Chapter 12: Scarecrow Strikes Back

Zhao Xing’s actions on the grassland caught the attention of the three examiners on the flying boat. He was notably the quickest clerk to react and begin making straw figures, and his speed and craftsmanship were quite impressive. While others' straw figures swayed unsteadily, Zhao Xing's creations could run, jump, and appeared remarkably lifelike.

“Oh? The Liu Chuan Eighty-One Weaving Method. Is this young man a clerk under Lord Gao or Lord Tang?” Chen Shijie asked.

Gao Linong and Tang Wanchun exchanged glances. They didn't know the complete method themselves and hadn't recognized it initially, let alone taught it. How could they teach something they didn't fully master?

“He is not my clerk.”

“Nor mine.”

“Oh? This young man's straw figure technique is quite exquisite. I wonder whose clerk he is.”

Tang Wanchun pondered, “Besides Lord Chen, I believe only old Master Sinuo Xue knows the complete Liu Chuan Eighty-One Weaving Method.”

Chen Shijie nodded slightly. Xue Wenzhong had been the Master Sinuo for over sixty years, so it was natural for him to know more. Prompted by this, Tang and Gao also began observing Zhao Xing. Unexpectedly, they soon witnessed Zhao Xing fighting for straw, throwing stones at someone, and forcing a colleague to retreat.

Gao Linong snorted, “Hmph, this person has a mischievous nature. To lay hands on a colleague over a pile of straw is truly unacceptable.”

Tang Wanchun glanced but said nothing. He was observing Chen Shijie's reaction. The chief had just praised this clerk; it would be rather imprudent for old Gao to express dissent now.

Chen Shijie calmly stated, “A Master Sinuo competes with heaven and earth for food; it's normal to have some sharpness. For example, your clerk, Li Chengfeng, under Lord Gao, seems quite high-profile in his usual demeanor.”

Gao Linong's eyelids twitched. It was only then that he realized he had spoken out of turn. Even if he thought so, he shouldn't have said it directly.

“Chen Shijie comes from the northern desolate mountains, having endured many natural disasters. Perhaps this boy's actions actually suit his taste,” he thought. Gao Linong immediately changed his tone. “Lord Chen, your insight is profound; it seems I was too narrow-minded. Furthermore, he arrived at that pile of straw first, so he was rightfully entitled to it.”

This is what it means when someone of higher rank can easily overpower a subordinate. With just a subtle admonition from Chen Shijie, Gao Linong immediately had to agree, as Chen was the principal official and Gao was his subordinate.

Completely unaware of the examiners' discussion on the flying boat, Zhao Xing finally left the grassland after exhausting the third pile of straw. By this point, he had created an impressive seventy-six straw figure puppets! Under pressure, he became even more focused. By the time he made the sixtieth straw figure, his proficiency in the "Revival Straw Figure" technique had surpassed 1000, reaching the "First Transformed Spell" level. Consequently, the subsequent sixteen straw figures were faster, more agile, and more robust.

“That should be enough.”

By the edge of his allocated field, seventy-six straw figures marched into the plots, standing with bamboo poles like soldiers ready for battle. Zhao Xing checked his status panel. His vital energy had dropped below 50.

“At this rate, the Cloud Movement and Thunder Summoning spells won't last much longer. The energy cost to maintain these two spells is far greater than for the straw figures.”

After all, the straw figures had physical material support; once created, they didn't require constant vital energy. Cloud Movement and Thunder Summoning, however, consumed more. Nevertheless, Zhao Xing decided to persevere until he could no longer hold on. The straw figures, after all, weren't as effective as Cloud Movement and Thunder Summoning and were bound to have many shortcomings.

During the first quarter-hour of the Minor Heat assessment, the Cloud Movement and Thunder Summoning spells blocked almost all the "Grain-Eating Birds." In the second quarter-hour, the straw figures arrived and waited below the allocated field. In the third quarter-hour, the thunder frequency weakened, and some Grain-Eating Birds began to break through the clouds to peck at the vital rice, but they were stopped by the straw figures. In the fourth quarter-hour, Zhao Xing had completely abandoned the thunder spell, using only Cloud Movement to deter the Grain-Eating Birds. One-third of them broke through, and the straw figures began to repel them with full force. In the fifth quarter-hour, many Grain-Eating Birds were struck down by the straw figures, but five of the straw figures were also destroyed. In the sixth quarter-hour, one-third of the Grain-Eating Birds, unable to feed, flew away, but the number of destroyed straw figures reached twenty-five. In the seventh quarter-hour, the cloud cover shrank. Under the scorching heat, Zhao Xing's vital energy gradually failed. He used the straw figures to attract the Grain-Eating Birds, as the figures were made from vital rice stalks, a favorite food of the birds. However, this also resulted in the loss of more than half of his straw figures. In the eighth quarter-hour, the cloud cover further reduced by half, exposing half of the fields. Zhao Xing ordered all remaining straw figures to act as "sacrifices," allowing the remaining Grain-Eating Birds to peck at them. Simultaneously, the fields below also began to suffer damage. As the ninth quarter-hour arrived, a bell rang in the sky. All Grain-Eating Birds above and below the public fields flew away, disappearing into the white clouds.

“Phew~ Phew~”

Zhao Xing was parched and drenched in sweat. But he couldn't concern himself with that; he immediately rushed to check the condition of his allocated field.

“The southern half-acre suffered the most severe damage because it was exposed earliest, and I used it as a sacrifice, attracting all the birds here.”

“The other acres, however, sustained very minor losses.”

Zhao Xing circled the field, feeling a slight sense of relief. Looking at his straw figures, only eight remained, each with various damages. If these eight figures hadn't reached the "First Transformed" strength, they would likely have collapsed long ago.

“It's over. I can rest now.” Zhao Xing waved his hand, and the remaining eight straw figures lost their luster and fell by the edge of the field. The intense heat, combined with an hour of intense fighting, left Zhao Xing physically and mentally exhausted, wishing he could instantly fall asleep.

All around, clerks were wailing. This assessment was significantly more difficult than previous ones, and many clerks' allocated fields suffered heavy losses. Most people lost over half their yield, and some even had their fields completely devoured.

“Over a month of hard work, just gone like that?”

“Damn those grain-eating birds, how hateful!”

“Sigh, whose fault is it but our own for not mastering our craft? We'll just have to wait for the make-up exam.”

“A make-up exam will at best yield a ‘C+’ — just a passing grade. And it will still consume energy. How will we cope with the next assessment?”

“How can a ninth-rank official position be so easy to attain? The Bureau of Agriculture is considered good, with just over five hundred people vying for three to five spots. But do you know that for a ninth-rank lieutenant general in the East Lake Army, three to five thousand people compete for a single position!”

“Don't even mention joining the army. For a craftsman official in the Celestial Workshop, nearly a thousand people compete.”

“I wish I were a woman. I hear the competition in the Weaving Bureau isn't as fierce.”

“Ugh~ You're so lacking in ambition.”

...

Just then, the sky suddenly became overcast, and rain began to fall. "Pitter-patter~" Initially, the raindrops were sparse and small, but they quickly grew larger and denser. The air temperature plummeted simultaneously. Zhao Xing sank down onto the field, letting the rain wash over him.

The shower came quickly and left just as fast. Clearly, this was artificially controlled. After granting the clerks a quarter-hour of rest and recovery, the sky suddenly cleared again, the dark clouds turning into white ones, and the weather returned to that of a normal Minor Heat season.

A flying boat descended from the clouds to the grassland, with three figures standing at its bow: Chen Shijie, the chief official of the Bureau of Agriculture, and his two deputies, Gao Linong and Tang Wanchun.

“They're here. They're about to announce the results of the Minor Heat assessment,” Zhao Xing thought, steeling himself and moving closer to the grassland.