[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-61":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},2270069,4432,"Chapter 61: I","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-61",61,"\u003Cp>Congratulations, host! Achievement completed: Fame and Fortune — Primary Plot — Uniting Disciples 2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【During your time with fellow disciples, friction is inevitable, but at age seven, you handled these issues effortlessly. Continue uniting your fellow disciples—though you’ve already done well enough; adhering to the law ensures longevity.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Task “Uniting Disciples 2” completed. Reward calculation in progress.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Task rating: A. Reward doubled.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Obtained 30 achievement points!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Name: Li Rui】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Age: 7】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Talent: Martial Bone, Exceptional Comprehension】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Cultivation Art: White Ape’s Cloak Blade】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Achievements: 80\u002F100】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s lips curled slightly upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a bad score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui, seeing Liang He lingering at the door for a long time, spoke up first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang He walked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said nothing; Li Rui didn’t press him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was filled only with the rustling of turning pages—until Liang He could no longer hold back: “Master, I just can’t understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui set down the Dao scripture he was reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What don’t you understand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang He’s face flushed crimson as he finally summoned courage: “Sun Ming committed so many evil deeds, yet suffered no retribution—yet he died just for smuggling salt?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t some naive youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smuggling salt was a grave crime, but how many from the Heaven’s Alliance and Blood Tiger Gang didn’t do the same?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even the Zhu or Zhang families were clean in their ties to the Salt Guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet their actions were no better than Sun Ming’s—and the authorities always turned a blind eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui smiled and shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re just too rigid. Is this really about salt?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But do you know who paid to buy Deng the Constable’s position?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Assistant Regional Commander Zhang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And do you know who used to be the household martial instructor for the former Master of the Martial and Literary Hall?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The County Magistrate of Qinghe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang He’s eyes widened; he stammered: “I—I—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui: “Salt couldn’t kill Sun Ming. Blame only that he chose the wrong side and the wrong time—the Magistrate and Assistant Regional Commander Zhang both wanted him dead. How could he survive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang He fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, he slowly raised his head: “Master, I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had always believed it was Yu’s law that defeated evil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, he was merely a pawn in a struggle for power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui watched Liang He leave, dejected, and sighed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s better to learn these things early.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone had guided me like this back then, I wouldn’t have suffered so much in the Zhu family’s stables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all these years,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he knew well: when weak, morality and law alone could never topple a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he remembered correctly, the gong of justice outside the county office had never once brought justice to the poor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You needed power rooted in interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when enough people with aligned interests were strong enough could you succeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How to leverage these relationships? Only time could forge the right heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At noon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu arrived uninvited, appearing in the black market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Brother Li, you handled this matter beautifully.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he heard Li Rui had sent Zhao Wei’s underling in the black market to the black prison—where he’d died—he’d cheered with delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui replied coolly: “Don’t talk nonsense. I’m just a law-abiding citizen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Law-abiding citizen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu’s mouth twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then he thought again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, everything Li Rui did conformed to Yu’s laws and Heaven’s Alliance rules—and yet, within those intricate rules, Li Rui moved with effortless precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Brother Li, a true gentleman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu gave Li Rui a thumbs-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew well, as a man of the jianghu, how precisely timed one’s actions must be to emulate Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could he really be an old man turned demon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu muttered to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui glanced at Wu Tu, who was still loitering in the room: “Still something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu grinned:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Brother Li, I need to borrow some money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui burst out laughing: “You haven’t even repaid me for the Bone-Enhancing Pill last time—and now you want to borrow more?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu leaned closer, grinning: “Old Brother Li, we’re family—I won’t hide anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I found a piece of Spirit Soil!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spirit Soil!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing those words, Li Rui’s interest stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu chuckled: “You know I used to be with Rongmen. A few days ago, some kids who owed me favors heard that a fallen family in Qinghe actually possessed Spirit Soil.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such opportunities were rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Wu Tu, with his deep roots and wide network in Qinghe, could have learned of this so early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu: “The old man’s a gambler and owes my gambling den a fortune. After some back-and-forth, he agreed to wipe his debt and give me a thousand taels of silver in exchange for the Spirit Soil.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spirit Soil wasn’t an elixir—it was a family heirloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui frowned in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quickly, he remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled that forty years ago, when he was just a stable boy and the Zhu family hadn’t risen yet, Qinghe had a powerful family: the Lin family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, Old Master Lin had been heroic all his life, but his three sons were useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his death, the Lin family collapsed swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent years, they’d vanished entirely; few in Qinghe even remembered there had once been a Lin family in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui asked: “Is the man’s surname Lin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu was startled: “Old Brother Li, are you a fortune-teller? How did you know that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui heard this and felt three-tenths certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the Lin family’s former wealth, they might well have possessed Spirit Soil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. Fifty-fifty split.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Agreed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu didn’t hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spirit Soil was a long-term investment; letting Li Rui have half was no loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deal sealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui pulled a thousand-tael silver note from his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silver, of course, came from the gold Kong Ming had bribed him with, exchanged at a merchant’s guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu, seeing Li Rui actually had a thousand taels, whistled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The black market really is a goldmine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no idea Sun Ming had spent years’ savings to bribe Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking the note,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu left the black market, delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu was efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just one night passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He returned to the black market and let out a triumphant laugh: “Brother Li, I’ve gotten it done for you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui heard this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could hardly suppress the excitement in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spiritual soil, such a precious thing, is always in demand but never available; once discovered, it draws the attention of major powers, making it nearly impossible for an individual to acquire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu mysteriously pulled out a small wooden box from his robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, it was purple sandalwood!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s curiosity was fully piqued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu slowly opened the lid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the tiny one-inch box lay a full measure of black soil; unlike ordinary dirt, Li Rui sensed a vital energy emanating from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spiritual soil truly was extraordinary!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1173,"2026-06-19T22:01:09.077Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5a9f3781d9add331c1fbee4e0de2991cdcbcaa9339cfac25a94ab2c3d28ea490","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-62","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-60",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]