Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 46: The Prodigal Son Returns, Chen Jinfa Makes a Comeback
Wang Fu learned of the relevant information the following afternoon.

He immediately ran to his father, Wang Yuanshan: "Dad, it turns out that Chen Jin was right. The so-called immortals are nothing but charlatans. All that talk about defying fate is just a scam to swindle money from people."

Wang Yuanshan, usually shrewd, suffered a major setback here. More unbearable than the money he was swindled out was:
If we cannot reverse fate and destiny, what will happen to our son's future career and academic achievements?
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel irritated and shouted, "So you're going to run off to play with him?"

Wang Fu shook his head and said very seriously, "Father, I understand."

"Hmm? What have you realized?"

"Brother Chen also told me that the most important thing in life is to rely on yourself. Therefore, I decided to go into seclusion and study hard for years to prove myself. I don't believe I can't pass the exam."

Hearing this, Wang Yuanshan looked at him with joy and couldn't help but shed tears: "Fu'er, I am very pleased that you can understand this. You have finally grown up."

Wang Fu added, "I firmly believe that Chen Jin is a capable person. He has taught me a lot, and I cannot break my promise to him."

Wang Yuanshan frowned: "You want to lend him the book?"

Wang Fu nodded emphatically and continued, "But I won't make a special excuse to go out; I'll just have A-Ping deliver it."

This time, Wang Yuanshan did not stop him, because he had indeed seen the change in his son.

This kind of self-aware change is invaluable; a prodigal son's return is more precious than gold.

……

"Young Master Chen, these are books that my young master lent you, the Complete Collection of Annotations on the Four Classics. I'll send you ten copies first, and then I'll exchange them for new ones after you've finished reading them."

When the servant A-Ping arrived at the Qingshan Martial Arts School, he respectfully handed over a square wooden box containing the book.

Chen Jin took it, opened it, and saw that the book was very well preserved, as if it were brand new.

Therefore, it can be inferred that Wang Fu had not read it much before, and it was most likely that he had left it on a shelf and treated it as a decoration.

He then said, "Thank you."

Aping then asked, "My young master also said that if there is any other need, please feel free to give the order, Mr. Chen."

Chen Jin chuckled: "No need. Just go back and tell your young master to focus on his studies."

"it is good."

Aping took his leave.

With the books in hand, Chen Jin went to Hanmo Street to buy enough pens, ink, and paper for copying.

Read and copy at the same time, transcribing it completely one-to-one.

This is the dumbest method, but also the most useful.

Practicing calligraphy and reading can be done simultaneously.

Throughout this process, the red-eyed crow Xiao Ci stood quietly to one side, listening and watching attentively.

It was also given a set of the Four Treasures of the Study.

Chen Jin watched him dip his mouth in ink and write characters; each stroke was elegant and skillful.

Time flies by.

At first, Shi Qifeng was worried that the constables and yamen runners would come knocking on his door, but after several days, things calmed down.

Rumors within the city rise and fall quickly.

News has come out that the incident involving Zhao Zhubu and his entourage occurred in Yixian County, which is next door, and that Maoxian County is only responsible for cooperating with the investigation.

Ultimately, the case was suspiciously handled, and the large area bordering the two counties was mountainous, densely forested, and had complex terrain, making it extremely easy for someone to destroy evidence. After searching for more than ten days, not a single clue was found.

They neither found the living nor the dead, leaving us with no way to proceed.

After Zhao Zhubu and others disappeared, the Zhao family lost their leader. They went to the Maoxian County government to file a complaint but were passed around. They went to Yixian County but didn't know who to turn to. They were stuck in two places and had no choice but to write to their master in Xinzhou for help.

However, before a reply could be received, infighting broke out in the household, and chaos ensued. As the saying goes, "when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter." Zhao, the magistrate, had a wife, two concubines, and several children. In the struggle for the last remaining family property and land, the accumulated conflicts quickly erupted, leading to a violent fight and the family falling apart.

This one has failed.

The world is ever-changing, with its ebb and flow. All the glory and sorrow, all the triumphs and tribulations, ultimately come to nothing.

With the matter settled, Shi Qifeng felt relieved.

Since receiving guidance from Chen Jin, his blacksmithing skills have improved by leaps and bounds, becoming increasingly refined. He simply stopped running the martial arts school and changed the signboard to a simple name: "Qingshan Sword Shop".

The signboard was written by Chen Jin himself, with strong and vigorous strokes, full of spirit.

With this blacksmith shop, one can practice their skills and make money at the same time, which is much simpler than opening a martial arts school.

Martial arts schools are all about people-to-people interactions, and people are always busy with various tasks; blacksmith shops, on the other hand, are about people-to-products, where they can simply forge excellent swords and weapons and never worry about not being able to sell them.

To make a living, one must have income to sustain oneself; otherwise, one will simply squander one's savings.

Originally, Shi Qifeng lived alone, with enough to eat for himself and no one else to worry about, just getting by.

But with Chen Jin involved, things were completely different.

Chen Jin had high standards for food and drink; he not only wanted to eat a lot, but also to eat well. This was not due to his demanding nature, but rather a necessity for his spiritual practice.

Refining essence into qi—if there is no essence to refine, how can there be any improvement or progress?
Especially after advancing to the second realm, the food became more and more refined, which was the only way to fill one's stomach, just as the saying goes, "One should not be too particular about the fineness of the food, nor too particular about the delicacy of the preparation."

In addition, there are other expenses, such as school supplies.

The cost of living is rising sharply.

He even found an opportunity to exchange and use his enormous gold ingot.

Once things have calmed down, Shi Qifeng will dig out the box. Only with this sum of money can he set up the blacksmith shop.

They also took on a fourteen or fifteen-year-old apprentice named "A-Tie".

A-Tie came from a farming family, was illiterate, and was honest and simple-minded. Most importantly, he was physically strong and possessed considerable brute strength.

He was also a glutton, and his family couldn't support him anymore. So when he became an apprentice at the blacksmith's shop, A-Tie's parents knelt and bowed to Shi Qifeng, moved to tears of gratitude.

In addition to the apprentice Atie, they also hired a cook to be responsible for grocery shopping, cooking, and other chores such as washing clothes.

In this way, the stall is set up.

Chen Jin moved out of the side room, cleaned up the secluded backyard, and moved in.

In this way, the environment is quiet and undisturbed, allowing one to concentrate wholeheartedly on activities such as sword practice, internal energy cultivation, reading, and writing.

Before entering, Shi Qifeng gave strict instructions to both the apprentice and the cook, letting them know that Chen Jin was the master of the house.

Without a word, the two respectfully addressed Chen Jin as "Sir".

Spring flowers and autumn moon, the Ghost Festival has passed and the Mid-Autumn Festival is here.

Chen Jin took two days off to go back home and spend the holiday with his family before returning to the city to continue his studies.

Then winter came and the weather turned cold. Chen Zhi came to the city and brought Chen Jin two thick cotton robes, both of which were sewn stitch by stitch by Chen Yangshi and Su Su.

As the Chinese New Year approached, Chen Jin returned to his hometown once again.

This time, he traveled back in a carriage, taking Shi Qifeng with him.

During the Lunar New Year, the blacksmith shop shut down its furnace, leaving only the apprentice, Atie, to guard it.

When the carriage arrived in Datang Township and drove in, it quickly attracted a crowd. Many villagers whispered among themselves, spreading a startling message:

Chen Jin returned home in glory; he's made a fortune!
　Before I knew it, this book had reached 100,000 words, achieving a small goal. I wonder how many people are truly following and supporting it!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)