Chapter 86: Assuming I Am a Demon of Xuantian Sect, How Should Old Chen Respond?

After listening to Chen Shijie, Zhao Xing couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.

Gui Niang was just a mistress to him, with no formal status. Nanyang County's public security wasn't his responsibility, and his duty as a military agricultural official was merely to promote and develop agriculture.

He could have simply left, secured his promotion, and returned to the military as a military agricultural official.

Instead, he was willing to put himself at risk, setting a trap to provoke the Xuan Tian Sect into acting against him.

His actions for Gui Niang and the common people showed loyalty and responsibility, while eliminating bandits and killing enemies demonstrated courage and confidence!

Old Chen, a true man indeed!

After some thought, Zhao Xing realized he should say something. Old Chen had confided so much in him, which indicated a deep level of trust.

"Actually, my visit this time also has to do with the Xuan Tian Sect," Zhao Xing said.

"Oh?" Chen Shijie raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying..."

"Yes. Ever since I received the 'Amulet Almanac,' I've experienced three major omens of disaster and several minor ones. All of them occurred after the Minor Heat solar term, during the joint search operations by the county and the Donghu Army," Zhao Xing explained slowly.

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

"My reasons are the same as yours," Zhao Xing replied. "I'm just a low-ranking clerk. Distributing the 'Thousand-Mile Transmission Tokens' and the 'Amulet Almanac' was already a form of precaution. How could a mere third-rank Qi Gathering clerk expect a ranked expert to protect me?"

The 'Amulet Almanac' isn't all-powerful. It provides very limited information, only indicating at what time and in which direction there *might* be trouble, noting that it's a possibility, not a certainty.

It's like the almanacs ordinary people use: "Today is suitable for starting work, opening a business, or building a house, and it's unfavorable for logging, traveling, or funerals." It doesn't specify the extent of what's favorable or precisely who might be affected by what's unfavorable. There are simply too many possibilities.

"My reasons for not reporting it were simple.

"Firstly, reporting it wouldn't have made any difference. The authorities would still deploy forces as they intended; they wouldn't go to great lengths just for a low-ranking clerk like me.

"Secondly, if they took it seriously and wanted more information, they might have asked me to cooperate as bait. While that would benefit the government, it would put me in grave danger."

Zhao Xing spoke candidly and directly.

He feared being sacrificed.

Who could guarantee that everyone in authority had good intentions and wouldn't consider such a thing?

What if someone advanced recklessly for personal gain?

Even if, hypothetically, everyone in their position acted flawlessly and selflessly, the act itself would still be inherently dangerous.

Based on his understanding of the Xuan Tian Sect, Zhao Xing felt he shouldn't have spoken up at the time to avoid trouble. He believed it was better to simply remain vigilant and evade them.

The Xuan Tian Sect wasn't a mere band of petty thieves or mountain bandits; it was an insidious sect with a heritage spanning thousands of years.

"Then why are you saying something now?" Chen Shijie asked with interest. "Were you inspired by my courage?"

"Not at all," Zhao Xing replied bluntly. "After opening the mountain, my gains were enormous. I alone acquired forty-two portions of spiritual essence. If the Xuan Tian Sect isn't blind, they'll certainly move me up on their capture list."

Zhao Xing's reasoning was identical to Chen Shijie's; he also suspected his importance on the Xuan Tian Sect's list had increased.

Furthermore, he had family and friends he cared about—Zhao Ruide, Zhao Zheng, even Lady Cai, Zi Yu, and Qian Dong. He didn't want them to get involved because of him.

"Inflicting a painful blow on them and destroying their hideout here in Gucheng is also what I want," Zhao Xing said. "The Xuan Tian Sect is powerful, but it's harder for such 'big fish' to remain hidden than for 'small fry.'

"If we destroy one of their dens, it's unlikely they'll resurface for another ten to twenty years."

Chen Shijie nodded slightly. "You said you have little influence with the authorities. If you were in my position, what would you do?"

Zhao Xing slowly replied, "That depends on how much influence you truly have."

Chen Shijie pondered for a moment. "Consider me a seventh-rank official. Since you even know that the original Water Scripture of the Jadeite Cloud Primordial Lady is on Purple霄 Island, you must be aware of the power a seventh-rank official wields."

Zhao Xing deflected, "Don't overestimate me. I just enjoy reading miscellaneous books: old county gazetteers, various provincial newspapers, and ancient sect rumors. These aren't hard to acquire."

Chen Shijie insisted, "Let's just chat casually. We're speaking privately now, no need to hold back. Whatever we say, right or wrong, will remain just between us."

Zhao Xing considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, if you insist, I'll speculate. But first, I'd like to see the latest provincial newspapers and an overview of the strengths of Nanyang County's various armies and departments. Also, please let me review any intelligence related to the Xuan Tian Sect that you can show me.

"After I've reviewed them, let's conduct a sand table exercise. You have a sand table of Nanyang County, don't you?"

Chen Shijie raised an eyebrow. He had only intended to chat, but he didn't expect Zhao Xing to be so serious.

Seeing Zhao Xing's demeanor, he grew interested. "Yes, yes, I do. I come from a military agricultural background. Follow me."

He led Zhao Xing through the parade ground to the back hall.

Chen Shijie truly was a battle-hardened man; he had actually transformed the back hall into a small campaign hall.

In the center was a topographic sand table, a fourth-rank treasure capable of simulating various terrains and landforms, all accurately scaled.

Simply placing a map on its base would cause it to render the terrain.

Clouds even drifted above the sand table, and it even tracked the weather!

"A top-grade fourth-rank item? Hmm? This map... is it the Six Plains Barbarian Counties upstream of the Canglan River? No, where's Xier County City? Why has it become scorched earth?!"

Chen Shijie said in surprise, "Your eyesight is excellent; you recognized it instantly... Now I truly believe you've read a lot.

"As for Xier County City, it has disappeared in my simulations, though, of course, it still exists in reality."

Chen Shijie waved his hand, and the scorched earth on the sand table immediately reverted to its original state.

"You know how to use a sand table, right?"

"Not really," Zhao Xing said, going against his true knowledge. He didn't dare reveal too much; knowing a lot from books was one thing, but being completely familiar with how to operate military heavy equipment would be too suspicious.

"It's all written in the military strategy documents; you can look it up yourself." Chen Shijie pointed to a pile of scattered documents. "I almost forgot, Gui Niang is still waiting for me in the side hall... You read first, I'll be right back."

With that, Chen Shijie left like a gust of wind.

Zhao Xing quietly surveyed the campaign hall.

Besides the topographic sand table, there were also many straw figures in the hall, but they were very small, miniature versions, almost palm-sized.

In addition, there were formation-breaking drums, rapid march orders, and various military banners.

All these items emitted a faint glow, indicating their high quality.

"Just how high-ranking was Old Chen before? He couldn't really have been a seventh-rank official, could he?" Zhao Xing walked over to the table and began to flip through the documents.

The contents were varied, covering everything:

*Detailed Training for Great Halberd Warriors*, *Fiery Battle Formations of the Five Element Camps*, *A Hundred Solutions for Ordnance Camp Mechanisms*, *Military Strategy for Agricultural Officials*, *Exotic Beasts: White Bone Golden Toes*, *A Hundred Battles: Chapter on Terrain Advantage*, *Seventh-Rank Forage*...

Old Chen's large desk, both on top and underneath, was piled with books.

As a competent military agricultural official, Old Chen's reading volume and mastery of spells were several times that of a civilian agricultural official.

"Old Chen is quite capable," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

He didn't look through other documents but instead searched for intelligence related to the Xuan Tian Sect.

"In the winter of Chengang 241, Xuan Tian Sect evildoers caused chaos in Daoyuan Continent. The demon bandit 'True Monarch of Myriad Transformations' used邪法 to corrupt and control forty-seven military officers and commanders of a garrison in Qinglong Prefecture, intending to cause mass slaughter in the prefectural city and spread calamity across fourteen counties. Fifteen days later, he was killed by Martial Marquis Zhou Jue...

"In the spring of Chengang 249, Xuan Tian Sect evildoers in Wanchuan Mountain, Dayuan Prefecture, seized two dragon-headed tower ships transporting Heaven-Cave materials, attempting to distribute them to the people of Dayuan Prefecture's seven counties and spread evil god worship... Three days later, the demon bandit 'True Master Fazhen' and two evil gods were eliminated by Ye Shenwei Commander An Dinghe and True Monarch Dayuan.

"In the summer of Chengang 257, Xuan Tian Sect evildoers attacked Minghu Taoist Academy, causing 420 casualties among students...

"Chengang 261..."

Chengang was an era name preceding Jingxin.

It was currently Jingxin Year 15, so the time difference wasn't significant.

Chen Shijie had searched for information on Xuan Tian Sect's activities within the last century.

"Each time, they were suppressed, and the demon bandits were swiftly killed, yet they consistently popped up to cause trouble," Zhao Xing observed as he read the intelligence.

This was precisely what made the Xuan Tian Sect so troublesome: the powerful individuals they sent to cause mischief were always those nearing the end of their lifespans.

Since they were already close to death, nothing mattered to them, and their actions were often frantic.

Even if killed, it was no great loss.

In most cases, the Xuan Tian Sect didn't seek to seize territory or loot treasures. Their goal was merely to disgust Great Zhou and spread awareness of their existence.

Planting seeds of fear in the hearts of the populace and making them aware of the Xuan Tian Sect's presence was their objective.

Worship wasn't strictly necessary; fear also served as nourishment for their evil gods.

"Starting from the Jingxin era, their strategy changed to kidnapping people everywhere. This marks a new phase of their plotting," Zhao Xing mused, comparing the intelligence with his past life's memories.

He also contemplated how to effectively warn Chen Shijie without appearing too unusual.

He couldn't afford to seem too abnormal.

Chen Shijie returned after more than an hour.

Upon returning to the back hall, he seemed somewhat downcast, clearly indicating that Gui Niang was someone he genuinely cared about.

Zhao Xing had no intention of prying into Chen Shijie's private life, as he found matters of love and affection genuinely troublesome. Even a tough man like Old Chen was affected by a woman, so Zhao Xing decided it was better for him to remain unattached in the future.

"How was the reading?" Chen Shijie asked.

"It was alright," Zhao Xing replied, setting down the documents.

"Then let's begin."

Zhao Xing approached the topographic sand table and replaced the current map with one of Nanyang County.

A faint hum vibrated through the air.

The ten-meter-long, four-meter-wide sand table subtly vibrated and began to transform.

New mountains, rivers, and peaks emerged, and soon, even the local weather conditions were simulated.

Zhao Xing located Gucheng County on the sand table, then infused it with his qi.

Gucheng County immediately expanded to fill the entire sand table.

"Assuming I am a member of the Xuan Tian Sect, hidden anywhere in Gucheng County outside of Gucheng City, and I want to abduct you, the ninth-rank agricultural official of Gucheng, the first thing to consider is the timing."

Zhao Xing's opening statement slightly startled Chen Shijie. He had asked Zhao Xing to consider the situation from his own perspective, but Zhao Xing had immediately adopted the viewpoint of the Xuan Tian Sect.

"What kind of timing?" Chen Shijie asked.

"Yang month, Yang day, and Yang hour would be best," Zhao Xing said.

Chen Shijie frowned. "To avoid the temple's surveillance?"

"Precisely." Zhao Xing tapped on the temple's location in Gucheng. "The first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh months are Yang months. I've reviewed the intelligence, and any operation by the Xuan Tian Sect involving soul clones always occurs during these months.

"Specifically, during a Yang month and a Yang day.

"During these specific periods, the surveillance capabilities of the yin gods in the temples are weakened.

"Although the hidden soul power of the Xuan Tian Sect would also be weakened, operating during such a period, with both sides experiencing similar diminishment, would still be advantageous for them."

Chen Shijie nodded, acknowledging the logic.

When everyone has an advantage, it's as good as no advantage for the Xuan Tian Sect, since their souls can't defeat those in Great Zhou's temples anyway.

However, if everyone is at a disadvantage, that becomes an advantage for the Xuan Tian Sect, because the surveillance capabilities of the yin gods in the temples would be weakened.

This allows them to gain a period of undetected activity.

Of course, they would eventually be discovered, and they still wouldn't be able to defeat the forces, but the time it takes for their 'actions to be discovered' would be significantly prolonged.

And this prolonged period is precisely when the Xuan Tian Sect would operate.

"If I were planning to abduct you, I would definitely wait until November," Zhao Xing stated.

"Why? Aren't there still a few days left in September?"

"Not enough time," Zhao Xing shook his head. "My goal would be to capture and take you away, not to kill you.

"These remaining days aren't enough for me to get you out of Great Zhou territory.

"Nanyang County is thousands of miles from Great Zhou's border. The Xuan Tian Sect members are not citizens of Great Zhou, so to transport someone out, they'd have to remain discreet and couldn't openly use their powers. This requires a certain amount of time."

"Indeed," Chen Shijie nodded. "If I were to set a trap, it should also be in November, preferably early in the month. Please continue."

"Once the timing is determined, we still need to consider the specific circumstances," Zhao Xing said, pointing to the map. "If you were to remain constantly within the county seat, under the strong protection of the temple, I wouldn't have an opportunity. The Xuan Tian Sect couldn't possibly abduct you from within the city."

Forcibly attacking a county temple was impossible, at least not during this period in Great Zhou.

"So, how would I give you an opportunity to capture me?" Chen Shijie asked.

"In November, you'll have at least two definite opportunities to leave the city," Zhao Xing stated. "First, during the Beginning of Winter solar term, and second, during the Minor Snow solar term.

"For the Beginning of Winter assessment, as the chief agricultural official, you must be present. And while the Minor Snow solar term doesn't have an assessment, you would still travel to the townships to inspect whether the seasonal conditions across Gucheng County are normal."

"True," Chen Shijie nodded. "The Minor Snow solar term could very well lead to a snow disaster, and I must ensure conditions are normal. Moving during these two time points is very logical."

"After considering the timing, I'd also have to consider manpower," Zhao Xing said. "Gucheng is a high-grade county, and its various county yamen departments—the Judicial Guards, the Military Yamen, the Patrol Office—as well as the Donghu Army stationed by Donghu Lake, all need to be accounted for.

"You are a ninth-rank official. To capture you, I'd need to prepare at least seven eighth-rank cultivators."

Chen Shijie shook his head. "Are you mistaken? I told you to consider me a seventh-rank official. The Xuan Tian Sect wouldn't know my actual strength."

Zhao Xing calmly replied, "Even if I didn't know, I'd still have to prepare that many. Furthermore, the fact that you're a military agricultural official wouldn't be difficult to ascertain.

"Being able to abduct you silently would certainly be ideal.

"If something went wrong, some of these individuals would need to stay behind to cover our retreat and divert attention.

"After capturing you, I would swiftly use shape-shifting and disguise techniques to seal both our souls and essence, turning us into ordinary people.

"Then, we'd rely on ordinary believers for support, using carriages, horses, and boats to leave Great Zhou territory."

Zhao Xing zoomed out from the Gucheng map, expanding the view to encompass the entire Nanyang County.

He lightly tapped the map with his finger. "Nanyang County has numerous waterways. Once on a boat on the Canglan River, traveling downstream, one could reach a frontier town thousands of miles away within a day. After passing through the mountains, where one could use their powers, it would be as easy as a bird flying free in the sky."

Chen Shijie asked with a smile, "That's quite idealistic. First, tell me where you think the best ambush location would be in Gucheng City."

Zhao Xing magnified the Gucheng map again, then lightly tapped several locations. "Gucheng is a high-grade county and a major grain-producing county in Nanyang. The concentrated grain-producing areas in Gucheng are places like Shanggu Town, Old Granary Town, Bashuiwan, Sanpo Chong, and Pingtang Town.

"If you were to inspect, you'd certainly visit these places, wouldn't you?"

Chen Shijie looked at the map, then nodded in acknowledgment. "That's right. Ensuring the people's harvest is a primary duty of an agricultural official. These eight places are major grain-producing towns, so I might visit them—no, I definitely will!"

Zhao Xing said, "So here, it becomes an 'eight choose one' situation, as an operation could be launched from any of these locations, and their positions are roughly similar."

Chen Shijie nodded with a smile. "Indeed, your analysis is very logical."

Zhao Xing saw from his expression that Chen Shijie had already considered all of these points, perhaps even more comprehensively.

However, for Old Chen's safety, he added a few more remarks: "The Xuan Tian Sect's operatives never consider their lives or cost-effectiveness because the suicide squads they send are always individuals nearing the end of their lifespans.

"That's why I said preparing seven eighth-rank cultivators might even be too few; there could potentially be more."

Chen Shijie tilted his head and asked, "You didn't mention officials or clerks from other departments at all, only calculating the force needed to capture me. If they were to truly act, the number of people assigned to deal with me would surely be fewer, and the Xuan Tian Sect couldn't possibly have such abundant manpower."

Zhao Xing realized from Chen Shijie's demeanor that he was making a mistake based on past experience.

Previously, the Xuan Tian Sect's abductions hadn't only targeted agricultural officials; they also captured individuals from other professions, including low-ranking clerks and officials.

However, Zhao Xing, working backward from the outcome, knew that the Xuan Tian Sect's primary targets were agricultural officials. They captured these officials to brainwash and train them, intending to later cause natural disasters within Great Zhou territory.

"Suppose I were a Xuan Tian Sect leader, and I believed capturing you alone would suffice?" Zhao Xing said, seemingly contradicting him. "Master Chen, you come from a military agricultural background, and your influence is significant enough that even a sixth-rank official came to support you. Wouldn't capturing just you be worth capturing ten or even a hundred officials and clerks from other professions?

"Wouldn't that create an even greater sensation?

"Or perhaps agricultural officials are their primary target, and everyone else is merely secondary, expendable?"

Chen Shijie's expression grew serious. The previous analysis had been within his expectations.

But Zhao Xing's seemingly casual remark had made him realize that if such a possibility truly existed, had he underestimated the Xuan Tian Sect?