Sword from the Immortal Mountain

Chapter 119: After the exam, the bad guest came

The provincial examination lasted for three sessions, nine days, and more than ten questions.

Chen Jin had a quick mind and could write down any topic, whether it was current affairs, classics, or five-character eight-rhyme poems.

Compared to others, he has more time. After writing an article, he spends most of his free time closing his eyes, resting his mind, and cultivating his Dharma thoughts.

The space in this examination room is so narrow that it feels like a cage.

A kind of mysterious suppression is also reflected in the mind.

Chen Jin could tell that it came from the Confucian temple built at the gate, where statues of sages were enshrined.

They are worshipped and sacrificed by hundreds of students, and many wishes are added to them. Over time, they accumulate and thus possess an extraordinary divine aura.

To put it bluntly, the entire examination hall belongs to their dojo.

If Chen Jin practiced other methods in there, it would be an offense, even an invasion, and would naturally be met with hostility.

Chen Jin had no intention of deliberately confronting it. He just relaxed his mind and did not practice any method.

As the last exam was over, the door of the examination hall was opened and the candidates filed out.

It was already evening outside, and there were quite a few people waiting there, mostly relatives and friends of the candidates, or servants and the like.

After the final exam, the students' tense nerves were relaxed. When some of them came out, their legs went weak and they even fainted, causing a burst of exclamations.

Among so many candidates, some are from local prefectures and counties. They are eager to return home and basically choose to go home immediately; while those from the prefectures and counties below will return to the inn and continue to stay there, waiting for the announcement of the results.

As per convention, there is a waiting period of more than ten days before the list is released.

During this period, candidates would go to various scenic spots in the prefectures and counties in groups of three or five to visit some of them, which would not only broaden their horizons but also expand their social circle.

Being in the same class and taking the same exam means that they are of the same year.

At this stage, we don’t know who will pass the exam and who will fail, so it’s always a good idea to build good relationships first.

In the crowd, Zhang Tong seemed relieved and confused. He followed behind Chen Jin, seeming to be following closely.

During this period, even if you are in the examination hall, the room at Qingyun Inn will not be vacated.

If you add in the time it takes to wait for the results to be announced, the room fee would be a huge sum.

Zhang Tong was keeping count.

Because he knew in his heart that Chen Jin was helping him out of loyalty, and if he did not give anything in return, he would be ungrateful.

But the more I owe, the worse I feel. I’m even more worried that if I fail the exam, I won’t be able to pay it back.

What should we do then?

"Mr. Chen, Mr. Chen!"

The person who called out was Awu, the servant of Chen Shizhen's family. He trotted over and wiped his sweat: "There are so many people here, I was really worried that I couldn't find you."

Chen Jin asked directly: "What happened?"

Ah Wu immediately told him about the Taoist Chidan coming to Boji Lane, and then said, "That Taoist may be harmful to you, so my master sent me here to tell you to stay outside for the time being, and it's best to move to another place until the list is announced."

Chen Jin raised his eyebrows: "If he is determined to cause trouble for me, there is no way to avoid it. It's a good time to go back and solve the problem."

A Wu scratched his hair and murmured, "My master is right. He said that you, Mr. Chen, will definitely not want to escape. I have asked the eldest lady to prepare a banquet at home, and we are waiting for you to return and start the feast."

Chen Jin laughed and thought that Chen Shizhen was really a wonderful person.

He immediately returned to Qingyun Inn, asked Ye Yanke to pack up his things, and then found the innkeeper to check out.

He originally wanted to cancel the two upper rooms and keep Zhang Tong's room, but when Zhang Tong heard that he would no longer stay in Qingyun Inn, he insisted on going with him.

Chen Jin said to him, "Brother Zhang, I may run into a lot of trouble on this trip. If you go with me, you may be implicated and suffer the consequences."

Zhang Tong immediately said seriously: "In that case, I should go with you. I read the books of sages, how can I do something that is selfish and ungrateful?"

Chen Jin followed him.

It didn't take long before they finished packing, got on the carriage, and started back to Boji Lane.

"Brother Chen, Brother Chen, please wait a moment."

A green carriage caught up with them, and the person sitting on the crossbeam of the carriage was Chen Guiwen.

Ah Wu naturally knew this scholar of the Chen family and was greatly surprised. He wondered when Chen Jin became friends with Chen Guiwen.

Of course, this is good news.

Chen Guiwen is of noble status. If he stands on Chen Jin's side and is willing to help and support him, a lot of trouble can be avoided.

However, Awu was just a servant and had no say in these matters. He could only listen with his ears pricked up.

Chen Guiwen smiled and said, "Brother Chen, are you going to Boji Lane? It just so happens that we are going the same way, so let's go together. If you don't mind, you may come and sit for a while. I have some good tea in my carriage."

His gentleness and politeness were enough to make people overlook his immature age and he displayed the demeanor of a young man from a wealthy family.

Chen Jin declined, "No need to bother."

Chen Guiwen did not take it as an offense and nodded slightly: "Okay, wait a few days, I will come and invite you again to show my hospitality as a good host."

Sit back in the car.

The skinny old man in cloth asked in a low voice: "Young Master, Chen Jin is ungrateful, why do you bother with him?"

Chen Guiwen laughed and said, "Because I admire him."

The old man in plain clothes: "..."

Two carriages arrived at Bojiji Lane one after another. When the people guarding the gate saw Chen Guiwen, they immediately put on a smile and greeted him repeatedly. They wanted to check Chen Jin and others, but Chen Guiwen spoke up and the entry procedures were waived.

After entering, there is a fork in the road, and each side goes to the other side.

The carriage quickly drove into the Abbot Road and stopped at the door of Chen Shizhen's house.

Upon hearing the news, Chen Shizhen and his daughter came out to greet them. Their expressions were filled with joy, yet a hint of worry was hidden within them.

But now that things have come to this, there is nothing much to say. Let's just invite them in and have dinner happily first.

It was Zhang Tong's first time here and he behaved rather reservedly, but he couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Before there was Mr. Hu, and now there is Mr. Chen San. It seems that no matter where Chen Jin goes, he is always warmly received by the wealthy and powerful families.

Moreover, each of these great families has a beautiful young lady...

What do you think?
He quickly gathered his messy thoughts.

Not to mention Chen Jin's kindness to me, even when it comes to being a guest at someone's place, I shouldn't make rash assumptions and wild guesses.

It's neither respectful nor polite.

You have to know that I am just an outsider who comes here to eat for free. If I don't have Chen Jin's support, I don't even have the qualifications to be a guest. The wine and food are abundant, and the host and the guests are very happy.

After the meal, tea was served.

Suddenly, Awu ran in with a panicked look and reported: "Master, Master Chen, Taoist Chidan is outside, along with Master Guizhong and others, there are a lot of people."

Chen Shizhen put the teacup heavily on the table and said angrily, "This is too much."

Although he knew that he would be held accountable, it was really outrageous that he came so hastily and did not take his third wife seriously at all.

It is said that kind people are often bullied, but the weak are the easiest to be bullied.

Chen Shizhen said angrily, "Awu, go and close the door. I wonder if they dare to break the door and rush in."

Awu said hurriedly: "I have closed it and put on the triple bolt."

Chen Jin stood up and said with a smile: "A guest is a guest, so why should we be afraid of an evil guest? Let's go and meet him."

Take steps.

Ye Yanke moved quickly and followed closely behind.

Chen Shizhen was already accustomed to Chen Jin's style of taking the initiative, so he quickly followed.

The last one came, Zhang Tong. He still had a piece of delicious pastry in his mouth, which he didn't have time to swallow.

……

Outside the gate, there were bright torches, noisy voices, and a large group of people gathered around.

It looked like a pack of wolves lurking around, ready to break in at any time.

The leader was none other than the Taoist Chidan, with an indifferent expression and cold eyes.

Chen Guizhong stood beside him, looking excited and eager to try.

There were shadowy figures behind him, most of them were his family’s retainers and guards.

This commotion had already alarmed the huge Bojiji Lane, and soon more people and horses arrived, led by the head of the eldest family, Chen Shizhi.

Different from last time, this time there were quite a few people from the Twelve Rooms traveling together, and basically all the leaders were present.

Chen Guiwen was also among them, his eyes sparkling.

Chen Shizhi stepped forward and said in a deep voice: "Master, what are you going to do?"

Taoist Chidan said coldly: "Of course it is for justice. I have said it before, people from Changsheng Temple cannot die unclearly. Master Chen, are you going to stop us?"

Chen Shizhi snorted, "I am also deeply saddened by the death of Taoist Song. This happened in Boji Alley, and we should help investigate and avenge him. However, this matter is complicated and confusing, and without any evidence, you have made a big fuss and gathered outside the third room. Are you going to massacre Boji Alley?"

Having said this, his voice and expression became stern.

The people from other rooms who followed him also had unhappy expressions on their faces, as if they were united in their hatred of the enemy.

No matter how much internal friction, involution, and infighting there are among the twelve branches of the Chen family in Changle Hall, they are all internal affairs of the clan.

But now Taoist Chidan is coming to attack Chen Shizhen on behalf of Changsheng Temple, and they are not happy about that.

Without such clan cohesion, Bojiji Lane would not have been able to develop so prosperously.

Chen Shizhi stared at Chen Guizhong with a sharp gaze: "Ah Chong, do you know what you are doing? Last time, I thought about your father's recent death, and you were so angry that you lost your calm and rationality. So I didn't say anything, but this time, you dared to lead your followers to gather here to cause trouble. Where do you put the clan rules and family laws?"

Being stared at by him, Chen Guizhong felt uneasy, stammering and unable to speak for a while.

Taoist Chidan went to meet him and changed his tone slightly, "Master Chen, Master Guizhong and I are not here to target Master Chen San. We just heard that Master Chen San's visitor from outside the province took the provincial examination and returned here, so we came to your house to ask this visitor a few questions. You should also know that the visitor is quite suspicious."

Chen Shizhi snorted, "Master, you are talking about Chen Jin, right? Whether he is suspicious or not is just your one-sided statement. Whether it is the murder of Taoist Song or the murder of my second son, it is quite bizarre. Chen Jin is an innocent scholar, the first place in the provincial examination of Genshui County. This time he came to the prefecture mainly to participate in the provincial examination. I don't believe you that someone like him can do martial arts. How could he assassinate Taoist Song and harm Shicheng? It is really hard to accept."

Taoist Chidan frowned and said, "Master Chen, this Chen Jin is not from Boji Lane. From what you said, are you going to protect him?"

Chen Shizhi waved his hand and said, "I am just talking about the facts and reasoning. Besides, Chen Jin's surname is also 'Chen'. People with the same surname must have a connection. The most important thing is that you have not found any evidence so far. Everything you have done is just conjecture."

When Chen Guizhong heard this, hatred flashed in his eyes and he felt strange in his heart.

If the last time this uncle from the eldest house showed up, it meant he was biased towards Chen Shizhen, then his current stance clearly shows that he is trying to protect Chen Jin, an outsider.

There must be a reason behind this big change in attitude.

Chen Guizhong suddenly noticed Chen Guiwen: Could it be that she knew Chen Jin?

This is possible, after all, both of them are candidates participating in this year's provincial examination and are from the same year.

Don't underestimate such relationships. In the circle of scholars in the Qian Dynasty, the relationship between people of the same clan and hometown may not be better than that between classmates and the same year.

If Chen Guiwen and Chen Jin got along well and hit it off right away, and he talked to his father Chen Shizhi about it, his attitude would be completely different.

Chen Shizhi treated his two sons, one civil and one military, as treasures and obeyed them in everything.

However, Chen Guizhong could not reveal the reasons behind this in public. At this point, he also realized that his actions tonight were inappropriate. Bringing so many people to question the culprit seemed impulsive and would offend everyone.

He is a junior after all.

But once the arrow is shot, there is no way to retreat. If you retreat further, you may end up leaving Bojiji Lane and be expelled from the Twelve Houses.

The second house can now only be tied together with Changsheng Temple, and advance and retreat together.

Taoist Chidan was indeed not afraid of the Chen family rules and regulations. He sneered and said, "It is precisely because we cannot find conclusive evidence that I and Master Guizhong came here to investigate. Master Chen, you are here at the right time. You can be a witness and conduct an open trial to get to the bottom of it."

In fact, Chen Shizhi did not want to tear his face with Changsheng Temple, but he could not show weakness and let outsiders look down on the twelfth branch of the Chen family in Changle Hall. He immediately coughed and said, "Normally, there is no problem with asking questions."

Taoist Chidan clapped his hands and said, "That's great. Then Master Chen, please help knock on the door and ask Master Chen San to open it. If you don't open the door, it means you are not cooperating and you are guilty of a crime."

Chen Shizhi curled his lips and said, "You brought so many people here, like wolves and tigers, who knows what you are going to do?"

Taoist Chidan was too lazy to argue with him.

Chen Shizhi didn't say much, and signaled an attendant beside him to go up and knock on the door.

The attendant arrived at the door and was about to knock on the doorknob when he heard the sound of the bolt being opened from inside.

Sure enough, soon, with a creaking sound, the closed door slowly opened.

Several people came out from inside.

What was surprising was that the person walking in front was not the owner Chen Shizhen, nor Chen Jin, but a dog with a bald tail.

Wangcai and his dog rushed out first, stood in the middle of the field, grinning and baring their teeth at everyone with a majestic posture.

Then it was Chen Jin who walked out leisurely and glanced around: "I heard you were looking for me?"

(End of this chapter)