan from the orphans' asylum, later adopted into a wealthy family, the situation is quite ordinary."
"I heard that in my last life, some players had good luck, starting out in the homes of nobles and high officials..."
"Forget it, I’ll rest for a moment and then push harder. Whether I can complete the job change task this year mostly depends on the performance of this piece of land."
Zhao Xing found a haystack, hugged some rice straw, and was about to rest, waiting for his vital Qi to recover.
However, he encountered a young man in standard attire, wearing a straw hat, waving at him from the haystack ahead: "Brother Zhao, come over here."
Zhao Xing turned and quickly walked towards him: "Ziyu, you’re here to rest too?"
Chen Ziyu was also one of the Agricultural Affairs clerks, and over the year since their crossing, Zhao Xing was closest to him.
Their relationship was both collegial and akin to classmates, as this phase was not primarily about working but more about learning, striving to get ashore as soon as possible, no longer having to do this muddy work.
Next to him lay a boy named Qian Dong, who was also an acquaintance.
Chen Ziyu, with a blade of grass in his mouth, greeted him enthusiastically: "I just got here, brother, let me borrow this cloud for some shade, no need to waste more vital Qi."
"Alright."
Nodding, Zhao Xing dispersed the cloud above his head and lay down beside Chen Ziyu.
Just as he lay down, he heard the other complain: "It’s only the beginning of summer, yet the weather in Grain City is so hot, and the eastern outskirts have had all the big trees cut down by the officials of the Agricultural Affairs Bureau. If we want to cool off, we have to rely on ourselves to use spells."
Zhao Xing laughed: "This is also a form of training."
"Wanting to cool off isn’t that simple, watch me." Qian Dong tossed aside his straw hat and dramatically pointed at the sky: "Wind, come!"
Chen Ziyu was somewhat astonished: "Qian, have you learned 'Wind Rising'?"
Qian Dong grinned mischievously, then picked up his straw hat and waved it at Chen Ziyu: "See, isn’t it coming?"
Only then did Chen Ziyu realize he had been tricked, so he grabbed a handful of dry grass and scratched Qian Dong's neck:
"Good for you, Qian Dong, daring to deceive me. If you don’t fan me for a quarter of an hour, I won’t let you off!"
"Ah, don’t scratch, Ziyu, I’ll fan you!"
"..."
As the two laughed, the cloud above also swayed. Watching this scene, Zhao Xing couldn’t help but feel a bit speechless.
Can you not be so ambiguous on such a hot day?
Just as he was about to speak, Qian Dong preemptively said: "Alright, if you keep it up, Brother Zhao will scold us for being unlearned and unrefined."
Zhao Xing lazily replied: "No, you all continue. It would be best if you got into a fight, both getting hurt, then there would be fewer competitors for the Agricultural Affairs position, and my chances of getting ashore this year would be greater."
"Brother is being so cynical again..."
After resting for a quarter of an hour, Zhao Xing felt his vital Qi gradually recover and planned to take another nap to continue his job change plan.
However, at that moment, the cloud above suddenly dispersed, and a blinding light shone sharply on his eyelids.
"What’s wrong, Ziyu? You didn’t say a word before removing the cloud..." Qian Dong was still complaining. Zhao Xing, however, propped himself up on his elbow, squinting slightly as he looked ahead.
A thick cloud, nearly a thousand meters wide, was slowly rolling in from the front, and beneath that cloud, on the grain pile, stood a tall figure.
The Cloud Walking spell had exclusivity; it was this person who had disrupted and absorbed Chen Ziyu's Cloud Walking.
Suddenly interrupted while casting, Chen Ziyu trembled slightly, as he suffered a backlash, his vital Qi sustaining minor damage.
"Again, it’s that hypocrite Li Chengfeng! Damn him!" Chen Ziyu glared angrily at the figure on the grain pile ahead.
Why call him a hypocrite?
Because Li Chengfeng's voice spread outwards using the Wind Rising spell.
"Colleagues, you may rest beneath my cloud, and shortly there will be a light rain to wash away the dust for everyone."
Not only was Chen Ziyu's spell disrupted, but many others were also affected.
Yet he had united most people, helping them save vital Qi, and many applauded, praising Li Chengfeng for his gentlemanly demeanor.
"This person is truly disgusting, pulling others down while lifting himself up! He loves to show off, completely disregarding others' feelings. I once confronted him, and others said I was petty, jealous of his gentlemanly reputation... Jealous of him? Bah!" Chen Ziyu said resentfully.
Qian Dong shook his head: "If he were truly a gentleman, that would be fine, but he comes from a prominent family and only associates with wealthy young masters, a different persona in public and private. He hasn’t even become a formal Agricultural Affairs official yet, and he already acts like he’s in a position of power. It’s truly nauseating. If he becomes our superior next year, who knows how he’ll torment us below, sigh..."
Zhao Xing agreed with their views and could only pat their shoulders in consolation: "I also find him unpleasant, but complaining is useless; strength is fundamental. Just work hard, and there will be a day to slap him in the face."
(The chapter ends)