Shennong the Daoist Lord of Farming - Chapter 02

Chapter 2: Moving Clouds and Summoning Rain

After the brief interlude, Zhao Xing continued planting rice seedlings, finishing the last acre of the communal field just before sunset.

Basic and beginner-level techniques upgrade quickly in the early stages, and Zhao Xing had accumulated 200 points of proficiency in the beginner-level spell "Flourishing Growth."

Looking at the neat rows of green fields, Zhao Xing straightened his back and clapped his hands in satisfaction.

Before finishing, he habitually checked his panel.

• Name: Zhao Xing
• Realm: Unranked
• Fortune: Derived from "Yi"
• Spells: Basic Cultivation Technique (Max Level), Flourishing Growth (Beginner: 201/9999), Moving Clouds (Beginner: 352/9999)
• Skills: Gathering Essence (Tier One: 58/100)

Since he had not yet changed professions, the panel remained quite simple.

As professions are gained and new game versions released, the panel will change accordingly. Even with the limited data available, Zhao Xing was able to recall a wealth of additional information.

"After the Great Ancestor of Zhou unified the 19 states, he made a grand wish: 'All the talents under heaven shall fall into my grasp, and my law shall be the law for all eternity.'"

"He unified the cultivation ranks, establishing the 'Nine Grades and Thirty Levels.'"

"Below Grade Four, there are subdivisions of Primary, Secondary, Superior, and Inferior. Above Grade Four, there are only Primary and Secondary."

"Then, with great divine power, he bound the fortune of the dynasty to this system, setting a rule: 'No one outside the Zhou Dynasty may cultivate.'"

"Temples were built in the 19 states to spread countless methods of cultivation."

"This system continued until the resurgence of spiritual energy, or when players broke through the level cap, allowing for updates."

Early on, players often mocked this system on forums: 'This is even worse than being stuck at Half-Step Perfection!'

Currently, Zhao Xing's realm was still 'Unranked' since he hadn’t switched professions.

The fortune system had 49 levels, derived from the concept of 'The Great Cycle of Fifty, with Heaven manifesting in forty-nine.'

The "Yi-derived" fortune was the standard for the countless commoners. It also affected the efficacy and success rate of certain spells, such as the "Moving Clouds" spell he just cast, where a "Great Success" could occur based purely on luck.

The three spells were classified as 'Spells,' while Gathering Essence was classified as a 'Skill.'

The countless commoners could all practice 'Gathering Essence' to strengthen their bodies, extend their lives, and increase fortune. This was yet another achievement of the Great Ancestor of Zhou.

In an era where spiritual energy had yet to recover on a large scale, officials and ministers could use this weaker energy to perform powerful spells.

"Building a tower of ten thousand feet requires a strong foundation. The fortune of the Zhou Dynasty helps people lay that foundation, adding bricks and tiles. A single imperial decree could elevate someone to the highest rank, extending life and changing destiny, straight to the First Grade."

"If you don’t serve as an official, you're limited by your aptitude and will eventually die of old age at a bottleneck, while others soar upward. The fortune-driven dynasty truly captured all talents under its wing with this officialdom-based cultivation system."

"However, the downside is clear: the same imperial decree that raises someone up can also cast them into the abyss, stripping them of their cultivation along with their fortune, which is then returned to the dynasty."

"I remember there was a way to keep the sweet coating and throw back the explosive payload... but it's too early to think about that now."

"In this current era, the Great Zhou Dynasty is invincible. We are in the reign of Emperor Jing, but after Emperor Wu, the undefeated Zhou Dynasty will start to decline. At that point, more and more flaws in this fortune-driven dynasty system will begin to emerge..."

At this thought, Zhao Xing couldn’t help but smile wryly, not for the Zhou Dynasty's fate, but for his own self-deprecation.

Who knows if he’d even survive the reign of Emperor Wu? After all, he hadn’t even received his profession-changing quest yet.

The Zhao family of Gu City was a prestigious family in Nanyang County, renowned for their virtue.

Every few years, they would sponsor the government-run "Charity Institute," and sometimes even send family members to personally adopt orphans displaced by natural disasters, like Zhao Xing himself.

The Zhao family's business spanned clothing, food, housing, and even lucrative industries such as machinery and forging.

As a major family, donating money to other government institutions might raise suspicions of collusion with officials, making them an easy target for criticism.

But doing charity work drew far less scrutiny.

Zhao Xing's adoptive father, Zhao Ruide, was from the Donghu branch. In his early years, he worked with merchant caravans, providing escort and protection services, and led a comfortable life.

But at the age of forty-five, he lost his wife and only son when their boat capsized during a trip.

Due to the internal injuries accumulated from years of travel, doctors diagnosed that it would be difficult for him to have more children. So, under the family's arrangements, Zhao Ruide adopted Zhao Xing from the Charity Institute when he was six, raising him as his own son.

Originally, Zhao Ruide was quite fond of Zhao Xing, but in recent years, things changed.

Six years after adopting Zhao Xing, Zhao Ruide took a concubine, who then gave birth to a son!

Overjoyed by this late-in-life blessing, Zhao Ruide immediately elevated his concubine to the status of wife, pouring all his affection onto his biological son, gradually becoming distant from Zhao Xing.

As Zhao Xing stood before the grand Zhao family estate, recalling the past experiences of his original body, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of emotion before pushing open the door and stepping inside.

Zhao Ruide was lounging under a willow tree, fanning the child napping on the bamboo mat. When he saw Zhao Xing enter, he quickly made a gesture for silence and pointed towards the kitchen, indicating for him to eat on his own.

Zhao Xing didn’t mind that the family hadn’t waited for him to start dinner. He cupped his hands in greeting and headed straight for the kitchen.

As an adopted son, the relationship shouldn’t have been this distant, but since Zhao Xing had joined halfway through, he missed out on the years when Zhao Ruide lavished affection on the original owner. Out of respect, Zhao Xing maintained a polite distance, which was the mode of interaction that suited him best.

And Zhao Ruide? His mind wasn’t on Zhao Xing. In fact, they’d had a falling-out over Zhao Xing's career choice. Zhao Ruide wanted him to practice martial arts or go into business, but Zhao Xing insisted on joining the Agricultural Bureau.

“How much money can an Agricultural Officer make? What kind of future does it offer?”

In the end, Zhao Ruide gave in, but their relationship became even more strained.

If his relationship with his adoptive father was distant, his relationship with Zhao Ruide's new wife, Madame Cai, was outright cold.

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

“Does he have a dog’s nose? It’s so sharp! As soon as the family cooks meat, he comes running. Did the smell of stew drift all the way to the Agricultural Bureau?”

“Shh, say less. Zheng’er just fell asleep from playing… Eating a few pieces of meat won’t hurt anyone. It’s not like we can’t afford it.”

“I’m not stingy about the meat, but he’s almost twenty and doesn’t even contribute to the household. Who doesn’t know how to support their family at his age?”

“You raised him to adulthood, but he doesn’t even listen to you, insisting on joining that Agricultural Bureau. It’s been almost a year, and he still hasn’t even ranked. What if one day he tries to compete with Zheng’er for the family’s inheritance…”

“Enough already! Why are you bringing this up? I’m still alive!”

“Waaah…”

“Ugh, she’s crying again. It’s driving me mad. Look, now you’ve woken up Zheng’er…”

Then came the sound of a child crying and a woman wailing.

“Madame Cai, I’ve already told you that Zheng’er won’t be sharing the family’s inheritance. Why don’t you believe me? Your crying makes me feel guilty.”

As Zhao Xing thought this, his body reacted honestly. He swiftly lifted the pot’s lid and began eating large bites of food.

Zhao Ruide had a modest fortune and was a martial artist, so three out of the four large pots on the stove were filled with meat.

The Agricultural Bureau doesn’t provide breakfast or dinner, and minor officials don’t receive salaries, only some stipends.

To improve the proficiency of the Gathering Essence skill, one must absorb as much spiritual energy as possible to enhance vitality and blood. A poor diet wouldn’t cut it.

Sons are meant to rely on their fathers, and that includes adopted sons! As a pragmatic Agricultural Bureau player, Zhao Xing wasn’t shy about taking advantage of this situation.

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

When the noise finally subsided, Zhao Xing had eaten his fill.

Checking the progress of the Gathering Essence skill, he saw it had increased by another three points. Satisfied, he wiped his mouth and left the kitchen.

When Zhao Xing appeared, Madame Cai stopped her fussing, as she still had to give some face to the family head.

Zhao Xing was used to this. He cupped his hands in greeting: “Greetings to my adoptive father and Madame. I’ll go rest in my room.”

Zhao Ruide nodded lightly, signaling Zhao Xing to leave, clearly seeking some peace.

Madame Cai, however, muttered under her breath, “Every time he comes home, he eats and then goes to sleep. He doesn’t even bother to play with Zheng’er. Does the Agricultural Bureau only hire gluttons?”

“…”

That was a completely unfair accusation.

Zhao Xing returned to his room, not to sleep, but for another reason.

After closing the door, he lit three incense sticks and ground special materials into ink.

Next to his desk was a wastebasket filled with crumpled yellow paper.

What Zhao Xing was about to do now was obtain a secondary profession—Talisman Master.

“Luckily, in this era, all the techniques are complete, materials are cheap, and there are plenty of ways to obtain them. It doesn’t take much effort.”

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

Perhaps it was because he had tried many times, or perhaps his vitality had steadily increased, but this time, the process was exceptionally smooth.

At the moment his brushstroke was about to finish, the Gathering Essence skill activated. A streak of brilliance flowed from his fingertips to the brush, extending onto the yellow paper, which emitted a faint glow before it was absorbed into the paper.

• You have successfully comprehended the Way of Talismans and crafted a Guiding Talisman.
• You have acquired the secondary profession: Talisman Master.
• Basic Guiding Talisman (1/1000): When placed on the body, it accelerates the absorption of spiritual energy.

“There are over five hundred people in the Agricultural Bureau, but less than five are promoted each year. For someone like Li Chengfeng from a major family with ample resources, to compete with them, I’ll need to find a shortcut.”

Becoming a Talisman Master might help Zhao Xing earn some money and get ahead, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough. His current skill level would get him laughed out of the market.

His real goal wasn’t the secondary profession.

While he was still in the zone, Zhao Xing began drawing his second talisman.

Soon enough, he successfully created a second basic talisman.

• You have successfully comprehended the Way of Talismans and crafted a Calming Talisman.
• Calming Talisman: Has the effect of calming the soul and stabilizing the mind.

“Success!”

Zhao Xing placed the Guiding Talisman on his abdomen and the Calming Talisman on his forehead. Curling up into a strange position on his bed, he muttered under his breath:

“Student Zhao Xing humbly requests the Dream Academy to open the gates of learning.”

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