Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 17: Magical Artifacts and Divine Treasures, Returning to the Source
The four arts of cultivation are talismans, weapon crafting, elixirs, and formations.

The fact that weapon crafting ranks second demonstrates its importance.

This book, "On the Investigation of Things in the Five Elements," is extensive and detailed, and its explanations are very clear.

First, there is a classification of the artifacts, which are divided into two main categories: ritual implements and divine treasures.

Among them, the main practice is based on magical artifacts, which are divided into four grades: lower, middle, upper and extreme, according to the number of layers of restrictions that have been added and refined.

Divine treasures are mysterious and rare objects. After being refined, they can change size and length at will, appearing to change at will.

Whether it's a ritual implement or a divine treasure, these are broad concepts encompassing all sorts of objects, in all shapes and sizes, and in all sorts of strange and wonderful ways...

Chen Jin couldn't help but think of the blade that flew out of Linghu Xueli's sleeve. It should belong to the category of magical artifacts, but he didn't know its grade.

The next key point is about the methods and techniques for crafting weapons.

Different objects, different materials, different grades, the differences are significant, but the general principles of refining are only two:
One of the "external refinement" techniques involves collecting various types of fire energy and combining it with the five elements to refine the materials through repeated tempering.

One method of "internal cultivation" uses one's own qi and blood as a guide, the dantian as a furnace, and the spirit and soul as fire to refine oneself;

Generally speaking, magical artifacts are primarily refined externally, while those refined internally are mostly divine treasures.

When it comes to specific formulas and techniques, the list becomes incredibly long and complex.

Chen Jin ignored all that and carefully searched through the materials to see if there was anything suitable for refining and repairing the Kui Xing Kicking the Dipper Lamp...

……

Summer has arrived, and the weather is sunny.

Maoxian County, Maolin Pavilion.

Maoxian County, located in the Jiangnan region, is a densely populated county at the upper county level. Its city walls are high, and its streets and alleys are interconnected. The streets are bustling with people, creating a lively and lively atmosphere.

Maolin Restaurant is a famous restaurant in the city, and ordinary people cannot even get in.

However, in the private room on the second floor, there were two ordinary people, namely Chen Yuan and his son Chen Zhi.

The two of them had already put on their best clothes, but it still couldn't hide the shabby and rustic air about them.

Chen Yuan sat there, looking uneasy and flustered.
Chen Zhi stood there, but he couldn't stand still. He kept pacing around to hide his nervousness.

After a while, he finally couldn't hold back and asked, "Father, why haven't Master Zhao and Steward Zhao arrived yet? It's almost noon."

Chen Yuan whispered sharply, "Ah Zhi, I've told you before, you're not allowed to call him 'Zhao Menzi.' If someone hears you, things won't go smoothly."

Chen Zhi muttered, "But he's just a doorman."

"Hey, with your temper, you offend people the moment you open your mouth. That's what happens when you don't study enough; you don't understand etiquette or human relationships. Even a gatekeeper can tell whose gate it is. That's the Zhao family's. If it weren't for the gatekeeper's introduction, how could we have gotten on the good side of Steward Zhao?"

"I don't think it's worth spending so much money just to meet a housekeeper."

Chen Yuan shook his head, saying with a look of disappointment, "If you want someone to do you a favor, you have to spend money if you don't want to lose face or use your connections."

"But that's too much."

Chen Zhi was quite indignant: "Just preparing this meal cost five taels of silver, enough to buy an acre of fertile land. This isn't a meal, it's clearly eating silver."

Chen Yuan looked at him and said, "A-Zhi, I know you're angry and think I'm biased and only care about Xiao Lang's future, but what can I do when you don't have the talent for studying?"

Chen Zhi argued, "Father, things are different now. He keeps failing the exams, and this can't go on."

Chen Yuan snorted: "That's why I went to great lengths to get the young man into the yamen to work. Firstly, it's for his experience. There's an old saying that 'being adept at interpersonal relationships is the key to literary talent.' I think the young man has enough talent and literary skills, but he lacks the ability to navigate interpersonal relationships. Secondly, even if he doesn't pass the exam, he can still establish himself in the yamen and eventually become a full-fledged official, which is also a way to advance his career."

He paused, then asked, "Do you remember how our Chen family migrated to Datang Township?"

Chen Zhi replied, "I remember my grandfather saying that a hundred years ago, dynasties changed and wars raged. My great-grandfather fled from the famine and left our ancestral home in the county town. He drifted here, got married, and had children, which is how our lineage came to be."

Chen Yuan nodded: "That's right. Although your great-grandfather and grandfather have both passed away, the ancestral precepts remain, which are to cultivate a scholar who can enter officialdom, bring honor to the family, and lead us back to our ancestral home, into the ancestral hall, and recognize our ancestors. This is not only the long-cherished wish of my great-grandfather and his family, but also the lifelong aspiration of your uncle and me."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhi fell silent. Datang Township was a place where many surnames lived together, and most of the families were people who had fled here during that period of war and settled down.

People tend to miss the past and always yearn to return to their roots.

In particular, the desire to re-enter the family genealogy and recognize one's ancestors has become an obsession that overwhelms everything else.

However, for a branch or offshoot that is in decline, how easy is it to achieve this?
It's not that studying and taking the imperial examinations is the only path to success, but compared to other options, it's the most promising one. The cost is also relatively low, and the family can afford it if they grit their teeth.

Chen Yuan sighed and continued, "And you should know that the money for this bribery was basically paid by Xiao Lang himself."

Chen Zhi remained silent. He knew that the money to be spent this time would be more than just that; his family's savings over the years had also been taken out. It was a desperate gamble.

However, my father is right. If the family is scattered and scattered, and the uncles and brothers don't stick together, they will only be bullied by outsiders. Let alone returning to our ancestral home, we won't even be able to stand firm in the countryside.

If this matter succeeds, Chen Jin will be able to get a job in the government, which will be a good thing for his family.

He was still uneasy and couldn't help but ask, "Father, what if the other party takes the money but can't get things done? Wouldn't that be a complete loss?"

Chen Yuan chuckled: "Impossible. As long as the money is sent out, it means the matter is settled. Otherwise, if word gets out that Magistrate Zhao has broken his promise and ruined his reputation, who would dare to come to us again?"

Chen Zhi nodded, finding it quite reasonable.

After waiting for a while, the door to the private room was pushed open, and the waiter led the two in.

The one walking in front, dressed in gray, was Zhao Laochai, the gatekeeper of the Zhao family, who was in charge of facilitating the connection.

Following behind was a fat man with a large head and big ears, a short mustache, and a prosperous appearance; this was none other than Steward Zhao, Zhao Ada.

Chen Yuan hurriedly stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "Brother Zhao, Steward Zhao, you've arrived. Please sit down, please take a seat of honor."

Steward Zhao glanced around and unceremoniously took the seat of honor, with Zhao Menzi sitting to his left and Chen Yuan to his right.

As for Chen Zhi, as a junior member, he had no place.

When our distinguished guests arrive, it's time to serve the dishes. Plates of meat and vegetable dishes are brought out and quickly fill the table.

There's also a jar of fine wine.

According to custom, serious matters are never discussed during the meal; they are discussed only after everyone has eaten and drunk their fill.

After about 15 minutes, when they were almost full, they ordered the waiter to bring tea and snacks.

The table was littered with cups and plates, but there were still many leftovers, which made Chen Zhi's mouth water.

Even though it's leftovers, it's still a rare delicacy for farmers.

He had planned to sit down and eat after Steward Zhao and his companion left, but to his surprise, Steward Zhao ordered the waiter to pack everything up, leaving not a single drop of soup.

They were both eating and taking.

After drinking tea, Zhao Menzi gave Chen Yuan a wink.

Chen Yuan understood and quickly took out a heavy package and handed it to Butler Zhao: "Butler Zhao, I'm entrusting this to you."

Butler Zhao reached out and picked up the package, weighed it in his hand, and smiled, "No problem."

When will we have a definite answer?

"Wait a moment, there have been so many people coming to ask for favors these past few days that everyone has to wait in line, and we will arrange for them one by one."

Having said that, he picked up the package and swaggered away.

Zhao Menzi quickly grabbed the packed food and followed.

The remaining Chen Yuan and his son looked at each other. Chen Zhi noticed that there was still tea on the table, so he immediately drank the whole pot straight from the pot.

(End of this chapter)