Chapter 11: Food Bird Natural Disaster

Above Gucheng's public fields, nestled within low-hanging clouds, a Flowing Cloud Flying Boat hovered.

A burly man stood at the bow of the boat, dressed in a light green official robe embroidered with clouds and wheat stalks. A copper seal hung from his silver sash at his waist, and a bamboo crate rested at his feet. The crate, no more than a meter square, continuously released a stream of black birds that flew directly towards the farmlands below.

Beside the crate stood two middle-aged men, similarly dressed in official robes, though with a slight difference: their sashes were green with copper seals. These three were Chen Shijie, the Chief Official of the Gucheng Agricultural Oversight Bureau, a Rank Nine official; and his Assistant Officials, Gao Linong and Tang Wanchun, Junior Rank Nine officials, who managed the land registry and logistics respectively.

Behind the three officials stood another person, carrying an iron ruler at his waist. He was a scribe sent by Wei Wenhe, the Gucheng County Magistrate, tasked with recording the entire monthly assessment. He was purely a functionary.

Once all the black birds had flown out of the crate, the county office scribe began his routine. Cupping his hands, he asked, "May I ask, Lord Chen, what species are these black birds?"

Chen Shijie turned around and returned the gesture. "These birds are called 'Grain-Eating Birds,' also known as 'Griffin-birds.' They are common in the North, and I specifically had them transported from my hometown to assess the local agricultural officials."

The scribe inquired again, "And what is the content of the Minor Heat assessment?"

Chen Shijie replied, "During the Minor Heat solar term, the primordial rice nears maturity, and Grain-Eating Birds particularly favor it. This assessment will observe how agricultural officials contend with natural enemies in the fields."

The scribe seemed unfamiliar with these Grain-Eating Birds and cautiously asked, "Is it similar to a locust plague calamity?"

"It won't be that severe; after all, it's just a regular assessment."

The scribe took out paper and pen from his waist and asked once more, "Lord Chen, please provide the detailed grading criteria."

Chen Shijie pointed to the crate. "I have adjusted Gucheng's public fields to the Major Heat solar term. The intense heat will accelerate the consumption of the officials' vital energy. One hour from now, when the Grain-Eating Birds return to the crate, Lords Gao, Tang, and I will grade the officials below."

"The grading will depend on the extent of damage to the farmland each official is responsible for."

"Those with less than ten percent damage to the primordial rice will receive an 'Excellent' rating."

"Those with less than twenty percent damage will receive a 'Good' rating."

"Those with less than half damage will receive a 'Pass' rating."

"If damage exceeds half, there will be no rating for this assessment. They will be penalized by being required to replant, using cultivation techniques to accelerate growth. If they can compensate for the damage, they may receive a supplementary 'Pass' rating."

The scribe quickly jotted down the information, then cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for the explanation, sirs. I shall not disturb the three of you proctoring the assessment."

With that, he turned and entered the ship's cabin, to await the results, which Chen Shijie would then endorse before reporting back to the county office.

...

Below, Gucheng's public fields had erupted into chaos.

No one had expected the exam challenge to come from the sky, and so suddenly!

An ominous swarm of black birds hovered over the fields each agricultural official was responsible for. However, these birds merely circled, taking no immediate action, as Chen Shijie was giving the officials time to react.

Below, those with quick wits had already begun casting spells rapidly. They summoned clouds, raised winds, conjured thunder, and spread rain, creating quite a spectacle. Everyone wanted to drive away these uninvited guests immediately.

"Heavens, I recognize these! These are northern Griffin-birds, they specialize in eating grain and are extremely difficult to drive away!"

"Damn these examiners! We don't even have these birds in the south; how can this be an exam question?"

"Chen Shijie is from the North. Could it be that he, that damn northerner, specifically transported these here?!"

"The Minor Heat assessment is about natural calamities. How are Griffin-birds not a natural calamity?"

"Ah! My newly headed primordial rice! Get away, you wretched birds!"

...

Frantic, cursing, and crying, what was once a quietly attentive assessment area in the public fields instantly turned into howling pandemonium.

Zhao Xing immediately recognized these as Grain-Eating Birds because he was extremely familiar with them! In his previous life, when he became an agricultural official, he had encountered this very problem. And his territory often suffered various 'natural calamities.' These creatures were notoriously difficult to deal with. Of course, compared to a 'locust plague,' they were far less severe; a locust plague was devastating, chewing everything down to the roots.

"What kind of birds are these? Why won't the wind blow them away, the rain stop them, and they're not even afraid of thunder? Brother Zhao, Qian Dong, how should we deal with this... Brother Zhao?"

Chen Ziyu looked down, searching for Zhao Xing's figure, only to find that Zhao Xing had already run to the hay bale area. Only his voice drifted on the wind: "Don't just stand there! Hurry back to your respective fields and figure something out! If all else fails, drive them away yourselves! Protect as much as you can!"

Hearing Zhao Xing's voice, Qian Dong and Chen Ziyu also acted quickly. At this moment, they couldn't worry about anything else; time was of the essence.

Zhao Xing was immensely grateful that he hadn't slacked off on his practice of the straw figure spell in the past few days. For now, straw figure puppets were the most efficient way to deal with the situation.

*You have created a straw figure puppet (Repeating Action)**Straw Figure Puppet (Repeating Action)**Proficiency: 854/9999**Effect: Obeys commands, acts repeatedly.**Every Bush a Soldier proficiency +1*...*You have created a straw figure puppet (Repeating Action)**Straw Figure Puppet (Repeating Action)**Proficiency: 864/9999**Effect: Obeys commands, acts repeatedly.**Every Bush a Soldier proficiency +2*...

The proficiency cap for entry-level spells was 9999. Every 1000 proficiency points raised a tier, known as a 'First Tier Advancement,' meaning the spell's power increased significantly. Because Zhao Xing learned the Liu Chuan Crafting Method, the proficiency given to his straw figures was very high, but it had not yet reached the 'First Tier Advancement' level.

However, at this moment, quantity was needed, not quality.

"Faster, faster, a little faster..."

Zhao Xing's hand speed was almost a blur. Since taking the Dao Embryo Pill, his vital energy had increased daily, and his physical condition had also improved greatly. Soon, the hay bales in front of him visibly shrank, and at the same time, straw figures began running towards their destinations.

One, two, ten, fifteen...

A quarter of an hour passed, and the hovering black birds descended, beginning to devour the primordial rice. Seeing this, Zhao Xing's expression changed. His assigned field was five *mu*, about half the size of a football field. The current number of straw figures was not enough.

"Move Clouds!"

A golden light flashed from his fingers, shooting straight above his field. The clouds lowered, enveloping most of his five *mu* field. The clouds' effect slightly hindered the Grain-Eating Birds, but only slightly.

"Strike Thunder!"

Zhao Xing cast another spell. The clouds turned from white to gray, thunder began to rumble, and purple lightning flashed.

*Whoosh!*

The descending Grain-Eating Birds scattered with a whoosh, regaining altitude. But they still refused to leave, circling overhead, seemingly looking for an opening to descend, or perhaps waiting for the thunder to stop. Zhao Xing no longer hesitated and immediately sped up his hand movements, knowing this could only deter them temporarily, not stop them completely.

The Minor Heat assessment, which would select outstanding candidates from over five hundred people, would certainly not be short. At most, only twenty people would achieve the highest 'Excellent-Superior' rating.

"Previously, my best rating was only a 'Good-Minus,' mostly 'Pass-Plus' or 'Pass-Mid,' just barely passing. There aren't many more assessments left, and each one is crucial for me."

Zhao Xing thought to himself, then reached out, but his hand met empty air. The pile of hay bales in front of him had been depleted. He immediately rushed to another hay pile, grabbing hay to weave. Just then, several figures also ran to his hay bale, attempting to snatch materials with him.

Zhao Xing wasn't the only one who had mastered the straw figure spell and discovered its usefulness; many other officials had also caught on.

"Get lost! I saw this first!"

"What do you mean 'yours'? This is public hay..."

"Are you leaving or not?!" Zhao Xing picked up a stone and violently threw it at the other person. His face twisted into a vicious expression, his eyes fierce. The ingrained nature of a gamer from his previous life was inadvertently revealed.

"You, you're so unreasonable..." The person flinched in fright, abruptly retreating and dodging. Just as he was about to curse, he saw Zhao Xing's fierce expression and the sickle in his hand. He instantly understood this was not someone to trifle with and had no choice but to run away.

Seeing this, others dared not approach. There were still plenty of hay bales, so it wasn't worth contending with such a ruthless character who would throw stones at the slightest disagreement.

Zhao Xing then resumed crafting straw figures.