[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-beyond-the-passage-of-time":3,"chapter-beyond-the-passage-of-time-beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-9":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Beyond the Passage of Time",{"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},2344449,4583,"Chapter 9: The Consequences of Threats","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-9",9,"\u003Cp>\"Finally, a breakthrough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing stood up and threw a punch; a crisp sound echoed through the air, and the wind it stirred even caused the door of the hut to rattle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sight made Xu Qing’s eyes widen; he could feel that he was far stronger now than he had been yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were to face that Giant-Horned Python now, Xu Qing believed he could shatter the scales on its belly with a single punch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, but his senses were also sharper than ever before; not only could he see more clearly, but his hearing was also extremely acute, and the sound of knocking outside the courtyard drifted into Xu Qing’s ears at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing was startled. He walked to the door of the hut and, aided by the moonlight outside, looked through a crack to see the figure of a little girl standing outside the bamboo gate of the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other party seemed to be injured, her body trembling slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing frowned. He originally intended to ignore her, but the little girl persisted, knocking gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long moment, Xu Qing pushed open the door of the hut and walked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon seeing Xu Qing’s figure, the little girl became visibly nervous, but she forced herself not to retreat, gazing at Xu Qing through the bamboo gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Something the matter?\" Xu Qing asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... I also obtained residency in the camp, and... and I found a job in the camp.\" The little girl spoke with a slight stutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood.\" Xu Qing nodded and turned to go back inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait... thank you. I came here to thank you,\" the little girl said hurriedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to thank me. I wanted to eat it; it had nothing to do with you,\" Xu Qing said, turning to walk toward the hut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Xu Qing’s back, the little girl bit her lip and suddenly spoke loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Regardless, I still thank you. This favor... I will repay it in the future.\" After she finished speaking, her figure stumbled away and disappeared into the dark night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing turned his head to look, but he didn't take it to heart. After returning to the hut, he took a deep breath and felt the changes in his body, feeling more confident in his goal of living a better life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the faint, stinging pain from his left arm made him guess that the concentration of foreign matter in his body must be very high; even the snake gallbladder had not neutralized much of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was deep in the night and quiet; there were no beasts roaring outside. Xu Qing walked to the bed, looked at the clean bedding, and then looked at his own filth-covered clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought for a moment, rolled up the clean bedding, set it aside, and lay down on the bed frame in his clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instinctively drew the pitch-black iron skewer, clutching it in his hand as he drifted toward sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This iron skewer was his most trusted partner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since he found it in a trash heap years ago, he had carried it with him as his weapon, having realized how sharp and sturdy it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tomorrow, I'll look for a place in the camp that sells White Pills.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing muttered to himself, touching his leather pouch, which contained his savings from these years, as well as a few valuable gemstones he had found within the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dared not keep many gemstones; he had seen the consequences of \"possessing a jade ring that invites a crime\" when he was young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst these thoughts, sleepiness slowly crept in, and Xu Qing’s eyes gradually closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, the iron skewer he held in his hand was still gripped tightly, not loosening in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A peaceful night passed as the sunlight spilled down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, Xu Qing woke up early and left the small hut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving, he looked toward the room of the Lei team; the other party did not seem to be inside, perhaps having gone out. Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and walked into the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because of the shock caused by his act of taking the snake gallbladder yesterday, Xu Qing clearly felt a difference in the gazes of the scavengers in the camp as he walked by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They no longer saw his youthful frame as an easy target and thus did not harbor any human malice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, there was more recognition and more wariness; at the same time, the boys of his age hiding in the corners looked at him with envious expressions in their dull eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dignity is something one must fight for oneself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing thought silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While searching for a shop in the camp, Xu Qing was also familiarizing himself with the environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He discovered that there were many wild dogs in the camp, roaring at each other and fighting for food; although most were emaciated, some were sturdier than certain people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After taking note of these wild dogs, Xu Qing continued to observe the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until he had mapped out the entire camp in his mind, he followed his mental map and found a shop in the inner ring area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shop was not small, and it was quite lively with people coming and going; it seemed they sold everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing observed from the outside for a while and noticed the little girl from yesterday inside the shop, dressed as a shop assistant. She was clearly doing odd jobs there, rushing back and forth, her forehead covered in sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't until Xu Qing walked into the shop that she noticed him. She was about to speak, but was called away by a scavenger to inquire about an item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing did not immediately focus on the items in the shop, but first looked at the other people who had come to buy things, just like him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were seven people in total; some were scanning the goods, some were deep in thought, and some were haggling. Among them were two, one fat and one thin, who seemed to be partners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fat one was round, and the thin one had a horse-like face. They clearly had an aggressive posture and possessed not-insignificant spiritual energy fluctuations. At that moment, one of them was berating the little girl, seemingly dissatisfied with her answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst the little girl’s anxious apologies, Xu Qing looked at the items in the shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he had judged, this was a general store; elixirs, weapons, clothing, food, and so on were all available.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He withdrew his gaze, walked to the counter, and looked at the shopkeeper, who was smoking a pipe and looking indifferent, and spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How much for White Pills?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"White Pills are limited. We only sell five a day. There are two left for today's quota, ten spirit coins each.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shopkeeper raised his eyelids and glanced at Xu Qing. Perhaps recognizing him as the boy who fought the beast yesterday, his attitude was slightly better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But upon hearing the price, even though he was mentally prepared, Xu Qing still frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His savings from these years amounted to only twenty-three spirit coins, but the stinging pain from the alienation point on his arm made him not hesitate. He carefully took out twenty spirit coins from his leather pouch and handed them to the shopkeeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shopkeeper waved his right hand to collect the spirit coins and fished a cloth bag out from the cabinet, tossing it to Xu Qing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing caught it and opened it, seeing two white pills inside, and frowned again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surface of these two pills was turning blue in some places, clearly indicating that their quality had changed; they were not very fresh, and there was no medicinal fragrance, making them look quite inferior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The White Pills in the camp are all like this. We don't have high-quality ones here. Even if this stuff is rotten, it still has an effect. Just eat it without worry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xu Qing’s doubt, the shopkeeper said with a forced smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing was very cautious and did not eat them immediately. He planned to go back and ask the Lei team, so he put them away and prepared to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just at that moment, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and his body swayed violently to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost at the same time he dodged, a hand landed on the spot where he had just been, grabbing at empty air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing looked over coldly and saw the horse-faced scavenger who had been berating the little girl earlier. He was now withdrawing his hand, looking at Xu Qing with a surprised expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, his partner, with a round body, stood at the entrance, blocking the path. He stared at Xu Qing and grinned, revealing yellowed teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's Fatty Shan and Ma Si from the Blood Shadow squad!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That kid was brought back by the Lei team. The Lei team and the Blood Shadow squad have always been at odds, so I won't get involved in your business, but don't waste too much time; I still have business to do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others in the shop were also attracted by the two men's actions, and after looking over, they whispered to each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last sentence was spoken by the indifferent shopkeeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, pedestrians outside the shop also noticed the scene and stopped to watch with interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl looked extremely anxious, as if she didn't know how to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't worry, it won't take long.\" Ma Si smiled and looked at Xu Qing, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kid, I've killed plenty of Giant-Horned Pythons. I won't make it hard for you. I need White Pills; give me your two White Pills, and I'll let you leave safely. Otherwise, I'll slit your throat and take the White Pills from your corpse.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words made Xu Qing’s gaze even colder. He looked at the man’s throat, then at the fat man blocking the door, and noted the large crowd outside, weighing his options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either of these two, even if their spiritual energy fluctuations were not weak, seemed to be at the second level. He was confident he could kill either one of them alone within ten breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they were together, he could kill them, but it would take a bit longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was a busy area; once a fight started, since the other party was a member of a squad, there would surely be reinforcements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not want to pin all his hopes on the Lei team arriving in time; that was not his character. He did not like to place his hopes on others; having control himself was best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Xu Qing expressionlessly scanned the horse-faced scavenger’s throat again, took out the cloth bag of White Pills with his right hand, and without any hesitation, threw it over. The man caught it, took a look, and smiled triumphantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His partner, Fatty Shan, also stepped aside with a laugh. Xu Qing didn't look back and walked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding crowd, both inside and outside the shop, reacted as if this were normal. Under the law of the jungle, the weak must know their place; that was the way to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl also breathed a sigh of relief; she had been sweating for him just now. Seeing the crisis resolved, she went back to her work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Fatty Shan and Ma Si, they walked out of the shop swaggering, laughing and talking as they went off into the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However... no one noticed that behind Fatty Shan and Ma Si, a figure that appeared to have walked away and vanished was following with enough patience, like a shadow, without exposing itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes, like a wolf stalking its prey, were fixed on the two of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This figure was none other than Xu Qing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed, and the sky grew late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fatty Shan and Ma Si went to many places in the camp, wandering for the entire day, and never noticed the figure that had been following them the whole time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until the moon hung high, the two finally separated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place Fatty Shan went to had a campfire, while Ma Si, with a lecherous intent, headed toward the dark area on the outskirts of the camp, toward a cluster of tents adorned with feathers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to reach it and was stepping out of the shadows within the camp, wind suddenly came from behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Si turned around in alert, but there was nothing behind him. He was stunned, his expression changed, and just as he was about to act, it was too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, a small hand reached out from beside him, pressing firmly over his mouth, while a sharp dagger was drawn across his throat without any pause or hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a \"huo\" sound, blood suddenly sprayed out. Ma Si’s eyes widened, and he tried to struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the small hand covering his mouth had immense strength, dragging his body backward; no matter how he struggled, it was to no avail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His feet could only struggle and kick helplessly, and he was dragged into the darkness, unable to stop it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he was dragged into a corner like a chicken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even then, the small hand pressing over his mouth did not let go. It waited for a long while, confirming that he had lost the ability to resist, was suffocating, and had lost too much blood to struggle, before finally letting go and laying his trembling, weak body on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only at this moment that Ma Si, in despair, used the dim moonlight to clearly see the figure of the young man with the cold expression before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wuwu...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Si’s eyes were filled with disbelief; he could never have imagined that the youth who had obediently handed over the Bai Dan during the day would act so decisively and ruthlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed desperate to tell the youth that his throat-slitting gesture was merely a threat and not meant to kill...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the blood in his throat made it impossible to speak, and he could only watch in despair, amidst weak whimpering sounds, as the youth lowered his body and expressionlessly rummaged through his pockets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After searching everything, Xu Qing found his own Bai Dan, along with five extra ones; besides that, there were also some spirit coins and miscellaneous items belonging to the other party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After putting them away, while Ma Si was in extreme terror, Xu Qing carefully took out the burlap wrapping the snake head, cautiously opened it, and skillfully used the snake fangs to puncture Ma Si’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Si’s body convulsed again instantly, and it began to slowly melt from the wound; the sensation and pain of being corroded while still alive caused him to completely collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until Xu Qing raised his hand and covered his eyes, Ma Si’s world was devoid of light from that moment on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His entire body melted into a pool of blood, seeping into the soil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having learned from his previous oversight, Xu Qing took out a prepared bag from his person, gathered up Ma Si’s clothes and miscellaneous items, and only then turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he left, two figures emerged from the shadows at the place where Ma Si had died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were none other than the extraordinary old man in the purple robe and his servant, whom no one had been able to see in the beast-fighting arena yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man looked down at the ground where Ma Si had melted, then looked up at Xu Qing’s retreating figure, a hint of appreciation appearing in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He is a promising sprout; he can endure, he is decisive in killing, and what is most rare is that while being ruthless, he can also clean up everything perfectly. Not bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The servant at his side looked somewhat surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had followed the old man for many years and rarely heard him say someone was \"not bad,\" and this youth had already caught his attention twice, so he also looked up toward the direction where Xu Qing had disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An interesting little fellow.\" The old man smiled and then asked a casual question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How much longer until Master Bai arrives?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seventh Master, according to Master Bai’s itinerary, he should arrive here within the next day or two.\" The servant withdrew his gaze and spoke respectfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s finally coming. This time, I must properly persuade him; that wretched place of Purple Soil is full of rules, what is there to be attached to? It would be better to come to my Seven Blood Eyes and live freely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man laughed heartily, appearing very happy, and looked again toward where Xu Qing had gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s go, let’s go see what this little wolf cub is going to do next.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very happy, extremely happy; seeing many old friends return these days, thank you for your support, thank you for your trust in me!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I won’t say anything sentimental; I will only say one thing: with this book, I have found my original intention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you everyone, Outside of Time will not disappoint you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t hold onto your various tickets; give them to me.\u003C\u002Fp>",2899,"2026-06-21T00:45:15.441Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","d20cc46778ce20efe755dd55ed653e2934619b1f83ffdc6f30ec30e2685e6af8","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-10","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-8",998,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbeyond-the-passage-of-time-cover.jpg"]