"Wind beneath my feet!" Zhao Xing manipulated the wind spell, using it to aid his running.
But this spell was not for himself; it was for the straw man.
He also controlled the rhythm of the rain, ensuring that as the straw man moved beneath the clouds, its path was free of rain.
He intentionally left two subtle discrepancies to mislead Shen Zhui.
As Shen Zhui reached the willow tree, he was suddenly faced with a choice between two paths.
After hesitating for just a second, he dashed toward the straw man.
Sensing Shen Zhui running in the opposite direction, Zhao Xing's lips curled into a slight smile.
"What? Another straw man?!" Shen Zhui stared at the straw man in front of him, momentarily speechless.
Looking back now, it was clear that Zhao Xing had deliberately set up these two flaws for him.
To react so quickly in such a short time, without any hesitation, could not be called a first reaction; it was clearly premeditated!
"Hmph!" Shen Zhui did not speak to Zhao Xing this time; he directly sliced through the straw man, not giving his opponent a chance to delay, and immediately chased in the opposite direction.
In the Chen residence, in the study.
Chen Shijie sensed this scene and couldn't help but laugh.
He hadn't planned to pay attention, as he believed Shen Zhui, being at Gathered Essence Seventh Level and possessing the Nine Turns Subtle Movement technique, would soon capture Zhao Xing.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Xing pulled off a clever maneuver, leaving Shen Zhui spinning in circles.
"Good lad, using just Cloud Movement, Rain Deployment, Straw Man, and Wind Manipulation, you've created such a favorable environment for yourself?"
"If you don't become an Agricultural Affairs Bureau official, it would be a waste of talent."
Chen Shijie stopped reading, took a wine gourd, and sat by the window, focusing intently on this cat-and-mouse game.
In the heavy rain, Shen Zhui watched the figures running in two directions ahead, his lips twitching slightly.
Zhao Xing called back the second straw man to provide cover.
Now he had to make another choice.
One was accelerated by the wind spell, with rain paused overhead, while the other had no enhancements at all.
"Last time it was the straw man with the spell, this time it must be the real body enhancing!"
Shen Zhui chose a direction and pursued.
Ten breaths later.
Shen Zhui looked at the straw man ahead and couldn't help but feel a bit defeated.
"This, this... another straw man?"
"He predicted my prediction?"
Shen Zhui felt like a clown, once again being toyed with.
He hadn't felt this angry even when he lost to the martial artists during their sparring sessions.
But facing Zhao Xing, it truly was a matter of mindset.
Zhao brother, with your thick brows and bright eyes, you look so sunny; I didn't expect you to be so good at deceiving people?
"Hmph!" Shen Zhui snorted coldly, the iron ruler flashing with a white light as he shattered the straw man.
Shen Zhui collected his thoughts, regrouped, and continued searching.
"His mindset adjusts quickly; after being tricked three times, he still maintained a certain level of calm. Although he showed emotions, his actions were unaffected, instinctively making the best remedy."
After Zhao Xing lost contact with the third straw man, he looked at Shen Zhui with newfound respect.
Because the other party's handling was quite impressive.
As for the choice error?
That couldn't be blamed on Shen Zhui.
It seemed like a fifty-fifty chance between two options, but Zhao Xing's odds were far greater than fifty percent!
Because he possessed Second Level Fortune!
Through this method, he pulled Shen Zhui and himself into another dimension to gamble: the gamble of Fortune.
"Whether chasing the straw man or me, any choice makes sense, but my Fortune level is higher than his," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
This point was something Chen Shijie couldn't see.
After all, Second Level Fortune was already quite rare in this small county; if you counted the genuine officials, perhaps only County Lord Li Wenzheng and Chen Shijie had Second Level Fortune.
"However, one burst of energy leads to decline, and three bursts lead to exhaustion. The passive triggering of Fortune follows a mysterious pattern; being dominant three times in a short time is the limit."
"If I had a fourth straw man, Shen Zhui would probably make the right choice next time."
"Moreover, I don't have a fourth straw man left."
Sensing the rapid footsteps approaching from behind, Zhao Xing gave up resisting.
The clouds dispersed, the rain ceased, and the wind calmed.
Shen Zhui's iron ruler was pressed against Zhao Xing's neck, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction.
You run, keep running!
"Brother Shen, you are mighty. I tried every means, yet I only delayed you for a cup of tea's worth of time before being caught by you," Zhao Xing clasped his hands in salute.
Seeing this, Shen Zhui realized he had been a bit too serious; this was just a training game, how could he press the iron ruler against a colleague's neck?
He quickly sheathed the ruler back at his waist and cupped his hands, saying, "I am ashamed; Brother Zhao's spellcraft is exquisite, and your meticulous thoughts are indeed rare among officials. I admire you."
Shen Zhui was not being polite; he genuinely admired him.
Initially, the distance was only fifty meters, Zhao Xing was only at Gathered Essence Third Level, while he was at Gathered Essence Seventh Level. Logically, he should have caught him by now; after all, he was a martial artist, and a catcher who had completed many tasks!
Yet he had been dragged along by Zhao Xing for so long!
"I was lucky; you just happened to encounter someone like me in the Agricultural Affairs Bureau, and besides, Brother Shen adapted very quickly. Your footsteps in the rain are almost impossible to grasp. If this training continues a few more times, you will probably adapt completely," Zhao Xing spoke sincerely.
Opportunities for martial artists to spar with Agricultural Affairs officials were already few and far between, especially since he had the advantage of luck.
Additionally, Zhao Xing's experience and methods in this kind of confrontation were honed through countless trials in his previous life.
In a small place like Grain City, he was truly one of a kind.
That Shen Zhui could force him to be unable to create a fifth straw man and only keep running was already quite remarkable.
"Brother Zhao need not be modest," Shen Zhui smiled, "You only used four ordinary spells; if you combined more, I don't know how long it would take me to catch you."
This was true, and Zhao Xing did not deny it.
Using only the straw man spell was indeed too monotonous; if he knew more basic spells, it would cause Shen Zhui considerable interference. A combination of various spells could even injure the opponent.
"Brother Shen, let us stop flattering each other," Zhao Xing pointed to the pear orchard ahead, "Why not sit down and eat a pear?"
"This, isn't that inappropriate? That is Lord Chen's pear orchard," Shen Zhui hesitated a bit.
"Lord Chen allows me to eat fifteen Heavenly Yuan Pears each month; what's wrong with me sharing one with you? Consider it my treat; eat with peace of mind!" Zhao Xing unceremoniously picked two pears from the orchard and tossed one to Shen Zhui.
"Alright." Shen Zhui was not polite; he could tell that this pear was a treasure.
After they finished eating, Chen Shijie walked out of the study with a smile: "You lad are quite ungrateful, using my pears to curry favor? I only said I would let you eat them; when did I allow you to pick them?"
"Lord Chen, this pear was picked for me," Shen Zhui stood up a bit awkwardly, then bowed, saying, "If there is a punishment, please punish me alone; it has nothing to do with Zhao Xing."
Chen Shijie secretly nodded in his heart; it seemed he had not chosen the wrong person for Zhao Xing.
Zhao Xing, seeing that Chen Shijie was not angry at all, smiled and said, "If the Lord wants to punish me, can we wait a moment?"
"Oh? What do you want to do?"
"Break through to Gathered Essence Fourth Level."
(End of Chapter)