Chapter 2: Clouds and Rain

After a brief interlude, Zhao Xing continued his work, rushing to finish planting the last field before sunset. The basic and initial-level Magic Arts advanced quickly in the early stages, and his proficiency in the initial-level 'Vigorous Growth' had already accumulated to 200 points.

Looking at the neatly arranged and lush green fields, Zhao Xing stood up, satisfied, and clapped his hands. As was his habit during harvest time, he glanced at the status panel.

[Name: Zhao Xing]

[Realm: Unranked]

[Fate: Yan Yi]

[Magic Arts: Basic Cultivation (Max Level)]

[Vigorous Growth: Initial Level (201/9999)]

[Cloud Walking: Initial Level (352/9999)]

[Gathering Essence: Stage One (58/100)]

Since he hadn't changed professions, the data on the panel was quite simple. As he gained professions and the version updated, these would change accordingly. But even from this limited data, Zhao Xing recalled a lot of additional information.

"After the Great Ancestor of Great Zhou unified the Nineteen States, he issued a grand wish: 'All talents under heaven shall enter my court, and my methods shall be the methods of ten thousand generations.'"

"He unified the cultivation realms and established the 'Ninth Grade Thirty Levels.'"

"Below the Fourth Grade, there are sub-divisions of regular, subordinate, superior, and supreme. Above the Fourth Grade, there are only regular and subordinate."

"Later, with the help of the Great God Tong, he bound the fate of the dynasty, establishing a rule: 'Those not of my Zhou dynasty shall not cultivate.'"

"And in the Temple of the Nineteen States, the Transmission of All Techniques."

"This system was used until the Su Restoration version, or until players broke through the level cap, allowing for updates."

In the early days, this system was often criticized by players on forums: 'It's not even as good as the 'Half-Step to the Peak'!'

Since he hadn't changed professions, his realm was 'Unranked.' The fate system was divided into Four Nineteen Levels, based on the Great Yan Wu Ten and Tian Yan Four Nineteen principles. Yan Yi fate was basically the standard for billions of commoners. It also affected the effectiveness and success rate of certain Magic Arts, like the recently performed [Cloud Walking], which was purely luck-based.

The three Magic Arts were 'techniques,' while Gathering Essence was 'skill.' Billions of commoners could 'Gather Essence,' strengthening their bodies, increasing longevity and fortune. This was another achievement of the Great Ancestor of Great Zhou.

Under the premise that spiritual energy hadn't reached a grand scale during the Su Restoration, civil and military officials could use even a weak level of Yuan Qi to drive powerful Magic Arts.

"Cultivation is like building a ten-thousand-foot-high tower. The fate of the Great Zhou dynasty can help lay the foundation, add bricks and tiles. A single holy decree can make it smooth sailing, increasing longevity and changing fate, directly advancing to the first rank."

"Without being an official, limited by resources, one might be stuck at a bottleneck until old age, while others rise steadily. The unified fate of the dynasty, using this official-based cultivation system, truly achieved the goal of gathering all talents under heaven into my court."

"However, the drawbacks are also obvious. The same holy decree can also plunge one into the abyss, even stripping away cultivation, depending on the dynasty."

"I remember there was a method to eat the sugar coating and send the cannonball back... but thinking about these things now is too early."

"In this era, Great Zhou is in invincible mode. Now is the Emperor Jing's period, and after the Martial Emperor, the invincible Great Zhou will start to decline. By then, this fate-based dynasty model will show more and more flaws..."

Thinking of this, Zhao Xing couldn't help but shake his head with a smile, not out of pity for Great Zhou, but at his own self-mockery.

Who knows if he can survive the Martial Emperor's period? Right now, he hasn't even received a transfer task.

The Zhao family in Valley City is a prominent household in Nanyang County, known for their benevolence. Every few years, they would support the Imperial Court's 'Charity Hospital,' even sending family members to personally care for orphans displaced by natural disasters. Zhao Xing was one such example.

The Zhao family's businesses included clothing, food, housing, and transportation, as well as machinery and forging, all lucrative industries. As a great family, donating money to other government institutions might raise suspicions of official-business collusion, easily criticized. But doing charity, the voices of doubt were much less.

Zhao Xing's adoptive father, Zhao Rui De, was from the East Lake Branch. In his early years, he followed merchant caravans, doing delivery and guard work, living a comfortable life. Unexpectedly, at forty-five, he lost his wife and only son when their boat capsized.

The hidden injuries accumulated from traveling south and north were diagnosed by doctors as making it difficult to have more children. So, under the family's arrangement and persuasion, Zhao Rui De adopted six-year-old Zhao Xing from the Charity Hospital as his adopted son.

Initially, he was quite fond of Zhao Xing, but in recent years, things changed. Because six years after adopting Zhao Xing, Zhao Rui De's concubine surprisingly gave birth to a son!

The old tree blossomed, and Zhao Rui De was overjoyed, immediately elevating the concubine to wife status, and transferring all his affection to his biological son. Over the years, he gradually became estranged from Zhao Xing.

Looking at the grand Zhao family courtyard before him, recalling the various encounters of his original self, Zhao Xing felt a slight pang of emotion as he pushed the door open and entered.

Zhao Rui De was sitting under a willow tree, fanning the children playing on the mat. Seeing Zhao Xing enter, he hurriedly made a shushing gesture, pointing to the kitchen, indicating for him to eat by himself.

Zhao Xing didn't mind that the family hadn't waited for him to start dinner. He clasped his hands together and headed to the kitchen.

As an adoptive father, he wasn't so estranged, but Zhao Xing was a halfway car, and he hadn't experienced the years when Zhao Rui De most doted on the original owner. Maintaining surface respect was the mode of interaction he found comfortable.

As for Zhao Rui De, his thoughts weren't on Zhao Xing either. Previously, he had even had disagreements over Zhao Xing's career choice—he wanted Zhao Xing to practice martial arts or engage in commerce, but Zhao Xing insisted on joining the Department of Agriculture.

How much money can a farmer make? How great a future can it have?

In the end, he reluctantly accepted it, but the relationship between them grew more distant.

If the relationship with his adoptive father was estranged, then the relationship with Madam Cai, who continued the family line, was cold.

As soon as he entered the kitchen, Zhao Xing heard a sharp voice from outside.

"Is his nose a dog's? He really has a keen sense! As soon as there's a pot of meat at home, he comes back. Did the smell of this meat drift all the way to the Department of Agriculture?"

"Hush, say less. Zheng'er just fell asleep after playing... Eating a few pieces of meat isn't a big deal, we can afford it."

"I'm not worried about the meat, but he's already eighteen or nineteen, and he doesn't contribute anything to the family. Which other family doesn't know filial piety?"

"Old man, you raised him to adulthood, yet he doesn't listen to you at all, insisting on joining that Department of Agriculture. It's one thing, but it's been almost a year, and he hasn't even ranked. Is he planning to compete with Zheng'er for the family..."

"Are you done? What's the point of saying this? I'm not dead yet!"

"Hmph..."

"Sigh, crying again, it's really annoying. Look, you've woken Zheng'er..."

Then came the sound of a child's crying and a woman's sigh.

"Madam Cai, Madam Cai, I've already said clearly that I won't divide Zheng'er's inheritance in the future. Why don't you believe me? This crying is making me regretful."

Zhao Xing thought to himself, but his body was honest, quickly lifting the pot lid and eating quickly and heartily.

Zhao Rui De had some savings and was a martial artist, so the kitchen stove had four large pots, three of which were filled with meat dishes.

The Department of Agriculture didn't provide meals, and the small salary was barely enough to speak of, only some supplements.

To improve the proficiency of the [Gathering Essence] skill, frankly speaking, he wanted to absorb as much of the world's Yuan Qi as possible, strengthen his own energy and blood, and eating was the first priority.

Eating from the old man is justified! Even if it's raising a child!

Players in the farming game are all pragmatists, thick-skinned and stubborn, Zhao Xing had to be stubborn first!

The louder the crying outside, the faster Zhao Xing ate.

By the time the sound gradually subsided, he was full.

Seeing the progress bar of Gathering Essence increase by 3 points, Zhao Xing patted his mouth, satisfied, and walked out of the kitchen.

When the person involved came out, Madam Cai stopped making noise, still needing to give the old man some face.

Zhao Xing was used to it, bowing to the two: "Greetings to my adoptive father and madam, I'll go rest first."

Zhao Rui De nodded lightly, indicating Zhao Xing to leave quickly, wanting to clear the air.

Madam Cai, however, started muttering again: "Every time he comes home, he eats and sleeps, doesn't even know to play with Zheng'er for a while. Is the Department of Agriculture full of rice buckets..."

"..."

This really made Zhao Xing feel wronged.

He returned to his room, but he wasn't planning to sleep.

Closing the door, he lit three incense sticks, and with specially made materials, ground them into ink.

Beside the desk was a waste paper basket, filled with many crumpled yellow papers.

What Zhao Xing needed to do now was to acquire a secondary profession—Talisman Maker.

"Fortunately, at this time, the skills are complete, materials are cheap, and there are many ways to obtain them, without spending much effort."

Zhao Xing dipped his brush in ink and began drawing talismans on the yellow paper.

Perhaps it was because he had tried too many times, or maybe it was the increase in Yuan Qi and Sun, this time was exceptionally smooth.

At the moment when the brush was about to finish, Gathering Essence activated, a stroke of brilliance transmitted from the fingertip to the brush, extending to the yellow paper, the entire yellow paper emitted a faint glow, then absorbed it all.

[You have successfully comprehended the Talisman Making Method, creating a Guiding Talisman]

[You have acquired the secondary profession 'Talisman Maker']

[Basic Guiding Talisman (1/1000): When attached to the body, it can accelerate the absorption of the world's Yuan Qi]

"The Department of Agriculture has over five hundred people, but the annual quota for official positions is less than five. To compete with people like Li Chengfeng, who come from great families with abundant resources, you have to bend the rules."

Becoming a Talisman Maker could earn him a lot of money, helping him get ahead?

Obviously not, Zhao Xing knew that selling at this level would only get him criticized by customers, and he couldn't compete with other Talisman Makers.

So his goal wasn't the secondary profession.

Taking advantage of the good feeling, Zhao Xing began trying to draw the second talisman.

Soon he acquired the second basic talisman.

[You have successfully comprehended the Talisman Making Method, creating a Soul Calming Talisman]

[Soul Calming Talisman: Has the effect of calming the soul and stabilizing the mind]

"Success!"

Zhao Xing attached the Guiding Talisman to his abdomen and the Soul Calming Talisman to his forehead, lying on the bed in a strange posture, muttering:

"Student Zhao Xing, please open the door to learning at the Great Dream Academy."

(End of Chapter)