[{"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-35":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},2276762,4454,"Chapter 35: Seeing a Ghost","if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>“Clouds think of her robes, flowers of her face; spring breeze brushes the railing, dew on blossoms rich and deep. Had I not seen her on the peak of Qunyu, I would have met her beneath the moon at Yao Terrace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After admiring the Shadow God Portrait, Huachen noticed the cursive poem beside it, nodding repeatedly and praising, “Excellent poetry! Perfectly captures my daughter Yu’s peerless grace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to discuss with Song Dashen, “Master Song, look—though my daughter holds a sword, her posture and aura are utterly unlike a swordsman. Her essence is dignity, elegance, and noble refinement.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this poem precisely reveals her core.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the sword is not out of place—I am a military man by origin, my daughter is the daughter of a general, and now she has entered the basics of the Tiger Soul Seven Killings; surely some warrior’s aura clings to her, and in the future...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, in the future, Yu will surely wield a sword.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Tiger Soul Seven Killings is a blade art, but even a sword can be used—women wield swords with greater fluidity and grace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Dashen internally agreed with Huachen’s analysis, yet the Tiger Soul Seven Killings reminded him: his subordinate ghost emissary Luo Yan had been slashed to death by it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Guan, your long-awaited Shadow God Portrait is finished. Now, shall we discuss Luo Yan’s matter?” he said in a chilling tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who is Luo Yan?” Huachen instinctively asked, then caught sight of the fat ghost emissary still munching a giant ham, and immediately smiled warmly, “Luo’s affair was merely a misunderstanding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Yu knows nothing of ghostly arts; her actions in dreams are beyond her control.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just consider the Tiger Soul Seven Killings itself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tiger Soul Seven Killings can indeed harm ghostly deities, but only at an extremely high realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even I, after nearly forty years of arduous cultivation, can only protect myself from demonic corruption—I possess no ability to actively slay ghostly deities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu is certainly inferior to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, she hasn’t even learned breath cultivation yet; she hasn’t yet generated ‘inner qi’ from her bloodline.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how did Luo Yan die?” Song Dashen asked coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huachen clapped his hands and exclaimed, “Yu clearly lacks the realm and power to harm ghostly deities, yet Luo’s death occurred the moment he approached—what does this prove?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Song, you travel through the Netherworld—you’ve surely seen countless unjust deaths?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some even choke on water, or trip and die walking at night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is water harmful? Is a night road deadly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—it is Heaven using seemingly absurd means to claim those lives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, what the Netherworld lords often call ‘fate decreed.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Dashen laughed bitterly, “Shall I take you to meet the Judge and tell him ‘Luo Yan’s death was fate’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—If you meet the Netherworld Judge, and he asks for the details of Luo Yan’s death, won’t our dealings be exposed? I’ll suffer, but you’ll bear blame for dereliction and abuse of power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huachen sneered inwardly, then paused thoughtfully before saying, “Master Song, Luo may not truly be dead—perhaps his form merely scattered temporarily. We can find him again, replenish his incense and vows, and restore him as before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, it was my daughter’s fault—the Guan household will bear full responsibility for incense and vows, and all compensation will be paid in full.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—I’m willing to pay compensation. Give the money to you, and you may keep it all—my only wish is to close this case tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Dashen understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was certainly dissatisfied with this proposal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that the Guan family offered too little—it was that resolving this was too difficult.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yan was his subordinate, yes, but not his personal retainer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the mortal realm, officials, before officially assuming office, recruit their own staff and assign them positions to help govern their prefectures.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These staff can be appointed or dismissed at the prefect’s or county magistrate’s discretion, without reporting to superiors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the original officials within the government office—even those under the prefect—cannot be arbitrarily dealt with; at least a plausible reason must be given to satisfy superiors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Yan was selected by the Netherworld and merely assigned to serve beside Song Dashen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, Luo Yan had entered the system—he held formal status.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His name was recorded in the Netherworld’s official roster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Judge had surely already sensed his death by now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Song Dashen couldn’t truly pin the blame on the Guan father and daughter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miss Yu’s lifespan is not yet exhausted—why would a ghost emissary summon her soul without cause?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the King of Hell were truly alerted and convened a trial, Miss Yu would bear no guilt whatsoever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Huachen’s bribery of the Netherworld was merely a minor punishment—worshiping ghostly deities is ‘proper ritual,’ and summoning immortals is not a grave crime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huachen’s greatest sin was merely that it was exposed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No incident means no attention; no attention means no crime; only when something happens must one bear responsibility.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real grave sin lies with Song Dashen himself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Huachen, tell me honestly—what gives you the confidence to send Miss Yu to Xianyang?” Song Dashen said slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu was startled: So it really is Xianyang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had suspected as much earlier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rulers of the western vassal states would not have Zhang Saint address a guest as ‘Esteemed One’ with such reverence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the world, only the authority of the Southern Zhonghua Emperor could move a spirit like Zhang Saint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can’t this Shadow God Portrait prove it all? My daughter Yu has the bearing of an esteemed one!” Huachen pointed to the beauty in the painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not enough,” Song Dashen shook his head. “Brother Huachen, I suspect your secret lies within this portrait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, Zhang Saint would not have changed from disdain to reverence the moment he saw Miss Yu’s true face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your caution is admirable—great undertakings demand caution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, even if I suspected something, I would not pry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, with Luo Yan’s incident... hehe, I’ve already seen the Shadow God Portrait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawing a crude sketch with form but no spirit won’t be hard—perhaps one of my colleagues might discern its mystery?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huachen’s expression changed. “Master Song, let’s go to the study next door.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Song, let’s be open. How do you plan to use my daughter’s future status as an esteemed one to resolve Luo Yan’s matter?” Once inside the study, Huachen did not immediately reveal the “Little Li Fei Plan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Dashen pondered, “If we can convince the Netherworld lords that Miss Yu truly possesses the bearing of an esteemed one, this matter becomes far easier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can report upward: last night, a devout mortal named Huachen offered reverence to ghostly deities, held a night banquet to pray for his adopted daughter Yu’s fortune, and vowed for her future prosperity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, ghostly deities gathered, including ghost emissary Luo Yan, who drank heavily, became utterly drunk, stumbled into Miss Yu’s chambers by accident, startled the esteemed one, and suffered retribution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fixed his gaze on Huachen and said gravely, “I’m not probing your secret—I merely know that only a ‘great esteemed one’ can convince superiors that Luo Yan’s death was fate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a great esteemed one, impervious to all evil, would react the moment a ghost drew near.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stumbling into a private chamber is not the same as entering a dream.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drunken wandering is common—you saw it yourself, Luo Yan was thoroughly drunk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were a dream, we’d have to explain why he entered it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once we explain why he entered a dream, I, Song Dashen, become implicated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So this can fully deceive the Netherworld’s higher deities?” Huachen hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Dashen chuckled coldly, “If one truly wishes to investigate, nine hundred and ninety-nine out of a thousand things in the world cannot be hidden from the lords.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to investigate every single matter—how much time, manpower, and energy would that consume?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Netherworld has only ten Kings of Hell!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, no matter how rigid the rules, they must be enforced by people—Kings and Judges were once mortals themselves; they haven’t entirely lost their humanity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huachen nodded slightly. Song Dashen would surely use his connections to smooth over Luo Yan’s matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With powerful backing, as long as a convincing explanation is given, Song Dashen can pass this test.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Song, ghostly deities of the Netherworld meddling in the Emperor’s harem is a grave taboo,” Huachen said gravely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, rest assured—I won’t involve myself in your affairs,” Song Dashen said coolly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My daughter Yu bears a striking resemblance to Lady Li,” Huachen whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lady Li?” Song Dashen thought, then hesitated, “The princess from An Tu Kingdom, across the Liusha River—the one called Jade something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a rustic ghost official, long entrenched in western Shu, paying little heed to distant Southern Zhonghua.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How similar?” Song Dashen asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huachen gently tapped the Shadow God Portrait and smiled proudly, “Before, I only thought they looked alike. Now, looking at this portrait, they might as well be twin sisters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Dashen stared, astonished. He lowered his head again to scrutinize the portrait, murmuring, “If this is true, Brother, you’ve struck great fortune.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the Emperor has long forgotten Lady Li, the court nobles don’t know that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing a ‘Little Lady Li,’ wouldn’t they eagerly push Miss Yu into the palace to win favor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once inside the palace, even if the Emperor ignores her, she remains a great esteemed one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huachen felt uneasy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are you, old ghost Song, jealous to the point of madness?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First you say ‘the Emperor has forgotten Lady Li,’ then ‘the Emperor won’t favor Yu’... Even if jealousy has twisted your heart, can’t you say a few honest, auspicious words?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now flatter the future Imperial Father-in-Law—later, even a drop from his fingers will bring you endless benefit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Song, please keep this matter secret—for now, at least. If I ever rise to great heights, I shall never forget your past kindness!” He bowed deeply, back bent, to Song Dashen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need for words—I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Dashen waved his hand; his figure slowly dissolved into darkness, the chill in the room gradually fading.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew~~~” Huachen exhaled deeply. The night had passed safely, and his goal had been fully achieved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked again at the open Shadow God Portrait on the table, growing more satisfied with each glance, his smile deepening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father...” Only when Xiao Yu’s hesitant call came from outside the door did Huachen calm slightly. He carefully rolled up the portrait and locked it in a box.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yu...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened the door and saw Xiao Yu’s face, unmistakably weary—Huachen swallowed the rest of his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a top martial artist; staying up all night, or even going days without sleep, was common for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he also understood the side effects of the Immortal Invocation Technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve been up all night—you’re tired. Go back and sleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, I’ll walk you back.” Seeing the shadowy figures outside in the courtyard, he added,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu could still hold on, but at this hour, in this place, “father-daughter heart-to-heart” talk was inappropriate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, you’re tired too—Yu’er can return on her own.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knelt in a bow and stepped out the door herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Zhong was still burning paper ingots before the brazier; seeing Xiao Yu emerge, his lips moved several times, yet he said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xiao Yu widened her eyes, her expression startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had seen a ghost!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many ghosts in the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though their faces were indistinct, their hazy shapes were clearly visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she first entered the courtyard, she had sensed the heavy yin energy, as if ghostly presences circled around—but back then she saw nothing. Now...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhong Shu, are you alright? There’s a ghost clinging to your back... licking your neck with a long tongue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(PS: Regarding recent reader comments claiming certain chapters have excessive setting explanations and dialogue, harming the reading experience—and citing my previous novel as an example.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I first apologize to everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was never my intention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My previous novel, “Fighting Superman,” also didn’t deliberately pad word count; readers who stuck to the end know that for over a month, more than three hundred thousand words were posted as free chapters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wrote what I believed was necessary, but the result wasn’t good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This book spends considerable space explaining “fortune” and “immortal martial arts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I won’t defend myself—only explain my reasoning: if a concept aligns with common sense and everyone assumes it, no detailed explanation is needed; but if a setting defies common sense, failing to clarify it might make readers think there’s a plot inconsistency, so I clarify the setting before the plot begins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fortune” is divided into “qi” and “yun,” differing from the usual notion that “observing qi can reveal a person’s future.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qi” represents current power; “yun” represents future destiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi is easy to observe; yun is hard to see, and yun is always changing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many might imagine ancient gods and buddhas as fatalists, as if everything were preordained by them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that’s not true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Daoism and Buddhism hold that destiny is determined by the individual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heaven and the gods can only determine one’s birth; destiny is controlled by the person, beyond the gods’ reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, when I encountered Daoist and Buddhist views on destiny, I was astonished—they differed from my ingrained thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more surprising: “Buddha” is essentially an atheist—not only discouraging worship of himself, but forbidding idolatry entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve digressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distinction between qi and yun allows Xiao Yu’s plot to be internally consistent: the Qin Daoist immortals can observe qi and sever dragons—they’re powerful—but they cannot see destiny or control the empire’s grand fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song the Daoist acolyte thought Xiao Yu was unremarkable because he observed only qi, not yun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qing Song merely inferred her destiny from her current qi—and thus made a grave error.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Likewise, “immortal martial arts,” “supernatural arts,” “spiritual powers,” and “immortal paths,” along with the theories of heart, spirit, intention, body, and qi in immortal martial arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our common sense holds that a Foundation Establishment peak martial artist challenging a Golden Core beginner is reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if a Qi Refining cultivator slays a Golden Core, even as the protagonist, it’s unreasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in this book’s upcoming plot, a Qi Refining Level One cultivator kills a Nascent Soul master—Xiao Yu, who hasn’t even cultivated internal qi, slays a human immortal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to common sense, Xiao Yu killing a human immortal is unreasonable—a serious plot bug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But according to this book’s setting, it’s perfectly consistent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this book’s setting doesn’t deliberately defy common sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The book’s backdrop draws from “Journey to the West” and “Investiture of the Gods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is not a fanwork of either, but uses them as background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In “Journey to the West” and “Investiture of the Gods,” spiritual powers, supernatural arts, magic treasures, and elemental weaknesses often outweigh cultivation level in battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, the Scorpion Spirit Red Child’s level is far below Sun Wukong’s, yet his poisonous smoke blinds Sun Wukong, and his Scorpion Tail Poison pierces even Sun Wukong’s bronze head and iron bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve seen your suggestions, and I’ll try my best to improve (\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve said this several times already o(╥﹏╥)o—it feels like listening to parental advice to “get into Tsinghua or Peking University”—effort alone isn’t enough).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, thank you all for your support, your tolerance, and your criticism—I’ll work hard to update.)\u003C\u002Fp>",2570,"2026-06-20T00:29:13.334Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","886b3a6ce0497ebcd9e90f9dedc02fc4ec92afe1cf008030d3c5b0935b4b86e6","if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-36","if-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-chapter-34",840,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fif-you-will-not-reject-me-i-wish-to-bow-and-take-cover.jpg"]