Chapter 30: The Fifth Scarecrow Method: Great Strength Vajra

Though surprised, the two could only sit down at this point and did not dare disrupt the examination order.

Only in their hearts could they not help but worry—if things went on like this, their own students would surely suffer a hidden loss!

"The Earth Vein Comprehensive Element is highly concealed; even I only noticed it on the second day. Xiao Ze is probably still in the dark." Tang Wanchun thought to himself. "Zhao Xing, what a Zhao Xing—the old Minister of Agriculture spoke true, his comprehension truly is excellent."

The Dili Sect's techniques are the hardest to learn among the three types of techniques.

The Celestial Timing Sect's techniques are nothing more than celestial timing and celestial phenomena, which can still be seen, heard, and felt.

The Dili Sect's techniques involve earth veins, feng shui orientations, formation deployments, and even require tools—extremely complex.

Setting aside the rest, earth veins lie deep underground—how difficult is it to utilize them?

Although the Earth Vein Comprehensive Element is a beginner-level technique, its difficulty surpasses many intermediate-level techniques.

The Celestial Timing Sect's techniques flourish in part because the other two schools' techniques are even harder to master.

Even they, these ranked Ministers of Agriculture, have not mastered many Dili Sect techniques, let alone become proficient in them.

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"What a pity, Bai Bai ended up under Xue Wenzhong." Pang Yuan also felt some regret in his heart. "Xue Wenzhong is old and aged—what does he want with such a good student? Better let me teach him, so we'd have someone to look out for each other in officialdom in the future."

Gao Li remained silent, secretly gloating in his heart.

Because his students, Li Chengfeng and Zong Shichang, were both unaffected and performed at the level they should have.

As for the students of other officials? Naturally, the worse their results, the better.

Even ranked Ministers of Agriculture had to spend some time before they could distinguish it, so the clerks below were even more unable to figure out what was going on.

Coupled with the Earth Vein Comprehensive Element remaining dormant during the day, restoring everyone's technique effects to normal, those affected clerks' minds had turned into a complete muddle.

"Could it be that choosing plants that grow easily at night is seen as taking a shortcut and subjected to special treatment?" Huang Tao stared at the dead patch of plants before him, his eyes reddening.

His good friend Ma Wu also wore a bitter face: "If that's the case, then don't give us these seeds to choose from! Isn't this purely making fools of us?"

Huang Tao couldn't help but curse in a low voice: "Damned Chen Shijie! I must have been cursed with bad luck for eight lifetimes to choose an official under him."

The two crouching in the seedling area to discuss immediately struck a chord with the other clerks.

Because Chen Shijie usually liked to play tricks with the exam questions—in plain terms, he liked to make things difficult for people.

"Brother Huang speaks true—Chen Shijie is always pulling these stunts. Last time during the Lesser Heat assessment, he did exactly the same thing."

"He even specially brought doves from Xishan—tell me, is that something a human would do?"

"I changed crops again and again, time after time, and after one night, not a single grain was harvested!"

"Exactly—damn that Xishan bastard!"

Once the topic was opened, the victims immediately resonated with each other and began venting at Chen Shijie one after another.

Mainly because this big shot's consistent style was exactly like this.

Although it was Xue Wenzhong who set the questions, no one would believe that such a kind old Minister of Agriculture would come up with such a nasty trick to make things difficult for them.

The modification must have been arranged by Chen Shijie! Even if the Heavenly King himself came, it would still be him!

If Chen Shijie were present, he would surely give them a good beating and shout that this time it really wasn't him.

But he was destined never to hear these curses.

Then did anyone suspect Zhao Xing?

Yes.

When Huang Tao turned back toward his own planting area, looking at that patch of golden bamboo forest, he couldn't help but feel suspicious.

"Could it be that someone cast a Dili Sect technique, causing us to harvest nothing?"

"Could it be him?"

Huang Tao glanced over, then looked toward the Seven Star Sword Cloud and Tiger Head Cloud to the north: "Or could it be them?"

"Forget it, thinking too much is pointless."

Huang Tao shook his head.

Even if it were him, what could he do? He couldn't beat him—could he talk him to death?

"The clerks this session are too useless. To speed up the maturation of the Vajra Bamboo, I had already pushed it to full ten-tenths effect at yin hour, and even so, no one dared come find me?"

"It's truly been too long a time of peace." Zhao Xing couldn't help feeling somewhat emotional. The Ministers of Agriculture he had seen in his previous life, apart from players, were all capable of fighting and daring to fight.

They all carried a kind of strong, fearless spirit and will—without such spirit, they couldn't have fought for a chance to survive in the midst of terrifying natural disasters and turbulent eras.

But this period was truly different. Apart from border commanderies and counties and military Ministers of Agriculture, the Ministers of Agriculture in inland regions mostly gave him a weak and feeble feeling.

Of course, Chen Shijie was an exception.

He still suited Zhao Xing's taste quite well.

"The mediocre talents below the top list need no guarding against—they neither can fight nor dare to fight. The few who have repeatedly obtained top marks still need to be guarded against." Zhao Xing surveyed his surroundings and began cutting branches of the Vajra Bamboo.

In doing things, he had always prepared for every contingency—this did not conflict with daring to fight.

Since he dared to employ the Earth Vein Comprehensive Element, he had already prepared for retaliation.

Zhao Xing had prepared the materials and made the scarecrows long before the Vajra Bamboo matured.

"Currently, I know four types of scarecrows: Swift-Step, Entangle, Thorn, and Repeat-Step."

"The Repeat-Step Scarecrow is third-tier; the rest are all first-tier."

Zhao Xing looked at the dozen or so Repeat-Step Scarecrows hidden in the bamboo forest—golden, resplendent, majestic, like golden warriors.

"Using Vajra Bamboo materials to practice making the other scarecrows is somewhat wasteful. Only the Repeat-Step Scarecrow barely matches this material, but there's something even more suitable."

"Liu Chuan's Eighty-One Methods—Great Strength Scarecrow!"

"The branches of the Vajra Bamboo are precisely the excellent material for making it." Seeing that there was temporarily no trouble, Zhao Xing began attempting to make the fifth type of scarecrow.

Liu Chuan's Eighty-One Methods is the interpretation of 【Every Plant a Soldier】; scarecrow is merely the common name—any technique made from grass, wood, or bamboo branch materials is categorized under the scarecrow method.

However, for Zhao Xing, scarecrows made from Vajra Bamboo were habitually called Great Strength Vajra.

By the same logic, there were also Swift-Step Vajra, Repeat-Step Vajra, and so on.

The crafting method had long been memorized; he simply hadn't had the time to practice. Now that he'd come across suitable materials, Zhao Xing naturally wouldn't let the chance slip by.

Recalling the crafting method for the Strongman Strawman in his mind, he began his first attempt.

【You have crafted a Strawman Puppet (Strongman). You have comprehended a new puppet technique.】

【Grass-Trees-All-Soldiers proficiency +25】

【Strawman Puppet (Strongman)】

【Proficiency: 100/9999】

【Effect: Impregnably solid, strength without limit.】

The first attempt succeeded, and because the materials were top-grade, the proficiency gained was especially high!

"A full 100 points straight off, and even Grass-Trees-All-Soldiers, the overarching spell, got 25 points. As expected of fine goods."

When in his life had Zhao Xing ever fought such a wealthy battle? Practicing under Xue Wenzhong, he'd only used withered spirit-rice straw or ordinary willow branches.

Who knew whether these things would be taken away after the exam? Zhao Xing certainly wasn't going to pass up this chance to freeload.

Ordering the Repeating-Obedience Strawman to keep watch outside, Zhao Xing immersed himself in the joy of crafting Strongman Vajras.