Chapter 142: Straw Man Technique Challenge

Zhao Xing, filled with doubts, clicked in to view the course description and then suddenly realized.

"So the Straw Man Technique has fallen to the point of being a key support project for the imperial court."

The Straw Man Technique was a spell of the Self-Nature school.

Everyone knew the current state of the Self-Nature school.

The Straw Man Technique was an even more awkward existence within the Self-Nature school.

Why? Because agricultural officials who cultivated the Self-Nature school generally focused on farming.

Cultivating crops with stronger reproductive capabilities, growing materials suitable for the Craftsman school to build machinery, researching the medicinal value of plants...

But very few agricultural officials who focused on the 'Self-Nature school' went to fight.

In the past, there was no 'Great Granary Academy' option among military agricultural officials.

Because supplies were not managed by military agricultural officials, but by agricultural officials from the rear who followed the Self-Nature school.

It was only later, as the military's needs became diversified, that it was added.

But there were very few spells of the Self-Nature school used for fighting.

Agricultural officials who wanted to learn attack spells generally followed the Heavenly Time school or the Earth-Benefit school.

The Straw Man Technique was one of them, but agricultural officials of the Self-Nature school rarely wasted energy learning it because there was no such demand.

To be a military agricultural official, one would go to the Earth-Benefit school or the Heavenly Time school.

Therefore, the status of the Straw Man Technique appeared somewhat awkward.

No one in the Self-Nature school learned it, and as for other schools, if they wanted to learn the Straw Man Technique, they had to research the spells of the Self-Nature school.

The Straw Man Technique was also a relatively delicate job that required a lot of time to produce results; it was hard to see effectiveness in the short term.

In the earliest days, the Straw Man Technique passed down from the temples was quite complete, but gradually only nine types remained.

However, many prefectures and academies had regulations: agricultural officials who learned the Straw Man Technique could receive five taels of silver per month, increasing according to official rank and spell level.

So, the imperial court still didn't want this type of spell to be lost.

"If the imperial court didn't spend resources to support it, no one would be willing to research the Straw Man Technique."

"Specially raising the point rewards is just to prevent this type of technique from being lost."

"In later generations, the Straw Man Technique rose with the Self-Nature school and displayed great power; I didn't expect that in this period, it would still have to rely on policy to be passed down." Zhao Xing felt a bit emotional.

He carefully looked at this elective training course.

However, there was a rule for the point rewards of this course: for the Straw Man Technique training course, points of all kinds could only be claimed if one had achieved success in the technique. If the spell didn't meet the standard, even if one ranked first, they couldn't get the point reward.

This was to discourage those who wanted to come and mix for points.

One had to truly put effort into learning this technique, and only with achievements would one receive the point reward.

Otherwise, if the final 50,000 points were awarded to the first place, and the first place only knew a Second Realm Straw Man Technique, then this policy would be meaningless.

"The Straw Man Technique is troublesome and time-consuming to learn. If points weren't given, I'm afraid no one would sign up, but now the number of people is large." Zhao Xing looked, and the number of sign-ups had already exceeded 5,000.

Under heavy rewards, there must be brave men; the incentive policy was still effective.

"First place, reward 50,000 points."

"Second place, reward 30,000 points."

"Third place, reward 10,000 points."

"Fourth to tenth place, reward 8,000 points."

"Eleventh to twentieth place, reward 5,000 points."

"Twenty-first to fiftieth place, reward 3,000 points."

"Fifty-first to one-hundredth place, reward 1,000 points."

"After the hundredth place, as long as the basic standard is met during the learning process, even if one doesn't enter the top one hundred, one can receive a reward of at least 50 points and at most 800 points."

Zhao Xing looked at the point reward rules for the Straw Man course. Due to the generous rewards, this led to a sharp increase in sign-ups.

The originally unpopular elective course had instead become the first choice.

"The agricultural official hosting this training course is surnamed Liu; could it be from the Liu family of Taihe County?"

The "Liu Transmission Compilation Method" passed down to Zhao Xing by Xue Wen was founded by Liu Zonghai of Taihe County.

The Liu family of Taihe County was a thousand-year-old family; from the time of the founding emperor to the present, there had always been people serving as high officials in the imperial court, and Liu Zonghai had even reached the rank of Grade 2 official.

"There are no other point acquisition channels now; the Straw Man training course must be taken." Zhao Xing thought to himself.

He also looked at other elective courses; the elective courses that appeared now all had point rewards.

However, few rewards could compare to the Straw Man training course, and most hadn't started yet.

"Sign up!"

Zhao Xing signed up quickly.

The launch of the Straw Man course made many people start to embrace Buddha's feet at the last minute, flocking to the Great Granary Academy to learn the spells of the Self-Nature school.

Lu Bang stood on a high building, looking at the crowded people below, and couldn't help but sigh, "bustling and jostling, for profit they come and go."

"Many people rarely came to the Great Granary Academy to meditate before. From March to now in July, the four months of training, this can be considered the liveliest time for the Great Granary Academy."

"The rewards are generous, even geniuses like Shi Yong, Zhuang Ziqing, and Zhao Xing have run over to sign up."

"Brother Liu, you're going to be busy this time."

Liu Tianning stood next to Lu Bang. He looked like a middle-aged man, but he was actually 282 years old.

He was slightly plump, but his fingers were very slender, white as jade, and even his skin was as white as white jade.

Hearing Lu Bang speak, Liu Tianning said, "Although there are many people, I don't know how many are truly learning."

"As for being busy, it won't stump me. Have you forgotten what I teach?"

"The one talking to you is not my true self."

Lu Bang turned his head in astonishment: "Brother Liu, this, this is not your true self? Amazing, I couldn't even tell the real from the fake."

Liu Tianning smiled slightly.

"But since you are not your true self, why drink my wine? What a waste to give it to a straw man." Lu Bang snatched the wine pot from his hand.

"If I don't drink, how can I fool you, Lu Songting? Your Fire Jade Wine contains rich five-element power, which is of great benefit to my straw men. Don't be stingy, bring it here quickly."

After Zhao Xing signed up for the Straw Man training course, Tian Shan also knew immediately and contacted Zhao Xing through the Earth Mirror.

"The Straw Man Technique is easy to learn but hard to master. First and Second Realm straw men are easy to learn, but the Third Realm Straw Man Technique is difficult."

"This technique is time-consuming and labor-intensive. If you sign up for this course, just get the points for meeting the standard; don't waste too much energy."

Even Tian Shan said so, which showed the status of the Straw Man Technique, but Zhao Xing had his own plans and wouldn't follow all of Tian Shan’s arrangements.

Of course, he had to deal with it verbally: "Teacher, don't worry, I have a sense of proportion. If I don't achieve anything in learning, I won't be obsessed with this path."

"Hm, as long as you have a sense of it." Tian Shan nodded. After many days of getting along, he saw that Zhao Xing was a person with strong opinions and had always been on the right path, so he didn't need to worry too much.

It was only now that the Straw Man course was launched, and seeing Zhao Xing sign up, that he said one more sentence.

Putting down the Earth Mirror, Zhao Xing stood in front of a gate in the Great Granary Academy, looking around.

Thousands of people signed up; how would this course be taught, and how would the points be calculated?

Liu Tianning’s method was to teach while testing.

"Straw Man Technique training course, this is the first pass, and also the first lesson."

"The south of the plaza is the place for material placement; choose First and Second Realm materials as you please."

"In the west of the plaza, there is the Straw Man teaching method, which is the nine types promoted by the imperial court."

"In the east of the plaza, there are finished straw man drills; you can observe them yourselves."

"In the north of the plaza, there is the Trial Palace. Anyone who has learned the Straw Man Technique can summon their own straw man to enter it. If qualified, they can fly to the next location to accept the next stage of training. Every time a pass is completed, a corresponding point test is obtained."

Liu Tianning’s voice was played in a loop through echo conchs in all four directions of the plaza.

Zhao Xing looked at the notice board and went straight to the place where materials were placed in the south.

Various materials were placed on the ground, and some were floating in the open space.

Flowers, grass, trees, bamboo, vines, all kinds were there.

However, they were all First and Second Realm materials.

"Whoosh~"

Zhao Xing cast a gale, casually rolling over a pile of materials.

He looked at them, picked out a few, and put the rest back in their original place.

"Grass and trees as soldiers, rise!"

Zhao Xing pointed a golden light at the bundle of rolled grass and leaf strips in front of him.

Times were different now; he didn't need to weave by hand at all.

A single thought could become a spell.

"Chi chi~" "Ci ci~"

Vines, grass stalks, branches, and leaves seemed to come alive, moving and intertwining on the ground. In just an instant, the materials disappeared, replaced by a gray-black straw man standing in place.

A Second Realm Divine Movement Straw Man.

People nearby were attracted by this scene and immediately looked over.

"How so fast, spellcasting in one breath?"

"What powerful control, he didn't waste many of his materials."

"What kind of straw man is this? It’s woven quite nicely."

"Of course it’s nice. The spell conforms to the principles of heaven and earth. When weaving a straw man, its external lines carry the mysteries of the Dao. You’re not just looking at a straw man; you’re observing its Dao."

"I didn't expect Zhao Xing to have accomplishments in the Straw Man Technique. Looking at his straw man, it vaguely has a sense of charm, as if it were alive."

"No wonder, the few straw men next to me are ugly as hell, just like the people casting the spells."

"Brother, it’s fine to say my Straw Man Technique is bad, but it’s too much to say I’m ugly."

"……"

Zhao Xing rolled up the Divine Movement Straw Man, ignored the surrounding gazes, and quickly arrived at the north of the plaza.

Then he ordered the Divine Movement Straw Man to walk into the palace.

"Hum~"

As soon as it entered the palace, a golden light swept over the Divine Movement Straw Man.

Then the ground under the straw man’s feet began to rotate.

It was like becoming a very large treadmill; the Divine Movement Straw Man had to run to avoid being thrown off.

"Persist for a quarter of an hour, or reach the other wall of the palace, and you pass."

"If it’s a Strength Straw Man, the test is pile-driving; one punch down, and the punch mark must enter the wooden pile by half a finger." Zhao Xing looked at the rules of the Trial Palace.

Different types of straw men corresponded to different tests.

The first pass, it wasn't hard to say it was hard, and it wasn't simple to say it was simple.

If one hadn't learned the Straw Man Technique before, learning it on the spot would take a lot of time. Zhao Xing could see that many straw men made by beginners around were strange and varied.

Some broke their hands and feet after taking a few steps, some had three heads and six arms, and some were just shapes that couldn't move at all, as the spells couldn't circulate within the straw man’s body.

Others were even stranger, with triangular heads, arms installed at the neck, and lengths hanging to the ground... they couldn't be considered 'human' shapes at all.

"The first lesson, there's a lot to learn. It’s not that easy to get points."

The speed at which the Divine Movement Straw Man ran in the Trial Palace was extremely fast. If the Straw Man Technique didn't meet the standard, it couldn't pass the next pass.

Of course, if one could learn and pass in the first pass, one could get 50 points.

Not taking it would be a waste, so now seven or eight thousand people were crowded into the first pass.

"Zhao Xing of the Divine Might Army, your Divine Movement Straw Man has passed, please proceed to the next location."

A voice reached Zhao Xing’s ears.

"Yes."

Zhao Xing didn't take back the Divine Movement Straw Man and flew directly to the next place.

The second pass had the same layout.

But the number of people was much smaller.

The course just opened today, and many people were stuck learning in the first pass; fewer than a thousand people could reach the second pass.

"There are already over 8,000 agricultural officials signed up, but fewer than 1,000 can pass the first pass. It seems very few people have learned the Straw Man Technique before."

"It’s equivalent to one in seven or eight people learning it."

So few learned it, let alone studied it diligently.

Zhao Xing passed the first pass and also assessed the difficulty of the first pass. Any Straw Man Technique reaching the fourth turn could pass the test, and even so, it stuck many people.

"Being able to reach the second pass proves that you have learned the Straw Man Technique before and have put in some effort."

"The second pass is still the nine types of Straw Man Techniques promoted by the imperial court."

"Passing the trial will earn you 400 points."

Liu Tianning’s voice echoed in his ears.

The second pass was no different from the first pass; there was still a place for materials, a place for demonstration, and a place for teaching.

Zhao Xing still summoned a Divine Movement Straw Man and then ordered the straw man to enter the Trial Palace.

The test for the Divine Movement Straw Man was the same as the first pass, with the ground rotating, only the treadmill was faster.

And the ground became uneven. To maintain running speed while maintaining stability, the difficulty increased by more than a star or two.

Passing with a fourth-turn straw man was very strenuous; one needed the fifth turn to have absolute certainty.

Zhao Xing’s Divine Movement Straw Man still passed the test quickly.

"Zhao Xing of the Divine Might Army, you have passed the second pass, earned 400 points, and no longer need to learn the content of the second pass. Please proceed to the next location."

Zhao Xing looked at the Earth Mirror, and sure enough, there were 400 more points, sent by 'Liu Tianning' of the Ministry of Agriculture. Added to the 50 points from the first pass, in just this short while, he had earned 450 points.

"Learning spells and making money, how refreshing."

Zhao Xing learned the next location and immediately took off on clouds.

The third pass changed locations to a manor by the mountains and water.

This was also where Liu Tianning lived.

"Whoosh~"

The clouds dispersed, and Zhao Xing landed at the gate outside the manor.

"Please come in."

As soon as he landed, a figure appeared at the gate and invited Zhao Xing.

"Thank you, Teacher." Zhao Xing thought Liu Tianning had come out to greet him personally, so he was somewhat surprised. But looking closely, he discovered that this was not Liu Tianning himself at all, but a straw man.

However, this straw man was too realistic; it had a nose and eyes, even wore clothes, and the skin exposed was flesh-colored. At first glance, Zhao Xing thought it was a real person and felt it was a bit strange, only using Five-Element Observation to see the clues.

"Follow me." Liu Tianning’s straw man turned and jumped forward, quickly arriving at the foot of the mountain. Zhao Xing watched his agile movements climbing the mountain, moving and dodging between the mountain paths, just like a martial artist performing movement techniques.

"Liu Tianning must be a big shot who excels in the Straw Man Technique; he must have some unique secret techniques. I must learn from him." Zhao Xing thought to himself, and couldn't help but quicken his pace.