Swords emerge from the human world

Chapter 88: The Highest Record, Nine Ancestral Blessings
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At this moment, a large number of Chen clan members gathered at the foot of the hillside, all looking up and watching the eight newly appointed scholars climb the steps and head towards the ancestral hall.

The scene was too crowded, and many people couldn't see clearly at all, but they still habitually looked upwards.

"Bring glory to your ancestors!"
These four characters seem to be engraved in one's bones and flow in one's blood, indelible and passed down through generations.

Therefore, today, most members of the Chen clan will bring their children and grandchildren to witness this. Regardless of who passed the imperial examination, they will hold their children's or grandchildren's hands, point in the distance, and say in a refined manner:
"A man should be like this!"

This is the power of role models.

We must plant an image in the young minds of children, guiding and inspiring them to strive forward, so that one day they too can stand in that position.

Led by clan chief Chen Shouqi, a group of clan elders and direct descendants from each branch of the family came to the hillside and stood under the thousand-year-old locust tree.

At this moment, their spirits soared.

On the one hand, in this year's provincial examination, all the families achieved good results, and their rankings were not bad;

On the other hand, the number of successful candidates in this year's provincial examination is quite considerable, suggesting that the clan is experiencing a revival.

Ancestors bless you!

The eight newly appointed candidates had all changed into their official robes and crowns, looking radiant and full of vigor.

Among them, Chen Jin, who emerged out of nowhere, received the most attention.

From initial skepticism, ridicule, and mockery to current appreciation, acceptance, and recognition, it all happened in a very short time.

The core reason is that Chen Jin proved himself.

As the third branch of the family, Chen Shoubin, often said: "Man can only save himself."

Over the years, there has been no shortage of examples of people from different branches of the family passing the imperial examinations, achieving success, and then returning to their ancestral lineage.

Chen Jin is the most recent example.

This is also a very special case.

This is because, with the changes in personnel, the living conditions of the collateral branches that were scattered outside became increasingly worse, and their chances of getting ahead became increasingly slim.

The clan elders believed that this was an inevitable trend that could not be reversed by human effort.

Their view is to protect their ancestral homeland and the reputation of their family, to accumulate strength gradually and make a gradual move.

The eight most prestigious families in the world were also ranked.

The Chen family of Gaozhou ranked sixth.

The ranking seems acceptable, but the signs of decline are quite obvious, and if they are not careful, they will fall to the bottom.

They might even be squeezed out and replaced by other powerful families.

The outstanding results of this year's provincial examination can be considered a turning point.

Although it is impossible to determine how many people will pass the imperial examination next year, as long as the base number increases, the upper limit will not be too bad.

After all, two top scholars from our clan will be participating in next year's imperial examination.

This is practically double insurance.

Chen Xuejie's achievement of becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination was widely expected; while Chen Jin's achievement was an unexpected surprise, something almost no one could have predicted.

Next, we'll see how much ancestral protection they can receive.

Three years ago, Chen Xuejie was surrounded by a halo of honor, receiving a total of seven ancestral blessings, setting a record for ancestral blessings and causing a sensation.

So what about Chen Jin this year?

They were both top scholars in the imperial examinations, but their backgrounds and ages differed. I wonder how their ancestors would react.

Compared to previous years, the ancestral worship ceremony for the newly appointed successful candidates was not much different; the only difference was the people involved.

Changes in a person's identity can often determine the course of events.

The team proceeded according to the ranking on the leaderboard, and Chen Jin, as the first in line, started first.

A breeze blows, and the old locust tree's branches and leaves sway and rustle, as if it is looking down and observing, or as if it is whispering secrets.

Soon, the first precious document floated down, landing with great spirituality on Chen Jin's right shoulder.

"The first inheritance from my ancestors!"

Chen Shounian, who was playing the role of the elder, stood there and shouted excitedly.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the second imperial edict fell.

"The second blessing from our ancestors has arrived!"

"The third blessing from our ancestors has arrived!"

Chen Shounian's shouts were too fast to keep up with.

The elders, seeing this from behind, looked at each other, wondering if the wind was too strong today.
Or perhaps, our ancestors were also prone to praising the powerful and belittling the weak...

Stop it immediately and suppress such disrespectful thoughts.

It's absolutely impossible that the ancestors and gods were currying favor, after all, Chen Jin was just a scholar who had passed the imperial examination.

The Chen family clan is so large that it has at least several dozen, if not a hundred, members who passed the imperial examinations. It's really nothing special.

It can only be said that the ancestors and gods were optimistic about Chen Jin's potential and prospects, which is why they rushed to favor him.

"The seventh ancestral blessing!"

Chen Shounian's voice trembled slightly.

Now, it can be said that Chen Jin's development has far exceeded his expectations.

Looking back, my trip to Maoxian was really just a routine matter.

If Chen Jin had not passed the imperial examination, none of the subsequent events would have occurred;
If Magistrate Zhao had not suppressed Chen Jin, he would not have aroused Chen Shounian's indignation and thus made a special trip to talk to him.
If Chen Jin dares not come to the prefectural city to take the exam...

Thinking about it carefully, there are so many "what ifs".

It seemed as if there were indeed divine beings protecting and supporting them along the way.

But after getting to know Chen Jin better, Chen Shounian was more inclined to believe it stemmed from Chen Jin's character traits: courage, confidence, diligence, and innate talent...

The current situation is the result of a combination of factors.

In the crowd, Chen Xuejie couldn't help but bite his lip: Seven ancestral blessings had already tied his own record.

Is Chen Jin really that good?
Just because you passed the provincial examination with the highest score, you can rise to the top in one step?

He wasn't the top scorer!
Chen Xuejie was quite resentful.

To be honest, during the two or three months he spent in the ancestral home, Chen Jin really had no presence. He spent all his time holed up in the library, studying classic texts and articles, like a bookworm. There were many people like him among the Chen family members.

Especially those from collateral branches, who come from humble backgrounds, know that if they want to get ahead, they can only rely on studying hard, passing the imperial examinations, and changing their fate.

Chen Jin had indeed finally made it, passing the imperial examination with top honors, and it was only natural that he would receive the protection and support of his ancestors.

But receiving so many portions at once seems abnormal.

Why?
He wasn't from a prominent family, nor was he skilled in both literature and martial arts, nor was he born with a Daoist seed...

"The eighth ancestral blessing!"

Chen Shounian took a breath, his face filled with astonishment, and his gaze toward Chen Jin became complicated.

At this moment, Chen Jin's feelings were also somewhat complicated.

To be honest, he really didn't intend to make a big splash.

Once the joy of passing the imperial examination with top honors subsided, his mind naturally cleared, and he realized that he had only just crossed a threshold.

There are still many hurdles ahead.

At this time, any arrogance or complacency is a dangerous thought and should not exist.

So I thought I would complete the ancestral worship ceremony, then go back and continue my studies.

But unexpectedly, blessings from his ancestors fell upon him like leaves, one after another.

He would not refuse, after all, the spiritual essence and divinity contained in the treasure tablet would be of great use to the Kui Xing Kick the Dipper Lamp.

But once you do that, it's hard not to stand out.

Let's release it then!

In this life, one should not succumb to depravity, but rather hold one's head high and strive upwards.

So he looked up and saw another precious document appear in his field of vision.

"The ninth ancestral blessing!"

Poor Chen Shounian, at his advanced age, had his voice hoarse from shouting.

The entire hall was silent, as if waiting for something.

But everyone knows that no more treasure records will be left behind.

This is because, within the realm of the divine, the number "nine" already represents the greatest number, and it is impossible to surpass it.

So the question is, if there were no such restriction, how much ancestral protection would Chen Jin have received this time?

Just can't imagine.

Even though the elders were mature, prudent, and knowledgeable, they were at a loss as to how to react at this moment.

Originally, the ancestral worship ceremony performed by newly appointed successful candidates to obtain ancestral blessings was simply a clan custom and routine matter.

What happened? How did it get like this?
I remember fifty years ago, the Chen clan produced a top scholar in the imperial examination. At that time, during the ancestral worship ceremony, they received eight blessings from their ancestors.

That was already the highest record of academic achievement in the imperial examinations.

But this record was broken today by a top scholar.

Simply unbelievable.

Everyone knows about the existence of ancestral gods, but the laws governing their existence are mysterious and indescribable.

The main ways in which ancestral spirits manifest their power, besides through dreams, are through ancestral blessings and protection.

Therefore, the entire clan attaches great importance to this aspect.

Under normal circumstances, ordinary members of the Chen clan have almost no chance of receiving ancestral blessings and protection.

The closest they came to each other was by wearing amulets wrapped in ancestral ash.

The ancestral ashes are produced in the incense burner of the ancestral hall. According to the year, the older the ashes, the better their spiritual power.

In some respects, the precious scroll hanging on the old locust tree is a top-level amulet.

Therefore, it is called the true ancestral blessing.

Each ancestral blessing received represents the favor of an ancestral deity.

How many ancestral deities were born in the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall?
unknown.

This is a mystery.

This is also equivalent to the greatest secret and hidden heritage of the Chen family of Gaozhou.

Clan members lived on their ancestral land for generations, year after year, thus forming an order, clan laws and regulations, and various lifestyles.

Throughout the millennia, countless talents have emerged, with each generation surpassing the last, and rises and falls are commonplace.

It wasn't without exceptionally talented individuals who emerged during that period.

It is said that Chen Xuejie, despite his young age, was hailed as a prodigy, shining brightly and unparalleled.

However, now that Chen Jin has suddenly appeared, Chen Xuejie's aura has paled in comparison, and he has been overshadowed.

Actually, when Chen Xuejie first heard Chen Jin's name and met him for the first time, he didn't mean to make any comparisons at all.

There is no basis for comparing the two.

But nowadays, almost all members of the tribe subconsciously put them together and compare them:
Comparing birth background, academic achievements, ancestral blessings...

Chen Xuejie suddenly realized that his pride and joy had been unknowingly caught up with, and even far surpassed, by Chen Jin.

Who exactly is this person?

In the end, it was the old clan elder who stepped forward to take charge: "Chen Jin has received nine portions of ancestral blessings, good, very good! Next, Chen Xuecheng, get ready to begin the ancestral worship ceremony."

Chen Jin walked out, his two precious documents draped over his shoulders, looking quite dashing and elegant.

Chen Shounian looked at him and said in a low voice, "Chen Jin, if things continue like this, you'll soon be able to open your own family tree and establish the seventh branch. Have you thought about your courtesy name yet? How about I give you one, the character 'Sheng', which will be part of the He generation?"

Chen Jin: "..."

A draw?

Xin Chen He Sheng?

(End of this chapter)