[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-195":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},2270203,4432,"Chapter 195: Appearance","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-195",195,"\u003Cp>\"Immortal Qi is the supreme essence of spirit, the noblest qi of all things; by cultivating it within the body and suppressing all other qi, one may ascend to immortality.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui flipped through the book in his hands, The Immortal Qi Guide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The author of this book was a former head of the Immortal Inquiry Tower, long dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The book did not specify which realm it referred to, but anyone who became head of the tower must have been no ordinary cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a master had broad horizons; though The Immortal Qi Guide was not a cultivation technique, merely a collection of notes, it still contained much of value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It mentioned one theory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was to continuously strengthen one’s true qi until it surpassed all other qi in the world, eventually reaching the level of Immortal Qi—when that was achieved, immortality would naturally follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It even detailed numerous methods for refining true qi into Immortal Qi, extremely thorough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence the book was named The Immortal Qi Guide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Truly a genius!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui grew more astonished the more he read.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was stunned by the originality of the Immortal Inquiry Tower’s head, and the cultivation methods he proposed contained many worthwhile insights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Know this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Immortal Inquiry Tower head had never even seen Immortal Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the methods were invented from nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Rui had already mastered a strand of Immortal Qi, so he was even more astonished—because his own path was already very close to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A kindred spirit!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui had never expected to encounter a senior on this very path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, one must never underestimate the wisdom of the ancients.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He currently used Immortal Qi as a guide, refining Immortal Xuan Qi through the Changchun Technique, but compared to true Immortal Qi, the difference was as vast as heaven and earth; to elevate Immortal Xuan Qi to the level of Immortal Qi, he still had a long road ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>High talent is good, but it also makes one prone to taking wrong paths, so one must absorb others’ experience and conjectures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Building good connections really pays off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he hadn’t kindly helped Yao Xue, he never would have obtained this copy of The Immortal Qi Guide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good people don’t always get good rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But doing good deeds always brings some return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui set the book down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gazed at the mist before him and sighed softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So it’s come after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mist before him had turned red, signaling that Qinghe City’s danger level was rising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What must come cannot be avoided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was tied inextricably to the arson case in the southern quarter today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I must find out who was behind it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of resolve passed through Li Rui’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some things can be ignored, but one must not remain ignorant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you keep your head buried like an ostrich, you won’t even know who’s about to cut off your head until the blade falls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at the sun outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The advantage of patrol duty is that you’re not bound by strict attendance times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui put down the book and stepped out the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He strolled leisurely and soon arrived before a small house in the military camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A two-courtyard residence—actually not small at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if only one person lived there, it felt enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knock knock knock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui tapped firmly on the door with his right index finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After about ten breaths,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtyard gate creaked open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Li, please come in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Huan opened the door, saw it was Li Rui, and immediately ushered him inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sixth-rank official from the Six Ministries or the government would never treat Li Rui, a junior sixth-rank, with such courtesy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was likely because Fu Huan belonged to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Si Chen was already the lowest-ranking official in the bureau; Fu Huan, meanwhile, had not a single subordinate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lowest officials cannot cultivate authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Li Rui had a close relationship with Yao Xue, so Fu Huan had no reason to cold-shoulder him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Huan and Li Rui entered the main hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said apologetically, \"Lord Li, I have no fine tea here—please make do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui laughed heartily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I came today precisely to bring tea—we’re thinking alike.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Huan saw Li Rui pull from his sleeve a tea cake wrapped in oil paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He preferred quiet, so even though Cao Wei had assigned him maidservants, he turned them all down and lived alone in this house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Huan rummaged for a long while before finally pulling out a set of tea utensils from a side cabinet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The host provided the tea set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui, as guest, made no pretense—he brewed the tea himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their relationship drew closer through this exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, Li Rui’s tea brewing was deliberate; without offering fine tea, he would never have had the chance to visit, let alone extract the information he wanted from Fu Huan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Huan had come to him before only because of Yao Xue’s favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if Li Rui wanted to use Yao Xue’s favor to befriend Fu Huan, he couldn’t be too direct—he had to be subtle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, Fu Huan would suspect ulterior motives and grow wary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui was no man with ill intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine tea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Huan drank again, still unable to suppress his admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui lowered his head and blew gently on the hot tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could it not be fine?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d spent a thousand taels of silver on it; in the capital, it would cost even more—each sip tasted of gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui: \"I’ve read The Immortal Qi Guide. Please, Lord Fu, thank Miss Yao for me when you return.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Huan’s eyes flickered with delight:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If Lord Li enjoys it, I’ll gladly convey your thanks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been puzzled why Li Rui had suddenly visited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tea cake had lowered his guard; now, this was the perfect chance to connect with Yao Xue—his defenses vanished entirely. Though he was a sixth-rank official,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, he was still just a worker, and due to the bureau’s unique nature, he had virtually no chance of being posted elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he must curry favor with the bureau chief’s inner circle,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To secure more resources within the bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Xue was an excellent candidate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui then discussed his personal views on The Immortal Qi Guide with Fu Huan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Refining Qi to attain immortality—the Imperial Astronomical Bureau has attempted it too. But individual strength can never rival heaven and earth; many tried, all failed. If Lord Li is interested, the bureau still has many handwritten records—not secrets at all. I’ll send them to you after I return to the capital.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s eyes brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Imperial Astronomical Bureau had countless powerful cultivators; their handwritten records must be invaluable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked thoughtfully, \"These are too precious, Lord Fu—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Huan waved his hand. \"Just old relics gathering dust. The paths are dead ends—no one reads them anymore. Might as well leave them be.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>=9+book_ba\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui no longer pretended modesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An unexpected boon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the experience of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau’s predecessors, he could avoid many detours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to those former bureau elders, he had two great advantages: Immortal Qi and Immortal Form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two alone were enough to revive the dead-end paths the bureau had abandoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bureau’s discarded texts were his treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though these old texts from the bureau held little value, ordinary people could hardly obtain them at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, Li Rui, as this patrol officer, certainly wouldn’t have access to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Huan also felt a certain affinity for this little old man, Li Rui, finding him easy to get along with, which is why he was willing to help generously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What people call “affinity” is really just due to Li Rui’s tea cakes and the opportunity to connect with Yao Xue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s no such thing as unearned favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two talked more and more enthusiastically, and without realizing it, Li Rui steered the conversation toward the Gao Zhen case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir Fu, this morning I happened to see you in the southern part of the city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Huan nodded, a flicker of concern passing through his eyes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This matter is highly suspicious. Director Cao is convinced it was the Ghost Ming  Sect’s doing, but Director Chai thinks the case is still uncertain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After verifying life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Fu Huan had little opportunity to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Imperial Astronomical Bureau is mysterious only because outsiders rarely get to interact with them—do people really think they’re immortals who control the Five Elements and peer into heavenly destiny?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Huan merely follows Chai Jingong around all day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui: “What does Director Chai think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Huan shook his head: “Director Chai hasn’t told me anything, but by observing his aura, I suspect he’s already uncovered something—yet he’s never revealed it to us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s heart tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could I have underestimated the methods of this world?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smoke alert might not have been triggered by an external enemy at all—it could be that Chai Jingong has truly traced it back to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Made Li Rui’s scalp go numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Anning Guard was quiet; patrol soldiers walked through the camp with torches in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow darted through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, it slipped out of the Anning Guard during a moment the soldiers weren’t watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shadow raced onto the official road, only slowing slightly then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced back:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one’s following, I hope?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Jingong, dressed in night attire, whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, the one who had slipped out of the Anning Guard was none other than him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cao Wei has impure intentions—he no longer cares about the truth. These past few days, I’ve clearly been watched.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must find the truth myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A look of determination flashed in Chai Jingong’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To hastily pin the blame felt like a betrayal of conscience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t care how the Gao Zhen case ultimately ended—he had to know the outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After these days of investigation,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>publicly he claimed to have found no leads, but in truth, through his peculiar pig-shaped true qi, he had already found a breakthrough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Jingong followed a faint, almost imperceptible scent, walking toward the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two full hours later,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he appeared in a forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Jingong stared at the nearly identical trees around him, then squatted before a patch of bare ground:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were weary, yet couldn’t hide his delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had finally found the place where Gao Zhen died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a qualitative leap toward solving the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reaching this spot was thanks to a secret technique he cultivated—by paying a certain price, he could temporarily enhance his sense of smell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past few days, he had quietly sniffed Gao Zhen’s clothes before he vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only today had he finally confirmed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gao Zhen. Ghost Ming  Sect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei wants to blame the Ghost Ming  Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Jingong disagrees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because through various evidence, he discovered Gao Zhen was likely not an enemy of the Ghost Ming  Sect—in fact, the two were probably allies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gao Zhen colluded with the Ghost Ming  Sect. The one who killed him is someone else—perhaps even within the Anning Guard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be Jiang Lin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought made Chai Jingong draw a sharp breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Jiang Lin was truly the one who acted, then everything suddenly made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>suddenly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice slowly rose from the dark depths of the forest:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop. Don’t investigate further.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1947,"2026-06-19T22:01:09.077Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c9c5be540cfa1e8fa3129dcf8a6b818961ccb9431c23e4f835a5df09a7923d5d","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-196","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-194",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]