The Dao Sovereign of Shennong

Above the public fields of Gucheng, a Flowing Cloud Flying Boat hovered amidst the low-lying clouds.

At the bow of the boat stood a burly man dressed in light green official robes embroidered with clouds and ears of wheat. At his waist hung a bronze seal with a silver sash, and next to him was a bamboo box.

The box, although only about a meter in size, continuously released flocks of black birds that swooped down toward the fields below.

Standing beside the box were two middle-aged men in similar attire, but with bronze seals and green sashes at their waists.

These three men were the chief officials of the Shennong Division in Gucheng: Chen Shijie, a Ninth Rank Shennong Officer, and his deputies, Gao Linong and Tang Wanchun, both Subordinate Ninth Rank Officers responsible for land management and food distribution, respectively.

Behind them stood a scribe sent by County Magistrate Li Wenzheng, identifiable by the iron ruler at his waist. He was there to record the evaluation process, serving as little more than a "tool man."

Once all the black birds had flown out of the box, the scribe respectfully asked, "Master Chen, what species are these birds?"

Chen Shijie turned and returned the bow, answering, "These birds are called Grain-Eating Birds, also known as Buzzards. They are commonly found in the north, and I specially had them transported from my hometown to use as a test for the local Shennong clerks."

The scribe continued, "And what is the content of the Minor Heat evaluation?"

Chen Shijie replied, "During the Minor Heat solar term, yuan rice begins to ripen, and these birds love to feast on it. The evaluation will test how the clerks manage this agricultural pest."

The scribe, unfamiliar with the Grain-Eating Birds, asked cautiously, "Is it similar to a locust plague?"

"Not nearly as extreme. After all, it's just a routine exam," Chen Shijie reassured.

The scribe took out his writing tools and asked again, "Could you please provide the detailed grading criteria, Master Chen?"

Chen Shijie gestured toward the box and explained, "I have adjusted the environment of the public fields to mimic the Major Heat season—it's blistering hot, which will accelerate the clerks' energy consumption. After one hour, the birds will return to the cage, and Master Gao, Master Tang, and I will grade the clerks below."

"Their grades will be based on how much of their rice fields are damaged by the birds."

"Those who lose less than 10% of their rice will be graded A."

"Those who lose less than 20% will be graded B."

"Those who lose less than half will be graded C."

"If more than half is lost, they will receive no grade for this test and will be required to replant their fields. They can use cultivation techniques to speed up the growth, and if they can recover, they will be re-evaluated with a C grade."

The scribe quickly jotted everything down before bowing again. "Thank you for the clarification, Master Chen. I will not disturb your supervision further."

With that, the scribe retreated into the cabin, waiting to document the final results for submission to the county office.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted in the fields below.

No one had anticipated that the test would come from the sky and so suddenly!

A massive flock of black birds hovered over each clerk's designated rice fields, waiting ominously.

For now, they simply circled, giving the clerks a brief moment to react.

Those who responded quickly had already begun casting spells.

Cloud Movement, Wind Summoning, Thunder Summoning, and Rainmaking filled the air, creating quite a spectacle as everyone tried to drive off the unwelcome invaders.

"Gods, I recognize those birds! They're northern buzzards, known for devouring grains, and they're incredibly hard to drive away!"

"Curse these examiners! We don't even have these birds in the south, and they brought them all the way here for a test?!"

"Chen Shijie is from the north. Did he really have to ship them here just to mess with us?"

"A Minor Heat exam focused on natural disasters—these buzzards definitely qualify!"

"Ah, my newly sprouting yuan rice! Get lost, you wretched birds!"

...

The once-quiet fields were now filled with panicked shouting and chaos as clerks scrambled to protect their crops.

Zhao Xing immediately recognized the Grain-Eating Birds—he was all too familiar with them!

In his previous life, during his transition to becoming a Shennong, he had encountered this exact test. His territory had often faced various "natural disasters," and this bird was among the most troublesome.

Of course, it wasn't as devastating as a locust plague, which could wipe out crops down to the roots.

"These birds aren't deterred by wind, rain, or even thunder. Zhao, Qian Dong, what should we do... Zhao?" Chen Ziyu looked around for Zhao Xing but saw that he had already run off toward the straw piles.

Zhao Xing's voice drifted back on the wind, "Stop standing around and get back to your fields! Do what you can—if nothing else works, start chasing them away by hand! Save as much as you can!"

Hearing this, both Qian Dong and Chen Ziyu sprang into action. There was no time to waste.

Zhao Xing, meanwhile, was grateful that he hadn't slacked off in practicing his straw puppet technique over the past few days.

Right now, the straw puppet was the most efficient way to handle the situation.

[You have crafted a straw puppet (Reviving Type)]

[Straw Puppet (Reviving Type)]

[Proficiency: 854/9999]

[Effect: Follows commands, moving in a continuous cycle.]

[Soldier of Grass and Wood Proficiency +1]

As the proficiency of each spell increased by 1000 points, it would advance by one transformation, making the spell significantly more powerful. However, Zhao Xing's proficiency in Soldier of Grass and Wood hadn't yet reached that first transformation.

But in this situation, quantity mattered more than quality.

"Faster... I need more puppets…"

Zhao Xing's hands moved so quickly they blurred. Since consuming the Dao Seed Pill, his energy had steadily increased, and his physical condition had improved significantly. In no time, the pile of straw in front of him had visibly shrunk as more and more puppets sprang into action.

One puppet, two puppets, ten puppets, fifteen puppets…

Fifteen minutes passed, and the black birds finally descended, beginning to peck at the yuan rice.

Seeing this, Zhao Xing's face darkened.

He was responsible for five mu of land, which was about the size of half a football field. The number of puppets he had created still wasn't enough.

"Cloud Movement!"

With a flash of golden light, his finger pointed toward the sky above his fields, summoning a low-hanging mist to cover the area.

Zhao Xing's skill had greatly improved since a month ago, and now the cloud movement spell could cover nearly all of his five mu of land.

The mist slowed the birds down a little, but not enough to stop them.

"Thunder Summoning!"

Another spell followed, turning the clouds from white to gray, as thunder rumbled and purple lightning crackled.

"Boom!"

The flock of birds scattered in a panic, rising back into the air. However, they didn't fly away entirely—they continued circling, waiting for the thunder to cease before descending again.

Zhao Xing didn't hesitate. He knew these spells could only buy him a little time, not stop the birds completely.

The Minor Heat test was designed to select the best from over 500 clerks, so the exam wouldn't be over quickly.

Only about 20 clerks would likely achieve an A grade.

"My best score so far has only been a B-minus, and most of my scores have been C-plus or C—barely passing. With only a few evaluations left, each one is crucial for me."

As Zhao Xing strategized, he reached out for more straw, only to realize that his current pile had been completely used up.

He immediately rushed to another stack of straw, ready to weave more puppets. But just as he arrived, a few other clerks had the same idea and were already there, grabbing materials alongside him.

Those who knew the straw puppet technique quickly realized how useful it was in this situation.

"Get lost! I got here first!" someone shouted.

"This is public property!" another retorted.

"You want to fight?" Zhao Xing growled as he picked up a stone and hurled it at one of the clerks. His face twisted with a fierce expression, and his eyes glinted with a predatory glare—revealing the instincts of a seasoned player from his past life.

The clerk yelped in fear, narrowly dodging the stone. He was about to shout back in anger but quickly reconsidered when he saw the murderous look on Zhao Xing's face. Seeing that Zhao Xing was not someone to be trifled with, the clerk quickly retreated.

The others nearby also decided it wasn't worth the trouble and moved on to other straw piles.

Zhao Xing returned to making more puppets.