[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-proles":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-proles-lord-of-the-proles-chapter-63":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},2290361,4478,"Chapter 63: Watermelon","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-63",63,"\u003Cp>Geng Zhiwei set three conditions: first, Yu Family Pharmacy must give him five percent of the shares; second, Yu Nan must marry him as his sixth concubine; third, he must publicly beat Yu Nan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan’s face turned pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Quansheng chimed in from the side: “I think my brother’s three conditions are fair, Boss Yu—marrying into the Geng family is your fortune!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Yu Nan could speak, her bodyguards couldn’t hold back: “Geng Zhiwei, you bastard, I’ll curse your ancestors eight generations deep!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Zhiwei spat on the ground: “Who the hell are you? Do you have the right to speak? Boss Yu, I’ve stated my terms—do you accept them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t here to negotiate—he was here solely to humiliate!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan stood up: “Young Master Geng, it seems we can’t reach an agreement. Since you refuse to show face, let’s pick another time and settle this by force!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perfect! I love your directness!” Geng Zhiwei laughed. “No need to reschedule—today is fine. Let’s fight now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two of Geng Zhiwei’s bodyguards drew their blades and charged forward; Yu Nan instantly drew her revolver and aimed it straight at Geng Zhiwei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Zhiwei sat calmly in his chair, sipping tea, showing no fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One bodyguard stepped in front of him; Yu Nan pulled the trigger and fired—a bullet struck the guard’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood gushed from the guard’s chest; he staggered twice, still gripping his cleaver, and kept charging toward Yu Nan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What an incredibly tough physique!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this a Body Cultivator?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan quickly fired a second shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hammer struck the bullet’s base—but the round didn’t fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan fired a third shot—still a dud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is she this unlucky?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This had nothing to do with luck—in Pulu Province, gunpowder was unreliable; firearms fired successfully less than thirty percent of the time. Duds were extremely common.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was also why Li Banfeng had never touched firearms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Pulu Province, firearms weren’t the preferred weapon—revolvers were tolerable, but recoil-loaded pistols were a nightmare when they misfired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan fired six rounds in succession; the cylinder completed one full rotation, but only two bullets discharged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both bullets hit the guard—he bled continuously but never fell. Meanwhile, Yu Nan took a cleaver slash to the shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Took two bullets and showed no reaction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t defense or evasion—it was taking bullets straight to the body and enduring them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This couldn’t be explained by ordinary physical toughness—this guard wasn’t ordinary at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Yu Nan’s understanding, this man was likely a Level Three Body Cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why would a Level Three Body Cultivator serve as Geng Zhiwei’s bodyguard?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Yu Nan’s knowledge, the strongest guard beside Geng Zhiwei was a Level Two Body Cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn’t just one guard who was this strong—the other guard was already fighting two of Yu Nan’s associates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The associates had no weapons; they fought with chairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One chair leg broke off; the associate jammed it into the guard’s body—the guard bled, yet his combat power remained unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One associate was pierced through the chest by Geng Zhiwei’s guard and collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other associate fought desperately against two guards at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, run! Get out!” the associate screamed—his belly had been pierced by the guard’s cleaver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Downstairs, shouts of battle erupted—Yu Family Textile’s associates were now fighting Geng Family Pharmacy’s men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One Geng Family man had his skull split open by an axe; blood drenched his entire body, yet he still fought with a dagger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His head was split open—and he was still fighting?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were all the men Geng Zhiwei brought today Level Three cultivators?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s impossible…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan took another slash to her leg; her eyes filled with panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Late at night, Yu Nan returned to Baixiang Village with her people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of thirty-three associates, eleven were dead; only two bodies were brought back—the other nine remained at Wangchun Tower, unknown what Geng Zhiwei had done to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone, including Yu Nan, was wounded—and badly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Geng family, many of them were injured too, but before retreating, Yu Nan hadn’t seen a single one of them fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She never imagined the Geng family’s strength had reached this level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After briefly treating their wounds, Yu Nan ordered her men to set up a funeral hall and honor the fallen brothers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After everyone bowed, Yu Nan stood alone to keep vigil. After burning two bundles of spirit money, she sighed deeply: “Brothers, walk slowly on the path to the underworld—I’ll join you soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng entered the funeral hall and burned some spirit paper alongside Yu Nan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he didn’t know them, this was respect for the dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan stared at the corpses in the hall, lowered her head, and said sorrowfully: “I thought Geng Zhiwei invited me to dinner to at least follow proper etiquette first—I never imagined he lured me out only to attack immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew I couldn’t match the Geng family in strength, but I never thought he was this powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Zhiwei will surely come to Baixiang Village tomorrow looking for me—I can’t escape this fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seventh Master, take Qin Boss and leave quickly. I can’t protect you anymore—I’m barely holding on myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng asked: “You knew you couldn’t win against the Geng family—why did you still show up for the banquet with open weapons?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan lowered her head: “I had no choice. He sent an invitation—I had to go. That’s the way of the Jianghu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng asked: “Is Geng Zhiwei a man who follows rules?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No,” Yu Nan answered softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what use are these rules?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, Yu Nan raised her voice: “If I don’t go, my brothers and I will never hold our heads high again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng looked up at the two corpses in the hall and asked: “Are they holding their heads high now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan stayed silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng asked again: “If Geng Zhiwei kills you tomorrow, will you be holding your head high then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan had no answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng asked once more: “Tell me—what use are these rules?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan had no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t want to speak of Jianghu rules anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After years of struggle, she’d always thought of herself as a Jianghu person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, facing Geng Zhiwei, Yu Nan felt she didn’t understand the Jianghu at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, Yu Nan sighed: “Seventh Master, perhaps I was wrong—but now isn’t the time to debate right or wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geng Zhiwei won’t let me go, and he won’t let you go either. He’ll find you eventually. I only want to warn you: leave quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was right—if Geng Zhiwei kept advancing unchecked, he would eventually find Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng wasn’t hard to find—capture a few of Yu Nan’s men, torture them, and they’d give up his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a young girl walked into the funeral hall, tears streaming down her face, holding a sharp knife: “Boss, this knife belonged to Old Ba—I want to keep it as a memory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl was Wang Xuejiao—Old Ba’s older sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Ba was dead—his body hadn’t even been recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan nodded: “Take it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng looked at the knife—its surface was speckled with red stains, still stained with blood; he caught a peculiar metallic odor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss, may I see the knife?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xuejiao handed it to Li Banfeng; he sniffed it carefully: “This is a watermelon knife?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nonsense!” Wang Xuejiao snapped. “This was Old Ba’s knife—he’s carried it since the day he joined Boss Yu! It’s covered in the blood of Geng’s bastards!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng examined the red specks on the blade: “These aren’t blood—they’re watermelon juice. This knife has been chopping watermelons all day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watermelon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan froze. Wang Xuejiao screamed at Li Banfeng: “Who the hell are you to insult my brother!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng looked at the girl but offered no explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan had someone escort Wang Xuejiao out, then picked up the knife and sniffed it herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a metallic smell—but she couldn’t tell if it was blood or watermelon juice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng told Yu Nan: “Bring more weapons—we’ll test them all and find out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, associates brought over a dozen weapons; Li Banfeng sniffed each one and confirmed his judgment: “These are all watermelon juice. There’s a hint of blood, but the sweetness of watermelon still comes through.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan didn’t believe him: “I can’t smell it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng picked up an axe from the pile and scraped off a small flake from its rusted surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone else would’ve taken it for rust—or even Geng family flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only Li Banfeng could identify it by scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t rust. It wasn’t flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng cleaned the flake, broke it open—and saw a black shell with white inside: “Look closely—this is a watermelon seed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan stared for a long moment, her pupils shrinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time she realized—it was really watermelon seeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Dear readers, some Dao sects may be struggling, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t powerful—leave a comment and vote for Salala.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1515,"2026-06-20T03:43:13.043Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7b8d1d51ad3e542bb69ef9d2cdc79e1300ff64b2d1d3361501bbfa7e879297d1","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-64","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-62",863,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-proles-cover.jpg"]