[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-17":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},2270025,4432,"Chapter 17: The Eight Hidden Gates","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-17",17,"\u003Cp>A tavern in the south of the city, third-floor private room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui sat upright on a wooden chair, glancing around the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yellow rosewood, a luxury shipped from Yanzhou thousands of miles away—he’d only seen it in Zhu family’s master’s chamber; this set of furniture alone was worth a thousand taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve long heard the Wine Fragrance Pavilion is backed by powerful patrons—turns out it’s Wu Tu’s territory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him sat a burly man with a full beard and a fearsome expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was Wu Tu, the boss of the Rong Sect, one of the Eight Hidden Gates of Qinghe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tu” means slaughter; decent people never use this character as a name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Word has it Wu Tu changed his name later—he didn’t use to be called this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old brother is a straightforward man; my man acted foolishly—he deserves punishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu burst into loud laughter, the sound echoing through the room several times, utterly boisterous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing beside him, Ding Liang’s eyes were swollen like copper bells, on the verge of tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old man plays dirty!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to speak up sooner, but Li Rui never gave him the chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu: “Old brother, rest easy—everyone here is family. But I wonder, how did you learn such skill after spending so many years as a stablehand in the Zhu household?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s eyes narrowed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu had been secretly investigating his identity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu appeared coarse and careless, but his mind was far from simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Rong Sect already had over a hundred men under its thumb in Qinghe, and he’d lived here for decades—too many knew him; it wasn’t hard for them to uncover him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does Boss Wu want with this old man?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui felt no great alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Wu Tu’s name carried weight, he was merely a ninth-rank Stone Skin cultivator—Li Rui wasn’t afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu: “What’s the point of being a stablehand in the Zhu household? Come join me—we’ll plot great things together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui instantly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu was trying to recruit him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His martial skill wasn’t rare in Qinghe, but it wasn’t common either—and those who understood the underworld’s ways were even fewer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The underworld isn’t like major martial sects; they don’t care about potential—only immediate usefulness matters. He was perfectly suited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eight Hidden Gates—“Feng, Ma, Yan, Que, Heng, Lan, Ge, Rong”—among them, Ma, Lan, and Ge had no formal structure; the other five each had a boss, known as a “piaobazi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These bosses each had their own strengths and were all figures capable of stirring up storms in Qinghe City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the underworld, unless you’re insane,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>you always want more friends—the Eight Hidden Gates are no different; everyone understands the value of numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss Wu, this old man is nearly in his coffin—useless for anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu looked disappointed: “Old brother, really won’t reconsider?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui refused again: “I’m this old—Boss Wu should find someone more capable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed money, but not every kind of money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, he wouldn’t touch the Eight Hidden Gates’ money—earn it, and you’d never live to spend it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Rui’s firm stance, Wu Tu didn’t press further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he’d said, Li Rui had some skill, but he was too old—Wu Tu had merely been testing the waters; his refusal didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old brother, if you ever change your mind, the Rong Sect’s door is always open.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu was indeed a straightforward man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t force Li Rui—drank a cup of tea, then left with Ding Liang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui sat alone in the private room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after Wu Tu and Ding Liang had fully departed did he descend the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big brother, really let that old bastard walk away?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Liang asked with his swollen face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kept glancing back at the Wine Fragrance Pavilion—he’d been tricked by that old man twice; of course he was angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since he won’t show face, why not—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Liang’s eyes flashed with cruelty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To men of the underworld, people fell into only two categories: friends and enemies—no third option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Friends drank large bowls of wine, ate big chunks of meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enemies—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the old man refused to join the Rong Sect, he was an enemy. They’d confirmed: Li Rui wasn’t from the Ge Sect—he was just an old stablehand, easy to crush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu glanced at Ding Liang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Put away that petty thought—it only makes you look foolish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re so strong—can you beat a ranked cultivator?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Liang froze: “That old man is a ranked cultivator?!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d always thought Li Rui was merely an old man with a sturdy body—he never imagined he was a cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His back turned cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was grateful he’d only been beaten—he’d never fought Li Rui directly, or he’d already be a corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu’s eyes flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stablehand… ninth-rank cultivator. Interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell the brothers to keep their eyes open—don’t provoke that man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Liang nodded obediently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu practiced Eagle Claw Technique—not just hand skills, but also eyesight. From the first glance at Li Rui, he’d known he was a ranked cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he really think Wu Tu was this easygoing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d gone to such lengths—why let Li Rui leave so easily?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply lacked the confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Being watched by the Rong Sect isn’t good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui walked down the street, eyes icy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Wu Tu acted coarse and generous, don’t forget—he was once a bandit of the Heng Sect, and now leads the Rong Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least a dozen men had died in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d spent so much effort uncovering Li Rui’s identity—he wouldn’t let this go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll see how things unfold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t afraid of Wu Tu, but the Rong Sect knew he worked for the Zhu household—they could strike at him with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bursts of fireworks shot into the sky, leaving streaks of white smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The New Year’s approaching.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The New Year was the most important day of the year for most common families—only then did Zhu household servants reliably get meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this year meant something different to Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could buy his freedom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Yu Kingdom law, once a man reached seventy, he could be freed from servitude; typically, masters, to preserve face, granted this favor during the New Year as a sign of generosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d already offended Zhu Lie—staying longer would only make life harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once he shed his lowly status, even if the Rong Sect knew his identity, they could no longer touch him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many martial cultivators never married or had children—instead, they took disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more attachments, the more weaknesses; in the martial world, enemies were inevitable—no one wanted to see their wife, children, or elders slaughtered, so most treated disciples as sons, to be cared for in old age and mourned with sackcloth and ashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d spent most of his life in the Zhu household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those close to him had all died; only Yang Yong and Wang Zhao remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he left the Zhu household,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>to outsiders, he’d be utterly alone—no longer easy to manipulate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the sea stretches wide for fish to leap, the sky so vast for birds to fly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1216,"2026-06-19T22:01:09.077Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","df6484608c4e3372dbdb629d964af3f871025ec7b597e862f3c77933ae9fb15c","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-18","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-16",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]