Starting as a cowherd, he sought a way to cultivate immortality.

As the other martial arts scholars from Changqing County who had gone to Youzhou Prefecture to participate in the prefectural examination returned one after another, the news that Chen Chi had won first place in the prefectural examination spread rapidly.

In an instant, carriages and horses gathered in front of the Qin Mansion, creating a lively and bustling scene.

Chen Chi gritted his teeth and received one visitor after another, drinking so much tea that he felt like his stomach was about to burst.

"Master Chen, this is just a small gift, please don't find it offensive." The manager of the Su family's cloth shop brought over several bolts of fine silk, his face full of flattery as he greeted Chen Chi.

Looking at the steward's respectful and cautious manner, Chen Chi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

When he passed the martial arts exam and became a scholar, this steward had come to give him gifts and addressed him as "Young Master".

Now that he has passed the martial arts examination and become a martial arts graduate, he has been promoted to "Master" in the steward's eyes.

He's still an official.

No wonder everyone wants to pass the imperial examinations and become an official.

"I accept the Su family's kindness. Please give my regards to Manager Su," Chen Chi said calmly.

Now that his status has changed, he no longer needs to be mindful of others' opinions as he used to be.

"Yes, yes, I will certainly pass on the message, Master Chen, please rest assured." The steward nodded vigorously.

The steward was a shrewd man. Seeing that Chen Chi was unwilling to talk more, he said a few flattering words, then stood up, bowed, and asked to take his leave.

Chen Chi was naturally happy to oblige and had Fang Yong escort the person out of the mansion, and then pick up the next guest on the way.

A short while later, Fang Yong hurriedly returned to the hall and said to Chen Chi:

"Young master, Magistrate Lu has arrived!"

"Um?"

Chen Chi frowned slightly.

If it were merely to congratulate himself on passing the martial arts examination, why would Magistrate Lu, the dignified head of a county, need to personally come to offer his congratulations?

"Could it be because of Uncle Qin's influence?"

While Chen Chi was pondering, he and Fang Yong had already walked outside the Qin residence.

Outside the door, Magistrate Lu, dressed in plain clothes, stood quietly waiting at the bottom of the steps.

Beside him stood a burly attendant, who stared at the onlookers with an unfriendly expression.

"Chen Chi was unaware of Magistrate Lu's arrival and failed to greet you properly. I hope Magistrate Lu will forgive me." Chen Chi quickly descended the steps and bowed to Magistrate Lu.

Magistrate Lu chuckled lightly: "My dear nephew has just returned from Youzhou Prefecture. He must be tired from his journey. I apologize for the intrusion."

"Magistrate Lu, please come in quickly," Chen Chi said, gesturing for him to enter.

Magistrate Lu nodded and took the lead, walking towards the Qin residence.

Chen Chi quickly followed and gestured to Fang Yong behind him to close the door.

After the guests and host were seated, Magistrate Lu looked around the hall and couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Things have changed, and people are no longer the same..."

These few words caused Chen Chi's heart to clench, and the image of Qin Shan flashed into his mind.

Seemingly noticing Chen Chi's unusual expression, Magistrate Lu immediately smiled and said:

"It was my fault for upsetting my nephew."

My dear nephew, you have achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination. If Qin Shan knew this in the afterlife, he would surely be proud of you.

Chen Chi calmed himself down slightly and forced a smile, saying:

"Thank you for your concern, Magistrate Lu."

Magistrate Lu waved his hand.

"I have worked with Qin Shan for many years, and it is my duty to take good care of you, my nephew."

"But I'm too busy with official duties at the county government office to find the time to come. I can only take advantage of a few free days at the end of the year to visit you."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chi cursed Magistrate Lu for blatantly lying.

He had heard Qin Shan mention before that the affairs and cases in Changqing County were basically handled by Magistrate Wang.

This Magistrate Lu was a complete hands-off manager, spending his days in the county office composing poems and making merry, living a carefree and happy life.

Now he actually used "being busy with official duties" as an excuse. Chen Chi could only admire that he was indeed a county magistrate, with a shamelessness that was outrageous.

"Magistrate Lu should naturally prioritize official duties," Chen Chi said with a forced smile.

"My dear nephew has now passed the imperial examination for military officers and will be granted an official position after the New Year."

There are no vacancies for military officers in Changqing County, so my nephew will probably have to take up a post elsewhere.

Magistrate Lu paused briefly and glanced at Chen Chi:

"If you have any questions about official matters in the future, you can write to me directly, and I will help you answer your questions."

"This junior thanks Magistrate Lu," Chen Chi said, bowing.

"Nephew, you are too kind. We are both officials in the same court, and it is only right that we support each other."

……

After Magistrate Lu left, a group of villagers from Chenjia Village arrived in front of the Qin Mansion.

They are nominally Chen Chi's relatives, but if you trace their lineage back a bit, they are descendants of the same ancestor.

After Chen Chi passed the martial arts exam last time, they came to curry favor with him, but Fang Yong blocked them at the door.

Now that Chen Chi has passed the military examination and is about to become an official, they can no longer sit still. They have invited the eldest and most prestigious member of Chen Chi's lineage, Master Chen San, and are determined to meet Chen Chi.

"If Chen Chi doesn't see this old man, I'll kill myself right here!" Old Master Chen said, leaning on his cane, his face flushed, as if he would collapse to the ground at any moment.

Helpless, Fang Yong had no choice but to return to the mansion to inquire about Chen Chi's opinion.

"Since they insist on seeing me, then let's meet them."

A hint of impatience flashed in Chen Chi's eyes.

When these so-called clansmen were left destitute and their parents died tragically, no one offered them a helping hand.

On the contrary, Uncle Qin would come to Chenjia Village from the city and bring himself some things during festivals.

Later, when I was learning martial arts at Xingyun Martial Arts School, these clansmen kept their distance from me, fearing that I would ask them for money.

What face do these clansmen, who are indifferent when we are poor but greet us with smiles when we are rich, have to come knocking on our door?

In the courtyard, Uncle Chen, leaning on his cane, walked towards the hall, followed by some young and strong clansmen from the village.

When Master Chen saw Chen Chi sitting comfortably in the main hall, a glint of light flashed in his cloudy old eyes.

"Xiao Chi, you've finally agreed to see us." Master Chen walked into the hall, a smile spreading across his wrinkled face, and found a chair to sit down.

The others followed them in, glancing around at the tables and chairs in the hall, their eyes revealing a hint of envy and greed.

A few drops of oil dripping from between Chen Chi's fingers would be enough for these farmers to eat for several years.

"Third Master Chen, what brings you here today?"

Chen Chi got straight to the point, not intending to be polite with these people.

Upon seeing Chen Chi, Third Master Chen slowed down his movements.

He slowly placed his cane on the table, coughed twice, and then spoke:

"Xiao Chi, you have now passed the martial arts examination and achieved great success. This is the result of our ancestors' blessing."

"This year, during the Lunar New Year, our lineage will hold a grand ceremony to worship our ancestor. Everyone thinks that you should be the chief officiant."

"You want me to preside over the ancestral worship ceremony?"

Chen Chi's gaze swept over the crowd, his face expressionless.

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

Many people's faces lit up with joy when they heard that Chen Chi did not immediately refuse.

Master Chen coughed twice and explained:

"The high priest is the one who now holds power in our lineage."

To make the sacrificial ceremony more grand, the person in charge naturally needs to contribute more money.

Chen Chi chuckled softly and shook his head.

"So, in the end, you want me to pay for your ancestral worship?"

Master Chen's expression changed slightly:

"Xiao Chi, what do you mean by helping us worship our ancestors? We are of the same lineage. Now that you have passed the imperial examination, you should be reporting the good news to our ancestors."

A younger member of the tribe chimed in:

"Exactly! Chen Chi, now that you've passed the imperial examination, do you no longer acknowledge your ancestors?"

"When did I say I wouldn't admit it?" Chen Chi glanced sideways at the young man who had spoken.

"In that case, I'll go and pay my respects to my parents and ancestors myself; there's no need for a grand ceremony."

"What kind of talk is that!" Master Chen said in a deep voice, "Your passing the imperial examination is a joyous occasion, and we must hold a grand ceremony to honor our ancestors."

Chen Chi shook his head: "Third Master Chen, I was able to pass the martial arts examination, which is my own ability. What does it have to do with the ancestor?"

I understand your intentions perfectly well; let's not bring this up again.

Seeing that Chen Chi was unmoved by reason, Third Master Chen simply stopped hiding his anger and said directly:

"Chen Chi, I never expected that you would turn out like this after passing the martial arts examination!"

I'm telling you this now: if you don't pay for the ancestral worship, I'll remove your parents' names from the family genealogy!

Chen Chi's eyes suddenly turned cold, and the aura of a martial artist at the Transformation Realm erupted abruptly.

Sitting closest to Chen Chi, Third Master Chen felt his breath catch in his throat and almost couldn't catch his breath.

Several ruffians from his clan immediately jumped out, pointing at Chen Chi and cursing:

"Chen Chi, you disrespectful beast! You've passed the imperial examination and you still dare to hit people?"

"That's exactly what we're going to do."

In the blink of an eye, Chen Chi was in front of them. He raised his hand and slapped them several times, knocking them to the ground before they could even scream.

Seeing this, Third Master Chen stood up, trembling, pointed at Chen Chi, and stammered:

"You...you hit us for no reason! We're going to the county government to report you!"

A smile appeared on Chen Chi's lips.

"Then you'd better hurry, or the county government office will be closing soon."

"Get out of here right now!"

Intimidated by the power of Chen Chiwu, the young men of Chenjia Village helped the ruffians up, but didn't dare to look back. They fled the Qin residence in disgrace.

In the chaos, no one paid any attention to Master Chen, who was still standing in the hall.

Seeing his clansmen's behavior, Old Master Chen's old face completely fell.

"Disrespecting our ancestors will get you punished sooner or later," Master Chen cursed in a low voice, but there was no confidence in his voice.

Chen Chi sat back down in his seat, ignoring what Third Master Chen had said.

"Fang Yong, please escort Master Chen out."

On that day, a group of villagers from Chenjia Village went to the county government office to accuse Chen Chi, a martial arts graduate, of "disregarding the law and beating people in public."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Lu smiled slightly.

"My nephew is an upright man who never abuses his power. I see that you have failed to curry favor with him and have resorted to slander."

In the end, the ruffian who led the lawsuit against Chen Chi was beaten twenty times on the spot, his screams echoing throughout the county government office, and the rest of the villagers were terrified.

Magistrate Lu's support for Chen Chi this time made the people of Changqing County fully aware of his reputation.

In a short time, Chen Chi's name became famous throughout Changqing, and his reputation spread far and wide.