Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 82: The Provincial Examination Begins, Love Me, Love My Dog
(It's mid-month, please vote with monthly tickets, let's see if we can get a thousand.)
From the preliminary examination to the provincial examination, the location and examination venue changed, but the main procedures remained largely the same: queuing, body search, obtaining a token, offering sacrifices to the gods, and taking one's assigned seat...

After completing all the necessary tasks, they sat down to rest in the cramped cell.

Today is for entering the venue; the official exam will begin tomorrow.

The examination hall of Gaozhou County Examination Hall was truly enormous, with over ten thousand examination cells, divided into several sections that stretched as far as the eye could see.

The examination hall was quiet and the examination cells were serene, and Chen Jin's thoughts began to wander.

He ate and drank well during this period, and his cultivation made great progress. He could vaguely sense that he was not far from breaking through to the third realm.

The third realm, the late stage of refining essence into qi, will lead to the second major stage, "refining qi into spirit," once the cultivation is complete.

At this stage, a transformative change will occur. The body's Qi and blood will surge, and the five internal organs will be fully strengthened. At that time, Qi can be drawn into the body, and the six Qi will truly begin to align, from the outside in.

This is what true "cultivation of immortality" should be called.

In his spare time, Chen Jin had wondered which lineage or school of thought this "Six Qi Correct Position Method" belonged to. However, along the way, he had basically been in a state of "working behind closed doors" and had not come into contact with much of the cultivation circle, whether it was people or things.

I've probably only known one true spiritual practitioner:
Linghu Xueli.

But the other party, carrying the mandrill's head, disappeared without a trace, appearing both elegant and mysterious.

I remember back then Wang Fu searched all over the city, hoping to meet him again and gain a chance at immortality, but where could he find him?

The favor that Linghu Xueli verbally promised Chen Jin was never fulfilled.

Besides Linghu Xueli, there was also the unorthodox sorcerer, Mr. Gu.

From him, Chen Jin received a large sum of gold, as well as a copy of the "Soul-Capturing Technique".

The gold solved the immediate crisis, but the magic technique remained untouched and had not yet been practiced.

However, the teapot and the pouch were handy and became personal items that he carried with him wherever he went.

Now that they were entering the examination hall, they naturally couldn't bring their bags in. If they were found, they wouldn't be able to explain themselves, so they hid them in their rooms.

In summary, he spent a long time learning and practicing on his own.

He originally intended to inquire about the God of Literature, Kui Xing, but the other party had already displayed his power and had not appeared in his dreams again. No matter how much incense Chen Jin burned and worshipped, or how many questions he asked, all to no avail.

There must be books about spiritual practice in the upper floors, but they are not on the first floor, but hidden on the second or third floor.

He is not currently eligible to go upstairs.

In the mansion of Sixth Master Chen Shounian, there were only guards and bodyguards, but no sorcerers or other such people.

This is precisely a sign of a lack of visitors.

In Chen Shounian's words, "We can't afford to raise them anymore."

That's why the offering ended up with Chen Jin; it was all preordained.

The lack of access to information has resulted in limited understanding of spiritual practice.

He didn't care anymore; passing the imperial examination and obtaining the title of Juren was his top priority.

Because this is a real stepping stone; only by obtaining it can one enter the main Chen family compound.

Only then would they have enough confidence to return home in glory and face the retaliation from Magistrate Zhao.

I wonder how my uncle and the others who stayed in Datang Township are doing now...

……

Datang Township, Land God Temple.

Chen Yuan led his family, carrying paper money, incense, paper money, candles, and other offerings, to burn incense and worship the gods.

This behavior has been going on for several days now, every day, rain or shine.

Not only do they worship the local deity, but the family's ancestral tablets are also constantly incense-burning.

There was only one wish he made: that Chen Jin would pass the imperial examination with flying colors and return home in glory.

This is the biggest wish of the whole family.

Just recently, the family finally received a letter from Chen Tan, who had enlisted in the army. The letter said that everything was going well, and that he had been promoted to sergeant because of his good performance on the battlefield, so his family didn't need to worry...

It's impossible not to worry, but the return of a letter reporting that I'm safe is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold. Although this letter was sent from the southern barbarians, it had gone through several transfers along the way, and it was probably several months ago.

Actually, life in the countryside hasn't been easy lately.

Since Magistrate Zhao took office, his policies have been strict and his taxes have been increasing. First it affected the county seat, but it quickly spread to the countryside, leaving no one untouched.

Both inside and outside the city, the people were full of complaints and suffering greatly.

In the past, village self-governance meant that villagers only needed to pay the taxes and other duties stipulated by the imperial court. But now, government officials and clerks are frequently sent to the countryside, practically wreaking havoc. They'll say things like houses are not up to standard, livestock have problems, or they'll collect money to build bridges and roads, only to leave the roads even worse after all the money has been collected.

Ordinary people were struggling to make ends meet, and even local gentry and wealthy people were not immune. The county jail was already overcrowded, and it was said that from morning till night, the cries and wails were heart-wrenching and horrifying...

Every household is tightening their belts to make ends meet.

The Chen family couldn't even afford the three sacrificial animals; the ingots and candles were cheap and of poor quality. They could only hope that their ancestors and spirits wouldn't be offended.

The harder life became, the stronger the desire for Chen Jingui to pass the imperial examination became.

Not only their family, but the entire Datang Township, including Zhou Lizheng and his family, all unanimously hoped that Chen Jin could pass the imperial examination and return home.

This is because if a scholar were to pass the imperial examination in the village, it would provide protection for everyone and reduce much oppression.

This is a truly good thing.

……

The ancestral home of the Chen family, the residence of the sixth branch.

Chen Shounian was frowning with worry. He had just received a letter saying that his eldest son, Chen Heming, had been imprisoned again.

Why use the word "again"?
Because Chen Heming, an imperial censor of the Censorate, dared to speak frankly and remonstrate with the emperor, constantly criticizing and exposing the evil deeds of prominent families and even imperial relatives, he became inextricably linked with imprisonment.

Chen Shounian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He admired people of upright character, but those who were too rigid were easily broken. People like his son would never get ahead in officialdom and would be ruined at any time.

It's a blessing to have survived this long.

Although the Chen family is one of the eight most prestigious families in the world, it is not so effective in many matters.

Especially someone like Chen Heming.

In contrast, the second son, Chen Hesheng, who was carefree and spent his time traveling and sightseeing, was much safer.

If your descendants are unlikely to amount to anything, it's better to be a spendthrift; at least you can protect yourself.

However, given Chen Shounian's temperament, he was ultimately unwilling to accept it.

Unfortunately, his sons were disappointing, and his grandsons were even worse. The only one who was good was his granddaughter, Guo Ai.

There is no one to carry on the legacy.

Whenever he thought of this, Chen Shounian couldn't help but feel heartbroken.

To some extent, his confidence in Chen Jin and his willingness to provide him with various resources and support stemmed from his own practical considerations.

He has never shied away from this personal motive.

As Chen Jin said, if a person has no selfish desires, then he is a saint.

In this world, saints are rare, while hypocrites are everywhere.

"If Chen Jin really passes the exam on his first try, then we can arrange for him and Ai'er to get married. It would be a wonderful story..."

Comparing Chen Jin and Chen Xuejie, Chen Jin is certainly not as good as he is now.

In terms of fame, background, age, and future prospects, none of them can compare.

However, Chen Shounian had seen many people and knew that when it came to choices, suitability was paramount.

Blindly pursuing the best may ultimately lead to nothing but wasted effort.

Moreover, judging from Guo Ai's attitude towards the two, she clearly treats Chen Jin better and is closer to him, which is puzzling.

Is it a case of loving someone because of their loved ones?

Or perhaps she prefers a more mature type?
(End of this chapter)