Chapter 176: Five Great Grotto-Heavens, Four Royal Courts, Zhao Xing Receives Enfeoffment (Part 2)

When Zhao Xing left the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven, he was at the "Proper Eighth Rank, Upper" tier, marked as unable to advance.

That was because he was then a Ninth-Rank selected official, holding no actual post within the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven, so he could cultivate at most to Proper Eighth Rank, Upper.

By rights, the Ninth-Ring mission should conclude before a Seventh-Rank post was assigned, but now he had only completed the first three rings; how had the temporary "Provisional Seventh-Rank, Lower" designation been removed?

Examining the Ninth-Ring military affairs in the Earth Mirror carefully, Zhao Xing suddenly understood after a moment.

"So receiving an 'A' on the first three rings grants an official post."

"For the Ninth-Ring mission I accepted, if the first three rings are graded 'A', one can advance to Provisional Seventh-Rank, Lower."

"If the middle three rings are graded 'A', one can advance to Provisional Seventh-Rank, Upper."

"If the last three rings are graded 'A', one can advance to Proper Seventh-Rank, Lower."

"I thought the enfeoffment would only come after the Ninth-Ring mission ended; so that is how it works."

Zhao Xing could not be blamed for not understanding clearly, for in his past life he had never had such a high starting point; within the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven, only the original Grade-A geniuses were qualified to accept Ninth-Ring missions, and within the Military Bureau of Agriculture, only seventy-five people held this qualification.

Of course, counting all professions, the number of geniuses in the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven who could accept Ninth-Ring missions was much larger, likely around one thousand, after all, the base of trainees in the Bureau of Agriculture was not the largest, and the criteria for grading 'A' in other professions were not as harsh as in the Military Bureau of Agriculture.

"Now I only need to receive my salary in the Temple to become a formal Provisional Seventh-Rank Water Commissioner, no longer temporary."

"With this, the fortune of the state enters my body; the Eighth and Seventh Ranks will be achieved together."

Previously, he had undergone fortune entering his body once in Gucheng.

But that was at the Ninth-Rank level.

"I must break through myself first; otherwise, the state's fortune will have to divert some power to elevate my realm."

Zhao Xing himself was already capable of breaking through to the Seventh Rank; it was only due to the restrictions of the Great Zhou's Fortune Dynasty system that he could not advance.

In reality, his comprehension of the Dao had already reached the Seventh-Rank level.

Mastering multiple high-level arts proved he was sufficient to break through.

"The Water-Drop Art is high-level; the self-created Thunder Art, Lei Ting Breaking Delusion Finger, is high-level; and Divine Stride Protection is also high-level."

"I possess three Solar Term Tokens at the Knowledge Realm Fourth Turn; I have absolutely no need to waste the state's fortune to help me advance my realm."

For things he could accomplish himself, of course he would not waste the state's fortune; this was something Zhao Xing had planned long ago.

He wanted the power of the imperial court to be injected entirely into fortune and extra lifespan.

With this, even if he were demoted in the future, the loss he suffered would be far less than that of someone who relied entirely on the imperial court for advancement.

"Wang Gong." Zhao Xing opened the window and stuck his head out, "Land the flying boat; I wish to make some arrangements in this area."

"Received." Wang Ji immediately operated the flying boat to descend.

"Did you discover other barbarians?" Xia Jing's eyes immediately lit up, and he ran over to inquire.

"Yes, there are some suspicious points," Zhao Xing said. "Once we go down, you should also take men to search the surroundings to see if any barbarians are hiding. Some earth shamans can burrow underground and like to dig tunnels and caves."

"Understood." Xia Jing feared having nothing to do most of all, because in other places, many martial artists had already begun fighting the barbarians, but here, very few barbarians had appeared yet.

The Nine Heavens Ying Yuan Mansion was vast; it was uncertain from which direction the barbarians would come.

"Huff~"

The flying boat landed on a mountainous terrain.

The priests cast spells to summon souls, checking for foreign spirits nearby; the Bureau of Agriculture cast spells to raise wind, exploring the surroundings; the martial artists drilled into forests and entered caves; everyone performed their respective duties.

Zhao Xing, however, activated a concealment art and drilled into the ground beneath.

"Buzz~"

Divine Stride Protection formed an octagonal cage, enveloping Zhao Xing as he continuously descended.

At the Eighth-Rank Spirit Bridge Realm, breaking through to the Seventh-Rank Earth Fiend Realm required drawing Earth Fiend Qi into the body.

For spell-casting professions, breaking through this stage cost no money, because they could burrow down to receive the Earth Fiend Qi.

Martial artists, on the other hand, could only purchase Earth Fiend Beads, seek natural treasure grounds, or rely on the Gong Family's formation arrays to absorb Earth Fiend power.

"Boom~"

The deeper he went, the greater the resistance became; in the Southern Barbarian lands, the earth veins were chaotic, the Five Elements were not manifest, primarily due to interference from Earth Fiend power.

There was nothing else here, but receiving Earth Fiend power to break through was very convenient.

"That's about enough."

Zhao Xing stopped descending, halting at three thousand meters underground.

He then sat cross-legged inside the octagonal cage.

"Hiss hiss hiss~"

The Earth Fiend power underground struck and compressed the octagonal cage.

But all of it was blocked by the Divine Stride Earth Palace.

Adjusting his state to its peak, Zhao Xing pointed with one finger.

"Whoosh whoosh~"

The Heaven-Earth Spirit Bridge manifested, extending outward from the octagonal cage.

"Hiss hiss hiss~"

The Earth Fiend power seemed to have found an outlet, drilling in along the Heaven-Earth Spirit Bridge.

"Such dense Earth Fiend power."

Zhao Xing controlled the absorption speed.

Normally, absorbing primordial energy via the Heaven-Earth Spirit Bridge within a Yangcheng was very comfortable, because the Yangcheng environment was suitable, with primordial energy that was gentle and dense.

But now, as he absorbed, there was little primordial energy; it was all Earth Fiend power.

"Hiss hiss hiss~"

Smoke began to rise from Zhao Xing's body; every inch of his skin became scalding hot, as if he had entered an oil pot.

"Sss~"

Pain! Drawing the Earth Fiend into his body felt exactly like being plunged into a pot of boiling oil; he felt every inch of his muscles and bones being dragged by this ferocious force, while his meridians and acupoints were forcibly expanding.

During this process, Zhao Xing had to constantly repair himself with primal energy, resisting the Earth Fiend's tempering while ensuring his physical body did not collapse.

"No wonder everyone wants to be promoted. With the nation's fortune entering the body, one breaks through in an instant, comfortably advancing from the eighth rank to the seventh, feeling hardly any pain at all."

Cultivating on one's own, such a transformation is relatively painful, and there is a chance of failing the breakthrough.

But joining the Fortune Dynasty system, once bestowed with an official title and fortune, the breakthrough is one hundred percent painless.

Naturally breaking through and breaking through via the national fortune's promotion make no difference in combat power.

The seven souls of the physical body are equally strong.

"But those who break through their realm on their own must possess stronger willpower, and need not worry about their realm plummeting after being demoted."

"Ancient method cultivation tests a person's aptitude and intellect even more."

Zhao Xing carefully sensed the impact of the Earth Fiend's power on his body, while simultaneously circulating the Yin Yang Benwo Sutra to observe the changes within his body, constantly adjusting.

The pain in his body also allowed Zhao Xing to conduct a comprehensive review of his cultivation.

This too is a process of comprehending the Dao.

"Drawing the Earth Fiend's power into the body to temper oneself, causing violent changes in the internal Five Elements and Heaven and Earth; is this not the human metamorphosis?"

"This transformation is even more violent than at the ninth rank. It's just that compared to the century-long metamorphosis or the millennium-long metamorphosis, it is not on the same level."

"Starting from the seventh rank realm, there is a risk of qi deviation."

"The so-called qi deviation can be viewed as a terrifying natural disaster occurring within the body's Heaven and Earth."

Zhao Xing recalled some theories of the Benwo Sect regarding human metamorphosis; at this moment, he actually saw a flow of Five Elements energy, fine as silk and thread, moving throughout his entire body.

"Hmm? Did the Yin Yang Benwo Sutra just break through to the second layer?"

Yin Yang Benwo Sutra, first layer: internal observation of the Five Elements.

Second layer: internal observation of the Five Elements, their energy fine as silk and thread.

Third layer: internal observation of the Five Elements, visible Five Elements particles.

"Although I only saw a single thread, this is a qualitative transformation."

Zhao Xing was overjoyed.

Being able to internally observe the Five Elements energy in a thread-like form means he can control it on a deeper level and adjust his body more perfectly.

"The spells of the Benwo Sect will all gain additional power because of this."

Thump-thump~ Thump-thump~

The Earth Fiend entering the body had completed the initial transformation of the seven souls of the physical body.

The pain receded like a tide, replaced by the powerful beating of his heart; the numbness and soreness vanished completely.

Zhao Xing felt a strength unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

"I actually feel a sensation that I am terrifyingly strong, strong enough to punch a hole through the sky." Zhao Xing smiled.

At this moment, silver bones had just begun to form within his body, his blood and qi flowed like mercury, and his physical body was so formidable it rivaled those genius eighth-rank martial artists.

Of course, the most important thing was that the total amount and quality of his primal energy had increased, reaching the thirty-first stage of Primal Energy Gathering.

"The Earth Fiend tempering the seven souls of the physical body has made my perception of the Heaven and Earth's Five Elements and the principles of Yin and Yang even deeper."

"The seventh rank realm is simply continuously tempering with the Earth Fiend's power; when this transformation reaches its limit, one has reached the perfection of the seventh rank."

The breakthrough was very fast; it was completed in no more than a single double-hour from start to finish.

Mainly because the effects of the Dao Embryo Pill had fully manifested; his aptitude was solid, his comprehension of the Dao was sufficient, so self-breaking through held no possibility of failure.

"Go up."

Zhao Xing controlled the Octagonal Cage Underground Palace to ascend.

Compared to when he came down, his speed was more than double.

"Any discoveries?"

As soon as Zhao Xing surfaced from the ground, Xia Jing ran over to ask.

"Nothing. What about you?"

Xia Jing shook his head: "We found some traces, but it was a long time ago. After all, this place is too close to the Yingyuan Prefecture Boundary Stone; even if scouts came, they wouldn't stay long."

"Then let's withdraw the team. First, we'll pry open the mouth of that person from the Hana Tribe; one Hana Tribe is enough for us to feast on."

"True." Xia Jing waved his hand, and his roar spread outward: "Withdraw the team!"

As soon as he walked into the cabin, he saw Cao Shuang approaching with a joyful expression.

"Hahaha, Brother Zhao, thanks to you, my third ring task is complete!"

"No respect for elders." Han Bing, expressionless, said: "You must address him as My Lord Zhao!"

ooco

"Yes, yes, yes, thank you, My Lord Zhao!" Cao Shuang bowed with a grin.

"Thank you, My Lord Zhao." Behind Cao Shuang, many Agricultural Officials bowed with clasped hands.

Zhao Xing smiled: "Everyone, no need for such courtesy. The prevention and control in Yun City was not solely my effort; everyone has a share."

Che Shihai said: "That's different. If you hadn't arrived early and set up the Yun City framework properly, how could we be officially promoted now?"

"Hehe, I am now a formal eighth-rank Agricultural Inspector. How fast!"

The third ring task ended not just for Zhao Xing; for any Agricultural Official in Yun City, the third ring task ended at this moment.

Because their task directions were all the same, and some were even easier than Zhao Xing's.

Many temporary official positions for ninth-rank and eighth-rank Agricultural Officials became formal official positions.

"I was from the upper eighth rank; this temporary appointment is now void. Returning to the Temple of the Gods will grant a formal appointment."

"Same here, hahaha."

Because the prevention and control standards in Yun City had now reached an extremely high level, while the alien races of the Southern Wasteland were currently only using low-rank troops for training, the impact of natural disasters had an upper limit.

The outcome projected by the ZaoHua Pan indicated that Yun City could no longer suffer large-scale damage, so the Ministry of Agriculture officials in Yun City were settled on their third-stage mission.

"Envious," said the Wu Si personnel nearby, joining the chatter. Their own third-stage mission was still unfinished.

Primarily due to terrain: near the Nine Heavens Yinyuan Mansion's Wangnan County, all areas rely on the Canglan River, so the Southern Barbarians began with natural disasters—naturally, the Ministry of Agriculture completed their mission first.

In places far from river basins, the situation was different.

If facing a tribe skilled in commanding yin spirits, the shamans would complete their third-stage mission first.

For tribes focused on close combat, warriors would complete their third-stage mission faster.

As for engineers, physicians, and ritual cultivators, the speed at which these three professions completed their third-stage mission depended solely on their own abilities, with little influence from geography.

Enemy conditions varied, so officials and soldiers across regions completed their missions at different speeds.

It wasn't good or bad either—some had already died during their third-stage mission; where could they seek justice?

"Thanks to being in Yun City, my third-stage mission was the fastest and smoothest—I was just a bit tired," Che Shihai sighed. "I have a friend in Jiangbei County—he died during his third-stage mission."

"Yes, I have a friend in Fan City—his third-stage mission ended too, but it ended in failure. He was an Eighth Rank Lingqiao cultivator, yet he only received a Ninth Rank official post."

"Fan City? Tsk-tsk, your friend being alive is already lucky. Rumor has it Fan City was attacked by a genius under the Zi Long Wang Ting—three thousand warriors and two hundred military agricultural officers died: seven out of ten warriors perished, half the military agricultural officers fell, and it was only a hundred-man barbarian squad that did it."

"What? That's exaggerated?"

"Not exaggerated. The Southern Barbarians have geniuses too. The geniuses trained under the Zi Long Wang Ting have formidable combat power."

A group of people began discussing it.

While stationed in Yun City, everyone kept track of conditions elsewhere—through military intelligence bulletins, earth-mirror communications, or official death lists released from above, they could all see what was happening outside.

Not everyone was this fortunate—only those in Yun City completed their third-stage mission smoothly and received promotions!

Elsewhere, during the campaign against the Southern Barbarians, losses were mutual.

"My third-stage mission is done, and there's no clear mission after that. To get promoted now, I must earn battlefield merit," said a Ninth Rank agricultural officer. "Promotion is harder now."

"It is hard," said another agricultural officer. "The Bingjie Sect's chain missions are an extension of training at the Shi Yang Cave Heaven, easier than normal promotion. Without these missions, we compete with everyone in this Pacification Army."

"You make it sound like we have it easy," Cao Shuang sneered. "Our fourth-stage mission requires killing enemies too."

"True, but that's not the point," Che Shihai said. "The missions assigned to Class-A geniuses are targeted, but their difficulty is still high."

"Brother Cao, Brother Che, you're mistaken," said an Eighth Rank agricultural officer. "Without Bingjie's chain missions, our promotions must be tallied and summarized by the Nine Heavens Yinyuan Mansion's Ministry of War. Who knows what changes might occur? Those with chain missions get promoted immediately—Bingjie is absolutely fair."

Cao Shuang and Che Shihai fell silent. Indeed, Class-A geniuses received better treatment.

Their official ranks were directly granted by Bingjie; without chain missions, merit was tallied by the Nine Heavens Yinyuan Mansion's Ministry of War—a more complicated process, and disputes over credit were likely.

Xia Jing spoke up: "Don't worry, this Pacification Campaign differs greatly from past ones—it's no longer petty skirmishes."

"The imperial court will soon open the Pacification Campaign Merit List!"

"Once opened, no matter whether you're in elite or weak armies, whatever your background—if you have battlefield merit, there will be no corruption or distortion of truth."

"Pacification Campaign Merit List?" Chen Fang exclaimed. "Really? Already? So fast?"

"Yes," Xia Jing nodded. "I estimate it's imminent. The imperial court's resolve this time is not to be underestimated."

"The Young Marquis speaks truly. I've heard small-scale battles have already broken out in many places. This time, they're reorganizing border troops and mobilizing large numbers of Bingjie reserve forces—training standards differ from any in the past hundred years."

"Geez, is a major war really coming?!"

"I don't ask for much—just get a proper Eighth Rank post before the main army deploys."

"Pathetic. You're already a Lower Ninth Rank—aim for Seventh Rank at least."

"Who knows how the battle will unfold? I was lucky—I got assigned Zhao Xing as my commander, with the Young Marquis leading us."

"Match your ability to your rank. If I were given Seventh Rank, I couldn't yet fight at that level—I haven't even mastered a single high-level technique."

"That's true…"

On the way back, many discussed recent military intelligence bulletins and the imperial court's resolve in this Pacification Campaign.

As time passed, even lower-ranking soldiers began sensing that the imperial court intended a major operation in this Pacification Campaign.

No longer petty skirmishes—because the Southern Barbarians had also produced powerful tribes.

In past small-scale training drills, even the lowest Third Rank sent were ordinary Third Ranks.

How could there be such large-scale mobilization now?

Zhao Xing knew the Zhou Dynasty was determined to pacify the barbarians, but he didn't recall exactly when the Pacification Campaign Merit List would open.

To avoid misinformation, he immediately searched for intelligence upon returning, including information on Zhuang Ziqing, the direct grandson of the Dream Marquis.

In the Marching Hall of the Department of Waterworks, a holographic projection appeared before Zhao Xing—it was Zhuang Ziqing.

"This time, Bingjie has dispatched five Cave Heavens, totaling forty-nine armies for training. The Southern Barbarians have responded with four Wang Tings and one hundred eight tribes."

"The five Cave Heavens, besides Shi Yang Cave Heaven, are Huan You Cave Heaven, Dan Xia Cave Heaven, Zhao Shi Cave Heaven, and Yuan Hua Cave Heaven."

"The Southern Barbarians' four Wang Tings are Jin Yu Wang Ting, Zi Long Wang Ting, Sheng Ling Wang Ting, and Yan Guang Wang Ting."

Zhuang Ziqing said: "The Southern Barbarians' four Wang Tings have also sent many geniuses. I nearly suffered a major setback these past few days."

"My third-stage mission will take longer to complete."

"Shi Yong and I both took heavy losses, but thankfully we kept the Insect Witch from succeeding. Be careful—don't be careless."

Zhao Xing nodded: "You too."

Hum~

The hologram vanished.

Soon after, Chen Shijie's hologram appeared in the hall.

"Zhao Xing, the letters have arrived—the Nine Heavens Yinyuan Mansion's casualty list, plus casualty lists from Dantong Prefecture and Anping Prefecture along the frontline for March and April. Some are from Bingjie's tally, others from prefectural records—minor discrepancies may exist."

"I received it," Zhao Xing raised the official document in his hand. "When will you cross the river?"

"I'll come after the Pacification Campaign Merit List opens," Chen Shijie said. "Be careful."

"Don't worry," Zhao Xing smiled. "I won't rush in."

After speaking with Chen Shijie.

Zhao Xing looked at the list in his hand; this was the casualty list after entering April.

It only listed the situation within the Ten Yang Cave Heaven.

Yet more than three thousand people had already died.

It didn't seem like much, but this only counted the Ten Yang Cave Heaven; there were also the standing armies of the Nine Heavens Ying Yuan Prefecture and officials at various commandery and county levels.

"Right now it's just the beginning; the casualties are still small."

"Once the Great Zhou's Pacification Merit List is announced and the Southern Barbarians open the Divine Court Golden List, both sides will go mad for merit," Zhao Xing thought silently.

Normal promotion is far too difficult; if one slowly endures to build a record of achievement, it might take decades or even a century to reach First Rank.

Fighting in war is much faster.

However, opportunities are always tied to danger.

"By the end of April, the Merit List will likely be released. The five major Cave Heavens training the first batch, forty-nine armies, will fight for a while; once people have died in sufficient numbers and the old, weak, sick, and disabled are eliminated, another batch will be rotated in."

The Great Pacification War continued until the thirty-fifth year of the Jingxin Era; in the first few years, the Great Zhou military and the Southern Barbarian Wang Ting always sent low-rank soldiers to fight.

The purpose was to eliminate the opponent's foundational talent as much as possible, leaving them with a shortage of successors; this was also a form of internal self-elimination and screening.

During this period, Fifth Rank experts rarely entered the fray; only when one side felt things were ready would they deploy Fifth Rank experts on a large scale, which marked the moment when a true result would be decided.

"First, go to the Tianxin Hall to receive the investiture."

Zhao Xing gathered his thoughts; early the next morning, he arrived within the temple.

The process was the same as when he was Ninth Rank: enter the Tianxin Hall, bow before the statues of the Taizu and Wendi Emperors, then bow to the Jing Emperor.

The two statues and the spirit tablet all emitted points of Jin Guang, which quickly filled the entire Tianxin Hall.

The light was so bright it made Zhao Xing unable to open his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, Zhao Xing saw a massive Tianmen.

Last time, he had flown through the Tianmen from outside it to enter the Heavenly Palace.

This time, he was already inside the Heavenly Palace, standing among the ranks of civil and military officials, so there was no such process.

A golden giant sat upon a massive throne, overlooking heaven and earth.

When Zhao Xing looked over, the giant pointed lightly with one finger.

Voom~

Jin Guang entered his body; Zhao Xing felt a vast, majestic power enter his body.

Zhao Xing felt a layer of obstruction vanish; his previous comprehension of the Five Elements spells, which seemed covered by a layer of hazy shadow, suddenly became clear.

Immediately after, his Fate Soul was stirred; he involuntarily closed his eyes and gazed inward to perceive the existence of his Fate Soul.

Beneath the Fate Soul, there had originally been a thin layer of Jin Guang.

But now, two more layers had been added.

They were Eighth Rank and Seventh Rank respectively.

"Jin Guang laid beneath the Fate Soul, forging the foundation of the Fate Palace."

"This time, only a very small portion was distributed to the realm," Zhao Xing thought silently.

Since he had cultivated to Seventh Rank with a solid foundation, the vast majority of these two layers of Jin Guang were absorbed by the Fate Soul itself.

Part increased his lifespan, and part increased his fortune.

This process ended quickly; Zhao Xing knelt and bowed toward the front.

"Your subject Zhao Xing bows and thanks His Majesty!"

"May His Majesty live forever without limit!"

"Rise." The Jing Emperor's voice echoed within the Heavenly Palace; as this sound rang out, Zhao Xing found his own body had become somewhat taller.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zhao Xing glanced back; at that moment, many short officials stood behind him.

Those were the endless Ninth and Eighth Ranks of the Great Zhou.

Being ranked Deputy Seventh Rank already surpassed many people!

After the worship ended and the illusion before his eyes vanished, Zhao Xing bowed again according to the procedure; only after walking out of the temple did he check his own changes through the panel.

【Name: Zhao Xing】

【Realm: Deputy Seventh Rank, Lower】

【Occupation: Minister of Agriculture】

【Fortune: Yan San】

【Gathering Yuan: Thirty-First Tier】

【Fate Soul: Early Seventh Rank】

【Extra Lifespan: 140 years】

"The Fate Soul has reached Early Seventh Rank; extra lifespan has increased by sixty years."

"The Jing Emperor was generous this time; I reached Deputy Seventh Rank, Lower, yet he added sixty years?"

But upon careful thought, Zhao Xing felt relieved.

This would be war!

Moreover, it was war in a foreign land; soldiers had many opportunities to summon gods, but fighting in a foreign land carried a great cost for summoning gods, consuming lifespan.

Generosity was impossible; every gift from the Jing Emperor had already been marked with a price.

"Fortune has not changed; it remains Yan San."

"It will likely only change upon reaching Deputy Sixth Rank."

The level of Fortune is the hardest to raise; Zhao Xing was originally Yan San, and to climb to Yan Four, the Eighth and Seventh Rank stages were still insufficient.

It must be known that many Fifth Rank officials only possess Yan San Fortune.

Of course, no one else could see this; even a fifth-rank official did not know how strong his fortune truly was, and had no idea whether the Jing Emperor was being stingy.

"From Lower Seventh Rank, Upper Seventh Rank, Lower Sixth Rank, to Upper Sixth Rank, there are still three levels to cross. Each level crossed increases lifespan and fortune, though one only enters the Heart of Heaven Hall for an audience when promoted in rank."

"After that, there is no need for such trouble."

As for spells, nothing had changed; the imperial court had merely opened the path of advancement. One's comprehension of the Dao would not improve significantly.

Of course, if one's comprehension of the Dao had previously been very slow and one's aptitude particularly poor, it would return to normal levels after promotion.

But for Zhao Xing, he had no such need. Therefore, when he received his title, he did not disperse his power; almost all of it was added to extra lifespan and fortune, with only a small portion improving the level of his 'Life Soul'.

Leaving the temple, Zhao Xing headed to the Yun County government office.

After a night, he estimated that Zhao Bi must have already been dug out from top to bottom.

Arriving at the government office, Zhao Xing went straight to the Prison Office.

Many Sikou stood around; these were a branch of the Martial Artist profession, collectively known with the Patrol Office and the Martial Office as the Three Offices of the Martial Dao.

However, in Zhao Xing's view, the Sikou were actually a hybrid of Martial Artist and Ritual Cultivator, for they were more skilled in mental attacks; when interrogating prisoners, the Sikou were the most proficient.

Arriving at the Prison Office, Zhao Xing saw Xia Jing and Duan Ren.

Bowing with clasped hands to go through the formalities, Zhao Xing then looked at Xia Jing.

"How is it?"

"We got it out of him," Xia Jing said. "We are conducting the third comparison."

"It's about enough." Zhao Xing took the interrogation records and glanced at them. "We must act quickly. A day has already passed. If Zhao Bi, this young clan leader, does not return soon, the Hana Tribe might move their location."

"Even if it is merely a lateral shift, in the vast Fengming Mountains, it will be very difficult for us to find them again."

"You make sense," Xia Jing said. "Let us depart immediately."

"Leave this fellow to me." Zhao Xing pointed at Zhao Bi in the cell. "And summon Yuan Yang."

"What do you intend to do?" Xia Jing asked in surprise. "If we loosen the restrictions even slightly, he will commit suicide; he will never act as a guide."

"I don't want him alive." Zhao Xing pulled Yuan Yang aside. "I want his skin, with a high degree of completeness. Is there any problem?"

"No problem." Yuan Yang nodded. "I will peel it off for you. You wait here."

"No, I will go with you," Zhao Xing said. "This person is full of treasures; I have other uses for him."

Xia Jing overheard the two's conversation, but he made no reaction.

Duan Ren was a Ritual Cultivator and could not bear to hear such things; the moment Zhao Xing spoke the first sentence, he sealed his hearing and walked straight out.

Carrying the bamboo box on his back, Zhao Xing entered the cell with Yuan Yang.

Chen Fang and the others went out.

"Pfft!"

Yuan Yang's needle pierced Zhao Bi's heart, instantly killing him.

"Rise!"

Zhao Xing unrolled a pile of materials from the bamboo box, instantly forming a straw man with black-and-white stripes.

【Soul-Restraining Straw Man】

Hoo~

A cold wind swept past, and a faint shadow instantly floated up from Zhao Bi's body.

Seeing this, Yuan Yang's hand trembled. The Bright Eye Spell was a universal spell that everyone learned; he saw Zhao Bi's soul.

"Why are your hands shaking? This is an officially certified Soul-Restraining Straw Man," Zhao Xing said. "Do not panic."

"I am not panicking," Yuan Yang said, but the look in his eyes toward Zhao Xing held an added measure of fear. Techniques like the Soul-Restraining Straw Man were very similar to the evil arts of hermits and demons.

One could not simply say they were not panicking and thus not panic; because Yuan Yang stood nearby, he felt his Life Soul being tugged.

Although Zhao Xing claimed it was an officially certified Soul-Restraining Straw Man, and he knew Zhao Xing was one of their own, he was still afraid.

"Done."

Yuan Yang quickly removed Zhao Bi's skin.

"Thank you for your hard work." Zhao Xing rolled up the human skin, moved to another cell, then lit a fire and boiled water, placing the skin inside to drain it dry. He then poured some miscellaneous items from the bamboo box into the pot.

Outside, Chen Fang and Yuan Yang could not help but swallow their saliva.

"How did I not know the Military Agriculture Office had such operations?" Chen Fang's voice grew quieter. "Does Brother Zhao have some perverted fetish?"

"He said these are the Soul-Restraining Straw Man and Illusion-Forming Straw Man approved by the imperial court," Yuan Yang whispered. "I have never seen them either."

Of course they had never seen them; these were all learned from Liu Tianning.

The Soul-Restraining Straw Man paired with the Illusion-Forming Straw Man was the best combination.

In a short while, Zhao Xing walked out of the cell, followed by a naked man.

Chen Fang took one look, and goosebumps instantly rose all over him.

For this person was the very image of Zhao Bi, with even the same aura.

"Where are his clothes and accessories?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Th-they are over there. I will go get them." Chen Fang immediately ran over and fetched all of Zhao Bi's belongings.

"Hoo~"

A strong wind blew, and Zhao Bi instantly put on his clothes, looking almost exactly the same as before he was captured.

"Chen Fang!"

Zhao Bi suddenly spoke.

"What do you think of this disguise of mine, Young Master?"

Chen Fang forced a smile and instinctively stepped back a pace: "Good, um, very good."

Zhao Xing was speechless: "Chen Fang, aren't you usually quite bold? Why are you so cowardly now?"

"Listen carefully. How is the Southern Barbarian common tongue spoken by this straw man?"

Chen Fang thought carefully and said, "There's still a bit of Great Zhou accent."

"We can only practice slowly," Zhao Xing said. "I'm not very good at this."

Carrying the Illusion-Form Soul-Restraining Straw Man, they walked out; Xia Jing waited at the door.

Seeing Zhao Ke step out, he was instantly stunned: "Why haven't you killed him yet?"

Seeing Zhao Xing smile without speaking, Xia Jing examined him closely again, then his expression changed slightly: "Is this the Soul-Restraining Straw Man technique? You want his skin for this?"

"Mm." Zhao Xing nodded.

Shen Mingyu, the priest who had just arrived to assemble, changed color: "My Lord Zhao, this method... harms the harmony of heaven and earth."

Zhao Xing smiled and said, "After defeating the Hana tribe, won't this young master have to lead his clan to seek refuge with other tribes?"

"Insect witches are rare; if you say he goes to seek refuge, will others even want him?"

"We follow the vine to get the melon; if we can take out a whole string of people, that's a booming stream of war merits!"

"My Lord Shen will not only make up for his previous oversight in performance reviews but also get promoted. Do you still think it harms the harmony of heaven and earth now?"

Shen Mingyu thought for a moment and said, "The law has no good or evil; used rightly, it is right! My Lord Zhao speaks with reason."

So this is what they mean by great Confucian scholars will argue the scriptures for me... Zhao Xing smiled and boarded the boat.

April 11.

Zhao Xing, Xia Jing, Zhang Yi, Yuan Yang, and Wang Ji, with a combined force of 1,800 men from the five bureaus, boarded two flying boats and entered the Fengming Mountain Range.

Three hours later, they discovered the hiding place of the Hana tribe.

"Prepare for battle!"

Guaranteed two updates merged into one, released together. No extra updates today; continuing to adjust the schedule. The 14 owed updates this month will definitely be paid back.