[{"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-53":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},2312545,4520,"Chapter 53","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-53",53,"\u003Cp>Inside the room, Liu Qingshi walked to the ancestral tablet and stood silently for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached out, picked up three incense sticks, lit them at the candle flame, then solemnly inserted them into the incense burner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thin blue smoke curled upward, blurring his resolute face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Jiang…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was low and hoarse, thick with uncontainable guilt and longing, “Are you well over there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fell silent for a moment, as if waiting for an answer that would never come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yiyi succeeded today in joining the Tianqing Sect’s outer sect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke slowly, as if chatting with an old friend seated across from him, “That girl is determined—she’ll surely go farther than I ever did. If you’re watching from above, be glad for her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhao Gang has also broken through to Hua Jing—he’ll soon bring Shi Lei to Fucheng to seek me out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, a bitter curve tugging at his lips, “In his letter, he said Shi Lei misses you… I didn’t know how to reply.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Jiang…” His voice suddenly choked, his hands clenching at his sides, “That night, I couldn’t find you. I… I’m sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue smoke swirled, casting his resolute face in flickering light and shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood there, motionless, like a stone statue, turning all his guilt and self-reproach into silent stillness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the window, Jiang Ye stood quietly in the shadows, watching the rigid back inside, watching the curling blue smoke, watching the ancestral tablet bearing his own name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seventy years alive, he’d seen too many deaths, endured too many partings—he thought his heart had turned to iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, staring at that cold tablet, at that silent back, he felt his eyes grow damp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d never imagined that this lonely old man, with no family or kin, would one day be so deeply remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Liu…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He silently called out in his heart, a thousand words reduced to the faintest sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t move, didn’t speak, didn’t let even a whisper of his breath escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply stood there, like a withered tree fused with the darkness, burying every complex emotion deep within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, Liu Qingshi finally moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed deeply before the tablet, then turned and walked heavily out of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door softly closed behind him, sealing the blue smoke and silence inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye remained where he stood, staring at the closed door, for a long, long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Liu, rest easy—as long as I live, the Liu family will know peace for generations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye cast a deep glance at the room housing his own tablet and murmured softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, as quietly as he’d come, he slipped out of the estate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye did not return to the mountain immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mood was heavy, so he wandered aimlessly along Fucheng’s Changjie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night market had just begun, lanterns dim and flickering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shops lined both sides of the street—vendors shouted, haggling echoed, children laughed, and the warmth of mortal life washed over him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked slowly, paused to watch a street performance, lingered briefly before a noodle stall, then turned into a refined jade shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shop attendant greeted him, seeing his Tianqing Sect official robe, and grew even more respectful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye said nothing, browsed casually, then pointed to a translucent green jade box and asked, “How much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord has excellent taste! This is premium green jade—fine-grained, smooth as fat, perfect for storing medicinal herbs…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attendant launched into an endless description.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye waved him off, tired of the chatter, paid outright, and tucked the jade box into his robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bought this box not to store herbs, but to prepare for housing the fire centipede.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving the jade shop, he walked a little longer on the street, fully suppressing the turmoil in his heart, then turned toward the Tianqing Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time he returned to the Tianqing Sect’s Shanmen, night was deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The towering gate loomed solemn in the darkness, flanked by rows of stone lanterns glowing with faint blue flames, casting the stone steps in flickering light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He climbed the steps at a steady pace; when passing the area where outer sect disciples lived, he unconsciously slowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the scattered dwellings, tiny lights glowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That girl Yiyi must be living in one of those rooms.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His aged eyes flickered slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to go see how she’d settled in, but then he thought better of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was late at night—a decrepit old man sneaking around to spy on a young female disciple? That would be improper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it. I’ll see her tomorrow morning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head, suppressing the impulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hope that girl adjusts well in the Tianqing Sect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He mused inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yiyi was cold-natured, awkward with people, unlike Su Yan’s smooth tact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outer sect of the Tianqing Sect had far more disciples than the old Qingshi Martial Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where there are people, there is the Jianghu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye worried her cold demeanor might cause her to suffer small slights within the sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he’d have to keep an eye on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night was deep, moonlight like water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye moved silently through the herb garden as usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His figure was a shadow merging with the dark, not even disturbing the insects’ chirping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Another piece of trash.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fire centipede had just crawled from the soil, not yet reaching the nearest Tiankui herb, when two slender twigs pinched it firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught on sight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye’s technique was now flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the faint fire mark on its belly, twisted his wrist, and with one casual slash, cut the centipede in two—it fell to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to rise and search for the next prey\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssss—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharper, distinctly different hiss emerged from the soil not far behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye, with his acute senses, spun around, eyes narrowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the edge of the herb field, beside the root of a Tiankui herb, a fire centipede was cautiously emerging from the soil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no more than half a foot long—smaller than its kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet its entire body glowed crimson as if scorched by flame, its carapace shimmering faintly with dark gold luster, strikingly vivid under the moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What startled Jiang Ye most was its audacity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After emerging, it made no attempt to sense its surroundings—instead, like a crimson flash, it shot up the nearest Tiankui herb, opened its fearsome mouth, and began devouring without a trace of caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It ate ravenously, its half-foot body swaying as if savoring a grand feast, utterly unaware that a withered figure had silently arrived behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bold!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye silently praised, two sharpened twigs already sliding soundlessly from his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A barely audible whisper of air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The centipede, mid-bite, sensed danger, recoiled, and curled its body to flee into the soil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jiang Ye was faster—he didn’t let it leap from the stem; the twigs snapped shut like iron bars, lifting it into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssss!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment caught, the centipede emitted a piercing, ear-splitting hiss—unlike the futile struggles of its kin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It thrashed violently, its countless legs flailing in the air, its strength so great it made Jiang Ye’s twigs tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It opened its fearsome jaws, aiming straight for Jiang Ye’s fingers, a ferocious, no-holds-barred attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling the immense struggle, utterly disproportionate to its size, Jiang Ye’s eyes flashed with sudden delight, “Good lad! Compact and powerful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So small, yet so strong—its quality must be exceptional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted the writhing creature, examining its belly under the moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One glance—and his aged eyes blazed with uncontrollable joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On its belly, a fire mark blazed crimson as blood, deep enough to reveal bone, glowing fiercely under the moon like a blazing sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good! Good! Good!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t help but murmur three praises in a row, a wide, long-awaited smile spreading across his aged face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After days of labor, after catching a hundred pieces of trash, he’d finally caught a true treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is a supreme fire centipede!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to examine the treasure closely, but when his gaze swept over its mouth, his pupils shrank sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside its fearsome, gaping maw, it bore two pairs of deep red mandibles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is going on here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A normal fire centipede has only one pair of mandibles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is clearly recorded in the Book of Venom Control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this one before him has an extra pair—four fangs glinting with a cold, eerie light under the moon, like four scythes dipped in deadly poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye’s heart lurched violently; a shocking thought exploded in his mind like thunder:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could this be a variant of the fire centipede?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Book of Venom Control once recorded that among all venomous insects, there exist exceedingly rare mutated individuals—some with abnormal body sizes, others possessing unique innate abilities, known as “variants.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for how these variants come to be, the Book of Venom Control offers no clear explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his thoughts shifted sharply, the fire centipede he held, still thrashing wildly, suddenly opened its fearsome mouth—now bearing two pairs of mandibles—directly at his face—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hssss!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cloud of crimson venomous mist erupted from its mouth, surging straight toward his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mist was scorching and sweetly foul; merely drifting through the air, it made one feel a faint burning sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye twisted sharply aside, barely avoiding the venomous cloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mist landed on the ground; several leaves of Tiankui grass instantly withered into blackened ash, sending up thin trails of green smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was both startled and elated, staring at the tiny creature still writhing and snapping in his grasp, as if desperate to swallow him whole—his aged eyes blazed with intense light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fire centipede that spits venom...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Book of Venom Control never recorded any such ability in ordinary fire centipedes!\u003C\u002Fp>",1652,"2026-06-20T12:57:27.461Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","56a4da1de01b2b23043b23c63461d27b0f0bafd7af03fe169f2e235e172b4cfe","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-54","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-52",268,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdon-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-cover.jpg"]