The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

After coming ashore, Zhao Xing and Xu Laoba returned to the salvage crew's stall. They returned the voucher, collected the one-tael deposit, and rewarded Xu Laoba as promised. Everything was settled properly.

If it hadn't been so late, Xu Laoba would have likely insisted on boasting to others about the night's events.

Zhao Xing checked the time and headed back to Gucheng.

"Summon Wind~"

With wind beneath his feet, his walking speed increased, each step covering two or three meters.

He made it home just before the end of the Hour of the Pig (亥时).

"Today's harvest was excellent. I had only planned to make a small fortune, but in the end, I reaped far more than expected."

"It seems my Derivative Two Fortune is truly extraordinary."

If he had only had Derivative One Fortune, he might have missed that four-tier pearl.

"With this gain, I won't have to worry about food or drink for a while, and my cultivation speed for gathering essence will not slow down either." Zhao Xing packed the pearl, locked it in a box, and secured it.

Now that he had some extra money, he wasn't in a hurry to sell it. He would wait to fetch a high price.

For an ordinary person, getting an unexpected fortune might make it hard to sleep, but Zhao Xing ate and slept as usual.

The next day, he went to the Shennong Division as usual to attend lessons.

After the End of Heat, the old Shennong officer began focusing more on theory and less on practical training.

He directly told everyone that the next solar term exam would focus on theory.

Reading became the top priority for the Shennong Division clerks.

"Old Shennong officer, can you give us some tips on what books to focus on for the exam? Can you mark the key points for us?" one clerk asked.

Xue Wenzhong smiled, "Of course, I can. Listen carefully. The Great Views of Wood, The Materia Medica, A Hundred Solutions for Heaven's Time, The Four Agriculture Classics, The Almanac of Phenology, The Three Lights of Earth Veins, Ten Thousand Uses of Goods..."

Well, that was the same as asking nothing at all—everything was a key point!

A broad knowledge base and a strong memory are essential traits for a Shennong officer. With the vast lands of the nineteen provinces, each with unique climates and resources, knowing what to plant and when is critical.

The expectations mentioned above are just the basics, akin to praying for good fortune from heaven.

In many special environments, Shennong officers must use spells to adjust the climate, find earth veins, and create optimal conditions before deciding what to plant.

"In the southern part of Guangling Province, there is a county called Yuanling. In spring, it can grow five types of grain. Spring-sown crops ripen in the same season, with one ear of grain feeding five people."

"In summer, it can grow the Hundred Blood Vine. Summer-sown crops are harvested in the same season, and the vine's fruits can replenish a hundred types of blood."

"And in autumn... Qian Dong, what about autumn?" Chen Ziyu turned to ask Qian Dong.

Qian Dong shrugged. "Why are you memorizing that obscure text from The Treasures of the Heavenly Caves? Do you really think you'll have a chance to work in a paradise?"

"Fair point." Chen Ziyu was about to set it aside when Zhao Xing slowly added, "In autumn, you can cultivate golden beans. They can be sown and harvested in autumn. In three days, they gather essence, and in a month, they enter a higher grade, worth their weight in gold."

"In winter, you can dig for Regrowth Ginseng, which can reattach bones in ten days and regrow severed limbs in a hundred."

Chen Ziyu opened his book and marveled, "No wonder you're the elder brother; your knowledge is truly solid."

Zhao Xing, feeling nostalgic, responded, "It's not all about that. If you lived there for a few years, you'd know this like the back of your hand too."

"Brother speaks as if he has been there in person. Guangling Province is a million miles away from our Pinghai Province!"

"I visited in a dream, can't I?" Zhao Xing chuckled.

"Sure, of course! You're the elder brother after all."

"Hahaha."

Time flew by, and soon the White Dew solar term was approaching.

Zhao Xing continued reading day and night to prepare for the exam. Once he became an official and entered the ranks of the Fortune Dynasty, he would receive blessings for health and longevity. Many more possibilities would open up to him.

For instance, the Dream Palace, a treasure trove, would likely allow him to try again to gain more benefits once he achieved an official rank.

Becoming an official Shennong officer would expand Zhao Xing's abilities, allowing him to learn more spells and prepare for the revival era more thoroughly.

Zhao Xing wasn't working hard just to become an official; he was striving for eternal life. If he had been placed in the Taizu era, he might have given up. But in the reign of Emperor Jing, he felt he had a shot at surviving long enough to see the revival version of the world.

This simple yet powerful motivation drove him. Imagine if someone told you that by staying fit and healthy for twenty more years, you'd live to see a technological breakthrough that grants immortality—wouldn't you do it?

"Not marrying or having children, and securing official rank, ensures that the blessings and extended life span from the Fortune Dynasty won't be diluted. All the benefits will go to the official."

"Moreover, any life-extending treasures should be used as early as possible. Otherwise, the bottlenecks will become harder to break through later."

"When I receive my official rank, all other attributes will improve, but if I've already reached the appropriate level for that rank, all the benefits will go toward extending my lifespan. Therefore, by the time spring arrives next year, I should aim to reach Essence Gathering Stage Nine. That way, all the benefits of receiving official rank will add to my life expectancy."

Zhao Xing calculated this plan carefully.

This strategy had another advantage: if he ever lost his official position or rank, the impact would be minimal or even non-existent.

In other words, he would have the strength to board the Fortune Dynasty's fast train without needing their help to stay aboard. As long as the door was open, he could jump off the train without getting hurt if needed.

"My destiny is Heaven's destiny; my fortune is Heaven's fortune; my life is Heaven's life. And returning these fortunes to the court? Not a chance." With his future plans in mind, Zhao Xing refocused on the present.

On September 7th, during the White Dew solar term, the Shennong Division held this year's first theory examination.

The entire exam lasted two days. Latecomers were not allowed entry, but early submission of the exam was permitted.

The lead examiner was still Xue Wenzhong, but the exam questions had to be reviewed by other Shennong officers to ensure they aligned with Nanyang County's guidelines. The questions couldn't be too unconventional, but they couldn't be too rigid either.

Once the papers were graded, they would be archived and sent to Nanyang County for review. While results from other solar term exams would also be archived and submitted, Nanyang County generally wouldn't examine them closely unless someone filed a complaint.

But the theory exam was different. It would always undergo a full review.

After all, if a clerk's spellcasting technique was off, it wasn't a big deal. But if their theoretical understanding was flawed, it could be dangerous.

Back in the Taizu era, there was a Shennong clerk in Nanyang County who, after reading some strange books, submitted an exam advocating the "severance of Heaven and Earth" theory. He ended up offending both the Heaven and Earth factions and was promptly thrown in jail.

Even the Root faction didn't deny the importance of the Heaven and Earth factions. They just believed in a hierarchy. But the "severance of Heaven and Earth" theory denied the current calendar system and even questioned the fundamental principles of Daoism, which was considered outright heresy. It wasn't just defying tradition—it was treasonous and a direct insult to the state.

The Zhou Dynasty was generally tolerant of free speech, so after a thorough investigation, that man was released after six months. He didn't face severe punishment, but the booksellers who sold those dangerous books were not so lucky. They were thoroughly suppressed, and their families were executed.

"I must be careful with what I write on the exam. I don't want to overstep too much. Even a small leap forward is enough for a top rank." Zhao Xing repeatedly reminded himself as he entered the examination hall.