[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-60":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},2270068,4432,"Chapter 60: You Have Disappointed Me","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-60",60,"\u003Cp>The night was as black as ink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the entrance to the black market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several heads moved about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss Sun, why haven’t the Salt Gang arrived yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gaunt, monkey-like man scratched his ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ming was also growing impatient, but as their leader, he could only grunt: “If I say wait, you wait. Why so many complaints?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qinghe had many gangs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Firewood Gang, the Fishing Gang, the Horse Gang—most were poor folk banding together for survival, gradually forming organizations that grew stronger and gained influence in the region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Salt Gang was a special case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salt and iron were state monopolies; the Yu Kingdom enforced state procurement of both.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, these two trades were too profitable, so the imperial court wanted the money for itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, compared to other gangs, the Salt Gang consisted entirely of lawbreakers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Salt Gang’s leader’s name was always on the government’s wanted list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet smuggling salt persisted despite repeated crackdowns, simply because the profits were enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A twenty percent profit could entice someone; fifty percent made people willing to risk their lives; a hundred percent drove them to madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the profit from selling salt was more than a hundredfold!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gaunt man rubbed his hands: “Finally, a sale! This time we’ll make at least a hundred taels!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ming also felt anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After tonight, I’ll take you all to Hua Yelou for some fun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, he’d worried Li Rui wasn’t on board, so he’d shut down all illicit businesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His income had dropped by more than seventy percent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His underlings had been starving and whining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Li Rui had accepted the goods and reviewed the ledgers without further action, he finally dared to resume black-market dealings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you asked what was most profitable—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was undoubtedly salt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he didn’t hesitate to approach the Salt Gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To ordinary people, the Salt Gang was a terrifying, forbidden presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to the upper class, they were gods of wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the households of officials and wealthy families, it was an unwritten rule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Deputy Captain Zhao Wei hadn’t permitted it, how would he dare act so brazenly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several figures appeared in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few thin, poorly dressed men approached Sun Ming. The leader, a short-eyed middle-aged man, kept one hand tucked in his chest. He glanced around, then pulled out a sack nearly half a man’s height.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one could figure out how he’d hidden such a large sack on his person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ming knew the Salt Gang’s ways well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No words—just deliver the goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, they were men of few words but deadly intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, these were men who lived with their heads on their belts; there was no room for cheerfulness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who’d bought smuggled salt knew: the more you talked, the faster you died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eighty taels.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The short-eyed man spoke in a hoarse voice, extending his hand for silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ming sneered: “Hold on. I need to inspect the goods first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salt was a nuanced commodity—the price difference between coarse and fine salt was vast; experienced salt traders could tell quality by a single taste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He untied the hemp rope securing the sack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glistening, slightly dark white granules appeared before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ming pinched a few and tasted them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First came saltiness, then a faint bitterness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ancient salt-making didn’t use sea salt but salt mines, full of impurities and lacking purification techniques—so this quality was already quite good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eighty taels is fair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ming knew: when dealing with the Salt Gang, you didn’t haggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smuggling salt meant losing your head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you tried to steal even the death money, you were worse than an animal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ming considered himself quite honorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment he pulled out the banknote—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Torches suddenly flared all around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s there?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar face stepped out from the darkness behind the torches, grinning with yellowed teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Sun, you’ve disappointed me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ming recognized the old face—his expression darkened instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it! We’ve been had!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at Li Rui’s radiant smile, wanting to grind his teeth to dust—but quickly drew a deep breath and forced a smile: “Brother Li, what’s this? Don’t let water flood the Dragon King’s temple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui shook his head slightly in regret:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Sun, I always thought you were a decent young man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Captain Deng first told me someone in our black market was smuggling salt, I didn’t believe him. I never imagined it was you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How am I supposed to explain this to Deputy Captain Zhao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He added self-reproachfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s my old eyes that failed me—I misjudged you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned to the lean, middle-aged man beside him, clad in the black-blue uniform of the government office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain Deng, thank you for your efforts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Captain Deng bowed to Li Rui: “Brother Li, you’re upholding justice even against kin—we’re grateful, no effort is too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes gleamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu the Captain was dead; he had taken his place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been desperate for a case—and now Sun Ming had walked right into his lap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arresting salt smugglers was a major achievement, reportable to the prefecture—no doubt the County Magistrate would be pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take them away!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Captain Deng waved his hand; several constables rushed forward. Sun Ming and his men dared not resist. The Salt Gang members had no such restraint—they drew their blades and clashed with the constables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outcome was inevitable: all were slain on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ming was dragged away by constables, eyes blazing as he glared at Li Rui and Captain Deng: “You’ll remember this—this isn’t over!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Captain Deng sneered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right—it’s not over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial court is currently cracking down hard on salt smugglers; he needed heads, and this fat man was perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Li Rui and bowed: “Brother Li, I’ll take my leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Captain Deng led his men away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw clearly: Sun Ming had been sold out by Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But so what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smuggling salt was proven fact—enough to condemn him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One thing at a time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Heaven and Earth Alliance couldn’t interfere with the government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, who says he doesn’t have powerful backers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Captain Deng glanced at Sun Ming’s defiant face and laughed coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Blame Zhao Wei—he’s drawn too many enemies by showing off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ming was dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He died in prison—from fright, never even reaching the execution ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, Sun Ming would shout threats; later, he grew silent, and finally went days without speaking a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more vicious a man, the greater his terror at death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ming died in his own fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wei never showed his face throughout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buying smuggled salt, once brought to light, is useless even if Yuan Xiong intervenes—unless the County Magistrate doesn’t want his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some things, once touched, demand a price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the black market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui flipped through his book as usual, as if Sun Ming’s affair had never happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pinched a green teacup between his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sipped the tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pity he’s dead—the tea was truly excellent. I should’ve asked sooner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1190,"2026-06-19T22:01:09.077Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","17c6049e00ed52323b3cb48ca3db2090272d8b52dca5a8fc425c466bb06656b3","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-61","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-59",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]