Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

"Boom!"

A muffled thud came from his stomach, and Zhao Xian slowly opened his eyes.

In that instant, a barely perceptible crimson glint flashed in his eyes.

Feeling the four streams of magical power, two thick and two thin, rising and falling within his dantian, Zhao Xian finally couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

Once my mind had calmed down, a golden light screen appeared before me.

Owner of the cauldron: Zhao Xian

[Qi Yun: Floating White]

[Spiritual Root: Fire Root (丙中火)]

[Cultivation Level: Qi Refining Level 3]

[Lucky Golden Pearl: 0]

【技艺】：六阳诀（精通：1546/10000）、基础箭术（精通：3623/10000）、松鹤养元拳（精通：996/10000）、黑虎斗杀拳（入门：50/100）、基础刀法（熟练：154/1000）、基础枪法（熟练：152/1000）、灵眼术（熟练：45/1000）、轻身术（熟练：123/1000）、燃火术（入门：10/100）

After more than a month of arduous training, he made progress in all his skills, except for the "Black Tiger Fighting Fist," which he had not practiced at all and had become quite rusty, almost to the point of abandoning it.

He has also mastered a new minor technique called "Fire Combustion Technique". This technique is the foundation of fire-elemental cultivators, and all fire-elemental spells are inseparable from this minor technique.

Nowadays, the stove fire in the house is lit by Zhao Xian using this method to ignite dry branches.

After all, learning by doing and practice makes perfect.

"As I continue my cultivation, I will acquire more and more minor skills, so there is no need to display all of what I have learned in this skill category."

"It would be better to only showcase skills at the level of mastery and above!"

The moment the thought arose, the golden light screen before him instantly collapsed, turning into specks of golden light.

A moment later, the golden light intertwined and overlapped, transforming back into a golden light screen, and the skills section was indeed as Zhao Xian had expected, with only a few skills listed.

【技艺】：六阳诀（精通：1546/10000）、基础箭术（精通：3623/10000）、松鹤养元拳（精通：996/10000）

"With this treasure in hand, what is there to fear in achieving the Great Dao!"

He sighed, but then another thunderous roar came from his stomach.

Zhao Xian rubbed his stomach, dispelled the golden light before his eyes, got up from the bed, pushed open the door and went out.

"When will we be able to live without grains and cereals, nourished solely by spiritual energy?"

With a sigh, Zhao Xian called out towards the main house, "Mother, my stomach is pounding. Is there any rice porridge?"

"Pooh!"

"He only studied at a private school for a year, yet he barely knows any characters and just spouts nonsense!"

The plump woman walked out of the house, laughed and cursed, and poked Zhao Xian's forehead with her finger.

......

With the Lunar New Year approaching, Yangpingli is bustling with activity.

"Bang!"

A loud bang came from not far away.

Several children gathered around a pot of charcoal fire, laughing and throwing sections of green bamboo into the fire, which produced bursts of white smoke and sounds.

"Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, the old year departs!"

In this situation, Zhao Xian blurted out, but the second half got stuck in his throat!

"The world has truly changed!"

Shaking his head, Zhao Xian carried a bow and arrows on his back, and headed towards his grandfather's house with a dark yellow wild rabbit in his hand.

Uncle Zhao Zhi and elder brother Zhao Ji had returned from their travels, and as the head of the family, the grandfather naturally invited everyone to a banquet at his home.

Father and mother had already taken Erlang and Xiaomei away. If Zhao Xianruo hadn't been preparing some game to give to Tingjun Chen Yuancheng, he would have gone there long ago.

The day after tomorrow is New Year's Day, and Chen Yuancheng will return home to rest tomorrow.

Before dawn today, Zhao Xian carried a bow and arrows, left the inner gate, and entered the mountains and forests.

After wandering around the edge of the forest for half a day, I hunted several wild rabbits and pheasants.

Apart from the wild rabbit in his hand, Zhao Xian had also sent the mountain phoenix he had caught a few days ago to the pavilion.

The mountain phoenix, with its red crest on its head, pure white body, and long tail feathers, is very beautiful and is loved by scholars and literati.

It would be most appropriate to give it to Chen Yuancheng.

Before long, Zhao Xian arrived at the gate of his grandfather's courtyard.

Outside the courtyard gate, two teenagers were already wrestling.

Instead of stopping them, the brothers Zhao Duan and Zhao Bing rubbed their hands together, eager to try their hand at it.

Zhao Xian looked closely and saw that one of the boys was his second brother, Zhao Hong. Although he couldn't see the face of the other boy clearly, he could guess who it was.

"Ah Duan, Ah Bing, you two, as the elder brothers, why didn't you separate them? You're just watching the show here?"

Zhao Xian, carrying the wild rabbit, looked at the two spectators and said helplessly.

"Ah! Third brother is here!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Duan blushed and chuckled awkwardly.

"Take it!"

Zhao Xian waved the rabbit in his hand, and the two brothers immediately ran over, one carrying the rabbit and the other taking the bow and arrows.

After glaring at the two boys, Zhao Xian strode forward and picked them up from the ground.

"Slap! Slap!"

Without bias, they each slapped each other on the back.

When separated, the two men, still like fighting cocks, were red-faced and glaring at each other.

"Why do you two fight as soon as you meet? If others see this, won't they laugh at my family!"

Zhao Xian put on a stern face and reprimanded him.

"snort!"

The boy glared at Zhao Xian, snorted coldly, and turned to run into the courtyard.

For some reason, Zhao Hong and Zhao Sheng, the only son of his uncle Zhao Zhi, were particularly at odds.

I've been fighting with them since I was a child, and I still do.

"Asheng has been frail and sickly since childhood, why did you hit him!"

Zhao Xian looked at Zhao Hong and reprimanded him.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Hong also snorted coldly and returned to the courtyard.

"Third brother," Zhao Bing whispered, leaning closer, "this time it was Ahong who got beaten up... Asheng has already entered the Daoist path at the county school."

Zhao Xian slapped his forehead, shook his head helplessly, and stepped into the courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, one could see the mother twisting Zhao Hong's ear in a circle, while another middle-aged woman was twisting Zhao Sheng's ear.

"Greetings, Aunt!"

Zhao Xian quickly greeted the middle-aged woman.

"Hey, Saburo!"

"Having not seen you for a year, Sanlang has grown even more magnificent!"

The middle-aged woman released her grip and praised Zhao Xian.

"This child is just standing there, standing there dumbfounded, not even calling out 'Third Brother'!"

He then looked at the boy beside him and scolded him.

"It's nothing!"

Zhao Xian waved his hand, looked Zhao Sheng up and down, and could see that the young man in front of him was surrounded by a faint spiritual aura, obviously having entered the Dao.

"Congratulations, Aunt! Ah Sheng has only been at the county school for two years, yet he has already entered the Daoist path. He will surely be able to advance to the prefectural school in the future!"

"That child just doesn't have that kind of luck!"

My aunt said some modest words, but her eyebrows showed a hint of joy.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhao Xian entered the main room.

"Greetings, Grandfather!"

"..."

After exchanging greetings, Zhao Xian took the opportunity to sit next to his elder brother Zhao Ji.

"Has the wild game been delivered to Tingjun?"

When the grandfather saw Zhao Xian arrive, he immediately smiled and asked.

"When Tingjun first saw the live mountain phoenixes, he was overjoyed and has already taken them all!"

Zhao Xian quickly and respectfully replied.

"Wow, a live mountain phoenix is ​​worth over a thousand talismans!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhi immediately expressed his surprise.

"Tingjun has already promised Sanlang the position of assistant clerk in the township government; what is a mere mountain phoenix worth mentioning!"

Zhao Li immediately picked up the conversation, smiling as he spoke.

These words shocked everyone present.

Father Zhao Yi also looked surprised—because before this matter was not confirmed, Zhao Xian had not told him about it.

"If I reach the fourth level of Qi Refining next spring, Lord Ting can promote me to Assistant Administrator of the Township!"

"The Prince has not yet assumed office; this matter must not be leaked!"

Since they were all family, Zhao Xian didn't bother to hide anything and immediately said with a smile.

"How is Sanlang's cultivation level now?"

Upon hearing this, the elder brother Zhao Zheng asked urgently.

"A few days ago, I advanced to the third level of Qi Refining!"

"By next spring, I should be able to break through to the next realm!"

Zhao Xian said frankly.

"Okay, okay!"

Grandfather stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

"In a little over ten days, it will be Sanlang's birthday. At seventeen, he has already reached the third level of Qi Refining, which is quite impressive!"

After a quick calculation, Uncle Zhao Ren also smiled with considerable surprise.

"The minor official's position is quite lucrative. Sanlang is not yet married. If he focuses on cultivation, he may be able to reach the late stage of Qi Refining in five or six years."

"At that time... I might even be able to wear an official seal and become a minor official!"

"If my family could produce a high-ranking official like a hundred-stone official...we would surely prosper!"

Zhao Zhi pondered for a few moments, then suppressed his excitement and said in a trembling voice.

"Tingjun is kind and benevolent; Sanlang, you must cherish this bond!"

Zhao Zheng also chimed in from the side.

"You have been treated so kindly by Tingjun, you must not let him down!"

Zhao Yi, who had been silent to the side, showed a hint of worry in his eyes, but then spoke seriously.

After chatting for a while, the banquet was ready.

For ordinary country folk, banquets are nothing fancy, just simple farm dishes.

A brazier was lit inside the house, and several mats were laid out. Since the grandfather was old, the eldest brother Zhao was worried that he would catch a cold, so he also put a thin quilt on the mats.

As for the others, they naturally sat on the ground.

In prominent families, men and women are expected to sit at separate tables and eat different foods.

But ordinary people in the countryside don't have such complicated etiquette.

The grandfather sat in the head seat, with Zhao Ren and Zhao Yi on his left and right, and the rest of the people sat around him.

The eldest brother, Zhao Zheng, poured wine for everyone with a ladle. Except for Zhao Hong, Zhao Sheng, and Zhao Yu, who were too young, everyone else drank.

The food was steaming hot, and the aroma of wine and meat filled the air.

It's so enchanting that it makes one feel intoxicated.

After Zhao Zheng finished pouring the wine, Uncle Zhao Ren knelt down first, offered a toast to his grandfather Zhao Mu, and said loudly, "May the elder enjoy good health and peace year after year!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately raised their cups, bowed to the table, and said in unison, "May our esteemed elder/grandfather live as long as the Southern Mountains!"

"Drink this cup to the brim!"

Grandfather immediately stroked his beard and smiled.

Everyone raised their glasses and drank them down in one gulp.

The banquet began, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

As the wine flowed freely, everyone was already sitting cross-legged and leaning back, quite relaxed.

Uncle Zhao Li rolled up his sleeves, looked at Zhao Zhi sitting opposite him, and called out, "Zhi, dare to play a drinking game with me?"

It's not about elegant activities like pitch-pot or reciting poems; the drinking games of ordinary people in the countryside are nothing more than rolling dice, rolling up sleeves, and playing rock-paper-scissors for fun.

"I wouldn't dare! You're always cheating, a habitual loser, and a swindler who only knows how to get drinks!"

Zhao Zhi raised an eyebrow and said jokingly.

"Ha ha!"

Uncle Zhao Ren laughed first.

The eldest brother, Zhao Zheng, immediately looked at Zhao Li and said with a smile, "Uncle, I'll come with you!"

"good!"

"I'll make sure you're all wiped out!"

Zhao Li's face was filled with murderous intent as he shouted loudly.

Before long, Zhao Li had lost four or five times in a row and drunk four or five cups in a row.

This caused several elders to burst into laughter.

Although Zhao Xian and the other younger generation dared not laugh out loud, they still managed to suppress their laughter.

Ordinary people struggle to make ends meet, and they rarely have the opportunity to feast. It's only during the Lunar New Year that they can enjoy some food and drink.

Although the Zhao family owned some land, they could barely make ends meet, and they rarely had access to food and drink.

Since Zhao Xian entered the Daoist path, more than three months have passed. Every day, besides fermented soybeans and pickled vegetables, he eats plain porridge.

Not to mention wine and meat, even animal fat is rare.

Six miles from Shanghuting, the small houses and households are mostly like this.