[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-proles":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-proles-lord-of-the-proles-chapter-236":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},2290534,4478,"Chapter 236: Who Are You Calling Dust?","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-236",236,"\u003Cp>Li Banfeng hummed a tune as he walked forward, his voice loud enough for Zhuo Yuling and the two Tiyangshan experts hidden in the shadows to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The song made them dizzy, their bodies twitching involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a slight sound could not escape the thread-like earrings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, there’s movement in the forest—three people total.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng didn’t know their cultivation levels, but since Ling Miaoying had arranged the ambush, the opponents’ ranks couldn’t be low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One against three was disadvantageous—should he retreat to Suishenju for now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng knew this terrain too well; for his traveling cultivation, he’d walked the lands of Shuiyongquan and Qiuluoye countless times—playing along with them wouldn’t hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng stood still and kept singing; the more they listened, the more damage they suffered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaolan sent a message to Zhuo Yuling with her hook: “Mom, his song contains a technique.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng moved first; Zhuo Yuling didn’t hesitate, charging out of the forest with the two experts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Yuling flicked her fat peach—she hadn’t reached him yet, but her tail had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng had anticipated it; Tang Dao drew before she could strike, severing a segment of her tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Yuling winced in pain and retreated momentarily, while the other two experts surged forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was a fifth-layer Poison Cultivator, Fan Baoxing; the other, a fifth-layer Insect Cultivator, Cui Lisheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Lisheng’s lips quivered, emitting a series of hissing sounds: sssssss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the grass, crickets, grasshoppers, katydids, and mantises swarmed toward Li Banfeng in droves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t underestimate these insects—they’d all been infused with Insect Cultivator techniques; one bite could tear off a large chunk of flesh, and a swarm could reduce a man to a skeleton in moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng tapped his wine flask, releasing a mist of alcohol; he struck a match, and a wave of insects burned to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slowest of them, Fan Baoxing, arrived nearby—a pungent, salty stench hit his nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Zhai Xiu had some resistance to toxins, he couldn’t withstand such relentless output.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng turned and ran; the three chased after him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Yuling knew Li Banfeng was a Traveling Cultivator—once he started running, the three of them couldn’t catch him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was about to give up when she noticed Li Banfeng wasn’t running fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he been poisoned?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three drew closer, but each time they neared, Li Banfeng silently pulled away again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This left the three deeply conflicted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should they chase or not?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continuing the chase seemed pointless—they’d never catch Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Li Banfeng staggered, swaying as if he might collapse at any moment—he clearly suffered severe poisoning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they didn’t chase now, wouldn’t they miss this perfect chance?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man carried the Xuan Sheng Hong Lian—something Zhuo Yuling had long desired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chase him—no matter what, they had to chase!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They chased over twenty li, and the three fell out of formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Body Cultivator had the best physique; Zhuo Yuling led the pack but saw no sign of Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Insect Cultivator’s physique was decent; Cui Lisheng rested briefly in the grass, using his connection to insects to track Li Banfeng’s trail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Poison Cultivator’s physique was weak; Fan Baoxing couldn’t keep up and lagged behind, leaning on his knees, gasping for breath against a tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Dao suddenly dropped from the tree, stabbing downward at the back of his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Baoxing was utterly unprepared—he wasn’t weak; as a fifth-layer Poison Cultivator, he could hold his own against Li Banfeng for a long time in direct combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in this brief moment of rest, he’d taken care to spread toxins around, just in case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Tang Dao was a magic treasure—immune to toxins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade pierced his skull and burst out through his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Baoxing died without a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng crouched on the tree, sheathed Tang Dao, used the technique of Avoiding Misfortune and Attracting Fortune to dodge the poison scattered on the ground, and quietly approached the Insect Cultivator, Cui Lisheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Li Banfeng still intended to ambush—but things didn’t go as planned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hundreds of insects patrolled around Cui Lisheng; though fifth-layer Zhai Xiu were easy to overlook, they couldn’t evade these insects’ perception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hoo-hoo~ Hoo-hoo~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cricket alerted Cui Lisheng; he instantly leapt away, rubbing his hands together, emitting sharp whistles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t a Body Cultivator, nor was he transformed into an insect—Insect Cultivators excelled at controlling insects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng had seen the head of an Insect King and assumed such cultivators fought like insects—he’d misjudged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Insect Cultivators didn’t need to fight themselves; after rubbing his hands briefly, Cui Lisheng summoned a centipede.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s so scary about a centipede?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary centipedes were harmless—but a centipede over three meters long was no simple matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The centipede lunged with its fangs; Li Banfeng dodged twice, then stomped hard, shattering a rock—shards embedded into the centipede’s body, piercing it with holes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The centipede crashed to the ground, motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then two grasshoppers surrounded Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fighting in this terrain, Insect Cultivators truly had the advantage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dealing with two grasshoppers wasn’t hard—they lacked intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But behind them waited thousands more insects in line—fighting like this, Li Banfeng would be worn down by Cui Lisheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the tide turn against him, Li Banfeng chose to climb a tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Lisheng smiled—there were insects that could climb trees, and plenty of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wuuu~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Lisheng let out a long howl; dozens of ladybugs the size of bowls surrounded the treetop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Lisheng grinned, his lips trembling as more dragonflies arrived from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng could burn them with fire or slash them with his blade—but he faced the same problem: how long could he sustain this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, he didn’t need to last long—five minutes should suffice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dodged the ladybugs on the tree, pulling out his old teapot from his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced down at Cui Lisheng: “Do you really enjoy smiling so much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Lisheng froze—suddenly, heat rose beneath his feet; tea water surged from the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scalding tea flooded over his shoes; Cui Lisheng screamed in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to flee, but solid barriers surrounded him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to climb the tree—Li Banfeng kicked him down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He climbed another tree; Li Banfeng leapt among the treetops, following him—each time Cui Lisheng climbed up, Li Banfeng kicked him back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Lisheng soaked in the tea, badly injured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn’t wait to die; fifth-layer cultivators, even in such a state, still had ways to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He summoned a massive spider from the tree, using a web to haul himself out of the tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng stared at the spider for a long time—initially, he’d been worried, thinking it might be Dabo Yens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing it was merely a mindless spider, Li Banfeng raised his sickle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Lisheng wasn’t worried—even if Li Banfeng killed the spider, the silk would still hold him suspended from the branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This spider would protect Cui Lisheng with its dying breath—that was the power of an Insect Cultivator!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng slashed the branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Lisheng, face filled with despair, fell into the boiling tea along with the spider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have to admit, the old teapot was indeed an excellent magical treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cui Lisheng was hard to retrieve from the tea—he wasn’t a Hardening Cultivator, his body wasn’t tough enough; by the time the tea cooled, Cui Lisheng was thoroughly cooked, unfit for his wife’s cooking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should he sing a song to summon his soul?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never mind—first, attend to serious business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Yuling was nearly here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Cui Lisheng’s corpse, Zhuo Yuling dropped to all fours, pressing her body to the ground, sensing Li Banfeng’s location through vibrations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her severed tail had regrown—fifth-layer Body Cultivators recovered with astonishing speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng crouched on the tree, silently observing Zhuo Yuling’s movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Dao whispered beside Li Banfeng’s ear: “Lord, let me try.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng shook his head slightly, offering no explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Yuling was a ruthless veteran of the martial world—Tang Dao would find it hard to trick her twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should he just stall with her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng actually wanted to stall—but Zhuo Yuling suddenly leapt up, whipping her tail, the tip grazing Li Banfeng’s cheek—barely missing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why hadn’t Li Banfeng sensed any malice when she struck?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The methods for avoiding misfortune and seeking good fortune no longer work?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Yuling had a green worm in her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This worm could devour her malice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had used this method to deceive Lu Dongliang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Yuling climbed up the tree and pressed closer to Li Banfeng step by step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fourth-layer Spiritual Cultivator facing off against a fifth-layer Body Cultivator—Li Banfeng still couldn’t gain the upper hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gecko’s attack methods were too bizarre: its claws could scratch, its tail could strike, whip, and pierce, its limbs coiled and moved in spirals, and even its path of movement left Li Banfeng unable to discern any pattern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most deadly of all, Zhuo Yuling was extremely familiar with Spiritual Cultivators—every move she made carried caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could tell exactly when Li Banfeng used Step of the Small Pace and when he used Tread Through Ten Thousand Rivers; when Li Banfeng used the Skill of Unimpeded Passage to pass through a large tree, Zhuo Yuling waited for him on the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the battle, Tang Dao slashed at Zhuo Yuling but missed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pendulum seized the chance to strike, landing a hit—but Zhuo Yuling was unharmed; her leather armor was too thick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Banfeng began to lose ground, a beautiful woman picked up the Mandarin Duck Daggers and struck Zhuo Yuling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mandarin Duck Daggers still failed to pierce Zhuo Yuling’s skin, yet they filled her with dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dealing with just Li Banfeng was already difficult; now another woman had appeared, attacking from behind—she clearly had no chance of victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should she just leave like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would she really let such a perfect opportunity slip away?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, this woman was not nearly as strong as Zhuo Yuling thought—she was Li Banfeng’s Paper Girl, lying in wait in the tree for a long time, only now finding the right moment to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Yuling only needed to use a little trick to destroy this Paper Girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t even need to attack the Paper Girl directly—she only needed to hold out for a few minutes, and the Paper Girl would collapse on its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in her hesitation, Zhuo Yuling made a terrible choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She whipped her long tail to drive back the Paper Girl, then turned and fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choosing to flee meant exposing her back to Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the most unwise choice in battle against a Spiritual Cultivator, because she could not outrun Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After only two steps, Zhuo Yuling snapped back to her senses—she couldn’t even understand how she’d made such a foolish move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She whipped her long tail, trying to stop Li Banfeng’s pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was too late—Li Banfeng reached her first, driving an iron ruler straight through her brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aaah~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, Zhuo Yuling experienced a hallucination: she heard the whistle of a train.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remembered how she had looked, grooming herself on the Lu family’s private train.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remembered how she had danced with Lu Dongliang to the sound of music.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She still recalled every word she had spoken to Lu Dongliang that night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, you don’t need to remember his name—it’s unimportant. Once Xiaolan finds out where the Red Lotus is, this man won’t be alive anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He doesn’t even count as an ordinary person—he doesn’t even count as a person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His life is worth less than a cockroach’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s as worthless as this speck of dust—no parents, no relatives, he has nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He grew up in an orphanage, earning his way to university by hauling bricks, carrying heavy loads, and selling goods on street stalls.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone like him—dead is dead. Blowing away this speck of dust—no one would care.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a beautiful night, Dongliang, holding me so tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How I wished to stay in that night forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will I ever see him again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When we meet, will he forgive me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng didn’t know what Zhuo Yuling was thinking, but he was destined to be her benefactor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Yuling wished to reunite with Lu Dongliang—Li Banfeng fulfilled her dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He brought Zhuo Yuling into the Portable Dwelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the peculiar phonograph, Zhuo Yuling felt it was strangely familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lu family’s private train?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That train that once belonged to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remembered again that night’s tenderness with Lu Dongliang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Li Banfeng, Zhuo Yuling struggled to speak: “Why are you here? You’re as lowly as dust—a worthless orphan with no father or mother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chit-chit~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words enraged the phonograph.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wretched woman, who are you calling dust? Who has no father or mother? Are you speaking of my husband?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Husband? What are you?” Zhuo Yuling stared, baffled, at the phonograph.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chit-chit~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was going to let you die quickly. But today, without two hours, you won’t find release.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steam curled as the Lady sucked out her soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Agony surged—Zhuo Yuling trembled all over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three hours later, Li Banfeng arrived beside Lu Xiaolan’s plot, calmly watching Lu Xiaolan at the plot’s edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaolan’s ears still bled; she clenched her fists and glared at Li Banfeng: “Come on, come over! You want to kill me? Try it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Li Banfeng stepped forward, Lu Xiaolan would immediately smear blood on the plot and summon Autumn Fallen Leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bond between Autumn Fallen Leaves and Li Banfeng needed no explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Banfeng had no intention of approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled a bundle from behind his back and placed it before Lu Xiaolan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lu Xiaolan opened the bundle, she froze in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Yuling’s severed head lay inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng smiled at Lu Xiaolan and waved to her: “Come on, come out—avenge your mother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Is Banfeng too cruel?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2330,"2026-06-20T03:43:16.386Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3c89966c5a20583a9e6e6c7cdca55c4b0f80518c28a62de829cfa93a8c009afc","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-237","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-235",863,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-proles-cover.jpg"]