Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 58: Dark Clouds Loom Over the City, Yet the Actions Remain Effortless
(Opening in August, last five days on the new book chart, urgently requesting votes to support my reading!)
The Wang family's ordeal caused a stir in Maoxian County. But three days later, the commotion subsided like a burst bubble in a pond.

Ultimately, it's just a stagnant pool.

The reason is simple: Magistrate Zhao's domineering and tyrannical nature has been fully demonstrated. Given the precedent of the Wang family, who would dare to step forward?

During the Great Qianlong era, most officials were appointed to posts outside the capital and rarely served in their localities. Hence the saying: "The government offices remain, but the officials come and go."

The term "government office" here has a specific meaning, mainly referring to local officials, constables, and runners.

They have been operating locally for generations, and their influence is deeply entrenched and deeply rooted.

Therefore, the first issue a new official must address upon taking office is managing his relationship with his subordinates. Otherwise, he will face obstacles at every turn, making it difficult to implement his policies.

However, this thorny problem was no match for Magistrate Zhao. Upon his arrival, his trusted confidants took over the entire yamen and managed all the officials with complete obedience.

This is the crushing power of absolute strength.

The Zhao family of Xinzhou is one of the eight most famous families in the land.

If their direct descendants, when appointed to official positions, still have to defer to lower-level officials, then that would be a gross understatement.

Magistrate Zhao targeted the Wang family to both establish his authority and to amass wealth.

After all, everyone needs money, and the wealthier a family is, the greater their expenses will be.

In order to become the magistrate of Mao County, Magistrate Zhao also needed to cultivate relationships and make connections.

That's all money.

The money spent must be recouped; the cost comes from the consumer – this is an age-old ironclad rule.

As expected, after witnessing Magistrate Zhao's ruthless methods, no one in the city dared to talk anymore. They obediently lowered their heads and honestly accepted all the conditions and demands set forth by the government.

Those who cannot afford it can only close their doors and windows.

For a time, the market became sluggish, and a tense and oppressive atmosphere permeated the area, like a huge dark cloud hanging over the county town.

Dark clouds overwhelm the city!

……

"Chen Jin, things have changed. Your qualification for the provincial examination will be postponed."

When they arrived at the county school again, Instructor Zhang said apologetically.

Chen Jin looked at him: "Is it because of Wang Fu?"

Instructor Zhang shook his head: "It's not that... How should I put it? Magistrate Zhao specifically said that your qualifications are not up to par and you should continue to study at the county school until the next term."

Chen Jin narrowed his eyes: "Isn't Magistrate Zhao overreaching himself?"

Instructor Zhang sighed, "There's nothing I can do. As the county magistrate, he oversees all affairs in the county, and I have to report to him as well."

"It seems I'll have to go to the government office and ask them in person."

"Chen Jin, don't go. It's no use. I have a guess about the inside story, and it might be related to your surname."

Chen Jin was taken aback: "My surname?"

Instructor Zhang slowly said, "As far as I know, the Chen family of Gaozhou and the Zhao family of Xinzhou have always been at odds, especially in recent years, the two families have been fighting fiercely."

Chen Jin: "..."

I never imagined it would be for this reason; a sense of absurdity suddenly arose in my heart.

I initially thought it was because Wang Fu had gotten into trouble and it implicated me, which would have been understandable. But what's with this sudden dispute over surnames?
He immediately said, "My lineage migrated from our ancestral homeland in the prefecture a hundred years ago. We are an insignificant collateral branch, not even considered illegitimate."

Instructor Zhang sighed: "But you are still surnamed Chen, aren't you?"

Chen Jin understood what the other party meant. If he was fortunate enough to pass the imperial examination, the next step would probably be to acknowledge his ancestors and return to his ancestral home.

Given this, why would Magistrate Zhao give him a chance?

Although he was not favored to take the exam and was likely to fail, Magistrate Zhao could simply bar him from the exam hall with a few words, thus ruining his future.

This approach better demonstrates authority. He could casually crush one of Chen's henchmen and vent his anger.

Instructor Zhang's expression was somewhat complicated: "Chen Jin, if I were still young, perhaps I could help you fight for it. But now I am old and frail, with my family all around me, and I have long lost that vigor. I really can't help you."

Chen Jin said in a deep voice, "Your Excellency, I am already very grateful that you would say these words to me."

Instructor Zhang nodded slightly: "I read your latest article last time. It was fresh and promising, and shouldn't have been overlooked. However, circumstances are beyond your control. I think you might as well be patient for now. You could choose to travel and study elsewhere, preferably at an academy. Someone like Magistrate Zhao can't stay here forever. Once his three-year term is up, he'll naturally be promoted and leave. At that time, you can make your mark and then go to the prefectural city to take the exam."

Chen Jin bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Instructor. I understand now."

He strode away.

Watching his retreating figure, Instructor Zhang remained silent.

The way he spoke to Chen Jin today was quite candid, not only because he appreciated talent, but also because of the existence of the Chen family in Gaozhou, which was a way of doing him a favor.

If Chen Jin hadn't even passed the county-level imperial examination and was confined to the countryside, it would have been nothing to mention. But now that he has passed and his talent is beginning to shine, it's a completely different story.

A newly appointed scholar, though of average standing, should, barring any unforeseen circumstances, be placed under consideration by the Chen family of Gaozhou.

This is, after all, a degree of achievement, marking one's entry into the ranks of scholars, with room for further advancement.

As for Magistrate Zhao, no matter how powerful he is, he is still an outsider and will leave sooner or later.

Back at the sword shop, in the backyard, Chen Jin felt a surge of frustration and anger, as if he were being crushed by a boulder.

Since learning swordsmanship and internal energy cultivation, he seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, especially in terms of temperament, which naturally exuded a calm and composed demeanor.

In Shi Qifeng's words, he was like a "celestial being with an air of otherworldly grace."

This is obviously an exaggeration, and Chen Jin will not become complacent or arrogant because of it. He has always insisted on practicing swordsmanship and internal energy every day without ever slacking off.

The fundamental approach is to gradually improve one's own strength.

To others, Chen Jin's audacity in killing an official was simply outrageous. But in his daily life, he was actually very cautious and careful.

Blood splattered five steps away, all because he was forced into it.

Why do some people always like to be aggressive?
Does this mean I can show off how capable I am?
But even a rabbit will bite when cornered.

So he opened the sword case, took the heavy sword, and began to swing it in the open space.

He danced more and more frantically, the wind from his sword sweeping through the air and blowing down the leaves of nearby trees.

The leaves flutter and are soft, their trajectory unpredictable, yet wherever the sword's edge points, a leaf is pierced with unparalleled accuracy.

At this moment, with the heavy sword in hand, Chen Jin unleashed the last four moves of the "Huang Ting Yang Wu Sword" technique.

Whether it's the thrusting sword technique or the stabbing sword technique, he can execute them with ease.

This is the true meaning of handling heavy tasks with ease!

After practicing a set of sword techniques, the ground was covered with fallen leaves pierced by the sword.

He exhaled, the pent-up emotions settling in his chest, his expression returning to normal; but as his emotions were concealed, a murderous intent arose...

　Finally, a reader has shared their opinion on the plot; that's great.

　　However, the Southern Dynasties explained that it was common practice for Magistrate Zhao to seize wealth and kill people by abusing his power, which had nothing to do with crudeness.

　　Let alone ancient societies, even today, there are countless examples of food that are far more unsightly than fictional plots. And these are just the reported examples; not to mention the unseen ones.

　　Some readers may feel that this plot point undermines an important supporting character, and therefore feel uncomfortable and dislike it.

　　But the main storyline was laid out all along.

　　The writing style of this book is rather slow, and there aren't many scenes of showing off and getting slapped in the face in the early stages, so the results weren't good. There's no way around it, because this book is meant to be more fleshed out and longer, and the world-building is gradually unfolding.

　　But the Southern Dynasties wrote so many books, and they never wrote any disgusting plots, so you can rest assured about that.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)