[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult":3,"chapter-don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-231":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Don't Mock the Poor Old Man: Gains a Year of Cultivation Every Day!",{"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},2312723,4520,"Chapter 231: Zheng Feng","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-231",231,"\u003Cp>Damn, this woman is no pushover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jiang Chuxue’s icy gaze land directly on Jiang Ye, Huang Gang’s brows immediately knotted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d spent most of his life dealing with all kinds of people in this Forge Hall and knew Jiang Chuxue’s ways well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>High talent, high status, and an even more formidable temper—any slight defiance would trigger an immediate outburst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly shot Jiang Ye a glance and transmitted a voice through true qi:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old sir, you two should leave quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That woman is a true disciple of the Upper Sect—very dangerous to provoke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry, I’ll forge your weapon as usual. Come back in seven days to collect it—quality guaranteed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye casually glanced at Jiang Chuxue, utterly ignoring her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what if she’s a true disciple of the Upper Sect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had killed a Qi Condensation cultivator before—why should he fear a mere mid-stage Gangqi Realm true disciple yelling at him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zheng Feng’s reaction now was what truly caught his attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Feng’s breathing nearly stopped; his cheek muscles trembled faintly, his jaw clenched so tight his cheeks bulged, and those usually gentle, calm eyes now brimmed with streaks of blood, fixed on Jiang Chuxue with hatred so intense it seemed ready to solidify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So they do know each other...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of understanding passed through Jiang Ye’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, when Lu Ming mentioned Jiang Chuxue’s name, Zheng Feng’s reaction had been strange—he’d already suspected they knew each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was clear—far more than mere acquaintance...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That expression, as if he wanted to bite her to pieces and swallow her whole, clearly stemmed from deep, bitter enmity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How bold!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the gray-robed old man dare ignore her, Jiang Chuxue’s eyes flashed a piercing coldness—she was about to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as she stepped forward, her peripheral vision accidentally swept over the young man beside Jiang Ye, who had kept his head lowered all along—her foot froze mid-step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cold, sharp face suddenly went still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression shifted rapidly in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First surprise, then shock, finally settling into an even fiercer, sharper venom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zheng Feng?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chuxue’s lips slowly curled into a cryptic sneer, her voice laced with a complex mix of sarcasm and grim satisfaction:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never thought I’d see you again in this lifetime!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought you’d hide like a coward for the rest of your life!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She strode forward, her sharp eyes scanning Zheng Feng’s robes, then sneered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s Tianqing Sect attire...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So all these years you’ve been hiding in some backwater sect in the lower prefectures.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if you were going to hide...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why come out again?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her last words came out gritted, syllable by syllable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zheng Feng... so this kid’s from the Zheng family. No wonder he looked vaguely familiar...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Gang rubbed his stubbly chin thoughtfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, as if recalling some long-buried memory, his gaze toward Zheng Feng softened with pity, and he muttered inwardly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the rumors from back then were true...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This kid’s the one whose bride was stolen by his older brother...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Feng’s eyes burned red, locked on the woman who was both familiar and alien, his jaw clenched so tight it clicked, his lips quivering several times yet unable to utter a single word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh... huh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breaths were choked with supreme rage; his fists clenched so hard veins bulged, nails digging deep into his palms, crimson threads seeping between his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Jiang Ye standing beside him could even feel a scorching fire-element true qi spilling uncontrollably from Zheng Feng’s body, as if about to erupt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in the end, Zheng Feng took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the raging fury within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He unclenched his fists, turned his gaze away from Jiang Chuxue, and spoke in a hoarse, low voice to Jiang Ye:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder Jiang, let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and walked past Jiang Chuxue without looking back, heading out of the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye blinked in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d expected Zheng Feng to go head-to-head with Jiang Chuxue, given the sheer hatred he’d shown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d even prepared to “intervene at the right moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Zheng Feng had swallowed his rage whole and just walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head slightly, didn’t linger, told Huang Gang he’d return in seven days for the weapon, then slowly stepped out of the hall, hands clasped behind his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout, he never so much as glanced at Jiang Chuxue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Chuxue stood where she was, watching Zheng Feng’s retreating figure, her face still wearing that sharp sneer:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not even a man—still as cowardly as ever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tianqing Sect...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the sect that entered Tianyun Peak recently, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after the two left the eastern district of the city and returned to the foot of Sanling Mountain, where the mountain path was nearly deserted and only the wind whispered through the pine forest, did Zheng Feng suddenly stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Jiang Ye and bowed deeply, his voice hoarse and heavy:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry, Elder Jiang—I may have brought trouble upon you... That woman won’t let this go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye nodded calmly, his gaze resting on Zheng Feng’s face, etched with bitterness, and asked curiously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zheng Zhenchuan, what’s your history with that woman?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Zheng Feng fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountain wind scattered the strands of hair across his forehead; he lowered his head, lips moving several times as if weighing how to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, he let out a long sigh, a self-mocking smile—worse than crying—crossing his face: “That woman... she was my ‘former fiancée.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Former fiancée?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye’s brow lifted; his aged face showed rare surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This connection...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was truly unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d assumed they were merely enemies or old acquaintances—never imagined this kind of relationship...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Zheng Feng had no more desire to hide it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his head, gazing at the crimson clouds at the end of the mountain path, painted by the setting sun, his handsome face twisted into a half-sobbing, half-smiling expression, voice hoarse as he spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was born into the Zheng family, one of the five great clans of Linzhou’s major city, raised in luxury since childhood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My father held considerable status in the Zheng family; during his travels in Lingchuan Prefecture, he discovered a girl with exceptional talent in a poor village—Jiang Chuxue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He saw her rare potential and her Golden Spirit Body, so he brought her back to the Zheng family to nurture her, and even arranged a marriage between us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was happy back then...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought this girl, though from humble origins, had outstanding talent and a pure heart—I felt I’d struck gold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only later did I realize how absurd that thought was.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice paused; his throat bobbed as if swallowing something bitter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My parents vanished while traveling in Miaozhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From then on, my and Xiao Hui’s status in the Zheng family plummeted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Chuxue’s ambitions began to surface—she grew dissatisfied with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After ingratiating herself in the Zheng family, she began an affair with one of my cousins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My cousin...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is the most talented Wu Gong cultivator the Zheng family has produced in the past century—his future was boundless, far beyond anything I could ever achieve.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At first she was cautious, but eventually she openly demanded I break off our engagement and let them be together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was furious—I refused outright!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? My father pulled her out of the mud and gave her everything she has—this is how she repays him?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And then?” Jiang Ye’s voice was as calm as water, yet carried an unyielding stillness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And then...” Zheng Feng let out a bitter laugh, thick with unspeakable sorrow, “my cousin and the clan elders all pressured me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some pleaded gently, saying I wasn’t worthy of her, urging me to ‘let go with dignity.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Others sneered, calling me a useless fool clinging to a position I didn’t deserve.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some even threatened: ‘Your parents are dead—what right do you, a mere junior, have to oppose the family’s future?’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You tell me... how could I possibly stay in such a family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice ended nearly choked, tears—long suppressed for years—glistening in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man doesn’t cry easily—only when his heart is shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye watched Zheng Feng in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d lived seventy years, seen too much treachery, too much cruelty in the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet watching this usually composed young man slowly peel open this never-healed wound before him, he couldn’t help but sigh deeply within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This boy was also a tragic soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His parents vanished, his fiancée betrayed him, and his own clan members, driven by self-interest, united to pressure him, forcing him out of the great city of Linzhou all the way to the remote town of Yunling Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had long known that powerful clans harbored filth, the fact that his fiancée was seized by his cousin still struck him as more absurd and cruel than he could have imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly remembered Zheng Feng’s face back then in the herb garden, contorted with anguish when the slots for Tianyun Peak were announced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t unwilling to come—he was afraid of seeing these people again, afraid of having this past ripped open once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Feng wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and smiled bitterly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the Tianqing Sect, to prove myself, I once cultivated the Great Sun Heavenly Flame Qi Cultivation Method, the True Fire Eye Refinement Technique...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unfortunately, I failed at both.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve come to realize that compared to those people, I’m truly no genius.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I still can’t accept it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why I ultimately came to this upper sect—to fight one last time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And yet...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Feng’s voice fell into silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crisp, sharp footstep echoed from nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye turned his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Jiang Chuxue.\u003C\u002Fp>",1627,"2026-06-20T12:57:28.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","268639cf9020e3855f7581311c3b921651974673d21947265c880317a2c8eb97","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-232","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-230",268,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdon-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-cover.jpg"]