Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 307 - 54: Military Realm Affairs, Begin! (Final - of This Volume)_2

Chapter 307: Chapter 54: Military Realm Affairs, Begin! (Final Chapter of This Volume)_2

"Understood. Based on my performance during the training, as long as I complete the three-ring tasks with each task’s evaluation not lower than C, I can be appointed as a Secondary Eighth Rank Military Minister of Agriculture Officer," Zhao Xing said.

Yes, as long as Zhao Xing passed three tasks, even if all three were at C-minus level, he would be directly appointed as a Secondary Eighth Rank officer.

If it were an ordinary reserve soldier, unless they were a genius from the Four Great Institutes, no matter their original rank, they would have to start from the Secondary Ninth Rank.

This was because the standards of the Nine Major Garrisons were set so high. It’s similar to how the Ninth Rank of a capital official is higher than that of a local official.

If someone were a genius of the Four Great Institutes with outstanding performance, the ranks would be as follows: Secondary Eighth Lower Rank, Secondary Eighth Upper Rank, Secondary Eighth Lower Rank, Secondary Eighth Upper Rank.

For the three-ring tasks, as long as they passed, even the worst-performing geniuses from the Four Great Institutes would still be at a Secondary Eighth Lower Rank.

"To reach the Secondary Seventh Rank, you must complete six tasks from the Ministry of War, with each task rated no lower than a B," he continued.

"To achieve the official Seventh Rank, you must complete nine tasks from the Ministry of War, with each task rated no lower than an A."

Ordinary people wouldn’t have access to as many tasks. Six tasks would be assigned only to genius soldiers, while the nine-task set was reserved for only seventy-five people with A-level talent.

Out of ten thousand reserve recruits, only seventy-five would qualify to take the nine-ring tasks of the Military Realm.

These people were the cream of the crop, yet still, only a handful qualified to receive these tasks.

Did they think it would be easy to come out of training and attain a Seventh-Rank position? Not by a long shot!

"You are familiar with the process, so I won’t say much more," Chen Shijie said. "All tasks are within the Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion, and the task contents are beyond our control, not even the princes can intervene."

"But we can assist you in other areas," he added.

"Such as?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Personnel," Chen Shijie explained. "You are not the only one being sent to the Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion, nor are there only Ministry of Agriculture officers. We can work on the allocation of locations."

Chen Shijie extended his hand and drew a map on the ground: "Assuming this is the Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion."

Then he clenched his hand, and a handful of sand appeared in his palm: "These grains of sand represent those soon to be sent to the Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion, including martial artists, agriculture officers, mechanical masters, and emcees."

"Shuffle, shuffle~" Chen Shijie shook the sand, "When the Military Realm deploys personnel, we can place familiar people around you."

"Of course, this can only influence the overall vicinity. If you’re lucky, familiar people might end up in the same county or military town," he said.

"But if you’re unlucky, they might be separated by an entire county," he added.

Zhao Xing laughed: "I’ve always had good luck."

Chen Shijie discarded the sand and clapped his hands: "You can tell me your preferred choices."

Zhao Xing pondered: "Military Doctor Yuan Yang, Mechanical Master Wang Ji, Emcee Zhang Yi, Martial Artist Xia Jing. I don’t need a Ritual Repairer, that’s enough. It doesn’t matter who the agriculture officers are; I can handle that myself."

Long Xiao scoffed: "That’s good enough? You sure have ambitions. Why not ask for all the top ones?"

"That’s not impossible either."

"... "

Chen Shijie reflected: "Xia Jing is a genius of the Xuanjia Army. We can’t influence his assignment location, not even broadly."

"As for the others, Wang Ji is from our Divine Might Army, the military doctor Yuan Yang is uncertain, but Zhang Yi is no problem."

Why was Zhang Yi not an issue? Because he wasn’t an outstanding talent. Zhao Xing thought of him as familiar and saw no need to change.

Regarding other occupations? Zhao Xing didn’t care. Ritual Repairers were called strategists in the army, and he didn’t need one. For a small establishment like his, there was no need for such specialists.

Musicians, dance masters, weavers—it didn’t matter; Zhao Xing didn’t know many of them either.

The first help Old Chen provided was raising a mountain cat to perfection.

The second help was personnel.

"This time, going there involves life-threatening risks. We can’t intervene in other matters, but Long Xiao will go with you. Should you face a life-threatening situation, he will act as your Protector," Chen Shijie said.

"Additionally, should an emergency or unexpected situation arise that exceeds the difficulty of your task, Long Xiao will call for help. The entire Divine Might Army will respond with no upper limit. The stronger the enemy, the stronger our response. If the Marquis can’t handle it, he can call for an even stronger person," he explained.

Chen Shijie added: "However, you need to gauge your ability and not force yourself for an A-level evaluation. If nothing unexpected occurs and the task difficulty isn’t exceeded, calling for help will lower your evaluation."

"I understand." Zhao Xing nodded. The Military Realm wanted to train these geniuses but not let them die in vain, considering the cost of their cultivation.

Thus, exceptional performers like Zhao Xing had invisible privileges, mainly life safety guarantees.

Were there accidental deaths among the grade-A geniuses in various grottos of the Military Realm? Yes, but unless one brought their own demise upon themselves, they were relatively safer than others.

The third type of help came in the form of treasures.

"Five Elements Festival Staff, Fourth-tier Supreme."

"Bright Moon Armor, Fourth-tier Supreme."

"Mo Shou Jade Pendant, Fifth-tier Lower Grade."

"Calendars, straw raincoats, Stepping Cloud Boots, and bamboo hats have all been upgraded to Fourth-tier Supreme, along with a selection of miscellaneous items. You can familiarize yourself with them on your journey; they’re all in this box."

Long Xiao patted the box.

Chen Shijie said, "An Arrowfish Flying Boat has also been arranged for you, parked outside the Geography Institute. Check if you have any other needs. The Marquis has authorized me. As long as it complies with Military Realm regulations, I can make decisions on anything in the Divine Might Army’s armory."

"That should suffice." Zhao Xing scanned the list of treasures and took out the Earth Mirror: "Give me another batch of seeds. This is my bread and butter."

"Alright, I’ll arrange that immediately," Chen Shijie said. "It’ll be ready in two days. Is that enough time?"

"It’s sufficient." Zhao Xing smiled. "I just need to bid farewell to Marquis Tian."

"Let’s split up then," Chen Shijie said decisively, taking Long Xiao to arrange things for Zhao Xing.

Zhao Xing headed to the Rich Spring Garden.

Despite calling it a farewell, the true intention was to get some items.

"Teacher, I am grateful for your guidance over the past year. Now that I am about to depart, please take care of yourself." Zhao Xing’s emotions were sincere and his eyes filled with tears.

Tian Shan was amused: "Is this a farewell, or are you trying to send your teacher off? Alright, stand up. Everything is prepared for you."

"Thank you, teacher!" Zhao Xing immediately got up cheerfully, seeing Tian Shan hand him a two-foot-long box.

"Inside this box are three blank letters sealed with my secret mark and three tokens," Tian Shan said.

"Letters?" Zhao Xing was puzzled. "That’s it?"

"Don’t underestimate these three letters," Tian Shan smiled. "They represent a millennium of connections my family has accumulated. If you encounter difficulties, use them to solve most of your problems."

"But remember, only use them in extreme situations. Do you understand my meaning?"

Zhao Xing seemed to grasp something and solemnly accepted the box: "Yes, I understand. Thank you for the gift, teacher."

Tian Shan, seeing Zhao Xing’s expression, knew he understood. He waved his hand, "Go on, and give it your best."

Zhao Xing bowed again and left with the box in his arms.

Watching Zhao Xing’s departing figure, Tian Shan’s eyes reflected both hope and seriousness: "Kid, advancing in the military isn’t as easy as you think. The campaign against the barbarians is imminent, and various factions will emerge. Marquis Boping’s resurgence will complicate Military Realm affairs beyond just warfare. I hope you truly understand, and I hope you never have to open that box..."