[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-the-sky-fell":3,"chapter-after-the-sky-fell-after-the-sky-fell-chapter-149":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After the Sky Fell",{"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},2281005,4462,"Chapter 149: 148. The Traitor Executed","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-149",149,"\u003Cp>148. Chapter 148: The Traitor Executed\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the death of this senior manager of the Sun family’s pharmacy, the last force opposing Zhao Shiwu’s Martial Arts Hall in Sanyang City was extinguished; from now on, Zhao Shiwu’s Martial Arts Hall would dominate unchallenged, and as long as no major mishap occurred, its members would live in comfort here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this matter concluded, Li Yi would begin pursuing his own affairs in Xingzhou; his purpose in coming here was not merely to avenge his master—he also needed to secure an escape route for himself and those around him, to avoid a second Heavenly Collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition, he needed to continue refining his martial path here and strengthen his own strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Li Yi was thinking this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Near the canal dock, several fast horses galloped toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were several unfamiliar Blood-Refining martial artists, but the leader Li Yi recognized—it was Skinny Monkey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skinny Monkey rushed over, dismounted at once, and presented a wooden box to Zhao Ge with a look of delight: “Master, we’ve recovered the Coffin Lingzhi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the box was opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar Coffin Lingzhi came into view—the very one Li Yi had once purchased from Ghost Street at the cost of sixty years of his yang life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ge stared at the Coffin Lingzhi, his emotions surging, then nodded: “Skinny Monkey, well done. Where is the traitor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Zhao, the traitor of Zhao Shiwu’s Martial Arts Hall is here—we’ve captured him. We leave his punishment to you, Master Zhao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mounted Blood-Refining martial artist bowed, then tossed a blood-splattered man, his limbs crippled, from his horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.” Zhao Ge gestured, then walked toward the prisoner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rong Niang and Zhao Qian were the most furious; their eyes turned red, their killing intent boiling, eager to flay him alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Ye, you are the eldest senior among Zhao Shiwu’s disciples, destined to become a Hall Master—why, why did you betray your master and commit such a heartless, soulless act?” Rong Niang rushed forward, seized the man named Zhang Ye, and shouted her accusation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ye knew death was inevitable; he let out a bitter laugh: “A thousand-year Coffin Lingzhi is a true rarity—a terrestrial treasure. Used properly, I could break into the Meridian Refining realm. What’s a Hall Master position in Zhao Shiwu to me? My master is old; using the Lingzhi to heal him is a waste. Cough, cough—I’m nearly thirty, my prime blood and qi lasts only these two years; once I pass this threshold, I’ll never break through to Meridian Refining. You’ve trained for years too—don’t you understand this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wretched beast!” Rong Niang punched him in fury, sending him spitting blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Ye, if you only wanted the Coffin Lingzhi, stealing it would’ve sufficed—why drag down the entire Zhao Shiwu Martial Arts Hall?” Zhao Ge walked up, face dark with rage; he didn’t resent Zhang Ye for stealing the Lingzhi—he hated that this man deliberately spread rumors of his injury, luring other martial halls to attack Zhao Shiwu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ye, mouth full of blood, said: “Master, after living this long, don’t you understand? I’ve committed an act of betrayal against my master and ancestors—unless Zhao Shiwu is destroyed, how can I ever rest easy? Either don’t do it, or do it completely. And the one who truly pushed me to act was you, Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why say that?” Zhao Ge frowned. “Though I’m strict, I’ve always treated you well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After our trip to Ghost Street, you took Li Yi as your final disciple. From then on, you changed—you grew impatient with all of us disciples, scolding us as stupid or criticizing our poor talent, always muttering about Li Yi’s divine courage, unmatched in a thousand generations. At that moment, I knew: sooner or later, you’d pass Zhao Shiwu to him. Even if I became Hall Master, what would it matter? I’d merely live at his mercy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ye laughed bitterly again: “Most importantly, even Little Miss has grown fond of that Li Yi. Master, you know I’ve always had feelings for Little Miss—but after Ghost Street, I knew it was hopeless. My only dream and resolve in life is gone. If so, I’ll think only of myself: take the Coffin Lingzhi, destroy Zhao Shiwu, become a Meridian Refining expert, and one day establish my own Zhang Martial Arts Hall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhao Ge fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps, after visiting Ghost Street and seeing Meng De’s talent, he had indeed changed his attitude toward his disciples—constantly comparing them to Meng De, forgetting that only one Li Yi existed across the Eight Provinces; his other disciples could never become another Li Yi. Perhaps, unconsciously, he had been harsh on them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Ye, no matter how many excuses you make, your crimes remain undeniable. Because of you, countless brothers have died. Now that death is upon you, you blame your master? My decision on who inherits Zhao Shiwu is mine alone. If you had the talent, why didn’t you break into Meridian Refining before thirty? You lack ability—you only seek shortcuts. Even I saw through you: you wanted to marry Little Miss, take over the hall, become the next master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skinny Monkey exploded in rage, pointing at him: “You’ve always relied on your seniority to intimidate us—we dared not touch you. But look in the mirror—does your strength command respect? Deceased brothers Li Zhendong, Zhang Jianfei, and Wang Jie—all had greater strength than you. They simply didn’t compete. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even qualify for Hall Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the youngest disciple, Skinny Monkey knew the truth best—he spoke it now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Ye, you know this better than anyone. That’s why you spent every day forming factions, suppressing this one, crushing that one, flattering Little Miss—your mind was never on cultivation. Do you know why the Senior Disciple position has always been vacant? Because it demands talent, strength, and authority—only someone who earns everyone’s respect can hold it. It’s not yours just because you joined first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skinny Monkey continued shouting: “Master didn’t make a mistake—if he’d handed the hall to you, Zhao Shiwu would’ve truly been finished. Would your underhanded tricks work? Who could you defeat? Martial arts are about strength. Outside these walls, who recognizes you as Senior Disciple? Who gives you respect? Everything is earned by fists.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Senior Disciple stands right before you—compare yourself to him. Which of your qualities surpasses his? If you have even one, I, Skinny Monkey, will kneel and kowtow to you. Talent? You’re unworthy. Physique? You’re unworthy. Age? You’re unworthy. Even appearance? Your Senior Disciple outshines you by far. As for character? You, a shameless scoundrel, are utterly unworthy. The Coffin Lingzhi was bought by your Senior Disciple and given to Master for healing—he spent much of his yang life on it. Would you have done the same?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If Little Miss fell for a wretch like you, she’d be blind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Skinny Monkey poured out all his pent-up resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had endured Zhang Ye far too long—if not for seniority and his own weakness, he’d have beaten him long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ye, silenced by the onslaught, lifted his eyes toward the young man standing nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Senior Disciple, whom he met for the first time, truly seemed a divine being descending from heaven—majestic, powerful, awe-inspiring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to such a man, he was like a filthy eel crawling in the mud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! What’s the point of all this now? Death is death.” Zhang Ye laughed wildly, his expression deranged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Ye, no matter your reasons, betraying the hall and causing so many deaths is an undeniable fact. I brought you in—today, I’ll end you myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ge said nothing more—he strode forward and struck with a single punch, determined to personally execute this traitor who betrayed his master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ye, already gravely wounded and crippled, offered no resistance. The punch shattered his heart meridian—he screamed once and collapsed to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, his breath ceased entirely—he became a corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the traitor’s death and the recovery of the Coffin Lingzhi, everything was finally over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After personally ending this villain, Zhao Ge’s long-suppressed bitterness dissolved—he felt lighter, as if a great burden had lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too easy for him to die like this,” Skinny Monkey spat at Zhang Ye’s corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ge glanced at the body, then turned away and said: “Skinny Monkey, make one more trip—notify all disciples. Tell them Zhao Shiwu’s vengeance is complete. Have them gather to prepare for rebuilding the hall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Master.” Skinny Monkey bowed, a hint of excitement on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rebuilding the hall made him happier than anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Zhao, your soul wound has not healed. If you trust me, let my Precious Shop handle the medicine and pill-making. Within three days, we’ll gather all the necessary ingredients and brew the Soul-Returning Pill you need.” Shen Shi, owner of the Precious Shop, seized the moment to offer help and mend past tensions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ge looked at the Coffin Lingzhi in his hand, then said calmly: “Then bring everything needed to Zhao Shiwu’s Martial Arts Hall. I, Zhao Ge, will witness the Soul-Returning Pill’s creation myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this incident, he dared not entrust the Coffin Lingzhi to strangers again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Naturally,” Shen Shi smiled, understanding fully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The remaining cleanup is your responsibility, gentlemen—I trust your meticulousness won’t disappoint me.” Zhao Ge then turned to the other two shop owners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Zhao, rest assured—we understand,” Zhang Tiefeng and Hua Sanjie replied solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Liu family of the canal and the Sun family’s pharmacy destroyed, their assets must be seized and inventoried—this task naturally fell to them, since Zhao Shiwu lacked manpower. Afterward, the new balance of power in Sanyang City would be reshaped according to Zhao Ge and Li Yi’s decisions.\u003C\u002Fp>",1630,"2026-06-20T01:26:56.586Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1228598c75527152ccc68642f539513370debf37ebbcca4eac801a3252b39afa","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-150","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-148",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-the-sky-fell-cover.jpg"]