[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-162":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Eternal Green Immortal Sovereign",{"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},2270170,4432,"Chapter 162: The Flowers Bloom Wildly, Dazzling the Eyes","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-162",162,"\u003Cp>Below Chunyan Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warm red lanterns hung high, visible for miles; all who came and went at the door were nobility, unlike the brothels out front where courtesans called out to lure customers—here, it was elegant and quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least a hundred taels a night, just to cultivate that sense of exclusivity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the cost at the Jiaofang Si was lower than this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no Chunyan Pavilion in Qinghe before; it was newly built after the new city was established.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumor has it that Chunyan Pavilion isn’t just in Anning Prefecture—it even has branches in Yunzhou, and its reputation extends far beyond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, it’s a chain brand; this is merely a branch store.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Qu, you’ve arrived! Miss Baozhu has been pining for you so badly, she can’t even think of tea or food.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The madam, spotting a familiar face, immediately flashed her professional smile and stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wrinkles on her face piled up like folds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warmly welcoming every customer who spends heavily—that’s basic professional conduct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm. Professional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Chengfeng beamed: “Is this true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Absolutely true. Master Qu, just look at Miss Baozhu’s waist tonight—you’ll see how slender it’s become.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of Baozhu’s supple, boneless waist, Qu Chengfeng’s blood stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to the middle-aged man beside him: “Brother Xiang, don’t keep the beauty waiting—I’ll go up first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang’s bodyguard, Xiang Ting, cracked a smile on his rigid face:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Qu, don’t wait for me. Enjoy yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had he spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Than Qu Chengfeng hurried up the stairs, eager as a dog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Greedy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was Xiang Ting’s assessment of Qu Chengfeng—a virgin who’d just been opened, and in the first few days, he was always impatient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Men always have special feelings for their first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More would be better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Ting, on orders from County Magistrate Zhuang Renhe, had been shadowing Qu Chengfeng the entire time, ensuring this young man’s pleasure trip went smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the time, he only needed to escort him inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t need to be taught—this one learned fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xiang Ting saw Qu Chengfeng ascend the stairs, he turned to the madam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Settle the account for Master Qu’s expenses during this period.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the madam’s smile widened, her plump hips jiggling again and again—making Xiang Ting’s lower belly burn with lust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still a middle-aged woman, but fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tonight, it’ll be her—I’ll have to get my hands on her somehow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Storytellers often say madams all have moles on their faces, old and ugly—but that’s the greatest misunderstanding outsiders have of madams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To become a madam, one needn’t have been the top courtesan, but one must have once been the pavilion’s most popular girl, sharp-witted and skilled at navigating all sides—only then could one rise above the others to become management.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the accounting room, the madam endured the tingling sensation between her legs while flipping through the ledger, tapping the abacus—soon she gave the total: “Master Xiang, the total is seven thousand three hundred taels.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Ting’s eyes widened:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hand froze mid-motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The madam repeated, innocent: “Seven thousand three hundred taels.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming he hadn’t misheard, Xiang Ting sucked in a sharp breath: “This little Taoist priest plays hard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than ten days, he’d spent over seven thousand taels!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But remembering County Magistrate Zhuang’s orders—that money was no object, to be drawn from the county treasury—he didn’t mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was public money, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He laughed heartily: “I’ll send someone tomorrow to settle it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had he spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The madam let out a soft cry as she was swept up into his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Ting grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master’s spent over seven thousand taels—tonight, it’s free!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the entrance to Chunyan Pavilion’s small pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tall, delicate serving girl had already heard the news and waited at the door; seeing Qu Chengfeng appear, her voice turned soft and slightly mournful: “Master Qu, my lady has been waiting for you so long, she’s nearly fallen ill with longing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Chengfeng couldn’t resist that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baozhu, I’m here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rushed into the room in three strides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was brightly lit, candles blazing everywhere—only the truly extravagant would burn so many.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere was perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baozhu, dressed in a plum-patterned long dress, lounged lazily on the bed, holding a scroll in one hand, savoring grapes; her maid knelt beside the bed, cradling Baozhu’s delicate, pale feet and massaging the acupoints on the soles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A patron once said, those two jade feet were worth ten thousand taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s how Baozhu got her name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Baozhu, have you missed me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Qu Chengfeng’s voice outside, the maid quietly stepped aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gust of wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Chengfeng pulled Baozhu into his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baozhu pushed his chest away with one hand, feigning resistance, while pouting: “It’s been seven hours—you didn’t come. You must’ve gone to other girls and forgotten me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mmm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Chengfeng’s heart melted—he quickly soothed her: “I was visiting Brother Zhuang—he promised me he’d pay to free you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Chengfeng’s status made him popular among the wealthy, but turning that popularity into cash wasn’t easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d gone to great lengths to get Zhuang Renhe to agree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baozhu’s eyes lit up—she changed her address instantly, urgent: “My husband, is this true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Chengfeng patted his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baozhu leaned in, pressing her ruby lips to Qu Chengfeng’s ear, a sweet fragrance swirling—seven parts playful, three parts shy:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How should I repay you, my husband?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the other end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li’s residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui sat alone on a cushion in his room, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t surprising that County Magistrate Zhuang Renhe knew about Wenxian Pavilion—he was a county head, after all; his intelligence network couldn’t be weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivating ties with Qu Chengfeng made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeking immortality and eternal bliss—who in power doesn’t desire it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the smoke before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Chengfeng’s choice of companions didn’t concern him; which courtesan he slept with was none of his business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this smoke—its shifting form—was somehow tied to Qu Chengfeng. At first,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui had merely noticed the smoke occasionally reddened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, he hadn’t paid it much mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, a powerful cultivator passing by might alter the danger level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But over time,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui realized something was off—the timing of the smoke’s reddening perfectly matched Qu Chengfeng’s return times. That demanded attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why he asked Wu Tu to keep watch on Qu Chengfeng’s movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Chengfeng’s status was noble—but where did he get so much money to frequent Chunyan Pavilion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, as a senior disciple of Wenxian Pavilion, his status was noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui knew well: a single night at Chunyan Pavilion cost hundreds of taels. Wu Tu said Qu Chengfeng had once even paid for an entire night’s expenses—acting like a fool with money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not just once or twice—he’d gone over ten times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least several thousand taels minimum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>=9+book_bar\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noble, noble—the emphasis is on “noble” before “wealthy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You could tell from Yao Xue’s attire and demeanor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them weren’t particularly well-off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the money he spent on pleasure at Chunyan Pavilion could only come from Zhuang Renhe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhuang Renhe”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui silently repeated the name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Chengfeng was only eighth-rank, posing almost no threat to him; the real danger was not Qu Chengfeng, but County Magistrate Zhu Renhe with his hidden agenda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What exactly is he planning?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui pondered at length, found no answer, and finally gave up in resignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew too little about Zhu Renhe to analyze anything meaningful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced toward the northern inner courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as Yao Xue was here as a protective charm, nothing serious would happen within Anning Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt he ought to show some appropriate concern for this inner demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui arrived at Yao Xue’s courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since that day, Yao Xue had completely withdrawn; for several days now, the girl from Wenxian Tower had not stepped outside her door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had resolved to seal herself off completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud, thud, thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui knocked on the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, the door creaked open as Yao Xue pushed it aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps due to prolonged lack of light or exhaustion from battling her inner demon, Yao Xue’s face was pale, yet carried an eerie, delicate beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Xue gazed at Li Rui with complex eyes: “Senior, what do you need?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder she was called an immortal; even after half a month sealed inside, her room smelled faintly sweet, not foul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Yao, sealing yourself off is too dangerous. Why not step out for some fresh air? It might help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A month ago, he would never have said this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he had, Yao Xue likely wouldn’t have believed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now it was different—she had already suffered the consequences of seclusion; her heart must have changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the right words must be spoken at the right time to take effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Xue’s expression shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This stage is called the battle between heaven and man, or the dialogue between angel and demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, it was crucial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, Yao Xue finally lifted her head: “Thank you, Senior.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui raised an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Congratulations, Miss Yao, you’ve taken your first step.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people of Wenxian Tower truly had exceptional insight—they’d already crossed the hardest threshold so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heart’s barrier was the most difficult to overcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Xue was startled by Li Rui’s sudden congratulations; her large eyes widened further, then softened into a knowing smile: “Thank you, Senior, for saving me a second time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today seemed ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it was a pivotal day in her breaking free from her inner demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just from the room—but from the prison of her own heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inner demon was terrifying precisely because no one knew where it began or where it ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, I know several good places.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qinghe is small, but it has its interesting spots.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he walked out of the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gentle smile appeared on Yao Xue’s face, like melting ice—pleasing to the eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She followed slowly behind Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Li Rui and Yao Xue reached the front courtyard, they saw Wang Zhao leading Wu Tu toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Wu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had drunk with Wu Tu just yesterday; now he had come calling again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu’s expression was grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said nothing, but first glanced at Wang Zhao, then at Yao Xue behind Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui immediately understood Wu Tu’s meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He already had a guess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved at Wang Zhao: “Xiao Zhao, go attend to the Horse Supervision Hall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Zhao nodded obediently and hurried out of the compound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu glanced again at Yao Xue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Li Rui speak: “It’s fine, Brother Wu—say what you need to say.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Rui made no effort to hide anything, Wu Tu took a deep breath:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Li, Qu Chengfeng is dead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1838,"2026-06-19T22:01:09.077Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c53df2c158b4728ab626f0f868db2065fa348052a55ba07f02f6adb6d5e6420f","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-163","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-161",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]