[{"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-40":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},2325258,4549,"Chapter 40","immortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-chapter-40",40,"\u003Cp>\"The Wanyu official has already been pressing,\" Chen Quan said cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck, what a shitty mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then find that official from the Ministry of Works and make him hand over the remaining money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He said he’d only pay if he speaks directly with Chen Tou,” Liu She said, immediately pulling his neck back, looking guilty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou frowned deeply. “Send someone to tell me the truth—what exactly did Old Zhao promise this man? You’re all old hands in the Tianlao. I don’t believe you can’t handle one convict.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chen Tou doesn’t know,” Qian Fugui explained, “this convict’s younger sister-in-law is a concubine of the Prince of Donghai, and reportedly very much favored.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why they dared not use force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou was speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy shit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly holy shit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d served in the Bingzi prison, where the most powerful people he’d ever dealt with were the owner of some martial arts school or a minor bandit leader from a mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been in the Jiazi prison less than an hour, and already he’d heard about the Prince of Donghai’s favorite concubine—the convict’s sister-in-law. No wonder it’s so high-class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If his sister-in-law is the Prince of Donghai’s favorite concubine, why is he still locked up in the Tianlao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four jailers were clearly stunned by the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu She muttered under his breath, “If not the Tianlao, wouldn’t the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s secret prison be more appropriate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Quan added, “Yes, once sent to the Zhao Yu, there’s almost no chance of redemption.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jin added another point: “At least in the Tianlao, there’s still a chance to get out—maybe even be reinstated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Embroidered Uniform Guard’s lot are far blacker than us. We’re just a little black; their prison is pitch black.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly, exactly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four of them spoke one after another, and the situation finally became clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou was again speechless—information gap, information gap causing a cognitive error.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So officials locked in the Tianlao were being treated well? Given preferential treatment? Not the disaster he’d assumed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for who was truly blacker, he only wanted to say: all crows are equally black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, will Chen Tou step in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you treat every convict here with such caution?” Chen Guanlou was deeply curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pretty much. These officials have connections all over court—you never know when one might come back. Being careful is always better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou nodded and asked further: “How much have you already collected?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three hundred taels.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So three hundred taels remain unpaid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did Old Zhao take his cut?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Zhao took twenty taels earlier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow—he could still pocket forty taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lead the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d figured it out. For the sake of the silver, he’d reluctantly clean up Old Zhao’s mess. Fuck, the Jiazi prison’s methods were completely different from the Bingzi prison’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bingzi prison believed in “if you won’t obey, we’ll break you.” Beat the convicts into submission, and they’d hand over their silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Jiazi prison, you couldn’t use force to get silver—you had to use finesse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were Tianlao, yet one ruled by fists, the other by politeness. Hmph, interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Cell Jia-72, the former Ministry of Works’ Assistant Director Jin Daoren sat calmly on his bed, engrossed in a book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck, the Jiazi prison cells even had bedboards. Some had tables and chairs too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bingzi prison had only straw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jiazi prison didn’t stink as badly as the Bingzi prison—it was clearly cleaned promptly and carefully. Chen Guanlou stole a glance at the chamber pot inside; it was spotless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bigger difference: most of the Jiazi prison floor was open ground, with windows cut into the walls, giving each cell ample light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This environment? Definitely just a little black—not pitch black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jin Daoren, our Chen Tou is here. Say whatever you need to say to him,” Liu She said with obvious flattery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Chen Guanlou thought: Is this really necessary? Do you really have to grovel to a convict? Even if his sister-in-law is the Prince of Donghai’s favorite concubine, the fact he’s still locked in the Tianlao means the Prince won’t intervene—probably can’t even if he wanted to. At most, he’s just getting prison privileges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officials thrown into the Tianlao were never isolated cases—there were always hidden connections behind them. The Prince of Donghai was mad if he thought he’d defend his concubine’s brother-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does he really think the old Emperor is too feeble to lift his sword?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Emperor didn’t just destroy bodies—he shattered spirits too. He broke the flesh and extinguished the soul. Court ministers whispered that the old Emperor grew crueler and more heartless with age, unfit to be a ruler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You want to see me?” Chen Guanlou’s face was blank as he sized up the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Daoren studied Chen Guanlou in return—first impression: young, probably not yet twenty. Such a young man as a squad leader? Either pure luck or someone powerful behind him. He knew well: the Jiazi prison’s squad leader position was lavishly paid, the most coveted among jailers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he frowned—could someone so young handle this properly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No beard, no competence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Daoren instantly lowered his estimation of Chen Guanlou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved his hand, and Chen Quan and the others, understanding, left immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou frowned—damn, his own men obeyed a convict’s order without even asking him, the squad leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this is done, he’d have to give them a proper beating—make them understand what rules meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you want to discuss?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is Chen Tou always this impatient?” Jin Daoren, around forty, spoke calmly, confident—as if he’d already won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou didn’t indulge him—he turned and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was Jin Daoren’s turn to panic. “Chen Tou, don’t you want to finish your mission?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Guanlou turned back. “If you want to talk, talk now. If not, I’m leaving. I’m uneducated—I don’t understand your fancy ways. On my turf, you follow my rules.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Daoren was first stunned, then laughed. “So young and fiery!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re not fiery, are you even young?” Chen Guanlou returned to the cell door. “Speak—what will it take for you to hand over the rest of the silver?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When Old Zhao was here, he promised me one thing. Unfortunately, before he could fulfill it, he was dismissed for gambling with a crowd. Now the task falls to you, Chen Tou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What thing?” Chen Guanlou had no patience for his words. He’d figured it out—this Jin guy was classic: push his luck. Old Zhao and the others had been too polite, making him believe he was still an official. Look at this arrogance—he’s locked in the Tianlao but still carries his official airs. Has no sense of being a convict at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Bingzi prison, he’d already have been dragged to the interrogation room and tortured.\u003C\u002Fp>",1142,"2026-06-20T17:39:56.967Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","60699cc63b53c89d491f9b7b331bd2168fa3e74ddcc513a32f5373dfa7dc71b9","immortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-chapter-41","immortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-chapter-39",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fimmortal-through-martial-path-i-who-cannot-die-s-cover.jpg"]