[{"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-71":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},2313194,4524,"Chapter 71: Chapter Seventy-One: The Copied Manuscript","lord-of-the-immortal-food-chapter-71",71,"\u003Cp>In the county yamen, Xing Zhi stared at the objects before her: wooden beads, books… and Ming Qitian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could be deduced from these?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She recalled Hei Chi’s instructions: “He only needs to touch a certain number of related objects to lock onto the target directly; we must use our minds to infer—this may be slower than Him, but it might also be faster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The martial treatises seemed somehow connected to Ming Qitian, but Xing Zhi flipped through them and found no Yunlang Mountain martial arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was normal; though the volume even listed “Qishu Juejing”—though it could not name them, merely boasting them as a category—because it was included among the legendary “Five Paths to Ascension” circulating in the martial world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yunlang Mountain disciples were few and reclusive; only those of considerable status could learn any details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she pondered, a new possibility struck her: could the thing the Immortal Lord wished to destroy be Ming Qitian himself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she did not yet know the true level of Taiyi Zhenlong Xianjun, if Ming Qitian would one day threaten it, no one would doubt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She recalled her own question: “Can they only find related objects? Is it possible they could find the thing directly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is possible.” Hei Chi’s calm voice echoed in her ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wooden beads, books, and Ming Qitian.” The black cat whispered on her shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?” Pei Ye asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Information received from the three hosts,” the cat said. “They each locked onto these three objects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What connection do these three have?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not between them,” the cat said. “They point toward the same thing on different levels. For example, the beads might mean the object is wooden, or spherical…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… a spherical martial art connected to Ming Qitian?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Let’s gather more clues,” the cat sighed. “First, follow it—it turned, what’s that place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Martial school.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Ye quickened his steps; the familiar courtyard appeared before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, a clamor rose as children of all sizes cheered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Huang! Master Huang’s here! Sit properly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A clatter of metal, the children sat upright; an elderly man in martial garb, over fifty, tied his belt and stepped out slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the night of the county yamen’s storm, three masters were summoned and none returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Huang, old and injured, had once been the most idle master; now he was the pillar, teaching four classes a day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who slacked off?” he barked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhao Feihu slacked off!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re lying!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He was shitting for two full quarters!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhao Feihu, do you have that much shit?” Master Huang said, expressionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The children burst into laughter; Zhao Feihu stood, face flushed, head bowed, silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll spare you this once—don’t do it again!” Master Huang declared sternly. “Sit down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Ye had never seen this face before; clearly, with the other strict masters gone, he had to play this role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Huang sat slowly and spoke softly: “Today we study Chapter Twenty of ‘The Hero’s Broken Bones.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the children could cheer, a figure entered the gate, wearing a straw hat that hid his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Huang frowned, leaning forward to peer; he faintly recognized the figure: “Is that… Zhengguang, brother? What’s the matter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the man walked straight in, passed the students, brushed past Master Huang, and entered the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of deep blue beneath the straw hat tightened Master Huang’s heart; he reached to grab the man—only to feel his wrist seized from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, Master Huang turned; a familiar yet strange adolescent face appeared behind him, a graceful black cat perched on his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“L-Little Pei?!” Master Huang gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Ye nodded, pointed to the old farmer who had entered, and raised a finger: “Shh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black cat leapt lightly from his shoulder and followed the old farmer inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Huang stared, bewildered; Pei Ye smiled: “Master Huang, county yamen business—won’t take long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Huang nodded slowly, half-understanding, and actually stopped worrying about the room; he took Pei Ye’s arm and addressed the children, all watching eagerly: “You don’t recognize him? He’s the most gifted student we ever had.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The children’s expressions mirrored Master Huang’s own half-understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Huang added: “This is Pei Ye.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A burst of shouts erupted; the noise in the school exploded—the story of who killed the Seventh Life Realm killer had been told countless times by the returning boys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at these excited, admiring faces, Pei Ye felt a faint daze—the contradiction between his identities as Fengwei and Jitou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled and nodded: “When this is done, I’ll come back and train with you all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Huang said gravely: “Little Pei will go to the state to compete in Jin Qiu’s Martial Tournament next month—learn from him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the black cat emerged carrying a stack of papers; Pei Ye reached out to take them—and saw, at first glance, Master Huang’s crookedly copied Chapter Twenty of ‘The Hero’s Broken Bones.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Huang, I have to take this,” Pei Ye held up the papers toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Huang stepped forward, slapped his hand down, his broad frame blocking the children’s curious glances, and boomed: “A fist manual? What’s the big deal? We’ve all taught it—take it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Ye laughed, bowed: “I’ll come back in a few days for your guidance, Master Huang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guide you? Get out of here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone from the yamen will handle the matter inside,” Pei Ye said, smiling as he gripped Master Huang’s wrist and whispered a final warning, then turned, scooped up the cat, and leapt over the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Huang stood stunned, then turned and walked inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything was as before—except the scroll beneath the pillow was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where’s Zhengguang?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a black shape entered his lower vision; he looked down—a human-shaped pile of ash lay quietly on the floor, embers still smoldering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elsewhere, Pei Ye leapt over the wall, still haunted by the images of those dozen faces full of life gazing up at him—he patted the black cat and whispered: “Do you truly believe we must stop Him, even if we sacrifice the entire Bowang State?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black cat glanced at the boy’s bewildered face; its emerald eyes were calm, quiet, and resolute. It spoke softly: “Words cannot convince you, Pei Ye. You only need… to see Him once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t I already see Him? He was inside my body.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No,” the cat shook its head, its tail brushing the boy’s neck. “But luckily, you’re unlucky enough—today, you might see him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then… I’d rather not,” Pei Ye muttered, opening the copied manual. “Where does this point?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Open it,” the cat sighed; that cold, familiar amusement returned. “Then use your little brain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A spherical martial art connected to Ming Qitian, written in terrible handwriting,” Pei Ye said bluntly.\u003C\u002Fp>",1118,"2026-06-20T13:17:09.438Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4f16389fc95657887ad5942659894ea731f8bcea80846a583a415be1cb0b1898","lord-of-the-immortal-food-chapter-72","lord-of-the-immortal-food-chapter-70",771,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-immortal-food-cover.jpg"]