His Methods Were Far Too Practiced-Where on Earth Had He Learned Them?

The middle-aged scholar who came to deliver the invitation was stunned by Zhao Xing's reply and was unable to recover for a long time.

Only after realizing what Zhao Xing had said did a flash of anger appear in his eyes, "In that case, I will go back and report the reason, and will certainly convey Zhao Shennong's words verbatim!"

Having said that, he prepared to turn and leave.

Zhao Xing waved his hand, Astral Wind instantly trapped the middle-aged scholar. "Did I say you could leave?"

The middle-aged scholar was taken aback. "I am a man of Magistrate Shao! What are you trying to do?!"

"You lowly advisor, without any Official Rank or title, dare to speak so arrogantly before me?" Zhao Xing stared at the man. "You really think you're an official? Kneel down!"

Thump~

The middle-aged scholar was suddenly pressed down by an immense force and knelt down.

"Click~"

With that one blow, his legs were ruined, and his kneecaps were completely shattered.

He Unranked; he was just used to showing off with Shao Wanjie, and even Eighth Grade official had to treat him as an honored guest.

Meeting Zhao Xing today made him realize that official power is like a prison, and he instantly came to terms with reality.

"Lord Zhao, spare my life! Hah! I... I know I was wrong." The middle-aged scholar, his bones broken and his face pale, immediately begged for mercy.

The person in front of me is completely unpredictable. What strategists fear most is a hothead and a madman!

Because you can never guess what the other person is thinking.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you," Zhao Xing said with a smile. "Come, write down Shao Wanjie's crimes carefully. You should know quite a lot about them."

The middle-aged scholar opened his mouth, and immediately wanted to bite his tongue and commit suicide.

Zhao Xing was not about to let him have his way. He immediately unleashed an Astral Wind that struck Zhao Xing's jaw, dislocating his jawbone.

"Whether you write it or not is irrelevant. Shao Wanjie's crimes are too numerous to count, and it's very easy to gather evidence. With the court's recent crackdown on the border troops, Shao Wanjie is certain to die."

"I've heard that you have a wife and children here, which means they're probably in his hands. If your wife and children aren't deeply involved, and you confess, I can guarantee they'll live. I can rescue them within two hours."

"Of course, if you don't believe me and insist on going down with Shao Wanjie's ship, just move your neck forward three inches, and my Astral Wind will grant your blind loyalty."

The middle-aged scholar felt a jolt in his heart, never expecting that sending a banquet invitation would lead to this outcome.

But everything before his eyes showed that Zhao Xing was telling the truth.

He was a Waterways Magistrate, and had no grudge against me, so why did he kill me?

Isn't he determined to get rid of Shao Wanjie?

For Lower Seventh Rank, Junior to dare to touch someone of the Official Seventh Rank, Upper, either Zhao Xing must have an incredibly powerful background, or it must be true, as he says, that the court is going to rectify things; otherwise, it just doesn't make sense.

After his initial impulsiveness subsided and he started thinking, he no longer wanted to die.

Although he could not speak, he could still write with his hands, so he immediately wrote on the ground with his fingers: Let them live.

Zhao Xing nodded, and then Long Xiao helped the middle-aged scholar to the side hall to write the testimony.

He picked up the completed official document and walked towards another side hall of the Directorate of Waterways.

Because of its high status, a row of statues of gods were enshrined inside the Directorate of Waterways.

However, these statues are all very small, resembling fireplaces.

Among the items Zhao Xing received from the prefectural city were incense for Invoking the Gods and a stack of specially made joss paper for the dead.

He lit three sticks and immediately burned them in front of the Swift Travel Dai Zong.

This is the medium for Invoking the Gods, and the price is incense and paper money for the Invoking the Gods.

"Phew~"

The incense burner in front of the Swift Travel Dai Zong suddenly burst into flames, and the statue of Dai Zong opened its eyes.

"Zhao Xing, the Waterways Magistrate Cloud City, what business do you have summoning me?"

"Send an urgent official document to the Directorate of Waterways."

"An emergency order must designate the first recipient."

"Lord Tantai Ming, Director of the Directorate of Waterways Tantai Ming of the Prefectural City."

"Can."

Zhao Xing burned the document inside.

With a hiss, the three incense sticks and a piece of paper money burned to ashes.

At the same time, the Prefectural City Directorate of Waterways.

In Tantai Ming's office, there is a three-row fireplace with statues of deities, which is constantly spitting out official documents. After these documents fly out, they automatically stack up and quickly form a small mountain.

"Splash!"

Tantai Ming sat at his desk, with hundreds of official documents spread out in front of him. A Peacock Feather Command Token was rapidly gliding across the documents.

It kept opening and closing, then flying back into the fireplace.

In the blink of an eye, he had completed the approval of hundreds of official documents. Even so, there were still many documents waiting to be signed in front of him.

Because there are too many things to deal with in the entire Nine Heavens Responding Origin Prefecture, especially with the war preparedness, which makes things even busier.

"Clatter~"

Just then, seven official documents landed directly in Tantai Ming's arms.

While urgent official documents can be processed in line, this is not the main reason, as there are quite a few urgent official documents available nowadays.

The reason it was prioritized was mainly because Tantai Ming had set up this mechanism in advance.

The order in which documents should be viewed first is predetermined.

Tantai Ming was a little slower at reading urgent official documents, but he replied to all seven documents quickly, in just one minute.

Although Tantai Ming was Fourth Grade official, with the help of Three Blossom Golden Peak Gem Crown, his brain had a processing speed comparable to a small Earth Mirror.

Zhao Xing originally planned to leave because it was impossible for Tantai Ming to see it immediately. The vast Nine Heavens Responding Origin Prefecture sent him countless messages every day, and it would take time to read them all.

But before he could even step out the door, the Swift Travel Dai Zong opened its eyes again, the stove reignited, and an official document flew out, heading straight for Zhao Xing's arms.

"Huh? So fast?"

Zhao Xing was taken aback. He hadn't even crossed the threshold yet, Tantai Ming had already replied.

I opened it and took a look.

The official document's reply consisted of only eight simple characters, "Observe the situation calmly; arrest if necessary, but do not investigate."

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Xing realized that Tantai Ming had given him two choices.

One option is to do nothing but wait for the higher-ups to follow the procedures and send someone over.

Secondly, arrest Shao Wanjie, but do not interrogate him.

Both options are reasonable. Zhao Xing is the Waterways Magistrate and has no obligation to arrest people. He just needs to wait for the outcome.

Zhao Xing was no ordinary Waterways Magistrate; he was also the Military Sima Nong, currently on the Military Realm duty. As a highly capable Military Sima Nong, he could, based on orders from above, prevent Shao Wanjie from fleeing.

The Military Sima Nong has this obligation, after all, he is a capable Military Sima Nong, just like when Old Chen dealt with the Profound Heaven Sect in Gucheng, he played a key role.

However, the interrogation was not Zhao Xing's responsibility.

Tantai Ming deliberately wrote the words "Do not investigate" both to remind Zhao Xing and to protect him.

"Shao Wanjie has implicated Prefect Liu Junliang, Fifth Grade prefectural official, and even more people. Knowing too much is not good for me, so I am advised not to investigate."

"I won't interrogate them; I'll just assist in arresting people according to Tantai Ming's instructions. Then there won't be any trouble."

"Furthermore, Tantai Ming may also be implying to me that the higher-ups only intend to get rid of Shao Wanjie and do not intend to escalate the situation further. At least, it is impossible for them to bring down Liu Junliang through my report. Even if they were to do it, it should not be me who does it."

Zhao Xing thought for a moment, then took the official document and walked out of the main hall. "Under normal circumstances, I would just report it and wait. But now I need to buy time. The sooner this Shao Wanjie is resolved, the better. Dragging it out for ten days or half a month will be quite detrimental to my future development."

"Furthermore, arresting and imprisoning Shao Wanjie will also protect Cloud City's assets."

Once Shao Wanjie falls from power, he becomes the highest-ranking official. Wouldn't the assets of Cloud City then become Old Master Zhao's money?

How can we develop without money?

"Arrest them! Arrest them hard! Combating crime is my duty, Zhao!"

Zhao Xing immediately found Long Xiao.

He had just finished interrogating the clerk.

"Get ready, we're going to the banquet."

"Huh?" Long Xiao was stunned. "We just detained his men, and now he's going to a banquet?"

"He doesn't know," Zhao Xing said. "I'm not just going to the banquet this time, I'm also going to arrest Shao Wanjie."

"Like what Old Chen did in Gucheng last time?"

"That's right." Zhao Xing said, "Can you fight? That bastard Shao Wanjie is both scholarly and martial. He's Regular Seventh Rank, possessing both martial arts skills and the ability to Ritual Cultivator."

"Is he a sword cultivator?" Long Xiao asked.

"No."

"So he has a hundred Seventh Grade protectors?"

"You're that good?" Zhao Xing asked in surprise. "Can I take on a hundred at once?"

"Are you insulting me?" Long Xiao sneered. "You talk as if you're the only genius in the world. How many of those non- Four Great Academies' Military Sima Nong of the same rank could you possibly defeat in the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven?"

Zhao Xing pondered for a moment and said, "One hundred seems like no problem."

Long Xiao slammed his sword down and said arrogantly, "Then that settles it, doesn't it? Out of the 87,000-strong Divine Might Army, excluding the Marquis, there are only five sword cultivators, and I'm one of them. You ask me if I can fight? Isn't that an insult to me?"

"I apologize; it was my fault for looking down on you. Please forgive me, Valiant Commandant."

"That's more like it." Long Xiao adjusted his belt. "But do you think I can intervene? I'm your protector; this test is yours, not mine. If you want to speed up the reorganization of Cloud City's internal affairs, doesn't that require your intervention? My intervention won't lower your evaluation, will it?"

Zhao Xing pondered, "No, the Third Ring Mission is mainly about controlling floods. I didn't ask you to help with flood control. We're just helping the higher-ups arrest people for free. Should my evaluation be lowered? Even if it does have an impact, it won't be significant. Weighing the pros and cons, getting rid of this scourge as soon as possible and getting back on track is the most important thing for me."

"Fine, you decide."

Shao Wanjie's mansion was built to be extremely grand, comparable in size to ten market districts of Cloud City.

He forbade ordinary people to live next to him, and gave all the land to his cronies.

As Zhao Xing walked around the Shao Residence, he couldn't help but sigh that Shao Wanjie truly had a way of courting death.

Because he also held the position of county magistrate, Shao Wanjie sent two teams of guards to patrol around his Shao Residence, and also had government soldiers stand guard at his private residence.

When Zhao Xing and Long Xiao arrived at the gate of the Shao Residence in their Purple Horn Horse, they were surprised to see two groups of barbarian soldiers!

"A squad of Lion Head Soldiers and a squad of Ox Head Soldiers? How dare a mere viscount raise barbarian troops?" Long Xiao's eyes widened.

Barbarian soldiers are not uncommon in Nine Heavens Responding Origin Prefecture; however, it is stipulated that only the private guards of marquises can recruit barbarian soldiers for their own use.

Apart from that, only those who served as military officers within the barbarian army could command the barbarian soldiers, but those were government troops, not private troops.

Shao Wanjie's decision to deploy Lion Head Soldiers and Ox Head Soldiers to guard the gate was a grave mistake.

"This man is utterly lawless. His residence is beyond the bounds of regulations. He keeps barbarian soldiers, deceives his superiors and subordinates, is corrupt and embezzles, and arbitrarily appoints officials from the four departments to serve as his servants..." Long Xiao looked at the two groups of barbarian soldiers and unconsciously gripped his sword.

"If you've been a local tyrant for too long, you'll easily start to think of yourself as a real emperor." Zhao Xing shook his head. "Kill these barbarian soldiers in a moment, show no mercy, but leave them with their bodies intact."

"I know."

Clatter clatter~ The Purple Horn Horse was stopped by barbarian soldiers at a checkpoint two miles outside the gate.

"Zhao Xing, the Waterways Magistrate Cloud City, has come to the banquet at the invitation of Lord Shao."

Zhao Xing, dressed in official robes and hat, lifted the carriage lid and revealed his official seal.

"So you're an official from the Celestial Empire." The Ox Head Soldiers who blocked the road and asked questions had two bull horns on his head and a bull's nose, but otherwise looked like a human.

Upon seeing Zhao Xing, his attitude immediately became respectful.

"Let them through, quick!"

The barbarian soldiers were fierce, but when they saw officials appointed by the Great Zhou Court Official, they became as obedient as dogs.

Because in their eyes, the Great Zhou was a great celestial empire, the master of the Divine Province, and an invincible symbol!

Officials of the Great Zhou could maintain their human form even after reaching extremely high levels of cultivation, but they could not; they worshipped the Great Zhou in every way.

The barbarian soldiers, dressed in their uniforms, were all willing to serve as dogs for the Great Zhou.

They felt extremely inferior in front of the officials of the Great Zhou.

Conversely, they looked down on the Southern Barbarians tribes.

To be a dog of the Great Zhou was considered an honor by them.

Ordinary barbarians wouldn't even be able to become one!

The most ruthless killers of the Southern Barbarians barbarian tribes were these disguised barbarian soldiers.

"My lord, let me lead your horse." The Ox Head Soldiers bowed and scraped as he walked ahead, and once he took the reins, he immediately became arrogant, shouting as he went, "Make way, make way, don't startle the lord!"

Inside the mansion, in a hot spring.

Shao Wanjie was lying in the arms of twin women with cat ears. He was bare-chested, eating grapes and drinking wine, while his hand was inside the girl's clothes, eliciting shy laughter from her.

Seeing the twins' appearance, Shao Wanjie was overcome with lust and was about to take things further when a servant came to report.

"My lord, Zhao Xing, the newly appointed Director of Waterways Magistrate of the Agricultural Supervisorate, has arrived outside the mansion."

"Oh?" Shao Wanjie lifted his head from the girl's embrace. He had a flat nose, squinty eyes, and a bald patch on his forehead. "You're here pretty early. Where's Fang Wen?"

"Master Fang hasn't returned yet."

"Hmph, this fellow is getting more and more irresponsible. He doesn't even bother to come back and report after submitting his petition. I wonder where he's off playing with women again." Shao Wanjie cursed, completely oblivious to the fact that his advisor had already defected to the enemy.

"Lead Zhao Xing to the side hall to entertain him, send him a few boxes of treasures, and see his reaction first. Come back and report in a quarter of an hour. Remember, a quarter of an hour later."

After saying that, Shao Wanjie pounced on the twin girls with a lewd look on his face. "Beauty, I'm here."

In a refined side hall of the Shao Residence, Long Xiao looked at the several boxes of treasures carried in by the servants with an unfriendly gaze, while Zhao Xing was resting with his eyes closed.

"Lord Zhao, this is a gift from my master to celebrate your Lord Zhao."

Zhao Xing opened his eyes, but did not look at the steward who had spoken. He flicked his finger, and a flame burned the man to ashes.

"We found him, but he's still on business. Should we wait until he's exhausted before going over?" Zhao Xing had closed his eyes earlier to sense Shao Wanjie's presence and all the experts in the manor by connecting his Fate Soul with his heaven and earth souls.

Using the clouds and wind in the sky, he quickly located Shao Wanjie's position.

"This place is a mess, I can't wait a moment longer, let's get this over with quickly."

"Alright." Zhao Xing grabbed Long Xiao, disappeared underground, crossed the artificial hill and the corridor, and immediately arrived below a hot spring.

"Beauty~" Shao Wanjie was still busy with his business and didn't notice anything unusual.

"Whoosh~" Zhao Xing and Long Xiao emerged from the ground and flicked their fingers at the back of Shao Wanjie's head. An invisible worm immediately flew into Shao Wanjie's body.

"Uh..." Shao Wanjie seemed to have been drowsy for years, and immediately fell asleep.

The two twins with cat ears were puzzled, but before they could even raise their heads, Zhao Xing struck again and knocked them unconscious.

"Looks like I don't even need to lift a finger," Long Xiao sneered. "This guy has been corrupted by a life of luxury for ten years; he's completely broken... What's next?"

"Open the box," Zhao Xing said. "The Wen Bamboo Box contains the materials for the Illusionary Form Straw Puppet."

"Oh." Long Xiao immediately put down the box.

"Rise!" Zhao Xing pointed, and an Illusionary Form Straw Puppet appeared, transforming into Shao Wanjie's appearance.

"You stay here with the straw man and improvise to keep the others calm," Zhao Xing said. "I'll send the real culprit to the temple and lock him up."

"How about I send it to the temple? I'm not very good at pretending." Long Xiao felt that this was difficult to do. He was good at killing, but impersonating others was a bit more challenging. "Besides, you're good at controlling the Illusionary Form Straw Puppet, but it's easy to give yourself away if you're far away."

Zhao Xing thought it made sense, so he took out his seal and threw it to Long Xiao: "Go quickly and come back quickly. Remember, you must hand the person over to Shen Mingyu, the Priest of Cloud City Temple, and personally watch him confess his sins before the Judicial Nether God. Only after he is locked up can you come back."

"I'll remember, I'll be right back." At the Seventh Grade of Qi cultivation, Long Xiao was already able to control Qi for short-distance flight, and immediately picked up Shao Wanjie and flew away.

Zhao Xing glanced at the sleeping twin alien girls and sent a gust of Yin Wind into their minds, which would make them lose their senses for a short time and forget what had just happened.

He then ordered the Illusionary Form Straw Puppet to lie down on a chair by the hot spring, and then scooped up the alien girl and placed her on either side of the straw man.

He then quietly disappeared underground and returned to the reception room, where he once again created an Illusionary Form Straw Puppet figure to resemble the butler.

"All done." Zhao Xing clapped his hands and walked towards Shao Wanjie's direction with the "butler".

In the Military Realm, in a sunny area, stand towering spires hundreds of meters high.

Each tower rotates along a unique trajectory.

One of the towers, whose exterior is carved with ten Solar Yang, is filled with countless mechanisms Magic Array. Many Mechanism Master are busy on each floor. On the highest floor, three five-meter-tall phantoms are gazing at an Earth Mirror.

The Earth Mirror is divided into many images, which are the aerial views of various parts of Cloud City.

In the very center of the image is a close-up view of Shao Wanjie's residence.

"We took care of Shao Wanjie with just one straw Straw Man Art. According to the progress of the Creation Disc's calculations, he will have a much smoother time than the others." One of the phantom figures spoke, his voice booming. "Wasn't the Third Ring Mission we set for Zhao Xing too easy? He hasn't made a single mistake so far."

"Substituting one thing for another, stealing the Plum Replaces Peach and changing the sun, it's easier said than done." The purple light on the other phantom flickered. "It's not that the task we set wasn't challenging, it's that he's smart and capable. He's already been tested enough in terms of politics, there's no need to increase the difficulty in this aspect."

"I just feel that this kid's technique is too skillful, as if it's something he's used to. The Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven didn't teach these things, I really don't know where he learned them from."