[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-proles":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-proles-lord-of-the-proles-chapter-36":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},2290334,4478,"Chapter 36: Rust Pill","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-36",36,"\u003Cp>Li Banfeng held up a candle, searching the room for the gold-rimmed glasses and the corpse of Tiger Cub.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found no corpses, only some scattered items in the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found the tattered clothing of the two men; from the extent of the damage, the garments had been forcibly ripped off their bodies by some external force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The items inside the clothes remained—Li Banfeng found both men’s wallets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cloth bag containing the Snake Spot Lotus was also there, and all the lotus flowers inside were intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next to the copper lotus, Li Banfeng found the gold-rimmed glasses, along with a wooden eyeglass case beside them and a metal cigarette case beside the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one thing was missing—the gold-rimmed glasses man’s folding fan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was deeply intrigued by that fan, which carried an odd fragrance; its material and craftsmanship were extraordinary—it could be folded into an iron rod, or opened to serve as both blade and shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where was the fan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the copper lotus eaten it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What of the corpses?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had they been eaten too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It devoured two corpses and stole the gold-rimmed glasses’ weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did the copper lotus want a weapon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could this lotus actually wield a weapon and fight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And previously, the copper lotus consumed Snake Spot Chrysanthemum and refined it into Snake Spot Pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that it swallowed corpses and weapons, why did it ignore the Snake Spot Chrysanthemum belonging to the gold-rimmed glasses and Tiger Cub?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because it had meat to eat and no longer wanted vegetables—waiting to devour the fan later, just to clean its teeth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That idea made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then what was inside these three lotus seeds?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it refined the gold-rimmed glasses and Tiger Cub into pills too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng carefully peeled the three lotus seeds from the seven-pored lotus heart; the flower immediately closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two seeds swelled in his palm; after about ten seconds, they cracked open, each releasing a single red bead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These beads were slightly larger than Snake Spot Pills, their color pure, glowing brilliantly under the candlelight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of pill was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered, the third seed also burst—inside was only one bead, rust-colored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did it look like rust, its texture felt like rust—a dull, repulsive grittiness clung to his skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just gritty—it stung. Li Banfeng tossed the rust pill aside and found a red mark on his palm, stinging with a numb tinge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poisoned?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng didn’t know how to respond, when suddenly the red mark split open, a trickle of blood oozed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the blood flowed, the stinging and numbness vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Zhaixiu possessed strong self-healing abilities within his residence; the bleeding must have been an active detoxification process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Banfeng hadn’t expected that mere brief contact with the rust-colored bead could inflict such severe harm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If contact lasted longer—or if he’d swallowed the rust bead outright—could he even be saved?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yu Zhaixiu, within his own residence, probably couldn’t save him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the spirit of seeking truth, should I conduct an experiment myself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this thought, Li Banfeng suddenly sneered and muttered to himself: “Am I mad?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng emptied the wallets of the gold-rimmed glasses and Tiger Cub, padded his hands with the torn clothing, placed the two pills into separate wallets, and squatted to study the copper lotus’s properties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red bead and rust bead would henceforth be called Red Pill and Rust Pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Red Pill likely came from the corpses of the gold-rimmed glasses and Tiger Cub.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Rust Pill likely came from the vanished folding fan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The copper lotus transformed them all into pills; Li Banfeng couldn’t comprehend the exact mechanism, nor did he yet know the purpose of these two pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng’s foremost concern now was: what principle did the copper lotus use to select materials for pill refinement?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously it chose Snake Spot Chrysanthemum—why now ignore it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it someday take an interest in me and turn me directly into a pill?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng carried the Snake Spot Chrysanthemum bag to the copper lotus; the flower showed no reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then why did the Snake Spot Chrysanthemum I brought back last night turn into Snake Spot Pills?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was different when I returned last night?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered, Li Banfeng’s head began to spin again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a normal reaction after inhaling toxic mist—dizziness would be followed by nausea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nausea!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng remembered: the first thing he did upon returning to his residence was to vomit; unable to find a suitable place, he vomited directly into the flower bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before that, he had dumped the Snake Spot Chrysanthemum from the bag onto the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that the copper lotus had no reaction to Snake Spot Chrysanthemum if it was enclosed in fabric?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng opened the bag and poured the forty-odd Snake Spot Chrysanthemum collected by the gold-rimmed glasses near the copper lotus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the chrysanthemums touched the ground, the copper lotus’s petals began to tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssss~ sssss~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A metallic scraping sound rose as each of the seven petals slowly unfurled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was again awed by this intricate mechanism—he could no longer tell whether modern civilization or these strange technologies were more advanced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the seven petals fully opened, Li Banfeng clearly saw the seven-pored lotus heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt the air in the residence flowing in an unnatural direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air spun into a vortex, its center precisely the seven-pored lotus heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forty-odd Snake Spot Chrysanthemum on the ground slowly rose, swirling and dancing through the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene must have occurred last night too—but I slept so deeply, I noticed nothing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng instinctively stepped back two paces from the copper lotus, fearing he’d be sucked into the lotus heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forty-three Snake Spot Chrysanthemum were drawn into the flower; the petals closed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the copper lotus only responded when the material was directly within its line of sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Line of sight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That word seemed inappropriate—could the copper lotus even see?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered, Li Banfeng heard a sharp crack; he lowered the candle and searched for a long while—the Rust Pill had fallen to the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t I put it in the wallet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng picked up the wallet and saw a hole beneath the leather, surrounded by blackish-blue scorch marks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it corroded?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could the Rust Pill even corrode things?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What would happen if I swallowed the Rust Pill?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yu Zhaixiu probably couldn’t withstand it—nor could a Poison Cultivator!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng grew even more curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He padded his hands with the torn cloth and carefully placed the Rust Pill inside the metal cigarette case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would a metal box resist corrosion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corrosion effect was even more obvious than on the wallet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the metal cigarette case touched the Rust Pill, it began rusting rapidly; by the time Li Banfeng removed the pill, the entire case was covered in rust, unrecognizable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Metal won’t work—what about a wooden box?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng placed the Rust Pill inside the eyeglass case, observed for a moment, and found it did not corrode wood; he then placed the case safely in the room’s corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng waited silently beside the copper lotus; after roughly half an hour, the petals opened again, revealing a new lotus seed inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng held the seed in his palm; the moment it left the lotus heart, it swelled rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! A muffled crack—and a black-and-white pill exploded outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a Snake Spot Pill!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng counted: ten pills in total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, he had refined eight pills from thirty-seven chrysanthemums; this meant the copper lotus required four and a half chrysanthemums per pill—far superior to any pharmacy’s method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, fewer chrysanthemums were consumed, yielding a higher output—likely because the gold-rimmed glasses’ chrysanthemums were larger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng dumped out all the Snake Spot Chrysanthemum—Qin Xiaopang’s, Oil Peach’s, Grass Leaf’s, Old Smoke Cannon’s, Tiger Cub’s, Baldy’s, and his lackeys’…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three hundred and thirty-two flowers total were drawn into the lotus heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, after half an hour, the petals bloomed—this time, three lotus seeds rested within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng peeled off the seeds and waited quietly as each one burst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes later, he gathered the shattered seeds from the floor—seventy-six Snake Spot Pills collected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adding the eighteen Snake Spot Pills he and the gold-rimmed glasses had previously refined, the total was ninety-four.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Money!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was pile upon pile of money!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng bought two cloth bags from the general store, but actually used only one to store the pills—the other he filled with vomit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He put the elixirs into the remaining clean cloth bag and tidied up the gold-rimmed glasses and Tiger Cub’s legacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gold-rimmed glasses had 2,613 yuan in cash; Tiger Cub had 3,528.5 yuan on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng no longer cared about such small sums—he collected the money out of respect for the two dead men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they had known each other, even partnered up; he must safeguard their belongings!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After resting over two more hours in his portable dwelling, Li Banfeng left Kufu Mountain and walked to the gathering spot of the herbal shops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cultivators carrying Snake-Spotted Chrysanthemums were still arguing with the herbal shops—they claimed they wouldn’t sell, yet never moved far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not to the herbal shops, then to whom?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They merely hoped this resistance would secure them a higher price, as one middle-aged cultivator said: “Even thirty would do; twenty-five is too cruel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng had no interest in watching their bickering—Xiao Pan and the others were waiting for him in a quiet spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng had been gone nearly three hours; Xiao Pan was frantic!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I shouldn’t have let him go alone! This mountain is vast—where do you even find an old woman? He spent the whole night up there—isn’t this killing him?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Pan paced back and forth, rubbing his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grass Leaf lowered his head: “If Brother Baisha truly gets elixirs in exchange, I’ll take half…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oil Peach muttered to himself: “An old woman—what kind of old woman? Did he meet a lucky star…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they saw Li Banfeng’s figure, everyone was delighted, but Li Banfeng had no time to listen to their thanks or exchange pleasantries—he handed out the elixirs directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oil Peach, you had thirty-eight flowers; you got four elixirs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oil Peach gasped: “Aren’t we short two flowers?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng said: “I made up the difference—just rounded it off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oil Peach looked at Li Banfeng, grateful yet ashamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng pulled out six more elixirs: “Grass Leaf, you had sixty-one flowers—too far off to make up the difference, so I just rounded down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grass Leaf was overjoyed and immediately checked the elixirs’ authenticity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next came Xiao Pan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His account was messy—he originally had twenty Snake-Spotted Chrysanthemums, worth two elixirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After splitting the Snake-Spotted Chrysanthemums from Old Smoke Cannon and the bald men’s group, Xiao Pan had eighty-four.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altogether one hundred and four; accounting for Xiao Pan’s care along the way, Li Banfeng gave him eleven elixirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Pan held the elixirs, his hands trembling uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One elixir is ten thousand—let’s go sell them right now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grass Leaf stopped Xiao Pan: “Big Brother, where do you plan to sell them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To the herbal shops, of course—it’s right here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grass Leaf shook his head: “Don’t sell them to the herbal shops—their origin is unclear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Pan frowned: “How’s it unclear? Isn’t it just—that thing…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth really couldn’t be explained—and even if it could, no one would believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grass Leaf said: “I worked as an apprentice in a herbal shop—elixirs with unclear origins aren’t accepted. If they dig too deep, it’ll bring us trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, they couldn’t sell to the herbal shops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng said nothing, quietly observing their plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Pan grew disheartened: “Then what do we do? We swapped for elixirs, but they’re still stuck in our hands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oil Peach laughed: “How could they be stuck? So many want elixirs—and they’re rich. Ten thousand yuan might not even buy one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You take their money, and they’ll remember your kindness. Such a profitable business—you couldn’t dream of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng’s brow relaxed—there was still a way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t suited for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oil Peach meant selling through private channels to those who wanted them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was unfamiliar here—he couldn’t find suitable buyers. He glanced at Xiao Pan—did he have any sales channels?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Pan scratched his scalp: “But this isn’t something you can sell overnight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oil Peach was puzzled: “Why rush? Elixirs won’t spoil overnight!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oil Peach had no patience to argue with Xiao Pan—she turned, bowed to Li Banfeng: “Your kindness needs no thanks—I owe you these elixirs, I owe you my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you ever come to Waigou Mabam Village, ask for You Xuetao—you’ll find me. If you need anything, just say the word—I won’t blink at fire or knives!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Xuetao—Oil Peach—her nickname and name were similar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gave her address—if Xiao Pan couldn’t find buyers, they could always find her later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grass Leaf bowed to Li Banfeng: “Big Brother Baisha, I’m Xue Yingying. In Waigou Sanpu Village, ask for the Xue family—you’ll find me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oil Peach pulled out two elixirs: “We can’t repay this debt yet—take these elixirs, as a token of my gratitude.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grass Leaf also pulled out two elixirs: “I have a token too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng waved them off—he refused their elixirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two women thanked him endlessly—but if they knew he still had sixty-five elixirs, what would they think?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oil Peach looked at Li Banfeng—she actually had a thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Xiu’s thoughts were straightforward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she could meet a man like him, his looks might not be worse than a flat one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grass Leaf’s thoughts were more complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she hadn’t seen the scene clearly, the bald men’s group had indeed died at his and Xiao Pan’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a man who could accomplish great things!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his backing, the herbal shop could truly be opened!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two women took their leave one after another; Li Banfeng stood still, pondering his journey back to Yuezhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, with so many elixirs, money certainly wouldn’t be lacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But until the elixirs were sold, they weren’t money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he sell them quickly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng looked at Xiao Pan—Xiao Pan also seemed desperate for cash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet after sitting silently so long, the once frantic Xiao Pan had gradually calmed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought Oil Peach was right: “Selling elixirs doesn’t need haste—that woman was right; this is a precious thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I won’t just get a good price—I’ll make many good friends through these elixirs. So there’s no rush at all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re not in a hurry anymore?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That won’t do!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m in a hurry!” Li Banfeng sat beside Xiao Pan. “I need money urgently.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Li Banfeng had taken plenty of cash from the gold-rimmed glasses, bringing these elixirs back to Yuezhou seemed useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Pan was curious: “What’s so urgent? Can I lend you some?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng waved him off: “I don’t want to borrow—I just want to sell these elixirs fast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sell them fast…” Qin Xiao Pan understood Li Banfeng’s thought—he was from outside Yuezhou, unfamiliar here, didn’t know many ordinary people, let alone wealthy elites.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, Xiao Pan pinched his chin: “There is one place where you can sell quickly—but the price will be discounted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng’s eyes lit up: “How big a discount?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Dear readers, Shala is this conscientious—end of the month, please give Shala all your monthly votes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2584,"2026-06-20T03:43:13.043Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","dc23f7166f6dd0510f07c8057281b09b4f24e33e96b410c4c368f002173f75e1","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-37","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-35",863,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-proles-cover.jpg"]