Chapter 15: The Mysterious Case of Jing Xin and the Enigmatic Celestial Demon

After passing the highest-level exam just once, Zhao Xing noticed that his colleagues around him had become noticeably warmer in their attitude. Stepping out from the back courtyard, quite a few people began to strike up friendly conversations.

Zhang San mentioned a grass-fighting performance nearby and invited him to watch. Li Si said some friends had organized a drinking gathering and asked if he would join for a couple of drinks.

There was even an uncle who invited Zhao Xing to listen to some music but hesitated, “Pardon me… what was your name again?”

“I’m Huang Siping from Huangjiawan,” replied a man with unusually high cheekbones and a somewhat balding head, bowing slightly with a hint of melancholy. “Brother Zhao, please don’t address me so formally. I’m actually a year younger than you.”

“Uh, Brother Huang, forgive my mistake,” Zhao Xing glanced at his head and thought, you don’t look younger than me at all.

“Brother Zhao tends to forget things easily, so it’s normal if you can’t remember me,” Huang Siping smiled. “I wonder if you’d be willing to accompany me to Brother Li’s music gathering?”

“Which Brother Li?” Zhao Xing asked, somewhat puzzled.

“None other than Li Chengfeng, known for his ‘Gentlemanly Demeanor’,” Huang Siping replied. “Also, Brother Zong and other colleagues who passed the recent high-level exam will be there.”

So-called “music gatherings” were simply a euphemism for social events involving female entertainers. Li Chengfeng and Zong Shichang came from wealthy families and often invited people over to enjoy performances by songstresses who sang, danced, and occasionally more intimate company.

“All expenses, including those for the songstresses, are kindly covered by Young Master Li or other young masters…” Huang Siping spoke delicately.

Zhao Xing understood perfectly—they were inviting him to a gathering with female companions.

“Please convey my thanks to Brother Li, but I have other arrangements and must decline this time,” Zhao Xing replied.

It wasn’t that he was pretending to be proper; had Chen Ziyu or Qian Dong invited him, he would have accepted without hesitation.

But Li Chengfeng and Zong Shichang were rivals! Could he really go?

He immediately thought of the trickery he had encountered in a past life as a player—getting drunk and assigned a songstress who turned out to be a respectable woman, who would then report to the county office.

“That’s really unfortunate. Next time, we’ll invite Brother Zhao again,” Huang Siping said regretfully. Seeing Zhao’s expression, which seemed to mirror his own reluctance, he bowed slightly and took his leave.

...

“How did it go?”

“He refused, said he had other matters to attend to.”

“Hmph, so many people passed the exam and accepted the invitation, yet he’s putting on airs. Does he expect Brother Li or Brother Zong to invite him personally?”

“It’s not exactly like that. After all, they’re not very familiar with each other.”

Huang Siping relayed the news to Li Chengfeng. Before Zhao Xing could speak, many began to gossip about him.

Li Chengfeng felt somewhat displeased but maintained a smile. “I wanted to befriend like-minded people but feared being too forward, so I asked Brother Huang to invite him. I didn’t expect it wouldn’t work. No matter, we’ll invite him a few more times—perhaps he will come then.”

Afterward, the crowd praised Li Chengfeng’s generosity, which only made Zhao Xing seem more distant by comparison.

However, the topic soon shifted, and neither Li Chengfeng nor Zong Shichang took it to heart.

After all, it was just one high-level exam; it wasn’t a serious threat yet.

...

“Big brother just passed the highest-level exam once and already has so many friends—congratulations!” Qian Dong said with a hint of jealousy as Zhao Xing emerged from the crowd.

“Exactly, if you do it a few more times, Xiao Dong and I might be forgotten by you,” Chen Ziyu teased.

Zhao Xing smiled, understanding their feelings. It was like when you thought you were each other’s best friend, only to find they suddenly had several other close brothers.

“Don’t worry, with the way you two tease me, I’ll never forget you even in the afterlife.”

“...”

“Do you two have plans this afternoon?” Zhao Xing asked.

“Yes, Ziyu and I plan to retake the exam in the eastern suburbs,” Qian Dong replied. “Where are you headed?”

“To the temple.”

“Brother can learn more spells again?” Chen Ziyu’s eyes glimmered with admiration. How long had it been since he mastered Wind and Thunder spells?

“Just going to give it a try,” Zhao Xing nodded slightly. Although only a week had passed, the Dao Core Pill had already made a significant difference, greatly increasing his energy accumulation speed.

Of course, this was also partly due to better meals at home.

Though he hadn’t yet reached the third tier of energy gathering, his [Floating Clouds] spell was at the fifth level, and [Thunder Strike] had reached the third. Building on that, he could now attempt to learn [Rain Casting].

“That won’t delay you, Big Brother. Let’s go, Ziyu—we can’t be idle. Off to the eastern suburbs!”

“Mm!” Chen Ziyu nodded emphatically, seemingly inspired by Zhao Xing’s progress.

Watching the two leave together, Zhao Xing headed toward the county office.

“Floating Clouds, Wind Rising, Thunder Strike, Rain Casting—these form a series of spells and are core skills for the Agricultural Official profession. I still lack the [Rain Casting] spell. Hopefully, Lord Cao will be generous this time.”

Learning an additional spell would improve his chances in the exams and increase his prospects of becoming a regular official.

In the short term, this would aid his official appointment. Zhao Xing’s foremost goal now was to secure a permanent position as a junior ninth-rank Agricultural Official.

Why was this his goal? Because Zhao Xing’s long-term ambition was immortality. To achieve this, he first needed to survive the current dynastic period and wait for the revival era.

The Fate Dynasty granted officials extended lifespans! Otherwise, he would have long since become a “freelancer.”

Upon entering the county office, a familiar voice greeted him.

“Brother Zhao, it’s you again?”

“Brother Pang, yes, it’s me,” Zhao Xing responded, looking at Pang Fei, who had handled his paperwork approval last time.

“You’re here again…” Pang Fei glanced at Zhao Xing’s application form, surprised. “It hasn’t been long—are you eligible for spell learning again?”

“Just trying my luck,” Zhao Xing said modestly.

“Nonsense. Brother Zhao is bound to succeed,” Pang Fei congratulated him. “The Agricultural Superintendent wouldn’t approve spell learning documents lightly. I’ll…”

“Make way, the armed detention ward has urgent orders—make way!”

Suddenly, a loud voice called out from outside, followed by hurried footsteps.

Zhao Xing looked over puzzled but only saw a squad of armed officers passing by.

“Brother Pang, what’s going on? Why are so many from the armed detention ward mobilized?”

“Assisting in a county investigation,” Pang Fei lowered his voice conspiratorially. “This matter is connected to the Agricultural Office somehow. Recently, in the twelve counties of Nanyang Prefecture, many Agricultural clerks have mysteriously disappeared. Strange, isn’t it?”

“Agricultural clerks disappearing?” Zhao Xing was momentarily stunned. “Do we know why?”

Pang Fei shrugged. “They’re investigating. I don’t know more. Brother Zhao, rest a bit. I’ll submit your application now.”

“Thank you,” Zhao Xing said, sitting down with furrowed brows. He carefully recalled his past experiences. He had lived through the Jing Emperor’s reign but had never been to Gucheng or even Nanyang Prefecture. Still, some key events remained clear in his memory.

“A strange case occurred during the Jing Emperor’s era—many Agricultural officials were abducted by a group claiming to be the Xuantian Sect… But wasn’t this supposed to have happened during the Dazhi years? Why would it be during the Jing Xin era? Did I remember it wrong, or was the scheme already underway during the Jing Xin calendar?”