Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 49: Buying a House, Yellow Register

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Buying a House, Yellow Register

"What a hassle," Zhao Xing muttered to himself.

The Xuantian Sect was like a stubborn skin infection, removing a few strongholds didn’t matter at all, it barely scratched the surface.

Even after the Great Zhou quelled the chaos in Guangling State, the Xuantian Sect behind it remained unscathed. It hadn’t truly revealed itself yet.

"The information in the Calendar of Evil isn’t enough to report, and it might make the Xuantian Sect suspicious, possibly thinking I’m some kind of rare talent and keeping an even closer watch on me."

"I can’t afford to provoke them, but can’t I at least avoid them?"

Zhao Xing put away the Calendar of Evil, deciding to steer clear of trouble.

He couldn’t predict when the Xuantian Sect might act, maybe in a few years, maybe next month. In any case, he had to be cautious, give no opportunities, and he might get through this storm.

And if he really couldn’t avoid it?

"Don’t push me, if you force me, I’ll even dig up your mountain gates..."

......

The Master of Sanwan Hall was reviewing intelligence reports.

Because the protector had raised the priority of capturing Zhao Xing, he placed particular importance on this target, spending more effort observing and summarizing Zhao Xing’s habits, character, and routines.

But after half a month, there was very little progress.

No opportunities at all!

"This guy is weird, others have fixed routines between the Minister of Agriculture Supervision, home, and the public fields. He, on the other hand, roams around or stays in houses, never giving a chance to catch him alone, or he stays at home all day with the door shut."

"He’s too idle, doesn’t he need to go out to the public fields?"

The Master of Sanwan Hall was puzzled, as the paper records did not reveal any pattern.

A woman playing the role of the Master of Sanwan Hall’s wife walked over with a note, glanced at it, and smiled: "His teacher is Xue Wenzhong, he doesn’t need to do miscellaneous tasks. It’s normal for him not to leave the city, he naturally has more free time than other clerks."

"If he doesn’t leave the city, we can’t gather more information. Our secret agents find it inconvenient to act in the city."

"Take it slow. But at least half a month has shown us something."

"What?"

"He likes visiting people."

"..."

The Master of Sanwan Hall was speechless. How was that a characteristic?

"At least it proves he likes crowds. We can’t find an opportunity now, but we can take our time. The protector said no need to rush."

"That’s true, report honestly to the protector. The autumnal equinox is approaching soon, let’s not focus on him in the city, and instead, concentrate on the outskirts. Withdraw our strength a bit to avoid being caught by the government."

..........

Zhao Xing wanted to buy a house, and not just any house, but one outside the city.

"Why do you want to buy a house? Don’t you want to live at home anymore?" Zhao Ruide was somewhat puzzled. "Even if you want to move out, shouldn’t you buy a house in the city? Why buy outside?"

"Houses outside the city aren’t expensive, and I do not plan to renovate. It’s just a place to stay," Zhao Xing said. "As a Minister of Agriculture Official, sometimes I need to stay outside the city; having my own house and land is better."

"Then why buy so many?"

Seeing Zhao Xing remain silent, Zhao Ruide did not ask further; he knew his adopted son always had his own ideas. "I’ll handle this for you."

"Adoptive Father, be sure to confirm that my name is on the government register," Zhao Xing reminded him.

"Rest assured," Zhao Ruide nodded.

The government register and the Calendar were both hailed as the "dual treasures" of the Fortune Dynasty.

While Emperor Taizu of Zhou spread the myriad spells, he also established countless laws, such as, "Non-citizens of our dynasty, cannot cultivate."

If you weren’t registered, you weren’t a Zhou Dynasty citizen, and you couldn’t cultivate at all.

Also, for instance, "No entry into owned land without permission."

What did this mean?

The land deed version of the government register recorded various property rights.

Once recorded in the land deed, practitioners of spells could not enter others’ homes without invitation, protected by the power of the law.

No matter how powerful your spells were, as long as the Fortune Dynasty System hadn’t declined, an obedient citizen staying at home was difficult to harm with spells.

The premise was an obedient citizen.

There were several situations where a spell user could enter without permission.

First, if the owner invited you in.

Second, if the government suspected you of a crime and had official search and arrest documents.

Third, if there was a property dispute, the property would be in a "temporary abeyance state" on the treasure "land deed."

Fourth, "beneficial spells" that were advantageous to the homeowner could take effect inside.

So there was limited actions Xuantian Sect followers could take within the city; they couldn’t just kidnap people within the city.

"Reduce the number of times I go out of the city. If I must go out, I will go to a place where the property rights belong to me, reducing the chance of being kidnapped," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

Dealing with the Xuantian Sect? It was really difficult for him now, and he didn’t want to cause trouble. But he had plenty of ways to avoid them.

Because in his past life he had briefly joined the Xuantian Sect camp, and he knew their operations inside out.

But you couldn’t guard against a thief for a thousand days. Even with the Calendar of Evil and the Thousand-Mile Token, along with all the preparations, it still wasn’t entirely foolproof.

"I can’t rely on the government to eliminate all these people. I need to become stronger myself."

.......

A few days before the Bailu exam, Zhao Xing reached Gathering Essence Third Rank.

Every two days after that, he consumed a Tianyuan Pear, rapidly increasing his Primordial Energy.

The ten Gathering Yuan Pills that Mr. Zong had given him had a steady and harmonious effect, which could be used alongside the Tianyuan Pear. So in less than half a month, Zhao Xing had nearly reached Gathering Essence Fourth Rank.

To the Master of Sanwan Hall, Zhao Xing seemed to love socializing, always visiting people. In reality, he followed Chen Shijie’s suggestion to spar with colleagues, promoting the digestion of Primordial Energy treasures and speeding up the Gathering Essence process.

However, after a few days, Zhao Xing realized that the majority of clerks at the Minister of Agriculture Supervision were unable to provide the pressure he needed for resistance training.

Regarding the Minister of Agriculture Magic, very few clerks could provide Zhao Xing with a formidable challenge.

He initially thought of sparring with the Old Minister of Agriculture but reconsidered, given the latter’s age, his responsibility to guide many students, and his need to handle official duties. Zhao Xing eventually abandoned this idea.

In the end, it was Chen Shijie who suggested, "If you want to promote the digestion of treasures through magical confrontation, you don’t necessarily have to find someone from the Minister of Agriculture Supervision. How about I go to the county government to find a suitable person?"

A Martial Artist? That sounded like a good idea.

The county government directly managed three types of military institutions: the Military Class Room, the Inspection Bureau, and the Ministry of Criminal Justice. The people generally referred to these three collectively as the military department.

The constables and Martial Apprentices of the Military Class Room, like the clerks of the Minister of Agriculture, were non-official personnel, not formally ranked. Only a few in the military department held official ranks.

The Inspection Bureau consisted entirely of ranked martial artists, with a limited number based on the county’s specifications, ranging from thirty to one hundred at full strength.

The Ministry of Criminal Justice managed the prisons and also had considerable combat strength, as the constables and Martial Apprentices from the Military Class Room could choose to join either the Ministry of Criminal Justice or the Inspection Bureau upon promotion.

Additionally, East Lake had garrison troops, which were not under the civil officials’ jurisdiction but could assist upon the county venerable’s request if necessary.

That afternoon, Chen Shijie contacted Wang Long from the military department and temporarily borrowed someone from his team.

When they met, Zhao Xing was surprised to recognize the person.

"Brother Shen?"