The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

"The current batch of Shennong reservists from Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, Shi Yong and Zhuang Zhiqing, have both reached the third task as well," commented the third golden figure, radiating a faint dragon-shaped glow on its surface.

"They have the backing of the Hujiao Army, so their situation is slightly better than Zhao Xing's. However, both have failed to receive the highest evaluation once each," the figure continued.

"Let's give Zhao Xing more manpower for his third phase task. Transfer Xia Jing from the Azure Dragon Martial Division to serve as the new County Captain, and also assign some reserves from the Shenwei Army."

"Also, send over a portion of the people he's familiar with from his breakout combat drills."

The figure glowing with golden light, obviously of higher status than the other two, nodded in approval. "Yes, Zhao Xing is indeed worth nurturing."

The other two figures agreed. "Let's proceed according to Lord Tian's wishes."

In Yuncheng, at Shao Wanjie's mansion, Zhao Xing leisurely reclined on a chair, enjoying a massage from the cat-eared exotic servant girls. Meanwhile, the Illusory Form Straw Puppet that had taken on Shao Wanjie's form, as well as the "housekeeper" puppet, stood by.

"Master, when shall the banquet begin?" a Bullhead Soldier came to report.

"Prepare everything at the highest standard—fine wines and delicacies, bring out only the best!" The Illusory Form Straw Puppet, mimicking Shao Wanjie's voice and demeanor, ordered smoothly.

The illusion was flawless, aided by the mist from the nearby hot spring and the fog veil technique Zhao Xing had deployed, effortlessly deceiving the staff.

"I intend to feast and drink with Lord Zhao for three days and three nights. Once you've finished setting up near the Jade Pool, don't disturb us—go enjoy yourselves," the puppet commanded.

"Yes, Master," the Bullhead Soldier replied, sensing nothing amiss.

After all, Shao Wanjie often indulged in days-long revelries, sometimes with his subordinates. Why wouldn't he extend such treatment to a newly arrived high-ranking official?

As expected, no one approached the hot spring area after that. Even when servants came to deliver food and drink, they kept their heads low, not daring to glance around.

Zhao Xing glanced at the elaborate spread of food and drink before him, quietly marveling. Shao Wanjie really lived the high life.

The women he surrounded himself with were all in the prime of their youth, and he clearly had a penchant for exotic beauties—cat-girls, leopard-girls—all with a mysterious foreign allure.

They wore only thin, sheer layers of fabric, their graceful figures vaguely outlined beneath. Paired with the finest food and drinks, the visual and sensual pleasures were overwhelming.

"Such extravagance! Truly excessive!" Zhao Xing commented while sipping wine offered by a graceful beauty. As he smacked another on the behind, he ordered, "Dance for me! I must observe and criticize harshly!"

"Yes, sir," the girl replied shyly, retreating to the grass where she began to dance.

Musicians played soft, entrancing tunes, filling the air with a decadent ambiance.

With one leg crossed over the other, Zhao Xing looked every bit the part of a lord at ease.

Just as the evening banquet began, Long Xiao returned from his mission.

Seeing the scene before him, his jaw nearly hit the ground. "Are you… Zhao Xing, or Shao Wanjie?"

Zhao Xing laughed, holding a dancer in his arms. "What? You went to the temple and no longer recognize me? Come, sit down, have something to eat."

Long Xiao reluctantly took a seat, immediately approached by two servants, but he waved them away. "Isn't this a bit much?"

Zhao Xing shrugged casually. "I've been training in Ten Sun Cave-Heaven for so long. Don't I deserve some enjoyment?"

"And besides, we need to keep up appearances until the higher-ups arrive. We have to make this convincing," Zhao Xing explained.

Long Xiao eyed him suspiciously. "You seem awfully skilled at this. There's no awkwardness at all, as if you've done this many times before."

Zhao Xing replied righteously, "I'm merely observing with a critical eye, studying how corrupt officials indulge in such decadence, so that I may reflect and guard against such behavior in myself."

"Right…" Long Xiao muttered. "That makes sense, but something still feels off."

"Enough of that," Zhao Xing said. "Did you handle everything?"

Long Xiao nodded, transmitting his response through a mental link. "Yes, of the five departments in Yuncheng, the temple was the only place Shao Wanjie didn't dare meddle with. When I brought him in, the temple's priest, Shen Mingyu, immediately conducted the trial before the Judicial Deity. The charges were confirmed, and Shao Wanjie is now imprisoned."

"Shen Mingyu also mentioned that if you give the signal, he's ready to move and arrest the remaining conspirators. He's already dispatched spectral forces to lock down Yuncheng's borders."

Zhao Xing nodded in approval. "Looks like Shen Mingyu understood that this time is different. His response was quick."

The temple held supervisory authority. Of course, Shen Mingyu had long known about Shao Wanjie's corruption, but there was little he could do when the higher-ups refused to act.

But this time, with the prompt response from above, Shen Mingyu knew the opportunity had come. He acted swiftly and decisively.

Long Xiao asked, "So what's next?"

Zhao Xing grinned. "It's no longer our concern. Shao Wanjie, as a rank seven official, will be handled by the higher authorities. They'll take care of his accomplices as well."

"So we're done here?"

"Not exactly," Zhao Xing said with a smirk, slapping the servant girl's bottom again. "Continue the music and dancing!"

Long Xiao sighed. This guy…

Zhao Xing and Long Xiao's revelry continued for two days and nights.

On the third morning, a large contingent of officials arrived in Yuncheng, surrounding Shao Wanjie's mansion completely.

Simultaneously, the Ming Mining Field at Fengming Mountain, the Shennong Division, the Tiangong Workshop, the Temple, the Military Division, and the Medical Division were all raided.

Anyone with ties to Shao Wanjie was arrested without exception.

Once the higher-ups arrived, Zhao Xing and Long Xiao revealed their identities and were allowed to leave.

As for how Shao Wanjie and his associates were dealt with, Zhao Xing couldn't care less. He didn't ask a single question, maintaining a hands-off approach.

"We need reinforcements soon," Zhao Xing muttered, frowning at the latest vacancy in the official roster. "Another batch of people gone, and now I'm even more shorthanded."

He couldn't accomplish the flood management task alone, and during his training in Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, manpower and resources had never been an issue. However, reality was starkly different, and they had barely even started preparations.

Though Ling Yuan was now focusing on work, assisting the Shennong officials—Zhang Jie, Bao Wenshan, Jiang Xi, and He Fengnian—in flood management, it was still far from enough.

"Why worry, my lord?" Ling Yuan asked, sensing Zhao Xing's concern. "Now that Shao Wanjie is out of the way, the administration is returning to normal efficiency."

You don't understand... Zhao Xing thought but chose not to explain.

The third phase of his task would directly impact his future plans. He wasn't in Yuncheng to stay forever, so results needed to be swift.

He knew that the so-called "natural disasters" were caused by the Southern Barbarians. Controlling the upper reaches of the Canglan River, the Water Shamans could manipulate the water currents with ease, causing havoc downstream.

Zhao Xing didn't need to think too hard to know that the Southern Barbarian tribes had already mobilized near the front lines of the Nine Heavens Yingyuan Prefecture.

Every time the Great Zhou made a move, the Southern Barbarians would respond accordingly.

It didn't matter whether the Great Zhou was preparing for war or just conducting drills—the opposing side would prepare for battle.

Zhao Xing estimated that numerous military fortresses had already sprung up in the Fengming Mountains and the upper reaches of the Canglan River. It was likely that a team of Water Shamans had already targeted Yuncheng as the site of their next attack.

But Zhao Xing wasn't one to sit back and take it. He needed to act quickly, finish the city's defense preparations, and lead a force to strike back.

Only by taking the initiative could he earn enough military merit.

He had memorized the topography and power structures of the Southern Barbarians from Emperor Jing's reign by heart. In his previous life, this war had been thoroughly studied by players, and Zhao Xing had relived it countless times.

Future training simulations under Emperor Wu had often used this war as a reference, making it impossible for a Military Shennong like Zhao Xing to forget.

I need people—lots of people! Zhao Xing thought to himself anxiously. There's only a short window for someone at my level to earn merit during the Pingman War.

Once the war escalated, the risks would far outweigh the rewards, and Zhao Xing had no intention of sticking around for that. His plan was to reap as many rewards as possible during the initial stages and then retreat before the danger spiked.

With this in mind, Zhao Xing prayed for good fortune from Derivation Three's fate, hoping it would bring the necessary talents his way.

Five days after Shao Wanjie's downfall, at dawn, Zhao Xing finally received word from above—reinforcements had arrived in Yuncheng!

Excited, Zhao Xing immediately checked the updated official roster.

The first batch included over 500 personnel from the Martial Divisions, including the reinstatement of the County Captain role at the rank of seventh grade!

What surprised Zhao Xing most was the list of names: Xia Jing, Zhang Jie, Chen Fang, and Hu Bing were all on the list!

"Hahaha, what amazing luck! Xia Jing got assigned here! Seventy-five people from the four Martial Divisions—this is fantastic!"

Zhao Xing jumped from his bed in excitement.

"Meow?" Aotian the cat, woken from his sleep, yawned, puzzled by Zhao Xing's sudden burst of energy. What's gotten into him so early? Humans are so strange.

Zhao Xing quickly dressed, summoning the three eighth-grade officials—Zhang Jie, Jiang Xi, and He Fengnian—from the Shennong Division onto his Swordfish Airship. They flew out of the city, meeting the incoming reinforcements three miles outside the city gates.

The signal tower on the vessel lit up brightly, and Zhao Xing cleared the overcast sky to make the weather warm and welcoming.

He was so eager he would have arranged a full welcoming parade if he had the means!

Before long, a medium-sized Hujiao Airship descended from the sky.

Xia Jing leaped off the vessel as soon as it landed, checking the roster for Yuncheng's officials.

Upon seeing Zhao Xing's name, Xia Jing was equally thrilled.

The County Water Officer was none other than Zhao Xing—what a stroke of luck!

If Zhao Xing were the Military Shennong, what could possibly stop Xia Jing from making a name for himself during this mission?

"Zhao Brother!" Xia Jing shouted, running toward Zhao Xing.

"Summer Brother!" Zhao Xing replied, running toward Xia Jing and grabbing his arm. "It's been too long, hasn't it?"

The sentiment felt a bit exaggerated, but this was common for the time. People embraced and called each other brothers when they were excited.

"With you as the County Water Officer, I don't need to worry about the flood at all!" Xia Jing laughed.

"And with you as County Captain, I can finally relax," Zhao Xing laughed in return.

At that moment, a teasing voice interrupted them:

"Zhao Brother seems to have eyes only for Summer Brother. Should we all just leave?" someone joked.

"Chen Brother!" Zhao Xing let go of Xia Jing and hurried over. "How could I neglect you? I apologize, I apologize."

"How do you plan to apologize?" Zhang Jie teased. "Surely not by serving us Horse Fish Fruit again? The young marquis couldn't handle that."

"Ugh…" Xia Jing groaned as an unpleasant memory surfaced, grabbing Zhang Jie's neck in mock fury. "You bastard! Why'd you bring that up?!"

"And you have the nerve to talk!" Chen Fang laughed. "Weren't you the one clinging to Commander Liu's leg, crying for your great-grandmother?"

"Ha ha ha!" The group erupted into laughter.

Zhao Xing joined in. "Gentlemen, you won't be eating anything like we did during training. Only the best food for you now! I recently got my hands on something excellent—follow me into the city, and I promise you won't be disappointed!"

"Lead the way!"

"Let's go into the city!"

"Just no more fish, please."

"Ugh! You jerk!" Xia Jing groaned, holding back a gag.

Xia Jing's arrival brought a much-needed boost to Zhao Xing's morale. This group wasn't just talented—each one had strong connections. Take Xia Jing, for example. His Hujiao Airship was far superior to Zhao Xing's own Swordfish, and they had access to high-level information networks, which Zhao Xing coveted.

But the surprises weren't over.

The next day, a second batch of reinforcements arrived, this time composed mainly of engineers and Shennong officers.

Among them were familiar faces—Wang Ji, Han Bing, Che Shihai, and Cao Shuang.

By the third day, a third batch arrived, including medical officers and priests.

When Zhao Xing checked the roster again, he could hardly contain his excitement—Yuan Yang and Zhang Yi had also arrived!

"They're all back! I feel it—everyone has returned!"

"The luck of Derivation Three truly lives up to its reputation!" Zhao Xing grinned, his heart full of joy. There was nothing more thrilling than reuniting with the old team.

Meanwhile, in Fucheng…

In light of Yuncheng's status as a county-level city and its years of undersupply, Fucheng had decided to provide Yuncheng with the full amount of supplies owed over the past decade in a one-time delivery.

Furthermore, all past accounts prior to Zhao Xing's tenure would be considered resolved, with all operations reset as of March in the seventeenth year of the Jingxin Era!