Chapter 25: Cutting and Devouring, Crushing the Opponent

Chen Shijie wore the look of a man watching a show, and the other officials could only helplessly accept the invitation and take their seats.

What could they do? After all, he was the one in charge.

His rank was higher than theirs, his cultivation was stronger, and on top of that, Chen Shijie was the youngest official in the Agricultural Bureau—not just in Gucheng, but in the entire Nanyang Commandery, he was considered young.

It went without saying that this Lord Chen's future would not stop at official Ninth Rank.

"Lord Chen's revisions are truly worthy of applause. The Agricultural Bureau serves the people and must contend with Heaven and Earth—without the heart to strive and win, how can anything be accomplished?"

The first to speak after sitting down was Gao Li. He had misspoken during the last Lesser Heat examination and had been looking for a chance to make up for it; now he had finally caught an opportunity to express that his views aligned with his superior's.

Chen Shijie gave a faint smile and nodded in response.

This flattery was too clumsy—it was almost a verbatim repetition of what Chen Shijie had said last time.

Tang Wanchun was far more skillful. Rather than praising directly, he brought up the clerk Chen Shijie had previously commended: "I see the first clerk to raise his cloud layer truly grasped Lord Chen's good intentions, and so seized the advantage. I wonder if he can hold on."

"Lord Xue's questions were comprehensive—they tested the clerks' ability and also their endurance. Going four days and three nights without food or drink in the brutal summer heat is no simple matter."

Chen Shijie was indeed intrigued: "I recall that in the last minor examination, this man also performed remarkably well. Xue Lao, was he taught by you?"

Xue Wenzhong had not intended to speak and had closed his eyes to rest after sitting down, but since the conversation had turned to Zhao Xing, he changed his mind: "Indeed, his name is Zhao Xing. I only did my modest part in teaching him—the main reason is his own excellent comprehension. Lord Chen, please look after him more; this boy is a rare talent."

Chen Shijie nodded: "If Xue Lao says so, then I really must watch his performance closely."

Xue Wenzhong rarely praised anyone in public, let alone recommended a clerk under him in front of Chen Shijie—had he taken on a disciple? This put the other officials on guard.

Being appointed to a full official position was not only the clerks' aspiration; these proper officials valued it greatly as well. Recommending and educating was a major merit!

Someone was about to say something when they heard Chen Shijie's gaze fix on a certain spot: "Look, someone is charging at Zhao Xing."

Zhao Xing was the first to move his cloud, occupying two spring wells and three stacks of grass ash to the northeast.

To his north was Wen Nanxing, to his south was Xiao Ze. The challengers defeated by these two immediately set their sights on Zhao Xing.

But looking at Zhao Xing's cloud, he was no easy mark either—at the level of a seventh-tier spell, he ranked among the top in the Agricultural Bureau.

Quite a few people were watching, but only three came over.

One of them, a fair-skinned youth, cupped his hands toward Zhao Xing: "Huang Tao of Hundred Flower Garden. Brother Zhao, might I ask you to move aside?"

Huang Tao planned to try courtesy before force; the seventh-tier cloud above Zhao Xing's head and his previous top-grade results still deserved respect.

Zhao Xing sneered: "Brother Huang, might I ask you to get lost?"

Huang Tao's face stiffened, and his gaze turned hostile: "You alone occupy two spring wells and three stacks of grass ash, and you still refuse to yield. Very well then—my apologies!"

The people beside him had long grown impatient with the failed negotiation: "Why waste words on him? He just got lucky with a top grade and now he's unbearably arrogant… Cloud!"

The three simultaneously cast their cloud spells, clouds rolling and unfolding—Huang Tao included, all at the seventh tier!

The dark clouds unfurled and rushed violently toward Zhao Xing's position.

"It's been a long time since I've had a proper contest." Zhao Xing licked his lips, staring at the clouds above, feeling a hint of excitement.

In truth, he had long been waiting for challengers—sooner or later this would come; otherwise, he could hardly secure his footing.

"Rise, wind!"

Zhao Xing pointed, and a great wind came from the east.

Then the wind split in two, blowing toward two places.

"Whooo~"

"Woooo~"

Two fierce gusts blew toward the two challengers beside Huang Tao. Their clouds actually piled up mid-air and rolled backward, as if a wall of wind stood there!

"Huh? My cloud won't move!"

"Mine too, it can't get through."

The two challengers looked shocked—they hadn't expected Zhao Xing's Rise Wind spell to be able to block them.

"Hah!" The two, refusing to believe it, increased their Pang Yuan Qi.

Yet however many times their clouds rolled forward, the wind blew back just as many times.

The more they tried to push forward, the greater the resistance; after exhausting their strength, they had only advanced a tiny bit!

"Why is his Rise Wind so strange!"

"This wind is bizarre—it seems to know my weakness, and it slips in, darting about everywhere… not good!"

One of them, whose Pang Yuan Qi control was slightly weaker, saw his cloud collapse by nearly half.

Once it began to scatter, it could no longer be held back, and he lost the contest of strength.

Before the three had even threatened Zhao Xing, one of them had his cloud scattered by the wind!

"Cough, cough, cough, cough…" The clerk who suffered Pang Yuan Qi backlash from his scattered cloud coughed without stop.

Huang Tao's face changed at the sight, and a sense of foreboding rose in his heart—for his position had not encountered any obstruction at all.

It had only just begun; how had his companion already fallen?

But there was no time to worry about that now. Taking advantage of Zhao Xing's distraction in dealing with his companion, he drove his cloud forward in a vicious crash.

"Hum~"

The expected great collision did not occur—no thunder, no rain, no wind.

Zhao Xing's cloud suddenly caved in sharply, revealing flickering lightning within, like a vast purple-black maw.

"What?" In Huang Tao's perception, a portion of his own cloud had simply lost contact, as if a chunk had been bitten clean off.

Immediately after, the dark cloud above Zhao Xing's head rushed swiftly toward it.

"Boom!" A tremendous thunderclap!

The cloud above Huang Tao's head shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"What? This—such exquisite technique… I concede!" Huang Tao felt he had completely lost control of his cloud and shouted at once.

But Zhao Xing paid him no heed. The lightning cut like a blade, precise and ruthless, utterly shattering Huang Tao's control and devouring that mass of cloud qi.

"Pfft~" Huang Tao felt as though blades were slicing through his mind. His spell backlash was far heavier than the others', and he dropped stiff to the ground in an instant.

"Brother Huang, Brother Huang…" his companion immediately ran over to support him.

"I-I'm fine…" Huang Tao panted heavily. "Stop trying. Let's go somewhere else."

"That Zhao Xing really went too hard." his companion complained. "It was just a sparring match—how can we let him get away with it?"

"No. We're outmatched; there's nothing to say." Huang Tao looked toward Zhao Xing, a deep wariness flashing through his eyes. His control over spells gave me the feeling it even surpassed Wen Nanxing and Xiao Ze. Forcing a fight would only be asking for humiliation. Let's go!"

Seeing the three slink away, Zhao Xing then borrowed the wind to transmit his voice, spreading it in all directions: "Is there any other colleague who wants to come seize my Zhao Xing's territory? Feel free to try!"