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Chapter 15: The Case of New Dawn and the Xuantian Cultists
🕑 Added 2024-10-01 05:58:56 +0000 UTCAfter just one A+ score in the exam, Zhao Xing noticed a shift in the attitudes of his colleagues. As he walked out of the courtyard, many began trying to get closer to him.
Zhang San mentioned there was a "grass puppet show" happening and invited him to come along. Li Si suggested a gathering with drinks, and even an older man invited Zhao Xing to listen to a musical performance. "I'm sorry... what was your name again?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Little brother Huang Siping, from Huangjiawan," said the balding man with high cheekbones, offering a somewhat melancholic smile. "No need for formalities, Zhao brother. I'm actually a year younger than you."
"Uh... my apologies, Brother Huang," Zhao Xing said, glancing at his balding head. You sure don’t look younger than me.
"Zhao brother, it’s understandable you might not remember me. You’ve got a lot on your mind," Huang Siping smiled. "By the way, would you be interested in joining me for Li brother’s music gathering?"
"Which Li brother?" Zhao Xing asked, confused.
"Why, Li Chengfeng, of course, the one known for his ‘gentlemanly spirit,’” Huang Siping replied. “And Brother Zong and the other colleagues who made the A list during the Minor Heat exam will be there."
The so-called music gathering was really just a veiled invitation to indulge in a more illicit activity. Li Chengfeng and Zong Shichang, both of considerable wealth, would often invite others to these gatherings, hire female performers to sing and dance, and naturally, it often ended with some private time with the women.
"All expenses are covered by Li Gongzi or the other gentlemen, including the performers' fees..." Huang Siping added with some subtlety.
Zhao Xing understood right away—it was an invitation to join in on their more private amusements.
"Please thank Brother Li for me, but I already have other plans. Perhaps next time," Zhao Xing declined.
It wasn't that he was trying to act overly righteous—if Chen Ziyu or Qian Dong had invited him, he would have accepted without hesitation. But with Li Chengfeng and Zong Shichang, they were his competitors! How could he join them?
It was easy to imagine a scenario: they get you drunk, arrange for you to be with a female entertainer, but it turns out she’s actually a commoner posing as a courtesan. The next day, she files a complaint with the county office... Zhao Xing immediately recalled how players used to pull such dirty tricks in his previous life.
"Too bad. Next time, then," Huang Siping said regretfully, seeing Zhao Xing's equally disappointed expression. He had already formed a plan in his mind and, after bowing, took his leave.
"Well?"
"He declined, said he had prior engagements."
"Hmph, with so many on the A list accepting the invitation, does he really think he's that important? Does he expect Brother Li and Brother Zong to invite him personally?"
"You can’t blame him. After all, he’s not that familiar with us yet."
Huang Siping passed the message to Li Chengfeng, and even before Li could respond, several others began commenting on Zhao Xing’s supposed arrogance.
Li Chengfeng felt slightly displeased, but he kept a smile on his face. "I merely wish to make friends and didn’t want to be too forward, so I asked Brother Huang to extend the invitation. I suppose he simply had other plans... no matter, we’ll invite him again another time. Perhaps he’ll join us then."
After Li’s gracious response, the others immediately praised his magnanimity, making Zhao Xing seem a bit haughty in comparison.
However, the conversation soon moved on, and neither Li Chengfeng nor Zong Shichang thought much of it. After all, it was just one A+—hardly a significant threat.
"Brother, you’ve only gotten one A+, and already so many people want to be your friend. Congratulations!" Qian Dong teased as Zhao Xing emerged from the crowd, his tone tinged with envy.
"Indeed! A few more A+ scores, and I fear Brother might forget about us entirely," Chen Ziyu added with a playful smirk.
Zhao Xing chuckled. He understood their feelings. It was like when you thought you were someone’s best friend, only to find out that person suddenly had a new group of close friends...
"Don’t worry. The way you two are acting now, I'd never forget you—not even as a ghost."
"..."
"Don’t you two have something to do this afternoon?" Zhao Xing asked.
"We do. Ziyu and I plan to head to the east suburbs for a makeup exam," Qian Dong replied. "Where are you going, Brother?"
"To the Temple."
"Brother, are you receiving more teachings already?" Chen Ziyu’s eyes lit up with admiration. It hadn’t been that long since Zhao Xing had learned Wind Summoning and Thunder Summoning.
"Just going to give it a try." Zhao Xing nodded. The effects of the Dao Embryo Pill were evident, as his essence-gathering efficiency had improved significantly, especially with the richer meals at home. Though he hadn’t yet reached the third level of Gathering Essence, his Cloud Summoning had advanced to five transformations, and Thunder Summoning had reached three. Now, he could attempt to learn Rainmaking.
"Then we won’t keep you, Brother. Let’s go, Ziyu—we can’t afford to slack off!"
"Right!" Chen Ziyu nodded vigorously, clearly motivated by Zhao Xing’s progress.
Watching his friends head off, Zhao Xing made his way to the county office.
"Cloud Summoning, Wind Summoning, Thunder Summoning, and Rainmaking—these form the core skills of the Shennong profession. Right now, I'm only missing Rainmaking. Hopefully, Lord Cao will be generous this time."
Learning another spell would give him a greater edge in future assessments, increasing his chances of becoming an official Shennong.
In the short term, Zhao Xing’s focus was on becoming a Shennong official of the ninth rank. His long-term goal was immortality, but to achieve that, he had to survive the era of the Fortune Dynasty and make it to the Revival Era.
The Fortune Dynasty could extend the lifespan of its officials, which was why Zhao Xing was so focused on gaining official status. Otherwise, he would’ve chosen a more "free-spirited" career.
As Zhao Xing entered the office, a familiar voice greeted him.
"Brother Zhao, it’s you again?"
"Brother Pang, indeed, it’s me." Zhao Xing smiled at Pang Fei, who had handled his document approval last time.
"You’re here for... another one?" Pang Fei glanced at Zhao Xing’s application papers, visibly surprised. "It hasn’t been that long, and you're ready to receive more teachings?"
"Just trying my luck," Zhao Xing replied modestly.
"No need to be so humble. You’re bound to succeed." Pang Fei congratulated him. "The officials at the Shennong Division wouldn’t approve these applications lightly. I’ll process this for you right away..."
"Make way! Urgent orders from the military office! Step aside!"
A loud, urgent voice echoed from outside, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.
Zhao Xing looked over, catching sight of a group of armed soldiers marching past.
"Brother Pang, what’s going on? Why is the military office so busy?"
"They’re assisting the Prefecture with an investigation."
Pang Fei lowered his voice, leaning in conspiratorially. "You know, it’s actually related to the Shennong Division. For some reason, many Shennong clerks have been mysteriously disappearing across the twelve counties of Nanyang Prefecture. Isn’t that strange?"
"Disappearing? Shennong clerks?" Zhao Xing’s brow furrowed. "Do they know what’s causing it?"
Pang Fei shrugged. "That’s what they’re investigating. I don’t know much else. Anyway, Brother Zhao, please wait while I submit your application."
"Thank you." Zhao Xing sat down, deep in thought. He searched his memory for anything relevant from his past life. He had lived through Emperor Jing's reign but had never been to Gucheng or Nanyang Prefecture. Still, some significant events stood out in his mind.
"There was a notorious case during Emperor Jing’s time involving the disappearance of numerous Shennong officials. They were abducted by a group claiming to be from the Xuantian Sect... But wasn’t that supposed to happen during the Great Prosperity Era? Why is it happening now in the New Dawn Era? Did I remember it wrong, or is this something that was already being planned as far back as the New Dawn Era?"
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