[{"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-268":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":12,"novelImage":21},{"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},2312760,4520,"Chapter 268: The Show Begins! (2)","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-268",268,"\u003Cp>She spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, teeth clenched, each word cold and deliberate:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m telling you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, Jiang Chuxue, am not a woman to be disrespected!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My mouth is meant only for eating...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, her voice faltered slightly, as if recalling something, her breath growing heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zheng Lin froze again, a flicker of confusion crossing his eyes, which had just been filled with triumph.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did Chuxue mean by that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course a mouth is only for eating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What else would it be for...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instinctively wanted to press further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he could speak, Jiang Chuxue had already passed him, walking straight toward the golden-red eight-man palanquin, her back straight as a blade, without a single pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curtain parted; Jiang Chuxue, aided by her maid, bent and stepped inside, and once seated, the curtain slowly lowered, concealing her cold, exquisite face behind gold-and-red brocade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once hidden from all eyes, the cold, elegant smile on her face slowly faded, leaving only hollow indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jiang Chuxue now seated inside the palanquin, Zheng Lin could only suppress his confusion and mounted his horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing mattered more right now than their wedding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They still had to reach the auspicious hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The bride is seated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Lin gave the palanquin bearers a slight nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead bearer drew a deep breath and let out a loud, resonant cry that pierced half of Lingshe Peak: “Lift— the— palanquin—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongs and drums thundered, suona horns blared, and the entire procession turned and set off in a grand, sweeping motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Lin spurred his horse forward, riding at the head of the procession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The procession wound down Lingshe Peak, slowly heading toward the great city of Linzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the palanquin, Jiang Chuxue sat upright and composed, her spine perfectly straight, hands folded on her knees, still bearing that noble, untouchable demeanor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only her hands, hidden beneath the sleeves of her bridal gown, had her nails deeply embedded into her palms, fine threads of crimson seeping between her fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She closed her eyes and buried every improper emotion deep within her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was one step closer to that summit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this, some price must be paid!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great City of Linzhou, northern district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two figures arrived at the busiest center of the district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Jiang Ye and Zheng Feng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along this priceless main street, shops stood shoulder to shoulder; passersby wore silk and brocade, and even the tea stalls along the roadside held several Qi Condensation cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very heart of the bustling district stood an extravagantly luxurious tavern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five stories tall, adorned entirely with jade bamboo segments, its eaves and brackets hung with crimson wedding silk that shimmered in the morning light, radiating an air of unapproachable nobility from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder Jiang, that’s the Jade Bamboo Pavilion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Feng sighed, his expression complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had once been one of the young masters of the Jade Bamboo Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every festival, he had accompanied his father here to host guests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, standing behind his father, watching guests raise cups and exchange toasts, he had believed his life would mirror this tavern—golden, brilliant, full of promise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, returning to this old place, his heart was worlds apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk tsk, your Zheng family really has a lot of property.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye followed his gaze, eyes flashing with surprise, a wry smile tugging at his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way here, Zheng Feng had told him this Jade Bamboo Pavilion was one of the most luxurious taverns in Linzhou, and one of the Zheng family’s most profitable assets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Zheng family... has nothing to do with me now...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Feng’s eyes reddened slightly, his mouth twisting into a bitter, angry smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was no longer the Zheng family’s second young master who could enter and leave the Jade Bamboo Pavilion at will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he was nothing but a homeless dog—abandoned by his family, betrayed by his fiancée, stripped of everything by his cousin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye patted his shoulder and smiled faintly: “Life is unpredictable. Maybe your ‘good elder brother’ will collapse soon—and the Zheng family will be back in your hands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zheng Feng paused, then let out a silent laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His ‘good elder brother,’ Zheng Lin, was the most talented cultivator the Zheng family had produced in nearly a century, ranked fourth on the Upper Sect’s True Disciple List, with extraordinary status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he suddenly collapse...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he knew Elder Jiang was merely comforting him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who else would dare openly declare on the street that the Zheng family’s eldest son was about to fall?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Feng’s heart warmed slightly; he took a deep breath and followed Jiang Ye toward the Jade Bamboo Pavilion ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the Jade Bamboo Pavilion, the crowd was already a sea of people, densely packed with onlookers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most had come for the lucky coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Zheng family’s wedding day, distributing wealth was unavoidable; even the first round of tossed coins had already sent the entire street into uproar several times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the main entrance of the Jade Bamboo Pavilion, guests streamed in continuously, all dressed in expensive attire, bearing an air of distinction—clearly prominent figures of Linzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The host greeting guests at the entrance was none other than Zheng Guang, the current patriarch of the Zheng family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today he wore a dark red brocade robe, a jade belt cinched at his waist, looking vigorous and spirited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his son’s wedding day, his smile never faded; he bowed and exchanged pleasantries with every guest, embodying the perfect image of a proud, contented father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His smile suddenly froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two figures appeared at the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was an old man in plain gray robes; though his attire was unremarkable, his aura was nearly imperceptible—Zheng Guang, with his fully formed Qi Gang , could not fathom his depth at all, clearly no ordinary man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other wore a red martial outfit, his face clean and handsome, oddly familiar...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Familiar?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t that Zheng Feng?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Guang’s pupils shrank sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The usually composed patriarch of the Zheng family couldn’t help exclaiming aloud: “Zheng Feng? When did you return?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cry instantly drew the attention of all nearby Zheng family members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone froze, eyes filled with unmistakable shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It really is Zheng Feng!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That kid vanished for so many years...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did he suddenly come back?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And why today...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could he have come here on purpose to cause trouble...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All eyes locked onto Zheng Feng, murmurs rising, filled with suspicion and scrutiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zheng Guang’s eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on Zheng Feng, brimming with caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, the whispers around him were exactly his own thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Feng had vanished for years, yet appeared precisely on the day Zheng Lin and Jiang Chuxue married—it was impossible not to suspect he had come to disrupt the wedding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This nephew had left in anger over that marriage contract; now that he’d returned, he likely still harbored resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing these so-called Zheng family members all watching him with wary eyes, Zheng Feng couldn’t help letting out a bitter laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no interest in explaining; he simply stood there, returning their gazes with near-cold indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Jiang Ye chuckled and pulled a bright red wedding invitation from his sleeve, handing it to Zheng Guang: “Lord Zheng, this invitation was given to us by True Person Jiang—she specifically reserved a prime seat for Young Master Zheng, asking us to enjoy the show.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?! Chuxue gave you this invitation...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Guang quickly took the invitation and examined it closely; once he confirmed it was indeed Jiang Chuxue’s handwriting, his tense expression relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a shrewd man—he instantly understood Jiang Chuxue’s intent in inviting Zheng Feng to the wedding banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he returned the invitation to Jiang Ye, he nodded inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good. Chuxue really thought ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inviting Zheng Feng to the wedding was clearly meant to quell the scandal that had rocked the city years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Zheng Feng publicly offered his blessings, the rumors of “Zheng family’s eldest son forcibly seizing his cousin’s fiancée” would collapse on their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such a clever daughter-in-law, he had truly struck gold.\u003C\u002Fp>",1367,"2026-06-20T12:57:28.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","66f3981dd8f7a1f1f155693f1ef60dc2f780b3d49918c98449c624064bb213c2",null,"don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-267","https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdon-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-cover.jpg"]