Chapter 81: Yin Shen Ranked, Taking Stock of the Harvest!

【Name: Zhao Xing】

【Cultivation Realm: From Ninth Rank, Upper (Cannot be advanced)】

【Profession: None】

【Fortune: Yan Three】

【Yuan Gathering: Thirteenth Tier (6/10000)】

【Additional Lifespan: 53 years】

"Additional lifespan increased by fifty-three years, and the fortune grade climbed all the way to Yan Three?!" Zhao Xing was utterly astonished.

Although he knew his harvest this time was great—after all, he had already entered the ranks through Yuan Gathering—the lifespan should have increased considerably… yet he hadn't expected the harvest to be this large!

What he didn't know was that, in fact, on the very day he descended the mountain, he had not yet entered the ranks.

But after his fortune climbed to Yan Three, on the way down the mountain he discovered several more Pure Yuan Spiritual Beauties, and only then did he break through.

Thus he was delayed for some time.

"Compared to the additional lifespan and fortune, entering the ranks through Yuan Gathering is merely the smallest harvest." Zhao Xing muttered to himself.

As for why the realm column on the panel displayed 'Cannot be advanced,' one had to start from the Fortune Dynasty system and the Great Zhou's Founding Emperor.

The Great Zhou's Founding Emperor transmitted the Dharma to all the people. "Yuan Gathering" was a cultivation method summarized by countless sages of the past to absorb Yuan Qi and strengthen the body.

The tier of Yuan Gathering represented the strength of one's Yuan Qi and physical constitution.

Entering the ranks in cultivation realm encompassed not only the Yuan Gathering tier, but also the comprehension of 'Dao,' 'Dharma,' and 'Technique.'

Among them, the martial profession emphasized raising the Yuan Gathering tier even more.

Other professions—such as Si Nong, Dance Master, Music Master, Mechanism Master, Ritual Cultivator, and so on—leaned toward the comprehension of Dao.

The Fortune Dynasty could help one raise Yuan Gathering and the comprehension of Dao.

Conversely, it could also make it impossible for one to advance! Even to fall in cultivation realm!

Of course, the official说法 was: the subjects under heaven originally practiced cultivation at a slow pace, bound by layer upon layer of shackles.

It was the Great Zhou's Founding Emperor, whose merit was immeasurable, who with his great divine power found a method that allowed the people of the Zhou Dynasty to cultivate and to wield spells through Yuan Qi.

Want to increase your lifespan? Come be an official!

Want to learn spells? Come be an official in my court!

Want to rapidly raise your cultivation? Enter the court and become an official!

Want to break through a cultivation bottleneck? Come be an official!

The core idea of the Fortune Dynasty system could be summed up in four characters: acting on Heaven's behalf to uphold the Dao!

Zhao Xing was currently a clerk. Relying on his own cultivation, the highest realm he could reach was 'From Ninth Rank, Upper,' which corresponded to the 'Ninth Rank, middle period' of the ancient cultivation system.

If he became an official, this restriction would vanish; moreover, if he were talented enough, his actual strength could even exceed his official rank.

If he was unwilling to become an official, then within the territory of the Great Zhou, he would never reach 'Ninth Rank, late period' or 'Perfection' even in old age.

There were several circumstances in which one could cultivate without becoming an official:

First, being a descendant of Wang Gong nobility, or having done something beneficial to the imperial court—usually one would be granted a 'Scattered Rank,' 'Merit Rank,' or 'Title of Nobility.'

You need not serve as an official nor manage affairs, yet you could still cultivate.

Of course, this was in fact still a system within the 'Fortune Dynasty system.'

Second, special imperial edict permission—even if one was neither an official of the Zhou Dynasty nor even a subject of the Zhou Dynasty, one could still cultivate. Generally this applied to foreign subjects who had made contributions to the Zhou Dynasty; they too could cultivate within the Nineteen Provinces and enjoy all the benefits under the Fortune Dynasty system.

Third, leaving the territory of the Great Zhou—one would naturally not be subject to its jurisdiction, but likewise could not enjoy the benefits of accelerated cultivation, breaking through bottlenecks, increased fortune and lifespan, and so on. Outside the lands of the Nineteen Provinces, ordinary people would encounter immense difficulty in cultivating to the Ninth Rank.

What? You don't want to become an official?

Then what do you want such a high cultivation for?

Bestow you a Scattered Rank, bring you into the Fortune system, and you still refuse—are you trying to rebel?

The Fortune Dynasty system was not the original creation of the Great Zhou, but it reached its peak under the Great Zhou's Founding Emperor.

Previous Fortune Dynasties had never been so highly centralized as to control even a person's cultivation realm.

It was also from the Founding Emperor onward that the emergence of completely free and immensely powerful individuals was cut off, reducing the destabilizing factors of the Fortune Dynasty.

Therefore, sects like the Xiangxuantian Sect that worshipped the primordial Heaven's Dao and pursued freedom in cultivation utterly despised the Great Zhou's Founding Emperor. They would curse him eight hundred times a day, then stab a straw effigy of him another eight hundred times, and had always wished to commit acts of subversion against the Zhou Dynasty.

【Basic Spell: Cultivation】

【Beginner Spells:】

【Thriving Growth, Moving Clouds, Raising Wind, Thunder, Rainfall, Bright Eyes】

The above are all at Beginner Perfection, and can at any time be used as a foundation to receive Dharma, or to break through and comprehend new spells.

As middle-tier spells were comprehended, the importance of beginner spells diminished, and the panel no longer displayed their progress.

Zhao Xing continued to look downward.

【Grass-Tree Soldiers: Five Revolutions】

【Willow Weave Method · Remnant Chapter (Six Types)】

【Returning Strawman (Six Revolutions); Entangling Strawman (Five Revolutions); Divine-Step Strawman (Five Revolutions); Thorny Strawman (Three Revolutions); Mighty Strawman (Seven Revolutions); Scout Strawman (Four Revolutions】

【Five Elements Observation (Seven Revolutions)】

【Earth Vein Comprehensive Yuan (Six Revolutions)】

【Middle-Tier Spells:】

【Wild Growth: Seven Revolutions (7245/9999)】

【Lightning Summoning: Nine Revolutions (9955/9999)】

【Yin Wind: Nine Revolutions (9978/9999)】

【Ice Rain: Nine Revolutions (Perfection)】

【Middle-Tier Spells (Self-Created):】

【Thunder Whip: Eight Turns (8214/9999)】

【Thunder Giant Palm: Seven Turns (7854/9999)】

【Secondary Profession: Talisman Maker】

【Soul-Calming Talisman (Basic, Max Level)】

【Guidance Talisman (Basic, Max Level)】

【Third-Rank Treasures: Wards-Calendar, Thousand-Li Transmission Token, Bamboo Horse, Sparrow-Feather Dharma Robe, Tiger Soul Blade x4, Minglou Soft Armor x3】

【Fourth-Rank Treasure: Han Bing Pearl (Lower Grade)】

【Pet: Mountain Cat (Ninth Rank Late Stage, exotic beasts are not within the Qi Fortune system, equivalent to a human's official Ninth Rank Lower.)】

【Plant: Tianyuan Pear Tree (Seedling Stage)】

The Four Arts of Heavenly Timing greatly accelerated his spell progress — not only had the beginner-tier ones reached perfection, but the intermediate-tier ones had also reached nine turns, and the Ice Rain in particular had already reached perfection.

Moreover, two self-created spells had actually appeared!

"Self-created spells should be something I comprehended after Thunder reached perfection."

"Hm? Why is my comprehension of Water-element spells so much higher than before?"

"And Yin Wind actually jumped straight to nine turns?!!" Zhao Xing's eyes went wide.

Self-created spells were nothing special, but Yin Wind was notoriously hard to practice — only during specific seasons like Major Cold, Minor Cold, and Qingming, or in places with high-grade ley lines, could its cultivation speed pick up.

When he went up the mountain, it was only at one turn; but coming down, it had reached nine turns!

It was completely beyond expectations!

"My harvest on the mountain was truly no small matter — not only did my spells break through, I also obtained quite a few treasures. The bamboo case is this heavy, so it must be holding those few sets of soft armor and Tiger Soul Blades."

Without thinking, Zhao Xing knew exactly why he had snatched these two types — they sold well and didn't take up much space.

Tiger Soul Blades were short blades, and soft armor could be folded; fitting them into a bamboo case was more than enough.

These third-rank treasures were probably all prepared by martial cultivators for the Dengshan — all hot-selling items, easy to offload.

"This Dengshan trip, I've accumulated a fortune of over two thousand taels?" Zhao Xing roughly calculated the value of the treasures — the dharma robe, bamboo horse, blades, armor… all together could fetch close to two thousand, plus there was also a thousand-tael banknote.

"Sure enough, robbery is the way to make money."

"If I had to earn it properly, how long would that take?"

Robbery was far faster than scraping together side income.

Of course, in this period, pulling off a robbery with no aftereffects was no easy feat either.

Climbing the Spirit Mountain to harvest Lingxiu was something only doable during the clerk period; once one entered the ranks and became a formal official, one could no longer participate — though there were other ways to compete.

It wasn't all good news either — only a lucky few actually gained anything; most were just along for the ride, and casualties could even occur.

"Clang! Clang!"

Suddenly, two bell tolls came from the mountaintop.

Signaling the end of this Dengshan Lingxiu harvest.

Next, the East Lake Army would enter the mountain, and a large number of ranked powerful cultivators would go in to reap what the Spirit Mountain had accumulated over the past half year or more.

Leaving behind only ordinary wild beasts that posed little threat to common people, along with some low-rank treasures.

The bell tolls ended.

Ji Ming, an official Sixth Rank of the Surveillance Bureau, appeared at the Earth Altar Plaza.

The Surveillance Bureau was a county-level divine temple institution, meaning Ji Ming was a divine official of the sixth rank.

His status here was the highest — even Fan Dongping, an official of the same Deputy Sixth Rank from the Agricultural Bureau, automatically stood a level lower before him.

"By decree of the Primordial Lady Your Majesty, all gentlemen of East Lake are requested to submit the ownership lists of their Lingxiu!"

Below, Ji Ming muttered an incantation.

Chen Shijie explained to Zhao Xing beside him: "Your Majesty is the Daoist title of a Yin God; Yuanjun refers to a female Yin God."

"Our Agricultural Bureau may also need to petition the gods at certain times — don't address her by the wrong honorific."

Divine officials could set up altars to pray for rain, and the Agricultural Bureau could also petition the gods at times; many spell-related professions shared common elements.

Zhao Xing nodded and said: "I recall this Yuanjun is the highest-ranking Yin God in Haizhou, right?"

Chen Shijie nodded: "Nanyang Commandery belongs to Haizhou; the east of Haizhou is the Vast Sea."

"Haizhou wasn't originally called Haizhou — it was called Cangzhou. That's because half of its current territory was once part of the Vast Sea."

"Lady Your Majesty was at the second-rank realm in life, and during the Founding Ancestor's era, she belonged to a certain Daoist sect, specializing in Water-element spells."

"After the Founding Ancestor established the state, some sects were driven out, some submitted — Lady Your Majesty was among those who submitted."

"She resolved the floods for the Founding Ancestor of Great Zhou, subduing the violent spirit of the Vast Sea. So after her death she was enfeoffed as Primordial Lady Your Majesty, commanding the divine soldiers of the Sacred Peaks, observing good and evil among mankind. Not just in Haizhou — within the entire Great Zhou system, she is also a Yin God of considerable standing."

Zhao Xing pondered: "I recall Lady Your Majesty left behind a spell classic called the 'Water Scripture,' and many of the spells within it are listed as mandatory study for Agricultural officials — is that right?"

Chen Shijie said, surprised: "You pay attention to quite a wide range — you even remember the mandatory spell classics for official Sixth Rank?"

Zhao Xing smiled modestly — he'd accidentally shown off in front of Old Chen again.

In reality, he didn't just know about it — he'd actually served as an Agricultural official in the island regions.

Casting spells to farm at sea was also vastly different from doing so on land.

Without mastering the Water Scripture, one wouldn't even know how to teach those aquatic folk to farm.

Chen Shijie nodded: "She did indeed leave a spell classic to posterity — its full name is 'True Compendium of Ten Thousand Water-Element Arts and Sea Spirits.' Of course, calling it the Water Scripture for short is fine; everyone does."

Zhao Xing asked again: "Was the original kept on Zixiao Island?"

Chen Shijie shook his head: "That I don't know. Why are you asking about this?"

Zhao Xing said quietly: "Just asking casually."

It didn't sound like just casual asking, but Chen Shijie couldn't guess what Zhao Xing was thinking.

At this moment, a stack of documents drifted down from the mountain and landed in Ji Ming's hands.

Afterwards, the Inspector returned to the reviewing stand.

Officials from every department immediately craned their necks, eager to get a good look.

Ji Ming took out a document from the middle: "Where is the Magistrate of Gucheng?"

Li Wenzheng hurriedly rose and cupped his hands: "I am here, my lord."

Ji Ming smiled faintly: "Gucheng has produced a fine seedling — your tutelage has borne fruit."

Li Wenzheng had no idea which one Ji Ming meant, so he could only nod in assent: "It is all thanks to the Jun Prefecture's wise guidance. I have merely followed the rules."

Ji Ming handed the document to Li Wenzheng, tapping a finger on it: "First place, with forty-two portions of Lingxiu alone. He shall be your Gucheng top-grade. You must see to the security within and without Gucheng, and suffer no loss to this talent."

"Yes." Li Wenzheng obediently took the document.

Ji Ming's words were, in effect, a royal appointment — Zhao Xing must appear on this year's Juncheng "Winter Assessment" list.

Hearing also that someone had claimed forty-two portions of Lingxiu alone, the officials present could no longer contain themselves.

One after another they spoke up: "Lord Li, who on earth is this person from Gucheng, to have claimed forty-two portions of Lingxiu?"

"Yes, Brother Wenzheng, read the names out quickly."

"Gentlemen, don't rush — let me look it over carefully." Li Wenzheng straightened his back, a smile on his face, and slowly turned the pages of the document.

The document Ji Ming had taken out first carried the greatest weight, meaning that Gucheng had a clerk who had achieved the best result in this Dengshan Lingxiu-gathering.

Without naming the person directly, he had also given Li Wenzheng the chance to call the names — of course Li Wenzheng had to keep his colleagues in suspense long enough.

Once a year was hardly enough for a moment like this to steal the spotlight.

"You're killing us! How long are you going to stare at that wretched document, Brother Li?!"

"Li Wenzheng, hurry it up!"

"Has your All-Seeing Clarity spell been trained into your hands? Moving your finger one hairsbreadth at a time?"

The surrounding officials traded quips, and waves of laughter rose from the reviewing stand.

Having savored his colleagues' gaze long enough, Li Wenzheng finally read out the first name on the list.

"Gucheng Agricultural Office, Clerk Zhao Xing — ascended East Lake Spirit Mountain, contended for the first incense stick of one, gathered a total of forty-two portions of Lingxiu, including two portions of superior-grade Lingxiu. Rating: top-grade!"

A sudden wave of uproar broke out all around.

Superior-grade Lingxiu — and two portions of it!

That luck was simply outrageously good!

Superior-grade Lingxiu is generally Fortune Lingxiu, which means this person can at least reach a Fortune rating of Yan Two.

Serving as an official in the Great Zhou, one's fortune must first be sound — one could well imagine this person would have a bright future ahead.

Becoming a full official was all but a certainty!

For a time, congratulations rang out without cease.

"Rise with me. Do as I do." Chen Shijie nudged Zhao Xing with his elbow, and the latter immediately took the hint.

Then, following behind Chen Shijie, he cupped his hands and returned the greetings of the officials from the various Jun-level offices.

This was a fine chance to show one's face. As long as one's name could fall into these officials' ears and they remembered having such a person, everything would be far more convenient in future dealings.

"Brother Jingong, congratulations — your Agricultural Office has produced a fine seedling."

"Many thanks, Lord Liu."

"Congratulations, Lord Chen. Do drop by my residence another day."

"When Lord Liu commands, how could I dare disobey?"

……

Zhao Xing followed behind Chen Shijie, saying nothing, only bowing and cupping his hands again and again.

He had no part to speak, but being remembered by others was enough.

If this were still back when he was a player, this round alone would have netted him a huge wave of affinity with the Nanyang Jun bureaucratic faction.

At the very least, it could push him from 'Indifferent' up to a mild 'Friendly' level.

A Yin God rating set directly at top-grade, combined with Ji Ming's appointment of first place — this was the scene the clerks had risked life and limb climbing the mountain for, the stuff of dreams.

Watching from the side, Yang Junxiong, Zong Shichang, Li Chengfeng, Lu Qian, Liu Muqing, Cao Qiushui and the others were all green with envy.

"Radiant and handsome, blessed with great fortune — most auspicious, most auspicious!" Xue Wenzhong laughed happily.

As for the other officials of the Agricultural Office, they also smiled sourly.

Sigh — such a fine seedling, how did he have to turn up in the Sophora Willow Court of all places?

Truly the envy of all around!