Chapter 1: Assistant to the Agriculture Department
In the fifteenth year of Jingxin, at the end of May, in the eastern outskirts of Gu City.
The scorching sun blazed down, and sweat poured like rain. Zhao Xing bent over, planting seedlings into the paddy field.
With each seedling he planted, a row of small numbers appeared beside him.
【Successfully planted one seedling, Basic Cultivation Technique proficiency +1】
【Successfully planted one seedling, Basic Cultivation Technique proficiency +1】
【Successfully planted one seedling, Basic Cultivation Technique proficiency +1】
...
【Basic Cultivation Technique has reached max level. You have comprehended the beginner spell ‘Flourishing Growth’】
【Flourishing Growth: Beginner Spell】
【Progress: (1/9999)】
【Effect: Accelerates nutrient absorption and shortens the time for plants to reach maturity.】
After planting for another quarter of an hour, Zhao Xing was drenched in sweat. He headed to the ridge to hydrate.
However, the harsh sunlight continued to stir the heat and irritation in his heart.
So, he raised his hand toward the sky and pointed.
A golden light emerged from his fingertip, dissipating about three or four meters above his head.
Immediately, a mass of grayish-white clouds appeared, swirling above his head.
【You have cast the spell ‘Moving Clouds’. This time, the spell triggered a lucky effect, doubling its effectiveness, expanding the cloud to a radius of ten meters.】
【Beginner Spell ‘Moving Clouds’ proficiency +2】
“Ah, much better.”
The cloud blocked the sun, acting like a parasol, covering Zhao Xing in its shade.
As he walked, the cloud moved along with him.
In the eastern outskirts of Gu County, the official fields were managed by the Agricultural Department; the officials' food, clothing, and supplies partly came from here.
As the grain-sowing season approached, there were small agricultural officials like Zhao Xing scattered everywhere.
This was because after the sowing season, planting would be useless.
Moreover, the harvest from the official fields not only determined food supply but also decided whether they could be promoted to full-fledged agricultural officers this year, moving from lowly clerks with no official rank to formal positions, with vastly different treatment.
Since crossing over to this place a year ago, Zhao Xing had discovered that he seemed to be in an early version of that mysterious game—one that had suddenly appeared on Earth in his previous life. It had no name, only an entrance, but inside was a world so real, with such high freedom, that it caused a massive sensation.
This was the period of Emperor Jing of the Great Zhou Dynasty, during the empire’s peak. The environment was relatively stable, making it one of the safest times compared to later versions.
The benefit was that the spiritual energy hadn’t fully revived yet, and the power levels weren’t ridiculously high—no powerful figures would casually wipe out a city.
After all, he was no longer a player, and the interface didn’t say he could revive.
The downside was that everything was too stable. Starting as an NPC in such a stable society made it hard to find opportunities.
“In my previous life, it took two or three days to change professions. Now, I’ve spent half a year without seeing any hope.”
“My starting identity is average too, beginning as an orphan at a charity house, later adopted by a wealthy family, but still just living an average life.”
“I heard that in my last life, some players were lucky enough to start in noble families...”
“No point in thinking about it. I'll rest a bit more, then work harder. Whether I can complete my promotion task this year will largely depend on this piece of land.”
Zhao Xing found a straw stack, pulled some straw, and was about to rest, waiting for his energy to recover.
But just then, a young man in standard clothing, wearing a straw hat, waved at him from a nearby straw stack: "Brother Zhao, come over here."
Zhao Xing walked over quickly: "Ziyu, you're resting too?"
Chen Ziyu, also a small official in the Agricultural Department, was one of the people Zhao Xing was most familiar with after crossing over.
Their relationship was both collegial and somewhat like fellow students, as at this stage, the focus wasn’t entirely on work but also on learning, aiming to rise above and no longer be stuck doing such back-breaking labor.
Next to him lay another young man, named Qian Dong, also a familiar face.
Chen Ziyu, chewing on a blade of grass, greeted him enthusiastically: “Just got here. Brother, feel free to use my cloud to cool off, no need to waste more of your energy.”
“Alright.”
Zhao Xing nodded, dispersing the cloud above his head, and lay down beside Chen Ziyu.
No sooner had he lain down than he heard Chen Ziyu complaining, “It’s only the beginning of summer, but the weather in Gu City is already this hot. There’s not even a single big tree left in the eastern outskirts since the Agricultural Department officials cut them all down. If we want shade, we have to cast spells ourselves.”
Zhao Xing chuckled: “It’s also a form of training.”
“If you want to cool off, that’s easy. Watch this.” Qian Dong tossed aside his straw hat, pointed dramatically at the sky: “Wind, come!”
Chen Ziyu was startled: “Brother Qian, have you already learned the ‘Summon Wind’ technique?”
Qian Dong grinned mischievously, then picked up his straw hat and fanned Chen Ziyu with it: “Look, here it is.”
Only then did Chen Ziyu realize he had been tricked. He grabbed a handful of dry grass and began tickling Qian Dong’s neck:
“You rascal! How dare you fool me? If you don’t fan me for a quarter of an hour, I won’t let you off!”
“Ah, stop tickling! Ziyu, calm down, I’ll fan you!”
“...”
As the two laughed and played, the cloud overhead swayed along with them. Watching this scene, Zhao Xing couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.
Can’t you two stop being so ambiguous on such a hot day?
Just as he was about to speak, Qian Dong preemptively said, “Alright, if you don’t stop, Brother Zhao will scold us again for being lazy and unserious.”
Zhao Xing lazily replied, “No, go ahead. Better yet, fight until you're both too exhausted to compete with me for the Agricultural Officer position this year, giving me a better chance.”
“Brother Zhao, you’re being too shady...”
After resting for a quarter of an hour, Zhao Xing felt his energy gradually recovering and planned to rest a bit longer before continuing with his promotion task.
But at that moment, the cloud overhead suddenly dispersed, and harsh sunlight shot straight onto his eyelids.
“What’s going on, Ziyu? Removing the cloud without saying a word…” Qian Dong was still complaining. Zhao Xing, however, pushed himself up on his elbow, squinting toward the distance.
A massive cloud, stretching nearly a kilometer across, was slowly rolling in from the front. On top of a haystack under the cloud stood a tall figure.
The spell 【Moving Clouds】 was exclusive, and it was this person who had collided with and absorbed Chen Ziyu’s cloud.
Having his spell interrupted like that, Chen Ziyu trembled slightly from the backlash, his energy suffering minor damage.
“It’s that hypocrite Li Chengfeng again! Damn him!” Chen Ziyu glared angrily at the figure on the haystack.
Why call him a hypocrite?
Because Li Chengfeng’s voice, amplified by the 【Summon Wind】 spell, spread in all directions.
“Fellow colleagues, feel free to rest under my cloud. Soon, there will be a light rain to wash away the dust for everyone.”
Not only Chen Ziyu but several others had their spells disrupted. Yet Li Chengfeng managed to gather most of the others, saving their energy, earning applause and praise for his “gentlemanly conduct.”
“That guy, lifting himself up by stepping on others. Disgusting! He loves showing off and never considers how others feel. One time I confronted him about it, and others said I was petty and jealous of his reputation as a gentleman... Jealous? Bah!” Chen Ziyu grumbled in frustration.
Qian Dong shook his head: “If he were truly a gentleman, that would be one thing. But he only associates with wealthy kids, putting on one face in public and another in private. He’s not even an official Agricultural Officer yet, but he acts like a superior. If he becomes our boss next year, who knows how he’ll torment us…”
Zhao Xing agreed with them, patting their shoulders in consolation: “I don’t like him either, but complaining won’t help. Strength is the key. Work hard, and one day we’ll slap his face.”
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