Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 105: A New Beginning, New Gains
The county government staff consisted of the chief official, the county magistrate, as well as deputy officials such as the county assistant, the county lieutenant, and the chief clerk.

However, Magistrate Zhao was too domineering. As a new official, he quickly overwhelmed his deputies, who all stepped aside and became virtually invisible.

Until now.

Magistrate Zhao suddenly died in his bed. His trusted confidant, Master Ma, disappeared without a trace. The remaining pageboys, guards, attendants, and doormen lost their leader and were as anxious as headless flies.

If the master of the house is murdered, those who were close to him will certainly be held accountable by the Zhao family, and may even be executed.

But the most important thing right now is to catch the culprit.

The citywide martial law, lockdown, and arrests all required the exercise of government orders, and the servants and others suddenly realized:

There's no one to give orders anymore...

They have always existed around Magistrate Zhao, like vines climbing on the trunk of a large tree.

When the big tree withers and falls, they lose their support and can no longer boss others around.

After all, they were all commoners.

Magistrate Zhao was neither popular nor popular.

Under intense pressure, the officials and clerks of the yamen worked tirelessly, exhausted like dogs, but in the end, most of the profits were seized by their superiors. Those who did the work not only received no benefits, but also suffered the scorn and backbiting of the common people.

He had been harboring a lot of resentment in his heart, with no way to vent it.

The unexpected death of Magistrate Zhao quickly provided an outlet for venting his frustrations:

Some people felt relieved, some gloated, and some even applauded...

According to custom, if the county magistrate is incompetent, the county assistant magistrate must step in and act as his representative.

The county magistrate and county lieutenant of Maoxian County were "veterans" who had served there for many years and had served three or four county magistrates, so they were quite experienced.

The two quickly communicated and then issued the first order: seal off the city and conduct a search.

The second order was to send men to imprison all of Magistrate Zhao's men and interrogate them separately.

In the important county government compound, Magistrate Zhao was murdered in his back residence, and those close to him are the prime suspects.

No problem.

The third order was to seal off the scene in the back of the government office, search for evidence and traces, and then call a coroner to perform an autopsy.

This search led to an astonishing discovery: in addition to a large amount of gold and silver treasures, they also found countless skeletons...

The nature of the matter has become complicated.

The coroner later determined that Magistrate Zhao had no external injuries and had likely been afflicted by some kind of unorthodox or evil magic.

The magistrate's page provided a clue, saying that this method was somewhat similar to the "Soul-Capturing Technique," and that the person who mastered this technique was called Mr. Gu.

Mr. Gu was once a staff member and retainer of Magistrate Zhao, but we have been out of contact for a long time.

The pageboy also said that his master had a grudge against Chen Jin, the newly appointed top scholar in the imperial examination, and that Chen Jin was highly suspected of committing the crime.

However, after investigation, multiple testimonies indicated that Chen Jin and his group had already left the county town and returned to Datang Township, thus having a solid alibi.

Moreover, the fact that Magistrate Zhao died from a divine spell has no connection whatsoever to Chen Jin's triumphant return home.

It's so unreasonable.

As the case unfolded, the county magistrate realized that the matter was far beyond his control, so he ordered someone to record the details of the case file and then dispatched a fast horse out of the city to report the case to the prefectural city.

The death of a seventh-rank county magistrate in office, right there in the county government office, is a serious matter of great importance and will surely alarm the imperial court in the end.

The Zhao family in Xinzhou will certainly not let this go easily.

However, it will probably be two or three months before the Zhao family arrives.

After much deliberation, the county magistrate decided to send a constable with a group of men to Datang Township to visit Chen Jin and ask him some questions.

Routine procedures, providing an explanation for all aspects.

……

Shi Qifeng drove the horse-drawn carriage to take Wang Fu back to the village where his wife and children lived.

When the couple saw each other again, it felt like a lifetime had passed, and they immediately embraced and wept bitterly.

The scene was quite something.

Finally, Shi Qifeng asked Wang Fu, "Have you decided not to come to the prefecture city with us?"

Wang Fu nodded firmly: "I am determined to stay, collect evidence, and unite with other victims to go to the yamen to file a complaint and fight the case to the end."

He was faced with two options: one was to follow Chen Jin and move to the prefectural city to settle down.

Given his relationship with Chen Jin, he would always have a place in Datang Lane.

The second option was to stay in Maoxian and beat the drum to appeal for justice. If the injustice could be redressed, he could regain his scholar status.

In comparison, choosing the latter path is undoubtedly much more difficult, but also much more righteous.

After experiencing many hardships, Wang Fu became strong. He was determined to start over and prove himself again.

This move was not only for his own benefit, but also to expose the many evil deeds of Magistrate Zhao, muddy the waters, and indirectly help Chen Jin.

Shi Qifeng said approvingly, "Not bad. Here's a packet of silver; take it and use it first."

Wang Fu was about to refuse when Shi Qifeng said, "You need money to support your family, file lawsuits, and fight cases. You can't do anything without money, and you'll be living under someone else's roof. Why make things difficult for yourself?" Hearing this, Wang Fu accepted the money and said, "Consider it a loan."

Shi Qifeng chuckled and said, "This is the difference between you and the young master. You're so hesitant and lacking in freedom."

Wang Fu hurriedly replied, "Brother Chen is an extraordinary man; how can I compare to him?"

Shi Qifeng said, "If that corrupt official were still in office, your lawsuit would be useless no matter how high you climb. But now that he's gone, you can turn things around."

Wang Fu couldn't help but ask, "Is Magistrate Zhao really dead?"

Shi Qifeng glanced at him and said slowly, "I don't know now, but I believe I will soon find out. You have never disappointed me in all this time."

Having said that, he drove off in his carriage.

Watching the carriage depart, Wang Fu, clutching the heavy bundle, murmured with unwavering resolve, "Once my official rank is restored, I will definitely go to the prefectural capital to take the examination. Brother Chen is right, as long as one is alive, there is hope..."

……

The constables arrived in the afternoon.

After a good night's sleep, Chen Jin regained his energy and calmly faced the questions. For many things, he either answered "I don't know" or said "I'm not sure".

Given their status, the constables and others treated them with utmost politeness.

They came under orders, but it was just a routine matter; even if they noticed something suspicious, they wouldn't investigate further.

It wasn't an interrogation, after all.

Then Chen Jin said that they would set off for the prefectural city tomorrow to begin preparing for next year's imperial examination, which was equivalent to reporting the matter to the authorities.

The constables, of course, did not stop them. They quickly cupped their hands in greeting and said with flattery, "Have a safe journey and wish you success in the imperial examination."

Finally, everyone received a red envelope and returned to the city with smiles on their faces to report back.

Then Shi Qifeng drove back and reported to Chen Jin about Wang Fu's decision.

Chen Jin had no objection to this. As autonomous individuals, each person naturally had their own ideas and destinations.

He has helped everyone he could and done everything he could. Now it is up to Wang Fu to walk the rest of the road.

Shi Qifeng then mysteriously invited Chen Jin aside, took out a small, dusty bag, and whispered, "Young master, this is what I found last night when I was cleaning up the body and searching the other party. It looks rather strange, so I dared not touch it. Now I'm handing it over to you."

Chen Jin took one look and immediately recognized it – wasn't it a Pot Heaven Bag?
Apart from a few differences in the patterns, it was almost identical to the one I had previously seized from Mr. Gu.

He immediately took it, without rushing to open it, and smiled, "Old Shi, you did a great job."

Shi Qifeng hurriedly replied, "It's my duty."

Chen Jin's eyes flashed, and he took out a roll of paper: "I have a rudimentary health cultivation method here. Practicing it can have some effect on improving health, curing diseases, and prolonging life. Take it and see if you can practice it."

Upon hearing this, Shi Qifeng's eyes widened immediately, unable to conceal his excitement, and his voice trembled slightly as he said, "Young Master, this..."

In his youth, he roamed the martial world, constantly fighting, which left him with many hidden injuries and ailments. Now, as he gets older, these injuries flare up from time to time, causing him considerable pain. He needs a proper health-preserving exercise to gently nourish and regulate his body.

Over the years, he had tried to buy copies on the market, but all he could find were incomplete copies or forgeries, which were impossible to practice. Even if he could practice them, he would practice them incorrectly, and the chances of going astray were very high.

Authentic and complete cultivation methods are all passed down in secret; how could outsiders obtain them?
As the saying goes, "A true teaching can be conveyed in a single sentence, while a false teaching can fill countless volumes," which illustrates this point perfectly.

Now that Chen Jin is willing to pass on his teachings, the significance is self-evident. How could one not be overwhelmed with emotion?

Chen Jin smiled and said, "Old Shi, don't be so polite. This is what you deserve. If you have any questions during your cultivation, feel free to ask me again."

"Thank you, sir."

Shi Qifeng bowed respectfully, accepted the manual, and carefully put it away: "Then I'll go out and help tidy up."

"it is good."

After he left, the room quieted down. Chen Jin sat up, took the newly acquired Heavenly Pot Bag, and prepared to open it to see what good things were inside.

In terms of status and position, Old Ma was clearly a cut above Mr. Gu, serving as the undisputed confidant of Magistrate Zhao and playing multiple roles.

Therefore, this person's pot-shaped bag should be of better quality than Mr. Gu's.

Gold and silver treasures were secondary; Chen Jin was more eager to obtain suitable cultivation resources, such as spells and techniques.

There is no need to overwhelm oneself with many arts.

For example, in this assassination of Magistrate Zhao, if he hadn't mastered the "Soul-Capturing Technique," he wouldn't have been able to act so decisively and efficiently.

It might not even be possible to do it.

Often, being suspected is one situation; being caught red-handed is another.

As for the side effects of unorthodox methods, he has the "Six Qi Correct Position Method" as his fundamental method, which can stabilize his spirit and mind, so he will not be affected much.

Since breaking through to the third realm, his internal organs have been strengthened, his qi and blood have become abundant, and his spiritual awareness has also been greatly enhanced.

At that moment, black mist swirled around the opening of the Pot Heaven Bag, coalescing into a python coiled there. Inspired, the python immediately raised its head and pounced.

The fact that both bags contained snakes, a form of restriction, was not accidental, but inevitable.

This is because snake-shaped objects are relatively easy to refine, and they resemble hemp rope, making them perfect for binding openings.

This time, Chen Jin was determined to undergo the trial and didn't need to trouble the God of the Divine Star to open his eyes; he would break the restriction himself.

(End of this chapter)