Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 92: A young man who has achieved his goal humiliates his master.
According to custom, newly appointed scholars would choose an auspicious day to meet with the local official; and sometimes, the official would also personally visit the scholars to show his favor and win them over.

Chen Jin achieved the highest rank in the provincial examination, making him no ordinary scholar. He also recognized his ancestors and returned to the main branch of the Chen family.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Magistrate Zhao took the initiative to come to the countryside to meet with him.

Upon hearing that the county magistrate was coming, Chen Yuan and his son exchanged glances, immediately becoming tense. They both looked at Chen Jin and asked, "Young Master, we haven't made any preparations at all. What should we do?"

Because of Magistrate Zhao's actions, his reputation was extremely bad, and the villagers all called him "Tiger Zhao".

Oppressive government is more ferocious than a tiger.

Of course, I would only dare to say that in private.

The first feeling ordinary people have towards tigers is fear. They dare not approach them, much less provoke them, for fear of being eaten alive, skin and bones.

Now, this tiger is about to enter his own home.

Although it was a "visit" and they would be polite, Chen Yuan and his son were inevitably terrified and trembling under the menacing presence.

If they knew about the feud between Chen Jin and Magistrate Zhao, they would be even more terrified.

Chen Jin raised an eyebrow: "Tea is fine."

Chen Yuan and his son followed his lead without question and hurriedly went to make preparations.

Shi Qifeng stood to the side and asked in a low voice, "Young master, this corrupt official has come with ill intentions. What should we do?"

Chen Jin said calmly, "Does he think he can eat me? We'll just deal with whatever comes our way."

Shi Qifeng thought about it and realized it was true, so he calmed down.

When the news spread, many villagers were startled and quickly closed their doors and hid, truly fearing it like a tiger.

As local gentry and village head, the Zhou family could not escape their fate. They were led by several constables and accompanied by many elderly people, who arrived at the village entrance "trembling" and "respectfully" to wait and greet them.

About half an hour later, Magistrate Zhao finally arrived in a sedan chair, escorted by a large entourage. At the head of the procession, clerks held up red lacquered signs that read "Silence" and "Avoidance," and beat drums and gongs, creating a lively atmosphere.

The scene of the reprimand is not mentioned.

Soon, the large group headed straight for the Chen family.

Chen Jin did not greet them outside the door; only Chen Yuan and his son stood there, along with two rows of guards led by Su Zhen.

Each of them exuded a fierce and imposing aura, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords at their waists, fully armed and ready for battle.

The sedan chair stopped, and Magistrate Zhao, dressed in a dark blue official robe, stepped out of the sedan chair with a leisurely air. His gaze swept across the room, revealing a fierce and ruthless look.

He was about thirty years old, but looked quite young. He had three short wisps of beard, and his eyes were slightly narrow, adding to his sinister look.

Chen Yuan's legs were trembling uncontrollably, and he lowered his head, unable to speak at all.

Chen Zhi was so overwhelmed that he almost knelt down in worship.

Fortunately, Shi Qifeng stepped forward and bowed with one arm: "Greetings, Lord Zhao. My master has had a long journey and unfortunately got an upset stomach. He is in the outhouse and cannot come out to greet you. Please forgive him."

Magistrate Zhao frowned, and the expressions of his close attendants changed drastically, their faces filled with anger.

Chen Jin's failure to personally come out to greet him was already disrespectful; what was the meaning behind setting up such a grand display at the entrance?
Is it a show of force?

Who does he think he is?
He was just a newly appointed scholar.

Lord Zhao narrowed his eyes, his thoughts shifted, and he suddenly burst into laughter: "It's alright, it's just that I arrived unexpectedly."

He sneered inwardly: This kid acted impulsively, resorting to such childish tactics, but he has already exposed his own weakness. If someone like this were to enter officialdom one day, he wouldn't even know how he died.

Shi Qifeng said with a forced smile, "Lord Zhao, please."

They led him into the house, sat him down, and brought him a cup of lukewarm tea. No snacks or cakes were served; the place seemed very simple.

Then he said, "Please wait a moment, sir. My master should be better soon. I'll go check on him."

Having said that, he left, leaving Magistrate Zhao and an old man with a white beard inside, in a cold and desolate place.

The old man was thin and frail, dressed in a hempen robe and gray goatee, his goatee was meticulously combed, and his eyes gleamed with a cold light: "This boy is rude, outrageous!"

Magistrate Zhao said calmly, "Old Ma, please calm down. We're not here to really drink his tea."

Old Ma said with dissatisfaction, "This brat has become arrogant and dares to be so disrespectful and humiliating to you, sir. He is courting death."

Magistrate Zhao chuckled coldly, remaining silent.

If it weren't for his good fortune, the grass on Chen Jin's grave would be incredibly tall by now. It's truly unexpected that Mr. Gu would fail; there must be something fishy about this…

In the other side room, Chen Yuan and his son rushed in anxiously. Seeing Chen Jin sitting calmly inside, they couldn't help but say, "Young master, is this how we entertain the county magistrate? This, this..."

Chen Jin waved his hand and said, "Uncle, you don't know this. Our Chen family and his Zhao family have always had many conflicts and constant open and covert struggles. Last time, he even tried to ruin my future and forbade me from going to the prefectural city to take the provincial examination."

Chen Yuan was taken aback and quickly asked what was going on.

Chen Jin then briefly explained the process.

This was the first time Chen Yuan and his son had heard about these things, and after hearing them, they were visibly furious.

Chen Zhi, full of youthful vigor, was instantly enraged: "To ruin someone's future is like killing their parents. This bastard is utterly despicable. Luckily, I didn't kneel before him. Bah!"

When it comes to his nephew's future, the nature of the matter is completely different. Chen Yuan said with indignation, "This corrupt official actually has the nerve to come and visit. If I had known earlier, I would have risked my old bones to chase him out with a broom."

Chen Jin smiled and said, "That's not necessary. Actually, I was just thinking of going to see him. I want to see just how vicious this wicked county magistrate really is."

With that, he got up and went out.

Watching him walk away, Chen Yuan couldn't help but call out, "Young man, be careful."

Chen Jin turned around and smiled, indicating that it was alright.

Inside the room, Chen Yuan and his son were left looking at each other in bewilderment, never expecting such a hostile turn of events.

Although I feel quite uneasy and restless, I will definitely stand on the side of my own people and unite against outsiders in this matter, no matter what.

However, this time their adversary is truly formidable, being the head of a county. If they cannot defeat him, their entire family will be doomed.

Fortunately, Chen Jin had achieved the highest rank in the provincial examination and had already been recognized by his ancestors. With the entire Chen family as his backing, even the fierce and ruthless Magistrate Zhao dared not act recklessly.

However, in that case, the matter of moving back to the ancestral home must be expedited.

Meanwhile, Chen Jin went out and saw Shi Qifeng waiting outside; Guo Ai stayed inside with Chen Yangshi and the other women, getting along very well.

She was a likable girl by nature.

Chen Jin strode towards the main hall, crossed the threshold, and met the gaze of Magistrate Zhao, who had looked up after hearing the commotion.

This was the first time the two had met.

Their gazes met, as if sparks were about to fly.

Besides the two, there is a third party.

Old Ma with the white beard stood behind Magistrate Zhao, his eyes glaring like a hungry wolf hunting its prey.

In an instant, Chen Jin felt a stinging sensation between his eyebrows, and a wave of malice, like pitch-black ink, rushed towards him.

(End of this chapter)