[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-immortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s":3,"chapter-immortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-immortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-chapter-149":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Immortal Through Martial Path, I Who Cannot Die Shall Ultimately Be Invincible",{"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},2325367,4549,"Chapter 149","immortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-chapter-149",149,"\u003Cp>“Alright, do it your way—saving even one person’s food allowance is better than nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clan’s elder uncle suddenly made the decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone exchanged glances, unable to believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was Chen Guanlou’s turn to feel his head pounding—he wanted to slap himself for speaking up, for speaking up! Who could’ve expected they’d take him at his word?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What do we do now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his mouth, tentatively asking: “Uncle, you’re not joking, are you? Your youngest son—that one, your most beloved youngest son—going to work as a jailer in Tianlaomiao? That’s inappropriate. A young master who eats rich food, drinks fine wine, and wears silk robes, suddenly sent to Tianlaomiao to wear coarse hemp and serve imprisoned officials? It’s just not right. Not at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was practically waving his hands to refuse outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking a young master along? His head wasn’t full of water—he’d be insane to do this. He’d only meant to provoke them lightly; he never thought they’d actually agree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now things were worse—he had to try to make amends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clan’s elder uncle looked at Chen Guanlou with a half-smile, as if to say: trying to outwit him? You’re still too green.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stroked his beard and spoke solemnly: “When the old patriarch was still alive, we all suffered. We rolled in the mud, hid in ditches, feigned death in blood, ate one meal every three days… and now, so many years have passed. Today’s children are too spoiled—they’ve never known hardship, don’t know how to cherish anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your youngest son has been coddled into bad habits. I’ve tried giving him several jobs, but he couldn’t last at any of them—his temper only grew worse. After much thought, Tianlaomiao might truly be the place to reform a man. Xiao Lou, have him follow you. Let him learn how to serve others, how to humble himself—he must first learn to be a grandson before he can become a master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t coddle him, don’t spare me face—hit him when needed, scold him when needed, give him no special treatment. But could he use a different name while serving? The Chen clan is still a distinguished family in Jingcheng; we can’t have two jailers from the same family, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou was speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the clan’s elder uncle had such adaptability—he was the one who’d wrested control of two estate manager positions from Hou Fu’s stewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Managing two estates meant he had plenty of money, servants at his beck and call—he could easily arrange any position for his youngest son. Why bother going to Tianlaomiao for a few scraps?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, I won’t lie—Tianlaomiao isn’t what it used to be. You’ve all heard the court’s stirrings: the Ministry of Revenue is broke, every office is in debt. Tianlaomiao is the worst hit—we haven’t received a single copper for food or pay all year, and the quota we must remit has been raised. Everyone here is bitter, starving for cash for a long time.” Chen Guanlou began pleading poverty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wanted money, he’d give him real facts—Tianlaomiao truly had no money! Even the two Fan officials had grown stingy, especially Young Fan, who kept trying to squeeze the jailers for extra cash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Lou, your words aren’t entirely truthful,” the clan’s elder uncle said calmly—he’d clearly prepared for this. “I’ve heard you’ve introduced bundled services at Tianlaomiao, greatly easing its financial strain. Is that true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou smiled bitterly, thinking: the old fox really knows everything—even this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one’s money comes from the wind. Even if the imprisoned officials have wealth, they must conserve it—there are too many future expenses. Besides, spending too lavishly invites hatred. If word gets out, it could mean an even harsher sentence. Uncle, I won’t deceive you—Tianlaomiao today isn’t what it was. Money is hard to come by.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clan’s elder uncle sighed too. “I won’t hide it from you—look at the weather, how long has it been since rain? Let me be honest: this year, eighty percent of the estates will lose money, the remaining twenty barely break even. Next year, judging by this trend, it’ll be even harder. Hou Fu has already considered sending someone south after the New Year to buy land in the water-rich south—we can’t cling to these few acres around Jingcheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be fooled by my position as estate manager—I’ve had no money these past few years! Too busy with duties, I neglected my children’s upbringing, and now they’ve picked up bad habits and fallen into debt. Xiao Lou, let me speak from the heart—I don’t expect that brat to make money, only that he doesn’t lose it, doesn’t drain the family’s purse, and can support himself. Help me, take him along, and maybe you can cure his gambling habit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou: …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tianlaomiao is a giant gambling den—how do you reform him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he truly enters Tianlaomiao, he’ll be like a fish in water. He’ll spend every coin he earns and still fall deeper into debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this emotional appeal was hard for Chen Guanlou to outright reject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They shared the Chen surname—whether within five generations or not, they were still family. Face had to be preserved. Especially when an elder lowered himself like this, in front of everyone—he couldn’t make it final.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Always leave a thread—future encounters matter!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, you’ve never been to Tianlaomiao—you don’t know how filthy it is. Most people can’t endure that suffering.” Chen Guanlou also spoke from the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just the stench alone would be unbearable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And Tianlaomiao never sees sunlight—it’s dark, damp. Without some martial skill, your body won’t hold up over time. Look at me—since entering Tianlaomiao, I train daily just to live a few more years. Even the money I earn mostly goes back into upkeep. Uncle, can your son endure Tianlaomiao’s hardships? Can he endure the pain of martial training? Don’t let him ruin his health before earning any money. He hasn’t married yet, hasn’t produced an heir—don’t risk it. I don’t care—I’m the only one in my family; if I die, I die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou didn’t plead poverty—it didn’t work; no one believed him. So he switched tactics, now playing his own emotional card, speaking true words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything he said was objectively true, with no exaggeration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the clan’s elder uncle’s youngest son could endure martial training, he wouldn’t be tagging along with Chen Guanlou—he’d have followed the senior lord onto the battlefield to earn military merit and secure his future. He was a spoiled, lazy young master who avoided hard work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought he’d said enough for the other side to back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he never imagined how obsessed the man was with money—no mere words would change his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem! I have five sons. If my youngest truly can’t make it, I’ll adopt one from his older brothers. After all, we’re all one family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clan’s elder uncle’s boldness and detachment left Chen Guanlou awestruck—he admired him deeply, though inside he muttered: an old man who won’t die is a thief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d made his intentions clear—he wanted Tianlaomiao’s benefits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou gritted his teeth. At this point, he had to lay out terms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. But I’ll say this upfront: once he enters Tianlaomiao, he obeys me completely. Don’t complain about how much or little money he makes. If he’s unhappy, he can leave anytime. He can be listed on paper only, with accounts handled internally. If any trouble arises, Uncle, don’t make things hard for me—I’m just a junior trying to earn my bread.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He made it clear: don’t use your senior status to pressure him—he’d given one favor, and wouldn’t give a second. From now on, they’d be uncle and nephew, but accounts must be settled plainly—no more emotional appeals.\u003C\u002Fp>",1290,"2026-06-20T17:39:56.967Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","858c5f190b120e03688cfbf18d4033379c322bf4236207dc8117d744f86a7792","immortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-chapter-150","immortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-chapter-148",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fimmortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-cover.jpg"]