Chapter 250: Returning to the Great Dream Academy, a Super-Ninth-Rank Giant Puppet Divine Weapon!

A small detachment from the Restoration Army is stationed on Twin Island, numbering only five hundred men.

The commanding general is named Jiang Tian, of Upper Fifth Rank, with eight Sixth Rank deputy generals, while all others are Seventh Rank.

They were not summoned by Zhao Xing; rather, Sun Shizhao submitted a report to Chongming Prefecture requesting their stationing.

Originally, Zhao Xing did not agree to send troops to Twin Island.

Because the island's overt strength is better the weaker it is; if it is weak enough that others are too lazy to attack, it will naturally be safe.

What use is adding another army of five hundred men?

Previously, He Wu of the Wuluo Army and Fang Ze of the Jiujiang Army both expressed that they could send a five-hundred-man unit led by a Fifth Rank officer to station there.

But Zhao Xing rejected them all.

It was still the same words: useless.

If trouble truly arises, even an extra fifteen hundred men would hardly play a major role.

Instead, it might attract attention.

If it were Fourth Rank, that would be useful, but with a configuration of a Fourth Rank main general, Fifth Rank deputy generals, and Sixth Rank soldiers... for a mere Twin Island County, what merit do you have?

Therefore, Zhao Xing did not approve of sending troops to station, at least not to his Ludao.

But he could not withstand Sun Shizhao's repeated requests.

In recent years, Sun Shizhao has indeed been trembling with fear, because several other islands have suffered attacks to varying degrees.

Some magistrates had their heads cut off, dying in the line of duty, while others were demoted for failing to protect the people adequately.

Serving as an official at sea offers great opportunities for promotion, but it is also dangerous; Sun Shizhao was mentally prepared for this.

It is just that he did not catch a good time; he has been an official for twenty years, and just happened to coincide with the Great Campaign against the Man, making the Eastern Sea less easy to navigate than before.

Because the administrative assessments for the entire Pinghaizhou region have become stricter.

If it were not for the arrival of Marquis Yuan Rang nine years ago, even if he were demoted to Lower Fifth Rank, he would have returned to the interior to serve as an official.

After Zhao Xing arrived, he felt his luck had finally turned, with promotion in sight.

However, in these few years since the Mid-Rank Great War began, the danger level in the Eastern Sea has grown greater year by year.

Sun Shizhao simply does not understand: with the Eastern Sea Legion present, and with aquatic chieftain armies like Bai Bai Yunwu's blocking the outer seas, why can't even mere 'pirates' be wiped out?

They say spies from Fangwaizong Sect who have been lying dormant for years are surfacing, but after several years of purging, why has no progress been seen? The coastal defense maps have changed so many times, yet why is it still like a sieve?

Serving as an official to the extent of Sun Shizhao is quite helpless.

Outside there is the Xie Sect, inside there are spies; the imperial court is purging, while the Xie Sect carries out terrorist attacks.

When he tries to do something, he finds that he, as the top leader, cannot make the final decision.

When he applied to Chongming Prefecture to station a military camp, the Prefectural Vice Magistrate actually told him to ask Zhao Xing, the Left Director of Justice, for his opinion.

The reason given was that the expenses for stationing troops must come from the Ministry of Agriculture, so he must first ask Director Zhao of Agriculture.

Sun Shizhao then understood that he could not make the final decision.

Because Chongming Prefecture's reason was quite nonsense; even according to the reply from above, if anyone needed to be asked, it should be Fang Anmin, the Fifth Rank Director of the Twin Island Ministry of Agriculture, who is the actual top leader in charge of county finances.

What is the deal with asking the Director of the Longma Office?

Fine, Marquis Yuan Rang is powerful, with a big background; asking him is no harm.

But why won't he agree to send more strong troops to protect Twin Island?

Having muddled through the officialdom for many years, Sun Shizhao truly cannot understand the situation anymore.

Seeing that Sun Shizhao had requested repeatedly over the years, and to give Sun Shizhao peace of mind, Zhao Xing agreed to let the five hundred men of the Restoration Army enter and station there.

With an army to protect them, he finally felt somewhat at ease, but in these past few days, Sun Shizhao's eyelids have started twitching again.

His heart is also thumping.

He went to find Jiang Tian uneasily, but Jiang Tian did not have this feeling.

He planned to run to the Longma Office on Ludao to report to Zhao Xing, but feared Zhao Xing would be annoyed by him.

Anxious, too anxious; Sun Shizhao had thought many times about applying for a transfer, but seeing that ten years of merit were nearly complete, with only half a year left, he was unwilling to give up this opportunity.

Anxious, mentally exhausted; Sun Shizhao had never felt so tired before.

When he could not see hope, he dared to bet his entire fortune that Zhao Xing could lead Twin Island to take off.

But now, a few years later, his state of mind is far from what it used to be.

People always become anxious about gains and losses when they are close to success.

Sun Shizhao just wants to quickly finish the twenty-ninth year of the Jingxin Era, quickly receive an excellent assessment from Chongming Prefecture, quickly...

"My Lord Sun, quickly activate the city's great formation! Organize the people to enter the city, hurry!"

"What?" Sun Shizhao instantly jolted awake and immediately sprang up; he recognized this as Jiang Tian's voice.

"General, what has happened?"

Jiang Tian's men were not here; he was using a Thousand-Mile Transmission Token: "The hidden sentry I left on the east side of the island is dead; a patrol squad's signal does not match!"

"I pretended not to know and delayed the time, but you must act quickly!"

"Good!"

Jiang Tian immediately transmitted his voice to all departments of the county city.

"Heavenly Works Office, immediately activate the border defense great formation!"

"Patrol Office Luo Yong, take men to assist the city defense; anyone who cannot enter the city is definitely a spy, kill them immediately!"

"Additionally, dispatch a portion to go to the Ministry of Agriculture to assist the Ministry of Agriculture in immediately sending out all tower ships and flying boats to bring the people outside the city back into the city."

"Priest Li of the God Temple, immediately transmit a message to Chongming Prefecture informing them that we have suffered an unknown attack."

"Priests of all halls must immediately summon the Wandering Gods to provide support outside the city for the Patrol Office and the Ministry of Agriculture..."

Before the event arrived, he was trembling with fear; but now that the event has truly struck his head, Sun Shizhao is actually less afraid.

He deployed matters in an orderly manner, displaying the qualities an capable official should possess.

After giving these orders, he immediately produced a talisman, flicked it open, and as flames burned, a human face was revealed.

"Marquis Yuanrang, Twin Island has come under an unknown attack!"

The human face nodded: "You need not panic; calm the people. I have already killed the ringleader; the rest are fleeing, and I am in pursuit."

"Hmm?" Sun Shizhao froze.

…………

Time rewound to a quarter-hour earlier. General Jin Hou led his subordinates through the Cloud Path, quietly descending from the west onto Twin Island.

"General, there are hidden sentries," the adjutant beside Jin Hou said. "Beneath the hidden sentry post three li to the southwest, three people are lurking with Water-Repelling Pearls."

"To the northwest, there is a patrol squad, and likewise four hidden sentries."

"Kill the hidden sentries; capture the patrol guards," Jin Hou said casually.

The warship was completely invisible; given Twin Island's standards, it could not be detected at all.

For maritime defense, there are only two possibilities: either they cannot enter, or if they do enter, it is a slaughter.

This is because the preceding Eastern Sea Legion and the Water-Clan Tu Si Army—these two defense lines already constitute the Great Zhou's strongest maritime defense.

With the latest maritime defense maps and merchant caravans as inside agents, their infiltration here reached a relatively weak point; the defenses of a county island could not be made very high.

Of course, the Eastern Sea's vigilance has increased significantly now; they must also fight swiftly and withdraw quickly. General Jin Hou is a relatively young Fourth-Rank official, not someone whose lifespan is nearly exhausted and who would launch a suicide attack.

After causing destruction, he would have to hide elsewhere, emerging again only after several months or even a year or two.

"Quickly extract the key information; infiltrate Twin City. Once inside the city, you have only half an hour. Seek only officials; ignore the common people."

"I reiterate: try not to kill them. Striking down their realm with the Blood Kui Method and stealing the Great Zhou officials' fortune is the priority."

General Jin Hou said calmly.

Why had he come here? Because after cooperating with his sect, he had obtained the method to steal fortune!

While striking down their realm, one could also steal part of a Great Zhou official's fortune.

If they are not killed, the imperial court must still compensate the officials, causing greater harm than killing them would.

"General, the interrogation is complete. He said there are on the island..."

"He is lying; you have been deceived." Jin Hou struck the captured Seventh-Rank Restoration Army commander with a palm.

A blood-red palm print appeared on his forehead and then pierced through from behind his body.

Points of radiance scattered from this commander into the heavens and earth, yet a portion was still swept back by the blood qi.

"Gurgle~" General Jin Hou swallowed it, and the Seventh-Rank commander's face instantly turned deathly pale.

After this palm strike, he was left only at the early stage of Eighth-Rank; all the imperial court's bestowals were gone!

"Not even enough to fill a tooth gap." General Jin Hou waved his hand. "Quickly enter the city."

"Yes."

Everyone leaped from the dark-gold warship; even General Jin Hou himself left the vessel, leaving only a few to stand guard.

The warship did not enter the city directly to avoid being recorded and leaving traces; stopping outside the island posed no problem.

However, just at this moment—

"Shiu!"

A sword light suddenly appeared a thousand meters to the south.

Sword qi! Powerful sword qi, like a green dragon, seemed to have suddenly drilled out of space itself.

General Jin Hou's entire scalp felt as if it would burst; an overwhelming sense of crisis surged in his heart.

After killing for so many years, he had encountered life-or-death crises several times, but this one was the most intense.

As his body trembled and he turned to look at the source of his fear, the green dragon sword qi was already right before his eyes.

At this moment, except for Jin Hou, no one else had reacted; they were still flying forward.

"Floating Snow!" Before the life-or-death crisis, General Jin Hou's essence, qi, and spirit reached their peak, and his blade technique also attained unprecedented power.

Breaking through in the heat of battle—he had actually broken through in the heat of battle. As the blade light flickered, it seemed as if snowflakes were falling from the sky.

At that instant, General Jin Hou's blade finally caught up with the speed of the sword qi.

Under normal circumstances, Jin Hou would have been unable to restrain his joy and jump for happiness, because the power of this "Floating Snow" technique was now infinitely close to the attack power of a Fourth-Rank perfection.

? TtkΛn? cO

Yet now, he felt only fear!

Because when his blade qi touched this green dragon, it was instantly dismantled by the dragon's claws.

The green dragon sword qi seemed to carry an invincible force; in its most fierce posture, it directly shattered his blade qi.

"Clang!"

The Sixth-Rank Mid-Grade Flowing Light Blade in Jin Hou's hand was knocked from his grip by the sword qi.

The blade spun rapidly, like a sharp cutting disc, slicing open the bodies of ten martial artists and three deputy generals beside him.

And he himself was struck by the green dragon sword qi.

"Pfft~"

The armor on General Jin Hou's body flared with a dazzling light; the Sixth-Rank High-Grade Feather-Wind Armor's chest area suddenly caved in, and Jin Hou's body curled up like a shrimp.

"Boom!" Although the sword qi did not penetrate the armor and its power had been reduced by seventy percent, the remaining thirty percent still generated terrifying impact force, shattering the golden bones in his chest and abdomen and piercing his heart.

"Such a wonderful sword Dao..." As General Jin Hou felt his own death, a look of Tao Zui appeared on his face.

People like him, who licked blood from their blades and infiltrated a celestial empire like the Great Zhou to carry out their tasks, had long been prepared for death.

"To die under such a sword Dao is no injustice."

General Jin Hou sighed, for he had not even been pushed back.

The power of the sword qi was constrained by the Dao of its master, completely concentrated at a single point with no leakage whatsoever; fierce, domineering, yet possessing extreme penetrative power.

This was the realm he had pursued throughout his life.

"General? General?!"

Only when Jin Hou's aura rapidly faded, unable to maintain flight and beginning to fall, did anyone react.

Because everything happened too quickly; from Jin Hou's blade slipping from his hand, taking down over ten of his own men, to his life force draining and him falling, it was but an instant.

At this moment, Jin Hou's Yuan Soul had been shattered, yet he was not yet completely dead, merely unable to issue any further orders.

When those nearby supported his body, attempting to form a Blood Qi Battle Array to remedy the situation, it was already too late.

"Retreat!"

This squad could be counted as elite; with their leader dead and several deputy officers fallen, the person of the highest remaining rank immediately stepped forward to issue commands.

They instantly coalesced into a Blood Qi Battle Array, attempting to return to the warship.

Within the Mist Veil, Zhao Xing watched this scene and could not help but frown: "Eastern Sea forces? And elite ones at that, they were allowed in?"

However, these people's attempt to retreat was futile.

Because Zhao Xing had deployed eight Myriad Arts Divisions, and seven of those eight divisions were the strongest.

Not only were the materials all Sixth Tier, capable of casting high-tier Sixth Transformation spells, but they also stored Yang An's Sword Qi.

It was just that their Fate Soul power was slightly weaker, unable to sustain combat for too long, yet the level of their Fate Soul was still at the Fifth Rank tier.

Even if the divisions could not handle it, a cat, a dog, and a sheep were waiting within the Mist Veil.

"Teng Snake Transformation!"

Zhao Xing did not waste any more Sword Qi, after all, only seven Sword Qi remained now.

His eight divisions simultaneously cast the Teng Snake Transformation, instantly locking onto eight squad leaders, these eight Fifth Ranks attempting to form a Blood Qi Battle Array.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft!"

The Teng Snake Transformation immediately caused these eight to vomit blood; the great snake Blood Qi phantom originally condensed above their heads instantly scattered.

"Not dead?"

"Yin Wind Evil!"

"Lei Ting Deceptive Break Finger!"

Zhao Xing continued to cast high-tier spells; with his current understanding of the Dao reaching the Fourth Rank level, even with the limitations of the Myriad Arts Divisions, the second round of attacks immediately killed these eight squad leaders.

Thus, this elite Eastern Sea squad immediately collapsed.

Because only twenty Fifth Ranks remained in the squad, and these twenty Fifth Ranks had only just entered the Pure Yuan Realm, their Golden Bones not yet fully formed.

They could not even see the enemy now; blown by the Yin Wind Evil, even the most resilient wills collapsed.

Thus, they began to scatter and flee for their lives.

"Want to leave? It's not that easy. Xiao Tian, Ao Tian, Huan Tian, kill them."

Zhao Xing immediately ordered the three war beasts.

"Woof!"

"Meow!"

"Baa~"

Cang Ni and the Mountain Cat immediately charged out of the Mist Veil's range.

The Ling Huan Goat stood in place, red light glowing in its eyes.

The Myriad Arts Division cast the Cloud Law Domain, and the speed of the twenty early Fifth Ranks immediately plummeted.

The Yin Wind Evil had already prevented them from accelerating; now suppressed by the Cloud Law Domain, their Yuan Qi was rapidly draining.

The Ling Huan Goat's illusion technique directly acted upon the Fate Soul; the nickname 'Illusory Goat' was not called for nothing.

The remaining fifty or sixty people instantly fell under the illusion, unable to distinguish left from right, up from down.

Those trying to fly upward suddenly smashed onto the ground; those trying to fly forward suddenly retreated backward, running instead toward the Mountain Cat and Cang Ni.

Strange, too strange.

At first they saw no one, and now they still saw no one, seeing only a dog.

Because the Mountain Cat was too fast, they simply could not see it.

The Ling Huan Goat continued to stand within the Mist Veil casting attacks, its methods causing them to collapse further.

Once they lost their fighting will and became deserters, these Fifth Ranks were like cutting melons and vegetables for the three war beasts.

"Vmm~" A talisman on his body burned; it was Sun Shizhao contacting him urgently.

Seeing the situation under control, Zhao Xing injected a wisp of Yuan Qi into the transmission talisman.

"Marquis Yuan Rang, Twin Island has come under an unknown attack!"

"You need not panic; calm the people. I have already killed the ringleader, the rest are fleeing, and I am pursuing them."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Jiang Tian arrived with his men at high speed.

Five hundred Restoration Army soldiers formed a blazing sun hanging overhead; Jiang Tian was a Fifth Rank Perfection, and his momentum at this moment was incredibly powerful.

However, when he arrived, he saw Zhao Xing standing beside Jin Hou's corpse.

Jiang Tian could not see the other Myriad Arts Divisions either.

Of course, he also saw the cat and the dog slaughtering everywhere.

"Marquis Yuan Rang, this..." Jiang Tian descended, his heart filled with shock; he never imagined the Mountain Cat and Cang Ni could kill so many people.

Zhao Xing was too lazy to explain, pointing at the remaining ten or so fleeing people and saying: "Go quickly to catch the thieves; if you are late, it will be too late."

"Yes, thank you, Marquis Yuan Rang." Jiang Tian said gratefully.

"Hmm." Zhao Xing nodded. "I leave it to you."

He called the Mountain Cat and Cang Ni back, leaving only the Ling Huan Goat to influence the remaining dozen or so people.

Then he let Jiang Tian and his Restoration Army join the battle; otherwise, if Jiang Tian did nothing, the higher-ups would certainly punish him for incompetence.

Master Zhao was very considerate toward his own people; he understood that Jiang Tian's reaction speed was already quite good, and he was not truly incompetent.

He approached Jin Hou's corpse, not rushing to search the body, but instead opening his Heaven Eye to inspect it.

When he saw through Jin Hou's battle armor to the blurred flesh and blood within his body and the shattered golden bones, he could not help but feel a silent shock:

"Yang An's golden quality is still improving. I originally thought it would take several sword qi strikes to kill him, but I didn't expect one sword qi strike to finish the job."

Different professions are like different mountains; Zhao Xing had not yet reached the Fourth Rank, so regarding Yang An's Dao as a sword cultivator, he knew only its form, not its spirit.

He knew Yang An's sword qi was considered very powerful among the Fourth Rank, but exactly how powerful? That remained unclear.

If Yang An were to look at Zhao Xing's Ten Thousand Laws Straw Man, he would likely have no concept of it either, able only to vaguely guess the Straw Man's strength.

"No wonder Yang An could slay the Third Rank Sky Witch; this was just sword qi, yet it instantly killed a mid-stage Fourth Rank."

This was sword qi Zhao Xing had stored when he left the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven in the twentieth year of the Jingxin Era; he might not have preserved all of Yang An's Dao!

But even so, it still instantly killed a Fourth Rank like Jin Hou!

It was not that Jin Hou was weak, but that Yang An, this sword cultivator, was too strong.

"If Yang An had not died in a high-rank great war, he should have been the top sword immortal of Haizhou..." Zhao Xing thought silently.

Unfortunately, he did not even know how Yang An died, so there was no way to warn him.

The year the mid-rank of the Great Man Campaign opened has already advanced by three years; he can only hope that Yang An's fate has also shifted.

Otherwise, it would be somewhat regrettable, after all, there was some bond between Yang An and him, though not enough for Zhao Xing to risk his own life.

Carrying Chen Shijie's life almost cost him his own! Carrying Yang An's life, especially in an environment like the Great Man Campaign, is something Old Master Zhao absolutely cannot bear.

"Hmm?" Zhao Xing suddenly spotted a map, then his expression changed. "The Eastern Sea coastal defense map, including the Cloud Roads, patrol routes, and locations of secret heavy troop deployments... What does this red circle marked with the Great Snake script mean? Although it is incomplete, this, this is damn too exaggerated."

Upon seeing this coastal defense map, Zhao Xing immediately understood why Princess Youruo's anti-corruption investigation had gone on for years without cleaning it up.

Coastal defense Cloud Roads and heavy troop deployments; this was not a problem in just one place like Chongming Prefecture or the Purple Sky Archipelago, but a problem with the high command of the entire Eastern Sea Army Group.

Only Liang Wang could achieve such a degree.

As long as Princess Youruo does not swing her sword at her own uncle, this matter simply cannot be investigated clearly.

Investigating oneself? Even with the Yin Spirit patrolling the seas and interrogating, the Yin Spirit system ultimately relies on human rule!

Taking Zhao Xing as an example, if a commoner on Twin Island were killed by Tao Anchun under his command, even if killed right in front of the Twin Island County Temple, it would first be reported to four people: first, the Sikou Ling of Twin Island County; second, the County Magistrate of Twin Island County, Sun Shizhao; third, the County Assistant of Twin Island County; and fourth, the High Priest of the Temple.

But all four of these people rely on Zhao Xing for promotion, so they would definitely communicate with him first.

Even if one of them, upright and incorruptible, reported this small commoner death incident up the chain of command, reporting it to Fucheng.

Upon reaching Fucheng, sorry, it would still be sent back for county-level district handling, because Zhao Xing also has connections in Fucheng.

If he wanted to shield Tao Anchun, he could absolutely do it.

In this county-level district of Twin Island, Zhao Xing could be said to have one hand covering the sky; only if it reached Fucheng would there be some trouble.

Of course, the matter cannot be too big; for things like betraying the country and slaughtering a city, Old Master Zhao still could not cover it up.

But the Grand Marshal of the Great Man Campaign, and simultaneously the Lord of Haizhou, Liang Wang Ji Mingxian, could do it! He only needed to use the pretext of integration to mobilize the Eastern Sea Army Group, letting some enemies slip through. The Liang Wang Faction, cultivated over hundreds of years, has a power network deeply rooted; accomplishing such things is effortless.

"No wonder the old witch has no time to argue."

"The Jing Emperor's Great Man Campaign; everything prioritizes the Great Man Campaign; anything can be put aside and dealt with later."

"Moreover, this might well be the result of the Jing Emperor's indulgence." Zhao Xing shook his head.

He continued scanning with the Heaven Eye Technique, and soon saw a snake-shaped jade pendant at the corpse's Origin Dantian, vaguely making Zhao Xing feel uneasy.

The Heaven Eye Technique revealed nothing special, so Zhao Xing switched to another spell.

Using the Gaze Qi Technique, at this time, his eight Ten Thousand Laws Avatars could use the Heaven Eye Technique and the Great Expansion Gaze Qi Technique, though their power would all be somewhat reduced.

After switching to the Great Expansion Gaze Qi Technique, Zhao Xing was instantly startled. He saw a black pattern on the jade pendant, with a red tail; the head was flat-shaped, and the body was slender; a snake inside the pendant was swallowing and spitting out four colors: gray, white, cyan, and red.

"The Yuan Snake Swallows Fortune; this is a method to steal fortune!"

"It stores chaotic fortune; all of this is stolen from the Great Zhou's fortune."

One part of Zhao Xing's plan was to obtain a method to steal fortune.

He didn't expect to encounter it today.

"Cannot touch it; touching it will bring great trouble." A flicker of thought passed through Zhao Xing's eyes, and he still stood in place without moving.

In the Jiujiang Grotto-Heaven, his original body also saw on the panel that the Fortune Level item had temporarily dropped from Expansion Five to Expansion Four.

This also confirmed his guess.

"Great trouble; cannot touch this thing."

He still needs to serve as an official in the Great Zhou; learning the Fortune Stealing Method during this period would be self-destruction of his future.

Moreover, the Fortune Stealing Method on this person's body is not considered high-level; it likely has a price.

"Let alone taking it, I shouldn't even know about it." Zhao Xing narrowed his eyes slightly and stepped back a few paces.

Jin Hou was alive, infiltrating to cause sabotage; Jin Hou is dead, yet he can still play his role!

Once the technique on his body is seized by some official and this Fortune Stealing Method is discovered.

How many people can resist the temptation?

You can resist the temptation of money and beauty, but the increase in strength after stealing fortune, the increase in lifespan, the increase in fortune... how many officials can withstand such temptation?

"In recent years, I have killed many external Xie Sect members; there are countless people carrying Fortune Stealing Methods; surely some have flowed into the hands of Great Zhou officials... The people let in, whether dead or alive, are all used to their fullest."

"If I dare to take this jade pendant, I will be interrogated immediately."

"Fortunately, I only scanned with the Heaven Eye Technique and the Gaze Qi Technique, completely not touching him; all of this is recorded by the Mirage Pearl."

He no longer looked at Jin Hou's corpse, but simply stood guard quietly.

The battle ended quickly; no one escaped, but no one was left alive.

These people cultivated evil techniques; seeing they were about to be captured, they decisively committed suicide, and it was the kind of suicide where both form and spirit were destroyed.

At this moment, Zhao Xing, Jiang Tian, and Sun Shizhao were all in not-so-good moods.

Jiang Tian felt ashamed; even with things like this, he still failed to capture a living prisoner.

Sun Shizhao was still trembling with fear; he never expected such a powerful Eastern Japan team to arrive on Twin Island. Without Zhao Xing, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Zhao Xing, having seen the Coastal Defense Map and the Yuan-Snake Stealing Fate Jade Pendant, vaguely felt he had been drawn into someone's calculations.

"I stayed quietly on Twin Island, either cultivating or farming. After taking office at the Dragon-Horse Bureau, I rarely handled daily administration, all to reduce karmic ties. The luck of Yan Wu protected me for eight years of peace; now I am finally drawn in."

"In my past life, Liang Wang rebelled, and the East Sea was only slightly affected. Now, I fear a great turmoil is coming."

As Zhao Xing pondered, Sun Shizhao and Jiang Tian approached.

"Marquis Yuanrang, how should this matter be handled?" Sun Shizhao asked. Jiang Tian also looked at Zhao Xing, awaiting his decision.

Zhao Xing glanced at the two: "Lord Jiang, Lord Sun, do you wish to claim merit from this affair?"

Sun Shizhao shook his head hastily. Technically, this would count as merit, but he was no fool. What had the situation been like these past few years? Claiming merit? Avoiding trouble would be enough.

Jiang Tian also shook his head. An Eastern Japan team of such strength had infiltrated. As usual, how many in the East Sea coastal defense forces would lose their heads, how many be imprisoned, and how many be demoted?

This was a failure of the East Sea Legion, but Jiang Tian had seen these years that those demoted or transferred were mostly innocent!

"Since you do not want it, then listen to me," Zhao Xing said. "No one may leave the scene; maintain the battle exactly as it is."

"I brought a Mirage Pearl and an Echo Conch to record this, but we still lack the witness of a Judicial Yin Spirit. Lord Sun, issue an order for the High Priest of the Main Hall of the Temple to summon Ping to carry the deity statue here."

"Lord Jiang, restrain your subordinates. Do not search for stolen goods, do not look, and simply guard outside this circle."

"I will report to the Princess. Only when I say you may report, shall you submit a report to the Chongming Prefecture."

"Yes." Jiang Tian and Sun Shizhao immediately complied.

Zhao Xing also retreated to a distance. The corpses, the stolen goods, and that warship all remained exactly where they were, merely cordoned off from afar.

Little Sun had it too hard. If he had dared to see the secret technique inside the jade pendant, dismissal would have been the best outcome.

Jiang Tian was even more obvious; if he had seen the Coastal Defense Map, it would have been a disaster.

At this moment, the less one knew, the better.

Zhao Xing planned to personally present this to the Princess's residence. Once Princess Youruo sent someone, he would then submit a formal report to the Chongming Prefecture.

Because the ground mirror could not be used on the beach outside the island, Zhao Xing could only emerge from the Daoist field of the Jiujiang Grotto-Heaven to contact Princess Youruo with his true body.

"Voom~"

The ground mirror projected, revealing Princess Youruo's figure. She was actually wearing a set of military armor, standing behind a screen.

Behind the screen, many shadowy figures were vaguely visible; some were kneeling, others standing.

"Chen An, what is it?"

Princess Youruo interrupted her other affairs to answer Zhao Xing's communication because he had activated the emergency code she gave him, which Zhao Xing had not used once in eight years.

"Master's wife, a well-equipped Eastern Japan team has appeared on my island. The leader is at the mid-stage Yuan Soul realm, and there are eighty-nine of them in total."

"However, they have all been executed."

Princess Youruo was somewhat surprised. "Are you unharmed?"

"Disciple is unharmed. Disciple's true body is cultivating in the Jiujiang Grotto-Heaven, completing the task assigned by the Master."

Eliminating this team relying solely on a clone? A trace of appreciation appeared in Princess Youruo's eyes.

"Since they are all executed, why did you not report to the Chongming Prefecture?"

Zhao Xing knew Princess Youruo was testing him, but he did not overanalyze. He simply replied: "This matter is of great importance. I feel it should be presented to Master's wife first, then reported to the Chongming Prefecture, to avoid disrupting Master's wife's deployments."

Princess Youruo nodded. "I will send someone over. The fastest it will take is two double-hours."

"Disciple understands. I will ensure the people from the Chongming Prefecture arrive in at least three double-hours."

"Good." Princess Youruo nodded slightly. "Protect the scene. Best not to move anything."

"Yes."

…………

Two double-hours later, Liu Wanliang, the Steward of the Princess's residence, personally led a team to the bay of Twin Island.

Upon seeing the scene, especially the specifications of that warship, Liu Wanliang could not help but be secretly alarmed.

The Ming Yuan warships of the Yuan-Snake Kingdom were sixth-grade supreme items; yet they sent such a warship over.

Had Zhao Xing not stopped them, the destruction of Twin County would have taken only two double-hours.

"Jiang Tian, Sun Shizhao, you may withdraw," Liu Wanliang said. "Afterwards, I will provide you with a reference for the report."

"Yes." Sun Shizhao and Jiang Tian obediently returned to the city. He called it a reference, but it was actually an order.

They would simply follow the plan Liu Wanliang gave them.

After the others left, Liu Wanliang approached Zhao Xing.

"Chen An, I kept you waiting."

"Mr." Zhao Xing bowed respectfully. "It is Chen An who should thank Mr. for making the trip personally."

"Did you touch the enemy chief's items?" Liu Wanliang asked the most critical question immediately.

He knew that recent attack teams carried some evil techniques, intentionally tempting officials of the Great Zhou to fall.

To prevent Zhao Xing from straying onto the path of evil, he had to ask clearly; otherwise, if others asked, it would not be so lightly put.

"No." Zhao Xing shook his head. "After I arrived, I only killed the bandits. I did not search, but immediately sealed off the area. Others were not allowed to approach. The battle scene and the orders given were all recorded."

"Good." Liu Wanliang nodded. No wonder he is Liu Tianning's disciple; his work is reliable.

"Everything here has nothing to do with you anymore."

"No one will come to question you afterwards."

Liu Wanliang gave his promise.

Zhao Xing asked, "Then what about Sun Shizhao and Jiang Tian..."

Liu Wanliang pondered, "They will inevitably be interrogated, but rest assured, as long as they have done nothing wrong, there will be no problem."

The matter of Twin Island concerned Zhao Xing's promotion; Liu Wanliang certainly would not let Sun Shizhao and Jiang Tian have any problems.

"Thank you, Mr." Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief.

He asked nothing further, handing all the official records and materials over to Liu Wanliang.

Then he notified Sun Shizhao and Jiang Tian to answer truthfully, before returning to Lu Island.

One shichen after Liu Wanliang arrived, the team dispatched by Chongming Prefecture also reached the location.

As usual, they intended to interrogate the participants, but Zhao Xing was nowhere to be seen.

"My lord Liu," a civil official of the fourth rank looked at Liu Wanliang, "Zhao Xing, the Director of the Dragon-Horse Bureau, was a key figure in slaying the bandit leader; why is he not here to report?"

"Inspector Yin," Liu Wanliang said, "I have already questioned Marquis Yuanrang; this is his submitted summary."

Naturally, Liu Wanliang's polished report was flawless; after Yin Qiquan read it, there was nothing to criticize.

He could only force an issue: "May I ask, My Lord Liu, Zhao Xing, Director of the Dragon-Horse Bureau, was only of the sixth rank in the twenty-first year of the Jingxin Era, and even now he remains a sixth-rank official; even if he has broken through to the fifth-rank Pure Origin Realm, how could he kill a fourth-rank?"

Liu Wanliang said, "My Lord Yin has had extraordinary fortune, leaping four ranks in just ten years to become the Inspector of Chongming Prefecture at the lower fourth rank; his talent is outstanding and his combat power shocking; what is the problem with that?"

Yin Qiquan gave a dry laugh: "Naturally there is no problem, but where did he obtain such vast resources for his self-cultivation? I checked; in these years, he has purchased no small amount of cultivation resources from the military sector, at sky-high prices."

Liu Wanliang said, "The Princess gave them to him; do you wish to investigate the Princess's assets?"

"I dare not." Yin Qiquan smiled awkwardly; he was of the Liang Wang faction, but he did not dare to turn his blade toward Princess Youruo. "I merely intended a routine inquiry; since My Lord Liu has already questioned him, there is naturally no problem."

"It is thanks to My Lord Liu happening to pass by Twin Island."

Liu Wanliang glanced at him: "Daring to oppose the imperial court is naturally a path to death."

Seeing he could gain no advantage, Yin Qiquan could only abandon the entanglement, swiftly close the case and file the records, then depart with Jin Hou's corpse, warships, and other items.

After leaving Twin Island, Yin Qiquan looked at the report materials, deep in thought: "Liu Tianning's disciple has remained on Twin Island for nine years; he has achieved such results, yet we failed to notice him before? Why did we overlook him previously?"

"Never mind; he holds only a sixth-rank official post now. If we find no opportunity this time, once he is promoted next year, he may not be so fortunate."

The higher the rank, the easier it is to handle, for mistakes made by subordinates can all be pinned upon you!

As a sixth-rank Left Director of the Dragon-Horse Bureau, Zhao Xing truly had no faults to be found; in terms of official duties, he could even be called excellent.

But once promoted to the fifth rank, that might not be the case.

"That mad dog Liu Tianning, staring relentlessly at the Prince; I wonder if he will still dare to be so arrogant once his disciple is ruined." A flash of blood-red passed through Yin Qiquan's eyes as he threw all the materials into a brazier burning with black flames.

"Luck level has already recovered to Yan Five."

Within the Jiujiang Cave Heaven, Zhao Xing glanced at the panel and could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He used the Five Fingers of Fate to deduce his own situation and discovered that this wave of misfortune had passed.

Liu Wanliang had not concealed his meeting with Yin Qiquan; combining this sudden drop in luck, Zhao Xing also guessed at some of the reasons.

"It is likely that Liu Tianning and the Princess are gathering evidence of Liang Wang's crimes and have found some genuine proof," Zhao Xing thought silently.

His initial cursing of Liang Wang was long past; this was not a continuation of that insult incident, otherwise it would not have taken eight years to strike.

At that time, Luo Hou Wang and Liang Wang had wrangled over the matter before a ruling was reached; since the King of Sealing said the matter was to end there, then it ended there.

Now that such a situation has arisen, the only cause must be Liu Tianning and the Princess.

"Regarding this turmoil, internal enemies must be handled by Old Liu and the Princess; as long as I make no mistakes, there will be no major problems; farming allows for far fewer mistakes than other institutions."

"What I must guard against are external enemies like Jin Hou," Zhao Xing pondered.

If, with backers like Liu Tianning and Princess Youruo, he were still to be destroyed by internal hostile forces, then Great Zhou would not merely be in chaos but would be doomed; we have not reached that stage yet.

Political struggles were something he need not manage at all; if the sky fell, Liu Tianning and the Princess would hold it up.

Chaos aside, one still must eat; after the Jin Hou attack incident, Zhao Xing continued his daily self-cultivation and training of war beasts, preparing for next year's Ten Thousand Beasts Competition.

Time arrived at the twelfth month of the twenty-ninth year of the Jingxin Era; the fifth-rank plants Zhao Xing cultivated in his Pure Origin Soil reached sixty species, and the area of over thirty thousand square meters was completely planted.

Now, regarding Old Liu's first-stage requirement, the only thing missing was the life force of tree-type plants; this was also the sole difficulty.

For tree-type plant life, planting weaker ones would not meet the requirement; faking it was not Zhao Xing's character, but planting stronger ones meant a longer cycle, because he was not planting just one tree but several.

With his strength development entering a plateau period, Zhao Xing decided to enter the Great Dream Academy once more to try his luck.

He left the Jiujiang Cave Heaven, found a desolate wilderness in Jiujiang Commandery, and used Earth-Traversal to descend five thousand meters deep underground, specifically carving out an underground space.

The Great Dream Academy could not be entered above the East Sea, because during the Great Li period, the Purple Thunder Archipelago was a vast ocean and did not count as territory of the Nineteen Provinces.

In the twenty-seventh year of the Jingxin Era, when preparing to break through to the fifth rank, he discovered this upon attempting to enter.

In the end, he returned to Dongyang County, Bi Xian Commandery, to enter, though that time the harvest was relatively small.

He passed the fourth trial of the Heavenly Craft Hall, the Yin-Yang Twin Fiend Formation Mountain; crossing the trials of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Thunder, he obtained only a sixth-rank, low-grade defensive war armor.

Money and goods were not lacking, and at that time he had not yet cultivated all his spells to high-grade perfection, so Zhao Xing did not attempt to break through further.

Additionally, extracting treasures and dealing with them was troublesome, because items from Great Li were truly difficult to sell.

As for that sixth-rank, lower-grade war armor, Zhao Xing did not dare to sell it, nor did he dare to bring it into the real world; he could only store it with Xie Zhi.

One must know that the Great Dream Academy itself is a treasure, and it is currently stored in the Imperial Inner Treasury.

Specialists have always been studying the Great Dream Academy and that era of Great Li history; taking a pile of Great Li treasures to sell in the military sector would easily cause problems.

After all, these were no longer low-grade treasures; sixth-rank treasures would be easily investigated.

Thus, Zhao Xing could only enter to try his luck; finding something like a Fate Soul Pill or Dao Embryo Pill would be best.

As for the rest, selling them for money was difficult, and using them oneself drew too much attention; one or two pieces could be explained, but if all were treasures from the Great Li period, it would be far too conspicuous, so they could only be stored for now.

The appropriate time to deal with them would be after emerging from the Dragon Court Ancient Land; then they could be disposed of openly and converted into his own wealth.

"Vmm~"

Zhao Xing applied the talisman paper, closed his eyes, and chanted words in his mouth.

Shortly thereafter, he arrived before the familiar Cloud Gate.

"You have come again." The mechanical law beast Xie Zhi appeared at the entrance of the Heavenly Craft Hall. "You passed the fourth trial last time; it has been three years since you last entered. I thought you had died. Now I see you went to undergo trials and have already reached the Pure Origin Realm."

Zhao Xing clasped his hands and said, "Yes, Guardian; I am undergoing a turmoil; there is danger, but also gain."

The mechanical law beast Xie Zhi possessed high spiritual intelligence; as Zhao Xing passed the fourth trial, Xie Zhi's attention toward him deepened, and it would inquire about his life outside.

Sometimes Zhao Xing even suspected that Xie Zhi knew Great Li had been destroyed as a nation, yet he could not be certain.

"It is good for young people to undergo trials; how can one become a pillar of the state without being tempered?" The mechanical beast Xie Zhi walked with Zhao Xing through the great hall, as if an elder were chatting with a junior.

"What the Guardian says is true."

Walking before a long corridor mural shrouded in mist and clouds, the Xie Zhi pointed and said, "Do you intend to break through the fifth trial now? Pure Origin Realm, fifth grade—barely meeting the conditions to attempt the trial."

"Yes, I intend to try the 'Heavenly Craft Tower' of the fifth trial."

"I must remind you: since you do not understand the Way of Mechanisms, the first few trials could only be passed by taking shortcuts or forcing your way through with brute strength. The Heavenly Craft Hall I guard primarily selects genius mechanists." The mechanical divine beast Xie Zhi looked down at Zhao Xing.

"The trials within the Heavenly Craft Tower involve the Way of Mechanism Puppets. If you force your way through with brute strength, passing will be even harder, and the rewards will differ."

"Please instruct me, Guardian."

The Xie Zhi's whiskers fluttered, glowing with points of starlight: "The ultimate reward within the Heavenly Craft Tower is a ninth-grade giant mechanism puppet, the 'Heavenly General'."

The Heavenly General? Zhao Xing blinked. The giant mechanism puppet displayed during the Wu Di era had originally been obtained from here.

"The Heavenly General stands a thousand feet tall. Its construction used one hundred and eight thousand ninth-grade materials; it can contend with the Super Grade Realm."

"Pass the ninth floor, and you shall obtain this object, and simultaneously become a candidate for Grand Minister of Works of Great Li."

"The eighth floor's highest reward is the Earth General, also crafted from ninth-grade materials, though the quantity is half as much."

"The seventh floor's highest reward is the Heaven Soldier Puppet, ninth-grade supreme."

"The sixth floor's highest reward is the Earth Soldier Puppet, ninth-grade superior."

"The fifth floor's highest reward is the Nightmare Heavenly Dragon, eighth-grade supreme."

"The fourth floor's highest reward is the Battle Venerable, eighth-grade superior."

"The third floor's highest reward is the Ten Thousand Transformations Dao Soldier, seventh-grade supreme."

"The second floor's highest reward is the Thousand Transformations Dao Soldier, seventh-grade superior."

"The first floor's highest reward is the 'Sun-Blazing Heavenly Maiden', sixth-grade supreme."

The mechanical divine beast Xie Zhi, having introduced the rewards, spoke of the trials: "Only those in the Pure Origin Realm may attempt this because driving these puppets requires Pure Origin magic power."

"Before attempting the trial, you must make a choice: either break through via the Way of Mechanism Arrays, or choose to break the magic with force."

"The former requires no combat; one need only cultivate the Heaven Array Diagram and unravel the mysteries of the layered mechanism arrays."

"The latter consists mostly of combat trials; the conditions for clearing are more severe, and above the seventh floor, you will be unable to attempt them."

Zhao Xing nodded. The Heavenly Craft Hall was a trial specifically for mechanists; that meant if he chose to break the magic with force, at best he could only obtain the Earth Soldier Puppet in the future.

However, it mattered little. When he became Grand Minister of Agriculture, his interests would align with those of Wu Di; he could select someone to inherit these treasures and then wage war against the Barbarian Wilds.

There was no need to grasp everything in his own hands; controlling those who wielded them was sufficient.

Why did he invest in Yue Lingzhi, this future divine artisan? It had been a premeditated plan all along.

Not only that, Zhao Xing also intended to promote him all the way to the position of Grand Minister of Works. When the Great Dream Academy opened on a massive scale, he would let him take it; this would be a great favor bestowed by himself.

A great favor is also a great karmic debt. If he wanted to do something while in the position of Grand Minister of Agriculture, having a Grand Minister of Works whom he had cultivated would be absolutely much more comfortable.

"I choose to break the magic with force," Zhao Xing said. He would not distract himself by studying mechanism arrays; the Way of the Minister of Agriculture was enough for him to walk.

Even if he had the ability, he would not learn it. He did not wish to end up like Liu Tianning in the end; distracted by too many things, comprehending different Ways, a person would go mad.

"Very well, enter." The mechanical beast Xie Zhi waved its long whiskers; light scattered, dispelling the mist.

"Boom~" The wall ahead cracked open, revealing an boundless starry sky. Beneath the starry sky, a tower stood upon a grassland.

Though said to be nine stories, the tower's peak seemed to pierce the firmament; even the first floor was a thousand meters high, shrouded in a thin layer of clouds.

"Remember, once you discover you cannot break through, immediately shout for the Guardian; I will rescue you." The mechanical beast Xie Zhi's voice was low. "You may be injured while attempting the trial; do not wait until you reach your limit to shout. By that time, your life soul may suffer severe damage. Do you understand?"

"Understood. Thank you, Guardian." Zhao Xing nodded.

"Go."

Zhao Xing rode the clouds, flying over the great gate to the grassland beneath the starry sky.

Hoo~

He landed before the entrance to the first floor of the Heavenly Craft Tower. The surrounding walls were utterly smooth, emitting terrifying power.

Zhao Xing took a deep breath and stepped into the entrance of the first floor.

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