Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 126 - 90: Earth Soul Activated, A Strange Premonition!

Chapter 126: Chapter 90: Earth Soul Activated, A Strange Premonition!

The neighbors had all seen enough to know how despicable Huang Silang’s character was.

"Will you do it or not?" Zhao Xing squatted down and asked, "If you do it, you just need to tire yourself out for a day or two. If not, I have plenty of ways to torment you."

"We’re the highest officials here, it won’t help even if you try to report us, got it?"

"I’ll do it, I’ll do it." Huang Silang got up; the pain was unbearable for him, and seeing that no one was willing to speak up for him, he immediately faced reality.

Huang Silang hastily rolled up his pants and stepped into the field.

He was forced into ’labor reform’ by Zhao Xing.

It didn’t take long before Huang Silang started moaning and complaining incessantly.

Zhao Xing didn’t go easy on him.

Tired and sleepy? Zhao Xing had the Sleeping Bug ready, instantly restoring Huang Silang’s energy.

Trying to slack off? The repeating grass man would whip him.

Zhao Xing also set up seven or eight grassmen to guard the four corners of the field.

Whenever Huang Silang tried to run away, he was immediately recaptured.

Zhao Xing’s tactics were undeniably effective physical persuasion for farming.

None of the neighbors objected; they all clapped and cheered.

Many even put down their own work to watch the rare sight of Huang Silang harvesting primordial rice.

"Silang, your posture is all wrong, bending your waist will make it easier."

"Silang, tired yet? Your parents worked like this for more than a decade."

"Huang Silang, there’s a leech climbing up your leg..."

Huang Silang shook his leg and hurriedly touched it, only to find out he had been tricked. He realized he’d been fooled and angrily glared at the child playing the prank.

"Smack!" The whip struck Huang Silang on the back.

"Damn it!" Huang Silang cursed inwardly and had to continue working.

He wanted to escape but saw grassmen all around him.

Moreover, the more he worked, the more spirited he became; he couldn’t stop even if he wanted to. To avoid further torment, he had to work honestly.

By the time twilight came, Huang Silang had become much more obedient. He even knew to put on a show in front of the officials, helping his parents back home.

"Mr. Zhao, your method really works." Shen Zhui watched the scene unfold and couldn’t help but laugh.

"It won’t work; once we leave in a couple of days, he’ll go back to his old ways." Zhao Xing lay in the cart stroking a cat, "Unless we can keep whipping him and making him work for a year or two, with someone like you, Brother Shen, who has the patience to educate him, he might change."

"Is that so?" Shen Zhui seemed to ponder deeply, "If I ever get the chance to govern a region, I’ll definitely try your method, Mr. Zhao."

.....

After dark, the two did not return but stayed at the village head’s house in Anping Town.

Early the next morning, the two continued their inspection around Anping Town.

During lunch, they asked the old village head about Huang Silang.

"Huang Silang? He went to the Niu Family Mansion after taking a break at noon."

"He went to the Niu Family again?" Shen Zhui’s eyebrows shot up.

"Indeed." The old village head spoke with frustration, "Sir, you kindly gave him a break at noon, yet he even used that time for leisure. He’s already short of money and still gambles... what a sin."

"Where did he get the money?" Zhao Xing asked.

"I gave his mother a tael for buying medicinal soup." Shen Zhui’s eyes burned with anger, "This Huang Silang is truly despicable! Niu Gui is also at fault; I warned him yesterday not to continue gambling, yet he didn’t listen?!."

.....

At the Niu Family Mansion.

"High! High! High!"

"Open! Two, three, four, small!"

"Alas, lost again! Damn rotten luck!"

Huang Silang, disheveled and dirty, took off his shoes and rubbed his feet, then sniffed at his fingers.

He then took out a silver coin from his boot and slapped it on the table: "Niu Gui, keep going! I’m going to win big today!"

Niu Gui said, "Silang, this is your last coin, I think you should save it. Besides, don’t you have work to do in the field this afternoon?"

"You think I need your pity? Keep going, faster!"

Niu Gui smiled slightly: "Alright, let’s do it then!"

The dice shuffled around, making a captivating sound.

Huang Silang’s eyes followed the dice cup up and down.

"Clang!" As the dice cup hit the table, Niu Gui pressed it down: "High or low?"

"High!"

"Open, one-one-two, low, Silang, you lost again!"

Niu Gui laughed as he collected the silver coin.

"Damn it!" Huang Silang slapped his thigh and left the gambling table. The other gamblers continued.

He lost everything but didn’t leave; instead, he found a place to sit outside the hall to rest.

According to the rules, as long as one played, one could get a meal at the Niu Family Mansion.

Huang Silang closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.

The gate of the Niu Family Mansion was knocked upon.

Someone hurriedly reported that government officers had arrived.

"Government officers? What officers, just a few clerks. I’ll check it out, you all keep playing."

Niu Gui calmly walked to the gate.

At the gate stood a young man with a double iron ruler at his waist, a coiled palm hat on his head, and stepping cloud boots on his feet.

Beside him was a teenager in linen clothing and another person who, though it wasn’t raining, wore a straw raincoat and bamboo hat.

"Shen Wusi, Minister of Agriculture Zhao, what brings you here?" Niu Gui recognized the two as soon as he opened the door.

"Didn’t I tell you yesterday to stop the gambling?" Shen Zhui asked. "Did you take my words lightly?"

Niu Gui’s expression remained unchanged, and he didn’t deny it: "It’s just small-scale stuff, relatives and neighbors playing a few hands... you can’t control it that strictly, can you?"

"Fine, let me in to play a few hands too."

"You’re joking, we are just peasants, how dare we play with you."

"Niu Gui, will you let us in?" Zhao Xing asked, "If we come in now, we’re just here to look around; if we have to get a warrant, it won’t be so easy to resolve."

Zhao Xing and Shen Zhui both had cultivation skills, and they had never entered the Niu Family Mansion before. Now they needed the host, Niu Gui, to invite them in.