Chapter 153: Scarecrow Magic Challenge

Zhao Xing, filled with curiosity, clicked into the course description and then realized the situation.

"So, the Straw Man Art has become a key support project for the imperial court."

The Straw Man Art is a magical technique of the Instinct Sect. Anyone familiar with the Instinct Sect knows its current state.

Within the Instinct Sect, the Straw Man Art is a somewhat awkward existence. Why? Because the agriculturists who practice the Instinct Sect generally specialize in farming. They focus on cultivating more prolific crops, growing materials suitable for artisans to build machinery, and researching the medicinal value of plants.

However, very few agriculturists who specialize in the Instinct Sect focus on combat. In the past, the Military Agriculturist system didn't even include the "Granary Bureau" option. This was because logistics were not managed by military agriculturists; they were handled by agriculturists from the Instinct Sect in the rear. It was only later, as the army's needs diversified, that this option was added.

But very few of the Instinct Sect's magical techniques are meant for fighting. If an agriculturist wants to learn offensive spells, they typically turn to the Heavenly Time Sect or the Earthly Advantage Sect. The Straw Man Art is one such technique, but even Instinct Sect agriculturists rarely bother to learn it because there's no demand for it. If they wanted to be military agriculturists, they would join the Earthly Advantage Sect or the Heavenly Time Sect.

Thus, the Straw Man Art's position is somewhat awkward. No one in the Instinct Sect learns it, and other sects, if they want to learn the Straw Man Art, would need to research the Instinct Sect's magic. The Straw Man Art is also a relatively delicate skill that requires a lot of time to yield results; it's difficult to see immediate effects.

In the earliest days, the Straw Man Art taught in the temples was quite comprehensive, but gradually only nine types remained. However, many prefectures and academies have regulations: agriculturist officials who learn the Straw Man Art can receive five taels of silver monthly, with the amount increasing based on their official rank and skill level. This indicates that the imperial court still hopes this type of magic will not be lost.

"If the imperial court didn't invest resources to support it, no one would be willing to research the Straw Man Art," Zhao Xing mused. "The deliberate increase in points rewards is precisely to prevent this type of magic from being lost."

"In later generations, the Straw Man Art will rise with the Instinct Sect and display its incredible power. It's unexpected that in this era, it still relies on policy to be passed down," Zhao Xing said with a sigh.

He carefully examined this elective training course. However, there's a specific rule for the points rewards in this course: for the Straw Man Art training course, various points can only be claimed once the technique has achieved significant success. If the magic fails to meet the standards, even if one ranks first, they cannot receive the points reward.

This is meant to deter those who just want to accumulate points. Only those who truly dedicate themselves to learning this magic and achieve something worthwhile will receive points. Otherwise, if the fifty thousand points for first place were awarded to someone who only mastered a second-tier Straw Man Art, the policy would be meaningless.

"The Straw Man Art is troublesome to learn and time-consuming. Without points, hardly anyone would sign up. But now, the number of participants has significantly increased," Zhao Xing observed. The number of registered participants had already exceeded five thousand. Generous rewards attract brave individuals; incentive policies are indeed effective.

"First place: 50,000 points.""Second place: 30,000 points.""Third place: 10,000 points.""Fourth to tenth place: 8,000 points.""Eleventh to twentieth place: 5,000 points.""Twenty-first to fiftieth place: 3,000 points.""Fifty-first to hundredth place: 1,000 points.""After the hundredth place, as long as the basic standard is met during the learning process, even if they don't enter the top hundred, they can receive a reward of at least 50 points, up to 800 points."

Zhao Xing looked at the Straw Man Art course's points reward rules. Due to the generous rewards, the number of registrations had surged. What was once an unpopular elective training course had instead become a top choice.

"The agriculturist leading this training course is surnamed Liu. Could he be from the Liu family of Taihe Commandery?"

The *Liu Family Compendium of Techniques* that Xue Wen Zhong transmitted to Zhao Xing was founded by Liu Zonghai of Taihe Commandery. The Liu family of Taihe Commandery is a thousand-year-old aristocratic family. From the time of the Grand Ancestor to the present, there have always been high-ranking officials from their family in the imperial court. Liu Zonghai himself once held a second-rank official position.

"There are no other ways to earn points right now. I must ace the Straw Man Art training course," Zhao Xing thought to himself. He then looked at the other elective courses. The elective courses available now all offer points rewards. However, few could compare to the Straw Man Art training course in terms of rewards, and most of them had not yet begun.

"Sign up!"

Zhao Xing quickly registered. The launch of the Straw Man Art course prompted many to hastily seek knowledge, rushing to the Granary Bureau to learn the magic of the Instinct Sect.

Lu Bang stood on a tall building, watching the bustling crowd below, and couldn't help but sigh, "In and out, all for profit."

"Many people rarely came to the Granary Bureau to study before. From March to July, during these four months of training, this is the most lively the Granary Bureau has ever been."

"The rewards are generous. Even geniuses like Shi Yong, Zhuang Ziqing, and Zhao Xing have come to sign up."

"Brother Liu, you're going to be very busy this time."

Liu Tianning stood beside Lu Bang. He appeared to be middle-aged, but he was actually two hundred eighty-two years old. He was slightly plump, but his fingers were slender and as white as jade, and even his skin was as fair as white jade.

Hearing Lu Bang speak, Liu Tianning said, "Although there are many people, I wonder how many are truly learning." He added, "As for being busy, that doesn't faze me. Have you forgotten what I teach?"

"And the one speaking to you is not my true self."

Lu Bang turned his head in surprise. "Brother Liu, this... this isn't your true self? Amazing! I couldn't tell the difference."

Liu Tianning smiled faintly.

"But if you're not my true self, why are you drinking my wine? It's a waste to give it to a straw man," Lu Bang snatched the wine flask from his hand.

"How else could I deceive you, Lu Songting, if I didn't drink? This Fire Jade Wine of yours contains rich Five Elements power, which is greatly beneficial to my straw men. Don't be stingy, quickly give it back."

As soon as Zhao Xing registered for the Straw Man Art training course, Tian Yan was immediately aware and contacted Zhao Xing through his Earth Mirror.

"The Straw Man Art is easy to learn but difficult to master. First and second-tier straw men are easy to learn, but the third-tier Straw Man Art is challenging."

"This technique is time and energy-consuming. Just take enough points to meet the standard for this course; don't waste too much effort on it."

The fact that Tian Yan said this showed the status of the Straw Man Art, but Zhao Xing had his own plans and would not entirely follow Tian Yan's arrangements. Of course, he still had to give a perfunctory answer: "Don't worry, teacher, I have my limits. If I don't achieve anything, I won't obsess over it."

"Hmm, it's good that you know your own mind." Tian Yan nodded. After spending many days together, he realized that Zhao Xing was very opinionated and always on the right path, so Tian Yan didn't need to worry much. He only said an extra word now because the Straw Man Art course was launched and he saw Zhao Xing had signed up.

Putting down the Earth Mirror, Zhao Xing stood in front of a closed gate in the Granary Bureau, looking around. With thousands of people signed up, how would this course be taught, and how would the points be calculated?

Liu Tianning's approach was to teach and test simultaneously.

"Straw Man Art training course, this is the first stage, and also the first lesson."

"To the south of the square is where the materials are placed. First and second-tier materials are available for your selection."

"To the west of the square, there are Straw Man Art teaching methods, consisting of the nine types promoted by the imperial court."

"To the east of the square, there are completed straw men performing demonstrations, which you can observe at your leisure."

"To the north of the square is the trial palace. Those who have mastered the Straw Man Art can summon their straw men to enter it. If successful, they can proceed to the next location to receive the next stage of training. Upon completing each stage, they will receive corresponding points and a challenge."

Liu Tianning's voice echoed through the four sides of the square, playing in a loop through a resonating conch.

Zhao Xing looked at the bulletin board and went directly to the south where the materials were placed. Various materials, some placed on the ground, others floating in the air, included all kinds of flowers, plants, trees, bamboo, and vines. However, all were first and second-tier materials.

"Whoosh!"

Zhao Xing used the Gale Wind technique and casually swept over a pile of materials. He looked at them, picked out a few, and put the rest back in their original places.

"All plants are soldiers, rise!"

Zhao Xing pointed a golden light at a bundle of rolled grass and leaf strips in front of him. Things were different now; he didn't need to weave by hand at all. A single thought was enough to complete the spell.

"Sizzle! Rustle!"

Vines, grass stalks, and branches seemed to come alive, moving and intertwining on the ground. In an instant, the materials disappeared, replaced by a gray-black straw man standing in place. It was a second-tier Swift Movement Straw Man.

The people nearby were attracted by this scene and immediately looked over.

"How is he so fast? A spell in a single breath?""Such powerful control; he barely wasted any materials.""What kind of straw man is that? It's even strangely beautiful.""Of course, it's beautiful. The magic conforms to the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. When weaving a straw man, its external lines inherently carry the mysteries of the Dao. You are not just looking at a straw man; you are observing its Dao.""I didn't expect Zhao Xing to also have mastery in the Straw Man Art. I see a faint sense of divine charm in his straw man, as if it were alive.""No wonder my straw men are all hideous; they're just like the caster.""Brother, you can say my Straw Man Art is terrible, but calling me ugly is going too far."

Zhao Xing picked up the Swift Movement Straw Man, ignoring the surrounding gazes, and quickly went to the north side of the square. Then he ordered the Swift Movement Straw Man to enter the palace.

"Buzz!"

As soon as it entered the palace, a golden light swept over the Swift Movement Straw Man. Then, the ground beneath the straw man's feet began to rotate. It was like a giant treadmill, and the Swift Movement Straw Man had to run to avoid being flung off.

"Persist for one *ke* (approximately 15 minutes) or reach the opposite wall of the palace to pass."

"If it's a Strength Straw Man, the test is to punch a wooden stake, and the punch mark must penetrate half a finger deep," Zhao Xing read the rules of the trial palace. Different types of straw men corresponded to different tests.

The first stage, it wasn't difficult, but it wasn't simple either. If one hadn't learned the Straw Man Art before, it would take a lot of time to learn it now. Zhao Xing could see many strange straw men created by beginners around him. Some broke hands and feet after a few steps, some had three heads and six arms, and some were just a shape that couldn't move at all, as the magic couldn't circulate within them. Even stranger were those with triangular heads, arms attached to their necks, dangling to the ground... they couldn't even be considered 'human' in shape.

"There's a lot to learn in the first lesson. Getting points won't be easy."

The Swift Movement Straw Man in the trial palace ran incredibly fast. If one's Straw Man Art didn't meet the standard, they couldn't pass the next stage. Of course, if one could learn and pass in the first stage, they could earn 50 points. It was points for free, so seven to eight thousand people were crowded into the first stage.

"Zhao Xing of the Divine Might Army, your Swift Movement Straw Man has passed. Please proceed to the next location." A voice reached Zhao Xing's ears.

"Yes."

Zhao Xing did not retrieve the Swift Movement Straw Man and flew directly to the next location.

The second stage had the same layout, but the number of people was much smaller. Since the class just started today, many people were stuck learning in the first stage; fewer than a thousand could reach the second stage.

"More than eight thousand agriculturists have signed up, but fewer than a thousand can pass the first stage. It seems very few learned the Straw Man Art before."

"That means only about one in seven or eight people bothered to learn it."

So few learned it, let alone those who diligently studied it. Zhao Xing passed the first stage and also assessed its difficulty: any Straw Man Art reaching the Fourth Revolution would be enough to pass, yet even that stumped many people.

"Being able to reach the second stage proves that you have learned the Straw Man Art before and put some effort into it."

"The second stage still focuses on the nine types of Straw Man Art promoted by the imperial court."

"Passing the trial will earn you four hundred points."

Liu Tianning's voice echoed in his ears.

The second stage was no different from the first; it still had a place for materials, a place for demonstrations, and a place for teaching. Zhao Xing again created a Swift Movement Straw Man and ordered it to enter the trial palace. The Swift Movement Straw Man's test was the same as the first stage: the ground rotated, but the treadmill speed was faster. Moreover, the ground became uneven. To maintain running speed and stability, the difficulty increased by more than a little. A Fourth Revolution Straw Man would barely pass, while a Fifth Revolution was needed for absolute certainty.

Zhao Xing's Swift Movement Straw Man still quickly passed the test.

"Zhao Xing of the Divine Might Army, you have passed the second stage and received four hundred points. You do not need to learn the content of the second stage further. Please proceed to the next location."

Zhao Xing checked his Earth Mirror. Indeed, he had an additional four hundred points, sent by 'Liu Tianning' of the Agriculturist Bureau. Adding the fifty points from the first stage, he had earned four hundred and fifty points in just this short time.

"It's really enjoyable to earn money by learning magic."

Zhao Xing learned of the next location and immediately took flight on a cloud of mist.

The third stage was in a different place, a manor by a mountain and a river. This was also Liu Tianning's residence.

"Whoosh!"

The mist dispersed, and Zhao Xing landed at the main entrance outside the manor.

"Please come in."

As soon as he landed, a figure appeared at the entrance and invited Zhao Xing in. "Thank you, teacher." Zhao Xing was surprised, thinking Liu Tianning had personally come out to greet him. But upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't Liu Tianning himself at all, just a straw man.

However, this straw man was too lifelike. It had a nose and eyes, and even wore clothes, with its exposed skin appearing flesh-colored. At first glance, Zhao Xing thought it was a real person. He felt somewhat strange, then used his Five Elements Observation to discern the truth.

"Follow me." Liu Tianning's straw man turned and leaped forward, quickly reaching the foot of the mountain. Zhao Xing watched its agile movements as it ascended the mountain path, dodging and weaving as if a martial artist was performing a movement technique.

"Liu Tianning must be a master of the Straw Man Art. He must have some unique secret techniques. I must learn from him," Zhao Xing thought, quickening his pace.