Chapter 48: Avoiding Misfortune and Renewed Warning

"Are you going to pull up all my vegetables just to plant a pear tree?"

"Does such a small pear tree need to take over the entire vegetable patch?"

"If we don't grow vegetables anymore, what will our family eat from now on?"

"What? You said we'd buy vegetables every day?"

"Oh, what kind of family are we to be buying vegetables to eat?!"

Madam Cai, protective like a mother bear, stood at the garden entrance and lectured Zhao Xing.

"Madam Cai, won't it be enough if I pay for the vegetables?" Zhao Xing said, exasperated.

Madam Cai said somewhat reluctantly, "It's not about the money; I just can't bear to part with this vegetable patch. I enjoy growing vegetables for the family myself..."

"I'll pay double the price for vegetables!"

Madam Cai immediately broke into a smile and stepped aside, "Feel free to pull them up, feel free! Do you need my help?"

"..." Zhao Xing found it amusing; her attitude changed so quickly.

"No need for you to trouble yourself, I'll do it myself."

Zhao Xing entered the vegetable garden, preparing to make space for the Tianyuan Pear Tree.

Just then, Zhao Ruide, hearing the commotion, walked over. After hearing Madam Cai's words, he immediately frowned.

"You actually asked Xing'er for money for vegetables? Is that how an elder should act?"

"Third brother's family has an overgrown yard; couldn't you just plant there?"

Madam Cai grumbled, "He offered it himself; it wasn't me who asked. Besides, won't he eat the vegetables we buy anyway? What's wrong with him having the means to honor his family?"

Zhao Ruide sighed, "You really are short-sighted. That pear tree is far more valuable than ten of your vegetable patches. If it thrives, will our family lack food?"

Madam Cai said skeptically, "How much can one pear tree be worth? He promised to pay double."

"You! How disgraceful..." Zhao Ruide pointed at her, then turned and left.

Madam Cai looked at her husband, then at Zhao Xing in the vegetable garden, and was instantly filled with regret, "Oh no, if it's so precious, and he'll be an official elsewhere later, won't this precious pear tree be left for Zheng'er? I was completely muddle-headed just now..."

Then Madam Cai's eyes darted around, and she too hurried off.

Soon after, she summoned Zhao Zheng.

"Big Brother, Mom said to come help."

"No need, go play somewhere else."

Zhao Xing waved his hand, then began to cast a spell.

"Wind rise!"

*Whoosh~*

A strong wind swept through, uprooting all the vegetables in the patch, even turning over the soil.

"Wow, Big Brother is amazing, Big Brother is amazing!" Zhao Zheng clapped his hands excitedly from the side. "Do it again, Big Brother!"

"Do you think I'm putting on a show?" Zhao Xing retorted unhappily. What was his little brother thinking?

After clearing the soil, Zhao Xing once again controlled the wind spell.

It transformed into a small, ground-boring tornado, digging out a large pit.

He then smashed the pot and planted the Tianyuan Pear Tree.

"Grow strong!"

Another spell landed on the Tianyuan Pear Tree.

However, this wasn't to accelerate the Tianyuan Pear Tree's growth to maturity, but primarily to help its roots quickly take hold and adapt to the new soil environment.

A third-grade superior young tree isn't easy to transplant; for it to re-root, the spell would need to be cast continuously for at least half an hour.

"Big Brother, that pear is so delicious, why isn't Mom happy about you planting it?" Zhao Zheng had tasted a small piece and was deeply impressed, thinking it was the best pear in the world—cool and refreshing.

"Your mom hasn't tasted it, so she probably doesn't know."

"Mom really has no foresight."

"Shut up!" Zhao Xing reprimanded, "Don't talk about your mother like that."

"I'm sorry, Big Brother." Zhao Zheng pinched his ears and obediently lowered his head.

Madam Cai, a former courtesan, bore Zhao Ruide a son in his old age. If it were anyone else, they might have become incredibly arrogant.

Yet, even with Zhao Ruide having some savings, she still diligently planted vegetables and cooked at home, showing herself to be a virtuous woman!

It's true she loves money, but it's mostly talk. She never actually demanded Zhao Xing be kicked out. Isn't it because, as an adopted son, Zhao Xing also has inheritance rights, making her feel insecure? That's just her protective coloring.

Zhao Xing held no prejudice against Madam Cai; in fact, he understood her very well. It could be said that all of Madam Cai's self-interest was directed towards her son.

"Don't let me hear you badmouthing your mother again, or your backside will be in for a rude awakening, understood?"

"Understood," Zhao Zheng nodded, half-understanding.

***

"Understood. Zhao Xing's home is in Pingkang Ward. I have a relative in Tongji Ward, just two streets away. There will be plenty of opportunities to run into him. A casual chat with a neighbor won't be a problem at all, Venerable One, rest assured."

"Don't be too obvious," the Hall Master of Sanwan Hall cautioned. "Just go to the East Market to sell fish as usual and chat casually with people."

"I understand," the fishmonger nodded.

"The Xuantian Society will protect you."

"I am willing to die for Xuantian," a trace of fanaticism flashed in the fisherman's eyes, then he picked up his carrying pole and moved on.

***

The fifteenth year of Jingxin, September 13th, at a quarter past Sishi (around 9:15 AM).

Disaster Aversion Warning: Minor misfortune; eyes and ears are watching, sowing disaster in all directions.

"Hmm?"

That day, Zhao Xing was on his way to the Directorate of Agriculture when he suddenly noticed the Disaster Aversion Almanac automatically turn a page, displaying a warning.

Immediately, the system panel provided a more detailed explanation.

You have triggered the effect of the third-grade treasure 'Disaster Aversion Almanac'. Based on your luck level and known information, you have received the following prompt:

Your three consecutive top-tier achievements have attracted the attention of the Xuantian Cult. They have decided to send their followers as their 'eyes and ears' to monitor and investigate you. Potential disasters will be laid for you in all four directions you may travel.

"The Xuantian Cult again?!" Zhao Xing frowned. "Why are they still near Gucheng? Is this never-ending?"

"I'm not provoking you, so why are you constantly watching me?"

This was annoying. Zhao Xing just wanted to cultivate peacefully and develop himself, completely unwilling to stir up trouble. He had thought the Xuantian Cult had fled elsewhere after the last strict investigation, but unexpectedly, they were still lurking here and had even started to target him.

"It's only a minor misfortune, which proves the Xuantian Cult won't take immediate action, but they will definitely act in the future. What did the Xuantian Cult do in the Jingxin Anomaly case?" Zhao Xing recalled the details.

"Right, they captured so many agricultural officials to artificially create natural disasters across Great Zhou. As for seizing weavers and mechanists, that was purely to mislead people; in reality, their primary target was the agricultural profession."

The Xuantian Cult is a secretive sect, but its followers' influence is considerable. Their actions in Great Zhou were meant to assert their presence, plant the seeds of the Xuantian Cult among the populace, gain incense and faith, and lay the groundwork for a future resurgence.

The Jingxin Anomaly case was later reviewed by players. The Xuantian Cult's abduction activities lasted for a full decade. For the first nine years, they secretly abducted people, brainwashed officials, and quietly cultivated them. In the tenth year, they caused widespread chaos and erupted simultaneously, and their ultimate goal was... the Yuanling Grotto-Heaven in Guangling Prefecture!