Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 8: Demons and monsters lurk, but immortal destiny comes naturally.
At first glance, the woman's age is somewhat ambiguous; her skin is as delicate as a young girl's, yet her every smile and gesture exudes the mature charm of a married woman.

She had been hiding in the sedan chair for who knows how long, and when she came out, she leaned on Wang Fu's shoulder and said coquettishly, "Husband, my butt hurts from sitting so long, and I dare not make a sound. My whole body is so sore and numb. Please rub it for me."

Wang Fu laughed and said, "Meiniang, please don't be rude. Greet Brother Chen."

The beautiful woman gave Chen Jin a flirtatious look and bowed, saying, "This humble woman greets Young Master Chen. I have often heard you speak of him, and seeing you today, I can confirm that you are indeed a handsome man."

The sudden appearance of another person startled Chen Jin, sobering him up somewhat. At first, he thought it was Wang Fu's wife, but after a moment's thought, he quickly dismissed the idea.

Given Wang Fu's age and family background, he had naturally married and had children long ago.

Wealthy families value having many children and good fortune, so they work hard to have many offspring to ensure their lineage continues.

So, could this be his newlywed concubine?

Since concubines are far inferior to wives in status, it's understandable that they might be kept secretly by one's side.

"Young Master Chen, it's a pleasure to meet you. Let me offer you a cup of wine."

The beautiful woman poured the wine and raised her cup over.

Out of courtesy, Chen Jin also raised his glass.

The two cups touched lightly, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, the woman's ring fingertip gently traced a line on the back of Chen Jin's hand, like a cat's claw scratching his heart, instantly stirring a tender feeling within him.

Chen Jin drank the wine in one gulp, stood up and said goodbye: "Thank you for the banquet, Brother Wang. It's getting late, I should go back now."

With a beautiful woman in his arms, Wang Fu was intoxicated by the atmosphere rather than the wine, and said, "Brother Chen, please wait."

Chen Jin walked out of the thatched cottage, and behind him came giggling laughter. He didn't stop at all and strode away.

Night fell, and the wind picked up.

The night breeze was refreshing.

He suddenly understood: Wang Fu went up the mountain ostensibly to evade military service, but in reality, he was hiding a mistress in the thatched cottage. No wonder he acted this way...

Back at the mountain god temple, he closed the door, thought for a moment, and then picked up a piece of wood to prop it up behind the door.

Then I sat on the blue stone altar and waited for the moonlight to shine on me.

I waited and waited, but the moon never came.

At this point, the weather changed, and the clouds rolled in, obscuring the bright moon.

Helpless, Chen Jin adjusted his mindset and began to practice breathing exercises.

After finishing the first attempt, he hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and tried to do it a second time.

For some reason, he felt a sense of urgency and wanted to improve his strength as soon as possible.

But after a while, pain arose in my body, originating from my internal organs and meridians.

No, it still won't work...

Chen Jin quickly stopped.

Exceeding your limits and forcing yourself to exert yourself will only damage your internal organs and meridians. If you damage your foundation, it will be very difficult to repair it.

Ultimately, it's because I started cultivating too late, missing the right age, causing my muscles and bones to become fixed and my qi and blood to accumulate. I need to regulate and refine them in a methodical way.

The "enlightenment" is not the same as "cleansing the marrow and removing the hair"; the two have very different mechanisms of action.

Lying down on the stone altar, he felt a little dizzy and his eyelids were drooping: he really shouldn't have been so greedy with alcohol.

He immediately opened the wooden box, took out the Kui Xing kicking the Dipper lamp, lit it, and placed it neatly on the altar before closing his eyes and going to sleep.

I don't know how much time passed, but it was already late at night.

The night was dark and the wind was howling.

Swish!
Suddenly, a strange sound rang out, as if something had come to the entrance of the mountain god temple. Finding the doors and windows tightly closed, it climbed up the wall and went straight to the opening in the temple roof, peering down with its eyes like lamps.

It saw a real lamp.

As if sensing something, the ancient lamp blazed brightly and burned fiercely.

"Ah..." It was burned in its eyes and retreated quickly in a panic.

Startled, Chen Jin sat up abruptly, gripping his wooden sword, and looked around warily.

Everything was normal inside the temple. The Kui Xing kicking the Dipper lamp was still lit, but the lamp oil was almost gone.

Listening to the surrounding sounds again, the wind was blowing and the pines were rustling, but there was nothing unusual.

He exhaled, got up, and blew out the light.

After resting for a while, my energy has almost recovered, and I don't need to sleep anymore.

……

The next day it rained, and the rain covered the area, making it impossible to go out to practice swordsmanship and hunt.

Chen Jin was restless. He held a book and sat at the temple gate to read it, which gave him a certain sense of tranquility.

He discovered that some things can be perceived differently in different environments.

I remember that in the beginning, studying was mainly for the purpose of taking exams and obtaining official rank, so I memorized things by rote and tried my best to guess and cater to the examiners' likes and dislikes.
Later, after failing the imperial examinations repeatedly, he fell into self-doubt and suddenly developed a great aversion to books, feeling that a belly full of poetry and books was not worth a bag of money.

Now, weathered by time, as I reread the pages of books I've long since memorized, I've come to see new truths...

"Brother Chen, what a refined taste you have!"

Wang Fu, holding an oil-paper umbrella, strode over.

Chen Jin put away his book and asked calmly, "Where is your confidante?"

Wang Fu chuckled: "She was exhausted last night and hasn't gotten up yet."

Chen Jin's gaze sharpened: "Brother Wang, are you two married?"

Wang Fu shook his head: "My wife is domineering, how could she agree to this? Otherwise, I wouldn't be doing it secretly."

Chen Jin said "Oh," and then asked, "How long have you been with Meiniang?"

"Not long ago... about half a month ago, I was out on business and met Meiniang walking alone on the road. She had come from out of town to stay with relatives, but her relatives had moved away and she didn't know where they were. She was a lonely woman with nowhere to go, and she was very pitiful, so I took her in."

"So you ended up keeping her in bed?"

Wang Fu blushed and sighed, "Brother Chen, you don't know, I've been living a miserable life these past few years. Since she gave birth, my wife's personality has changed drastically, and her figure has also become unrecognizable. On the other hand, Meiniang is understanding and gentle. How can I possibly resist her?"

Chen Jin's eyes gleamed: "Brother Wang, don't you find this suspicious?"

Wang Fu blinked, looking very mysterious, and lowered his voice: "I know what you want to say, Brother Chen. There are some things I'm only going to say to you. Please don't tell anyone."

"I am not one to engage in empty talk."

"Don't be afraid."

Chen Jin: "...I dare to live alone in a desolate mountain temple, not because I am cowardly or afraid of trouble."

Wang Fu nodded: "Very good, then listen carefully. To be honest, Meiniang is not human, but a fox spirit."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jin looked at him in surprise.

Wang Fu said apologetically, "I'm sure I scared you, but don't worry, Meiniang is kind-hearted and won't hurt anyone."

This left Chen Jin completely bewildered, unsure of what to say.

Wang Fu continued, “Brother Chen, you have always buried yourself in the classics and rarely heard about what is happening outside your window. You are unaware of how vast the world is. Besides us humans, there are gods, demons, spirits, monsters, and other creatures of different kinds living together in the same world. When you go out and broaden your horizons, you will naturally become accustomed to it.”

The implication is that they think Chen Jin is a bookworm, which is why they are making such a fuss.

Chen Jin has always been a bookworm.

Wang Fu smiled broadly: "Since childhood, I have been fond of martial arts and the Dao, and I love listening to stories of immortals and strange tales. I yearn for them, but I regret that I cannot find the way in. Since I met Meiniang, it is as if a door to a new world has been opened for me. Meiniang not only helps me understand, but also teaches me all the Daoist arts she knows. This is the immortal destiny I have been dreaming of!"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his face flushed, and his eyes gleamed with an unusual light.

(End of this chapter)