Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 323 - 8: Who would have thought Mr. Zhao had such a big background?!_2

Chapter 323: Chapter 8: Who would have thought Mr. Zhao had such a big background?!_2

"Avoid any blame, please take a seat."

Zhao Xing was not in the mood to argue, so he let Bao Wenshan sit down. This man was almost going to die in office, and no one knew how long he had been here.

The Military Realm’s establishment information about Cloud City was not specifically explained, so the difficulty must have been here.

It was unknown whether they would send more people here.

They should supplement, right?

Anyway, since he was already here, Zhao Xing quickly adjusted his mindset and continued to inquire about Cloud City’s situation.

Since the Military Realm had not reported the situation, these were things he needed to actively understand, as part of the test.

First, he started with the people.

"Zhang Zhong, do you know why there is such a large-scale reassignment?"

Zhang Zhong hesitated for a moment, but Bao Wenshan spoke up first: "My lord, let me explain."

"Very well, please go ahead."

Bao Wenshan said, "It is not just this large-scale reassignment, Cloud City has always had a manpower shortage over the years."

"Why is that?"

Bao Wenshan said, "Cloud City is located on the border of Jiutian Yingyuan Mansion, and for the past two hundred years, there have often been alien invasions."

"I have served in this place for one hundred and thirty-six years, during which Cloud City suffered a total of one thousand four hundred and fifty-two invasions by alien races."

"Among them, Cloud City was completely occupied twenty-five times, falling into the hands of alien races."

"Years of war and prolonged defense inevitably lead to loss, causing the Minister of Agriculture Supervision to always be understaffed."

Zhao Xing frowned slightly. He understood why Bao Wenshan spoke instead of Zhang Zhong. This man no longer hoped for any future prospects; he didn’t care what he said.

Bao Wenshan was essentially saying that the higher-ups didn’t care because it was hard to defend and constantly changing hands. They simply gave up.

After all, the alien races couldn’t station here. When they attacked, people would flee, and once the alien races left, the court would send people to regain and govern the place again.

The reasons were many, but ultimately, it was due to a lack of interest.

If you defended well, it was expected, and there were no rewards. If you didn’t defend well, the penalties weren’t severe because it had always been this way.

Emperor Jing didn’t start major wars, busy dealing with the families, and the higher-ups were slow. Who dared to provoke the border war without orders?

So the prevailing attitude in this area was: I’d rather do nothing than make mistakes.

"Over time, no one wanted to come to Cloud City to serve. Being assigned to the border city was seen as a form of exile."

"Even if people came, they would try every way to find connections to get transferred."

"They were willing to be demoted by one or even two ranks to serve elsewhere rather than being officials here."

Zhao Xing waved his hand to interrupt Bao Wenshan.

Knowing the situation was enough. If they continued, he and his subordinates would be complaining together, which was not conducive to unity.

Bao Wenshan saw this and stopped talking.

Zhang Zhong, Jiang Xi, and He Fengnian looked gloomy.

"Everyone, do not be disheartened. From today on, Cloud City will be different."

Bao Wenshan was unafraid, "May I boldly ask, how will it be different?"

Zhao Xing smiled and said, "Because the court will value this place, you may not know yet, but it will become a key town! More than that, the court will continue to advance south, expanding territories!"

"By then, Cloud City will no longer be on the frontier, and you will not have to worry about your safety and future all the time."

Zhao Xing’s promises indeed had an effect.

Hope flickered in the eyes of Zhang Zhong, Jiang Xi, and He Fengnian, "Are your words true, my lord?"

Zhao Xing gave Long Xiao a look.

The latter immediately understood, "How could it be false? Do you know the background of the current Doushui Order?"

Zhang Zhong, Jiang Xi, and He Fengnian craned their necks, waiting for more.

Long Xiao kept them in suspense, pondering for a moment before saying, "Mr. Zhao is only twenty-one years old and is the youngest and most talented Military Minister of Agriculture Officer in the Ten Suns Cave Heaven!"

"And what is the Ten Suns Cave Heaven? It’s where the most elite troops of Great Zhou are stationed!"

"Mr. Zhao stood out among millions to become a Military Minister of Agriculture Officer!"

"You have just seen how he changed the weather in Cloud City with a mere wave of his hand. Could you do that?"

Zhang Zhong, Jiang Xi, and He Fengnian shook their heads.

Long Xiao proudly said, "And that is just the tip of the iceberg of Mr. Zhao’s strength. You should know how difficult it is to train a Military Minister of Agriculture Officer, let alone one who is an extraordinary talent among them. How could his reassignment here be an exile?"

Long Xiao patted the bamboo box, revealing a corner.

The treasures inside shone brilliantly.

"Look, the court has bestowed Mr. Zhao with treasures, each of the highest quality, and even a seventh-grade mutant beast follows him."

"If this were an exile, how could such treatment be possible?"

"So rest assured, everyone!"

Zhang Zhong, Jiang Xi, and He Fengnian immediately felt invigorated.

They had not realized Mr. Zhao’s background was so impressive!

However, Bao Wenshan, who had not seen Zhao Xing’s previous display of magic, did not understand how powerful Zhao Xing was.

Zhao Xing glanced at Long Xiao.

Long Xiao’s flattery made Zhao Xing feel a bit embarrassed.

He just wanted Long Xiao to cooperate a bit, but he didn’t expect him to exaggerate so much.

Seems like he often did this with Old Chen?

After Long Xiao finished speaking, he raised an eyebrow at Zhao Xing, indicating it was his turn.

Zhao Xing understood and said, "This official next to me is Long Xiao, a Valiant Captain of the Divine Might Army, a regular seventh-grade!"

"Besides, Mr. Long is also a sword cultivator!"

"A sword cultivator is the elite among martial artists, not something ordinary people can practice. Even if you don’t know me, you should know the strength of a regular seventh-grade sword cultivator."

"So it’s the Valiant Captain."

"Greetings, Mr. Long!"

"Apologies for my rudeness."

Zhang Zhong, Jiang Xi, and He Fengnian quickly stood up and saluted.

Long Xiao was very pleased, but he still felt Zhao Xing’s response was a bit lacking. Having flattered Zhao Xing so many times, he thought Zhao Xing’s few words in return were insufficient, failing to mention his feat of slaying over a dozen Xuantian Demons in Gucheng with a single sword.

Zhao Xing said, "Now the opportunity is in front of you, all you need to do is work hard. Your perseverance has been noticed by both the court and myself. Do not let go of this opportunity."

"We will follow your teachings, my lord."

Zhang Zhong, Jiang Xi, He Fengnian, and Bao Wenshan quickly stood up and saluted again.

Zhao Xing looked at Bao Wenshan: "Mr. Bao, I noticed something wrong with your internal organs. Have you been injured before?"

Bao Wenshan said, "You have sharp eyes, my lord. Yes, I was injured in previous battles. But you need not worry, I can still fight for the people of Cloud City for another ten years!"

Zhao Xing stood up from the main seat and walked down the steps: "Mr. Bao, please open your collar and let me have a closer look."

"I fear it will offend your eyes, my lord."

"No matter."

Bao Wenshan took off his top.

What Zhao Xing saw moved him deeply.

Bao Wenshan’s body was covered with dense scars and wounds. As an eighth-rank Minister of Agriculture, his physical recovery ability was supposed to be good, though not as strong as that of a martial artist.

Normally, an eighth-rank Minister of Agriculture could stay relatively healthy even until death.

But because Bao Wenshan had served as a Minister of Agriculture in Cloud City for over a hundred years, experiencing countless battles, he had suffered many injuries.

Due to the lack of rewards for defending the city and severe penalties for losing it, every battle left him with no precious supplements to heal his body.

Thus, his internal Five Elements Qi was almost exhausted, and his organs were half-degraded.

If not for the eighth-rank official rank hanging on him, Bao Wenshan might have been dead already.

"Long Xiao, fetch two Returning Essence Pills and a Five Internal Organs Pill from the bamboo box."

"Alright." Long Xiao immediately patted the bamboo box, and four fourth-rank low-grade elixirs flew out.

Bao Wenshan was shocked and grabbed Zhao Xing’s wrist: "My lord, I dare not accept. How can I, an old man, be worthy of such precious pills!"

Zhao Xing instead held Bao Wenshan’s hand back. His feelings were complicated. This old Minister of Agriculture reminded him of Xue Wenzhong, who had also been diligent all his life but never received proper treatment.

However, Bao Wenshan had it worse, having defended this place for over a hundred years.

"Mr. Bao, you are absolutely worthy." Zhao Xing firmly gripped his rough arm, channelling his primordial energy into Bao Wenshan’s body, using the Yin Yang Self Scripture to adjust Bao Wenshan’s Qi, "Not just these few pills, you deserve much more. Trust me."

"My lord." Bao Wenshan’s lips trembled, tears welling up in his eyes. "To hear these words from you is more than enough. There is no need to waste precious pills on me."

"How could that be appropriate?" Zhao Xing smiled, "You are experienced. I need your help to govern Cloud City. Consider this as me being selfish, using these pills to win your favor."

Bao Wenshan was stunned, and then a smile appeared on his wrinkled face: "Very well, I will accept your favor."

Then he opened his mouth, swallowed the pills, and cooperated with Zhao Xing’s primordial energy adjustment, visibly regaining vitality.