[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-proles":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-proles-lord-of-the-proles-chapter-242":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},2290540,4478,"Chapter 242: Earning One","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-242",242,"\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been many days since they last met; Li Banfeng could barely recall Xiao Yeci’s face, but her tone of voice, he had not forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gracious benefactor, hurry and come with me—don’t stay in this village! If the Saint finds you, it’ll be disastrous!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci pulled Li Banfeng into a mountain hollow, where he saw her daughter, Lu Chunying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides Lu Chunying, he saw several children, ranging from four or five to twelve or thirteen, of varying sizes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gracious benefactor, how did you come to this place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did he come here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This matter couldn’t be explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng said: “Don’t ask me first—how did you two get here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci lowered her head, blushing: “Don’t laugh at me, gracious benefactor—I came here with Nannan to seek learning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng actually laughed: “Come here to seek learning? When we first met, I remembered you being quite discerning—how could you do something so absurd?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Xiao Yeci could speak, Lu Chunying chimed in: “That’s why they’re called Mouth Cultivators—only their tongue is skilled!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci snapped: “You little wretch, speaking so disrespectfully again! Gracious benefactor, I came here to have Nannan learn real skills. Since we parted at Yaowang Gully, my daughter and I have endured much—I can’t speak of all of it to you...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s inconvenient, don’t mention it—get to the point: how did you get here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My daughter and I fled from enemies and wandered for a while. Those days were filled with fear and dread—all because our cultivation base was too weak. Wherever we went, we were pitiful creatures, crushed under any foot that stepped on us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I heard a rumor: there was a place where cultivation flourished—any sect here could rapidly advance their cultivation base.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I got this rumor from a friend—my friend was once very trustworthy...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Chunying snorted and took over: “Yes, very trustworthy—my mother’s friend was from the Jiangxiang Gang. She swindled us out of two hundred silver dollars and lured us here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng froze: “You had dealings with the Jiangxiang Gang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since arriving in Puluozhou, Li Banfeng had held an extremely poor opinion of the Jiangxiang Gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci glared at Lu Chunying: “Don’t speak nonsense! Gracious benefactor, I truly didn’t know she was from the Jiangxiang Gang—if I had, I’d never have fallen for her trick!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once she brought us here, and I heard so many tales of the Saint, I truly thought we’d come to the right place. But Nannan learned nothing here, and took many beatings. When I saw things were wrong, I fled with Nannan from the village.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Chunying looked at Xiao Yeci: “Mom, stop trying to make yourself look noble. Did you get beaten less than I did? If I hadn’t been quick on my feet, you wouldn’t have escaped at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You little wretch, stop talking back to me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng glanced at the other children and asked: “Are all these children with you because you escaped together?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci nodded: “Some, like us, were kidnapped. Others were brought here by their parents.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But none are locals—local children never run. They dare not, and they don’t want to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was confused—the population makeup here was complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First tell me—what’s the name of this place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you know, gracious benefactor? This village is called Jingde Village.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not asking about the village—I’m asking about this region!” Li Banfeng felt he was struggling to make himself understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What region?” Xiao Yeci didn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From that highest mountain—the Saintly Sage Peak—all the way down to this village—what’s the name of this entire area?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci shook her head: “They’re not the same place. Jingde Village is Jingde Village. Saintly Sage Peak is Saintly Sage Peak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She answered very seriously—but this wasn’t what Li Banfeng wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t Saintly Sage Peak connected to Jingde Village?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There is a connection—the Saint of Saintly Sage Peak sent dozens of disciples to teach in dozens of surrounding villages. All these villages daily thank the Saint for his grace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we aren’t from any of those villages. After staying a while, we realized something was off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng asked: “What can you learn from these Saintly disciples?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci shook her head: “You learn nothing real. At first they taught reading—Nannan already knew how to read, so that was useless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then they taught Saintly sayings and teachings—over and over, nothing but empty, hollow nonsense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When Nannan didn’t understand something and asked a few questions, they hit her and said her heart wasn’t sincere—that she’d never become a Saintly disciple in this lifetime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After months of study, they’d taught nothing real. Li Banfeng asked: “What level must one reach to become a Saintly disciple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s hard to say. Of ten ordinary people, nine will never become Saintly disciples. They say it depends on fate, sincerity, and perseverance—even waiting ten or twenty years is no problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You realized they were frauds, so you fled with these children?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci lowered her head: “I can’t say for sure they’re frauds—but I know they’re not good people. All these children wanted to escape, and had the courage to try—I took them with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng frowned: “This place isn’t far from the village—why didn’t anyone from the village come looking for you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci shook her head: “We weren’t from the village to begin with. They don’t care about us. These past two days, we couldn’t find food, so I went to the village to get some—and that’s when I met you, gracious benefactor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get some?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci blushed: “I... I stole. The children need to eat—I couldn’t think of any other way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Chunying snorted: “I’m faster on my feet—let me go. Waiting for you to get food, we’d all starve.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the group of pale, emaciated children, Li Banfeng asked: “How long have you been out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A whole month, and you’re still stuck here? Never thought of leaving?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gracious benefactor, we can’t leave! I remember the way we came, but when we try to retrace it, we can’t get out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For over a month, we’ve tried every path—none lead out. We just circle endlessly among these mountains—we may never escape!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can get out.” Li Banfeng entered the forest, hunted a deer, and gave it to Xiao Yeci to feed the children a full meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After everyone slept, Li Banfeng returned to his portable dwelling and asked the phonograph: “Wife, what is Saintly Sage Peak?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chit-chit~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After long thought, the wife said: “I’ve never heard of this place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ying scoffed: “Ignorant—you’ve never heard of Saintly Sage Peak?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wife exhaled a puff of steam: “Then tell me about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why should I tell you? Unless you let me out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang-clang~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wife clanged her gongs and drums and sang: “Wretched wench, playing tricks on me? Don’t you have any shame?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ying fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph snorted: “Husband, don’t believe her—she doesn’t know anything about Saintly Sage Peak either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng sighed helplessly: “I’ve been trapped here a full day, and still can’t find a way out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wife said: “Husband, Saintly Sage Peak isn’t its real name. You must find out what this place truly is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re lost here either because the land is unusual, or because some villain has ensnared you. Find the root cause—we can only respond properly once we know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A villain’s trick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng had completely overlooked this possibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d assumed it was just an odd terrain that trapped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he wondered: perhaps the Saint didn’t want him to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was his purpose in keeping me here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng slept in his portable dwelling that night. At dawn the next day, he searched for a way out—until midnight, he was still circling the same spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was more frustrating than being lost in Fool’s City—this place was even more repulsive than Fool’s City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, Li Banfeng saw group after group of children tormented by so-called Saintly disciples. He saw group after group of poor farmers bringing their most precious harvests up to Saintly Sage Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at the cave, he saw Xiao Yeci sitting by the fire, her face bruised and swollen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Chunying complained: “I told you to let me go—you wouldn’t listen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci shook her head: “I can’t let you do this—you’re too young. I won’t let your hands get stained with such dirty work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng asked: “What happened? Did someone find you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci shook her head: “The deer you killed yesterday was almost gone. I went to the village at night to find food—I was caught and beaten...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng frowned: “You got caught stealing? Aren’t you ashamed? You’re a scholar!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci’s voice trembled: “What else could I do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How is there no other way?” Li Banfeng pulled out a short knife and handed it to Xiao Yeci. “Get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, come rob with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci held the knife, staring blankly at Li Banfeng: “Gracious benefactor, this... isn’t robbery shameful too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s shameful about robbery? We earn our living by skill—we make honest money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What skill is there in robbery?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Plenty of skills!” Li Banfeng asked seriously: “Can you recite mountain songs?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dawn the next day, several farmers pushed carts loaded with grain toward Saintly Sage Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci crouched in the tangled grass, trembling all over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Chunying said beside her: “Mom, if you can’t do it, let me go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who says I can’t? You’re too young—this isn’t for you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng beside them said: “Enough chatter—did you memorize the lines?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci nodded: “I memorized them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then go now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yeci leapt from the tangled grass, blocking the farmers, and shouted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu ya!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This mountain I opened, this tree I planted; if you want to pass, leave toll money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who dares say no? One cut, one kill—I kill, I don’t bury!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng and Lu Chunying both shook their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You were doing fine before!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This one’s going to hurt morale!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several farmers shouted angrily: “Where did this wild woman come from? These are grain offerings for the Saint—how dare you rob them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng stepped out from the tangled grass and said to the farmers: “I’m the Saint’s father. What he owes me isn’t robbery—it’s filial piety. Your share counts as him fulfilling his duty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a bold ruffian!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“On the Saint’s land, you dare speak such words? Do you wish to die?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Chunying leapt out from the tangled grass, knife in hand, pointing at one farmer: “Will you give it or not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This girl has promise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A group of children tossed sand and shook leaves in the grass, pretending to be an army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These children have promise too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The farmers hesitated; Li Banfeng drew his short knife and circled among them, slicing a gash across each of their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The farmers panicked and fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng ordered Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying to take the children and haul the grain back, while he stayed by the road to rob others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you won’t let me leave, then I won’t leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From now on, anything the villagers send you, I’ll collect for you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I want to see what kind of Saint you really are!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Is the Saint about to act?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recommend a friend’s new work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1889,"2026-06-20T03:43:16.386Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e57311e7328391256d2ef93fc58ad54534ec858181357b00bc897ad0209f0013","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-243","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-241",863,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-proles-cover.jpg"]