Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 25: Seize the day, from dawn till dusk
During the period when the swords were being forged, Wang Fu took care of all of Chen Jin and Shi Qifeng's meals.

Young Master Wang was very generous. He specially assigned his servant, A-Ping, and also a maid, Xiao-Cui, to deliver three meals a day, as well as late-night snacks, to the Qingshan Martial Arts School.

The meals are varied every day, mainly consisting of fish and meat dishes, with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, and every meal includes wine and nutritious broth.

In terms of compensation, there's really nothing to complain about.

Shi Qifeng ate with grease dripping from his mouth, but still didn't give Wang Fu a very friendly look.

Wang Fu didn't care. He had no interest in blacksmithing or sword making. He just wandered over every day as an excuse to go out and take a look before going off to wander elsewhere.

Deep down, he secretly hoped to run into Linghu Xueli.

In the descriptions of folk tales, the origins of immortal encounters are often not in remote mountains and wilderness, but rather in the streets and alleys of the city.

There's a saying: Eccentric and unconventional people enjoy playing around in the world and choosing their successors from among them.

However, Wang Fu searched for several days without success. On the other hand, he intervened to punish several ruffians who were either harassing respectable women or causing trouble, thus earning himself some reputation as a chivalrous knight.

And that radiant fox spirit, seemingly untouched by worldly concerns, is probably no longer in Maoxian County...

On this day, Wang Fu came to the martial arts school again and saw something strange:

Shi Qifeng was actually asking Chen Jin for advice in a very respectful manner.

Wang Fu hurried over to see what was going on, but Shi Qifeng chased him away: "Go away, don't cause trouble."

He was quite annoyed, so he had to wait until the two of them finished talking before calling Chen Jin aside to ask what had happened.

"As you can see, Master Shi has some questions about weapon crafting, so he came to ask me."

Chen Jin said.

"But, but..."

Wang Fu was a little confused: "But how could Master Shi not understand?"

Chen Jin looked at him strangely: "Master Shi is not an omnipotent god or emperor. What's so strange about encountering difficulties?"

What Wang Fu actually wanted to ask was "why Master Shi didn't understand, but Chen Jin did?" But then he thought of the jade slip used for refining weapons and immediately understood.

It seems that Chen Jin's abilities and methods need to be reassessed.

This is a good thing.

However, Wang Fu still had doubts: "Master Shi has a stubborn and foul temper and has never given anyone a kind look. This is the first time I have ever seen him like this."

Chen Jin said calmly, "When you want to ask someone for advice, it's not unreasonable to be humble."

"That's not an exaggeration."

Wang Fu echoed in agreement, a smile spreading across his face.

In the past, in order to learn martial arts from Shi Qifeng and to persuade him to become a bodyguard, he tried every means and humbled himself, but he repeatedly met with setbacks and could not get any good results.

Seeing Shi Qifeng's change of attitude towards Chen Jin from arrogance to obsequiousness, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction, as if Chen Jin had avenged me.

"Brother Chen, I get the feeling that you and Master Shi get along quite well."

"Yes, Master Shi is quite easy to get along with."

Wang Fu: "..."

He immediately lowered his voice and whispered, "Don't underestimate Master Shi just because he lost an arm. He used to be a formidable figure, a notorious outlaw who killed without blinking an eye. He had a nickname, I think it was 'Flying Horse Swift Blade.' Now he's retired from the martial world and living a peaceful life in the county town, but he's still not someone ordinary people can mess with."

Chen Jin nodded: "Yes, one night Master Shi had drunk too much and told me some stories from his past in the martial arts world. He also said that the past is the past and a hero doesn't dwell on his past glories."

Wang Fu was stunned again: "You told me all that?"

"When people feel lonely, they will think about expressing themselves and confiding in others. There's no need to make a fuss about it."

"..."

Wang Fu scratched his head, feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Chen Jin had already gone over and continued working, forging swords together with Shi Qifeng.

……

Day .

As evening approached, Wang Fuxing rushed over and grabbed Chen Jin: "Brother Chen, we have the results."

Chen Jin wiped his sweat and asked in a deep voice, "What was the result?"

“I visited Zhao Zhubu again today and had tea at his house. Zhao Zhubu told me personally that the investigation into your uncle’s matter has been completed.”

"and then?"

Wang Fu continued, "After investigating the matter thoroughly, Chief Clerk Zhao personally scolded Zhao the Gatekeeper and punished Steward Zhao, ordering them not to repeat the offense."

"Gone?"

"Nope."

Chen Jin asked again, "That's it?"

Wang Fu said, "Like this...not like this, do you want it to be like that?"

He paused, a bitter smile on his face: "I know this isn't enough, and you should take back your family's money. But as I said before, Zhao Zhubu spent a large sum of money on his promotion, leaving the Zhao family heavily in debt. As the saying goes, 'Officials have two mouths,' so how can they possibly return money they've already taken?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jin chuckled, his smile cool and aloof.

Wang Fu said, "How about this, I'll pay that money and give your family double the compensation, how about that?"

Chen Jin waved his hand: "This matter has nothing to do with you, how can I let you pay for it? Besides, I don't think this is about money."

Wang Fu was taken aback: "If it's not about money, then what is it?"

"They broke my uncle's leg."

"Alas, it was indeed their fault; they acted arrogantly and domineeringly, relying on their master's power. But what can be done now that it has already happened?"

Chen Jin slowly said, "That's why I'm going to break their legs too."

Upon hearing this, Wang Fu was startled and quickly looked around. Fortunately, they were inside the martial arts school, where there were no eavesdroppers, so he wasn't afraid of being overheard: "Brother Chen, be careful what you say! You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."

"I'm speaking the truth."

"The logic is correct, but our identities are wrong. You and I are just ordinary people, while Chief Clerk Zhao is an official. How can ordinary people fight against an official? They can't win."

Chen Jin's eyes flashed: "Those doorman and the steward, are they also officials?"

Wang Fu coughed lightly: "They are not. But haven't you heard of 'when one attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven'? In official families, how could the doormen and stewards be outsiders? They are all one family, running errands for Zhao Zhubu. If Zhao Zhubu breaks their legs for this, wouldn't that chill the hearts of their families? Who would be willing to work hard and risk their lives in the future?"

Chen Jin nodded slightly: "What you said makes sense."

Hearing his tone soften, Wang Fu breathed a sigh of relief: "Brother Chen, listen to me, let's just drop this matter. We've suffered a loss this time, and there's an old saying: 'A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years.' When we pass the imperial examinations, we'll have our chance to avenge ourselves."

"Young man of the Wang family, you have always prided yourself on your chivalrous spirit and quick revenge, so why have you cowered now?"

Shi Qifeng, who had good hearing, couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.

Wang Fu's expression changed: "Master Shi, don't stir up trouble here and say such nonsense."

He had already done his best to help Chen Jin file a complaint with Zhao, the magistrate; however, he was powerless to force the other party to severely punish the servant.

Angering Magistrate Zhao would have dire consequences.

After Zhao Zhubu was promoted from the eighth rank to the seventh rank, it was truly a case of "a prefect who wipes out his family and a magistrate who ruins his household"—this was no joke.
Wang Fu dared to join forces with Chen Jin to eliminate the demon, but dared not fight against the officials with Chen Jin.

These are two completely different things.

Chen Jin clasped his hands and said, "Brother Wang, you have done your best to help with this matter, and I am extremely grateful. As I said before, I owe you a favor."

Wang Fu looked at him, but remained silent and left dejectedly.

Watching his retreating figure, Chen Jin murmured to himself, "Is it true that a gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years? But I believe more in seizing every moment, from morning till night."

……

That night, the greatsword began to be sharpened, in preparation for quenching...

　I write every minute of the day, from morning till night.

　　Encourage yourself!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)