[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-224":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},2270232,4432,"Chapter 224: I Think You","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-224",224,"\u003Cp>“W-what are you going to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu merchant’s face turned liver-colored the instant Li Rui finished speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recoiled in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This elderly Yu man before him was like a deep ocean trench—utterly inscrutable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly felt regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing around at the other Wu people, they all stepped back in unison, putting distance between themselves and him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu merchant finally broke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I—I was wrong. I’ll do as you say.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to yield, but Li Rui’s gaze grew even colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of blade-light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu merchant’s head flew high into the air, crimson blood spraying, splattering the nearby trees—horrifying to behold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone who saw it drew a sharp breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So ruthless!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone said Wu people were fierce and warlike, but today they finally understood: Yu people were truly heartless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountains and woods fell into dead silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui spoke slowly: “I don’t know how you think, and I have no interest in finding out—but I will tell you one thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is a battlefield!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shuowan 。\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked on without looking back, continuing toward his predetermined direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dao Mo gazed at the Wu merchant’s corpse on the ground, his expression complex; he gritted his teeth and followed after him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Rui had said, this was now equivalent to war—every act of mercy would only prove inefficient, and killing to establish authority was the most effective method now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, no one dared question Li Rui’s decisions again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until deep into the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group crossed a small hill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They saw a city ahead, glowing with lights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qinghe City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they saw Qinghe, Dao Mo’s expression finally eased slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he heard Li Rui instruct Tan Hu beside him: “Send two men down to scout.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Hu acted swiftly, immediately ordering the Running Tiger Cavalry to descend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wen had remained silent all along, but now he spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Li, we’re near Qinghe City—who would dare attack here? Isn’t this overcautious?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s face was expressionless: “Director Xu, do you know when swordsmen prefer to strike and kill?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wen froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t understand why Li Rui would ask a question so unrelated to their current situation, but he still asked instinctively: “When?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The moment they step through their own door.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wen’s heart sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood Li Rui’s meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because that’s when vigilance drops lowest—seemingly safest, yet most dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aren’t we in exactly that situation now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scouts returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Hu pressed: “What’s the situation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout reported everything he’d seen, without omission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he heard no enemy ambushes were found, Tan Hu finally exhaled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to ask Li Rui whether to enter the city now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he saw Li Rui’s face had grown more grave than ever—he sighed deeply: “Huizi, send someone a li away and fire the signal arrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Hu’s eyes widened in confusion: “Brother Li, there’s no one there—why fire the signal arrow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui explained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just now Xiao Hai said there’s a merchant caravan resting in the woods beside the road.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the county office has clearly banned all merchant travel—where did this caravan come from?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Hu wasn’t a fool—he began reasoning: “Brother Li, could it be those people defied the order and left the city?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui: “Are we going to gamble with our lives?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Hu fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately ordered a soldier: “Take men a li away and fire the signal arrow!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The signal arrow was specially made by the Anning Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fired outside Anning City, it would rouse not just a few garrison commanders—Jiang Lin and Cao Wei would both come out personally to investigate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If proven misused, the punishment would be severe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui was nothing if not decisive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for why they went a li away—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, to prevent enemies from spotting the arrow; if the opponent was too powerful, they might kill them before Jiang Lin or Cao Wei arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So going a li away allowed them to detect enemies at once—and still have time to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Hu finished everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze toward Li Rui grew even more reverent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had once served in the northwestern frontier army—he knew too well how terrifying a man could be who remained sharp-minded even in crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were him, he’d have charged into the city without a second thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never would’ve considered all this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A piercing shriek echoed over Qinghe, leaving a lingering white trail in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Anning Guard west of Qinghe City sprang to life instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cavalry unit galloped out of the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the road, in the woods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several men who appeared to be Yu merchants all looked up at the white smoke in the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their faces darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Rui, we—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They turned to the old man still seated on the rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the elite hidden by the Southern Frontier Qi clan outside Qinghe City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they hadn’t waited for their target—they’d gotten the Anning Guard’s signal arrow instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man, Qi Rui, slowly stood up:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This place is no longer safe—Jiang Lin and Cao Wei together? I’m no match for them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he rose first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walked into the deeper woods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others exchanged glances; though reluctant, they followed him in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Piles of goods lay scattered on the ground, rattling in the wind; a pale streak of dawn appeared on the horizon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Yu’s face was grim. He’d chased fifty li—and still let them slip away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never imagined the Wu merchant caravan had deviated from the deployment map’s route—changed course early, even abandoned all their goods on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if they’d foreseen it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What exactly happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Yu’s mind was full of questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deployment routes were always strictly confirmed—hardly ever changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the final result was:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu merchant caravan had vanished right before their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jiaoniang’s smile vanished; she watched coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this plan was entirely the Southern Frontier Qi clan’s doing—they were only here to lend a hand; if it failed, it affected them not at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>=9+book_\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Yu suddenly glared fiercely at Liu Jiaoniang:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you leak the information?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jiaoniang laughed bitterly: “Qi Yu, are you a dog? You bite anyone you see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she muttered to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s affair looked unmistakably like someone had slipped word out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Yu was about to explode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Yuan Gao spoke up: “Who is leading the Yu state’s delegation this time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Yu’s mind conjured several names:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu Shou Dao Mo, Market Supervisor Xu Wen, and Anning Guard Captain Li Rui.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he heard Li Rui’s name,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jiaoniang’s eyes flickered with surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s still alive?!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remembered clearly: Li Rui had been drugged by her Meinu , and the immortal qi had been seized from that Yu state official.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was he alive, but he’d been promoted to Captain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Liu Jiaoniang had no intention of speaking. As always, today’s affair had nothing to do with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying more would only bring trouble upon herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Gao glanced at the cargo and issued his final order:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take the cargo away. That’s half the mission accomplished. The Anning Guard will arrive soon—if Jiang Lin is with them, I may not be able to stop him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though unwilling, Qi Yu understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was now beyond recovery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yu state couldn’t find them in the mountains, and neither could they.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staying longer might mean being surrounded by Jiang Lin’s troops—then it wouldn’t just be a failed mission, but a death sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gritted his teeth:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Move it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun blazed overhead; hooves pounded urgently, sending stones bouncing off the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A troop of soldiers appeared on the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wen dismounted first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was where they had abandoned the cargo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, there was no cargo left—only bare, yellow earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei and Yan Zhongxing dismounted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both wore grim expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night, Cao Wei had seen the signal arrow and personally rode out to investigate; he first found two Benshu Cavalry soldiers, then was led to the main force of Dao Mo, Li Rui, and others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After learning the full situation,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately brought men to the site where the cargo had been abandoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Audacious bastards—they dared rob an army!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei’s temple veins bulged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was like slapping his face—hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Investigate!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Find out who did this—no matter who!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, several Wu state merchants cast glances toward Li Rui, intentionally or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One Wu state merchant spoke: “General Cao, the order to abandon the cargo and retreat was made by Senior Li. What if it was just a band of thieves? Wouldn’t that humiliate both nations?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui remained calm as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Anning Guard men’s expressions turned icy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, Li Rui had struck swiftly, killing a Wu state merchant on the spot. Back then, the merchants had dared not retaliate due to the urgency—now that the crisis had passed, they seized their chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhongxing pondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before arriving, he had already learned the full story from Xu Wen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Li Rui had ordered the cargo abandoned without even seeing the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dao Mo’s heart sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a Wu state official, he was nearly certain: the Wu princes would act—only the question was which one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These merchants were from his own country, yet their greed and betrayal disgusted him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to speak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cao Wei cut in with a cold, hostile snort: “Are you questioning the Yu state’s decision?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu merchant froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected Cao Wei to be so forceful—turning the issue into a matter of national dignity, leaving him speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I, the Anning Guard, will investigate this thoroughly. But before we uncover the truth, anyone who spreads rumors—no matter their nationality—will be killed by me, Cao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of outsiders, as Assistant Regional Commander of the Anning Guard, he had to stand unconditionally by his men—including Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu merchant shrank back, cursing inwardly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mindless brute!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a merchant; they were soldiers. In either Yu or Wu, once pushed, he couldn’t afford to fight back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As tension mounted,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhongxing sighed and intervened:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can delay the investigation, but the market is imminent. With cargo lost, resolving this is now urgent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu merchants arrived at the market only to find no goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The market would become a laughingstock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was indeed difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As silence fell over the group, Li Rui spoke slowly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, the cargo still exists.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1781,"2026-06-19T22:01:11.003Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d1d5e8ce80dc629ff02891d91e37ed04bb18825a4b3a4ee226d755b1b655ca27","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-225","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-223",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]