Chapter 82: First on the List, the Warding-Away Omen Warns Again

After following Chen Shijie around for a full circuit, he had met just about all the officials; his own family, on the other hand, was the very last he saw.

"Big Brother! Big Brother!" Seeing Zhao Xing come down from the reviewing stand, Zhao Zheng charged in bull-headedly, only to be immediately stopped by the East Lake soldiers maintaining order.

"Two military sirs, these are my family." Zhao Xing spoke up. The viewing areas for officials and commoners were kept separate; unless prior arrangements had been made, no one could be let through lightly.

"Go register up ahead, then come back here for a body search…" One of the soldiers, face stiff, began speaking, but before he could finish, a squad leader walked over: "These are Zhao the Agricultural Officer's family! No need to register, let them through!"

Zhao Xing's circuit on the platform had not been for nothing; quite a few of the East Lake soldiers now recognized him.

The man had just been chatting and laughing with his own superior officer — how could they not pay attention?

"Many thanks." Zhao Xing smiled and cupped his hands.

Only then were Zhao Ruide, Zhao Zheng, and Madam Cai allowed in.

"Big Brother, you're amazing." Zhao Zheng looked at his elder brother with admiring eyes. "So many big officials up there, and they all greeted you with smiles."

Zhao Xing did not bother to explain to Zhao Zheng that those smiles were hardly for his sake — most of them were on account of Old Chen.

After reaching entry into the ranked realm, his perception had grown sharper; looking at Old Chen again, he was far more than the mere ninth-rank he appeared on the surface.

"Did you wait outside for very long?" Zhao Xing ruffled Zhao Zheng's head.

"Mm, ages! I peed three times before you came out!" Zhao Zheng said, a little aggrieved. "Just when Big Brother finally came out, you got surrounded by a bunch of people. I shouted for you from outside, but after only a couple of shouts I suddenly couldn't speak. I thought I'd gone mute, but then after a while I could talk again…"

Only then did Zhao Xing realize they had been affected by Li Wenzheng's 'silencing'.

Zhao Ruide asked, "How did it go? You weren't hurt?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine."

"That's good then."

Father and son exchanged a few brief pleasantries, and then ran out of things to say.

Madam Cai usually had plenty to say, but this time the occasion was too grand, and seeing that Zhao Xing's bearing was utterly different from before he went up the mountain, she did not dare say much.

Though very sleepy, she still unconsciously roused herself, held Zhao Zheng close, and put on a smiling face.

Zhao Xing thought for a moment, then took out a banknote from his robe: "Foster Father, Madam Cai, I earned quite a bit of money on the mountain this time. This banknote — let me leave it for the family."

"Five hundred taels?!" Madam Cai's eyes went wide.

Zhao Ruide, on the other hand, was calm: "What are you doing? The family is hardly short of money. Keep it for yourself."

"I gained quite a lot going up the mountain this time; I have more than enough for my cultivation. Please take it." Seeing Zhao Ruide refuse, Zhao Xing handed it to Madam Cai instead.

"Gulp~" Someone very clearly swallowed hard.

In the past, Madam Cai would have taken it gladly, but today, for some reason, she did not.

Though her fingers were already twitching and her eyes were glued to the banknote, she could not bring herself to lift her hand and take it.

"I really do have more." Zhao Xing took out another five-hundred-tael banknote from his robe. "See? I'm not lying to you."

Seeing Zhao Xing insist, Zhao Ruide could only nod and motion for Madam Cai to accept it: "Then let the Lady keep it for you."

"Yes, yes, I'll guard it well!" Madam Cai was suddenly no longer sleepy. Trembling, she tucked the banknote away against her body.

While Zhao Xing's family was chatting away.

In a fisherman's house by the East Lake, another 'family' was also chatting.

"The Yin God on East Lake Spirit Mountain has already ranked the officials." The Sanwan Hall Master took off his fish basket and said to the 'wife' who came to greet him. "Of the ones we had our eyes on, two died and three were crippled."

"That's not bad either — eases the pressure a little." The middle-aged woman smiled, untied her 'husband's' sweat-soaked shirt, and wiped him down with Mao Jin.

"Eases the pressure?" The burly man spread his arms and let out a grunt. "Quite the opposite — our pressure is even greater now."

"How so?" The woman wrung out the towel and swapped it for a clean one.

"Li Chengfeng is at the ninth stage of Qi Gathering — that's nothing remarkable. But that Zhao Xing actually leapt from the fourth stage of Qi Gathering all the way to entry into the ranked realm, claiming forty-two portions of Lingxiu all on his own!"

"He alone has multiplied the difficulty of the mission several times over." The Sanwan Hall Master was somewhat irritated.

They were supposed to capture people with decent aptitude, but aptitude that was too good was also troublesome.

It meant the price they had to pay would be greater as well.

"Several dozen portions of Lingxiu?" The woman was startled too. "Doesn't that mean there'll be a top-grade Fortune Lingxiu? That really is troublesome."

A Fortune Lingxiu would greatly increase the difficulty of capture; if it could be seized easily, it wouldn't be called strong fortune.

To offset such 'good luck,' they too would have to pay a greater price.

"Right — tell me, isn't it annoying?"

"In this situation, it shouldn't fall to the two of us to act." The woman frowned as well. "Didn't the Protector say we still need to capture Chen Shijie? If the higher-ups want to send more people, that would come along with it."

"How could it be that simple? Once is fine, twice is fine, but not three times. Nanyang Commandery has already made one move; the defenses are tight now. The moment I set foot on East Lake Mountain, I sense danger everywhere." The middle-aged man frowned. "Besides, if the mission isn't completed, we'll still have to stay in this wretched place."

"Not daring to use even a single spell, having to suppress our qi and blood every day, enduring the torment of Yin Spirit Fire Sha day and night…"

"The Protector has to ride horses and take carriages between counties too — stop complaining." The woman stroked the man's chest. "Shall I help you purge the Fire Sha?"

The man grabbed the woman's conscience with one hand and pressed down on her head with the other: "Make it quick. I reckon the Protector will be here soon."

"Don't worry, I know the measure." The woman tossed the towel aside and smoothly crouched down.

Half an hour later, a horse carriage stopped outside the door, and an old man knocked on the house.

"Protector." The Sanwan Hall Master opened the door to greet him.

Once inside, the old man sniffed the air, frowned at the man, and said: "Your Yin Spirit Fire Sha is acting up again? It's only been how long?"

His words were light as a feather, but the Sanwan Hall Master's face was full of dread: "This subordinate is incompetent."

"Hmph. If it's sensed, you'll die a very ugly death." The old man lightly tapped the man's forehead; a flash of red light glimmered, and the man visibly let out a breath of relief. "Remember — only on Yin days at Yin hours may you purge the Sha. Don't let me catch you a second time."

"Yes."

Falcon Protector sat at the table, tapped the surface three times with his fingers, then said: "Tell me about the situation on East Lake Spirit Mountain. I can only stay here for a quarter of an hour — I still have to go to Hucheng."

"Li Chengfeng, Zong Zong Shichang, and Zhao Xing of Gucheng have made great progress, with Zhao Xing the foremost among them — forty-two portions of Lingxiu, all to himself." The woman gave a detailed account.

Falcon Protector listened in silence, his face expressionless: "That trash Zong Zong Shichang can be struck off the list. We misjudged him earlier — the reputation we heard was all puffed up by people he hired to brag for him. We've only just learned that this fellow has been coasting entirely on his family's money, and even climbing Spirit Mountain he had to hire others to help him."

"Yes." The woman gave a slight nod.

"Li Chengfeng's ranking moves to fifth place. This man is a promising seedling."

"As for this Zhao Xing..." the Falcon Guardian pondered, "move him to first place. If there's a chance to act, among the clerks we might even only need to seize him alone."

"Guardian, is Chen Shijie on the capture list?" the Sanwan Hall Master asked.

"Is that something you should be asking?" the Falcon turned his head and lightly tapped the table.

The man's face flushed red, and he immediately showed a pained expression: "It was this subordinate who spoke out of turn."

"Keep watching. Find a chance to bring him back to the Extreme West Continent."

"Yes."

"Brother Zhao, heading back to Huicheng for a meal? Fragrant飘 Tower, my treat!"

"Big Brother Zhao, now that this Dengshan is over, Brother Li and Brother Peng are hosting at Huichun Court. May I have the honor of your presence?"

Zhao Xing was chatting with his family when many clerks came to invite him back to Huicheng for a meal.

Among them were the banquets of Young Master Zong, Li Chengfeng, and others.

Three days of toil — gathering for a meal wasn't a big deal in itself. Zhao Xing was about to accept Zong Shichang's invitation when suddenly his chest grew hot.

The Misfortune-Averting Almanac trembled slightly!

"Hmm?" Zhao Xing walked to a corner and looked down.

【Jingxin Calendar Year 15, September 25, Yuzhong, Si hour, fourth quarter.】

【Misfortune-Averting Warning: Minor misfortune; the few advance while the many oppose — all matters inadvisable.】

A new entry also refreshed on the panel:

【Misfortune-Averting Almanac Passive Warning — based on your Luck Grade and known information, you receive the following hint:】

【You depart East Lake Mountain at Si hour, traveling back to the city with companions. The Xuantian Sect sees an opportunity and decides to launch the abduction plan early. You fight back desperately and fall into a life-or-death situation — the omen shifts to Major Misfortune!】

Although it was only Minor Misfortune in degree, the detailed interpretation on the panel showed that his return to the city might bring an accident on the road — he could be abducted by people of the Xuantian Sect, which would then escalate into an omen of Major Misfortune!

With Yan San's Luck Grade, the Misfortune-Averting Almanac Zhao Xing held was even more sensitive. Based on the information he himself knew and his understanding of the Xuantian Sect, the interpretation presented on the panel was also more comprehensive.

"Everyone, I must accompany my family today. I won't accept any invitations — let's gather another day!"

Zhao Xing refused all of these invitations.

Since the possibility of abduction had appeared, he could not possibly ignore it.

He had gained too much "good luck" on the mountain. According to the law of personal fortune, things peak before they decline — he was about to suffer some minor setbacks.

What does "the few advance while the many oppose" mean? It means traveling with companions of roughly the same realm.

If he did that, what might have originally been just a little bad luck could turn into an omen of Major Misfortune — that would be far too unfair!

"How did it go?" Lu Qian looked at Zong Shichang walking over, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

"He refused." Zong Shichang shrugged, then asked curiously, "Why are you suddenly interested in him? You two have nothing to do with each other."

Lu Qian felt a little disappointed and snorted: "Why ask so many questions? Didn't you say that in Gucheng no one dares refuse Young Master Zong's face? How come you can't even get someone to come to a meal? Truly disappointing!"

"..." Zong Shichang found himself speechless.

Being looked down on by a woman, he felt he had lost a lot of face: "Not being able to invite him today doesn't mean I won't be able to tomorrow. Just you wait — I will definitely get the two of you to that meal!"

"Good!" Lu Qian broke into a smile. "Then I'll wait for your news. Don't worry — when the time comes, I'll have Qing'er come along too. But don't disappoint, or you can forget about me setting you up again!"

"It's a deal!" Zong Shichang left, satisfied.

On the other side, Li Chengfeng also received word from others that Zhao Xing had refused the invitation.

"Good that he's not coming." For some reason, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Sending Zhao Xing an invitation had not been his own idea — it was just that everyone was saying they should invite Zhao the Fourth-Ranker over to liven things up, so he had someone go invite him.

But if Zhao Xing really came, Li Chengfeng would have been uncomfortable.

Now that he wasn't coming, he actually felt much more at ease.

East Lake Mountain, Earth Altar Square.

"Why haven't you left yet?" Chen Shijie looked at Zhao Xing, curious. "They've all gone off in groups to enjoy themselves. Aren't you going?"

The assessment and ranking were already over. Most of the clerks had left the area, heading back in small groups to relax.

But Zhao Xing was still lingering here. When people came to invite him, he still wouldn't go.

"I don't care for amusements," Zhao Xing said against his true feelings. "They're not much fun."

"No need to be so hard on yourself," Chen Shijie laughed. "You should play when it's time to play. Before you officially receive your appointment next year, this is your most leisurely time. Once you're appointed, there'll be much more to do."

Zhao Xing was now already at the rank of Subordinate Ninth Grade, Upper. Continuing to cultivate upward would be much slower than before — only after officially receiving his appointment would it return to normal.

Before the Winter Evaluation, only the Start of Winter and Winter Solstice assessments remained — two in total.

Given Zhao Xing's current situation, achieving Upper Grade in these two assessments was no longer difficult, and securing a nomination for the Winter Evaluation was a certainty.

Because he had already caught the eye of officials at the commandancy-level Agricultural Monitor, getting a nomination at the Winter Evaluation was definitely no problem.

The only uncontrollable factor was the Court Examination — no amount of connections within Nanyang Commandancy could influence the Court Examination.

"I really don't care for amusements," Zhao Xing said. "Give me a shout when it's time to head back."

"Alright." Chen Shijie said no more.

First quarter of Wu hour, the East Lake Army had fully entered the mountain.

Second quarter of Wu hour, Zhao Xing, together with Chen Shijie, carrying his family, boarded a Flowing Cloud Flying Vessel and took off directly from East Lake Mountain, then landed one li outside the city gate, enjoying the privilege of flight.

Fourth quarter of Wu hour, the Sanwan Hall Master and Vice Hall Master had been staking out several routes from East Lake Mountain back to the city for a long time, but found no trace of Zhao Xing.

"Doesn't look like a good time to make a move." The Sanwan Hall Master sighed. Zhao Xing carried a very heavy weight in the mission — they could even abandon the other minor targets for this first priority, but not the reverse.

"Let's go. We've been coming here for years — what's the rush?" The Vice Hall Master beside him shouldered his load. "There'll be plenty of chances."

"Mm."

After Zhao Xing entered the city, the Misfortune-Averting Warning disappeared and no longer showed any ill omen.

On the way back to Pingkang Ward, Lady Cai held Zhao Ruide's hand. Zhao Zheng had not yet come down from the excitement of riding the flying vessel, bouncing along the road and chattering nonstop, asking Zhao Xing all sorts of questions.

"Big Brother, how high can the flying boat go?"

"Very high."

"Big Brother, what do you do if you need to pee on the flying boat?"

"Just stand at the edge and pee."

"Huh? Won't you fall off? And what if the wind is so strong it gets all over your pants?"

"Just wash them, won't you."

"Big Brother, Big Brother… ow~"

Watching Zhao Zheng, who had accidentally taken a tumble, Zhao Xing shook his head helplessly — this unlucky kid… Then with a light flick of his finger, a gust of wind lifted Zhao Zheng up.

Zhao Zheng kicked his legs wildly in the air, laughing nonstop.

"Yay~ I'm flying again~~ Big Brother, go a bit faster~"

That night, Zhao Xing returned to his own bedchamber, shut the doors and windows tight, pulled two sheets of yellow paper from the bookcase, and crafted them into a Guidance Talisman and a Soul-Settling Talisman.

Both basic talismans were already maxed out — in less than a quarter of an hour they were finished.

"Now that my realm has risen, I wonder if I can get some good stuff from the Great Dream Academy. Those damn Xuantian Sect people have too many tricks and keep watching me — I hope I can scrounge up some treasures to protect myself."

Once the ink had dried, he stuck one on his forehead and one on his abdomen, then twisted himself into a strange posture on the bed and chanted in a low voice: "Student Zhao Xing respectfully requests the Great Dream Academy to open the Gate of Learning!"