[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-194":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},2270202,4432,"Chapter 194: The Person Behind the Scenes","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-194",194,"\u003Cp>Qinghe, southern district of the city—flames had subsided, leaving only charred ruins and blackened walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Magistrate Chai.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei and Jiang Lin both arrived at the ruins with their men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei stared at the house, where faint flames still flickered, leaving almost nothing behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Jingong replied respectfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One of my subordinates accidentally discovered that Gao Zhen had another residence in Qinghe, so I came to investigate. But the moment my men arrived, they were killed, and the house was set on fire.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei grew angrier—this was an open provocation right under his nose!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you determine who did this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Jingong’s eyes narrowed slightly: “If my guess is correct, this is the work of the Ghost Ming  Sect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ghost Ming  Sect?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei raised an eyebrow: “You mean Gao Zhen was killed by the Ghost Ming  Sect? What’s your evidence?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Jingong explained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know my true qi is unusual—I can smell odors others cannot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve had dealings with the Ghost Ming  Sect before. Their demonic cultivation method emits a unique scent. If one of their people committed the act, and the time gap is under an hour, I can detect it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Cao Wei brightened: “Chai brother, you’re truly skilled. Now that we know it’s the Ghost Ming  Sect, this becomes easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Chai Jingong shook his head: “No. This only proves Gao Zhen’s death is connected to the Ghost Ming  Sect—but we still lack proof they were the actual killers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei dismissed this, firmly insisting: “It’s definitely the Ghost Ming  Sect!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just before Gao Zhen died, we fought a battle with the Ghost Ming  Sect. These devils are clearly seeking revenge!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Lin’s expression remained calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Jingong glanced at the furious Cao Wei, then said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As far as he knew, Cao Wei had always served in the Ministry of War and the military—he was indeed hot-tempered and decisive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But was his current rage truly due to the Ghost Ming  Sect’s murder?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least Chai Jingong didn’t think so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei appeared impulsive—he accused the Ghost Ming  Sect without gathering evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, he was pushing Chai Jingong to blame everything on the Ghost Ming  Sect and close the case quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since arriving in Qinghe, these past days—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pressure from the Gao family had grown heavier, and as expected, the Wei Guo Gong’s side had also begun paying attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day, documents arrived from Annan Town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than in the past three years combined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of them urged the same thing: solve the case quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gao Zhen clearly fled Qinghe himself, deliberately hiding his movements—even his closest servants knew nothing. All leads were cut. How were they supposed to investigate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the best solution was naturally to find a scapegoat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, the Ghost Ming  Sect was undoubtedly the best choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei probably had this idea from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he’d even found evidence linking Gao Zhen to the Ghost Ming  Sect—perfect for framing them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But… was Gao Zhen really killed by the Ghost Ming  Sect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, he didn’t believe so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Jingong sighed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The case had ultimately turned into something he never wanted to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a genius at investigations, yes—but everything required evidence. Even a goose must leave traces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After days of investigation, he’d uncovered several useful clues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on the information gathered, he had a gut instinct: Gao Zhen was very likely not killed by the Ghost Ming  Sect. In fact, Gao Zhen probably had deep, tangled ties to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an instinct forged through years of detective work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And every time he solved a case, his intuition proved correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if this were true, matters would become troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Gao clan disciple serving as an official, secretly colluding with the Ghost Ming  Sect, then murdered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this news reached the imperial court, it would ignite a massive uproar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Zhen’s death was minor—but the Lin Faction would surely exploit this to destroy the Gao family. Countless people would be dragged in—it would be a seismic shock to the Yu Kingdom’s court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gao family might even act preemptively against those who knew the truth, suppressing the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the death of a traitorous clan member to erase all damage to the Gao name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stakes were clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To these powerful figures, only interests mattered. If it benefited the family, even the worst acts were justified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justice meant nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Jingong did not voice his inner suspicions:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Magistrate Cao, the case remains unclear. Please order your men to re-examine the house.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei agreed instantly without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was eager to find more links to the Ghost Ming  Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more the Ghost Ming  Sect appeared, the easier it would be to convince General Xue and close the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer cared about the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he could deliver results, he’d arrest any suspect—even fabricate one—as long as the explanation made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Each has their own agenda.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Li Rui’s assessment of Jiang Lin, Cao Wei, and Chai Jingong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and Ge Hong stood nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three had not avoided speaking in front of them, so he heard every word clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Different views on the matter led to different attitudes and actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Lin cared least about Gao Zhen’s death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably because his patron was too powerful—this case couldn’t touch his future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, it wasn’t his duty as a military officer; no need to invite trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cao Wei was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t reached the point where his patrons would shield him from any consequence—he had to produce results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Jingong was the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, it was simply that their positions differed—they sat on different stools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui gazed at the still-smoldering ruins, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who did this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhuang Renhe?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>County Ya , inner courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who the hell is it?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Renhe’s eyes were bloodshot, like a beast ready to devour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had heard of the events in southern Qinghe today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Zhen was dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>=9+ Shu _ Ba\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t been involved in Gao Zhen’s mission, and he’d planted spies in Anning Guard—Cao Wei and Chai Jingong had found no leads, so they wouldn’t touch him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as he thought the case would become unsolved and he could continue his Anwen  life as county magistrate—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation changed. Now the blame pointed to the Ghost Ming  Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let the Ministry of Justice investigate—why must they kill again?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He too believed the Ghost Ming  Sect had done this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fools.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All of them are fools!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he was a member of the Ghost Ming  Sect, he was first and foremost the second master of the Zhuang family—he had little affection for the sect’s people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must stop them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If this keeps escalating, one day they might trace it back to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Renhe pondered, then made his decision quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t think Chai Jingong of the Ministry of Justice was a fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the contrary, Chai Jin Gong has risen to his current position in the capital because he has real skills, especially in solving cases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more the Ghost Ming  Sect does, the more clues they leave behind; doing nothing now is the best course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zhuang Renhe was pondering this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone knocked on his door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Renhe snapped impatiently: “Enter!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door creaked open, and it was the maid from the county magistrate’s residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maid asked sweetly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, the water is warmed. Shall I bathe you now, or wait a while? I’ll help you undress.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Renhe had a habit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to bathe every day before he could sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the common folk of Yu State, bathing once a month was already a luxury; in winter, many went without a bath for three or four months straight, saving up until spring warmth arrived, then washing in the rivers outside town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those with more money bathed in large wooden tubs filled with heated water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But heating a full tub took half a day, and the firewood cost alone was no small sum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very few could bathe daily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Renhe grunted: “Bathe me now. Come, undress me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shuowan 。\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young maid stepped forward timidly, extending her slender fingers to unfasten Zhuang Renhe’s belt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as her fingers were about to touch the belt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Renhe’s expressionless eyes flickered with a cruel glint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His right hand shot up, unleashing a palm blast that struck straight for the maid’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the maid reacted instantly, arching backward and skidding several meters along the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She let out a high-pitched, giggling laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the maid’s face peeled away in fragments, revealing the features of a seductive woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Renhe sneered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You vixen, if you ever dare do this again, I’ll kill you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You killed someone from my household?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seductive woman laughed wildly, her previously withered figure now trembling with exaggerated curves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How would I dare touch one of Lord Zhuang’s men?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Renhe’s gaze remained icy. He sneered: “Best be so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet inside, his heart sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It really was the Ghost Ming  Sect who killed them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman before him was Liu Jiaoniang, the Third among the Twelve Blood Disciples—the Thousand-Faced Rakshasa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the Ten-Thousand Ghosts Mother, whom Jiang Linxian had killed earlier, she excelled in disguise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Liu Jiaoniang’s skill in disguise surpassed that of the Ten-Thousand Ghosts Mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her presence in Qinghe made it hard not to suspect her involvement in the events in the southern district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Renhe stared coldly at Liu Jiaoniang:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did you kill several of Gao Zhen’s men in the southern district? Don’t you know this only draws attention?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jiaoniang blinked in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… killed someone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Renhe’s lip twitched: “What, are you lying to me too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jiaoniang burst into a sarcastic laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just arrived in Qinghe. If I were going to kill anyone, you’d be the first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Renhe studied her for a long moment, then asked hesitantly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… you didn’t kill them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not. I kill people hoping the whole world knows—I wouldn’t waste time hiding it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Renhe fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From her expression just now, he was certain she hadn’t killed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, given the Ghost Ming  Sect’s modus operandi, if she’d killed them, she’d have boasted about it—there was no reason for her to lie to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the question arose:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not Liu Jiaoniang, then who killed them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1755,"2026-06-19T22:01:09.077Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fea2f91fd6fd6ad9d4f31a70ac9285d0b721c3cc8923ccefbb5d19ae68de7a49","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-195","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-193",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]