[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-74":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},2270082,4432,"Chapter 74: Li Ye Has Never Been This Wealthy","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-74",74,"\u003Cp>Deep night, the Li residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dim yellow candle, a single silhouette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the wooden table before Li Rui lay a heap of items, nearly overflowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dragon’s saliva herb, Miao Ling branch, Silver Dragon iron.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spiritual herbs and spiritual metals were basic materials, mostly naturally formed, gathered by herb collectors or mountain folk and sold on the black market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people had no way to tell quality apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The goods were mixed good and bad, judged entirely by sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For several days, Li Rui had wandered the black market daily, rarely buying—but when he did, it was big hauls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These spiritual herbs alone were worth at least two hundred gold, or two thousand silver taels—more than most wealthy families in Qinghe City possessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poor middlemen, swept clean by Li Rui, would go weeks without landing any big finds, forced to scavenge scraps just to get by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing at the table of spiritual herbs, Li Rui’s heart pounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never been this rich in my life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to his Spiritual Eye, he’d earned so much silver in just a few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui rubbed his chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All herbs, and just one fist-sized piece of spiritual iron—pure luck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salt and iron were state monopolies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most spiritual mines were seized by the imperial court and major factions; ordinary people had no access.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This piece of Silver Dragon iron was wrapped in stone crust, appearing no different from an ordinary rock, picked up by the vendor as a cloth weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s how Li Rui got it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spiritual herbs were far more common and the main target of black market middlemen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui put away the Silver Dragon iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d just upgraded his weapon and bought soft armor; the Silver Dragon iron wasn’t needed yet, so he’d store it until he acquired more spiritual metal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the spiritual herbs:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either sell them outright for silver, or find a pill alchemist to refine them into pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After weighing his choices, Li Rui decided to find a pill alchemist, provide the materials himself, and have the herbs refined into pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was now Iron Bone; the next step was Golden Bone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number of pills needed to refine Golden Bone exceeded Iron Bone by more than tenfold, let alone the higher tiers like Jade Bone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Find a reliable pill alchemist, pay him a fee for labor, and skip the middle steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Go straight to the worker, avoiding middlemen profiting off the markup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he had one Detianduhou  advantage—the Heaven and Earth Alliance had its own pill alchemists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pharmacy Hall, back courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aromatic smoke curled through the air, gray-white mist swirling like the legendary immortal realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Li, such a small matter hardly warrants Master Zhang’s personal notice—just come straight to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp-eyed middle-aged man walked forward, smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui glanced at the newly appointed Master Xu Xiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside: “Hmph.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not alerted Zhang Yang in advance, he might not have even found Xu Xiang’s door—let alone received this grand escort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knew Xu Xiang only cared when dealing with orders from superiors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Li, you’re a favorite of Vice-Captain Zhang. You’ll have to speak well of me in the future.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiang’s tone carried a hint of flattery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui replied coolly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Technically, Xu Xiang, as head of the Pharmacy Hall, had no direct connection to Zhang Yang, who oversaw introductions and Tianyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all of this stemmed from Zhao Wei’s death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Zhao Wei died,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>one of his three halls went to Ge Hong, the other two to Zhou Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpected turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Rui, once a sidelined man, suddenly received fortune—he regained his vice-captain status, even gained oversight of both the Pharmacy Hall and the Discipline Hall, wielding more authority than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dao Xiong’s allocation had its reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Wei was dead; the Qinghe branch needed stability, so actions must be minimal and involve as few people as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they weathered next year’s imperial exam, reallocation could proceed smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Zhou Rui became the ideal candidate to take over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But giving all three halls to Zhou Rui—the weakest vice-captain—would inevitably breed resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Dao Xiong gave the most important Civil-Military Hall to Ge Hong, and the other two to Zhou Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet anyone with eyes could see:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Rui’s tenure as vice-captain overseeing the Pharmacy Hall wouldn’t last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a year, Zhang Yang would almost certainly replace him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiang had to plan ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did the previous Pharmacy Hall head voluntarily request an external posting to guard a post?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t he make too many enemies?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With a new vice-captain, he’d be stuck in constant petty harassment—he couldn’t even breathe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Xu Xiang took heed: Li Rui had managed to get Vice-Captain Zhang to personally intervene—clearly they were close. This was his chance to curry favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next year, he’d still be Pharmacy Hall head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the two arrived before a solitary building, neither temple nor hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Li, Elder Jiang is inside the pill chamber.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder Jiang is obsessed with pill refining, eccentric in nature—if he says anything offensive, don’t take it personally.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Jiang is obsessed with alchemy and has a peculiar temperament; if you offended Lord Li, please don't take it to heart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui waved: “No issue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Elder Jiang mentioned by Xu Xiang was the Qinghe branch’s only pill master, capable of refining eighth-grade spiritual pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rare skilled artisan—some temper is normal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good that Master Li sees it that way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiang said aloud, but thought: “I hope you truly mean it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Jiang was arrogant, held a unique status in the Pharmacy Hall, and barely deigned to speak even to Xu Xiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiang often left furious, chest aching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even several vice-captains had nearly come to blows with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not been for his unmatched pill-making skill and the branch’s dependence on him, he’d have been driven out long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two entered the pill chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of pill apprentices bustled about; in the center, a crimson furnace, its lower half glowing red, made the air scorching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three qian of Spirit Phoenix herb, one qian of Lingzhi powder, one Yangding Tian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man with a goatee stared unblinking at the furnace, reciting herbs in rapid succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pill chamber was a scene of intense activity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiang paused awkwardly: “Master Li, shall we wait outside for tea? Elder Jiang cannot be disturbed during refining—that’s the unwritten rule of the Pharmacy Hall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiang paused awkwardly: \"Lord Li, why not have some tea first? Elder Jiang’s alchemy cannot be disturbed—that’s the unwritten rule of the Pill Hall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s nearly done. Let’s wait a little longer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They waited about fifteen minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few faint pops came from the furnace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few soft bangs echoed from the alchemical furnace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Jiang’s eyes lit up; he hurried forward, using tongs to lift the furnace lid—intense fragrance burst forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eighth-grade spiritual pill?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui, with his Spiritual Eye, instantly judged the pill’s grade by the spiritual essence within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Elder Jiang retrieve over a dozen pills,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Xiang finally spoke: “Elder Jiang, this is Master Li of Tianyi Hall—he wishes you to refine a batch of pills.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Cheng’s smile vanished like a mask torn off; he stared coldly at Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without even asking why, he simply said two words:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even ask for the reason, simply saying two simple words:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1236,"2026-06-19T22:01:09.077Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","79842b5c9178fd3aef23345061191cbc29fe2b9a46e904b7090dc268f5ce8a64","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-75","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-73",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]