[{"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-183":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},2325401,4549,"Chapter 183: You","immortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-chapter-183",183,"\u003Cp>Liu Daowen paced like a caged beast, torn between anguish, rage, hesitation, and calculation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou had made his stance clear: five thousand taels, not a single copper coin less.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t unable to pay five thousand taels—he just couldn’t fathom why these jailers had the audacity to demand such a vast sum from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His money was needed for other crucial purposes: bribing connections, offering gifts to Jiang Tu, begging Jiang Tu not to abandon him. Given Jiang Tu’s greed, it would take at least ten or even twenty thousand taels to sway him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everywhere demanded spending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five thousand taels might seem modest, but it instantly raised the baseline for bribes. Others might need only two thousand taels; for him, it would now be five, maybe eight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if the Heavenly Prison had opened its mouth and inflated prices, forcing him to pay double to achieve the same result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was too much!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hurried to the cell door, gesturing for Chen Guanlou to come closer. “I hear you deal in antiques and calligraphy. Good—I have a collection of masterpieces at my residence. That way, you can earn an additional fee. What do you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, no wonder he was such an avid corruptor—his mind was sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou said nothing, but offered no objection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daowen saw at once that this might work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fifteen thousand taels’ worth, valued at five thousand—how about that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou sneered, utterly dismissive. Did he think he was a child? Antiques from a disgraced official naturally depreciated. Valuing fifteen thousand taels at five thousand? He’d make not a single copper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To settle the deal through antiques, he needed to pocket at least three to five thousand taels on the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that he was greedy—it was the nature of the trade. He took nearly half as commission just for moving the goods. Liu Daowen also had to pay him to keep his mouth shut, and only the remainder went to the Heavenly Prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteen thousand taels’ worth of antiques? Ha. Forget it. Better to hand over real silver—easier to account for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Chen Guanlou wouldn’t budge, Liu Daowen grew furious and desperate. He gritted his teeth, ready to bleed heavily. “Twenty thousand taels’ worth, valued at five thousand—how’s that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou spoke with solemn counsel: “Why ruin fine art, my lord? Doesn’t it pain you? Better to use real silver, don’t you agree?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daowen’s face turned ashen. Did he want this? No—he was being roasted alive by the Heavenly Prison’s price gouging. He had no choice but to sacrifice his treasures. Antiques had no fixed value: they could be claimed worth five thousand, two thousand, or even six hundred if one had the nerve. The inflationary effect was instantly neutralized. The money saved later far outweighed the loss from selling antiques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To accuse Liu Daowen of lying—how could he claim six hundred taels when the valuation was five thousand? Was he trying to fool them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daowen could simply shrug and feign innocence: “I didn’t know! I didn’t handle it! Chen Guanlou did. He told me it was only worth six hundred taels!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why not sell directly to an antique shop? It couldn’t possibly fetch only six hundred taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Heavenly Prison forced me to sell—what choice did I have? I’m the meat; they’re the knife. Survival comes first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a few swift strokes, Liu Daowen could wash his hands clean, preserve the standard bribe price, and avoid disrupting the market or inflating prices further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His calculations were shrewd and ruthless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou wouldn’t indulge him. He named his price: “Twenty thousand taels. Non-negotiable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why don’t you just rob me?” Liu Daowen spat, furious at Chen Guanlou’s greed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty thousand taels—even at half price, he could sell for ten thousand. Pay five thousand to the Heavenly Prison, Chen Guanlou keeps five thousand for himself. If he found the right buyer, he might even get twelve or thirteen thousand—truly a fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou grinned, unfazed by the curses. “I told you—real silver is always better. Why won’t you listen, my lord?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You—you—you know full well that five thousand taels will bring me immense trouble! Why won’t you spare me? I’ll get out eventually. Don’t you understand the value of good relationships?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t try to fool me, my lord. Of the hundred or more officials who’ve left the Heavenly Prison, not one has ever looked back. Money is real. Ask yourself—do you even respect us jailers? You’re a prisoner now, and you look down on us. When you’re restored to power, you won’t even grant us a single glance. I’d consider myself lucky if you did.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou spoke the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if a disgraced official crawled on the ground like a dog, they still wouldn’t deign to look at a jailer. A man may fall, but he must not be degraded. In these officials’ eyes, jailers were beneath contempt—any glance at them was pollution of the eyes, even pollution of the soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daowen had no reply. He could not refute it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was still weighing the costs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paying five thousand taels in silver? He resented it—and the long-term risks were great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paying twenty thousand taels’ worth of antiques? He resented that too—but the risks were negligible. Antiques had no fixed value anyway, especially now that he was a prisoner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After endless deliberation, he chose the option with the least risk: “Fine. Antiques it is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Confirmed? No changes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No changes! First, let me eat. Bring me tea. Then it’s settled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once I receive the antiques, I’ll order the kitchen to feed you well and serve you hot tea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want food now!” Liu Daowen was starving—his eyes glowed green, and he wanted to bite anything. Worse, he was parched. The jailers gave him only a tiny cup of water daily—just enough to keep him from dying. Not a drop more. He suffered terribly—his lips cracked open, and when he licked them, he tasted blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s draw up the contract first. Don’t worry—you’ll get food and drink. Someone, bring the lord a cup of warm water. Don’t neglect him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No rabbit, no hawk. Chen Guanlou would grant him one extra cup of water—that was his only mercy. To eat and drink well? Wait until he had the twenty thousand taels’ worth of antiques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daowen gulped down the warm water in one go, still thirsty, his eyes fixed pleadingly on Chen Guanlou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou pointed to the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. “Hurry and write. If you want hot meals soon, finish the deal quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Daowen, under someone else’s roof, had no choice but to bow. He signed the contract and pressed his thumbprint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou ordered someone to fetch Liu’s steward. In front of Liu Daowen, he gave clear instructions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then they set a time, and Chen Guanlou, accompanied by Du Fuzi, went to the Liu residence to inspect the goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his first major deal—Du Fuzi trembled with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The master isn’t in the capital—who can handle such a big transaction? Are you going to the Second Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Second Master doesn’t have the funds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the second branch had embezzled plenty, financial control rested with the Second Lady. The Second Master could borrow a few thousand taels, but ten thousand? Impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than waste time haggling over payment, he’d rather earn less but find a buyer who paid promptly. He already had his target.\u003C\u002Fp>",1246,"2026-06-20T17:39:56.967Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","355538280296716ddce1ab51c7156986a7b6ee0d271989f21763b6af9741730a","immortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-chapter-184","immortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-chapter-182",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fimmortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-cover.jpg"]