Zhao Xing sat down on the meditation cushion in front of the divine statue, relaxed his body, closed his eyes, and cleared his mind.
Before long, a gentle breeze brushed his face and thunder rolled in the distance.
Then he felt as if he were in a primeval forest, filled with hidden dangers.
The temple guardian sensed something, glanced at the Caoxi True Monarch statue, and then at Zhao Xing's back: "He's learning quite quickly."
When the visions disappeared, Zhao Xing opened his eyes, and three new spells were in his mind.
They were: [Calling Wind], [Summoning Thunder], and [Grass and Trees are Soldiers].
The first two spells belonged to the Farmer Heavenly Time Sect and were prerequisites for the "Seasonal Order" skill, while the third could be categorized under the Self Sect's "All Things Growth Map."
In his past life, learning spells involved slapping a skill book and mastering it immediately, but now he needed to truly understand and delve into the knowledge deeply. From this perspective, players were all prodigies.
After sitting for a while and feeling no more mystical sensations, Zhao Xing stood up and bowed: "Thank you, True Monarch, for bestowing these spells."
........
[Calling Wind: Initial Stage Spell]
[Progress: (0/9999)]
[Effect: Summons a gust of wind to blow.]
.......
[Summoning Thunder: Initial Stage Spell]
[Progress: (0/9999)]
[Effect: With cloud formation as a prerequisite, it can produce thunder sounds in the clouds.]
.....
[Grass and Trees are Soldiers: Initial Stage Spell]
[Progress: (0/9999)]
[Effect: Use plants as soldiers to launch attacks]
...
[Calling Wind] was an independent spell, but [Summoning Thunder] required [Cloud Formation] first.
Before transitioning professions, this skill was only about making noise, with no offensive power, merely capable of giving people a scare.
The truly offensive spell was [Lightning Strike], which could draw lightning from the [Cloud Formation] for attacks.
The initial stage of [Grass and Trees are Soldiers] also had an intimidating name.
For now, Zhao Xing could only use specific plant materials to create grass soldiers. To achieve 'casting spells without external materials,' turning every plant around him into soldiers with a wave of his hand, he needed to keep advancing the spell.
Since he had not yet performed it, his proficiency was zero.
Most areas in the city prohibited the use of spells to avoid disturbing the residents.
Especially for clerks like them, accidentally blowing away an elderly person's drying clothes or wetting someone's crop seeds would result in a pay cut! What? You want a promotion? Stay cool wherever you are!
To practice, Zhao Xing had to either go outside the city or head to the Minister of Agriculture Supervision.
The Minister of Agriculture Supervision was equipped with a Ksitigarbha Returning Origin Array, where clerks like them could freely practice spells.
Upon passing through the gate of the Minister of Agriculture Supervision, one could see a five to six meters tall [Wind and Rain Tower Ship]. The ship's prow was a dragon head, spewing water for miles. The sails were embroidered with mythical beasts and could summon strong winds. It was one of the classic treasures of the Minister of Agriculture's profession.
The small Gucheng certainly didn't have such high-level treasures, this was just a model. The real one could only be found at a county-level Minister of Agriculture Supervision or higher.
But the county-level Minister of Agriculture Supervision also had plenty of good things. The treasury in the northeast corner housed treasures like the [Cloud Flying Boat], [Guiyuan Water Wheel], [Golden Raincoat], and [Flowers Fighting Umbrella].
The reason Zhao Xing was so knowledgeable was that the government buildings of Great Zhou followed a standard layout, knowing one meant knowing them all.
Additionally, in his previous life, he often joined groups to attack county towns. Whenever entering a town, he would rush to the Minister of Agriculture Supervision first, even knowing where to activate mechanisms and find hidden paths.
"Halt, this is the treasury, no entry allowed!" A sudden voice stopped Zhao Xing.
Zhao Xing realized he had unconsciously wandered near the treasury. Judging by the guard's scrutinizing look, he knew his expression must have been sneaky.
Well, his occupational hazard flared up again.
"Sorry, I got distracted." Zhao Xing cupped his hands and turned to leave, suppressing his inner impulse.
"No rush, once I get ashore, everything will be available."
After consoling himself, Zhao Xing walked through the herbal zone and arrived at the courtyard area where the officials lived.
........
There was only one Standard Ninth Rank Minister of Agriculture in the Minister of Agriculture Supervision.
However, there were several Secondary Ninth Rank Ministers, each overseeing storage, the iron market, state farms, Pinghuai, and Jun Shu.
In border cities, there would also be Military Minister of Agriculture Officers who followed the army to create favorable conditions for the troops.
The Standard Ninth Rank Minister of Agriculture was the chief officer of the Agricultural Supervision. Generally, they did not mentor clerks unless the clerks had significant influence or background.
The Secondary Ninth Rank Ministers of Agriculture had a duty to provide guidance and teaching internally.
Gucheng had the full capacity for nine Secondary Ninth Rank Ministers of Agriculture, but currently, there were only seven.
Each had a specific number of clerks, both subordinates and students.
"Brother, brother, wait for me!" As he was walking in the corridor, a familiar voice came from behind.
He turned and stopped. It was Chen Ziyu and Qian Dong, each carrying a basket.
"Why are you two here so early?"
"Brother, aren't you the same?" Chen Ziyu laughed.
Qian Dong pretended to be profound: "Ziyu, see, I guessed right. Recently, Brother has been secretly working hard, coming early to visit Mr. Xue. Hey? Brother's complexion looks much better than a few days ago..."
Zhao Xing's mouth twitched: Could you stop mentioning complexion?
"Enough chit-chat, let's move quickly."
Zhao Xing's superior and teacher was named Xue Wenzhong, having the most clerks under him.
It wasn't because he was particularly powerful, but because Xue Wenzhong was known as the nice guy in the Minister of Agriculture Supervision.
Other Ministers of Agriculture were picky about clerks, unwilling to take too many, and for the sake of their political achievements, they would consider family background and aptitude, selecting all the good candidates. If their subordinates became official, it counted towards their achievements.
Xue Wenzhong, kind-hearted and pure, only knew how to work and didn't care about futures. Colleagues didn't want those with low status or poor aptitude, so he willingly took them on. Therefore, out of over 500 clerks in the Minister of Agriculture Supervision, 204 were under Xue Wenzhong!
The old Minister of Agriculture did his best, but with so many disciples, he struggled to teach them all. The energy allocated to each inevitably decreased, while wealthy students like Li Chengfeng made rapid progress under careful guidance.
Upon reaching Xue Wenzhong's courtyard, fifty or so people were already waiting in front of the hall.
The old Minister of Agriculture was on the high platform, lecturing on "Heavenly Time Hundred Solutions." Everyone listened intently, those moving in and out did so carefully and quietly.
The Secondary Ninth Rank Ministers of Agriculture already possessed magical abilities. Despite it being the Beginning of Summer, the courtyard was still blooming with peach blossoms, warm like spring.
However, the occasional coughing indicated that the old Minister of Agriculture seemed aged.
"Minister of Agriculture Xue is already ninety-eight years old and not in good health. During Emperor Jing's period, official welfare wasn't abundant. He only received two longevity and blessing grants, and who knows how much longer he can live?" Zhao Xing pondered.
"Old Minister of Agriculture, you mustn't die this year. If you pass, I'll lack a recommending superior. Where can I find another for that crucial step? It'll be troublesome again."
Whether it was due to his prayers working, Xue Wenzhong indeed stopped coughing and lifted his head.
Oh, it turned out that the lecture had ended, and it was now the free consultation session.