[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-immortal-food":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-immortal-food-lord-of-the-immortal-food-chapter-46":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Lord of the Immortal Food",{"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},2313169,4524,"Chapter 46: Chapter Forty-Six: Retribution","lord-of-the-immortal-food-chapter-46",46,"\u003Cp>“Come, this is the artifact.” Zhang Siche gripped Pei Ye’s wrist and guided his hand to his own abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Ye felt a belly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the belly collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Ye stared wide-eyed at Zhang Siche.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the belly was a warm abdominal cavity—a unimaginable wound, the abdomen nearly crushed, held together only by a thin layer of skin as disguise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Ye could not fathom how he had managed to laugh and talk casually, let alone fight three rounds, with such an injury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the bloody, mangled cavity, Pei Ye pulled out a small iron talisman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll transmit more Qi to you; when the time comes, just channel it into this talisman to activate it,” Zhang Siche guided his wrist, directing the Qi, “Once activated, this talisman will protect you for at least ten breaths—no one can harm you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I must tell you a cruel truth,” he added, somewhat ashamed, “Because we agreed earlier: the more people we bring, the longer the preparation time for [Spirit-Mirroring Dust Unbound]. So Zhu Gaoyang may not have time to take you along—you’ll have to rely on this artifact to escape in the chaos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Ye nodded, offering sincere thanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never expected to do nothing and be rescued by a celestial deity unscathed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this artifact, Pei Ye abandoned his absurd idea of feigning death and resolved to cooperate with Zhu Gaoyang’s attack to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s coming soon,” he sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, so we must hurry,” Zhang Siche patted his shoulder, “We’ve only reached the tenth chapter—everything after must be condensed, condensed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, the prefectural court convened. Li Zhang sat in the center, Xi Wu Chou pushed the scholar to stand beside him, while Gao Muzhen lay slumped on the ground, pale-faced, staring at Li Zhang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trial proceeded smoothly; with witnesses and evidence gathered, even Gao Muzhen’s furious curses and threats could not stop the judge’s decree: “Execution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar’s tearful thanks went without saying; Li Zhang also retrieved the pearl and returned it to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pearl remained pure and radiant, but for the scholar, seeing it now evoked memories—he wept again, then insisted on gifting the pearl to Xi Wu Chou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A day later, Gao Muzhen was beheaded at the town gate as a warning; to preserve the Prince’s dignity, his identity was not publicly revealed, but Xi Wu Chou and the scholar cared nothing for such trivialities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xi Wu Chou comforted the scholar, promising to introduce him to a divine physician who would heal his fingers, urging him not to lose heart and to continue pursuing his scholarly ambitions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar nodded through tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They parted ways: the scholar returned to town, while Xi Wu Chou built a hut in the nearby mountains to calm his spirit and prepare for breakthrough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letting go of worldly concerns, Xi Wu Chou spent each day immersed in nature, wandering among lake and mountain vistas, seeking that elusive sense of transcendence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After four or five such days, Xi Wu Chou reached the state of effortless spontaneity—no longer needing to deliberately withdraw from the world, he acted purely according to his inner will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He danced with his sword on mountain peaks during rain-lashed nights, helped old farmers hoe fields at dusk, sometimes got drunk at taverns until dawn, or fished on the lake all day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day, Xi Wu Chou suddenly remembered his old friend buried nine years ago in the southwestern town of Shancheng, and in turn recalled the scholar. He took roasted chicken and wine and went to find him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arriving at Kuiju Town, he headed straight for the small courtyard at the town’s edge—but after calling out several times with no reply, he pushed open the gate to find the yard empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he stepped out, intending to search elsewhere, an old man suddenly seized his leg, weeping: “My benefactor! I’ve finally found you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man was the scholar’s father-in-law; he said several men had come days ago and kidnapped the scholar—they spoke without accent, wore plain clothes, and despite reporting it to the authorities, there had been no trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xi Wu Chou immediately took up the matter, drawing on his old skills from his time at Immortal Platform: he scoured for clues, questioned the magistrates, and gradually every thread pointed unmistakably toward the Town North Prince’s mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was baffling—could the Town North Prince be so petty as to kidnap a common scholar just to vent his rage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless, since the trail led there, Xi Wu Chou set off directly for Yin City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering Yin City, he rushed straight to the prefectural office to find Li Zhang. When he explained, Li Zhang’s face turned ashen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xi Wu Chou pressed him, but Li Zhang only stammered, urging him to go ask the Town North Prince himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back when he investigated cases at Immortal Platform, Xi Wu Chou had never tolerated those who knew the truth yet evaded or concealed it—and he still wouldn’t now. He drew his sword and told Li Zhang not to ruin their friendship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Zhang still begged him to go to the Prince’s mansion. Xi Wu Chou said no more—he slashed off Li Zhang’s right ear and asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he had once failed to recognize the Town North Prince’s protectiveness, Li Zhang now failed to recognize that this elegant, aloof, refined gentleman from the Qilin Pavilion in the Divine Capital could be so swift and ruthless. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his ear, and confessed everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had never been another illegitimate son; the Town North Prince had never conceded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the trial ended but before the execution, Gao Muzhen had been secretly swapped out—the man beheaded on the execution ground was a disguised impostor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What followed need not be said: Gao Muzhen, having escaped death, remembered the scholar’s furious curses during the trial, burned with rage, and had him captured to vent his fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days had passed—the scholar was likely already dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xi Wu Chou kicked Li Zhang to the ground and flew straight toward the Town North Prince’s mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This act was not wise—he was on the verge of breakthrough; if he waited ten days or a month to enter Heaven Tower, then returned to seek vengeance, even the Town North Prince himself would not dare offend him over an illegitimate son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even if he failed to exact revenge, he could still escape unharmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the heron strikes the snake—once it advances, it never retreats. The scholar’s fate unknown, the humiliation burned within Xi Wu Chou—if he chose to hide for self-preservation, he would no longer be himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun blazed overhead; the streets teemed with people. Under countless eyes, Xi Wu Chou no longer showed any deference—he kicked the plaque reading “Town North Prince’s Mansion” off its post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he stormed inside; anyone who dared block his path was cut down in a single stroke. Though the mansion held hundreds of elite armored guards and countless masters, none could stand before him—he moved like a dragon among a school of shrimp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Siche stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s it—I can’t tell you any more,” he sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another round had ended; only four remained in the cave. Pei Ye and Zhang Siche had each fought once—now came the final battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Ye patted his wrist, intending to return the energy he had borrowed. Zhang Siche smiled and refused: “Worry about yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he strode out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True enough, less than a moment later, the black-robed figure came to lead Pei Ye and the last remaining contestant away—clearly, the victor from the other side would not return to the cave, but wait at the arena for the final match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Ye arrived at the arena and was surprised to find only one black-robed figure present—and Zhang Siche leaned nearby, watching him with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does the Candle World Sect have such confidence in this place? Don’t they fear I might team up with Zhang Siche and kill the black-robed one and escape?\u003C\u002Fp>",1337,"2026-06-20T13:17:09.438Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4edb5623b1da0b4cead93d31cf22f47d3cb690235a9ce559da3921e3fb0f912f","lord-of-the-immortal-food-chapter-47","lord-of-the-immortal-food-chapter-45",771,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-immortal-food-cover.jpg"]