Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 78: Ancestral Protection, Precious Certificate Falls on Shoulder
Old Clothes Alley, former residence in a secluded courtyard.

Shi Qifeng stood in the courtyard, looking up into the distance.

Unfortunately, they were too far apart to see or hear anything.

Crow Xiaoci stood on the roof, but even with her exceptional eyesight, she couldn't penetrate the vast distance.

Unless you fly up into the sky.

However, this area is teeming with powerful energy, making it easy to be spotted when one takes to the air.

Today, Chen Jin went to his ancestral home for a ancestral worship ceremony, and the two of them could not accompany him and could only stay obediently.

However, I was eager to know the results as soon as possible.

Whether Chen Jin can receive ancestral protection is of great significance, not only for himself but also for those around him.

After all, that is the Chen family, one of the eight most prestigious families in the world.

Being able to recognize one's ancestors signifies a significant change in one's status and circumstances.

As for those who followed Chen Jin, as well as the birds, their prices also soared, just as the saying goes, "When one person attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."

That would be a bit too ambitious; we haven't reached that point yet.

However, at this stage, the resource support from the Chen family is crucial for Chen Jin. If he can be allowed to enter the library and seize the time to study, he will have a better chance of passing the upcoming provincial examination.

"I believe that you will be victorious and reap the benefits of your ancestors' legacy."

Shi Qifeng changed his form of address, but Xiao Ci still called him "Mr." because Chen Jinzhen was her teacher, teaching without discrimination and guiding her all the way.

"I believe too."

Shi Qifeng remained steadfast.

It seems that Chen Jin has accomplished everything he set out to do over the years.

……

Beneath the old locust tree, incense smoke curled, creating a solemn atmosphere.

Chen Shouqi and the others all stood solemnly, waiting with dignified expressions.

The three incense sticks in the bronze incense burner were already more than half burned, with only a finger's length from the base, and would soon burn out completely.

The wind was particularly strong, blowing fiercely, which made it burn even faster.

Although the elders did not show their emotions, they each had their own opinions.

Some felt it was none of their business;

Some were watching the spectacle with amusement;

Some even cursed Chen Shounian for being foolish, saying that he had wasted his precious recommendation opportunity on an outsider when it was something that could have been predicted at a glance.

The reason is that the outcome of this matter had little to do with Chen Jin's own talent and ability.

The protection of ancestors, as the name suggests, means that only close descendants can receive this favor.

It's a very simple question: in the last hundred years, has anyone from Chen Jin's lineage burned incense at the ancestral hall?

No.

Or, to put it another way, did any of Chen Jin's lineage, including his father, grandfather, or even great-grandfather, have ancestral tablets erected in the ancestral hall?

There isn't one.

If we really want to trace it back, we'd probably have to go back to the generation of our great-great-grandfather.

That generational gap would be too far.

Since we have never received any offerings from your family and our bloodline is thin, how can we expect ancestral blessings and protection?

You must know that ancestral blessings are limited and will diminish the divinity of the ancestral gods; they are not given away just like that.

For a moment, the scene seemed somewhat deserted.

Standing to the side, Chen Shounian watched the incense sticks burn out and couldn't help but sigh sadly: In many cases, prejudices between different social classes are already deeply rooted and difficult to shake.

Even though Chen Jin has shown considerable potential, it's all in vain.

Potential lacks persuasiveness until it is realized.

After all, one's background is an indisputable fact.

Born in the countryside, how can a commoner achieve lofty ambitions?

We'll have to prove it after we pass the imperial examination. Until then, it's all just empty talk.

Humans are realistic, but ancestral gods are even more realistic.

They have existed for thousands of years, witnessed the changes of the world, and experienced all the ways of human nature; they are not easily moved.

At this point, it would have been much easier for Chen Shounian to step forward and pray for ancestral blessings, but overstepping his bounds would not be tolerated by clan rules and would have rendered the request meaningless.

Therefore, he could only watch helplessly.

As the wind blew by, Chen Jin suddenly spoke up and asked, "May I ask the clan leader if I may write another eulogy?"

Chen Shouqi replied: "As long as it is within the time limit, you can continue to perform sacrificial-related actions, such as burning incense, burning paper money candles, or kneeling, kowtowing, praying, pleading, etc."

He paused for a moment, then said calmly, "I think that instead of you standing there writing a eulogy, you should kneel down and cry out. Perhaps that will bring some mercy from the ancestral gods and grant you ancestral blessings."

Chen Jin said, "Thank you for your guidance, clan chief. However, I believe that begging will not bring sympathy, but will instead make me look down upon. Therefore, I would like to write another eulogy to discuss this further."

Chen Shouqi stroked his beard: "Not bad, you do have some backbone. It's just a pity that sometimes being too stubborn only makes you hit a wall harder and hurt more. Enough of this small talk, time is running out, so hurry up and start writing."

"it is good."

Chen Jin stopped arguing and went to the wooden table next to him.

The Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper) were already laid out on the table.

Chen Shounian couldn't help but lean closer and whisper, "Instead of writing a eulogy, why don't you try writing a memorial poem?"

A memorial text, written on yellow paper, and inscribed with green paper.

The three have things in common, but also some differences.

In comparison, the Qingci form is the most ornate, suitable for literary expression. If one uses beautiful words skillfully, one can write eloquently and beautifully.

There was once an emperor who admired Taoism and meditated in the deep palace, neglecting to attend court for several years.

Following the example set by the emperor, officials, eager to advance their careers, began to write petitions and present them to the emperor. The emperor would then hold a ceremony to burn these petitions, thus making a respectful report to the heavens and the gods.

When you write too many poems, they inevitably become homogenized. In order to stand out, you have to put in a lot of effort, filling the whole piece with words of praise, admiration and reverence.

To put it bluntly, it's just flattery.

Over time, the term "qingci" acquired a negative connotation, and it became synonymous with "catering to someone's preferences and flattering them."

In essence, it was not flattery of the gods, but rather flattery of the emperor.

At that time, Chen Shounian suggested that Chen Jin write Qingci (a type of prayer poem), precisely because he wanted to write something pleasant to please the ancestral gods.

That's one way to do it.

However, Chen Jin had already made plans, so he didn't have time to write those ornate and awkward Qingci poems.

He immediately picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and began writing rapidly on the spread-out paper.

His calligraphy, written in running script, flows smoothly and is completed in one go.

After finishing writing, without even drying the ink, he quickly grabbed the brazier in front of the offering table, lit it, and started burning it.

This scene caused the clan elders to frown.

Chen Shounian's heart skipped a beat: Oh no!

This is because the sacrificial texts need to be read aloud before burning, signifying that they are being presented to Heaven.

Chen Jin skipped the recitation part and burned it directly.

That's against the rules.

There was probably too little time to read it aloud.

The incense stick was burning to the very end.

However, doing so would disrupt the rules, lead to mistakes in the rush, and only backfire, incurring the displeasure of the ancestors and gods.

There will never be another chance...

Clan chief Chen Shouqi glanced at the incense sticks and was about to loudly announce, "Time's up."

Whoosh!

A gentle breeze blew, and an orange-yellow scroll fluttered down from the old locust tree, landing squarely on Chen Jin's left shoulder.

(End of this chapter)