The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

"What a hassle," Zhao Xing thought to himself. The Xuantian Sect was like a persistent plague; taking down a single stronghold wouldn't do much, barely scratching the surface.

Even when the Great Zhou Dynasty quelled the chaos in Guangling Prefecture, the Xuantian Sect behind it remained unscathed, having not yet fully entered the world.

"The information from the Calamity-Repelling Almanac isn't enough to report to the authorities. It could even alert the Xuantian Sect, making them think I'm some kind of prodigy, and they'll keep an even closer eye on me."

"I can't afford to provoke them, but surely, I can avoid them."

Zhao Xing put away the Calamity-Repelling Almanac and decided to stay out of their way.

He wasn't sure when the Xuantian Sect would act—maybe in a few years, or maybe as soon as next month. In any case, it was best to stay cautious, avoid giving them opportunities, and hope to ride out this storm.

And if he truly couldn't avoid it?

"Don't push me, or I'll dig up your entire sect's headquarters myself..."

Meanwhile, the leader of the Sanwan Hall was busy reviewing intelligence.

Since the Falcon Guardian had raised Zhao Xing's capture priority, the leader had become more invested in observing him, studying Zhao Xing's habits, personality, and travel routines.

But after half a month, there had been little progress.

He just wouldn't give them an opening.

"This guy is so strange. While most people move between three places—the Shennong Bureau, their homes, and their designated fields—he just wanders around, dropping by here, sitting at that house. There's never a chance to catch him alone, or he'll stay home all day and not come out at all."

"He's got too much free time. Doesn't he have to report to work outside the city?"

The Sanwan Hall leader was perplexed. From the reports, Zhao Xing's routine didn't follow any pattern.

His wife, who was helping him review, glanced at the paper and chuckled. "His mentor is Xue Wenzhong. The trivial tasks don't fall on him, so it's normal for him to have more free time than other small officials."

"If he doesn't leave the city, it's harder for us to gather more intel. Our spies find it difficult to act within the city."

"Take it slow. At least we've learned something over the past half month."

"Oh? Like what?"

"He likes to visit people's houses."

"..."

The Sanwan Hall leader was speechless. How was that a useful trait?

"At least we know he likes crowds. If we can't find an opportunity now, we'll have one later. The Guardian said not to rush." His wife reassured him.

"You're right. Let's report this to the Guardian truthfully. Autumn equinox is coming, and we should pull back our forces from the city to avoid alerting the authorities."

Zhao Xing, on the other hand, was planning to buy a house—specifically, one outside the city.

"Why are you buying a house? Tired of living at home?" Zhao Ruide, his foster father, asked, confused. "If you want to move out, wouldn't it make more sense to buy one in the city?"

"Houses outside the city are cheaper, and I don't plan on renovating. I just need a place to stay." Zhao Xing explained. "As a Shennong Officer, I have a duty to advise on farming. If I need to stay overnight outside the city, it's better to have my own place and plot of land."

"Then why buy so much land?"

Zhao Xing remained silent, and Zhao Ruide didn't press further. He knew his foster son always had his reasons. "I'll handle the arrangements."

"Foster Father, make sure my name is officially recorded in the government registry," Zhao Xing reminded him.

"Don't worry." Zhao Ruide nodded.

The government's yellow registry and almanac were known as the dual treasures of the Fortune Dynasty.

When Emperor Taizu of Zhou passed down the myriad laws, one of them was, "Only the subjects of my dynasty may cultivate."

If you weren't registered in the yellow registry, you weren't considered a subject of Zhou and thus couldn't cultivate.

Another law stated, "A place with an owner cannot be entered without invitation."

What did this mean?

The yellow registry (land deeds version) of local governments recorded property ownership.

If your property was listed in the registry, no cultivator could enter your home without an invitation, as you were protected by the legal power of the Fortune Dynasty.

No matter how strong someone's cultivation was, as long as the dynasty's system remained intact, a law-abiding citizen inside their home was difficult to harm with magic.

But there were exceptions to entering someone's home:

The homeowner invited you in.

The authorities suspected you of a crime and had an official search or arrest warrant.

There was a property dispute, in which case the house would be temporarily unprotected in the yellow registry.

"Beneficial magic," meaning any spell beneficial to the homeowner, could still be cast inside.

Thus, the Xuantian Sect's followers couldn't kidnap people from their homes inside the city.

"By reducing the number of times I leave the city, and always staying at a property I own when I do, the chances of being kidnapped are much lower," Zhao Xing thought.

Taking on the Xuantian Sect wasn't an option for him right now, nor did he want to provoke unnecessary trouble. But he had plenty of ways to avoid them.

In his previous life, Zhao Xing had briefly joined the Xuantian Sect, so he was well-versed in their tactics.

However, it's impossible to guard against thieves forever. Even with the Calamity-Repelling Almanac and the Thousand-Mile Transmission Token, and all his preparations, there was no absolute guarantee of safety.

"I can't rely on the authorities to eliminate these people. I must grow stronger myself."

In the days leading up to the White Dew examination, Zhao Xing reached the third stage of Qi Condensation.

With his routine of consuming a Heavenly Origin pear every two days, his Qi had grown rapidly.

The 10 Qi Condensation pills gifted by Young Master Zong were balanced and could be used alongside the pears. In less than half a month, Zhao Xing was already close to reaching the fourth stage of Qi Condensation.

To the Sanwan Hall leader, Zhao Xing seemed to enjoy socializing and visiting friends' homes, but in reality, he was following Chen Shijie's advice—sparring with colleagues to speed up the digestion of the treasures he had consumed and enhance his Qi Condensation.

However, after a few days, Zhao Xing realized that most of the small officials at the Shennong Bureau couldn't provide him with enough pressure in sparring.

He had considered asking the old Shennong Officer to spar but decided against it. The old man was aging, busy with teaching, and handling official duties.

Ultimately, Chen Shijie came up with a solution: "If you want to speed up your treasure absorption through sparring, you don't have to limit yourself to Shennong Bureau colleagues. How about I contact someone from the county government for you?"

A martial artist? That wasn't a bad idea.

The county government had three armed divisions: the Martial Pavilion, the Inspection Office, and the Judicial Guard. Together, they were referred to by the public as the "Martial Division."

The hunters and fighters in the Martial Pavilion were similar to Shennong officers—they weren't official ranked officers but auxiliary staff. Only a few leaders in the division held official ranks.

The Inspection Office, however, was composed entirely of ranked martial artists, though the number of personnel was small—ranging from thirty to one hundred depending on the county's size.

The Judicial Guard, responsible for overseeing criminal matters, also had formidable combatants. Fighters in the Martial Pavilion could choose to advance into either the Judicial Guard or the Inspection Office.

Additionally, the East Lake had its own garrison, which wasn't under the jurisdiction of civil officials but could assist when requested by the county magistrate.

That very afternoon, Chen Shijie arranged for Wang Long, an officer from the Martial Division, to send someone over.

When they met, Zhao Xing was surprised to recognize him.

"Brother Shen?"