Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 3, Section 3: Taboos in the Wild Temple, Sharpening the Knife to Slay the God
The mountain god temple is situated on a hillside in a prime location. The open space in front of the temple is surrounded by old trees and a babbling brook, making it a truly picturesque place.

It is said that when it was first built, it was very popular with worshippers, but it never became effective. Gradually, no one worshipped it anymore, and it became what it is now, overgrown with weeds, quiet and secluded.

It was just too quiet and lifeless, which made it seem eerie.

Nearby, some highly decomposed bird and animal carcasses were also seen, with exposed bones.

After careful observation, Chen Jin discovered that this phenomenon only occurred around the mountain god temple; the area outside the circle returned to normal.

It's as if there's some taboo surrounding the area centered on the mountain god temple, causing birds to avoid it and beasts to circumvent it.

No wonder we haven't seen any birds coming down to eat the rice for so long...

Just then, someone came up the mountain; it was his uncle, Chen Tan.

He was a man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a cheerful disposition. In order to support his nephew Chen Jin's education, he neglected his own marriage and was still unmarried at the age of forty.

The Chen family's ancestral precepts emphasized the importance of passing the imperial examinations to bring prosperity to the family and to glorify one's ancestors through academic achievements.

However, the family's resources were limited, and it was impossible to support multiple children's education at the same time. They could only select those with talent and potential.

For example, Chen Jin and his son.

As for his eldest uncle Chen Yuan, his younger uncle Chen Tan, and his cousin Chen Zhi, they all only attended elementary school for a few years before dropping out early to become farmers or run small businesses.

Chen Tan tried martial arts as a teenager, but stopped after three years because it was too expensive and he couldn't afford it.

The two brothers, Chen Yuan and Chen Jin, regarded their ancestral teachings as gospel and were willing to tighten their belts to support Chen Jin's education.

At first, Chen Jin showed great promise and quickly became the hope of the whole family, but unexpectedly, the situation plummeted later.

However, they did not complain or look down on their nephew. Instead, they carefully advised him, saying that it was not easy to obtain the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the imperial examinations), and even cited Chen Jin's father as an example.

However, after repeated defeats, Chen Jin became depressed and melancholy. He packed up his books and belongings and went to live in seclusion on a desolate mountain.

Chen Tan couldn't dissuade him and tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. When dawn broke, he hurried up the mountain to visit him.

"Uncle, don't worry, I have food and lodging here, and I'm doing quite well."

Chen Jin said.

The term "old uncle" does not refer to age, but is a local Mandarin dialect expression.

Chen Tan looked his nephew up and down and found that his complexion was indeed not bad, and he was full of energy, having swept away his previous listlessness and depression. He couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that changing his environment made him feel cheerful?

This is a good thing.

To be honest, he was really worried that his nephew might have a moment of madness and hang himself from some crooked tree with a rope, and then he would die.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Young man, there's a saying, 'Better to live in a grave than a temple.' Won't it cause problems if you live in a mountain god temple?"

"Xiao Lang" is the affectionate nickname that Chen Jin's family members use for him, but as he gets older, he's about to become "Lao Lang".

Chen Jin replied with a smile, "What's the problem? If the mountain god is spiritual, he can protect me."

Upon hearing this, Chen Tan pondered it for a moment and felt that it made sense.

I came up here today to persuade Chen Jin to come home with me, but Chen Jin has already made up his mind to stay on the mountain for a while.

Having no other choice, Chen Tan could only give some instructions, then leave half a bag of rice and two eggs before hurrying down the mountain.

Watching him walk away, Chen Jin's expression was resolute.

If one hadn't learned swordsmanship, it would have been safer to stay home, but the appearance of Kui Xing (a deity associated with swordsmanship) gave him a boost of confidence.

Besides, what way out is there now if we go down the mountain?
Are we just going to stay at home and become a parasite that everyone criticizes?
The most urgent task is to quickly master the skills and techniques so that we can have a foothold in the market.

Learning swordsmanship and cultivating inner energy simultaneously is the right path.

……

"Young Master refuses to come down the mountain? Third Brother, why are you arguing with him? Just tie him up with a rope, carry him home, and lock him up, isn't that enough?"

Datang Township is a large area with thousands of households, and it is a place where many surnames live together.

The Chen family lives in the south of the village.

This is a traditional courtyard house, divided into three rooms: east, west, and north. The eldest uncle, Chen Yuan, and his family lived in the main north room, the younger uncle, Chen Tan, lived in the west room, and Chen Jin lived in the east room.

After running back, Chen Tan went to the north room to report to his elder brother, Chen Yuan.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan, who was always impatient, immediately became angry and scolded Chen Tan for not doing a good job: "How could you let Xiao Lang stay on the mountain? What if he encounters poisonous snakes or wild beasts and something happens? How will we explain this to the second brother?"

Chen Tan sighed, "Brother, you know Xiao Lang's temperament; he's stubborn. Forcibly taking him down the mountain might keep him locked up temporarily, but can we keep him locked up forever? What if we push him too far and he just bangs his head against a wall?" Chen Yuan scratched his head, looking annoyed, and asked, "Then let's just leave him be?"

“I thought it might be a good idea to let him calm down on his own. He’ll come back eventually, or maybe he won’t be able to endure the hardships on the mountain.”

“Well, he’s getting on in years… Yes, we need to find him a wife as soon as possible. At this age, it’s best to tie him down with a woman. Once he’s married, he can settle down and live a peaceful life. Shanhua, the daughter of Liu the hunter in the west of the village, is quite nice. She has a round waist and plump hips, and looks like she’ll have a good fertility. Plus, she has a fiery personality, which will be perfect for keeping the young man in check.”

Chen Tan had no objection to this and clapped his hands in approval: "I'll listen to my elder brother."

……

Chen Jin had no idea that his family was going to arrange a marriage for him. After thinking it over, he immediately took a wooden basin and hemp rope, left the area of ​​the mountain god temple, and went to a forest a little further away to repeat his old trick.

In the morning, birds appeared and were quite active.

Before long, the roasted brown rice attracted birds to the ground to peck at it.

Chen Jin was delighted to see the opportunity, but since it was his first time doing this kind of business, his skills were a little rusty.

The first time, I was too hasty and pulled the rope too early, startling the bird into flight.

The second time, the direction was wrong, the wooden basin was not properly closed, and the bird that was about to be beak flew away again;
Fortunately, things don't happen more than three times. On the third occasion, it attracted two quails.

These birds are plump and not good at flying, so they fall into traps and can't escape.

Two birds in one pot—quickly capture them alive and tie them up with straw rope. No rush back, let's continue.

After working for more than an hour, they caught a total of four quails and one partridge, a very good harvest.

The most regrettable thing during this process was that a golden pheasant, weighing about three or four pounds, was lured in.

Pull the lever and you can cover it up easily.

However, this chicken was different from other birds. It was fierce and strong. In the blink of an eye, it pushed open the wooden basin and escaped before Chen Jin arrived, leaving only a few chicken feathers behind.

Unable to get chicken, they went back to boil water and processed the five birds. They weighed them and determined that there were about two pounds of meat, enough to make a good soup.

While tending the fire, Chen Jin came up with a new idea: to dig a pit and make a real trap to hunt larger animals.

Although this method has a low success rate, it's worth a shot, no matter how risky it is, just in case it works.
Alternatively, you can wander over to the stream; you might be able to catch some fish.

They went to great lengths just to get a bite of meat.

I may have these thoughts, but I can't let important matters get in the way.

So, taking advantage of his spare time, he resumed practicing the "Huang Ting Yang Wu Sword" technique, practicing each move with great seriousness.

Although one may have taken a shortcut to get started, one's later achievements will always depend on personal diligence and hard work.

Apathy and laziness will ultimately lead to nothing.

……

By noon, the sun was high in the sky, and the yang energy was abundant.

The firewood crackled, the meat broth boiled, and a rich aroma began to waft out.

Chen Jin couldn't help but swallow hard, but it wasn't time to start eating yet.

He first took the Kui Xing kicking the Dipper lamp out of the wooden box and respectfully placed it on the head of the stone altar, directly opposite the dilapidated mountain god statue.

It was as if two gods were facing off.

Although the mountain god statue is much larger and looks high above, its shape is mottled, its features are indistinct, and it appears somewhat dilapidated and distorted.

In contrast, the statue of Kui Xing has a lustrous patina and an aura of precious light, displaying an extraordinary demeanor.

The lamp oil was exhausted, and the lamp could not be lit for the time being. However, Kui Xing (the god of literature) was a spirit, and the lamp itself possessed spiritual charm and divinity, which could resist or even suppress certain evil spirits.

Chen Jin then moved a piece of bluestone over, took a wood-chopping knife, and began sharpening it on the spot.

While grinding, he muttered to himself, "A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall. When the situation is unstoppable, he yields; when he knows something is impossible, he runs away. But how can one know if one does not try? If one is always seeking advantage and avoiding harm, and always dodging and weaving, then life is too boring."

After speaking, he suddenly stood up, raised his head, and his demeanor and aura changed completely.

He defiantly met the eyes of the mountain god statue and shouted, "I can tell at a glance that you are not a god! You evil mountain spirit, how dare you usurp the divine position and murder people! You deserve to be executed!"

He strode forward, raised his wood-chopping knife high, and brought it down fiercely.

(End of this chapter)