[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-proles":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-proles-lord-of-the-proles-chapter-87":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},2290385,4478,"Chapter 87: Who Can Outlast Whom!","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-87",87,"\u003Cp>The helmsman Shi Boyu returned to the helm chamber and sat in the hall in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Desong had met with trouble, and this left Shi Boyu deeply agitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another headman from the Second Helm had been lost, making him feel humiliated before the Hall Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was only agitation—he wasn’t angry. In his roster, these headmen were destined to be eliminated anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honggun Xiang Guicheng had always been hostile to him; this man deserved to die most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xunfeng Du Hongxi was no better than Xiang Guicheng, and this man was already dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sage Zhong Desong appeared calm on the surface, but whenever recommending talent, he never consulted Shi Boyu—clearly, he held no respect for the helmsman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even his trusted confidant Sun Xiaoan, Shi Boyu couldn’t trust; every time he saw Sun puffing his water pipe, Shi Boyu couldn’t guess his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All these men had been slowly poisoned by Shi Boyu’s toxin; those who obeyed lived a few more years, those who defied him would soon be on their way out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhong Desong’s sudden mishap left Shi Boyu utterly baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Immortal Music Dance Hall had been blown up; the Hall Master of the Medicine King Hall believed it wasn’t done by Yu Nan or Qin Tianjiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone else was behind it—someone whose cunning and skill far surpassed Yu Nan and Qin Tianjiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the Hall Master’s orders, Shi Boyu immediately quelled the incident and began secretly investigating clues to the killer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the Hall Master’s deduction, the killer would soon lower his guard and reveal himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the opponent didn’t reveal himself—he drew his blade instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the killer still hadn’t shown his hand, yet Zhong Desong had already fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No body, no trace—could the same person have done both?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why would this person target Zhong Desong directly? Was he insane?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where could this person be now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still in Li Gou?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he be found?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered, Shi Boyu suddenly felt a wave of stifling heat and ordered his junior attendant (helmsman’s personal aide) to open the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One junior attendant approached the window, reaching out—but his hand never touched the glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dared not speak, only strained to push against an invisible wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu glared impatiently toward the window; a senior headman snapped: “I told you to open the window—why are you taking so long? Can’t you even…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished, the senior headman noticed a patch of water beneath his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of water…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One junior attendant sniffed the odor and cried out: “It’s tea! It’s Old Zhong’s magic treasure!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu had never seen Old Zhong’s magic treasure—he’d only heard of it from Sun Xiaoan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That treasure was extremely powerful; Zhong Desong had once used it to kill a third-layer cultivator and severely wound a fourth-layer one—it couldn’t be confronted head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu shouted urgently: “Quick, get outside and take cover!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His subordinates didn’t move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu roared: “Are you all deaf?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to leave the hall, but an invisible wall blocked the doorway. Stunned, he heard a junior attendant behind him say: “Helmsman, we’re trapped by Old Zhong’s magic treasure—we can’t get out. His…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mid-sentence, the attendant screamed and leapt onto the table—scalding tea had burned his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of subordinates cried out in agony, some leaping onto sofas, others onto tables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu moved slowly; two subordinates dragged him onto the table, and blisters rose on his soles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng crouched on the ceiling beam, finding the scene peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Manager Feng, Shi Boyu was a Honggun who had taken over as helmsman in Medicine King Gully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hongguns handle violence—why was Shi Boyu’s combat skill so poor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because his cultivation base was too low?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu’s cultivation base wasn’t low—he was a third-layer cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he wasn’t a Wu Xiu, Lv Xiu, or Ti Xiu—those with strong physical prowess. He was a third-layer Poison Xiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu stood atop the table and shouted: “Does anyone know how to break this magic treasure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The senior headman yelled: “Find the person holding the teapot, seize it, and stop him from touching it—otherwise, we can’t break the spell!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Xiaoan had once told Shi Boyu the countermeasure, but in his panic, he’d forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the senior headman’s words, he remembered—but where was the teapot?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be in the enemy’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where was the enemy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu didn’t know!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhu, listen for sounds!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu had a personal bodyguard named Kou Zhu, a first-layer Kui Xiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kou Zhu listened for a long time—heard nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was a second-layer Zhai Xiu; using his innate talent for being overlooked, he evaded Kou Zhu’s acute hearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water level kept rising; disciples standing on sofas now had their feet burned to pulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One disciple screamed and fell into the tea, struggled twice, his flesh sloughed off, and he fell silent instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water neared the table’s edge; the senior headman had initially shielded Helmsman Shi Boyu, but seeing Shi had no plan to escape, he turned to his own survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A red-spotted hard shell sprouted from the senior headman’s back, beneath which two black wings unfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hum!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The senior headman transformed into a ladybug, his feet lifting off the ground as he flew upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could protect himself—he wouldn’t die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless Li Banfeng kept raising the water level until it reached the ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the one holding the teapot was also trapped in this sealed space—if the water kept rising, Li Banfeng would scald himself to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The senior headman looked down, watching the already-dead Zhu and the helmsman soon to be scalded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the helmsman died, he’d surely be implicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter the consequences, it was better than being boiled alive here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If all else failed, he’d flee—live one more day, one more day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh~~” Kou Zhu screamed and died in the scalding water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The senior headman sighed—then felt his wings grow heavier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t fly anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why couldn’t he fly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The senior headman fixed his gaze on the helmsman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Helmsman Shi Boyu was releasing poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To find the teapot, you must first find the one holding it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you can’t find the one holding it, poison him to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu’s tactic was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his poison would kill everyone in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did it matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Shi Boyu, it didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lives of others had never mattered to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint sound came from the ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu looked up and saw a woman with flamboyant makeup, dressed in men’s clothing, crouched on the beam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Nan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it really her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t Yu Nan—it was Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng, who had been crouching on the beam, could no longer hold on—he nearly fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been poisoned; the third-layer Poison Xiu’s technique nearly robbed him of consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clung to the beam using his Lv Xiu talent, still rubbing the teapot nonstop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng’s plan was simple: now it was a test of endurance—who could outlast whom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The teapot still spewed water; the room’s water level kept rising, scalding tea now flooded the table and seeped into Shi Boyu’s shoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu gritted his teeth against the pain and ordered the senior headman to kill the woman on the beam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The senior headman’s face turned greenish; he glanced at Li Banfeng—his wings suddenly stopped flapping, and he plunged headfirst into the tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhai Xiu had natural resistance to toxins; Li Banfeng, a second-layer Zhai Xiu, struggled to endure it—how could a first-layer Ti Xiu like the senior headman possibly hold out?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the senior headman fall beside his feet, Shi Boyu snatched him from the hot tea, placed him on the table, then stood atop him to buy himself precious time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng pulled a bloodstained pair of scissors from his waist and hurled it at Shi Boyu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a sentient weapon—if thrown even remotely true, it could sever Shi Boyu’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu fished another corpse from the tea and held it before himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scissors sheared off the corpse’s head, and the head tumbled into the scalding tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the difference between a sentient weapon and a magic treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cutting off a head completed the mission; the scissors didn’t care whose head it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu spat a cloud of poison at Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng leaped and dodged along the rafters, but soon realized dodging was pointless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The magic treasure was still active; beneath the invisible wall, the space was so small the poison spread quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sensation of poisoning on Kuwu Mountain returned—dizziness, fatigue, blurred vision, poor coordination…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng dared not move further; he might fall from the rafters at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How had he endured it on Kuwu Mountain back then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t endured it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When that condition struck back then, Li Banfeng had already collapsed and retreated straight into his Personal Dwelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just him—most people, except Fatty, couldn’t endure it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fatty…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right—Fatty’s blood!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fatty’s blood was inside the pendulum; Li Banfeng unscrewed it and drank the blood directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dizziness eased noticeably; Li Banfeng strained to rub the teapot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water level kept rising, submerging Da Jiu’s body; Shi Boyu dragged over another corpse, stood on it, and continued poisoning Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng drank more blood, but the effect was far less pronounced this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fatty was a Level One Food Cultivator; his blood strengthened the body, but it couldn’t purge poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a vast gap between Level One and Level Three; the rate of physical strengthening paled against the speed of poison erosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu kept hauling corpses from around him, piling them under his feet; the pile grew taller and began to wobble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Shi Boyu stagger, Li Banfeng considered closing in and kicking him into the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A green fluid seeped from Shi Boyu’s body, dripping to his feet and spreading across the corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corpses seemed coated in glue, sticking tightly together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What technique was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glue Cultivator?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a Glue Cultivator—it was Shi Boyu’s poison corroding the corpses, fusing their flesh and bones together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Experienced in countless battles, Shi Boyu still devised a countermeasure under such dire conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The poison fluid was far more potent than the poison mist; if Li Banfeng dared approach, even a single drop would kill him instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Banfeng drain the last of the blood from the pendulum, Shi Boyu hauled up the final corpse within reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng’s face turned greenish-blue; he couldn’t hold on any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu smiled—he had won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the speed of the rising water, Shi Boyu was certain the beautiful woman would fall from the rafters before the water submerged the last corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once this person died, the magic treasure would naturally deactivate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t want to scald yourself to death, retract the teapot. Once you fall, it’ll be too late to regret.” Shi Boyu smiled at Li Banfeng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng did not retract the teapot—he threw it into the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu froze, confused by Li Banfeng’s action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze locked onto the teapot; he longed to snatch it up immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng seized the opportunity, pulled out his key, and returned to his Personal Dwelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The teapot was too far; Shi Boyu couldn’t reach it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up and realized Li Banfeng had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did he go? How did he disappear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu looked down—water level still rising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t the teapot already in the water?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The teapot had indeed fallen in, but it took five to six minutes before it stopped releasing water—that was the magic treasure’s property.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu screamed in despair: “Someone! Anyone! Come quickly! Bring me the teapot—hurry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a core member of Jiang Xiang’s Guild, promoted to Level Three in his early thirties, appointed as Helmsman—his future was bright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He enjoyed the Chief’s deep trust; he believed he would achieve great things in Yaowang Gou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boiling tea water rose over the corpses, over his ankles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu, unable to bear the agony, leapt up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that leap, the glued-together corpses beneath him collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu tumbled into the scalding tea water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pain—unimaginable pain—as if he’d fallen into a pool of molten iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his Level Three physique, he struggled toward the table; the instant his hand touched it, his skin and flesh peeled away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could capture that man on the rafter, he would gain fame and fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he captured the outsider the Guild Master sought, he would surely become Chief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m meant to be a Chief—how could I end up like this…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Boyu lost consciousness in the boiling water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng vomited repeatedly inside his Personal Dwelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Saturday morning is so beautiful, dear readers—say hello to Salad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2128,"2026-06-20T03:43:13.043Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cad060f25cc88596e4caab3eb7fa5ae449f04fc1f0e32c1242374d6d3c8be051","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-88","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-86",863,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-proles-cover.jpg"]