[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-proles":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-proles-lord-of-the-proles-chapter-179":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Lord of the Proles",{"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},2290477,4478,"Chapter 179: Paper-Thin Bride","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-179",179,"\u003Cp>Deep night, Li Banfeng sat beside Ma Wu, and Ma Wu lay with the Cloak Moth Lady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite Ma Wu praising the Cloak Moth Lady endlessly, Li Banfeng still felt the urge to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, don’t worry—this Cloak Moth Lady is different from the one we met before. She’s gentle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Ma Wu gently stroked the Cloak Moth Lady’s body; she trembled, her face filled with fear: “Young Master, you can do whatever you want tomorrow, but today I truly can’t take it anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu shot her a slightly annoyed glance; she pouted: “I really can’t take it anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng looked at the Cloak Moth Lady: “If you can’t take it, then leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cloak Moth Lady blushed, lowering her head: “I don’t want to leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu’s talent was truly unreasonable—this Cloak Moth Lady could defeat a hundred Ma Wus, yet because she couldn’t bring herself to fight, she let him bully her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu sighed: “It’s not all about talent—it’s fate. If it had been the previous Cloak Moth Lady, I’d be dead by now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Ma Wu keep mentioning the other, the Cloak Moth Lady grew displeased: “Young Master, you always bring up the one before. Wasn’t her name Linglong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Linglong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does the Cloak Moth Lady have a name?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng stared at the stout Cloak Moth Lady for a moment longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But “Linglong” doesn’t suit her at all!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Her name is Linglong?” Ma Wu was intrigued. “What’s your name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cloak Moth Lady blushed deeply: “I’m Yanzi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her name is Yanzi…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng took a deep breath, gazing at the sky, imagining how this enormous swallow might fly through it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu caressed the Cloak Moth Lady’s cheek: “Yanzi, this is fate—you were destined to fly into my heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng shivered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How huge must his heart be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu, still talking sweetly, probed for information: “You mentioned Linglong just now—did you know her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yanzi frowned: “Why do you keep bringing her up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m just curious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course I knew her—we were from the same Dao gate, trained together. Linglong just moved here this year. I came here to find her, but I’ve searched for days and haven’t found her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course you won’t find her—she went to Suishenju for a visit and will never come out again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Banfeng wasn’t interested in Linglong—he cared about the Dao gate: “Do you still have Dao gates?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Yanzi answered seriously. “We were all ascetics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng grew even more curious: “You mean you and Linglong—or all Cloak Moth Ladies?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yanzi replied: “All Cloak Moth Ladies were ascetics. Only ascetics can become Cloak Moth Ladies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ascetics became Cloak Moth Ladies?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng realized the Cloak Moth Lady was more complex than he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Niangzi had once said Cloak Moth Ladies were second-class anomalies: their bodies grew in the New Land, but their souls were not born there. Li Banfeng hadn’t fully understood then, but now, hearing Yanzi’s account, he began to grasp it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mention of ascetics, Ma Wu frowned—ascetics were the natural enemies of pleasure-seekers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yanzi quickly explained: “Young Master, I know you dislike this Dao gate—I dislike it too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu asked: “If you dislike it, why did you choose asceticism?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yanzi fell silent for a long while; the tenderness on her face darkened: “I’d planned to never speak of these things again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu pinched her chubby cheek: “Not even with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You asked, so I can’t refuse. When I was young and foolish, I met a heartless man—I gave him everything he wanted, and he took it all, then abandoned me after draining me dry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought life was destined to be bitter—until someone persuaded me, and I fancied I had seen through the mortal world, so I joined the ascetic Daoist sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As an ascetic, you can’t love, can’t speak of affection—even if you marry again, it’s just two people tolerating each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You suffer your whole life, cultivate your whole life, and there’s no undoing it. When an ascetic woman dies, if she accepts it, she crosses the bridge to reincarnation; if she resists, she goes to the New Land.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the New Land, there are Cloak Moths born without souls—ascetic women can possess them and continue their cultivation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu kissed her tenderly: “After becoming a Cloak Moth Lady, do you still suffer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng snorted: “Look how fat she is—she hasn’t suffered much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yanzi blushed: “I’ve died once already—what’s left to hold onto? Why should I still suffer? As a Cloak Moth Lady, I must enjoy myself fully—eat as much as I want, play as wildly as I want, find men as freely as I want, bear children as joyfully as I want.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu sighed in admiration: “Brilliant—I love your honesty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng said: “Why don’t I go somewhere else? Let you two enjoy yourselves here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu was generous: “We’re brothers—you stay right here and I’ll still enjoy myself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yanzi shook her head vigorously: “Not today, Young Master—let me rest tonight, and we’ll do it tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night was deep; Yanzi returned to the woods and fell asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng said: “I’m going to Lüshuicheng. Will you come back with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu shook his head: “I want to cultivate longer in the New Land. Tomorrow I’ll send Xiao Gen back to Lanyang Village to bring some people to tidy up our plots—we need somewhere to live.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu shook his head and said, “I want to cultivate in this new land for a while longer. Tomorrow I’ll send Xiao Gen back to Lan Yang Village to bring some people to tidy up both our plots—we need at least a place to live.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu gazed at the sleeping Yanzi in the distance, smiled, and said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course he could—he was even better off than Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his territory; as long as he spilled blood, the land god would protect him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without spilling blood, Yanzi would protect him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he didn’t leave his plot, Ma Wu was safer here than in the Ma family mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But was Li Banfeng safe going to Lüshuicheng?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though tensions with the Lu family had temporarily eased, Ma Wu still worried: “If it’s not urgent, don’t go to Lüshuicheng for now—I feel something big is coming from the major families.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do have something urgent—I need to buy paintings.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Buy paintings?” Ma Wu blinked. “What’s urgent about that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Extremely urgent. I’ve become obsessed with viewing paintings—if I don’t see one a day, I can’t even eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words sounded familiar—Ma Wu remembered Li Banfeng buying the phonograph. Back then, no matter how he tried to persuade him, he couldn’t stop Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Seven, your actions are truly strange—I just don’t get them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng laughed bitterly: “You slept with the Cloak Moth Lady, and you think I’m strange?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you want famous paintings or ordinary wall hangings?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course famous paintings in Lüshuicheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Li Banfeng wanted to learn painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pendulum had taught him Western techniques—he might not master them in two or three years; he wanted something quick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Famous paintings…” Ma Wu thought a moment, then recalled one: “Lüshuicheng has many renowned painters, but in my view, the most evocative is Master Qiao Guangyuan—especially his landscape paintings…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No landscapes,” Li Banfeng waved his hand. “I want someone skilled at painting people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For human portraits, Master Fu Taiyue is excellent—he can capture a person’s likeness with just three or five strokes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing “three or five strokes,” Li Banfeng perked up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was exactly the skill he wanted—in a crisis, three or five strokes could summon a powerful combatant—perfect for maximizing his Fourth-Level Technique!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted exactly this kind of painting skill: in a crisis, with just three or five strokes, he could conjure a powerful combatant—wouldn’t that push the fourth-layer technique to its utmost?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu gave Li Banfeng Fu Taiyue’s address and warned: “Master Fu is somewhat aloof, and his paintings aren’t cheap. If you truly want one, you’ll need patience.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great artists always had quirks—Li Banfeng didn’t mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After spending one night in the New Land, Li Banfeng sent Xiao Gen back to Lanyang Village and set off alone for Lüshuicheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Ma Wu’s directions, Li Banfeng found Master Fu Taiyue’s residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knocked for a long time before a servant appeared: “Are you here to request a painting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng shook his head: “I’m here to learn painting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The servant sized him up, then said: “Wait here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waited over half an hour outside before the door opened; the servant led him into the entrance hall, then waited another half hour before taking him to the main hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng uttered not a single complaint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Learning from a master required enduring such trials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Fu Taiyue was painting; the servant signaled Li Banfeng to stay silent. Li Banfeng carefully studied the paintings in the hall and the unfinished work before the master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a full inspection, Li Banfeng turned and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Fu set down his brush and sneered: “Young man, if you have no patience, you’re not fit to be my disciple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not lack of patience—I don’t want to learn from you,” Li Banfeng replied calmly, speaking sincerely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Fu blinked in surprise: “This old man is unworthy—please enlighten me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng pointed to a painting on the wall: “I don’t understand your painting—is it a person or a mountain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old master laughed: “I painted a Mountain Spirit—its form resembles a mountain, its spirit resembles a person. The essence of the Mountain Spirit lies within this scroll.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng studied it closely—he had a point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shape was a mountain, but the brushstrokes between the peaks and valleys formed a human face, radiating an elusive majesty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good,” Li Banfeng approved, then walked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old master’s work was indeed evocative—all the paintings in the room were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was useless to Li Banfeng—such abstract imagery wouldn’t help him in battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was useless to Li Banfeng; drawing such an abstract thing was unsuitable for helping Li Banfeng fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Li Banfeng walk away without looking back, the old master put down his brush and chased after him: “Young man, you said it was good—but you haven’t explained why this painting is good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s good everywhere, but too profound—I haven’t reached that level yet. When I’ve studied a few more years, I’ll come back to ask you for guidance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Taiyue’s expression turned dark. The servant glanced at Li Banfeng’s back and sneered: “Someone like you should go learn painting on Painting Street—that’s where you belong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng turned around and asked: “Where is Painting Street? I’d like to see it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He meant it as a sincere question, but this angered Fu Taiyue. His veins bulged, and the mountain god hanging in the parlor seemed to come alive, glaring at Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just seemed—truly came alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng sensed danger and quickly left the mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this man a Zhai Xiu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t drip blood onto the painting earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps some other Dao sect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cultivation base seems high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng arrived at Painting Street, where many shops sold paintings and many vendors displayed them on stalls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng walked past several stalls and spotted a painting of a beautiful woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a traditional ink painting, with relatively simple lines, yet the figure was lifelike—especially the woman, who was stunning: dressed in a qipao, with wavy shoulder-length hair, large eyes, slender brows, full lips, and a mole just above the corner of her left mouth—utterly alluring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This perfectly matched Li Banfeng’s needs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vendor hurried over: “Sir, you like this painting of the beauty? Excellent taste—I’ve sold over a dozen today. If you’d come a moment later, there’d be none left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Normally this painting sells for sixty, but today you’ve come at the right time—I need to pack up quickly. Let’s make it fifty-five. Is that fair?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng shook his head: “I’m not here to buy a painting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the vendor’s enthusiasm faded: “I sell paintings. If you’re not buying, go elsewhere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng said: “I want to learn painting from you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vendor blinked: “Learn painting from me? Are you joking?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not joking. Name your price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vendor hesitated: “How could I charge you? I don’t know how to paint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t? Then who painted this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know who painted it. Can’t you tell? This painting is printed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Printed?” Li Banfeng stared at the painting for a long time. It still smelled of ink—he saw no texture of printing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vendor was honest enough: “I told you—I’ve sold over a dozen. Could I possibly paint the same picture over and over?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Printed… maybe it’s not impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng looked at the vendor: “Can you teach me how to print paintings?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vendor sized him up: “Sir, are you here to cause trouble?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m here sincerely to learn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vendor shook his head: “This is a trade to earn your living—I don’t teach it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng pulled out a stack of banknotes: “I’ll pay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubbings were indeed a craft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Applying ink, laying paper, peeling off the print—each step had its technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this craft was far easier than painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng spent twenty thousand yuan and, over two days, learned about fifty to sixty percent of the rubbing technique from the vendor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vendor gave Li Banfeng over a dozen painting boards (templates). Li Banfeng bought a ream of white paper and two large bottles of ink, then returned to his residence to begin printing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Li Banfeng busily at work, the Clock Pendulum worried: “Master, you’re taking a shortcut. Will this work?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng focused on printing and ignored the Clock Pendulum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Clock Pendulum turned to the phonograph: “Madam…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crrrrt~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph sneered: “Neglecting the true path, chasing this fringe trick—you’ll waste your effort.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, even the phonograph didn’t know if this method would work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though printed, the painting was still printed by Li Banfeng’s own hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more than ten minutes, one painting was complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng sliced his fingertip and dripped a drop of blood onto the painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He concentrated his will, waited a moment—and the paper rustled. Slowly, a three-foot-tall beauty stepped out of the painting!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was delighted; the Clock Pendulum was astonished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bring me tea,” Li Banfeng ordered. The three-foot beauty immediately moved, placing tea leaves in the cup, then pouring water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She really knew how to pour tea!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the water was cold, her intelligence far surpassed the one-foot girl Li Banfeng had created before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng sipped tea while directing the three-foot beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could sweep the floor and wipe dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such sharpness—she’d surely be useful in battle too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Li Banfeng rejoiced, a rustling sound—suddenly, the three-foot beauty fell apart, scattering into paper shreds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph sighed: “Oh, husband, you poured in so little effort—this delicate lady lasts only moments.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lifespan of a paper spirit depended on the amount of heart’s effort invested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng checked his pocket watch—the three-foot beauty had lasted barely five minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph warned: “This isn’t combat yet. In battle, she’d shatter faster—probably not even last a minute.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One minute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is that enough?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Depends on how you use it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Actually, one minute isn’t that short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2563,"2026-06-20T03:43:13.043Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","bbd8400586b5c4b61e17df901dfc4cbf7c8bd1fa8ff5705ee28f479f9c94d898","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-180","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-178",863,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-proles-cover.jpg"]