Planting Side by Side, Survival of the Fittest

Start of Autumn's assessment was fairly straightforward, fitting the seasonal theme. It tested both skill and endurance. It was entirely in line with Xue Wenzhong's usual style—he himself was a diligent, hardworking man devoted wholeheartedly to his duties.

The clerks' reactions were not as dramatic as when Chen Shijie had set the questions last time. Even if they failed to achieve good results, they could only blame their own lack of ability.

However, after entering the Hundred Herbs Garden, Zhao Xing still noticed something unusual.

"The Seedling Area is unremarkable enough, with plenty of seedlings for the clerks to choose from. But isn't this Planting Area a little too crowded?"

Zhao Xing swept his gaze across the Planting Area and found that it was not very large—only about the size of a football field. Even if the number of examinees had not reached five hundred, there were certainly three or four hundred of them.

There was no limit to the number of plants one could cultivate, so the clerks would definitely plant more than a single crop.

Especially the experts. To secure their advantage, they would surely occupy more territory.

That left very little space for everyone else.

"There's also something wrong with this layout." Zhao Xing activated Bright Eyes. After scanning the area, he saw the layout of the Planting Area even more clearly.

"The Planting Area is square, with twelve springs scattered throughout it, along with thirty-six piles of grass ash. Signs beside the ash state that they are fixed restricted areas and cannot be moved."

"In other words, the areas around the twelve springs and thirty-six piles of grass ash are the best places for planting."

"They're clearly making the clerks fight over territory."

Near the springs, using Rainmaking and Cloudcalling would provide a boost, while the grass ash served as fertilizer and could speed up growth.

There was no need to say it—this had been arranged by Chen Shijie again.

Given Xue Wenzhong's character, he definitely would not have set such a question. But as the chief examiner, Chen Shijie's involvement was unavoidable in any question. Lord Chen, who came from West Mountain County and had once served as a Military Sima Nong, loved setting confrontational tests most of all.

"The Planting Area's layout must have been his addition." Zhao Xing licked his lips. Having heard the assessment criteria, examined the testing grounds, and grasped the examiners' intentions, he immediately began to act.

Before the other clerks had even caught on, he took the initiative and swiftly ran to the northeast corner of the Planting Area.

"Cloudcalling! Appear!"

Zhao Xing pointed with one hand, and a dark cloud immediately gathered above the northeast corner.

The clouds rolled and unfurled, churning a total of seven times—Moving Clouds Seven Turns!

Once it had completely stabilized, it covered two spring wells and three piles of grass ash below.

How did Ministers of Agriculture fight over territory? Naturally, with Cloudcalling!

Cloudcalling techniques possessed exclusivity. Occupying a patch of sky meant occupying the land beneath it.

Dare plant beneath someone else's Cloudcalling? Not even a blade of grass would survive.

Zhao Xing had been accustomed to competition in his previous life. Thus, in this vast examination ground, he was the first to see through the examiner's intentions and the first to raise a cloud layer and claim territory.

"Not bad, not bad~" Chen Shijie said with a chuckle as he stroked his beard from the small hill in the distance.

This was already the second time Zhao Xing had caught his attention. During the Grain Eating Bird Calamity examination last time, Zhao Xing had also been the first to find the proper response.

When someone guessed the intent behind his question, Chen Shijie felt that this youngster truly understood him.

He turned to Xue Wenzhong and asked, "Planting side by side, survival of the fittest. What do you think of my alteration, Elder Xue?"

Xue Wenzhong nodded slightly. "With Lord Chen's alteration, I fear the clerks below will fight themselves bloody before the planting has even begun. It is indeed more interesting than this old man's arrangement."

Under Xue Wenzhong's original method, the clerks would plant in harmony, but the process would certainly have been rather dull. Now, it was completely different.

Chen Shijie said leisurely, "The world has never truly been peaceful. Only our dynasty is peaceful. Preparing for danger before it arrives and survival of the fittest are this junior's style. I hope Elder Xue will not take offense."

In response to Chen Shijie's words, Xue Wenzhong nodded in agreement. Gao Linong, Tang Wanchun, and the other deputy officials watching alongside them might not have agreed inwardly, but they echoed their superior aloud.

"Buzz~" "Buzz~" "Buzz~"

Zhao Xing was not the only one to act quickly. Soon after entering the grounds, other outstanding participants began competing for resources.

Cloud layers rose one after another from the Planting Area—some large, some small, some black, some white—and quickly filled the entire area.

Yet there were only twelve spring wells and thirty-six piles of grass ash. There was no way they could be divided among everyone.

And so, the conflict began.

"Brother Liang Bai, this place is too crowded. I can't properly use my technique. Could you move aside?"

"Li Chengfeng?" Liang Bai abruptly turned around. Seeing the figure in the distance, his expression changed. After weighing matters for a moment, he had no choice but to yield and preserve his dignity. "Since Brother Li has asked, how could I refuse?"

With that, he shrank the cloud layer above his head and moved his Cloudcalling elsewhere.

Boom! Li Chengfeng raised a hand to the sky, and a dark cloud stretching a hundred meters appeared. After several turns, it claimed three spring wells and four piles of grass ash in one go. Lightning snakes also appeared along the cloud's edges, declaring its ownership.

Wen Nanxing walked to the north. His cloud layer was the second to rise, only a step slower than Zhao Xing's.

He occupied two spring wells and four piles of grass ash. His cloud was shaped like a mighty longsword, its hilt black and its blade white. Lightning gathered upon the blade like seven stars, making for an astonishing sight.

"Moving Clouds Form Sword? Wen Nanxing has probably already mastered Cloudcalling and reached the stage of doing as he pleased."

"Not just mastery of Cloudcalling. That lightning condensed into stars is likely at the same level."

"Can't compete with him. We can't compete with him."

The later arrivals were intimidated by the sight and could only avoid Wen Nanxing's territory.

In the southwest of the Planting Area, the third cloud layer rose. Four tiger heads occupied its four corners, claiming three spring wells and three piles of grass ash.

Several clouds had risen alongside this strange cloud, but when the Tiger Head Cloud expanded, they not only refused to yield, but fiercely crashed into it instead.

Boom!

The tiger heads were coated in a layer of blue-violet by lightning. After a flash, massive gaps appeared in the clouds besieging it, and they swayed unsteadily.

Beneath the Tiger Head Cloud, Xiao Ze cupped his hands toward all directions. "Thank you for yielding."

Most of those who had attacked Xiao Ze were on the previous Grade A List. Seeing that they could not overcome him, they abandoned the thought. Xiao Ze thus withstood the challenge and secured a place for himself.

But not everyone knew when to advance and when to retreat. When the difference in strength was obvious, superiority and inferiority could be easily determined. Yet there were always those of nearly equal strength who refused to give way, and they were far less cordial with one another.

"Huang Siping, you prematurely senile little runt! Just because you hang around Li Chengfeng, you think you're at the fourth stage of Essence Gathering too? You dare try to steal from me?!"

"Bastard! You dare insult me?"

"Wang Hao, you only ranked lower C in the last minor examination and did not even make the Grade B List. You dare contend with me? Do you think my thundercloud is weak?!"

"My lightning is no weaker! Take this!"

Less than a quarter of an hour after the examination began, the sky above the Planting Area had erupted into chaos. Angry curses rang out without end. Fierce winds, lightning, and torrential rain filled the air as clouds collided wildly in utter disorder!

At the sight, Chen Shijie burst into hearty laughter. He simply had several tables, chairs, and benches brought over, laid out plates of fruit, dried meat, and rice wine, then invited the officials to sit.

"Gentlemen, take your seats and enjoy this Start of Autumn spectacle with me!"

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