[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-32":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Rising Force in the Red Chamber",{"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},2310830,4515,"Chapter 32: Disaster Descends from Heaven","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-32",32,"\u003Cp>Guo Zhi gui drove with exceptional skill, and since the carriage carried the light, youthful Jia Cong, it raced forward at great speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, they overtook the procession of Zhou Jun and Zhang Shou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Wu braved the snowstorm, carrying several meat buns prepared by his wife, heading toward the rear carriage—his son Ge Chunjiang had a big stomach, a growing boy who could drain his father’s resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all the commotion at Shuyun Villa, he must have been starving long ago; though this son lacked cleverness, he was diligent and obedient, and Ge Wu still cherished him deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Wu rode in the same carriage as the Assistant Prefect and Chief Constable of Zhengan Prefecture; though he held no official rank, he was well-connected in Zhengan Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the small carriage behind, Wu Jirong’s corpse was loaded, along with Ge Chunjiang and Xiao Qin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Ge Wu pulled back the carriage curtain, he gasped in shock, mouth agape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There lay Ge Chunjiang, tall and sturdy, collapsed in the carriage, identical in posture to Wu Jirong beside him—as if the carriage held two corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Xiao Qin, the boy sharing the carriage, was nowhere to be seen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Ge Wu was gripped by panic, a sudden flurry of rapid hoofbeats came from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dozen imperial guard soldiers galloped toward them, all clad in armor and radiating lethal intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prince Jia Shun knew this secret couldn’t be hidden long—the coroner would eventually discover his apprentice had been swapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man had disguised himself as Xiao Qin, hunching over and keeping his head lowered to appear utterly unremarkable, so as to fool Ge Chunjiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the boy was impulsive, he had always been quiet; Ge Chunjiang never paid attention, never dreaming the man had been replaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had these words ended than a dark figure shot off the roof of the lead carriage, darting forward like an arrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Chunjiang said Xiao Qin showed no unusual behavior—he carried the corpse aboard, then sat quietly in the corner, silent as a stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time they found Ge Si, he had just woken his foolish son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half of the dozen black-clad giants surrounding Zhou Jun surged forward, hooves kicking up clouds of snow, swords and blades clashing in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiangyong guessed the killer had repeated his old trick: first disguised as a maid to kill Wu Jirong, then impersonating the coroner’s apprentice to slip out of Shuyun Villa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon inquiry, they learned this man was Xiao Qin, apprentice to Ge Wu of Zhengan Prefecture, here today to assist his master at Shuyun Villa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial guard had already sealed all four gates of the villa, inspecting every scholar who left, even scrutinizing those from Zhengan Prefecture—but who would pay attention to a lowly apprentice hauling corpses?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This oaf Ge Chunjiang, once in the carriage, grew drowsy from the jostling; after a heavy blow, he lost consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jun’s party rode singly, but the Zhengan Prefecture contingent was large, filling six large carriages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fleeing figure could not outpace galloping horses; within a breath, he was surrounded by five or six mounts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leading them was Liu Xiangyong, commander of the imperial guard, who shouted: “Summon Prefect Zhang! Everyone, stop where you are—no one moves!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The terrain here was flat and open; the killer couldn’t have fled far—he must be hiding among these carriages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shortly after Jia Cong left Shuyun Villa, the imperial guard discovered a boy stripped of his outer clothes, his mouth gagged and limbs tightly bound in a secluded woodshed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He claimed he had gone to relieve himself, but somehow was knocked unconscious; when he awoke, he found himself tied up in the shed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Shou and Zhou Jun were stunned upon learning Liu Xiangyong’s purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They therefore dispatched Liu Xiangyong with elite guards to pursue and assist Zhengan Prefecture in capturing the killer, lest the matter erupt and Zhou Jun seize an opening to cause trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jun roared: “Seize him! Don’t let him escape!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jun’s face turned icy: “No one moves. My men will search every carriage—no thief shall slip away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he stood upright, transformed—as if he had become a different person, tall and slender, his limbs moving with an uncanny fluidity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A face veil concealed his hair and features, leaving only two piercing, glittering eyes visible; his hands twitched slightly, and two gleaming curved blades appeared in them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad riders on horseback were all martial talents Zhou Jun had recruited in Dezhou, each possessing extraordinary skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now they drew their blades and charged toward the figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shadows rolled across the snow, blades flashing, the hiss of steel cutting air and the clang of metal clashing like a sudden downpour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the man’s skill was formidable, two fists could not withstand four hands, and his strength lay in stealth and assassination—not open combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After holding out for dozens of strikes, a black-clad man slashed him from behind, blood staining the snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man stood in the snow, half his body trembling slightly, as the black-clad men advanced with cruel grins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like beasts eyeing a dish of delicacies, they intended to capture him alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the black-clad men believed victory assured and their vigilance slipped, the man suddenly raised his right hand—and a streak of cold light shot forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The move was utterly unexpected; the opposing black-clad men scrambled to dodge, their formation thrown into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they were wrong—the man’s target was not them, but Zhou Jun, watching from horseback to their side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jun grunted and tumbled from his horse; the scene erupted into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the moment, the man hurled another object into the air—it exploded, releasing a strange yellow smoke, reeking of acrid, foul stench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone screamed: “Save the official! It’s poison smoke!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time the smoke thinned slightly, the man was gone—only a distant figure, leaping swiftly, vanished beyond thirty paces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Guo Zhi gui drove with exceptional skill, Jia Cong’s carriage had long since pulled far ahead, yet still heard a thunderous explosion behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind and snow carried a scream—whether from wind or man, it was impossible to tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Zhi gui halted the carriage, stood on the driver’s seat, and turned to look back—behind him loomed a dark shape, stark against the snow, racing toward them at speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong inside the carriage sensed something wrong and cried: “Zhi gui, don’t delay—go faster!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Zhi gui was about to reply when the dark shape leapt into the air, lunging at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could shout, a heavy kick struck his face—he flew off the driver’s seat like a ball, tumbling onto the snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So painful—terribly painful. Guo Zhi gui clutched his head and staggered to his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A figure sat on the driver’s seat, cracked the reins—the carriage shot forward like a bolt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Zhi gui ran a few steps after the carriage, shouting: “Third Master! Third Master…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The howling wind and snow drowned his cries; the carriage vanished from his sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Zhi gui turned to the two footmen following him: “You two idiots, what are you standing there for? Chase after them! Rescue the Third Master—or our skins will be flayed when we return!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two footmen looked terrified—they were mere attendants, with no chance against such a villain; yet if they didn’t go, they’d face certain punishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reluctantly, they mounted their horses and gave chase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Zhi gui suddenly realized: “You two fools, wait for me—take me with you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Cong felt the carriage suddenly accelerate, lost his balance, and banged his head against the wall—his face twisted in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhi gui, are you mad? I told you to go fast, not this fast!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up. Stay still—or I’ll kill you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice rang like cleaving jade, clear and agile, yet utterly cold—like ice frozen for ten thousand years, piercing straight to the bone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1319,"2026-06-20T12:19:54.434Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2b703f17462c2b32736561309316ba6ef93badbe4ca5bf9048424f5fd6254108","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-33","my-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-chapter-31",920,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-rising-force-in-the-red-chamber-cover.jpg"]