The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

As a Shennong Officer, one of the responsibilities is to ensure a good harvest and provide guidance to the farmers during the Harvest Festival. During these days, not just in Gu City, but throughout the entirety of Nanyang County, the weather is adjusted accordingly.

The County-level Shennong Office controls the broader weather patterns, and for smaller details that might be missed, the local Shennong Officers step in to fulfill their duties.

For the past two days, Zhao Xing and Shen Zhui had been patrolling and inspecting the fields in Anping Town.

After making rounds in the town, they finally arrived at the village head's house.

Although the task of calculating the harvest and collecting taxes wasn't under their purview, they casually asked about the general situation.

The village head was already in his fifties. Seeing the two of them, he wasn't reserved at all, speaking to them as if they were his own juniors:

"This year, Gu City has been blessed once again with favorable weather and a bountiful harvest."

"As long as people are willing to put in the effort to farm, everyone can feed their families and have enough to eat."

"But there are always those lazy good-for-nothings. Take 'Huang Silang' from the sixth group, for instance. He lazes around, relying on his elderly parents. Even during the Harvest Festival, he's still lounging at home, not lifting a finger to help."

"Last year, his parents, both in their seventies and too old to work, watched helplessly as their prime rice was about to rot in the fields. It was the neighbors who stepped in to help with the harvest. Yet, this ungrateful brat didn't even thank them, claiming they were meddling in his affairs... And this year? No one's helping him, and he's doing the same thing again—lying at home, claiming the imperial court will provide them with relief grain."

"That relief is meant for his elderly parents! He's a man in his thirties, fully capable, yet he dares to say such shameless things. Old Huang must feel cursed to have such a son!"

The village head's words made Shen Zhui's blood boil. He immediately asked, "Where does this Huang Silang live?"

"He's not home."

"Where is he, then?"

"Over there, playing dice at the Niu family's courtyard."

Shen Zhui stood up immediately. "Gambling, is he? This is outrageous! Brother Zhao, let's go!"

"I'm coming." Before leaving, Zhao Xing used his Five Elements Observation to take another look at the village head. Although he had been closely watching the village head's eyes while he spoke, Zhao Xing took an extra glance just to be sure.

After checking the Calamity-Repelling Almanac and finding nothing suspicious, he patted the little mountain cat and, with the protector straw puppet in tow, followed Shen Zhui.

"Are you Huang Silang?"

As they arrived at the courtyard, they saw a disheveled man with a vacant gaze stepping out of the Niu family's residence.

They had already checked the roster and seen a portrait of Huang Silang from the village head, so they recognized him immediately.

"No, you've got the wrong person," Huang Silang mumbled as he tried to walk away.

"Stop right there!" Shen Zhui shouted. "Why are you running?"

Huang Silang stopped, his mind racing through all the petty thefts and tricks he'd pulled, wondering which one had been discovered.

"Come with us," Zhao Xing said after confirming the identity. He got back onto the carriage, and Huang Silang tried to follow.

But before he could climb into the carriage, he was kicked back down.

"Ouch~" Huang Silang cried out, falling to the ground.

It wasn't Zhao Xing or Shen Zhui who kicked him—it was the mountain cat.

Hissing from inside the carriage, it wore a deeply dissatisfied expression.

This man reeked, and the mountain cat had no intention of letting Huang Silang into the carriage.

"You can walk," Shen Zhui said.

Huang Silang protested, "Sir, the walk to the county will take at least an hour. I'll be dead tired!"

"We're not going to the county, we're going to your home!"

Huang Silang's eyes darted about. "You're not arresting me? I didn't commit a crime?"

Shen Zhui couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. "You really don't know if you've committed a crime?"

Huang Silang chuckled nervously. "No crime, no crime... Then I'll be off."

"Stop! Did I say you could leave?!"

"Your elderly parents are out in the fields, and as their son, you should be the one taking on these heavy tasks," Shen Zhui lectured, trying to appeal to Huang Silang's sense of responsibility.

But Huang Silang's face showed clear irritation, and it was obvious he wasn't listening at all.

He had heard these lectures so many times that he was numb to them.

After about fifteen minutes of this, Huang Silang remained silent the entire time.

Zhao Xing tugged on Shen Zhui's sleeve. "Brother Shen, get back in the carriage. Let me talk to him. I'm the Shennong Officer; advising farmers is part of my duty."

Shen Zhui nodded and returned to the carriage.

Zhao Xing fixed his gaze on Huang Silang and asked, "Why aren't you helping your parents harvest the prime rice?"

"Because I'm lazy."

"…"

You're really shameless, aren't you?

Seeing that they weren't here to arrest him, Huang Silang's confidence grew. "If you feel so bad for my parents, why not give them some money? Or better yet, help them with the harvest yourselves..."

There's no reasoning with shameless people like this.

Zhao Xing cracked his whip across Huang Silang's back. "Get moving! You're going to the fields right now!"

"Ow! Why are you hitting me? Stop, I'll go, I'll go..." Realizing that Zhao Xing wasn't joking, Huang Silang quickly lowered his head and led the way.

When they reached the fields…

Sure enough, his two elderly parents were laboring away in the field.

Huang Silang stood on the ridge, completely indifferent.

Without wasting any more words, Zhao Xing quickly crafted a Swift Straw Puppet, then took a whip from Shen Zhui and handed it to the straw puppet. "Watch him harvest the rice. If he refuses, whip him."

"What?" Huang Silang protested, enraged. "You're overstepping! What business is it of yours whether I farm or not... Ow! Help, I'm being beaten by government officials!"

Huang Silang threw himself on the ground, screaming in agony.

A few neighbors, hearing the commotion, came over and started laughing.

"Good! He deserves it!"

"Shameless bastard!"

"It's Huang Silang, alright. If the officials are hitting him, it must be for a good reason."

Seeing their son being whipped, Huang Silang's elderly parents hurried over, but the neighbors stopped them before they could plead on his behalf.

The whole neighborhood had seen enough of Huang Silang's behavior over the years. Their willingness to stop the parents said it all about his reputation.

"You gonna do the work or not?" Zhao Xing squatted down and asked. "If you work, it'll only be for a couple of days. If you don't, I've got plenty of ways to make your life miserable."

"We're the highest-ranking officials here. You can't even report us to anyone. Understand?"

"I'll work, I'll work," Huang Silang muttered, getting up. The pain had become unbearable, and with no one coming to his aid, he finally accepted reality.

He quickly rolled up his pant legs and got to work in the fields.

Forced into a "labor reform" by Zhao Xing.

It wasn't long before Huang Silang began complaining about how hard the work was, moaning and groaning in pain.

Zhao Xing didn't indulge him.

Feeling tired or sleepy? He'd summon the Sleep Bug to restore Huang Silang's energy.

Thinking of slacking off? The Swift Straw Puppet would give him a good lash with the whip.

Zhao Xing even made seven or eight more straw puppets, positioning them around the field.

If Huang Silang tried to escape, he'd be dragged back immediately.

This approach of Zhao Xing's was pure physical persuasion.

But the neighbors weren't opposed to it. In fact, they cheered it on.

Many even put down their own work to watch the rare sight of Huang Silang harvesting rice.

"Silang, your posture is all wrong. If you don't bend your back, you'll tire quickly."

"Tired yet, Silang? Your parents have been doing this for over ten years."

"Hey, Huang Silang, there's a leech crawling up your leg..."

Startled, Huang Silang jerked his leg, only to realize there was no leech. He shot a glare at the mischievous child who had tricked him.

"Whack!" The whip cracked across Huang Silang's back.

"Dammit!" Huang Silang cursed under his breath, forced to continue working.

He thought of running away but saw the straw puppets surrounding him.

And the more he worked, the more energized he felt—he couldn't stop even if he wanted to. To avoid further punishment, he resigned himself to his task.

By dusk, Huang Silang had quieted down considerably. He even made a show of helping his elderly parents walk back home in front of the officials.

"Brother Zhao, your method works wonders," Shen Zhui remarked with a laugh.

"It's useless. Once we leave in a couple of days, he'll go right back to his old ways," Zhao Xing replied, lounging in the carriage while petting the mountain cat. "Unless we can keep whipping him for a year or two, combined with someone as patient as you to occasionally lecture him, maybe then he'd change."

"Really?" Shen Zhui pondered. "If I ever get the chance to govern an area, I'll definitely try your method."

After nightfall, the two decided not to return and stayed at the village head's home in Anping Town.

The next morning, they resumed their patrol.

At lunch, they inquired about Huang Silang.

"Huang Silang? He snuck off to the Niu family's courtyard during the midday break," the village head replied.

"Back to the Niu family?" Shen Zhui's eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes," the village head said with a sigh. "You two were kind enough to let him rest at noon, but instead of taking a break, he went off to gamble. He has no money, yet he still gambles... What a disgrace."

"Where did he get the money?" Zhao Xing asked.

"I gave his mother a silver coin to buy medicine," Shen Zhui said, his voice simmering with anger. "This Huang Silang is truly despicable! And Niu Gui is just as bad. I warned them yesterday to stop gambling, and they ignored me?"

At the Niu family's courtyard…

"Big! Big! Big!"

"Two, three, four, small!"

"Damn, lost again! What rotten luck!"

Huang Silang, disheveled, removed his shoes and rubbed his feet, then sniffed them.

He pulled out a silver coin from his boot and slammed it on the table. "Niu Gui, keep going! I'm going to win it all back today!"

Niu Gui glanced at him. "Silang, that's your last coin. You might want to hold on to it. And shouldn't you be working in the fields this afternoon?"

"You think I need your pity? Keep going, quickly!"

Niu Gui smiled faintly. "Alright, let's go."

The dice rattled inside the cup, filling the air with their enticing sound.

Huang Silang's eyes followed the movements of the dice cup.

"Clang!" The dice cup hit the table, and Niu Gui placed his hand over it. "Big or small?"

"Big!"

"One, one, two. Small! Silang, you've lost again!"

Niu Gui laughed, scooping up the silver coin.

"Dammit!" Huang Silang slapped his thigh and stood up from the gambling table. The other gamblers continued their games.

Though he had lost everything, Huang Silang didn't leave. Instead, he found a spot outside the hall to sit down and rest.

According to the house rules, anyone who came to gamble could stay for a free meal.

He closed his eyes, and before long, he fell asleep.

At that moment, the Niu family's gate was knocked on.

Someone hurriedly reported that government officers had arrived.

"Government officers? What officers? Probably just a few low-level clerks. I'll handle it. You all keep playing," Niu Gui said calmly as he walked to the entrance.

At the gate, he saw a young man wearing a belt adorned with two iron rulers, his head wrapped in a palm-leaf hat, and his feet in cloud boots.

Beside him stood a youth dressed in linen, along with another figure, oddly wearing a straw raincoat and bamboo hat despite the clear weather.

"Shen Wusi, Zhao Shennong, what brings you here?" Niu Gui greeted them as soon as he recognized the two.

"Didn't I tell you yesterday to stop gambling?" Shen Zhui asked sternly. "Did you think my words were just noise?"

Niu Gui's expression didn't change, and he didn't deny anything. "It's just small stakes, some friendly games between neighbors... Surely, you can't control everything, sir."

"Alright, then let me join in for a few hands."

"You jest, sir. How could we common folk dare to gamble with you?"

"Are you going to invite us in, Niu Gui?" Zhao Xing asked. "We're just here to take a look. But if we have to bring an official order, things won't end as easily."

Both Zhao Xing and Shen Zhui had cultivation abilities, but neither had been to the Niu family's residence before, so they needed Niu Gui, the homeowner, to invite them in.

Of course, if Shen Zhui had carried an order from the county, such as a capture or execution warrant, they wouldn't need permission to enter.

"Very well, sirs. Please come in." Seeing their firm stance, Niu Gui reluctantly allowed them in.

The invisible barrier was lifted, and Zhao Xing and Shen Zhui stepped over the threshold into the Niu family's courtyard.

The Niu family was wealthy, owning many fields. Several seasonal workers were resting outside the hall, and some had taken their wages inside to try their luck at the gambling tables.

Even as the officials entered, no one seemed particularly concerned, though a few grumbled about how their presence might affect their luck.

"Sir, as you can see, it's just a small game... There's hardly any money on the table."

But before Niu Gui could finish, Shen Zhui drew his ruler-sword, and with a flash of light, the gambling table split in two.

"Clang!" The coins spilled onto the floor.

Niu Gui's face paled, too shocked to speak.

The table had been a sturdy hardwood contraption, and it had been sliced cleanly in half without anyone even touching it.

Niu Gui had assumed these two were just minor officials and had paid little attention to yesterday's warning.

But now, seeing this, he realized he was dealing with something far more serious.

"Take the illicit gains and go pay your fine at the town's martial office," Shen Zhui said coldly.

"Y-yes, sir. I'll accept the fine," Niu Gui stammered, his attitude instantly changing.

Shen Zhui didn't press him further. The amount of money involved wasn't much—just enough to warrant a fine. He didn't need to be jailed.

As for the other gamblers, a few routine questions were enough to disperse them.

"Where's Huang Silang?"

"Over there."

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Huang Silang woke with a start. Opening his eyes, he saw the two ominous figures.

He immediately tried to slip away but realized it was too late.

"Hmph! You're a disgrace!" Shen Zhui was furious just looking at him. His elderly parents, in poor health, were toiling in the fields while he gambled away their money?

He even gambled away the silver meant for his mother's medicine. Was he still human?

"Sir Shen, this is the money he lost," Niu Gui said cautiously, returning the silver coin.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xing was questioning some unfamiliar faces outside the hall.

"Who are they? They don't seem to be locals."

Anping Town wasn't large, and Zhao Xing had a general idea of who lived in the six groups. After all, he had often come down to Anping Town, only visiting less frequently after the summer solstice.

"Sir Zhao, they're workers I hired from Sanwan Town to help with the harvest," Niu Gui explained with a fawning smile. He knew Zhao Xing—Shennong officials visited the countryside more often than the martial officers.

Seasonal workers, or "rice guests," were migrant laborers hired by large landowners to help with the harvest.

"Oh? What are their names?" Zhao Xing casually pointed at two of them.

"I'm Chen Deshun," said a middle-aged man, bowing politely. His appearance was plain, with high cheekbones and rough hands and feet, his legs still covered in mud. He gestured to the woman beside him, who had sallow skin, a barrel-like waist, and a headscarf. "This is my wife, Wu Chen-shi."

"Greetings, sir," the woman said with a bow.

They fit the image of seasonal workers, so Zhao Xing nodded and turned back to Niu Gui.

"Niu Gui, you'd better stop these harmful activities."

"Yes, yes, I won't dare do it again," Niu Gui said, bowing repeatedly. "I'll go pay my fine now."

After Zhao Xing, Shen Zhui, and Niu Gui left, the middle-aged man and woman in the courtyard exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with a strange light.

"That was Zhao Xing?"

"Yes," Chen Deshun nodded, his previously simple gaze turning cold.

"Handsome fellow," the woman licked her lips. "He's quite striking, isn't he? Certainly refined and elegant."

"With your forty-two strands of 'Lingshou,' you'd look like that too," Chen Deshun sneered.

"Can't wait to catch him and bring him back," the woman's eyes gleamed with lust. "I'd love to catch a few more fine-looking ones like him. It's been over a decade, and I need some real fun on the way back."

"Home..." Chen Deshun's eyes also burned with desire. "Once we're back, I'll make up for all those lost years."

After escorting Niu Gui to the village entrance and handing him over to the martial officers overseeing the Harvest Festival, Shen Zhui quickly returned.

Huang Silang was taken to the fields by a first-rank straw puppet, while Zhao Xing remained seated in the carriage, feeling uneasy.

"Brother Zhao, what's wrong?" Shen Zhui asked, noticing Zhao Xing's furrowed brow.

"I feel unsettled," Zhao Xing replied.

"What feels off?"

"I don't know." Zhao Xing shook his head.

There was no tangible reason for his unease, and the Calamity-Repelling Almanac showed no signs of trouble.

"Could it be that Niu Gui is suspicious?" Shen Zhui asked in a low voice. "Could there be demons nearby?"

Zhao Xing shook his head again. After entering the Niu family's gates, he had used Five Elements Observation to scan the place. Niu Gui had appeared normal, as had everyone else in the courtyard.

Even using Clear Eyes, he hadn't detected anything unusual. Since leaving the city, he had kept his observation abilities active whenever he encountered anyone.

But there was nothing out of the ordinary—this feeling was purely instinctual.

"Could it be that all the planning with Old Chen has made me paranoid, seeing every stranger as a member of Xuantian Cult?" Zhao Xing wondered, starting to question himself.

Even if he were face-to-face with a true member of Xuantian Cult, he shouldn't be able to detect anything. After all, Xuantian Cult's concealment techniques were extremely advanced, passed down from the ancient Xuantian Sect. They had methods to block the detection of the Calamity-Repelling Almanac, which explained why they had remained hidden for so long.

By all logic, he shouldn't be able to sense anything, even if he stood before an actual Xuantian Cult member.

So where was this feeling coming from?

"The 'Earth Soul' among the Three Souls governs karma. This sense of unease may be coming from my Earth Soul."

Since neither the Calamity-Repelling Almanac nor any techniques had revealed the source of his unease, Zhao Xing decided to investigate from another angle.

"Brother Shen, you take the reins. I'm going to sleep for a bit."

After pondering for a moment, Zhao Xing closed his eyes and entered the dream realm.