Sword from the Immortal Mountain

Chapter 121: Changes in human relations, high price hanging
Arriving at the eldest son's house, Chen Shizhen could clearly feel that the eldest son Chen Shizhi's hospitality was very different from before.

As Bojiji Lane has developed to this day, there are twelve families, plus outer rooms, with a population of tens of thousands, and the composition of the population has become more complex.

The relationships between the various families have long been divided into close and distant relatives.

In the story, Chen Shizhen always seemed to be out of place due to his personality. If he had been content, he could have been a rich man and lived a happy life. However, his family property was coveted by others, leading him to the path of "pursuing immortality" and almost bankrupting himself.

The people in other rooms saw all this, and some people tried to persuade him in a subtle way, but it was useless.

Everyone believed that the third house was going to collapse.

Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the worse, and Chen Jin suddenly showed up. As a result, Chen Shizhen did not die, but Chen Shicheng from the second house and the people from Changsheng Temple died.

Changes in circumstances often lead to changes in people's attitudes, positions, and stances.

Before arriving, Chen Shizhen was in a state of anxiety. In his opinion, Chen Jin had acted too radically last night by chopping Taoist Chidan to death with a single sword.

It's also possible to repel or injure the opponent.

If we take someone's life directly, we will become mortal enemies with Changsheng Temple.

At the same time, it might also arouse the disgust and hatred of the entire Chen family in Bojiji Lane, and if they all attacked him, it would be difficult to end the situation.

However, facing the boss Chen Shizhi's warm smile, Chen Shizhen suddenly realized that he was overly worried about this matter.

The perspective you are looking at things from is clearly not high enough and there is something wrong with your angle.

Chen Jin's killing of Chidan Taoist was not reckless or extreme, but a way to establish his authority, to intimidate, and to demonstrate his strength.

It turns out that when a person has enough power, the so-called customs, rules, and laws are useless.

What's worse, it will be corrected and changed because of this.

In other words, since Bojiji Lane would make friends with Changsheng Temple because of its power, why wouldn't they be friendly to Chen Jin?
If Chen Jin was just a weak scholar, it would not be worth it.

But when he killed Taoist Chidan with one sword, it was all worth it.

It's all about perspective.

After sorting this out, Chen Shizhen's admiration for Chen Jin was like a surging river.

No wonder nothing happened overnight.

So the question is, who exactly is this Chen Jin?

Obviously, the boss Chen Shizhi was also very interested in this question. After trying to ask it indirectly and failing to get an answer, he simply asked directly.

But how could Chen Shizhen explain it?

"Brother, I swear to God that I really don't know where Master Chen came from."

Chen Shizhi saw that his expression did not seem to be fake, so he had no choice but to give up: "Old Third, go back and tell Master Chen that Boji Alley will remain neutral in the feud between him and Changsheng Temple. I will also restrain the people in each branch and tell them not to cause trouble."

Chen Shizhen said: "At this point, Ah Zhong must have determined that Master Chen is the murderer of his father, and he will not let it go. If he causes trouble again and provokes Master Chen's anger, I will not be able to stop him."

Speaking of this, I feel resentful.

He regarded Chen Shicheng as his second brother, and they had always been close and confidant. However, Chen Shicheng treated him as a prey, deliberately plotted to seize his family property, and even sent his servants to harm Chen Jin.

No matter what, Chen Jin's counterattack was all self-defense.

Chen Shizhi nodded slightly: "As for Gui Zhong, I will have a good talk with him. And after this incident, he should be scared and dare not do anything reckless again."

"That's good."

Chen Shizhen suddenly remembered something: "Did the thing I proposed to you last time have any results?"

Chen Shizhi shook his head: "I mentioned it last night, and everyone was very opposed to it. No one agreed."

Chen Shizhen said in a clear voice: "I have no selfish motives in letting Master Chen return to his ancestral home. I just think that such a young talent should not be left alone. Besides, I haven't told Master Chen about this matter yet. Maybe it's just my wishful thinking. He doesn't even bother to join Changle Hall."

Chen Shizhi pondered and said, "Third brother, I understand your painstaking efforts. However, the matter of recognizing one's ancestry involves so many things that it is normal that it is difficult to get everyone's approval all at once. I think it would be most appropriate to have a collective discussion after the results are announced."

Chen Shizhen understood what he meant. If Chen Jin passed the imperial examination and had the title of a juren, the obstacles to returning to his ancestral home would not be so great.

Juren is an official official, and if he works well, he can become a county magistrate in a local county.

Although the Chen family of Changletang has produced many juren, this honor still carries weight.

The key point is that whether Chen Jin can pass the imperial examination is unknown.

Chen Shizhen really wanted to inform everyone in advance and build momentum for Chen Jin, but what happened last night obviously irritated the members of each branch and the elders.

They saw Chen Jin's strength, but they were worried about being hurt, and they were even more unwilling to face the wrath of Changsheng Temple...

In short, it is impossible to agree to let Chen Jin return to his ancestral home at this critical juncture.

But Chen Shizhen was thinking at this moment, if there were no troubles and Chen Jin passed the imperial examination successfully, with his supernatural powers and fame, why should he be admitted into Changle Hall?

Helping someone in need shows a person's true character; adding icing on the cake is not so rare.

So last night Chen Shizhen announced publicly that his door would be open to Chen Jin at any time.

Because he knew very well that with a sword in his hand, Chen Jin could go anywhere in the world.
Which door can’t I enter?
On the contrary, it was Chen Shizhen himself who longed to be closely connected with Chen Jin.

Even if you encounter danger, you should not be afraid.

It’s just that other people think differently and don’t want to take risks, so let them be.

After finishing his talk, Chen Shizhen stood up and said goodbye.

Chen Shizhi actually personally escorted him to the door, which made Chen Shizhen flattered, but he knew in his heart that most of the other party's courtesy was directed at Chen Jin.

This is exactly where Chen Shizhi is so good at maneuvering.

"Father, do you think Uncle San may have concealed this on purpose?"

The handsome young man Chen Guiwen walked out.

Chen Shizhi stroked his beard and said, "Old Third is a simple person. I think he really doesn't know the inside story."

Chen Guiwen frowned, "That's strange. I got information from the shopkeeper of Qingyun Inn, saying that Chen Jin won the first place in the Genshui County examination. He wrote a poem called "Linjiangxian" with brilliant literary talent, which made Zhou Xuezheng applaud. I never expected that this boy is also a master of swordsmanship. No wonder he is so calm and composed... But such a talented person who is both civil and military is difficult to cultivate even for the rich and powerful families. It is really puzzling. Could it be that he is really a genius?"

Chen Shizhi smiled bitterly and said, "I thought about it all night last night, but I still couldn't figure it out. In addition, I sent people to Genshui County to investigate some time ago. But the journey is not short. Even if we ride fast horses, it will take one or two months to get results."

At this point, he paused and said, "In fact, at this point, the results of the investigation are no longer important. The fact that he was able to kill a fifth-level Taoist priest named Chidan with one sword is enough to show that he is above the fifth level. This is the terrifying part."

Chen Guiwen couldn't help but ask, "Since he is so powerful, why don't you, father, go against the crowd's opinion and arrange for Chen Jin to return to his ancestral home and join Changle Hall? If so, our Chen family will have a peerless swordsman."

Chen Shizhi said quietly, "Wen'er, you have talent, but you still lack experience. It is precisely because this boy is too powerful that we should not accept him into Boji Lane."

Chen Guiwen was stunned and a little confused.

Chen Shizhi explained, "When you read the books of sages, you should have read the phrase 'Respect ghosts and gods but keep them at a distance'. For someone like Chen Jin who has the power and means but is unscrupulous and ignores the rules, what we should do is to respect and keep a distance from him. We should not provoke him, we should not offend him, but we should not get too close to him either. Do you understand?"

Chen Guiwen said: "But what's the point of doing this?"

"Of course it makes sense."

Chen Shizhi said sternly: "As long as we respect him, even if we keep a proper distance, we can still gain his favor. That's enough. Wen'er, you have to remember that the longevity of the Chen family in Changle Hall has never depended on outsiders, but on ourselves, on you and your brother."

Chen Guiwen nodded heavily: "Father, I understand. I will definitely win the first place in this provincial examination." Chen Shizhi smiled with satisfaction and said: "That's good. It seems that our family will soon have another first-class Jinshi."

……

I moved into Chen Shizhen's house again. Everything remained unchanged and I still lived in the original villa.

But this time, there was a new tenant, Zhang Tong.

There are plenty of vacant rooms in the villa, which are easy to arrange.

Zhang Tong was born in a poor family. He has experienced many setbacks and hardships since childhood, but these have also honed his adaptability.

He was not a coward, and he had dared to face the sharp knife for a tattered statue.

Last night, when I saw Chen Jin draw his sword and kill the Taoist priest, I was quite excited. I finally understood why Chen Jin said before that following him would cause trouble.

This is more than just trouble?

It's simply a disaster.

But Zhang Tong did not regret it. A gentleman will die for his friend.

Once you have chosen this path, go forward without hesitation.

Besides, he has no other way to go now.

After settling down, he felt that he could not live and eat for free, so he took the initiative to make friends with the old housekeeper, Uncle Chen, and rushed to help with anything he could do.

Since he came here with Chen Jin and was a current candidate who might have passed the exam, Uncle Chen and the others were quite polite to him.

As for Ye Yanke, he practiced sword skills even more diligently.

He fought with Taoist Chidan and was defeated in one move. If Chen Jin had not intervened, he would probably have died.

Ye Yanke is not afraid of death. He has already put his head on his waist when he came out to make a living.

But he was not willing to die easily. He realized his shortcomings and tried every means to make up for them, improve himself, and become stronger...

This is the right way to make your way in the world.

After receiving Chen Jin's instruction, Ye Yanke's understanding of swordsmanship improved greatly.

It is obvious that Chen Jin's understanding of swordsmanship is not on the same level as Master Ye Yanke's.

This leads to a sense of disconnection.

Ye Yanke originally studied heavy sword, but as he studied till now, he found that he liked and was more suitable for using fast sword.

UI.

But in that case, he would have to abandon his original way and practice fast sword instead.

There is nothing wrong with changing the style and characteristics of swordsmanship in pursuit of progress.

However, that also means that Ye Yanke would have to deny the teachings of his master who had been so kind to him, and this would be the most painful choice.

For this purpose, he specifically asked Chen Jin for his opinion.

Chen Jin said: "The existence of a master is to let his disciples take the most suitable path, so it is said: teach students in accordance with their aptitude. If you can find your own way, I think your master's spirit in heaven will definitely be happy for you."

After hearing this, Ye Yanke finally made a decision. Based on his original sword technique, he made some revisions and switched to practicing fast sword.

In fact, he also knew in his heart that what his master taught him was not very advanced sword skills.

However, the grace of teaching is greater than heaven, and no one can ever replace the master's position.

Ye Yanke immediately put the heavy sword back into its sheath, determined not to use it again, and instead started practicing with a newly sharpened bamboo sword.

He thought of Chen Jin's words. When the way of swordsmanship is perfected, no matter whether it is a heavy sword or a light sword, a fast sword or a slow sword, the essence is the same and can be integrated.

It doesn’t even matter whether you have a sword in your hand or not, as long as you have a sword in your heart.

Ye Yanke longed for that kind of state, but he knew that it could not be achieved overnight and required countless experiences and actual combat.

So he even thought about leaving.

Because he followed Chen Jin, Ye Yanke always felt that he had a backer and a way out, so his swordsmanship lacked some of the determination and sharpness.

Of course, even if I leave, it won’t be now.

He and Chen Jin will wait for revenge from Changsheng Temple.

However, in the following days, more than ten days passed in a flash, and everything was calm and peaceful.

During this period, someone came to the Changsheng Temple headquarters.

After hearing the news, Chen Shizhen and others secretly sweated and alerted. However, the other party only came to clean up the Taoist temple in Boji Lane, loaded the things into the car, and then took the ashes of Taoist Song and the body of Taoist Chidan and moved away directly.

As a result, Bojiji Lane lost the support of the Changsheng Temple.

However, the military campaign to punish the culprit and seek revenge that everyone predicted did not happen.

For a time, there were different opinions.

Some say that Changsheng Temple itself is not known for fighting and killing, and was caught off guard by the death of Chidan Taoist. They were not prepared for a war, so they chose to endure it for the time being;
It is said that as a Taoist protector, Chidan Taoist almost represents the highest fighting force of Changsheng Temple. He was killed by Chen Jin with one sword, so who else can be sent?
It's just a waste of time.

There is also a saying that after the incident, the reputation of Changsheng Temple was greatly damaged, and they could not swallow this breath. Therefore, a high reward was issued, and anyone who could chop off Chen Jin's head would be rewarded with a "Shenhua Pill".

This reward was not made public, but was spread through certain hidden underground channels, causing a stir in the underworld.

The Spiritual Transformation Pill was the treasured medicine of the Changsheng Temple. After taking this pill, the success rate of the Spiritual Transformation could be greatly increased, thus breaking through to the sixth realm.

Rumor has it that it has a certain auxiliary effect on breaking through the seventh realm.

Of course, most of the rumors are false.

But people tend to prefer to believe it exists.

Since Chen Jin lived in Chen Shizhen's house, those shady assassins had to sneak into Bojiji Lane if they wanted to take action.

For a time, there was panic in Bojiji Lane and the pressure increased greatly.

People from several families united to put pressure on Chen Shizhen, asking him to "invite" Chen Jin to leave.

But Chen Shizhen insisted that Chen Jin was his savior, and expelling him at this time would be unkind and unrighteous.

He could never be that ungrateful person.

At this time, the head of the first house, Chen Shizhi, spoke up, saying that Chen Jin had a special identity, not only was he a swordsman, but he was also a candidate. He was staying at the third house as a guest, mainly to wait for the results of the provincial examination.

So, if you have anything to say, let’s wait until the results are announced.

His words carried weight, and the crowd stopped pressing him.

Anyway, counting the days, there are not many days left until the results are announced.

(End of this chapter)