[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-234":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},2270242,4432,"Chapter 234: Fire in the Oil, Towers Rising","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-234",234,"\u003Cp>The commerce documents from the Heaven and Earth Alliance were approved within three days—whether by coincidence or due to someone’s maneuvering, Li Rui had no way of knowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui had no way of knowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first trading expedition began soon after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first trading expedition was crucial, and the Heaven and Earth Alliance prepared extensively for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui and Ning Zhongtian held special statuses and could not possibly go to Wu Country themselves to conduct business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet apart from the two of them, the Heaven and Earth Alliance deployed nearly all its top experts, led personally by the Second Alliance Master Huang Chui and the Third Alliance Master Fei Laosan—no small show of force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sole purpose was to ensure the trading mission went flawlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the Heaven and Earth Alliance’s foundations couldn’t compare to those great sects, in terms of caravan scale, it was already on par.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how powerful a great sect was, its Sect Master wouldn’t personally go trading, would he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the caravan—three hundred strong—set off, Ning Zhongtian sighed with emotion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When it comes to getting things done, you’ve got to rely on Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He, Huang Chui, and Fei Laosan had tossed and turned for years, and the Heaven and Earth Alliance was still just a bigger gang, making money through underground ventures like gambling dens and brothels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, selling weapons had Jiang Lin’s approval—and according to Brother’s words, even the Emperor was involved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does that mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the terms of Li Rui’s past life, it was like the referee stepping onto the court to play—there was simply no way to lose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From now on, the Heaven and Earth Alliance is a gang on the imperial payroll.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhongtian felt utterly delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d long heard that some sects and gangs specialized in doing private favors for His Majesty, each one dripping with wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not everyone could do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The key was having connections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fourth Brother, don’t worry—I’ve already alerted Dao Meng and Guan Ka. Plus, Second and Third Brothers carried my letter to Dao Mo; nothing should go wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhongtian looked at Li Rui again, utterly convinced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly felt bringing Li Rui into the Heaven and Earth Alliance was among the wisest decisions of his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All his emotions finally surfaced as a sincere whisper: “Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui rolled his eyes: “Why not cry for me? I’d love to see a Longmen martial artist weep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A month passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the Heaven and Earth Alliance caravan returned from Wu Country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had left with dozens of fully loaded carts; now the carts were empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second Brother, Third Brother, you’ve worked hard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui saw the dust-caked faces of the men, their grins stretching ear to ear—he knew the trip had gone smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could it not go smoothly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weapons were forged by Tie Kuang, an Elder of Divine Weapon Manor; the sellers were, at minimum, Assistant Commandant An Ning’s guards, and at maximum, the Emperor of Yu Country himself; the buyers were the Wu Country government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Official to official—there was no formal imperial document, but if there had been, they’d have added “state assistance” to the title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A perfect closed loop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For anything to go wrong would be a miracle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far superior to the channels Cao Wei, Zhuang Renhe, and Divine Weapon Manor relied on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t want to do it this way—they simply lacked connections like Li Rui’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu Country delegation in Qinghe recognized only Li Rui—this advantage was unparalleled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Chui shook his head like a rattle drum, beaming: “Not hard at all, not hard at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, we didn’t fail you. Here’s the ledger from this trip—take a look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled out a small, crumpled booklet from his chest and handed it to Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wrinkled and worn—clearly handled countless times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhongtian leaned in as Li Rui opened it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both drew a sharp breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three fifth-rank elixirs, thirty sixth-rank elixirs, three hundred seventh-rank elixirs, a thousand eighth- and ninth-rank elixirs combined, ten thousand taels of gold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look, look—a thousand eighth- and ninth-rank elixirs. Once treasured beyond measure, now they weren’t even worth counting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhongtian’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The profit from a single transaction nearly exceeded the Heaven and Earth Alliance’s total earnings over five years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder every faction coveted this business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was truly damn profitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was even after Li Rui, worried they’d mishandle the first trip, deliberately held back half the weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Rui and Ning Zhongtian’s expressions, Huang Chui and Fei Laosan beamed: “How’s that? Pretty good, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not ‘pretty good’—it’s outstanding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhongtian said seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Chui chuckled: “All thanks to Brother. The weapons were top quality, and the Wu Country buyers were all familiar faces—they bought everything without haggling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dao Mo was naturally eager—these weren’t ordinary weapons, but hand-forged masterpieces by master smiths, inherently more valuable than standard arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Wu Country was currently embroiled in civil war, desperate for weapons—especially high-quality ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With others, you worried about quality, and you worried about sudden supply cuts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with Li Rui, none of those problems existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like falling asleep and finding a pillow handed to you—why bother over details?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, it was real gold and silver; no matter how good the relationship, no one would just throw money away. The key was Li Rui’s perfect grasp of boundaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui handed the ledger back to Huang Chui: “Second Brother, please take out all fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-rank elixirs. Find a vacant, clean property owned by our Alliance in Qinghe, lock them in a room, and guard them yourself. Someone will come to collect them later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Chui and Fei Laosan froze in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They finally understood—Li Rui intended to hand over all elixirs above seventh rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though profits were split seven to three, how you split them could vary greatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving high-rank elixirs was clearly more profitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even they rarely saw fifth- or sixth-rank elixirs in daily life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d risked their lives for a month, only to have the biggest share taken and all the best goods seized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emotional blow was too much to bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Chui couldn’t help asking: “We’re partners in business—split it evenly. Why go out of your way to flatter them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, Li Rui’s face turned cold as he glared at Huang Chui: “Second Brother, I don’t want to hear such talk again. Let me tell you plainly—those people are beyond our reach. If you harbor such thoughts, don’t touch this business again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Chui was stunned—he hadn’t expected Li Rui to react so decisively over a simple question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s tone left him speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui sighed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Chui and Fei Laosan didn’t know the truth, so he didn’t blame them—but he couldn’t let such thoughts take root, or they might drag the entire Heaven and Earth Alliance to ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he had to speak plainly—and harshly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some things can’t be spoken of, but Second Brother, Third Brother—remember this: when it comes to profit-sharing, yield when you can. Don’t covet anything, or you’ll bring death upon yourselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing “death upon yourselves,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Chui and Fei Laosan grew solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling Li Rui’s earlier tone, they were certain he was dealing with someone of immense power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhongtian knew the truth—he understood Li Rui’s words were genuine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this business, neither side was one the Heaven and Earth Alliance could afford to offend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Rui said, taking money from either side alone could bury the Heaven and Earth Alliance without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second Brother, Third Brother, just listen to Brother. This is truly critical.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Chui and Fei Laosan looked at Ning Zhongtian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their expressions turned grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, we’ll remember.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were no fools—they understood the gravity. Huang Chui’s face hardened: “I’ll handle it personally.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Thank you, Second Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Huang Chui’s seriousness, Li Rui finally nodded in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heaven and Earth Alliance being rough around the edges didn’t matter—without edge, how could a gang grow?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But roughness was one thing; if any hint of forbidden actions appeared, they had to be crushed immediately—otherwise, when disaster struck, it wouldn’t just be the Heaven and Earth Alliance that faced reckoning—it would drag him down too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang He entered the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui smiled slightly: “Second Brother, Third Brother, this is my unworthy disciple. From now on, you can entrust him with tasks for the Heaven and Earth Alliance—he used to be one of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang He bowed to Huang Chui and Fei Laosan: “Greetings, both Alliance Leaders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had come from the Heaven and Earth Alliance himself, so he naturally knew Huang Chui and Fei Laosan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>=9+book_bar\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fei Laosan sized up Liang He: “Not bad—young and promising.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He merely felt Liang He carried himself with distinction, his cultivation base unreadable; the praise was merely for Li Rui’s sake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Chui also nodded: “Liang He, right? Come with me then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Master Huang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang He clasped his fists, then followed Huang Chui out of the Heaven and Earth Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui watched their retreating figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His three disciples: Liu Tiezhu followed Tie Kuang to forge iron—no need to worry about him; Liang He was now placed in the Heaven and Earth Alliance, clearly meant to be groomed as its future Grand Leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether he could succeed depended entirely on Liang He’s own destiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, what the Heaven and Earth Alliance was doing now was inherently dangerous; Li Rui needed someone he could trust watching over them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surface, he claimed it was for Liang He’s cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, he also intended to monitor Huang Chui and Fei Laosan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The previous three Alliance Leaders—aside from Ning Zhongtian—Huang Chui and Fei Laosan were, in Li Rui’s eyes, merely mediocre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they had sworn brotherhood, it was only out of respect for Ning Zhongtian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Chui and Fei Laosan did not necessarily truly accept him as their elder brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that they lacked sincerity—trust simply required time to prove itself; trusting too easily only brought pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang He’s presence was Li Rui’s eye within the Heaven and Earth Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some might find it uncomfortable—but it had to be done; letting others suffer was better than letting himself suffer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When interests—or even life and death—were at stake, there was no room for false harmony; one must inevitably make enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhongtian watched all this with his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He naturally understood Li Rui’s strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhongtian had spent ten years as a blade-wielder alongside Huang Chui and Fei Laosan before swearing brotherhood; the bond forged by time was not ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Rui had known Huang Chui and Fei Laosan for only a few months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing Li Rui as he did, Ning Zhongtian realized Li Rui had already been exceptionally accommodating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Ning Zhongtian saw nothing wrong with what Li Rui had done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his old days as a wanderer, he had found it perfectly reasonable; but now that he held office, he saw it differently: a gang seeking to grow needed boldness and drive—but even more crucial was avoiding those who could not be challenged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One mistake of this kind could destroy the entire gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How to prevent it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by establishing rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And these rules must bind everyone equally—only then could the gang stand firm amid chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Heaven and Earth Alliance was still small, this tendency had already emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither he nor Li Rui liked this trend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Rui chose to snuff it out at the start, to avoid the eventual agony of cutting off a limb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current Heaven and Earth Alliance bore striking resemblance to the old Zhu family—Huang Chui and Fei Laosan were no different from Zhu Lie, unable to shed their old, brutal ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These traits might be useful early on, helping accomplish many things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as power grew, they would become incurable diseases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Rui intended to suppress this from the very beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never liked letting troubles grow larger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having done all this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui said to Ning Zhongtian: “Fourth brother, I leave this place in your hands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhongtian nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui took the ledger and left the Heaven and Earth Alliance; moments later, he arrived at the Anning Guard Assistant Regional Commander’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Jiang, here is the inventory for this shipment—I’ve already had the grade-seven-and-above elixirs placed in an empty house in town; sending someone to retrieve them won’t draw attention.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Linxian gazed at the ledger in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile touched his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to do nothing—yet tens of thousands of taels of silver would flow into his account, entirely his own, not shared by the Huayqing Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accumulated over time, this would amount to no small fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Linxian regarded Li Rui with approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ledger had been handled many times—clearly the original, nearly impossible to forge; moreover, Li Rui had thoughtfully prepared everything, sparing him much trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more he looked at this old man, the more he liked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who wouldn’t love a competent subordinate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leave the goods for now—I’ll send someone to collect them later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Jiang, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After selling the first batch of weapons, there was roughly a month’s gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Tie Kuang had only two men under him—the original shopkeeper and Liu Tiezhu—so output could never be high; fortunately, the quality was excellent, ensuring steady profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tie Kuang could no longer manage everything alone, so he handed over the procurement of materials to Li Rui as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He focused solely on forging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui, of course, gladly took on this sweet assignment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under his management, most of the Heaven and Earth Alliance’s illicit businesses had been shut down, leaving only legitimate operations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, a single trading trip yielded more profit than the Alliance had earned in an entire year—there was simply no need to waste manpower on those old ventures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, some were unhappy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And those who were unhappy were reassigned to idle posts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commonly called: sidelined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of it was Li Rui’s doing—managing a large gang required no mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the second trading run would arrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui was in his office at the Weiheshimao Office when Tang Hai rushed in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief Li, a Huayqing Sect disciple is outside—he says he wants to see you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seems his name is Liu Tong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui set down his book and paused: “Bring him in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Hai ran out and returned shortly, accompanied by a young man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Tong bowed with a grin:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief, I’ve missed you so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2452,"2026-06-19T22:01:11.003Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a3dc211d9c84278d4d2e450e5854ab373eb96481b8b128700c370c2bc5285204","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-235","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-233",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]