[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-proles":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-proles-lord-of-the-proles-chapter-181":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},2290479,4478,"Chapter 181: The Bitter Old Woman","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-181",181,"\u003Cp>Li Banfeng and Chu Er sat across from each other at the table, before them a dish of bitter greens and two coarse corn buns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The bitter greens have salt—tastes good. Try some.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng had no appetite for the bitter greens, and this little food wasn’t enough to fill him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er’s rations were issued monthly by Bitter Greens Village—each meal only this much, and even though Chu Er was a woman, she still went hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where’s my key?” That was what Li Banfeng cared about most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er’s face darkened: “You came all this way—are you here for me, or just for the key?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng offered a faint smile: “Foolish girl, what nonsense are you talking? What do you take me for? I came all this way precisely to find the key.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er’s face turned pale with anger: “You don’t have to be so blunt!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give me the key!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You won’t give it, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t give it. What are you going to do about it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I couldn’t do much anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng truly couldn’t do anything to Chu Er.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu had told him Chu Er had all sorts of ways to torment herself—torture and interrogation were useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, Li Banfeng changed tactics, his gaze softening as he looked at Chu Er: “Saying I came for the key was just an excuse I made up. I truly came to find you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er lifted her eyes to him: “Are you telling the truth?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng gritted his teeth: “True.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Swear an oath for me to hear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng shook his head: “I’m not superstitious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er smiled faintly: “Fine, I’ll believe you’re sincere. First, tell me how you got to Bitter Greens Village?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a long story,” Li Banfeng began fabricating, “I found my key missing, so I searched everywhere—I went to Ma Wu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did Ma Wu tell you I went to your room?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, he told me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did he tell you I came to Bitter Greens Village?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, that’s what he said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er thought it over—it made sense. “Then what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man asked too many questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng continued fabricating: “When I heard you’d come to Bitter Greens Village, I panicked—I couldn’t rest easy, so I found a way to get a train ticket here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is my first time here—I can’t tell east from west, and I barely found your place…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er widened her eyes: “You just got here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng nodded: “Just now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then when I was bathing just now—did you see me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t see a thing. I missed such a good opportunity,” Li Banfeng sighed deeply, shaking his head. “When’s your next bath?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Six months from now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng blinked: “You bathe once every six months?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er nodded seriously: “Too much or too little?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng blinked again: “Are you insane?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er answered seriously: “I’m not insane. My father took me to the hospital—the doctors all said I’m not insane.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I went to the hospital too! The doctor said the same thing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er burst into laughter, doubling over: “No wonder we’re destined for each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she laughed, Li Banfeng noticed a rope tied around her neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, destined!” Li Banfeng laughed loudly, then lunged at Chu Er.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er startled: “Destined doesn’t mean this fast—wait a minute, not now…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a struggle, Li Banfeng tore the key from around Chu Er’s neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er clutched her throat, gasping for breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng had struck too hard—he nearly choked her to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew you didn’t come for me!” Chu Er’s eyes reddened. “You heartless man—why did you lie to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I feel terrible too—I’m ashamed of myself!” Li Banfeng stood, adjusted his hat, and walked to the door. “I can never face you again. We’ll never meet again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Li Banfeng truly wanted to kill Chu Er.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she didn’t know what the key was for, he feared she’d pursue it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the moment he moved to strike, his Fortune-Seeking Skill warned him of grave danger—though the reason was unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Bitter Greens Village—the heartland of the Bitter Cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, killing a high-born Bitter Cultivator might trigger consequences Li Banfeng couldn’t predict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng left. Chu Er didn’t follow. She took a bite of bitter greens and sneered: “Let’s see how far you get!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bitter Greens Village was sparsely populated, its land barren.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng walked straight ahead along the dirt road for over two miles, seeing only one mud hut—worse than Chu Er’s—and nothing else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lifeless place—even the locust-plagued Haichiling was better than this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He checked his pocket watch and the sun’s position, quickly determining direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was heading south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng’s goal was Xin Di.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he reached Xin Di, he could cross-reference Yao Lao’s map and return to Lan Yang Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But could he reach Xin Di by going south?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Hu, have you ever been to Bitter Greens Village?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why come here? To suffer? Ask Big Sister—she’s seen everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ask the phonograph in Suishenju?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place was nothing but yellow earth—empty, with nowhere to hide the key.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if someone else found it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, asking would be pointless—he didn’t even know his location, there were no landmarks, and the phonograph couldn’t guide him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead, a figure in a gray cotton robe was fully wrapped up, gender indistinguishable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng approached: “Excuse me, sir—I’d like to know how to get to Xin Di?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure lifted her head, face covered by a scarf, and replied: “Why are you going to Xin Di?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the voice—a middle-aged woman—Li Banfeng quickly corrected himself: “Miss, I’m new to Bitter Greens Village, lost my way. I’m heading to Xin Di to hunt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman shook her head: “Young man, do you know why you got lost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Probably… by accident…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question was too profound—he didn’t know how to answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not by accident. You haven’t thought clearly. You haven’t awakened. You don’t know why you came here, just as you don’t know where you’re headed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t let desire blind you. Don’t let comfort cloud your heart. Don’t let indulgence erode your will. Don’t let laziness corrupt your character.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng stood frozen: “I just wanted directions…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his person, a magic treasure trembled, straining to speak two words: “Shut up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look how the Judge’s Pen was enraged—it actually spoke two words!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could laziness corrupt character?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This woman was plainly spouting nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman sighed: “Young man, since you’ve come, calm your heart. Only when calm can you settle. Only then can you understand where you’re truly going—and the meaning of your life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right,” Li Banfeng nodded, then walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No point arguing with someone like this—she was mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop!” The woman blocked his path. “Where are you going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where I must go,” Li Banfeng replied with an obscure answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your heart is restless,” the woman reached out and grabbed his coat. “You don’t even know where you’re going. Listen to me—stay here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng shook off the woman, straightened his clothes: “I know where I’m going. No need for your concern.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman looked disappointed: “You won’t stay? After all you’ve been through, haven’t you awakened yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether I’ve awakened is my own business. No need for your concern,” Li Banfeng’s tone hardened—he was angry now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman lifted her head, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Li Banfeng: “Why won’t you stay? Why leave? If you go, won’t all your past struggles be wasted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You still haven’t awakened. You don’t know why you’re here. But I do—I knew the moment I first saw you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First saw me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t this our first meeting?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why does this woman speak without logic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng didn’t want to argue—he turned and ran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman followed behind as if strolling, calling out: “You really must leave?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How can this woman run so fast?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m a third-layer Traveling Cultivator, and I still can’t outrun her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is her cultivation base really that high?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng stopped running—he knew he couldn’t escape: “Sister, I really just stumbled into Kucai Village by accident. I don’t know anyone or anything here. Please let me go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once I leave Kucai Village, I won’t forget your kindness. One day I’ll buy something nice in Lüshui City and come visit you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman paused, stunned: “You’re going to Lüshui City? You just want to leave Kucai Village?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng blinked in surprise: “What else? Where else did I think I was going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman nodded and said: “Leaving Kucai Village isn’t impossible—but you must follow my rules. If you can beat me, I’ll let you go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng rubbed his forehead, utterly exasperated: “Sister, you’re joking, right? We’ve never met. Why would I hit you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman stretched her limbs: “I won’t use any techniques or weapons—that’d be cheating. We’ll just test our fists and feet. If you beat me, I won’t just let you go—I’ll even escort you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a fine thing to say,” Li Banfeng sighed, shaking his head. “I’m a man, you’re a woman. How could I possibly hit a woman?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman laughed: “That’s a noble thing to say….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Big Sister laughed and said, “That remark sounds surprisingly noble…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng punched the woman right in the face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng said seriously: “Sister, I landed the first hit. That means I won. We agreed on this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman sighed deeply: “Fine. I’ll let you go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng beamed: “Then I’ll just—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! The woman suddenly kicked out, slamming her foot into Li Banfeng’s ribs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kick was brutal—Li Banfeng nearly fell over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, you’re ruthless!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You weren’t prepared because your cultivation isn’t refined enough. When you’re ready, I’ll let you go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re unprepared because your training isn’t complete; I won’t let you go until it is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun sank lower. Chu Er was lighting a fire to cook dinner in the courtyard when Li Banfeng staggered back, bruised and swollen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seven Master, what happened?” Chu Er brushed the dust off his palms. “Didn’t you say you were leaving? Why are you back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng forced a laugh: “I ran into a woman on the road. She’s so kind—she insisted I stay a few more days. I told her I couldn’t, so she said I had to beat her to leave. I tried—and lost. I told her I wouldn’t fight anymore, but she said my cultivation wasn’t refined enough, so she kept pounding me… until now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er smiled faintly: “Seven Master, you met the Kǔ Popo .”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s the Kǔ Popo ?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Kǔ Popo  is just the Kǔ Popo . Entering Kucai Village is easy. Leaving? You need her permission.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng stared at Chu Er: “You can’t leave either?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No,” Chu Er shook his head. “I can only leave after the Kǔ Popo  leaves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When does she leave?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She comes in the second lunar month and leaves in the fifth. She usually stays three months—lunar months, that is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t leave,” Chu Er shook his head. “I can only depart from Bitter Cabbage Village after Old Ku  leaves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t even lunar March yet—so he’d have to stay over two months?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just who is this Kǔ Popo ?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know her origins. Just stay here quietly. If you don’t, she’ll beat you every time she sees you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dinner was still bitter greens and steamed buns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er gazed at Li Banfeng with deep affection: “Seven Master, eat. I didn’t dare touch mine—I saved it all for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng chewed the bitter greens and buns, feeling as if he’d returned to his days wandering the outer provinces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Banfeng eat well, Chu Er sighed softly: “When you and Ma Wu were down on your luck, you suffered like this too, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng shook his head: “After I met him, Ma Wu never suffered. He’s my brother. If I could find any way, I’d never let my brother endure hardship.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er snorted: “Suffering isn’t all bad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are too many downsides to suffering. I don’t see any upside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you even speak? I’m a Wu Xiu. You’re telling me suffering has no benefits?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Keep your suffering for yourself! You’ve got one bed—where am I supposed to sleep tonight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Er smiled warmly: “Don’t be so formal. We can share.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng sneered: “Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not really,” Chu Er shook his head. “Not yet. The Kǔ Popo ’s here—we can’t sleep together. She’d kill us both.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She even controls that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She does! Anything that smacks of comfort, she forbids. Not just sleeping—she bans bathing too. Everyone in Kucai Village is forbidden to bathe. Do you really think I only wash myself once every six months? I avoid her. Today I was so filthy I couldn’t stand it—I sneaked a quick wipe. If she saw me, she’d beat me to death!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two more months… how could he endure this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—he had to find a way to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep in the night, Li Banfeng slipped out of Chu Er’s house. Using his innate talent for avoiding misfortune and seeking fortune, he chose a direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m hiding from her—today I was so filthy I couldn’t stand it, so I sneaked to wipe myself with water. If she saw, she’d beat me to death!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng sprinted twenty li without encountering the Kǔ Popo .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, his talent for avoiding misfortune was the most useful thing he had!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his joy, he tripped over a stone and dropped his Judge’s Pen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How careless,” the Kǔ Popo  said, picking up the Judge’s Pen for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll be more careful next time,” Li Banfeng said, taking it back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Kǔ Popo  shook her head: “I see you still haven’t understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng nodded: “Then I’ll go back and reflect some more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can’t just rely on your own reflection. You need someone to refine you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng clutched his head: “Can’t we get someone else to refine me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Who exactly is the Kǔ Popo ?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can't rely solely on yourself to gain insight; you need someone to forge you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng hugged his head and said, \"Can we find someone else to forge me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Who exactly is Old Woman Ku?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2379,"2026-06-20T03:43:13.043Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d7b1d91b6f2b23349c25fd7dbc2f58b1a06d25a064697ff137da5bc3b6865218","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-182","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-180",863,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-proles-cover.jpg"]