[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-journey-to-the-end-of-the-night":3,"chapter-journey-to-the-end-of-the-night-journey-to-the-end-of-the-night-chapter-1518":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Journey to the End of the Night",{"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},1716736,2193,"Chapter 1518 - 943: The Taoist Is an Honest Man (Part 2)","journey-to-the-end-of-the-night-chapter-1518",1518,"\u003Cp>The old Taoist’s face instantly froze; he had been conning people for years, and those ignorant women had all been easily fooled by him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never before had he been so humiliated, and a cold anger appeared on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shu Ci, sharp-eyed, thought to herself that she had likely hurt the old Taoist’s feelings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he meant well, offering himself as food, yet she found numerous faults and was not satisfied, leaving the fox feeling somewhat embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled again and said: \"Your body, even if trimmed down, would barely make one dish, so why waste your life so generously?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You are a good person and ought to live a long life; I don’t need to eat you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Shu Ci’s smile, the old Taoist, blinded by infatuation, was instantly bewildered, and he laughed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could such a lady have such a foolish nature? Don’t have such naive thoughts. If your husband could regain his health, would he be lingering in sickness for this long?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I see he hasn’t much time left, so why hang yourself on a crooked tree?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though my appearance may be lacking, a person on the path of cultivation is true to his heart and treats women with sincerity, leaving nothing behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this world, the more handsome a man, the more mischievous tricks he knows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike me, honest and upright, prioritizing the well-being of all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, a lady’s well-being is my well-being, and I would never let you suffer like this again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking so, the old Taoist looked at Shu Ci’s face, resembling a fox spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew such women wouldn’t let go unless they saw tangible benefits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he intended to succeed today, mere trickery wouldn’t suffice; he needed to make a substantial investment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had amassed savings from a lifetime of conning, he never liked spending money on women.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing Shu Ci’s alluring, demon-like beauty, he felt an itch; if this succeeded, it would be worthwhile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, gritting his teeth, he pulled from his robe a vulgar, yet seemingly expensive, gold hairpin that matched Shu Ci’s charming elegance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cultivators view money as external; this pin is my most valuable possession. I hope the lady won’t disdain it and will accept it as a token of my sentiment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shu Ci, living in the Demon World, was used to spending Spirit Stones and rare treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Demon World, gold was rarely used as currency; such shiny, vulgar things were scarce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she had seen courtesans in Anle Workshop adorned with such trinkets, ringing beautifully and attractively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultimately, she was a naive female fox with some feminine vanity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She felt no aversion to accepting gifts from the opposite gender, as during her time at Mohe, she had received offerings from many Demons, becoming accustomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this for me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Shu Ci had no intention of rejecting it, the old Taoist was overjoyed, eager to place it on her personally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, recalling how Shu Ci had stepped back earlier, he maintained that patience was essential, as things are better in the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afraid of offending her, he feigned the posture of a gentleman and placed the gold hairpin in the laundry tub.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze seemed to aim straight for the very depths of Shu Ci’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am an honest old Taoist, just doing honest things, unlike that young fellow who...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, if I were attending to you, I wouldn’t casually dismiss you with this crude thorny hairpin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching the old Taoist leave, Shu Ci picked up the gold hairpin from the tub, seemingly in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wondered if humans always rambled so much when offering tributes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, the thing was quite pretty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shu Ci happily accepted it, put it in her hair, and holding clean clothes, headed toward the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On her way home, Shu Ci stopped by the corner shop to buy a bag of roasted peanuts and melon seeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Becoming accustomed to local customs, while mingling with local aunties, she had grown fond of gossip and watching leisure scenes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before rounding a street, she noticed Blind Sun in the north of the village, being lectured by his wife while being grabbed by the ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shu Ci cracked melon seeds, half-listening—apparently, Blind Sun had been with Widow Zhao for a few days, caught by his wife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face had been scratched, leaving bloody marks, looking pitiful, yet still trying to smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blind Sun shakily pulled out a cloth handkerchief from his robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside was a pair of jade-green earrings, quite delicate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He busily said: \"Don’t be angry, don’t be angry, you are my soulmate; don’t you know what’s in my heart?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was only jesting, playing along; everyone knows Widow Zhao is a frivolous character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was the one who seduced me! I just committed the mistake all men in the world would.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>See, how could I not love you, if I got you these fine things? None of Aunt Zhao’s suitors have such things. You know, you are my true wife.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From here on, whatever you love, I’ll search tirelessly to bring it to you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, don’t cry, don’t cry. It pains my heart to see you cry; such a lovely face, don’t let tears mar it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Sun was a blind man, he had a sweet, persuasive mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hefty wife was indeed made to smile through tears, accepting the earrings.\u003C\u002Fp>",893,"2026-06-06T15:17:07.391Z",1,"novelbin.me","6183fa9ccf971e574db83deecba51d480f3189d63f71f5068365e7b5add29842","journey-to-the-end-of-the-night-chapter-1519","journey-to-the-end-of-the-night-chapter-1265",1594,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fjourney-to-the-end-of-the-night-cover.jpg"]