[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-proles":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-proles-lord-of-the-proles-chapter-58":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},2290356,4478,"Chapter 58: I Add a Room for My Lord","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-58",58,"\u003Cp>Although slightly fearful of the singing machine, Li Banfeng had always enjoyed excellent sleep quality inside the portable dwelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waking from a deep sleep, he lit a candle, opened his pocket watch, and saw it was ten o’clock again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng felt thirsty, bent down to search for water under the bed, but the bucket was gone again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night before, he had specifically gone to the river to fetch a bucket of water, boiled it, let it cool, and placed it beside the bed—yet upon waking, it was gone once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The house spirit loved cleanliness; Li Banfeng knew this well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when you tidy up, can’t you at least consider my habits?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the candle, Li Banfeng searched the room thoroughly, but found no trace of the bucket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Losing the bucket wasn’t a major issue—he could always buy another if needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one thing was missing too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The copper lotus was gone!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng’s veins immediately throbbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night, the copper lotus had refined Rong Jin’an’s corpse into two red pills; Li Banfeng had personally collected the lotus seeds and watched with his own eyes as the copper lotus closed its petals in the corner—how could it vanish so suddenly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the singing machine taken it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where had it taken it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He searched the entire room multiple times but found no trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides the singing machine, the table and chairs taken from the old house cultivator’s room were gone, as were the various medicinal herbs taken from Du Caicai’s room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wife, where did you put these things?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The singing machine gave no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng’s heart sank—he had a grim suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was there another possibility? That these items weren’t taken by the singing machine at all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could someone have entered the portable dwelling last night?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did they get in?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did they have a key?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had someone found the key I hid outside?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought sent cold sweat pouring down Li Banfeng’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should he go out and check?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone had stolen the key, entered the portable dwelling, taken the copper lotus, and left—why hadn’t they killed him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps they dared not kill him inside the portable dwelling, because the singing machine was here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if I step out now, I might walk straight into a group waiting for me outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet I can’t stay here forever—there’s no food or water, and I won’t last long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, I must not act rashly—I must first confirm whether anyone truly entered the portable dwelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the candlestick, Li Banfeng carefully inspected every corner of the room. Even if the singing machine loved cleanliness and cleaned often, anyone entering or leaving would leave some trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found no trace—but he found something astonishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the wall opposite the door, Li Banfeng discovered a door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its color matched the wall perfectly; only by close observation could one detect the faint hinge and seam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What lay behind this door?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it lead to another world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Might some unknown creature dwell inside?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be another version of myself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was pondering whether to open the door when the singing machine suddenly sounded, making him jump.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chii! Chii! Chii!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spring arrives, green fills the window,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A maiden stitches mandarins beneath the pane,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then comes a cruel blow,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Separating the mandarins forever!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was “The Four Seasons Song.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The song was popular in Yaowang Gou, and reportedly throughout Puluozhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you singing this now?” Li Banfeng asked outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chii! Chii! Chii!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The singing machine continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Summer comes, willow threads grow long,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My lord sleeps late, unwilling to rise,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day and night he labors to build our wealth,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I add a room for my lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had altered the lyrics again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Add a room”—what did that mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng murmured to himself: “Does this mean adding a concubine for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chii~~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long hiss, a burst of steam surged forth, scalding Li Banfeng’s entire body red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stung a little, but he treated it like a steam bath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden appearance of a new door meant “a room” wasn’t a concubine—it meant the portable dwelling had gained an additional chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of room?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng pushed open the door and glanced inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was identical to the original portable dwelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Same size, same structure—only fewer furnishings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside stood a bucket, a table, two chairs, a cloth sack, and the copper lotus resting on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The singing machine had deliberately moved these items into the new room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng’s mouth hung open, unable to close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The singing machine’s ability to tidy things didn’t surprise Li Banfeng—she had always been excellent at household chores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What truly astonished him was her ability to expand the portable dwelling itself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The portable dwelling was a sanctuary crafted by a traveling cultivator for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging from the peddler’s earlier description, that cultivator had been of extremely high rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the singing machine could further expand this sanctuary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What rank was the singing machine?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his shock, Li Banfeng noticed another strange thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The copper lotus was open, containing a single lotus seed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where had this seed come from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he wondered, he noticed the cloth sack was also open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside lay the herbs Du Caicai had used for poison refining; Li Banfeng picked up the sack and examined it—the herbs inside had been reduced by nearly half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on the room’s condition, Li Banfeng reconstructed what had happened last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The singing machine had somehow expanded the portable dwelling, creating a new chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had placed the bucket, copper lotus, table, chairs, and cloth sack inside this new room; when placing the sack, she had either deliberately or accidentally spilled some herbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The copper lotus sensed the herbs, responded, and refined them into pills—exactly as it had done with Snake Spot Pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining herbs, lacking sufficient potency, the copper lotus had ignored and discarded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The theory made sense; now he wondered what kind of pill the copper lotus had produced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng picked up the lotus seed and held it in his palm—the copper lotus automatically closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the seed cracked open, releasing three green pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What were these three green pills for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pungent, bitter odor made Li Banfeng frown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poison cultivators used toxic substances—these pills were surely poisonous. Li Banfeng dared not hold them long, so he quickly found a money pouch and stowed them away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining herbs had been filtered by the copper lotus; since the lotus deemed them useless, he simply threw them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With an extra room, the portable dwelling had grown larger, and Li Banfeng’s spirits lifted—he decided to arrange both rooms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He named the newly expanded chamber the outer room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The original chamber he called the main room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main room mustn’t be too crowded; the outer room mustn’t be too empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng first moved the bathtub into the outer room—it took up too much space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What else could he move?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long spear—he didn’t know how to use it well—better put it in the outer room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What else?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A feather duster—this doesn’t belong in the main chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anything else?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before, the main chamber was so cramped; now that we have the outer room, the things needing organizing don’t seem so many…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph spat out a puff of steam, just like a scoffing sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng glared: “Are you mocking me? Mocking me for living in poverty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph continued singing “The Song of Four Seasons”:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of grace,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How dare this humble wife laugh at her lord?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every stitch, every thread, I pour my heart into,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let us carefully divide it all together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lyrics were sincere, yet the singing voice dripped with mockery!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng gritted his teeth: “Just wait—I’ll buy a whole house of fine furnishings and blind your big loudspeaker!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph! Hmph!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph scoffed at Li Banfeng twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was furious and turned to leave, when the phonograph sang again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This humble wife’s devotion runs deep,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I give you one layer of cultivation as a gift,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hundred flavors dance upon your nose,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden eyes discern yin and yang with microscopic clarity~~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng returned to the phonograph: “You just said ‘one layer of cultivation’—what does that mean? Are you saying my Zhai Xiu has reached one layer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph did not answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng added: “A Zhai Xiu without a Zhai Spirit cannot ascend a layer. You gave me one layer—does that mean you’ve become my Zhai Spirit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph still did not answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you truly wish to stay with me? Actually, it’s not bad with me—I’ll earn money, support the household, and never mistreat you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph scoffed once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t underestimate me—I’m worth a million now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph spat another puff of steam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is she laughing at me again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget it—I won’t argue over this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You just said I’ve reached the first layer of Zhai Xiu cultivation—does that mean I’ve gained two skills?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“‘A hundred flavors dance upon your nose’—does that mean my sense of smell will become extraordinary?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already noticed I could smell certain poisons; now that I’ve reached a layer, is my nose even sharper?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And ‘Golden eyes discern yin and yang with microscopic clarity’—what does that mean? Am I granted the Golden Eyes of Fire?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To discern yin and yang—does that mean I can detect ghosts?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this a technique all Zhai Xiu possess, or is it unique to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wife, don’t ignore me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Say something! Don’t make me talk to myself like a madman!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph-hmph~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph emitted two more scoffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng grew angry: “Wife, why do you always mock me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wisp of steam drifted over and polished the mirror on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s this mean? Am I supposed to look in the mirror myself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng gazed into the mirror—and his eyes widened instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was caked in heavy makeup!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick black eyebrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep purple eyeshadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bright white foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single crimson cherry lip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far more flamboyant than any ordinary woman’s makeup!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Li Banfeng went live with this face, he’d gain ten thousand followers overnight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng roared: “Who did this? Wife, was it you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph-hmph~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clatter-clatter-clatter~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph sang: “Oh my lord, you wrong this humble wife—this was done by that vile Hán Xuè!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng stared in shock: “Hán Xuè’s pendulum? Why would she do this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph spoke in recitative: “It is her nature—her soul was devoured by me, leaving only a sliver of spirit. This vile woman was born to adorn others. Every time you use the pendulum, she must dress you up again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng stared at the pendulum: “Can I still keep this vile thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph-hmph~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phonograph whispered softly: “Keep it, keep it, my lord. All magic treasures require investment to use. She merely likes to dress you up—this cost is trivial.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng scratched his scalp: “What do you mean ‘require investment’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Dear readers, it’s the weekend—say something to Shālā, or she’ll go mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1853,"2026-06-20T03:43:13.043Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c25c1ff2690cead17d4cb24cc3c6006ff197ca6efdf0e6c84e726654422ac026","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-59","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-57",863,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-proles-cover.jpg"]