First on the List: Bi Xiong Issues Another Warning

After following Chen Shijie around, he had met most of the officials, but he met his own family members last.

"Big brother, big brother!" Upon seeing Zhao Xing come down from the reviewing stand, Zhao Zheng rushed in with a swagger, only to be stopped by the East Lake Soldier maintaining order.

"My lords, this is my family member," Zhao Xing said. The viewing areas for officials and civilians were separate, and people could not be easily let in unless prior notice was given.

"Go ahead and register, then come here for a body search..." one of the soldiers said sternly, but before he could finish, a team leader approached. "These are Zhao Shennong's family members! No need to register, let them through!"

Zhao Xing's walk around the stage wasn't for nothing; many soldiers in East Lake now recognize him.

They were just chatting and laughing with their superior, how could we not pay attention?

"Thank you." Zhao Xing smiled and cupped his hands in thanks.

Zhao Ruide, Zhao Zheng, Madam Cai were then allowed to enter.

"Big brother, you're amazing." Zhao Zheng looked at his older brother with admiration. "So many high-ranking officials on the stage greeted you with smiles."

Zhao Xing didn't explain to Zhao Zheng that this wasn't a friendly greeting at all; it was mostly out of respect for Old Chen.

After the Ranked Realm, his perception became even more acute. Looking at Old Chen again, he realized that he was far more than just Ninth Grade official.

"Have you been waiting outside for a long time?" Zhao Xing patted Zhao Zheng's head.

"Yeah, it took forever! I peed three times before you finally came out!" Zhao Zheng said, sounding a little aggrieved. "When you finally came out, you were surrounded by a lot of people. I called out to you from outside, but after only a couple of calls, you suddenly couldn't speak. I thought I'd gone mute, but then I could speak again after a while..."

Zhao Xing then realized that they had been affected by Li Wenzheng's "silencing".

Zhao Ruide asked, "How are you? Are you alright?"

"No, it's fine."

"That's good."

The father and son exchanged a few simple pleasantries and then fell silent.

Madam Cai was usually very talkative, but this time the occasion was too grand, and seeing that Zhao Xing's demeanor was completely different from before he went into the mountains, she dared not say much.

Although he was very sleepy, he unconsciously perked up and hugged Zhao Zheng with a smile.

Zhao Xing thought for a moment, then took out a silver note from his pocket. "Godfather, Madam Cai, I made quite a bit of money on the mountain this time. Please leave this silver note at home."

"Five hundred taels?!" Madam Cai's eyes widened in disbelief.

Zhao Ruide remained calm. "What are you doing? We're not short of money at home. Just keep it for yourself."

"I gained a lot from this trip up the mountain, more than enough for my cultivation. Please accept this." Seeing that Zhao Ruide did not accept it, Zhao Xing handed it to Madam Cai instead.

"Gulp~" Someone clearly swallowed hard.

In the past, Madam Cai would probably have happily accepted it, but she didn't know what was wrong with her today.

Even though his fingers were moving and his eyes were glued to the banknote, he couldn't bring himself to raise his hand to take it.

"I really do have more." Zhao Xing took out another five-hundred-tael silver note from his pocket. "See, I didn't lie to you."

Seeing Zhao Xing's insistence, Zhao Ruide had no choice but to nod and signal to Madam Cai to accept it. "Then let Madam keep it for you."

"Oh dear, I will definitely keep it safe!" Madam Cai was no longer sleepy and tremblingly put the silver notes away from her body.

While Zhao Xing and his family Heavenly Timing.

In a fisherman's home by East Lake, a family was also chatting.

"The Yin Spirit of Spirit Mountain in East Lake have already ranked the officials." The Three Bays Hall Master took off his fish basket and said to his "wife" who was coming to greet him, "Two of those I had my eye on have died, and three have been rendered useless."

"That's good too, it reduces some of the stress." The middle-aged woman smiled and unbuttoned her 'husband's' shirt, wiping him with a towel.

"Reduce stress?" The burly man spread his arms and snorted. "On the contrary, our stress has increased."

"What do you mean?" The woman wrung out the towel and put on a clean one.

"Li Chengfeng Gathering Yuan Ninth Level, but that's nothing. Zhao Xing actually jumped from the Gathering Yuan Fourth Level to the Ranked Realm, gaining forty-two portions of spiritual essence all by himself!"

"He alone has increased the difficulty of the mission several times over." The Three Bays Hall was somewhat irritated.

They want to arrest some people with good qualifications, but those with too good qualifications are also troublesome.

This means that the price to pay will also be greater.

"Dozens of spiritual talents?" The woman was also startled. "Doesn't that mean there will be Upper-Grade Luck Spiritual Elegance? That's really troublesome."

Luck Spiritual Elegance will be much more difficult to capture. If they could be caught easily, it wouldn't be considered that they have strong luck.

To counteract this "good fortune," they would have to pay an even greater price.

"Yeah, isn't it annoying?"

"In this situation, it shouldn't be our turn to take action," the woman said, frowning. "Didn't the Guardian Art say he still wanted to capture Chen Shijie? If the higher-ups want to send more people, that's just a side effect."

"It's not that simple. Once or twice is acceptable, but a third time is not. Nanyang County has already taken action once, and they're on high alert now. I went to East Lake Mountain, and I felt like there was danger everywhere." The middle-aged man frowned and said, "Besides, if we don't complete the mission, we'll still have to stay in this wretched place."

"I dare not use any magic at all, I have to suppress my qi and blood every day, and I have to suffer the torment of the Yin-Spirit Fire Fiend day and night..."

"The Guardian Art has to travel by horse and carriage between several counties, so don't complain." The woman stroked the man's chest. "Shall I remove the fire evil for you?"

The man grabbed the woman's conscience with one hand and pressed her head down with the other. "We need to hurry, I reckon the Guardian Art will be here soon."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." The woman tossed the towel aside and squatted down.

Half an hour later, a carriage stopped outside the door, and the old man knocked on the door.

"Guardian Art." The Three Bays Hall opened the door to greet him.

The old man entered the house, sniffed around, and frowned at the man. "Your Yin-Spirit Fire Fiend can't be suppressed again? It hasn't been that long?"

His words were light and casual, but the Three Bays Hall Master looked terrified. "It is my incompetence."

"Hmph, if you're detected, you'll die a horrible death." The old man gently tapped the man's forehead, a flash of red light appeared, and the man visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "Remember, you can only exorcise evil spirits on yin days and yin hours of each month. Don't let me find out a second time."

"Yes."

The Falcon Protector sat on the table, tapped his fingers three times, and then said, "Tell me about the situation at East Lake Spirit Mountain. I can only stay here for a quarter of an hour; I still have to go to Lake City."

"Li Chengfeng, Zong Shichang, and Zhao Xing from Gucheng have made great progress, with Zhao Xing being the most outstanding, possessing forty-two points of spiritual talent alone," the woman explained in detail.

The Falcon Protector listened quietly, his face expressionless. "That good-for-nothing Zong Shichang can be removed from the list. I misjudged him before; the reputation I heard about was all fabricated by his people. I only recently learned that he lives off his family's money and even had to ask for help to climb Spirit Mountain."

"Yes." The woman nodded gently.

"Li Chengfeng's ranking has been moved to fifth place; he's a promising talent."

"As for Zhao Xing..." the Falcon Protector pondered, "Move him to the first position. If there is an opportunity to launch an attack, we can even arrest only him among the officials."

"Guardian Art, is Chen Shijie on the arrest list?" the Three Bays Hall Master asked.

"Is that something you should be asking?" Hunting Falcon turned his head and gently tapped the table.

The man's face flushed, but he immediately showed a look of pain. "It was my slip of the tongue."

"Keep an eye on him and find an opportunity to bring him back to the Far West Continent."

"Yes."

"Brother Zhao, how about we go back to the city for dinner? Fragrant Pavilion, it's on me!"

"Brother Zhao, now that our mountain climbing trip is over, Brother Li and Brother Peng are hosting a dinner at Returning Spring Courtyard. Would you do me the honor of joining us?"

Zhao Xing was chatting with his family when many officials came to invite him to return to the city for a meal.

Among them was a banquet hosted by Young Master Zong, Li Chengfeng, and others.

After three tiring days, getting together wouldn't have been a problem, and Zhao Xing was about to accept Zong Shichang's invitation when suddenly his chest felt warm.

The Evil Aversion Almanac trembled slightly!

"Hmm?" Zhao Xing walked to the corner and looked down.

[On the 25th day of the 9th month of the 15th year of the Jingxin Calendar, at the fourth quarter of the 9th hour (around 1:30 AM).]

[Evil-Averting Warning: Minor Misfortune; proceed with limited strength, unsuitable for all activities]

A new record has also been updated on the panel:

[Passive warning from the Almanac for Evil Aversion Almanac: Based on your luck level and known information, you receive the following prompt:]

[You set off from East Lake Mountain at 9:00 AM, returning to the city with your companions. The Profound Heaven Sect, seeing an opportunity, decided to launch their abduction plan ahead of schedule. You fought back fiercely, finding yourself on the brink of death, a sign of impending Great Misfortune!]

Although it's only Minor Misfortune, the detailed interpretation on the panel indicates that he might encounter an accident on his way back to the city, be kidnapped by the Profound Heaven Sect, and then turn into a Great Misfortune!

With the Derivation Three's fortune level, the Evil Aversion Almanac held by Zhao Xing became more effective. Based on the information he knew and his understanding of the Profound Heaven Sect, the interpretation of the information presented on the panel was also more comprehensive.

"Everyone, I need to spend time with my family, so I cannot attend today's gathering. We will meet again another day!"

Zhao Xing Xingtong rejected all of these invitations.

Since the possibility of being kidnapped had arisen, he could not ignore it.

Having gained too much "good luck" on the mountain, according to the laws of personal fortune, prosperity will eventually decline, and he will experience some minor misfortunes.

What does it mean to act with limited strength? It means to follow those of similar ability or skill level as your colleagues.

If you do that, what might have been a minor misfortune could turn into Great Misfortune, which would be such a waste!

"How is it?" Lu Qian looked at Zong Shichang as he walked over, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"He refused." Zong Shichang shrugged, then asked curiously, "Why are you interested in him? You two have absolutely nothing in common."

Lu Qian was somewhat disappointed and scoffed, "Why are you asking so many questions? Didn't you say that no one in Gucheng dared to disrespect you, Young Master Zong? How come you can't even get someone to have a meal with you? It's truly disappointing!"

"..." Zong Shichang was speechless.

Feeling humiliated by being looked down upon by a woman, he retorted, "Just because I can't invite you today doesn't mean I can't tomorrow. You wait, I'll make sure you two have a meal together!"

"Okay!" Lu Qian smiled. "Then I'll wait for your news. Don't worry, I'll ask Qing'er to come along. Don't disappoint her, or you can forget about me playing matchmaker for you again!"

"It's a deal!" Zong Shichang left satisfied.

Meanwhile, Li Chengfeng also received word from others that Zhao Xing had declined the invitation.

"It's better that they didn't come." For some reason, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Inviting Zhao Xing was not his original intention; it was just that everyone was saying they wanted to invite Zhao Sijia over to join in the fun, so he sent someone to invite him.

But if Zhao Xing really comes over, Li Chengfeng will be in trouble.

He felt much more at ease now that he wasn't coming.

East Lake Mountain, Earth Altar Plaza.

"Why aren't you leaving yet?" Chen Shijie asked Zhao Xing curiously. "They've all gone out to have fun together, aren't you going?"

The assessment and grading process has ended, and most of the officials have left the area, heading back home in small groups to relax.

But Zhao Xing still lingered there, refusing to go even when invited by others.

"I don't like having fun," Zhao Xing said against his will. "It's not interesting."

"There's no need to be so hard on yourself," Chen Shijie said with a smile. "You should play when you're supposed to. The time before you take office next year will be your most leisurely time. After you take office, there will be a lot more to do."

Zhao Xing is currently at the Ninth Grade Upper Rank, and his cultivation will be much slower than before. He will only return to normal after Formal Appointment.

Before the Winter Assessment, there are only two more assessments left: the Beginning of Winter and the Winter Solstice.

Given Zhao Xing's current situation, obtaining these two Grade A is no longer a challenge, and securing a spot in the Winter Assessment is also a certainty.

Because he has already caught the eye of the county-level Agricultural Supervisorate, he will definitely have no problem getting a spot during the Winter Assessment.

The only thing that is uncontrollable is the Temple Examination; no matter how many connections one has in Nanyang County, they cannot influence the Temple Examination.

"I really don't like playing," Zhao Xing said. "Just call me when you get back."

"Okay." Chen Shijie didn't say anything more.

At noon, the entire East Lake Army had entered the mountains.

At noon, Zhao Xing, along with Chen Shijie and their families, boarded the Flowing Cloud Flying Boat and took off directly from East Lake Mountain. They then landed a mile outside the city gate, enjoying the experience of Skyflight.

At noon, the Three Bays Hall kept watch on several routes from East Lake Mountain back to the city for a long time, but they did not find any trace of Zhao Xing.

"It seems this isn't a good time to make a move." The Three Bays Hall sighed. Zhao Xing played a very important role in the mission, and they were even willing to give up other minor roles for the sake of getting first place, but the reverse was not true.

"Let's go. We've made it through several years already, what's a little longer?" The deputy leader next to him picked up his load. "There will be plenty of opportunities."

"Um."

After Zhao Xing entered the city, the Evil-Averting Warning disappeared, and no more ominous signs appeared.

On the way back to Pingkang Ward, Madam Cai held Zhao Ruide's hand. Zhao Zheng was still excited about riding the flying boat and skipped along the way, chattering incessantly at Zhao Xing.

"Big brother, how high can the airship fly?"

"Very high."

"Brother, what should I do if I need to pee on the airship?"

"Just stand there and pee."

"Huh? Won't it fall down? What if I wet my pants in such a strong wind?"

"Just wash it off."

"Big brother, big brother... Ouch~"

Seeing Zhao Zheng accidentally fall, Zhao Xing shook his head helplessly. This unlucky kid... Then he flicked his finger, and a gust of wind lifted Zhao Zheng up.

Zhao Zheng kicked his feet wildly in the air, laughing incessantly.

"Yay~ It's flying again~~ Big brother, faster~"

That night, Zhao Xing returned to his bedroom, closed the doors and windows, and took out two pieces of Yellow Paper from the bookcase to make Guiding Talisman and Soul-Soothing Talisman.

Both basic talismans were already at max level and were completed in less than 15 minutes.

"Now that my cultivation level has improved, I wonder if I can gain any benefits from the Great Dream Academy. Those damned Xuan Profound Heaven Sect have too many tricks up their sleeves and they're always watching me. I hope they can get some treasures to protect myself."

After the ink dried, one strip was applied to his forehead and another to his abdomen. Zhao Xing then contorted himself into a strange position on the bed and whispered, "Student Zhao Xing humbly requests the Great Dream Academy to open the door to learning!"