After just one Grade A assessment, Zhao Xing noticed that his colleagues' attitudes had become much more enthusiastic. As he emerged from the back courtyard, many people began to try and get close to him.
Zhang San said there was a grass-fighting game and wanted to invite him to watch. Li Si said a friend had organized a drinking party; would he like to join for a couple of drinks later?
There was even an uncle who invited Zhao Xing to listen to music. Excuse me… what was your name again?
“My name is Huang Siping, from Huangjiawan,” a man with unusually high cheekbones and some baldness bowed his hands, a little wistfully. “Brother Zhao, please don’t use honorifics; I’m a year younger than you.”
“Uh, Brother Huang, forgive my slip of the tongue.” Zhao Xing looked at his bald head. You don’t look younger than me.
“Brother Zhao is a busy man and forgets things easily; it’s normal not to remember me,” Huang Siping said with a smile. “I wonder if Brother Zhao would be willing to accompany me to Brother Li’s music gathering?”
“Which Brother Li?” Zhao Xing was a little puzzled.
“Of course, it’s Li Chengfeng, who is known for his ‘gentlemanly demeanor’,” Huang Siping said. “And also Brother Zong and other colleagues who made it onto the Grade A list in this Minor Heat assessment.”
The so-called music gathering was just a different term for visiting courtesans. Li Chengfeng and Zong Shichang were quite wealthy and often invited people over, hired some singing girls to play music and dance, and then, incidentally, slept with them.
“All expenses, including the courtesans’ fees… will be paid by Young Master Li or other Young Masters,” Huang Siping said very subtly.
Zhao Xing certainly understood; they were inviting him to visit courtesans, right?
“Please thank Brother Li for his kind invitation, but I have other arrangements and can only accept next time.”
It wasn’t that he was being a prude; if Chen Ziyu or Qian Dong had invited him, he would have gone without hesitation.
But Li Chengfeng and Zong Shichang were rivals! How could he go?
Get him drunk, then arrange a courtesan for him, but this courtesan is actually a respectable woman (who bought her freedom), and then she turns around and sues him at the county yamen… Zhao Xing immediately thought of the deceptive tactics he used as a player in his previous life.
“That’s truly unfortunate. I’ll invite Brother Zhao again next time.” Huang Siping was quite regretful. Seeing that Zhao Xing’s expression seemed to mirror his, he had an idea, bowed his hands, and left.
“How was it?”
“He refused, saying he had something to do.”
“Hmph, so many people on the Grade A list were invited, yet he puts on such airs. Does he expect Brother Li and Brother Zong to personally invite him?”
“You can’t say that; after all, they’re not very familiar.”
Huang Siping relayed the news to Li Chengfeng. Before the host could speak, many people began to criticize Zhao Xing.
Li Chengfeng was also slightly displeased, but he still showed a smile on the surface: “I intended to make friends with a fellow practitioner, and I was afraid of being presumptuous, which is why I asked Brother Huang to invite him. I didn’t expect him to be unmovable… It doesn’t matter; if I invite him a few more times, perhaps he will come.”
After Li Chengfeng finished speaking, the people below all praised his generosity and magnanimity, which, by contrast, made Zhao Xing seem a bit arrogant.
However, the topic quickly shifted, and Li Chengfeng and Zong Shichang didn’t pay much attention to it.
After all, it was only one Grade A; it wasn't considered a major threat yet.
“Big Brother only got one Grade A, and he already has so many good friends. Congratulations, congratulations!” Qian Dong looked at Zhao Xing, who was walking out of the crowd, his tone a little sour.
“Exactly. If this happens a few more times, Xiaodong and I might be forgotten by you, Brother,” Chen Ziyu also said, full of Yin and Yang.
Zhao Xing smiled. He understood their feelings, just like when you thought you and someone were best friends, and then you found out they suddenly had a few more close buddies…
“Don’t worry, I won’t forget your sarcastic looks even if I become a ghost.”
“…”
“Don’t you two have anything to do this afternoon?” Zhao Xing asked.
“Yes, Ziyu and I plan to go to the eastern suburbs for a make-up exam,” Qian Dong said. “Where are you going, Big Brother?”
“To the Divine Temple.”
“Can Brother receive a Spell again?” There was some admiration in Chen Ziyu’s eyes. How long has it been since he learned to summon wind and thunder?
“Just going to give it a try,” Zhao Xing nodded slightly. Although only a week had passed, the Dao Embryo Pill had made a very obvious change in him; his Qi gathering efficiency was much faster than before.
Of course, this was also due to the improved food at home.
So, although he had not yet reached the third stage of Qi Gathering, the Cloud Walking Spell had reached the fifth revolution, and the Thunder Striking Spell had reached the third revolution. On this basis, he could try to master the Rain Summoning Spell.
“Then we won’t delay Big Brother’s time. Let’s go, Ziyu, we can’t be idle either! To the eastern suburbs!”
“Mm!” Chen Ziyu nodded heavily. It seemed his fighting spirit had been ignited by Zhao Xing’s progress.
Watching the two leave together, Zhao Xing also walked towards the county yamen.
“Cloud Walking, Wind Summoning, Thunder Striking, and Rain Summoning are a series of Spells, and they are also the core skills of the agricultural official profession. Now I’m still missing the Rain Summoning Spell. I hope True Monarch Cao is more effective this time.”
Mastering one more Spell would give him greater confidence in passing the assessment and a better chance of becoming a full-time official.
In the short term, it was beneficial for becoming a full-time official, and Zhao Xing’s primary focus now was to be appointed as a ninth-rank agricultural official.
Why did he think this way? Because Zhao Xing’s long-term goal was immortality, but to achieve this, he first had to survive the Dynasty version and wait until the Revival version.
And a Luck Dynasty could extend the lifespan of officials! Otherwise, he would have already become a ‘freelancer’.
Entering the yamen office, a familiar voice rang out.
“Brother Zhao, it’s you again?”
“Brother Pang, yes, it’s me.” Zhao Xing looked at Pang Fei, who had handled his previous document approval.
“You’re here again…” Pang Fei looked at Zhao Xing’s application document and couldn’t help but be stunned. “How long has it been? You can receive a Spell again?”
“Just trying my Luck,” Zhao Xing said modestly.
“No, Brother Zhao will surely succeed,” Pang Fei congratulated. “The adults of the Agricultural Supervision Office wouldn’t just approve a Spell transmission document. I’ll go now…”
“Make way, urgent order from the Military Office, make way!”
Suddenly, a loud voice came from outside the door, followed by hurried footsteps passing by.
Zhao Xing looked over in confusion, only seeing the backs of a team of armed officers.
“Brother Pang, what’s happening? Why are so many brothers from the Military Office dispatched?”
“Cooperating with the county’s investigation, I guess.”
Pang Fei suddenly lowered his voice, somewhat mysteriously: “Speaking of which, this matter is also related to the Agricultural Supervision Office. I don’t know what’s going on, but recently, in the twelve counties of Nanyang Commandery, many low-ranking agricultural officials have mysteriously disappeared. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
“Low-ranking agricultural officials missing?” Zhao Xing was stunned for a moment. “Have they figured out why?”
Pang Fei shrugged: “They’re investigating now. I don’t know anything else. Brother Zhao, please rest for a moment; I’ll go submit your application now.”
“Thank you.” Zhao Xing sat on the chair, his brows furrowed, carefully recalling his past life experiences. He had lived through the Jing Emperor’s era, but he had never been to Gucheng, or even Nanyang Commandery. However, this didn't prevent him from recalling some key events.
“During the Jing Emperor’s era, there was a strange case where many agricultural officials were abducted by a group of demonic people calling themselves the Xuantian Cult… But shouldn’t this have happened during the Great Governance era? Why is it during the Jingxin era? Did I remember incorrectly? Or was this matter planned from the Jingxin calendar?”
