Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 53: The Immediate Problem, New Official Takes Office
Chen Jin had his reasons for choosing to return to the mountains and live a secluded life.

On the one hand, people are drawn to the tranquil environment of this place; on the other hand, they can enjoy some local delicacies.

When we lived in the city, we ate mostly chicken, duck, and pork. Beef and mutton were also available, but not often. Beef, in particular, was never eaten in large quantities like in the folk tales. Even if you had the money, it was difficult to buy it.

As his cultivation improved, his appetite also grew. He found that even though he had eaten enough ordinary grains and meat, he still felt hungry and unsatisfied.

Chen Jin then realized that it was because the nutrients and energy contained in ordinary food were not enough, and he needed to eat something more advanced.

Otherwise, eating incessantly will not help; on the contrary, it will cause a large amount of waste to accumulate in the internal organs, blocking the flow of qi and blood, thus affecting spiritual practice.

So we'll try using birds and beasts to see if we can solve this problem.

Normally, meat from the mountains and fields is of higher quality than that from livestock and poultry.

Compared to before, he is now much more agile and swift, and his hunting skills have improved significantly.

The next day, Chen Jin caught a golden pheasant, weighing three or four pounds. He immediately slaughtered and cleaned it, and cooked a pot of chicken soup.

After finishing his meal, he smacked his lips, then sighed.

Pheasants do indeed taste more delicious than regular chickens and ducks, and they are more filling.

But that's only a small part; it can't solve the fundamental problem.

"In that case, the only option is to take medicinal cuisine..."

So-called medicinal cuisine combines medicinal herbs with food, resulting in a nutritional value far exceeding that of ordinary food. However, this also presents two major problems:
Firstly, it cannot be combined haphazardly; it requires a genuine medicinal diet recipe.

Secondly, things related to "medicine" are often expensive, and once you start taking them, it's a bottomless pit.

Shi Qifeng once said that when he was young and practicing martial arts, he had taken medicinal baths and eaten a lot of medicinal meals. He spent money like water and had to find ways to make money.

He didn't dare to marry because of this, and died alone.

It was both a desire to avoid being tied down and a way to escape the pressure of supporting a family.

In the martial arts world, both medicinal baths and medicinal cuisine are categorized into different levels. Truly powerful prescriptions are all secret and cannot be passed down.

The secret recipes possessed by ordinary martial arts schools are certainly not as good as those of the major sects and schools. Furthermore, the famous families in the world each have their own lineages, which are kept very secret and can only be accessed by direct descendants.

Shi Qifeng had been wandering the world for many years, but he still couldn't get his hands on the basics.

Because he came from humble beginnings and had built his reputation single-handedly, he was unwilling to rely on any gang or organization. Back then, he had the opportunity to join a gang or sect as a protector or something similar, but he refused.

Later, when he fell on hard times and his fortunes plummeted, the only way he could find a patron was to work as a bodyguard for wealthy families.

Shi Qifeng viewed him as a "lackey" and refused to comply even at the cost of his life.

He does have some backbone, after all.

Until she met Chen Jin, she quickly put aside her pride and chose to follow him.

There's a saying: "When one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."

This "dog" is not the same as that "dog" and they cannot be compared.

Of course, Chen Jin is still far from "attaining enlightenment" and is only in the initial stage, starting from humble beginnings.

This is precisely where Shi Qifeng's opportunity lies.

If Chen Jin really becomes powerful and influential, would he still look at a washed-up old guy with a broken arm?

By then, let alone driving a horse-drawn carriage, you wouldn't even get a turn to empty the manure buckets.

Interpersonal relationships are always a two-way street; one-sided relationships are worthless.

Shi Qifeng was unsure what kind of divine opportunity Chen Jin had obtained, but he firmly believed that Chen Jin was no ordinary person and that once he stood out, he would soar to great heights.

Unfortunately, the medicinal recipes Shi Qifeng knew were rather rudimentary and could not be considered true medicinal cuisine, so their effects were minimal. Where, then, could one find genuine medicinal cuisine recipes?
Chen Jin looked around blankly, without direction. After all, he was just a person of humble origins. The swordsmanship, qi cultivation, and weapon crafting techniques he had learned were all relatively pure methods, not involving anything else.

The current situation is like having the methods but lacking the foundation, resulting in a top-heavy and unbalanced state that is in urgent need of resolution.

Seven days passed in a flash.

Chen Jin felt he should go down the mountain; staying on the barren mountain any longer would only be a waste of time.

So this time, he didn't lock the wooden door of the thatched cottage, but left it open. If any hunters or woodcutters came up the mountain and wanted to find a place to rest but didn't want to stay in the mountain god's temple, they could enter the cottage at any time.

Let's just consider it a convenience.

When he returned home from the mountain, Chen Yuan was very happy to see him and quickly asked his wife to kill a chicken.

Chen Jin then asked, "Today is the seventh day after the teacher's death. Shall I go and offer incense?"

Chen Yuan nodded and said, "Of course."

The old tutor's death did not cause much of a stir in the village; he was quite old and died of old age.

However, after his passing, the village school was without a teacher and needed to find someone to replace him. Some villagers suggested that Zhou Ming teach the school.

However, Zhou Ming refused to give up and insisted on taking the exam, as if he would not give up until he passed and became a scholar.

The main reason is that my family can afford it.

If one becomes a tutor, one will be so busy with daily affairs that it will be even less likely that one will be able to pass the imperial examination.

Today is the seventh day after his death, and Zhou Ming also came to pay his respects at the coffin. He happened to run into Chen Jin.

The two met again this time, but their statuses were no longer the same.

Zhou Ming forced a smile and hurriedly left to avoid embarrassment, but his clenched fists betrayed his inner resentment.

After offering condolences and a monetary gift, Chen Jin returned home, ate, and began driving back to the city. He politely declined Chen Zhi's offer to be his driver, so as not to cause him unnecessary travel.

After all, catching a carriage isn't that difficult; you can do it yourself. As for the scholar's dignity, there's no need to care.

They walked in silence, heading straight back to the Green Mountain Sword Shop, only to find the shop closed and not open for business.

Chen Jin felt something was off, got out of the car and tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside, so he patted it.

After waiting for a while, the apprentice Atie opened the door. Seeing it was him, he quickly greeted him, "Master, you're back."

He quickly reached out to help lead the horse.

Chen Jin walked in, glanced around, and asked, "Why is the door bolted? Like you're keeping a close watch on thieves."

Ah Tie muttered, "Isn't it to guard against thieves?"

Chen Jin was stunned: "Is there really a thief? Where's Master Shi?"

"I'm here."

Shi Qifeng ran out of the room, his previously irritable expression slightly improved.

Chen Jin then asked, "Has something happened to the shop? What happened?"

He didn't believe the theory of being robbed. With Shi Qifeng in charge, what petty thief would dare to come to the shop? Besides, there wasn't anything useful to steal in the sword shop; most of the items were rough and heavy household items.

Shi Qifeng said angrily, "This business is impossible to do."

"Why?"

"Isn't this the newly appointed Magistrate Zhao? New broom sweeps clean, and he's already talking about reforms and improvements, finding fault with everything. But all he's really doing is demanding money, like robbery! Bah!"

(End of this chapter)