[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet-":3,"chapter-i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-85":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Just Maxed Out, and You Want Me to Be a Puppet Emperor?",{"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},2336524,4569,"Chapter 85: He Finally Began to Understand the Joy of Power!","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-85",85,"\u003Cp>After finishing the meal, Li Chen said he had other matters to attend to and would meet at the agreed time tomorrow, then prepared to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the maid arrived, Wu Nanzhi stood up on her own and paid the bill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shouldn’t it be my treat?” Li Chen thought she ordered so much food to “squeeze him dry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could I let you pay? You helped me yesterday— isn’t it reasonable for me to treat you to a meal?” Wu Nanzhi wanted to embarrass Li Chen, but she kept things straight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not even considering offering yourself in return?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You—you’re thinking about what kind of nonsense?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Nanzhi truly couldn’t keep up with Li Chen’s train of thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You wouldn’t even climb a tree to help me get my clothes yesterday, and now you dare ask me to give myself to you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then again, even if you had helped me get my clothes, it wouldn’t warrant giving myself to you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving the restaurant, the two parted at the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Li Chen’s retreating figure, Wu Nanzhi wondered: Could this guy really have come just to eat with me? Is there really no follow-up activity?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Li Chen knew what she was thinking, he’d say: I wanted to take you to an inn, but you wouldn’t go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since meeting Li Chen, Wu Nanzhi’s mood had improved greatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t yet dark, so she planned to visit her family’s shop to check whether Wu Qi was working properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu family’s shop was located in the most bustling district of the imperial capital, Yunyinjie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This street was lined with shops, filled with noise and bustle, a mandatory passage for cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu family’s shop sold nothing but the bones, blood, fur, and core pearls of demonic beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivators in the imperial capital could purchase these resources to accelerate their cultivation; if they sought special abilities, they could buy the essence blood of high-tier demonic beasts—exceedingly expensive items, considered treasures of the shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time new stock arrived, it sparked fierce competition among cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along both sides of Yunyinjie stood numerous martial academies, which not only attracted countless cultivators seeking instruction but also brought a constant stream of customers to the Wu family’s shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the primary reason the Wu family chose to locate their shop here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, Wu Qi, as the shop’s manager, could cultivate relationships with the strong figures on this street—the heads of each martial academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone granted permission to open a martial academy in the imperial capital must have had some background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could use these connections to enter the imperial capital’s power circles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wu Qi came to the capital, his father told him exactly this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this kid was obsessed with being a sycophant and neglected the place entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wu Nanzhi approached her family’s shop, she encountered someone she knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nanzhi! I knew you’d be here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A refined man arrived beside Wu Nanzhi with his subordinates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a scion of the prominent Ma family from Huju City, named Ma Gao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Gao was extremely excited to see Wu Nanzhi—he was one of her most devoted sycophants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, he was the most extreme among them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He once paid handsomely to bribe Wu family maids to steal Wu Nanzhi’s undergarments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even wore those undergarments daily—absurd beyond belief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it turned out to be a misunderstanding: the maid, afraid of being caught stealing by the Wu family yet greedy for the money, gave him her own worn undergarments, pretending they were Wu Nanzhi’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Gao didn’t know this—he wore them for half a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, during a martial contest, another of Wu Nanzhi’s sycophants accidentally discovered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other sycophants mocked Ma Gao for wearing women’s undergarments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Gao, flushed with pride, boasted they were Wu Nanzhi’s, hoping to make the others envious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Nanzhi was stunned—then she calmed down and realized she’d never worn that style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth came out: the Wu family maid was severely punished, and Ma Gao became infamous in Huju City—for all the wrong reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing him, Wu Nanzhi’s eyes filled with revulsion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her view, he was a pure pervert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Nanzhi disliked staying in Huju City precisely because her suitors were so extreme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Gao was merely one of them—she never expected to run into him here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From his tone, she guessed he’d somehow gotten wind of her whereabouts and followed her to the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, Wu Nanzhi moved to enter the shop—inside were Wu family clerks who would shield her from this nuisance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ma Gao, having finally found his goddess, wasn’t about to give up so easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nanzhi, let me explain—I’m completely sincere in my feelings for you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He refused to let her leave, even ordering his men to block her path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Gao knew competition here was sparse—he’d waited years for this chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd around them swelled, sensing a spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have no interest in you. Get lost. This is the imperial capital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Nanzhi was furious and prepared to shove Ma Gao aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ma Gao, despite everything, was a powerful cultivator—Wu Nanzhi’s cultivation level couldn’t budge him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he reached for her shoulder, a strong hand seized his wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Gao immediately flew into a rage—who the hell ruined his moment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could curse, the man kicked him hard, sending him sprawling to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Gao rose to attack, but paused when he saw the man’s clothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How dare you harass an innocent woman in broad daylight? You’re asking for the dungeon!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Correct—he was none other than Xiao Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now wore the uniform of a Ministry of Justice officer—even if unofficial, he was still affiliated with the Ministry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Ma Gao, an outsider, couldn’t tell the difference between official and unofficial staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, Xiao Ming was clearly an officer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ma family was powerful in Huju City, but this was the imperial capital—and the man was an officer. Even if Ma Gao were foolish, he wouldn’t dare directly offend Xiao Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An official robe could indeed calm down some second-generation brats without influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Gao rose, brushed off his clothes, and forced a calm tone: “Officer, I know this woman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Ming glanced at Wu Nanzhi, as if seeking her confirmation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Nanzhi shook her head—she didn’t know him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t even bother explaining she knew Ma Gao—he might twist it into an excuse to cling to her again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Nanzhi wouldn’t pity Ma Gao or speak kindly—he was shameless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d rejected him countless times—he still wouldn’t change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you hear that? Get out now!” Xiao Ming snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even drew his sword and placed it before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Gao had no reply. He cast one last longing look at Wu Nanzhi, then gritted his teeth and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after being humiliated like this, he bore no resentment toward Wu Nanzhi—only blamed Xiao Ming for interfering. Such was the mindset of a sycophant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Ming understood this demeanor perfectly—he was one of them too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Ma Gao’s humiliated, powerless retreat, Xiao Ming savored every moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, without this uniform, this guy would’ve charged straight at him to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now—dare you fight? I’m from the Ministry of Justice!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Think twice before you move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since joining the Ministry of Justice, he truly began to understand the joy of power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This uniform held little weight in the core power districts of the imperial capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But here, it was terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He finally understood his master’s lesson—his master had never lied to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1266,"2026-06-20T21:59:17.413Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","02e77e5a09a3ada0468b24c2ab9e5517af3d0dccd6eab5c82762b1c815faf112","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-86","i-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--chapter-84",766,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-just-maxed-out-and-you-want-me-to-be-a-puppet--cover.jpg"]