[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-nothing-is-taboo":3,"chapter-nothing-is-taboo-nothing-is-taboo-chapter-81":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Nothing Is Taboo",{"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},2310466,4514,"Chapter 81: Determination","nothing-is-taboo-chapter-81",81,"\u003Cp>Mao Sishu gave him a plaque, its wood unidentifiable but with beautiful grain, heavy in the hand. In the lower left corner, a silver thread inlaid the character “Mao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“On your way to Qihetai, you’ll pass through Miao Po Village. Find a man named Wang Laoshi; use this to trade for something from him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan held the plaque, baffled: “Trade for what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ll find out when you get there,” Mao Sishu evaded, refusing to elaborate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan nodded: “Alright, I’ll remember, Fourth Uncle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must go,” Mao Sishu repeated his warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Daye sucked on his pipe, impatiently scolding the three: “The boy isn’t traveling for the first time, and it’s just a trip to Qihetai—look at you all, acting like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of his seniority, all three dared not reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Daye snorted, then pulled three medicinal patches from his sleeve: “I didn’t think it was necessary, but since everyone else gave something, if I didn’t give the boy something, he’d surely curse me in his heart. Take them…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mao Sishu’s eyes widened: You old bastard, lecturing me? You’ve had these three patches ready all along!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tsk tsk—I’ve used two patches out in the field, coughing up blood, and you only gave me one…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Shen’s face, which had been clouded with gloom, brightened at the sight of the three patches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wan picked up a matchstick, struck it, and lit the old man’s pipe: “Rest a bit, Grandpa. Smoke your pipe. Whatever you want to eat these days, I’ll cook it and bring it to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Daye smoked contentedly: “I need to replenish myself these days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem—I’ll stew turtle for you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan waved goodbye: “I’m off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he arrived at Ma Tianshou’s inn, before he could enter, he suddenly saw a figure sneak out of the alley across the street and wave at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan walked over, puzzled: “Uncle Zheng, why didn’t you come to my house? Why hide here…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Zheng waved his hand—he was too proud to admit he was afraid of the two tigresses, old and young, in Xu Yuan’s alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll ask you: are you planning to return to town with the Quesui Office?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan grew wary: “How do you know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re the Demon Extermination Army—we always get useful rumors.” Uncle Zheng gave a vague answer, then pressed urgently: “Are you really going to abandon your Second Uncle? He’s waiting anxiously in Zhenla for his nephew to join him…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m still considering,” Xu Yuan replied truthfully—he leaned toward joining the Quesui Office but hadn’t yet accepted Ma Laoren’s invitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Zheng gritted his teeth: “I’ll go back with you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You?” Xu Yuan frowned, sizing up the fat man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, you look down on me? I’ve got better connections in town than you!” Uncle Zheng glared, eyebrows raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan thought for a moment: “If you go, you could be a hidden asset. That’s not bad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, we’ll keep in touch secretly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After agreeing, Uncle Zheng slipped back into the alley, sneaking away as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the Quesui Office, this fat man always seemed out of place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan turned and entered the inn, first paying his respects to the old master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before departure, Ma Tianshou had matters to discuss with Xu Yuan, and Xu Yuan also had concerns he wished to raise with the old master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After about half an hour, Ma Tianshou waved his hand: “Alright, go. Jingyu and the others are ready—they’re waiting downstairs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xu Yuan met Fu Jingyu again, he was startled: “What happened to you… Did you encounter a female ghost last night?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Jingyu weakly retorted: “Don’t speak nonsense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young master looked utterly drained, his eyes dull, his complexion sallow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What exactly happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Last night in Tiemenbao,” Fu Jingyu said, “a major incident occurred.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That shouldn’t be—it was the night before last when the anomalies peaked.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You forgot? Yesterday was the Day of Forbidden Moonwatch. Originally, only two people among the refugees had transformed—but one of them frightened dozens, who fled their barracks in panic and looked up…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thankfully, Xiang Police Inspector was there last night. If it had been like the night before, with only you and me, we wouldn’t have held it together,” Fu Jingyu shook his head repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expedition to Qihetai Town was led by Fu Jingyu, accompanied by Yan Lao, thirty captains, and one elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, Song Lu did not come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan requested funds from Fu Jingyu to purchase supplies useful for the investigation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the costs of the investigation could not come from Xu Yuan’s own pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Jingyu gave him the money; seeing how poor his condition was, Xu Yuan said: “Why don’t you rest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need—I’ll sleep on the road.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you sleep on the road…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fu Daguang insisted on accompanying Xu Yuan to finish shopping—official expenditures required oversight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the rule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had nothing to do with whether Fu Jingyu trusted Xu Yuan—he had to follow it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With all preparations complete, the team departed through the eastern gate, traveling along the main road toward town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan still lacked experience; the world of the great clans was sharply stratified from the world he knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Jingyu slept the entire journey inside the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a new carriage, built by New Craftsmen using techniques borrowed from the Biyan Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not a true artifact of the Craft Cultivators, it rode with remarkable smoothness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, the carriage was silent, lined with soft cotton padding and marten fur rugs, and Fu Jingyu slept soundly the whole way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan quietly asked the driver: How much did this carriage cost?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer made him recall that night in Qihetai, when he told Erliang about the silver hooks on the Holy Mother’s palanquin—sixty taels each.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, he was exactly like Erliang had been then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the Quesui Office team left the city, a guest at a teahawk outside the gate finished his tea, casually glanced toward the city gate’s arch where the watchers stood, confirmed they weren’t paying attention, then stood up, dropped a few copper coins, and walked off leisurely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, he arrived at a second-floor room in an inn, knocked, entered, and reported to a middle-aged man dressed as a wealthy merchant: “Lord Qin, the Quesui Office has left the city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Qin nodded: “Notify everyone—we must move now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the man left, Lord Qin pulled a singing insect box from his robe—ivory inlaid with tortoiseshell, engraved with swirling patterns, the work of “Box Zhang” of the old northern capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, the insect glowed emerald-green and oily, almost sentient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A clear, vibrant chirp rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Qin closed his eyes, listened for a moment, then sighed softly. Suddenly, he reached under the bed and pulled out a small clay jar. From it emerged a grotesque demonic insect, which darted into the box, bit the singing insect cleanly in two, then crunched it down to the last fragment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Qin was heartbroken, his face twitching; he turned away, unable to watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his finest insect—but the task ahead demanded absolute resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He extended his finger into the box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demonic insect crawled up his finger, then plunged beneath the skin of his hand, traveling through his veins until it settled deep within his heart, falling dormant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Random insomnia, couldn’t sleep all night—crushing…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1243,"2026-06-20T12:07:23.516Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c0381528708b9708189b12a520debad49e2f21e853c7f3847beab6c5459c9794","nothing-is-taboo-chapter-82","nothing-is-taboo-chapter-80",413,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fnothing-is-taboo-cover.jpg"]