[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take":3,"chapter-if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-118":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","If You Will Not Reject Me, I Wish to Bow and Take You as My Adoptive Father",{"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},2276845,4454,"Chapter 118: The Mysterious Power","if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-118",118,"\u003Cp>Hongxiu Fang can be divided into three areas: the back courtyard, the front courtyard, and the four-story main building facing the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the current Shu Kingdom, this main building is considered enormous, covering over a thousand square meters, constructed from brick, stone, and wood, standing a full four stories high and formed by joining three separate structures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu met Qing Song, the young Daoist acolyte, in a small private room on the third floor facing the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was ten square meters, connected to an outdoor balcony; looking down revealed the street below, while looking up showed the green willow embankment and the tranquil, winding Qing Shui River in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Fengxian greets both Father Figures,” Xiao Yu finally fulfilled her wish and called Qing Song “Father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was immediately filled with mixed emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was astonished that Qing Song had not accepted it—he verbally refused, and inwardly rejected it too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she was delighted: though she lost at one end, she gained at another; Qing Song, the sneaky Daoist, gave no response, but the chief clerk of the Qinghe Commandery Prince’s mansion nodded casually, fully accepting the customs of Shu’s pleasure quarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fellow is at least a Human Immortal!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was her Zi Fu fully activated, but Xiao Yu also deduced from the Zi Fu’s projections that his ultimate technique: damn, it was the Three Pure Fires!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such an advanced artifact appeared before her so suddenly, and she acquired it without effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shouldn’t you call him ‘Ancestral Master’?” Qing Song chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu revealed none of her inner emotions on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She explained: “Times change. Back then, I was ‘Guan Yu,’ and the Ancestral Master was a noble of the superior realm—we met with ordinary human etiquette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now we’ve fallen into the dust, and the Ancestral Master has come to Hongxiu Fang. Of course, Xiao Yu understands the Ancestral Master’s heart leans toward the Great Dao; this visit must have other purposes, not merely as an ordinary guest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But still, a guest is a guest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To all the girls and daughters here, a guest is their ‘Father.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, you’re even more carefree and elegant than I imagined,” Qing Song laughed heartily, a flicker of admiration and wonder in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sui Yuanzi, and you, Madam Liu, go downstairs. Little Fengxian is an old acquaintance—I wish to speak with her alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sui Yuanzi hesitated only an instant, then bowed and took his leave: “Your disciple waits outside. If the Elder has any need, simply call me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song waved his hand. “Go. I’m just chatting—no need for your service.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite this, Sui Yuanzi still had Madam Liu find another table nearby this private room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ancestral Master, weren’t you back in Great Qin?” Xiao Yu sat across from him and asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did leave the Western Sand Region, but as soon as I reached the eastern shore of the Eastern Sand Region, I met Lord Dongfang—the imperial envoy from Xianyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis Lieyang refused to wait long in the west and returned to the Central Plains by storm-carriage; Lord Dongfang, however, was delayed by incidents in the Eastern Sand Region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no choice, I remained to handle some minor affairs in the Western Sand Region.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young Daoist Qing Song seemed in good spirits, smiling constantly, speaking lightly and with evident enthusiasm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are these minor affairs related to me?” Xiao Yu asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song nodded, then shook his head. “Coming to see you is one of those minor affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, haven’t many fallen nobles from Great Qin crossed westward?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… are you referring to the nobles of the superior realm?” Xiao Yu’s expression turned peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song teased: “They indeed come from the Central Plains, many even from the imperial capital, Xianyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in Great Qin, in Xianyang, they are fallen nobles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either their ancestors were once wealthy, and now their families have declined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or their senior relatives still hold high rank and power, but due to the family’s prosperity, they themselves are mere collateral branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, all are failures in the Central Plains, seeking fortune in the west.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since they’re all fallen nobles who can’t make it in the Central Plains, expecting them to rent a Zhou Rao state storm-carriage to cross the river is clearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re not coming to the west as envoys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They intend to settle here permanently, bringing families, servants, stewards, guards, and treasures—sell them all, and they still couldn’t afford enough cabin space on a ship.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ancestral Master, your divine powers are immense—could you use immortal arts to ferry hundreds of thousands across the Liusha River? The Liusha River is eight hundred li wide!” Xiao Yu exclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, she had inquired with Lord Gongsun’s group; Old Zou was cautious and unwilling to speak much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Gongsun, though loquacious, only said they crossed by immortal arts, but couldn’t explain the details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, someone had helped them cross.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Xiao Yu understood: the one who helped them cross was none other than Qing Song, the sneaky Daoist—she could no longer call him “sneaky Daoist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ferrying ten thousand people across the Liusha River—such a grand divine feat fully justifies being called “Dao-Far-Reaching Ancestral Master Qing Song.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song shook his head: “First, the Liusha River isn’t eight hundred li wide everywhere. You’re currently in Tianmen Town, situated atop a mountain range at the river’s bend—actually, haven’t you noticed already?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the desert hills of the Northern Wastelands, the entire Shu Kingdom sits atop mountain ranges, far higher than the Liusha River’s surface.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu nodded vigorously. “Indeed—Hengsha Pass is a mountain ridge stretching across the Northern Wasteland’s sands; once inside Shu’s interior, the land remains mostly hilly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rivers like Hualong River and Heishui River resemble gorges beneath the mountains.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song smiled: “From the Liusha River beside Tianmen Town heading east, you needn’t go eight hundred li—if no floods occur, you might reach the eastern shore in four or five hundred li.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Four or five hundred li is still far!” Xiao Yu said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song chuckled: “You’ve lived beside the Liusha River your whole life, yet you still don’t understand it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether four or five hundred li is far depends on who you’re comparing it to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some river sections are perpetually flooded, and with great demons stirring up chaos, the water spreads for tens of thousands of li, nearly becoming a sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to those places, the Tianmen Town stretch, where the river width remains stable at around five hundred li, is already the finest port.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Comparing it to other stretches is meaningless—five hundred li wide still leaves ordinary people hopeless. Ancestral Master must have used divine means.” Xiao Yu flattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song laughed: “Not divine means—I commanded a divine being to do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tianmen Town stretch is not only the narrowest, but also home to a river spirit, appointed by my Celestial Court and recognized by the Heavenly Court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A giant old tortoise, about the size of this building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cannot command the old river spirit, but he has a nest of little turtles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those little turtles are especially greedy for wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letting them make several trips, ferrying a few thousand or even ten thousand people across isn’t too difficult.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s how it is—Ancestral Master’s divine powers are truly unmatched!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu praised first, then asked puzzled: “If you can command the river spirit’s descendants to ferry people across, why did Marquis Lieyang take only a hundred people out of Tianmen Town? And before leaving, he even removed his weapons and armor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song dismissed it: “Can the old turtle and its little ones carry them across the river—and then carry them all the way back to Xianyang?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old turtle is willing to crawl slowly, but Marquis Lieyang won’t wait!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Storm-carriages travel ten thousand li per day; Zhou Rao state storm-carriages can cover four or five thousand li in a day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fire Crow Army is already back in Xianyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The closest Great Qin fallen nobles, even the most eager ones, have been traveling for half a year and have only just reached the Liusha River.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Traveled for half a year…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu’s expression turned peculiar—wasn’t Marquis Lieyang still in Tianmen Town when he hadn’t even set out with the Fire Crow Army yet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing of unrest in the west, they naturally assumed it was an opportunity for advancement and immediately fled westward with all their belongings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Qin has truly perfected its patterns by now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh—the common folk of Shu spend lifetimes doing good deeds, hoping to be reborn as citizens of the superior realm, yet now the nobles of the superior realm are streaming en masse toward the west…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song said calmly: “Doesn’t this prove even more clearly the nobility of the superior realm’s people? Even fallen nobles from the superior realm, if willing to endure the hardship of a ten-thousand-li journey, can become dukes and marquises among the barbarians of the eight directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How difficult would it be for a western commoner to rise above others?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to do good deeds now, and be reborn in the Central Realm next life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if reborn back in the west, they’ll still be above others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu stared blankly. “Uh… you can say that too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ancestral Master, don’t blame me for speaking bluntly.” She glanced at Qing Song; seeing no reaction, she continued: “The common folk of the Thirty-Six States may not welcome these Great Qin nobles.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song sneered: “If you can think of and see this, do you think the ministers in Xianyang’s court don’t know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu smiled: “Ancestral Master, you know me—I’m a soul of old Qin. I say this not out of ill intent, but out of concern for our old Qin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song’s lips twitched slightly, then he softened his tone: “You’re clever—how can you still not understand?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were dangerous, would these fallen nobles hear of unrest in the Western Sand Region and rush westward in a frenzy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu replied honestly: “Hard to say! Recently, a Lord Gongsun moved into our Hongxiu Fang—he seems utterly lacking in ambition, staying in the courtyard enjoying fine wine and beauties, unwilling to take another step west.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song narrowed his eyes and subtly calculated beneath the table, then smiled: “Is he Lord Gongsun’s son, Wujiu? Hahaha, Little Fengxian, you may have misjudged him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Have you noticed that all the Great Qin young lords coming west, though fallen nobles, are all handsome youths, nearly none over forty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu said: “Lord Gongsun is indeed outstanding. As for the others… I haven’t gone out, so I haven’t seen them myself, but I’ve heard their reputation is good—the people of Shu hold them in high regard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song said: “They’re not only young, but all unmarried. When men die on the battlefield, their widows and daughters must remarry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marrying a Great Qin young man is almost the best choice they can find.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I call them ‘fallen nobles,’ they’re not at all lowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either they come from illustrious lineages with renowned ancestors and ancient family legacies, or they’re from ordinary families but possess exceptional literary talent or martial aptitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the talent-rich Great Qin, they struggle to rise above others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the Western Sand Region, surpassing the local elites is effortless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it’s about marriage alliances,” Xiao Yu mused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One gold ingot, brothers two, sworn brothers three, fortune four, top scholar five, six six six—hahaha, Brother Li, you lost again! Little Jinguai, pour another cup for Master Li~~~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, more people gathered outside, and the noise grew louder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both fell silent now; the chaotic sounds of dice games and drinking became even more jarring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Qing Song’s slight frown, Xiao Yu stood and said softly: “Ancestral Master, please wait a moment—I’ll brew you a fresh pot of tea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Why is Madam Liu so clueless? How dare she let outsiders disturb the “true nobles of the superior realm”!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t take the teapot on the table, simply opened the door and walked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s no wonder the outside is growing noisier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was now roughly four or five in the afternoon, and Hongxiu Courtyard was about to enter its peak hour of foot traffic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though daylight had not yet fully faded, more and more people were arriving to seek pleasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The private rooms were actually of two types: one for drinking with guests and facilitating business talks, located in small rooms facing the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was primarily for bedding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, besides tables for drinking and dining, there had to be at least one embroidered bed and a screen; the space was somewhat larger, and these rooms were generally situated inside the upper floors, near the back courtyard rather than facing the street, quieter and more secluded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, even a brothel did not wish for the cries of the girls upstairs and their patrons to reach the ears of passersby on the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Xiao Yu and Qingsong the Daoist acolyte were in a small private room facing the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was small, leaving more space for the main hall inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several tables were placed along the railing, offering a view down to the performances of dancers, singers, and sword maidens in the main hall below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Directly opposite Qingsong’s private room, at a table nearby, eight or nine people sat, including the serving girls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu glanced left and right but did not see Aunt Liu or Suiyuanzi the Clerk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, dear ‘Daddies,’ and hello, sisters!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She walked to the table, curtsied to the several wealthy merchants (dressed in brocade but unarmed) engaged in dice games, and said: “Aunt Liu just told me—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She halted mid-sentence, suddenly frozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Annihilation Father stirred, and her Purple Palace began operating at full capacity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mysterious powerful figure with hidden identity is here!\u003C\u002Fp>",2308,"2026-06-20T00:29:13.334Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","07f4817c6b7459600331e8996bc3cd22ee3fadbcd5af16a944e3c062b6bb8043","if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-119","if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-117",840,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fif-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-cover.jpg"]