Chapter 7: Winds Rise, Thunder Rolls, Every Shrub and Tree an Enemy
Zhao Xing sat on the prayer mat before the deity statue, relaxing his body and closing his eyes, clearing his mind of all distracting thoughts.
Before long, a gentle breeze brushed against his face, followed by intermittent rolls of thunder. Shortly after, he felt as if he were standing in the heart of a primordial forest, surrounded by murderous intent.
The shrine’s attendant, sensing something, glanced toward the statue of the True Lord Caoxi and then fixed his gaze on Zhao Xing’s back. "He learns remarkably fast."
When all the visions faded, Zhao Xing opened his eyes. Three new spells were now etched into his mind: [Wind-Calling], [Thunder-Summoning], and [All Vegetation as Soldiers].
The first two belong to the Agriculturalist School’s "Celestial Timing" tradition and are introductory skills for the "Solar Term Decree," while the latter falls under the "Growth of All Things" manual of the Self-Nature School.
In his previous life, learning a spell was as simple as tapping a skill book. Now, however, he had to grasp the actual knowledge, requiring deep comprehension and study. From this perspective, the players were truly gifted prodigies.
After sitting for a while and realizing the mystical sensation had vanished, he knew he had learned all he could for now. He stood up and bowed. "I thank the True Lord for the bestowal of these arts."
...
[Wind-Calling: Novice-level spell]
[Progress: (0/9999)]
[Effect: Summons a strong gust of wind.]
...
[Thunder-Summoning: Novice-level spell]
[Progress: (0/9999)]
[Effect: When used in conjunction with "Cloud-Walking," it creates the sound of thunder within the clouds.]
...
[All Vegetation as Soldiers: Novice-level spell]
[Progress: (0/9999)]
[Effect: Commands plants to act as soldiers and launch attacks.]
...
[Wind-Calling] is an independent spell, but [Thunder-Summoning] requires the prior casting of [Cloud-Walking]. Before changing classes, this skill is all sound and no fury—at best, it might give someone a startle. The true attack skill is [Lightning-Drawing], which allows one to strike with lightning from within the [Cloud-Walking] clouds.
The novice version of [All Vegetation as Soldiers] also sounds more impressive than it is. For now, Zhao Xing can only create grass-soldiers using specific botanical materials. To achieve "spellcasting without external objects"—where a wave of his hand turns every blade of grass into a soldier—he must continuously advance the spell’s level.
Because he hadn't cast them yet, his proficiency remained at zero.
Most areas within the city prohibited magic to avoid disturbing the public. If a low-level official like him accidentally blew away the residents' laundry or soaked their grain seeds, he would be looking at a salary deduction. As for getting promoted to a permanent position? He could forget about it.
To practice, one had to either leave the city or go to the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry was protected by the "Earth-Treasury Returning Origin Formation," where officials of their rank could experiment freely.
Past the gatehouse of the Ministry of Agriculture stood a five-or-six-meter-tall model of a "Wind and Rain Tower Ship." Its prow was shaped like a dragon’s head, capable of spitting water to irrigate thousands of miles, and its sails were embroidered with the image of Yu Jiang to summon gales. It was a classic treasure of the agriculturalist profession. Of course, a small place like Gu City wouldn't have the real artifact—that was reserved for the prefecture-level Ministry.
Still, the county-level Ministry had its share of treasures. The treasury in the northeast corner housed items like the [Floating Cloud Flying Boat], [Origin-Returning Waterwheel], [Golden Raincoat], and [Hundred-Flower Bamboo Hat]. Zhao Xing knew this so well because the government architecture of the Great Zhou Dynasty was standardized; memorizing one layout meant knowing them all. Having raided countless county seats with his guild in his past life, he knew exactly where the mechanisms were hidden and which secret passages to take.
"Halt! This is the treasury, entry is prohibited!" A voice suddenly barked at him.
Zhao Xing realized he had wandered near the treasury without thinking. Seeing the guard’s suspicious glare, he knew he must have looked shifty. *Sigh, the professional habits are acting up again.*
"My apologies, I was lost in thought." Zhao Xing cupped his hands and turned away, suppressing his inner urges.
*Don't worry, once you're on the right path, everything will be within reach.*
Consoling himself, Zhao Xing passed through the herb garden and arrived at the courtyard where the formal officials resided.
...
There was only one Minister of Agriculture at the ninth rank in Gu City. There were several at the ninth-sub-rank, managing storage, the iron market, registered fields, price stabilization, and transport. In frontier cities, a Military Agriculturalist was also appointed to accompany the army and create favorable conditions for the troops.
The ninth-rank Minister was the chief official and rarely mentored minor clerks, unless they had connections. The ninth-sub-rank officials, however, had a duty to instruct and teach. Gu City was authorized to have nine such officials, but currently, only seven were in office. Each had a number of minor clerks under their wing, who were both subordinates and students.
"Brother, Brother! Wait for me!" As he walked along the veranda, a familiar voice called out from behind.
He stopped and turned to see Chen Ziyu and Qian Dong, both carrying baskets.
"How are you two here so early?"
"Aren't you here early too, brother?" Chen Ziyu laughed.
Qian Dong feigned wisdom. "Look, Ziyu, I was right. Brother has been secretly working hard behind our backs recently, coming to see Master Xue so early. Hey? Brother, your complexion looks much better than it did a few days ago..."
Zhao Xing’s mouth twitched. *Could we please stop talking about my complexion?*
"Enough talk, let’s go."
Zhao Xing’s superior and teacher was named Xue Wenzhong. He had the most subordinates of any official. It wasn't because he was particularly powerful, but simply because Xue Wenzhong was the resident "nice guy" of the Ministry. Other officials were selective, hoarding their time and picking students based on family background and talent to boost their own performance records. If one of their students became a tenured official, it counted toward their merit.
Xue Wenzhong, however, was kind and simple-hearted. He focused only on his work and disregarded career advancement. When his colleagues refused to take those with low status or poor aptitude, he took them in. Consequently, out of the five hundred minor clerks in the Ministry, two hundred and four were under his command!
Even though the old official did his best, he was spread thin, and the time he could dedicate to each student was limited. In contrast, students of wealthy families like Li Chengfeng progressed rapidly under focused guidance.
When they arrived at Xue Wenzhong’s courtyard, forty or fifty people were already waiting. The old official was on a dais, lecturing on "The Hundred Solutions of Celestial Timing." Everyone listened intently, and those who moved did so with bated breath, heads bowed low.
A ninth-sub-rank official already possessed miraculous abilities. It was now early summer, yet peach blossoms bloomed in the courtyard, warm as spring. Only the occasional cough suggested that the old man was perhaps growing frail.
*Minister Xue is ninety-eight years old; his health is poor,* Zhao Xing thought. *The benefits provided to officials during the reign of Emperor Jing were modest. He has already extended his life twice, which is the limit. Who knows how much longer he can last?*
*Old Minister, please, don't die this year. If you pass away, where will I find an official to recommend me for my final promotion? That would be a huge headache.*
Whether his silent prayer worked or not, Xue Wenzhong stopped coughing and looked up. The lecture had ended, and it was time for the open-question session.