Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 61: People from the main family have come; they've gone too far!
Backyard, small hall.

Instead of tea, they served a cup of hot water, steaming gently.

The elderly man sat there, looking around at the simple furnishings, before fixing his gaze on Chen Jin opposite him.

Chen Jin sat upright, as was his habit, without the slightest sign of awkwardness or nervousness.

He is the true owner here.

The old man's entourage remained outside, with only a young boy accompanying him.

The young man had red lips and white teeth, and bright almond-shaped eyes. Although he was dressed as a man, he was clearly a woman at a glance, since he was not wearing a chest binder and his breasts were bulging, which was quite eye-catching.

The old man just stared at Chen Jin, seemingly without intending to say anything.

He remained silent, and Chen Jin also remained silent, his attitude composed.

The two seemed to be competing with each other, which made the scene quiet.

"interesting."

Finally, the elderly guest couldn't hold back any longer: "I never expected you to have cultivated such composure; it's truly remarkable."

Chen Jin cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "May I ask your guidance?"

The elderly man, in his sixties, said calmly, "I am Chen Shounian, and she is my granddaughter, Guo Ai. We come from the prefecture."

Chen Jin blinked: "You came here specifically to see me?"

Chen Shounian smiled slightly: "No, it was just a coincidence."

"Appreciate further details."

"You should be able to guess where I come from. Actually, before I came to the city to find you, I had already been to Datang Township and talked with your uncle Chen Yuan."

Chen Jin then asked, "Are you very familiar with my family's situation?"

Chen Shounian said, "It's not that simple. To tell you the truth, in addition to the family genealogy, the Chen family also has a roster specifically for recording the collateral branches scattered in various places. But not just anyone can be recorded; one has to have made some contributions."

"You mean I've been officially registered?"

"Indeed, you were admitted to the Imperial Academy at the age of sixteen and were known as a 'child prodigy' in the area, which is why you were able to be listed on the roster. It's just a pity that you failed the exams repeatedly and remained obscure for many years. According to the clan rules, if you still haven't made any progress by the time you turn thirty, your name will be removed from the list."

Chen Jin asked in confusion, "But I'm already thirty-one years old."

Chen Shounian replied, "Yes, so your name has already been crossed off the roster."

"Then why did you come looking for me?"

"As I said, it's just a coincidence... The branches of the clan are scattered in various places and have undergone many changes, so information cannot be updated in a timely manner. Therefore, the clan law stipulates that every three years, a special person will be sent down to conduct visits and collect information. This year, it is my turn to come."

"So you came to see how I am?"

"Hehe, I already knew that you passed the imperial examination and became a scholar this year."

Now Chen Jin understood.

It was precisely because he had passed the imperial examination that he was able to attract the other party's attention and thus come to his door.

It's realistic, and it's normal.

After all, his lineage has been scattered for a hundred years, so what affection could there still be between them and their ancestral home?

Just because you share the same surname, will others unconditionally help you and share wealth and glory with you?
That's impossible.

The world is vast, and those with the same surname can find their way to each other.

In short, it's better to rely on yourself than on others. Chen Jin asked, "After I pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, will I be able to return to the roster?"

Chen Shounian shook his head: "I'm afraid that won't work, because the roster has age restrictions. If you don't get a degree before you're thirty, your name will be crossed out. Unless you pass the imperial examination before you're forty, that is, you will be reinstated to the roster, recognized as a member of the clan, and added to the family genealogy."

Chen Jin smacked his lips: "Sure enough, it's one thing after another."

Chen Shounian shrugged: "There's no other way. Clans have to consider their own interests in order to develop in the long term. Without clan laws and family rules, they will eventually fall apart and cease to exist. You must know that among the hundred surnames, which family hasn't been prosperous at some point? There are scholarly families, powerful clans, and even families that have produced members of the imperial family. But with the changing dynasties and the vicissitudes of life, many surnames have declined. The four great families and eight famous families of today have all been formed through hard work and vicissitudes. But this is by no means permanent. If a family declines and its power diminishes, it will be replaced by someone else."

At this point, he sighed and said, "I'm not afraid to tell you, in recent years, our Chen family has shown signs of stagnation and decline, and our ranking has fallen to the bottom of the top eight. This is not a good sign."

Chen Jin said, "In a race of a hundred boats, if you don't advance, you fall behind."

Chen Shounian clapped his hands: "That's exactly right."

Chen Jin said calmly, "But it's useless for you to tell me all this."

"How is it useless? I have always advocated that clans should recruit more talented people and add fresh blood in order to maintain competitiveness and upward momentum."

Chen Shounian argued vehemently: "Don't you want to return to your ancestral homeland and reconnect with your ancestors?"

Chen Jin's eyes flashed: "I'm more interested in knowing what else in the clan, besides being reinstated in the family genealogy, attracts its members to return."

"Good question."

Chen Shounian said loudly, "Our Chen clan is able to rank among the eight great clans of the world, which is due to its profound foundation. Among them, the clan school is the most basic, and the library contains tens of thousands of books, cultivation techniques, secret manuals, elixirs, and medicinal diets, all of which are complete. The back mountain raises as many as eighteen kinds of blood beasts, each with different effects..."

What he said wasn't really any secret information. The real treasure was hidden underground, unknown not only to outsiders but also to the younger generation of the clan's direct line.

Even so, just taking any one of those things and putting it outside would be a lifelong dream for ordinary people.

The gap between people and the differences between families can often be so great that it can be despairing!
As Chen Shounian spoke, he observed Chen Jin's expression and indeed caught a glimpse of interest.

Chen Jin was indeed tempted, because medicinal cuisine and the like were exactly the resources he desperately needed.

The four essential elements of spiritual practice are wealth, companionship, Dharma, and environment. In reality, these four elements are all interconnected; if you have one, you have everything; if you don't have one, you don't have everything.

A single tree cannot make a forest; a lone traveler, even with incredible luck, will find it difficult to achieve anything.

For someone like him to be granted the divine intervention of the God of the Gods and receive the secrets of cultivation techniques is an extremely rare and fortunate destiny, yet he is still stuck in a bottleneck and unable to make any progress.

This is the result of having the method but lacking external resources.

It would take forever for one person to break through to the third realm.

Alternatively, one can only resort to crooked and illegal means, such as stealing, robbing, murdering, and plundering resources and wealth...

However, countless examples have shown that such a practice cannot last and is merely a short-sighted approach.

At this moment, Chen Shounian stopped his introduction and changed the subject: "After entering the city and before looking for you, I went to the county school. Instructor Zhang and I are old friends. We talked a lot when we met again."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jin knew the main event was about to begin, and asked calmly, "And then?"

Chen Shounian's demeanor suddenly changed: "That brat from the Zhao family is going too far. Does he really think the Chen family has no one to rely on?"

So you're going to help me?

"Yes, I can help you obtain the qualification for the provincial examination."

　Thank you to reader "Forget-Worries-Seven-Days" for the 500 reward. Just to clarify, if I were to suddenly include curses or spells for a moment's pleasure, it would fall apart; the logic would be too far-fetched.

　　In fact, the current main plot has been foreshadowed long ago.

　　Linghu's favor will prove invaluable later...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)