Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 37: The True Cultivator Borrows Books and Luck
As dusk fell and the sun went down, the heat subsided.

Chen Jin visited the Wang family.

The gatekeeper from last time quickly stopped him, saying, "Young Master Chen, my master has something to attend to today and I'm afraid he cannot receive you."

Chen Jin was taken aback, then said, "Could you please inform them that I've only come to borrow some books and will leave as soon as I get them?"

"Like This……"

The gatekeeper hesitated.

Suddenly, a group of people filed out, led by an old Taoist priest wearing a blue robe. His hair and beard were all white, but his face was ruddy. He held a whisk in his hand, and thousands of strands fell down, giving him a somewhat otherworldly air.

The king's father and mother were by his side, and behind them followed Wang Fu.

Wang Fu looked up and saw Chen Jin, and couldn't help but show his delight. However, he couldn't greet him in this situation.

Wang Yuanshan also noticed Chen Jin, his brows furrowed, and his expression turned displeased.

Stepping outside, the old Taoist priest in blue robes pointed at the Wang family's gate, stone lions, and the flying eaves and walls, talking incessantly.

Chen Jin politely stood aside. He had excellent hearing and overheard quite a bit of what was going on. The Wang family had probably invited a Taoist priest to assess the feng shui and offer guidance.

Feng shui is a discipline with many intricacies and is not simply a matter of metaphysics.

Chen Jin had never studied this before, but as he listened to the old Taoist priest, he uttered a series of obscure and difficult-to-pronounce terms.

He could hardly understand it, and Wang Yuanshan's family was even more confused, only able to nod in agreement.

After giving his instructions, the old Taoist priest flicked his sleeves, glanced at Chen Jin out of the corner of his eye, looked him over but didn't care, and went straight back inside.

Wang Yuanshan and his wife naturally followed closely behind.

Wang Fu deliberately lagged behind, then ran up and whispered, "Brother Chen, have you returned to the city?"

Chen Jin nodded: "I just got back not long ago."

Wang Fu thought to himself that Chen Jin had indeed not gone to see Zhao Zhubu. Now that they had missed each other, all was well and nothing could have happened. It was as good as it put his mind at ease.

He naturally wouldn't bring up the fact that Zhao Zhubu had already left Maoxian this morning to take up his post in Yixian, so he asked, "Did you come to see me for something?"

"Yes, I'd like to borrow your complete set of commentaries on the Four Classics, starting with the first five volumes."

"It's nothing, just wait a moment, I'll go get it for you right away."

Wang Fu readily agreed and hurried home.

"stop!"

With a sharp shout, Wang Yuanshan stopped him: "What does Chen Jin want with you?"

Wang Fu did not hide anything and told the truth directly.

Wang Yuanshan stamped his foot: "Fu'er, are you confused? How can we easily lend out the books in our house?"

Wang Fu said, "What's the big deal? Brother Chen is a lover of books. He will read and examine the books carefully without getting them dirty or damaged."

Wang Yuanshan resolutely said, "That won't do either. Lending books is like borrowing luck. You'll be taking the provincial examination next year, and so will he. If you lend him the books, wouldn't that be like aiding the enemy?"

Wang Fu was taken aback, then smiled wryly and said, "Father, what are you talking about? Besides, even if I didn't borrow the book, I might not pass the imperial examination and become a scholar."

Wang Yuanshan's expression changed: "Don't talk nonsense! Our family has invited Master Qingsong to set up an altar and perform a ritual to change your fortune and destiny. From now on, you will definitely achieve fame and success and rise to the top."

Wang Fu didn't really believe in these metaphysical theories. If a person's fortune and destiny could be changed by setting up an altar and performing rituals, wouldn't everyone be able to become a dragon?

Is there really such a cheap thing in the world?
He replied, "But I have already promised Brother Chen."

Wang Yuanshan's attitude was firm: "It won't work even if you agree. Go and push him away, just say you want to see it yourself and can't lend it out."

Faced with his stern father, Wang Fu had no choice but to leave dejectedly. When he met Chen Jin's bright eyes, he was speechless for a moment, unable to utter a word.

Chen Jin, quick-witted, guessed what was going on in an instant. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Brother Wang, I'm sorry to have bothered you. I'll head back to the martial arts school now." Wang Fu quickly stopped him and said, "Brother Chen, it's not that I'm unwilling to lend you the book... well, how should I put it? My parents have hired a Taoist priest to perform a ritual to change my fate against all odds. Therefore, during this period, nothing in the house, especially my belongings, should be touched."

"Defy fate and change destiny?"

Chen Jin raised an eyebrow: "You believe that?"

“This isn’t a matter of belief or not. My parents are doing this for my own good. Besides, Master Qingsong is a well-known and genuine cultivator in the city. To invite him to set up an altar and perform rituals would not only cost a lot of money, but also require sincere offerings.”

Wang Fu explained.

Chen Jin then asked, "That old Taoist with white eyebrows?"

Wang Fu replied, "That's right. What, haven't you heard of him?"

"I have always studied diligently and had little contact with the outside world... What skills does this Taoist priest possess?"

"His abilities are truly remarkable. He is knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, and can perform divination and fortune-telling. He can know a person's affairs without even seeing them. Even some private family matters can be clearly explained by the Taoist priest with just a few calculations. It is truly amazing."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jin pondered for a moment, then said hesitantly, "Such a statement sounds like that of a charlatan."

Wang Fuxin's heart skipped a beat. If it were before, he would have definitely reprimanded Chen Jin to his face. But after experiencing the monster on the desolate mountain, once bitten, twice shy, he had developed a shadow in his heart and a strange trust in Chen Jin. He quickly asked, "Brother Chen, do you think the Taoist priest is acting strangely? Is there something wrong? Is he a human or a demon?"

Chen Jin chuckled: "Where are there so many demons? That old Taoist priest is undoubtedly human."

Wang Fu breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that it's a human being."

Chen Jin said calmly, "That's not necessarily true. The human heart is unpredictable, and can be even more wicked than demons."

Wang Fu asked in confusion, "Are you saying that Master Qingsong has ulterior motives and wants to harm me?"

Chen Jin explained, "Perhaps it's just for the sake of making money."

"But he really is very capable."

At this point, Wang Fu lowered his voice: "He could even calculate the three moles on my left buttock. I swear, he definitely hadn't seen them beforehand."

Chen Jin chuckled and said, "He may not have seen it, but others have. If you're willing to gather relevant information, it's not difficult at all."

Upon hearing this, Wang Fu fell into thought, muttering to himself, "That works? The only ones I can think of are the girls from Cuiyan Tower. Could it be that the Taoist priest has been having an affair with those girls for a long time, and they're acting as his spies?"

Chen Jin: "..."

Wang Fu thought about it and it made more and more sense. He slapped his thigh and said, "Brother Chen, you're really something! This explains a lot of things. How did you come up with this?"

Chen Jin slowly said, "All I know is that if Daoist Qingsong were a true cultivator and possessed such abilities, he wouldn't be involved in these pointless affairs. Of course, the possibility that some extraordinary individuals might be playing around in the mortal world cannot be ruled out."

Wang Fu scratched his head: "I used to think the same way, and I even went to sincerely ask to become a disciple, but I was rejected. The Taoist priest said that I had not severed my worldly ties and could not enter the Tao."

Chen Jin glanced at him: "In short, it's always better to be safe than sorry."

Wang Fu sighed, "But my parents firmly believe it, no matter what I say, they won't believe me. Brother Chen, do you have any ideas?"

Chen Jin shook his head: "The one who tied the knot must untie it. The root cause of your parents' distrust and refusal to listen to your opinions lies within yourself. It's because you haven't yet done anything to convince them, so in their eyes, you've always been a child who never grew up."

Upon hearing this, Wang Fu felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, and he suddenly sobered up.

Yes, from childhood to adulthood, I've always been impulsive and fickle, acting on a whim. I didn't excel in my studies, and I was careless in my martial arts training. I dreamed of being a chivalrous knight-errant all day long, but at most, I could only deal with some hooligans and thugs.

Now that he's in his thirties, he rarely goes home, rarely takes care of his wife and children, and often worries his parents.

He has accomplished absolutely nothing!

Chen Jin had already said this much; whether the other person understood or not was up to them. Just as he was about to take his leave, a thought suddenly struck him, as if he had made a discovery.

Looking up, a large bird, entirely black, flew out from under the eaves of the Wang family's gate—it was a crow.

He was born with extraordinary features, his eyes were blood-red.

(End of this chapter)