[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-31":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},2270039,4432,"Chapter 31: Storm","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-31",31,"\u003Cp>The summer heat was intense, and the chirping of birds could be heard intermittently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui moved like an old ape, his knife an extension of his arm, whirling the thirty-seven-pound blade so swiftly that the wind it stirred flattened the grass in the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sheathed his knife and exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A knock came at the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is Master Li inside?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Zhao Wei’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why would Zhao Wei come looking for him at this hour?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though puzzled, he still walked to the door—after all, Zhao Wei was his superior, and he couldn’t afford to offend him lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he opened the door—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw Zhao Wei’s broad face, and beside him, two others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them Li Rui recognized: Liu the Constable, who had once joined Zhu Yue and three other Huaqing Sect disciples in hunting down the outlaw at the abandoned temple; the other was a middle-aged man adorned with jade rings and radiating an air of nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Deputy Commander Zhao, what do you want?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their hostile intent, Li Rui’s heart turned cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that these two others had entered the Heaven and Earth Alliance’s compound and come to his door meant Zhao Wei had arranged it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wei grinned: “Old Li, you know Liu the Constable—he’s got some questions for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu the Constable stepped forward: “Brother Li, long time no see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at Li Rui—his aura deep, his posture agile, as if reborn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, he hadn’t believed it when he heard the old stablehand had become a Hall Master of the Heaven and Earth Alliance; now, seeing Li Rui, he was certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you still remember that night when we, along with the four esteemed Huaqing Sect disciples, hunted down the outlaw in the temple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui corrected him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Constable Liu, I was just a stablehand—I didn’t take part in anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu didn’t press the point; his gaze sharpened: “Brother Li, nearly everyone involved in that incident is dead now. Aside from the four Huaqing Sect disciples who returned, only you and I remain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui feigned panic: “Constable Liu, what exactly happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu fixed his eyes on Li Rui, refusing to miss a single flicker of expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he sighed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Li, you don’t know—the man we hunted that night was originally a Huaqing Sect disciple. He killed his senior brother, stole a martial scripture, and fled the sect. After extensive searches, we confirmed he’s hiding in the city, seeking to recover the lost Huaqing secret technique—the White Ape’s Cloak Blade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui was startled: “If the scripture was in the traitor’s hands, how could it be lost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu shook his head: “I don’t know the details.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But now he’s gone mad, obsessed with recovering the secret technique, and has allied with demons from the Ghost Ming  Cult—he’s extremely dangerous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui narrowed his eyes slightly: “Constable Liu, are you suggesting I took the scripture?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man, who had been smiling quietly beside them, stepped forward abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an impossibly gentle tone, he spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Li, you took the White Ape’s Cloak Blade, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui felt his mind grow foggy; the middle-aged man seemed like a long-lost friend, someone he wanted to confide everything to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But quickly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A coolness rose from his dantian, surging straight to the crown of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His spiritual awareness cleared again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Illusion Art!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s heart tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Illusion Art can strike without warning—mild cases force the victim to blurt out truths; severe ones turn them into mindless slaves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve heard that powerful brothels in Anning Prefecture use this trick to drag noblewomen into the abyss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He feigned dizziness and shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know what the White Ape’s Cloak Blade is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Li Rui’s answer, the middle-aged man and Zhao Wei exchanged glances, both seeing disappointment in each other’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s eyes flashed with sudden clarity, his face darkening: “You—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to strike, but Zhao Wei cut in: “Old Li, this is Master Kong Xianian of the Huaqing Sect—he’s here specifically to capture the traitor and purge the Ghost Ming  Cult demons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huaqing Sect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s heart jolted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Huaqing Sect would resort to such low, despicable tricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Xianian smiled faintly, his expression serene as moonlight: “Brother Li, I just used the Huaqing Sect’s secret True Word Technique—you’re innocent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was utterly confident in his method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had never failed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to this trick, he’d gained countless opportunities and blessings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless one was a martial expert with ironclad willpower, resistance was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s expression softened suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then that’s good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wei said a few more words of reassurance, then left with the two men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching their figures vanish,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s face turned icy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You bastard, Zhao Wei.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Zhao Wei hadn’t stormed his door with armed men, he wouldn’t have fallen for the Huaqing Sect man’s trick so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sect that prides itself on orthodoxy resorts to the tricks of lowlife kidnappers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the Huaqing Sect isn’t all upright gentlemen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui had lived this long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He long ago saw through the illusions of great sects—their filth and corruption were no less than that of the demonic paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he hadn’t glimpsed the Xuanqing Qi and strengthened his spiritual will severalfold, he might have truly fallen for Kong Xianian’s trick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Misfortune and fortune are intertwined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His suspicion was temporarily lifted—he’d gain a few more days of peace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhao Wei, allying with outsiders against him—did he really think he was the Huaqing Sect’s lapdog?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a grand mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wei and Kong Xianian were inside the room, occasional feminine giggles echoing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Kong, is that old Li really clean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui was officially under Zhao Wei’s command, but he had been recommended by Wu Tu—meaning Li Rui could never be trusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for why the Commander had placed Li Rui under Zhao Wei, it was clearly to maintain balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Li Rui had taken the scripture, Zhao Wei would gain great merit and eliminate a spy at his side—perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Xianian nodded firmly: “He didn’t take it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was utterly confident in his method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then it’s troublesome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wei shook his head in disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it wasn’t with Li Rui, it was almost certainly with those four Huaqing Sect disciples—getting it back would be far harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eagerness stemmed from the promise that if he secured the scripture, Kong Xianian would share it with him—and he intended to keep it all for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Xianian: “Brother Zhao, let’s set the scripture aside for now. If we capture the traitor, that’s still a great achievement.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wei burst into loud laughter, his whole body swaying, making the woman on his lap bounce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Kong, with a high master of the Huaqing Sect here, it’s child’s play.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Xianian smiled contentedly, eyes half-closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hand wandered up and down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where in the Huaqing Sect could one enjoy such pleasures?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1180,"2026-06-19T22:01:09.077Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","dfb59541ca2a7a1775fd9e31020f4e8be7532965e9e969aea3482f17fed7c88c","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-32","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-30",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]