[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-the-immortals-disappeared":3,"chapter-after-the-immortals-disappeared-after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-927":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After the Immortals Disappeared",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2284811,4468,"Chapter 927: The Golden Scroll","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-927",927,"\u003Cp>He Lingchuan walked up to the third bandit, but before he could even open his mouth to question him, the man’s lips trembled, and he blurted out, \"It’s not true, it’s not! We didn’t go out that night; we were all staying in the old stronghold! Neither of the two old strongholds went out!\" \"The Shadow Serpents didn't come?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They didn't, not a single one!\" the third bandit confessed. \"We didn't hear until the second—no, the third day—that the Shadow Serpents had dealt a heavy blow to the Dao! The stronghold was in a panic, and Dao Master Min specifically gathered us together to say that the Shadow Serpents would never attack our gates, telling us to set our minds at ease.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh? What was the reason?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dao Master Min didn't say, so everyone was actually half-doubting it.\" The bandit continued, \"But over the next few days, the Shadow Serpents attacked other places, even raiding the supply depots, yet they truly didn't come for us. So everyone... everyone felt a bit more at ease.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan stood with his hands behind his back and looked at Min Tianxi, raising an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One last chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he even had to ask, Min Tianxi licked his lips and said in a hoarse voice, \"I'll tell you. Young Master He, I possess a Heavenly Vow Golden Scroll, a contract established between an ancient immortal and the leader of the Shadow Serpents. With it for protection, the Shadow Serpents won't come to cause us trouble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You only have one scroll, yet you have two strongholds, and they’re quite far apart.\" He Lingchuan said with amusement, \"How do you ensure both dens remain unattacked?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fellow was truly meticulous; not a single loophole could be hidden from him. Min Tianxi whispered, \"The Shadow Serpents will not attack any island where a stone pagoda is placed on the beach.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan reached out his hand in front of him; the meaning was clear: hand it over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Robbing a robber—commonly known as a dog-eat-dog situation—he felt no psychological burden whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Min Tianxi rummaged through his storage ring for a long while before finally pulling out a gleaming golden scroll to hand over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, his heart was bleeding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scroll was his trump card for dominating the Yangshan Archipelago; once handed over, the safety of the Second Dao pirates would no longer be guaranteed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This also meant that his reign was coming to an end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, even though he had just witnessed He Lingchuan’s brutal methods, he still harbored a sliver of hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan didn't care what he was thinking, lowering his head to fiddle with his new toy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Vow Golden Scroll looked like a roll of gold paper, the color quite pure. Usually, it would roll itself into a small bundle, but as He Lingchuan flattened it out, he indeed saw small characters engraved upon it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the content of the contract, and at the end, where the signatures and seals should be, there was a bloody thumbprint and a black scale embedded into the golden scroll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the seal of both parties who had established the contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan finished reading it roughly and flicked his finger against the scroll, the sound ringing out with exceptional clarity: \"Wrong. The terms of this contract were not set by an ancient immortal and the King of Shadow Serpents, but were negotiated between you and the King of Shadow Serpents! And the signature is your name as well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Min Tianxi’s shocked expression and gave a slight smirk: \"That’s right, I can read the language of the ancient immortals.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after he became the Grand Commander of Yuheng City, Master Sun had never relaxed his scrutiny of his studies. His mastery of the ancient immortal language was now so fluent that he could curse people at will without repeating himself for five minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Min Tianxi slumped in despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did such a monster come from, seeing through him in every single aspect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Handing over the golden scroll and having his secret exposed—this was going to destroy the very foundation of his standing in the Yangshan Archipelago! \"It seems that while you surrendered with your words, you still harbored delusions in your heart.\" He Lingchuan sighed lightly, \"A pity, but I don't keep such disasters around!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wolf with white eyes that cannot be tamed is useless, no matter how capable it is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded at Qiu Hu, signaling him to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Min Tianxi had seen clearly how Qiu Hu had dealt with the other two bandits earlier. Seeing this burly man walking toward him with a murderous look, he cried out in alarm: \"I was wrong, Young Master He, please give me another chance! From this day forward, I, Min, will never dare to utter a single word of falsehood!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh? How so?\" He Lingchuan said slowly, \"When you surrendered just now, didn't you also swear up and down that you were sincere?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this life-or-death juncture, Min Tianxi dared not hesitate and said to Qiu Hu, \"Lend me a sharp weapon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Hu did not fear him playing any tricks and truly threw a short blade to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Min Tianxi spread the five fingers of his left hand on the table and said solemnly: \"From this day forward, I, Min Tianxi, am loyal to Young Master He Lingchuan, will serve with sincerity, and will never deceive again. If I fail to do so, let it be like this finger!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gritted his teeth and swung the blade, chopping off the little finger of his left hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fresh blood appeared instantly; the blood oath was made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good, good, not bad.\" He Lingchuan was pleased, clapping his hands lightly twice and having the Medicine Ape bandage the wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingguang’s hemostatic medicine had miraculous effects; once applied, the wound felt cool, and the pain was greatly reduced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan personally poured another cup of wine for him, and Min Tianxi, his face pale, picked it up and drank it in one gulp:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Many thanks to the Young Master for the wine!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had drunk wine twice since boarding the ship; his state of mind was different, and the meaning was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan then ordered everyone to untie the other bandits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These men were also sharp; seeing that the usually shrewd Dao Master Min was now submissive to the person before them, how could they dare to be stubborn? One by one, they flipped over and kowtowed, calling him Young Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, everyone get up.\" He Lingchuan waved his hand and said to Min Tianxi, \"I have been collecting news about the pirates over the past few days. Other pirate groups have suffered heavy losses and have been attacked more than once, yet only your Second Dao has remained safe and sound, with no casualties. When other pirates speak of you in the taverns, they are so envious they grind their teeth. Did you think this could be hidden from people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Min Tianxi lowered his head: \"The Young Master is wise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had been targeting them from the very beginning; it was laughable that he thought he could hide and evade them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now, tell me the truth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\" The pain in his little finger constantly reminded Min Tianxi to mind his attitude. \"This golden scroll was indeed passed down from the ancient immortals, but when I got my hands on it, it was a blank contract. Over ten years ago, I specifically chose a cloudless, sunny day and took it to Dragon Spine Island to find the King of Shadow Serpents, and I signed the contract with it. However, strictly speaking, the King of Shadow Serpents did not appear in person; it only dispatched a Shadow Serpent to bring its scale to sign and seal the contract.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps it didn't hold a mere human like me in its eyes?\" Min Tianxi gave a bitter smile. \"I heard its roar coming from the White Abyss, saying that that Shadow Serpent could represent it to sign the contract.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan grasped the key point: \"You can understand its speech?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When I hold the golden scroll, I can understand it; and what I say, the Shadow Serpents can also understand.\" Min Tianxi glanced at him cautiously. \"I later specifically had a trusted subordinate test it; when he held the golden scroll, he could also understand the roars of the King of Shadow Serpents, at least enough to distinguish the emotions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that's how it is.\" He Lingchuan nodded. \"The immortals who signed contracts with the Shadow Serpent clan back then also needed to communicate with them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He put away the scroll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an unexpected joy; with the scroll, his subsequent plans would likely become a bit easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can this treasure not block the baleful energy? Why don't you live on Dragon Spine Island?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1483,"2026-06-20T02:23:34.395Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","cb1b1d5e16aa655755edea58abcaadeadbbea81b16f915aa37a9677a5c47dde0","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-928","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-926",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-the-immortals-disappeared-cover.jpg"]