Following Chen Shijie, the officials had seen enough, and their own family members were the last to meet them.
“Elder Brother, Elder Brother!” Upon seeing Zhao Xing descend from the viewing platform, Zhao Zheng rushed in, only to be stopped by the East Lake soldiers maintaining order.
“Two military gentlemen, this is my family,” Zhao Xing spoke up. The viewing area for officials and civilians was separated; unless prior arrangements were made, entry was not easily permitted.
“Go register up front, then come back for a search…” One of the soldiers spoke sternly, but before he could finish, a team leader approached: “This is the family of Zhao Si Nong! No need to register, let them through!”
Zhao Xing had not walked in vain on the platform; many of the East Lake soldiers recognized him now.
They had just been chatting amicably with their superior, how could they not pay attention?
“Thank you.” Zhao Xing smiled and cupped his hands.
Zhao Ruide, Zhao Zheng, and Madam Cai were then allowed to enter.
“Elder Brother, you’re really impressive.” Zhao Zheng looked at his elder brother with admiration, “So many high-ranking officials on the platform were all smiling at you.”
Zhao Xing did not explain to Zhao Zheng that those smiles were likely due to Old Chen’s influence.
After entering the Dao Foundation, his perception had become sharper, and looking at Old Chen, it was clear he was far more than just a Ninth Grade cultivator.
“Have you been waiting outside for a long time?” Zhao Xing patted Zhao Zheng’s head.
“Yeah, a long time! I’ve already gone to the bathroom three times while waiting for you!” Zhao Zheng complained, “Finally, you came out, but you were surrounded by so many people. I called for you, but after just a couple of shouts, I suddenly couldn’t speak anymore. I thought I had gone mute, but then I could talk again after a while…”
Zhao Xing then realized they had been affected by Li Wenzheng’s ‘silencing’ effect.
Zhao Ruide asked, “How is it? You weren’t hurt, right?”
“No, I’m perfectly fine.”
“That’s good.”
The father and son exchanged a few simple pleasantries and then fell silent.
Madam Cai, who usually had much to say, found the occasion too grand and saw that Zhao Xing’s demeanor was completely different from before he entered the mountains, so she dared not speak much.
Though feeling tired, she still unconsciously perked up, holding Zhao Zheng and smiling.
Zhao Xing thought for a moment and took out a silver note from his bosom: “Adoptive Father, Madam Cai, I’ve gained quite a bit of wealth from the mountains this time; this silver note is for the family.”
“Five hundred taels?!” Madam Cai’s eyes widened.
Zhao Ruide remained calm: “What are you doing this for? The family doesn’t lack money; keep it for yourself.”
“I’ve gained quite a lot this time, and my cultivation is more than sufficient; you should keep it.” Seeing Zhao Ruide not accepting, he handed it to Madam Cai.
“Gulp~” Someone clearly swallowed hard.
In the past, Madam Cai would have happily accepted it, but today, she didn’t know what was wrong.
Her fingers moved, her eyes were glued to the silver note, yet she couldn’t lift her hand to take it.
“I really have more.” Zhao Xing took out another five hundred taels silver note, “Look, I’m not lying to you.”
Seeing Zhao Xing insist, Zhao Ruide could only nod, signaling Madam Cai to take it: “Then let Madam take care of it for you.”
“Okay, I’ll definitely keep it safe!” Madam Cai instantly felt awake, trembling as she tucked the silver note close to her.
Just as Zhao Xing’s family was chatting, another ‘family’ was conversing in a fisherman's home by East Lake.
“The Yin Spirits on East Lake Spirit Mountain have already classified the officials,” the leader of Sanwan Hall said as he took off his fish basket, speaking to his ‘wife.’ “Two of those we had our eyes on died, and three were crippled.”
“That’s good; it reduces some pressure,” the middle-aged woman smiled as she unbuttoned her ‘husband’s’ sweat shirt and wiped him down with a towel.
“Reduce pressure? Quite the opposite; our pressure has increased,” the burly man spread his arms and huffed.
“How so?” The woman wrung out the towel and changed to a clean one.
“Li Chengfeng is at Gathered Essence Ninth Level, and that’s nothing. But Zhao Xing actually jumped from Gathered Essence Fourth Level to entering the Dao Foundation, single-handedly acquiring forty-two Spirit Talents!”
“Just him alone has increased the difficulty of the task several times,” the leader of Sanwan Hall said, somewhat irritated.
They aimed to capture those with decent qualifications, but if the qualifications were too good, it would be troublesome.
It meant the cost would also be greater.
“Dozens of Spirit Talents?” The woman was also taken aback, “Doesn’t that mean there will be high-quality Fortune Spirit Talents? That’s truly troublesome.”
Fortune Spirit Talents would greatly enhance the difficulty of capture; if they could be easily caught, it wouldn’t be called strong luck.
To offset such ‘good fortune,’ they would have to pay a greater price.
“Isn’t it annoying?”
“This situation shouldn’t require us to take action,” the woman frowned, “Didn’t the Protector say they still need to capture Chen Shijie? If they want to increase manpower, that’s just a side matter.”
“It’s not that simple. One or two times is fine, but no more than that. Nanyang County has already acted once; the defenses are very tight now. I’ll go to East Lake Mountain; I feel danger everywhere,” the middle-aged man frowned, “Besides, if the task fails, we’ll have to stay in this wretched place.”
“Not daring to use any spells, having to suppress our blood Qi to survive, suffering day and night from the torment of Yin Spirit Fire…”
“The Protector has to ride between several counties; don’t complain,” the woman caressed the man’s chest, “Shall I help you relieve the fire?”
The man grabbed the woman’s conscience with one hand and pressed her head down with the other: “Be quick; I estimate the Protector will arrive soon.”
“Rest assured, I know my limits.” The woman tossed the towel aside and squatted down.
Half an hour later, a horse-drawn carriage stopped outside the door, and an old man knocked on the door.
“Protector.” The leader of Sanwan Hall opened the door to welcome him.
The old man entered the room, sniffed, and frowned at the man: “Your Yin Spirit Fire can’t be suppressed again? How long has it been?”
His words were light, but the leader of Sanwan Hall looked terrified: “It’s my subordinates’ incompetence.”
“Hmph, if it’s sensed, you’ll die a miserable death.” The old man lightly tapped the man’s forehead, a flash of red light flickered, and the man visibly relaxed, “Remember, you can only dispel the fire on the Yin Day during Yin Hour; don’t let me catch you doing it a second time.”
“Yes.”
The Falcon Protector sat at the table, lightly tapping three times, then said, “Tell me about the situation on East Lake Spirit Mountain; I can only stay here for a quarter of an hour before heading to Lake City.”
“Li Chengfeng from Grain City, Zong Shichang, and Zhao Xing have all made great progress, with Zhao Xing being the most remarkable, acquiring forty-two Spirit Talents all by himself,” the woman detailed the situation.
The Falcon Protector listened quietly, his face devoid of expression: “Zong Shichang, that waste, can be removed from the list; I misjudged him earlier. The reputation I heard was all inflated by his subordinates. Recently, I’ve learned that this person is entirely relying on his family’s wealth to get by, even needing help to ascend Spirit Mountain.”
“Yes.” The woman nodded lightly.
“Li Chengfeng’s ranking should be moved to fifth; he’s a good seed.”
“As for Zhao Xing…” The Falcon Protector pondered, “Move him to the first position; if the opportunity arises, we might only need to capture him among the officials.”
“Protector, is Chen Shijie on the capture list?” the leader of Sanwan Hall asked.
“Is that something you should be asking?” The Falcon Protector turned his head, lightly tapping the table.
The man’s face flushed, and he immediately showed a pained expression: “It was my subordinate’s slip of the tongue.”
“Continue to monitor; find an opportunity to bring him back to the Extreme West Continent.”
“Yes.”
“Brother Zhao, are you going back to the city for a meal? At the Fragrant Pavilion, it’s on me!”
“Elder Brother Zhao, now that the mountain climbing is over, Brother Li and Brother Peng are hosting at the Rejuvenation Asylum; would you honor us with your presence?”
Zhao Xing was chatting with his family when many officials came to invite him to return to the city for a meal.
Among them were the gatherings hosted by Young Master Zong, Li Chengfeng, and others.
After three days of fatigue, gathering together wasn’t a big deal; Zhao Xing was just about to accept Young Master Zong’s invitation when suddenly he felt a heat in his chest.
The Warning Against Calamity Yellow Calendar trembled slightly!
“Hmm?” Zhao Xing walked to a corner and looked down.
[Year 15 of the Jingxin Calendar, September 25, in the corner, at the fourth quarter of the hour of the snake.]
[Warning Against Calamity: Minor Calamity; weak and acting, all matters are inadvisable.]
A new record refreshed on the panel:
[Passive warning from the Warning Against Calamity Yellow Calendar, based on your Fortune level and known information, you receive the following prompt:]
[You will depart from East Lake Mountain at the hour of the snake, returning to the city with companions. The Mysterious Heaven Sect sees an opportunity and decides to initiate a capture plan early. You will rise in resistance, falling into a life-and-death crisis, turning into a major calamity!]
Though it was only a minor calamity, the detailed interpretation on the panel indicated that he might encounter an accident on the way back to the city and be captured by the Mysterious Heaven Sect, thus transforming into a major calamity!
With the Fortune level of Yan San and the Warning Against Calamity Yellow Calendar that Zhao Xing possessed, the effects were even more sensitive. Based on the information he knew and his understanding of the Mysterious Heaven Sect, the information presented on the panel was also more comprehensive.
“Everyone, I need to accompany my family; I will not attend any appointments today. We will gather another day!”
Zhao Xing declined all the invitations.
Since the possibility of being captured had arisen, he could not ignore it.
Having gained too much ‘good fortune’ in the mountains, according to the rules of personal luck, prosperity leads to decline; he would likely encounter some minor misfortunes next.
What does it mean to be weak and acting? It means walking with colleagues of similar realms.
If he did that, what might have been just a bit of minor bad luck could turn into a major calamity, which would be too unjust!
“How is it?” Lu Qian looked at Zong Shichang, who was walking over, with some anticipation.
“He declined,” Zong Shichang shrugged, then curiously asked, “Why are you interested in him? You two are worlds apart.”
Lu Qian felt a bit disappointed and huffed, “Why are you asking so much? Didn’t you say that Young Master Zong in Grain City is someone no one dares to disrespect? How come you can’t even invite someone to dinner? It’s truly disappointing!”
“……” Zong Shichang was left speechless.
Being looked down upon by a woman made him feel quite embarrassed: “Just because I couldn’t invite him today doesn’t mean I can’t tomorrow. Just wait; I will definitely make sure you two get to eat together!”
“Alright!” Lu Qian smiled, “Then I’ll wait for your news. Rest assured, I will bring Qing’er along; don’t let us down, or you can forget about me introducing you again!”
“It’s a deal!” Zong Shichang left satisfied.
On the other side, Li Chengfeng also received news from others that Zhao Xing had declined the invitation.
“Not coming is fine.” For some reason, he felt relieved.
Inviting Zhao Xing was not his original intention; it was just that everyone was saying they should invite Zhao Si Jia to join in the fun, so he had someone go ask.
But if Zhao Xing really came, it would be uncomfortable for Li Chengfeng.
Now that he wasn’t coming, he felt much more relaxed.
East Lake Mountain, Earth Altar Square.
“Why aren’t you leaving yet?” Chen Shijie looked at Zhao Xing curiously, “Everyone else has gone off to have fun; aren’t you going?”
The assessment and ranking had already concluded, and most officials had left, heading back to the city in groups to relax.
But Zhao Xing was still lingering here; when someone came to invite him, he didn’t go.
“I don’t like to have fun,” Zhao Xing said against his will, “It’s not interesting.”
“There’s no need to be so harsh on yourself,” Chen Shijie smiled, “You should enjoy yourself; before you take office next year, this is your most leisurely time. Once you take office, there will be much more to do.”
Zhao Xing was already at the Ninth Grade and would progress much slower from here on; only after officially taking office would things return to normal.
Before the winter assessment, there were only the beginning of winter, winter solstice, and two assessments left.
Given Zhao Xing’s current situation, there would be no difficulty in taking the top spots in these two assessments, and securing a spot for the winter assessment was a certainty.
Because he had already entered the eyes of the county-level Agricultural Affairs Bureau officials, it was guaranteed he would secure a spot in the winter assessment.
The only uncontrollable factor was the temple examination; having connections in Nanyang County wouldn’t affect the temple examination.
“I really don’t like to have fun,” Zhao Xing said, “Call me when we’re heading back.”
“Alright.” Chen Shijie didn’t say anything more.
At a quarter past noon, all the East Lake soldiers had entered the mountain.
At a quarter past noon, Zhao Xing, along with Chen Shijie, took his family and boarded the Flowing Cloud Flying Boat, taking off directly from East Lake Mountain and landing outside the city gate, enjoying the treatment of flying.
At a quarter to one, the leader and deputy leader of Sanwan Hall had been watching the several routes back to the city from East Lake Mountain for a long time, but they had not discovered Zhao Xing’s whereabouts.
“It seems this isn’t a good time to act,” the leader of Sanwan Hall sighed. Zhao Xing played a significant role in the task; they could even sacrifice other minor roles for this first position, but the reverse was not possible.
“Let’s go; it’s been several years; why worry about this moment?” The deputy leader picked up the burden, “There will be plenty of opportunities.”
“Hmm.”
After Zhao Xing entered the city, the Warning Against Calamity warning disappeared and no longer displayed ominous signs.
On the way back to Pingkangfang, Madam Cai held Zhao Ruide’s hand, while Zhao Zheng was still bouncing with excitement from riding the flying boat, jumping and chattering away, asking Zhao Xing nonstop.
“Elder Brother, how high can the flying boat fly?”
“Very high.”
“Elder Brother, what if I need to pee on the flying boat?”
“Just stand by the side and pee.”
“Ah? Won’t I fall down? What if the wind is so strong that I wet my pants?”
“Just wash it.”
“Elder Brother, Elder Brother… oh no~”
Seeing Zhao Zheng accidentally fall, Zhao Xing shook his head helplessly at the unfortunate child… then flicked his fingers, and a gust of wind lifted Zhao Zheng up.
Zhao Zheng kicked his feet in the air, laughing continuously.
“Yay~ I’m flying again~~ Elder Brother, go faster~”
That night, Zhao Xing returned to his bedroom, closed the doors and windows, and took out two sheets of yellow paper from the bookshelf, crafting a Guiding Talisman and a Soul Calming Talisman.
Both basic talismans were already at maximum level and were completed in less than a quarter of an hour.
“Now that my realm has increased, I wonder if I can gain any benefits in the Grand Dream Academy. That damned Mysterious Heaven Sect has too many tricks and keeps targeting me; I hope to get some treasures to defend myself.”
After the ink dried, he affixed one to his forehead and one to his abdomen, twisting into a strange position on the bed, softly reciting: “Student Zhao Xing, beseeching the Grand Dream Academy to open the door to learning!”
(End of Chapter)