[{"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-3":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},2276730,4454,"Chapter 3: Chapter Three: Guan Huchen","if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-3",3,"\u003Cp>The Liusha River is eight hundred li wide; when the wind is strong, the waves rise like mountains and churn like ridges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Large quantities of weak water are often swept by the waves into both banks, causing floods stretching hundreds, even thousands of li, drowning vast tracts of land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How wide and how long are the Yellow River and the Huai River in the southern lands of Zhonghua?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when the Yellow River breaches its banks and the Huai River overflows, they can still turn a thousand li of land into a watery wasteland—yet the Liusha River is eight hundred li wide, with far too much water, far too abundant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, weak water is “light in weight”—a goose feather cannot float—and it easily stirs up waves with the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu’s deepest memory was from four years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, the sky was as black as a lid, rain and wind lashed wildly, weak water spread unchecked, and the waves rose like mountain peaks soaring into the sky, nearly a kilometer high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had not been elsewhere, so she could not be certain—but the dunes where her Western Sand Savages lived had become a solitary boat adrift in a boundless ocean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sand Savages could do nothing but huddle trembling inside their animal-skin tents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weak water floods were not a one-time event.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vast torrents of weak water directly altered the landscape and ecology, giving rise to the “World of Flowing Sands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seawater creates saline-alkaline sands, but weak water is not salty—and yet it is even more destructive than seawater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu had studied it: the physical and chemical properties of weak water had completely escaped the bounds of ordinary liquid water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Animals and plants need water because water participates in the various organic reactions within their cells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weak water clearly has weight—Xiao Yu had weighed it; it could be stored in bottles and had mass, though far lighter than ordinary water—yet its apparent physical density was absolute zero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elementary physics: if an object’s density is greater than water, it sinks; if less, it floats; if equal, it suspends in water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weak water’s apparent density is zero; any non-miraculous substance has volume and mass, hence density greater than zero—and thus, anything falling into weak water must sink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu conducted experiments with animals, forcing weak water into their mouths; the weak water could not be normally absorbed or utilized by cells, but instead surged “upward” along blood vessels and muscles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like an ordinary person drinking mercury, which sinks downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weak water surges upward, eventually reaching the brain; the victim does not die immediately, but becomes listless and feeble, with very few surviving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Animals cannot drink weak water; plants cannot use it to grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a handful of plants could survive along the banks repeatedly swept by weak water floods, and they were almost all sand-dwelling species.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the land could not be perfectly flat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over thousands of li along the Liusha River, there must be hills, mounds, and other elevated terrain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when weak water flooded the banks, it did not contaminate groundwater; normal groundwater had density and sank upon contact with weak water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weak water surges that rushed onto the shore were completely separate from ponds, lakes, groundwater, and wells—absolutely distinct, with no mixing whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, as long as one could find a highland rarely directly flooded by weak water, green vegetation could grow, and thus, a primitive civilization could emerge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was impossible for such places to be lush and forested like normal riverbank peaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if towering mountain ranges had once existed nearby, they had been worn down over ten thousand years by the thousand-li floods of weak water, becoming low and heavily sandy, ultimately turning into the mounds of earth today—green vegetation on top, mottled with weeds below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Western Sand Savage tribe, where Xiao Yu was born, lived on a ridge beside the Liusha River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the origin of the titles “Dune Kingdom” and “Dune King.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, a crimson-scaled steed with a mane like flickering flame, the “Chiyanyu,” stepped slowly into the “Dune King’s” palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sssss~~~” It let out a soft sneeze, and two thin streams of bright red flame shot from its nostrils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red flames grew with the wind, and in an instant stretched seven or eight meters long, as thick as a water barrel. Swinging like a pendulum, they circled the “Dune King’s Palace,” and the palace, built of felt, wooden stakes, and hemp cloth, burst into roaring flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hei hei hei~~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chiyanyu turned its “horse head” toward the dark-armored rider on its back and let out a soft neigh, as if proudly boasting of its deed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rider atop the horse was tall, fully armored, his helmet’s faceplate drawn shut, concealing his face—only two icy, blade-like glares pierced through the eye slits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The armor was heavily constructed, exuding a sense of weight and solidity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On either shoulder, two dark-golden Pixiu beasts bit down on golden rings, from which hung a crimson cloak three meters wide, its hem nearly dragging on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around them, the Sand Savages screamed in agony, weeping and begging; armored cavalry laughed loudly and cursed viciously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of swords slicing through air, the hiss of blood spurting from torn flesh, and the crackling of burning flames could all be heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind swept thick smoke across every open space...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire battlefield was so noisy and chaotic, yet it seemed to affect not at all the rider atop the Chiyanyu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat calmly on his horse, his war saber still sheathed, his iron gauntlets spotless, not a single drop of blood staining them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely watching him and his Chiyanyu’s leisurely movements, one felt a sense of peace and tranquility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tap tap tap~~~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black steed galloped up from the rear slope; when it was still over twenty meters from the crimson steed glowing with red light, the famed horse, capable of traveling a thousand li in a day, halted hesitantly and dared not advance further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the black horse sat an armored knight, whose armor and weapons were nearly identical to those of the dead Ge Qing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ge Qing had no faceplate; this man, like the general on the Chiyanyu, concealed his face with a black mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if accustomed to the Chiyanyu’s terrifying aura that ordinary warhorses could not bear to face, before his steed had even fully stopped, he lightly pressed his hands on the saddle, leapt forward like a great bird, flew over the horse’s head, and landed gracefully behind the Chiyanyu’s rider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed deeply, clasped his fists, and said: “General Guan, please order the men to sheathe their blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have confirmed: the entire Dune Kingdom has fewer than fifty able-bodied warriors still capable of fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all killed or wounded in the first cavalry charge; the survivors are all the elderly, weak, women, and children.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph. Does my ‘Immortal Eye’ not see the Sand Savages’ condition better than your ‘pig’s eye’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rider on the Chiyanyu sneered, then added: “I have always maintained strict discipline in my troops. Had I not been certain the Sand Savage encampment offered zero resistance, why would I have broken up the cavalry units and allowed my soldiers to act as they pleased?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have a pig’s eye, not a pig’s brain—think properly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing “Immortal Eye” and “pig’s eye,” the armored knight immediately reacted, lowering his head slightly, his hands at his sides unconsciously clenching into fists, veins bulging on his knuckles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Guan tugged the reins; the Chiyanyu obediently turned, shifting from facing away from the black-armored knight to looking down upon him directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw the knight’s subtle movements, and beneath his mask, a sly, almost delighted smile curled on his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, slaughtering defenseless old and weak harms the Heavenly Dao—it is an ill omen,” the armored knight said, his voice muffled but still pleading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had long understood Guan’s intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only he knew—every brother in the Great Shu Iron Cavalry knew—that General Guan’s Chiyanyu had been setting fires all along: it spat flame at every Sand Savage it saw, and at every tent or hut, from the outskirts of the dune all the way to the Dune King’s Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could say that most of the fire that consumed the dune came from the Chiyanyu—or rather, from General Guan’s deliberate indulgence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not been so, the Iron Cavalry would not have scattered, freely venting their vile desires.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Swoosh—Pam~~~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the black-armored knight finished speaking, a fire serpent as thick as a thumb shot from General Guan’s sleeve, moving with terrifying speed, like a living venomous snake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-armored knight saw it coming, tried to dodge—but it was too late; the whip of flame struck his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clang~~~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knight let out a muffled groan, toppled backward, his helmet falling from his head and rolling several paces away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a face horrific and grotesque beyond description.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a winter melon left too long, its interior nearly rotted away—then the skin peeled off, and with a knife, eyes, nose, and mouth were carved into the rotting flesh, and two peach-sized pig’s eyes were shoved into the eye sockets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those two enormous, hideous pig’s eyes continuously dripped thick yellow-brown pus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pus hardened around the eye sockets into thick “crust armor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Song Changqing, you are but a lowly deputy commander—how dare you speak to me of ‘harming the Heavenly Dao’? When the Sand Savages allied with Xi Lu to form the Thirty-Six Nation Alliance and invaded Great Shu, why didn’t you urge the Savages to spare the border towns of Shu, to avoid harming the Heavenly Dao?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year at this time, the Great Shu Lu Ye Guard still had fifty thousand brothers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now? Even with our half-destroyed Iron Cavalry, we have fewer than three thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You do not pity your own brothers or your own people, yet you pity the enemy Savages—what is your intent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Guan’s voice boomed, stern and harsh; some of the black-armored cavalry nearby, engaged in burning, killing, and raping, heard him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some paused their actions, turned their heads, and glared at “Pig-Eye Knight” Song Changqing with hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Changqing’s face bore a seared, charred mark from the whip, burning fiercely—but he did not cry out, nor did he cover his face; he hurriedly scrambled to retrieve his helmet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He replaced the helmet, pulled the faceplate back down to conceal his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as the charred flesh scraped against the mask, causing greater pain, his movements showed no hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, matters of importance come first!” he raised his voice slightly, “The entire Dune Kingdom’s military force was already annihilated outside Tianmen Town alongside the Xi Lu rebels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Dune Kingdom is now merely a mound of earth, with only twenty thousand souls remaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To pursue them alone is not worth the Great Shu Lu Ye Guard’s Iron Cavalry crossing thousands of li of savage wilderness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even to cleanse the enemy’s nest does not require your personal presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You came here only because you received a special order from the Zhonghua Empire’s envoy—to capture ‘Sand Savage Yu,’ correct?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The envoy clearly stated: capturing ‘Sand Savage Yu’ alive is a great merit; returning her corpse is a trivial achievement; if ‘Sand Savage Yu’ is lost—neither seen alive nor dead—even after sweeping the Sand Savage lands, you gain no merit, but incur serious blame.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Guan paused, his tone softening, tinged with doubt: “Have you captured ‘Sand Savage Yu’? Bring her to me—have you harmed her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We haven’t found her yet,” Song Changqing replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Guan grew furious again, barking: “Useless! As my deputy, before entering the dune, I specifically warned you—capturing Sand Savage Yu was your top priority, and I even gave you her shadow-image map.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now you haven’t even found her—what are you all doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Changqing fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not been idle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been searching for her all along; seeing the Iron Cavalry slaughter indiscriminately, old and young alike, he had felt pity and come to plead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The armored cavalrymen who had been “indulging” quietly sheathed their blades and spears, and swiftly, silently surrounded from all sides, forming a neat line directly before General Guan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Guan grew even angrier, shouting: “Fools, what are you all doing here? Go scatter and find her! Find ‘Sand Savage Yu’—I want to see her immediately!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bearded knight stepped forward from the crowd, clasped his fists, and reported: “General, don’t rush. With Deputy Song’s reminder, the brothers have not forgotten the mission to capture Sand Savage Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the Zhonghua Empire’s envoy, ‘Sand Savage Yu’ is merely a girl of eleven or twelve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though we’ve killed many, we’ve never raised our blades against the young Sand Savages—not even against the handsome young boys.”\u003C\u002Fp>",2137,"2026-06-20T00:29:13.334Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1725ccde420245957178593fffbac692fe702cf9169b392d7b3374d7dfdbce70","if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-4","if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-2",840,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fif-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-cover.jpg"]