[{"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-16":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},2276743,4454,"Chapter 16","if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-16",16,"\u003Cp>“Song Changqing, come here!” Hu Chen shouted loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-armored knights all turned in confusion, and Guan Xiao Yu tiptoed to look down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, Envoy Lord!” Soon, Song Changqing arrived before Hu Chen, bowing respectfully to both Qing Song and Hu Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song the Daoist acolyte returned the bow, then smiled gently: “Deputy Commander Song, could you remove your helmet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This...” Song Changqing hesitated. “This humble servant’s face is ugly; I fear I may offend Your Lordship.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Daoist told you to take off your helmet—just take it off! Who doesn’t know your pig-eyed, ugly face? Who could possibly be scared?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urgent over his own “fortune,” Guan Hu Chen stepped forward impatiently and yanked hard—“Clang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Changqing’s helmet was knocked off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my god~~~” Xiao Yu, tiptoeing and peeping from afar, clapped her hand over her mouth, silently gasping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was truly hideous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had lived two lifetimes; in her previous life, she’d endured endless torrents of grotesque online videos and had nearly become numb to visual shocks—but she still had to admit she’d never seen anyone so grotesquely ugly. She was genuinely startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pitted and uneven” didn’t even begin to describe its “smoothness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calling his swollen eyelids “pig eyes” would make pigs themselves furious, feeling insulted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu’s mind flashed a rapid stream of “comments”: Frankenstein, botched plastic surgery, born with face-down on a gravel road, rotten winter melon, a clumsy shapeshifter infiltrating the Iron Cavalry...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after seeing the unmistakable shame, confusion, and sorrow in those pig-like eyes, Xiao Yu’s chaotic evaluations and descriptions vanished instantly—and she felt a pang of pity for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being ugly isn't scary, but this ugly... you're better off deleting your account and reincarnating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song the Daoist acolyte stared intently at Song Changqing’s face for a long while, then turned his head to study Guan Hu Chen, especially his Immortal’s Eye, scanning back and forth seven or eight times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh, General Guan, you decide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face showed no unusual expression until he finally spoke, revealing a touch of pity and mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Hu Chen exhaled deeply, a barely concealed smile spreading across his refined face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Changqing, take this wooden stake and drive it into...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned again to Qing Song the Daoist acolyte. “Drive it straight in, or—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song the Daoist acolyte mumbled indistinctly, as if speaking to himself: “Dig down three zhang; when you hit damp earth like mud.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Hu Chen summoned eight more knights, ordered them to remove their armor, pointed toward the distant forest, and imitated Qing Song the Daoist acolyte—speaking cryptic, nonsensical words with hidden meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, could you be clearer? Are we digging a well, or what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Hu Chen still wanted to keep playing riddles, but Qing Song the Daoist acolyte grew impatient: “The dragon vein isn’t fixed. Don’t waste time—just tell them the truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then added bluntly: “Some karmic debts can’t be avoided with pretty words.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was merely a terminal tuberculosis patient drinking ginseng broth—seeking psychological comfort, yet inwardly I understood everything. But for the Great Qin, for the Emperor, I’ve long been prepared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then you tell them?” Hu Chen said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song the Daoist acolyte’s lips twitched, sneering: “Even if ginseng broth can’t cure tuberculosis, it can replenish the primordial qi of a broken body. And you, as a Shu general, have long enjoyed the Emperor’s salary—why hesitate to sacrifice yourself to repay the state’s grace?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—No matter how much salary I’ve drawn, it’s all mine. Shu’s entire kingdom, plus its king’s head, isn’t worth my little toe. Sacrifice myself for the state? Dream on!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Hu Chen cursed inwardly but didn’t argue further with Qing Song the Daoist acolyte.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled Song Changqing and the other eight knights aside, muttered quietly, avoiding the truth of “fortune clashing,” instead claiming they were severing a tiny dragon vein of the Shama, then dangled promotions and rewards—spouting blood-curdling promises of gold, silver, high rank, and noble titles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from Song Changqing, whose face was grim and pale with heavy thoughts, occasionally glaring at Guan Hu Chen with hatred, the other eight all grinned broadly, rubbed their hands, and eagerly prepared to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go! Right there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Hu Chen pretended not to see Song Changqing’s expression, and didn’t approach the dragon vein site—only pointed from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they retrieved the iron shovels from the Shama “warehouse” (a cave) that Xiao Yu had once commanded the barbarians to forge, Hu Chen immediately retreated far away, standing close beside Qing Song the Daoist acolyte.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Yu, you must stop them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With everyone focused on the dragon vein site, the old Shama crept quietly toward Xiao Yu, pulling her back a few steps, his expression urgent and terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know what they’re doing?” Xiao Yu felt an inexplicable irritation, a sense of foreboding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re digging up our Shahu Kingdom’s dragon vein,” the old Shama whispered into her ear, voice faint as a mosquito’s buzz, quickly recounting the conversation he’d overheard last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dragon vein...” Xiao Yu looked down at the low hills beneath her feet, murmuring: “Can such a small mound really give birth to a dragon vein?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her memory, dragon veins were always linked to towering, prestigious mountains like Kunlun, Changbai, or Qinling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dunes beneath her feet—let alone compared to Kunlun, Changbai, or the Five Sacred Peaks—were merely a “small dirt pile” in the desert west of the Liusha River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this place could birth a dragon vein, what would the famed mountains of the Central Kingdom produce?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would the dragon qi take physical form and become a true dragon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her past life, this would’ve been a joke—but this was the Honghuang world!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s true,” the old Shama urged. “That little Daoist said the dragon vein was nurtured by you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu nodded lightly. “It must be true. Right now, I already sense it...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She closed her eyes, calmed her mind, and carefully felt the pulse beneath the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, like a stray cat I’d raised for years, crying pitifully outside my window on a cold rainy night—but I was asleep, only vaguely sensing it in my dreams, feeling uneasy inside.” She sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Shama didn’t fully understand, but was used to her “brain-fog” speech; he cried out excitedly: “Xiao Yu, you must stop them! That’s our Shahu Kingdom’s root, our Shama people’s life!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu said coolly: “What do you want me to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want you to stop them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu sneered: “Why don’t you go yourself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’ll kill me—easier than crushing a sandworm. But you’re different: clever, articulate, and you’ve even taken General Guan as your adoptive father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu shook her head: “I never had any intention of nurturing a dragon vein. Before today, I didn’t even know there was one beneath the dunes, nor did I ever dream of pitting the Shama against the Western kingdoms.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the dragon vein is severed, it’s a great blessing—we can peacefully serve the Great Qin as beasts of burden, as slaves and servants.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I follow my adoptive father to wage war across the land for the Great Qin and build immortal achievements, perhaps the Emperor will reward us, elevating the Shama from wild barbarians to civilized subjects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then the Shama will forever remain loyal to the Great Qin, accumulating merit until we are fully absorbed into the Great Qin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is... that possible?” The old Shama stared blankly, lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I leave with my adoptive father, you must teach the Shahu people this.” Xiao Yu said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Shama shook his head: “I don’t understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s simple—two words. Repeat after me.” Xiao Yu raised two fingers and shouted: “Loyalty! Devotion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Loyalty! Devotion!” The old Shama echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-armored knights turned back, staring at them with strange looks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Definitely brain-fogged,” one muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Farther away, Guan Hu Chen and Qing Song the Daoist acolyte both withdrew their gazes from Xiao Yu, exchanged a glance, then turned simultaneously toward the dragon vein site.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An hour later, the eight soldiers finally dug a three-zhang-deep pit at the “dragon vein” location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, water’s coming up... oh, the color’s wrong—it’s—AAAAAHHHH!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First a startled cry, then a sharp, brief scream of agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not one person screamed—it was Song Changqing and all eight knights screaming together, chaotic, yet each scream piercingly agonizing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the ordeal didn’t last long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the black-armored knights could rush over, the screaming had already stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, what happened to Old Song and the others?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d been sprinting toward the pit, but halfway there, they saw a gush of yellow vapor spewing from the earth, thick with the stench of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom!” The ground beneath their feet began shaking violently, as if an earthquake had been triggered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the dumbest black-armored knights dared not advance further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Daoist?” Guan Hu Chen nervously looked at Qing Song.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song, however, turned his gaze toward the Shama camp—a fenced-in pigsty packed with captured Shama.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Waaah, waaah...” Suddenly, the sound of a child’s wailing erupted from the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaah, no, how could this happen—my divine talisman is cracking, nooooo—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, a desperate scream came from the shrine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, the egg-child is bleeding! Did he stumble during the earth tremor and smash his nose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not bleeding—he’s spitting blood!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This kid must’ve eaten something dirty. His grandma’s a shaman—send for her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandma? His grandma lost her head long ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where’s Xiao Yu? She came back, right? Send her over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it. The iron-armored devils are watching us. Spitting blood? Spitting blood—it’s happened too often these past two days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chaos and clamor spread like ripples across a pond, radiating outward from the crying child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good—it’s inside the camp. No need to search elsewhere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General Guan, bring that child here. We can return.” Qing Song the Daoist acolyte smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about the dragon vein site...” Guan Hu Chen hesitated, glancing at the distant pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earth shook violently a few more times, then slowly calmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the distant pit still spewed yellow-brown vapor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The dragon vein has been severed. They’ve fulfilled their merit. They died as they should. Don’t forget the rewards you promised—deliver them to their families when we return.” Qing Song the Daoist acolyte said coolly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Hu Chen glanced toward the shrine, uncertainly: “Just now, during the quake, I heard a scream from the northwest...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song the Daoist acolyte’s lips curled in a sneer. “That’s not a potential dragon. Ignore it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Hu Chen immediately understood. He personally selected two black-armored knights, parted the crowd, and dragged the spitting, wailing “egg-child” to Qing Song the Daoist acolyte’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>",1760,"2026-06-20T00:29:13.334Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e2f6aab74812ff9ba91776bab9a7bad998fd34fa7fe7e02c1782cfb87a8c9159","if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-17","if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-15",840,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fif-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-cover.jpg"]