Chapter 176: This Child's Skills Are Too Proficient, Truly Don't Know Where They Learned Them From

The middle-aged scholar who had come to deliver the invitation was stunned by Zhao Xing's reply and couldn't recover for a long time.

Once he understood what Zhao Xing had said, a flicker of anger crossed his eyes: "In that case, I will return and report the reason, and I will convey Comptroller Zhao's words exactly as they were spoken!"

With that, he prepared to turn and leave.

Zhao Xing waved his hand, and a surge of powerful wind instantly trapped the middle-aged scholar. "Did I say you could leave?"

The middle-aged scholar was startled. "I am Magistrate Shao's man. What are you doing?!"

"You're just a dog-headed advisor, with no official rank or noble title. How dare you shout in front of this official?" Zhao Xing glared at him. "Do you really think you're an official? Kneel!"

The middle-aged scholar was immediately pressed down by an immense force, collapsing straight onto his knees.

*Crack!*

In that instant, his legs were crippled, his kneecaps completely shattered.

He had no official rank whatsoever and was accustomed to swaggering around with Shao Wanjie, so much so that even eighth-rank officials treated him as an honored guest.

Meeting Zhao Xing today, he finally understood that official authority could be like a prison, forcing him to instantly face reality.

"Lord Zhao, spare my life! I... I was wrong," the middle-aged scholar pleaded immediately, his face pale from his broken bones.

This person was completely unpredictable. What strategists feared most were hotheads and madmen!

Because you could never guess what they were thinking.

"Don't worry, this official won't kill you," Zhao Xing said with a slight smile. "Come, write down Shao Wanjie's crimes properly. You should know quite a lot."

The middle-aged scholar opened his mouth, instantly intending to bite his tongue and commit suicide.

Zhao Xing wouldn't let him succeed. A surge of powerful wind immediately struck his jaw, dislocating his jawbone.

"Whether you write it or not doesn't really matter. Shao Wanjie's crimes are too numerous to list, and gathering evidence against him is very easy. The court is reorganizing the border army this time, and Shao Wanjie is certainly doomed."

"I heard that you have a wife and children here, likely held captive by him. If your family is not deeply implicated, and you provide a confession, this official can guarantee their lives. They can be rescued within two hours."

"Of course, if you don't believe me and insist on sinking with Shao Wanjie's ship, just move your neck forward three more inches. This official's powerful wind can fulfill your foolish loyalty."

The middle-aged scholar's heart trembled. He had never imagined that delivering an invitation could lead to this.

Yet, everything before him indicated that Zhao Xing was serious.

Why would a mere Comptroller of Irrigation, who had no personal grudge against him, want to kill him?

Wasn't it simply that he was determined to take down Shao Wanjie?

For a seventh-rank minor official to dare to move against a seventh-rank major official, either Zhao Xing had terrifying backing, or, as he claimed, the court was indeed cracking down. Otherwise, it made no sense.

Once the initial impulse passed and he started thinking clearly, he no longer wished to die.

Although he couldn't speak, his hand could still write. So, he immediately wrote on the ground with his finger: "Let them live."

Zhao Xing nodded, then Long Xiao helped the middle-aged scholar to a side hall to write his testimony.

Zhao Xing picked up the completed official document and walked towards another side hall within the Department of Irrigation.

Due to its high status, the Department of Irrigation housed a row of divine statues within its premises.

However, these statues were quite small, almost like fireplaces.

Among the items Zhao Xing had received from the prefectural city were incense for invoking deities and a stack of special spirit money paper.

He lit three sticks and immediately burned them before the statue of Divine Wanderer Dai Zong.

This was a medium for invoking the divine; the cost involved the special incense and spirit money paper.

*Whoosh!*

The censer in front of the Divine Wanderer Dai Zong statue immediately burst into flames, and the Dai Zong statue opened its eyes.

"Comptroller Zhao Xing of Cloud City's Department of Irrigation, why do you summon this deity?"

"An urgent official document, to be sent to the Prefectural Department of Irrigation."

"An urgent order requires a designated primary recipient."

"Lord Tantai Ming of the Prefectural Department of Irrigation."

"Understood."

Zhao Xing burned the document into the censer.

The three incense sticks and one piece of spirit money paper quickly burned to ashes with a sizzling sound.

Meanwhile, at the Prefectural Department of Irrigation.

In Tantai Ming's office, there were three rows of divine statue altars that continuously spat out official documents. These documents, once flown out, automatically folded themselves and quickly accumulated into small piles.

*Rustle!*

Tantai Ming sat at his desk, with hundreds of official documents spread out before him. A quill order token glided swiftly over the documents.

It continuously opened, closed, and flew back into the altars.

In mere moments, he completed the approval of hundreds of documents. Even so, many documents awaiting signature and reply were still piled before him.

This was because there were simply too many matters to handle in the entire Jiutian Yingyuan Prefecture, especially during a state of war preparedness, which made it even busier.

*Thud!*

Just then, seven official documents directly landed in Tantai Ming's lap.

Urgent documents could indeed bypass the queue, but this wasn't the main reason, as there were quite a few urgent documents circulating at the moment.

The primary reason for their priority was that Tantai Ming had pre-configured this mechanism.

It was already set in advance which documents from which locations should be reviewed first.

Tantai Ming reviewed urgent documents a bit more slowly, but he still replied to the seven documents quickly, taking only about a minute.

Although Tantai Ming was a fourth-rank minor official, aided by his Three-Flower Golden Crown, his brain processed information at a speed comparable to a small earth mirror.

Zhao Xing had intended to leave, as Tantai Ming wouldn't be able to see the document immediately. In the vast Jiutian Yingyuan Prefecture, countless messages were sent to him daily, and it would take time to review them all.

But before he could even step out the door, the Divine Wanderer Dai Zong statue opened its eyes again, the censer reignited, and an official document flew out, heading straight for Zhao Xing's embrace.

"Hmm? That fast?"

Zhao Xing was surprised. He hadn't even crossed the threshold yet, and Tantai Ming had already replied?

He opened it to read.

The official reply contained only eight simple characters: "Observe and wait, apprehend but do not interrogate."

Zhao Xing pondered for a moment and realized that Tantai Ming had given him two options.

One was to do nothing and simply wait for the higher authorities to follow procedures and send people over.

The second was to first apprehend Shao Wanjie but not interrogate him.

Both options made sense. As Comptroller of Irrigation, Zhao Xing didn't have the duty to make arrests; he simply needed to await the outcome.

However, Zhao Xing was no ordinary Comptroller of Irrigation; he was also a Military Quartermaster, currently on a mission in the military realm. As a powerful Military Quartermaster, he could act upon higher orders to prevent Shao Wanjie from escaping.

Military Quartermasters had this duty; after all, they were capable fighters, much like old Chen, who served as a main force when dealing with the Xuan Tian Sect in Gucheng.

However, interrogation was not Zhao Xing's responsibility.

Tantai Ming deliberately wrote "do not interrogate," both as a reminder to Zhao Xing and as a way to protect him.

"Shao Wanjie is involved with Fifth-Rank Prefectural Assistant Liu Junliang, and even more people. Knowing too much isn't good for me, which is why he told me not to interrogate."

"If I don't interrogate and only assist in the arrest according to Tantai Ming's instructions, then there won't be any trouble."

"Furthermore, Tantai Ming might also be hinting that the higher authorities only intend to eliminate Shao Wanjie and not escalate the situation further. At the very least, it's impossible to bring down Liu Junliang simply through my report, and even if it were to be done, it shouldn't be by me."

Zhao Xing thought for a moment, then walked out of the hall with the document. "Under normal circumstances, I would just report and wait. But now I need to seize time. The sooner Shao Wanjie is dealt with, the better. Lingering for ten days or half a month would be quite detrimental to my future development."

"Also, if I apprehend and imprison Shao Wanjie, I can protect Cloud City's assets."

Once Shao Wanjie fell, Zhao Xing would be the highest-ranking official. Wouldn't Cloud City's assets then effectively become Lord Zhao's money?

To develop, how could he do it without money?

"Arrest him! Arrest him ruthlessly! Combating crime is my duty as Zhao Xing!"

Zhao Xing immediately found Long Xiao.

Long Xiao had just finished interrogating the advisor.

"Get ready, we're going to the banquet."

"Huh?" Long Xiao was stunned. "We just detained his man, and now we're going to his banquet?"

"He doesn't know that," Zhao Xing said. "This time, I'm not just going to the banquet; I'm going to arrest Shao Wanjie."

"Like what old Chen did in Gucheng last time?"

"Exactly," Zhao Xing said. "Are you capable of fighting? That dog Shao Wanjie is both a scholar and a warrior. He's a seventh-rank official, possessing both martial arts skills and ritual cultivation techniques."

"Is he a sword cultivator?" Long Xiao asked.

"No."

"Then does he have a hundred seventh-rank guards?"

"Are you that formidable?" Zhao Xing asked in surprise. "Can you fight one hundred by yourself?"

"Are you insulting me?" Long Xiao scoffed. "You talk as if you're the only genius in the world. How many non-Four Academies Military Quartermasters of your rank could you defeat in the Ten Sun Grotto-Heaven?"

Zhao Xing pondered. "One hundred seems to be no problem."

Long Xiao slapped his sword and proudly declared, "Well, there you have it! Among the eighty-seven thousand odd members of the Divine Might Army, excluding the Marquis, there are only five sword cultivators, and I'm one of them. You ask me if I can fight? What else could that be but an insult?"

"My apologies, it was my humble self who underestimated you. Please forgive this junior officer, Valiant Captain."

"That's better," Long Xiao said, adjusting his belt. "But do you think I should act? I am your protector; this trial is yours, not mine. If you want to accelerate the rectification of Cloud City's internal affairs, shouldn't you be the one to act? My involvement wouldn't lower your evaluation, would it?"

Zhao Xing considered this. "No, the third phase of the mission primarily concerns flood control, and I'm not asking for your help with that. If we voluntarily assist the higher authorities in making an arrest, should that lower my evaluation? Even if it does have an impact, it would be minor. Weighing the pros and cons, quickly eliminating this menace is most important for me to get back on track as soon as possible."

"Alright, you're the boss."

Shao Wanjie's mansion was built with great extravagance, comparable in size to ten marketplaces in Cloud City.

He even forbade commoners from living near him, granting all the land to his trusted confidants.

As Zhao Xing approached Shao's mansion, he couldn't help but marvel at how Shao Wanjie was truly seeking his own demise.

As he also held the position of County Lieutenant, Shao Wanjie had dispatched two teams of guards to patrol around his mansion and even brought government soldiers to stand guard at his private residence.

When Zhao Xing and Long Xiao arrived in their purple-horned carriage at the entrance of Shao's mansion, they surprisingly saw two teams of barbarian soldiers!

"A team of lion-headed soldiers, a team of bull-headed soldiers? How dare a petty viscount keep barbarian troops?" Long Xiao's eyes widened.

It wasn't that barbarian soldiers couldn't be kept; assimilated barbarian soldiers were not uncommon in Jiutian Yingyuan Prefecture. However, regulations stipulated that only a Marquis's private guards could recruit and utilize barbarian soldiers.

Beyond that, only military officers within the barbarian troop structure could command barbarian soldiers, but those were official forces, not private armies.

Shao Wanjie deploying lion-headed and bull-headed soldiers to guard his gate was a grave transgression.

"This man is utterly lawless! His mansion exceeds regulations, he's harboring barbarian soldiers, deceiving his superiors and subordinates, engaging in corruption, and arbitrarily deploying officials from the four departments to serve him..." Long Xiao watched the two teams of barbarian soldiers, his hand instinctively gripping his sword.

"When you play local emperor for too long, it's easy to start believing you're a real emperor," Zhao Xing shook his head. "Later, these barbarian soldiers will be killed directly. Show no mercy, but leave their bodies intact."

"Understood."

The purple-horned carriage trotted along for two *li* past the main gate before being stopped by barbarian soldiers at a checkpoint.

"Comptroller Zhao Xing of Cloud City, invited by Lord Shao, has come to attend the banquet."

Dressed in his official robes, Zhao Xing lifted the curtain of the carriage and displayed his official seal.

"Ah, a high official from the Celestial Dynasty," said the bull-headed soldier who had blocked their path. He had two bull horns on his head and a bovine nose, though the rest of him was human-like.

Upon seeing Zhao Xing, his demeanor immediately turned respectful.

"Clear the way! Quickly!"

Barbarian soldiers were fierce, but assimilated ones, upon seeing an imperial official of Great Zhou, behaved as obediently as dogs.

Because in their eyes, Great Zhou was the Celestial Empire, the master of the divine land, an unmatched symbol!

Great Zhou officials, even at very high cultivation levels, maintained their human appearance, while they could not. They revered Great Zhou in every aspect.

Assimilated barbarian soldiers were all willing to be dogs for Great Zhou.

In front of Great Zhou officials, they felt extremely inferior.

Conversely, they greatly looked down upon the various southern barbarian tribes.

To be a dog for Great Zhou was, in their view, an honor.

Ordinary barbarians couldn't even achieve that status!

The fiercest killers of southern barbarian outsiders were precisely these assimilated barbarian soldiers.

"My Lord, I'll lead your horse," the bull-headed soldier said, bowing and fawning as he walked ahead. Once he took the reins, he puffed up with pride, shouting as he walked, "Everyone, make way, clear the path! Don't alarm the Lord!"

Inside the mansion, in a hot spring.

Shao Wanjie lay in the embrace of a pair of twin, cat-eared girls. Bare-chested, he ate grapes and drank wine, his hand reaching into the girls' robes, eliciting their shy giggles.

Seeing the twins, Shao Wanjie's bestial urges surged, and he was about to go further when he heard a servant report.

"My Lord, the new Comptroller of Irrigation from the Department of Military Quartermasters, Zhao Xing, has arrived outside the mansion gate."

"Oh?" Shao Wanjie lifted his head from the girl's embrace. He had a flat nose, squinty eyes, and a bald patch on his forehead. "He's quite early, isn't he? Where's Fang Wen?"

"Lord Fang hasn't returned yet."

"Hmph, that fellow is getting more and more senseless. He doesn't even come back to report after delivering the invitation, who knows where he's off to with women again." Shao Wanjie grumbled, completely unaware that his advisor had already defected.

"Lead Zhao Xing to the side hall for hospitality. Send him a few crates of treasures first to gauge his reaction. Report back in a quarter of an hour. Remember, a quarter of an hour."

After speaking, Shao Wanjie, with a lecherous grin, lunged back towards the twin girls. "Beauties, I'm coming."

In a refined side hall of Shao's mansion, Long Xiao watched the servants carry in several crates of treasures, his gaze unfriendly, while Zhao Xing rested with his eyes closed.

"Lord Zhao, these are gifts from my master, presented to celebrate your new appointment."

Zhao Xing opened his eyes, but instead of looking at the speaking butler, he flicked his finger, and a burst of flame incinerated the man to ashes.

"I found him, but that fellow is still 'busy.' Should we wait until he's exhausted before going over?" Zhao Xing had closed his eyes moments ago to connect his life soul with his two celestial and terrestrial souls, sensing Shao Wanjie's presence and all the masters in the mansion.

Combining this with the clouds in the sky and the wind in the air, he instantly pinpointed Shao Wanjie's location.

"This place is a mess; I can't wait another moment. Let's arrest him quickly and get it over with."

"Alright." Zhao Xing grabbed Long Xiao and disappeared underground, crossing rockeries and winding corridors, emerging directly beneath a hot spring.

Shao Wanjie, still "busy" with his "beauties," noticed nothing unusual.

*Whoosh!* Zhao Xing and Long Xiao surfaced. Zhao Xing flicked his finger at the back of Shao Wanjie's head, and an invisible worm instantly flew into Shao Wanjie's body.

"Ugh..." Shao Wanjie immediately slumped into a deep sleep, as if catching up on years of missed rest.

The two cat-eared twin girls were confused, but before they could even lift their heads, Zhao Xing struck again, instantly knocking them unconscious.

"Looks like I didn't even need to act," Long Xiao scoffed. "This fellow has been corrupted in a bed of luxury for ten years; he's completely fallen apart... What's next?"

"Open the boxes," Zhao Xing said. "The bamboo crates contain materials for the illusionary straw figures."

"Oh," Long Xiao immediately set down the boxes.

"Rise!" Zhao Xing pointed his finger, and an illusionary straw figure appeared, transforming into Shao Wanjie's likeness.

"You stay here with the straw figure and improvise to keep others stable," Zhao Xing said. "I'll take the real one to the temple for imprisonment."

"How about I take him to the temple? I'm not very good at pretending," Long Xiao felt this task was difficult. He was adept at killing, but playing other roles was challenging. "Besides, you're skilled at controlling illusionary straw figures; they might reveal flaws if you're too far away."

Zhao Xing considered this and pulled out his official seal, tossing it to Long Xiao. "Go quickly and return quickly. Remember, you must hand the person over to Shen Mingyu, the priest of Cloud City's temple. Personally ensure he confesses before the Judicial Underworld Deity and is imprisoned before you return."

"Understood, I'll be right back." A seventh-rank cultivator capable of controlling malevolent energy for short-distance flight, Long Xiao immediately swept up Shao Wanjie and flew away.

Zhao Xing looked at the sleeping twin foreign girls, conjuring a chilling wind that blew into their minds. This would render them disoriented for a short period, making them forget what had just happened.

He then commanded the illusionary straw figure to lie on a chair by the hot spring, and retrieved the foreign girls, placing them on either side of the straw figure.

Zhao Xing then quietly re-entered the ground, returned to the reception hall, and conjured another illusionary straw figure to assume the appearance of the butler.

"Done," Zhao Xing clapped his hands, and along with the 'butler,' walked towards where 'Shao Wanjie' was located.

In the military realm, beneath a sunlit expanse, hundreds of meter-high spires stood tall.

Each tower rotated along a unique trajectory.

Inside one of these military towers, whose exterior was carved with ten suns, countless mechanisms and spell formations were arranged. Numerous artificers were busy on each floor. In the highest chamber of the tower, three five-meter-tall ethereal figures gazed intently at an earth mirror.

The earth mirror displayed numerous divided screens, showing aerial views of various locations in Cloud City.

In the central image, a close-up was displayed, showing Shao Wanjie's mansion.

"Shao Wanjie was dealt with by a single straw-figure spell. According to the Providence Disk's projections, he will proceed much more smoothly than others from now on." One of the ethereal figures spoke, his voice like a roaring flood. "Is the third phase of the mission we set for Zhao Xing too easy? He hasn't made a single mistake yet."

"Substituting the plum for the peach, stealing heaven and exchanging the sun – easy to say, difficult to do," another ethereal figure said, its purple light shimmering. "It's not that the task we set lacked difficulty; it's that he is clever and capable. The political test he's faced has been sufficient; there's no need to increase the intensity for him in that regard."

"I just find this child's methods too skillful, as if it's second nature to him. The Ten Sun Grotto-Heaven didn't teach these things; I truly wonder where he learned them."