[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-nothing-is-taboo":3,"chapter-nothing-is-taboo-nothing-is-taboo-chapter-96":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},2310481,4514,"Chapter 96: Evened Out (Fourth Update)","nothing-is-taboo-chapter-96",96,"\u003Cp>After leaving the village, the Old Mountain Runner moved his hatchet from his lower back to his side, ready to draw it at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He strode ahead and called out to Xu Yuan and the other three: “Keep your distance—five zhang away. Staying too long with me will let yin energy seep into your bodies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Jingyu’s gaze grew peculiar; his experience paled beside Yan Lao and Lu Lao’s, and from the moment he first saw the Old Mountain Runner, he’d sensed something off—now he could no longer remain composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan fell back five zhang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Old Mountain Runner leading, progress came naturally faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, Xu Yuan’s group had to detour around territories of head monsters, but the Old Mountain Runner’s route avoided all such territories entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deeper they ventured into the mountains, the more strange and malevolent spirits appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without head monsters, the Old Mountain Runner himself gradually began to struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around mid-afternoon, Bai Laoyan stopped to catch his breath: “Let’s eat something—I’m too hungry to walk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan’s group was equally exhausted; Fu Jingyu sat down on a nearby rock, reached for his dried rations, and then the rock beneath him spoke: “Crouch down. Let me sit on your head too—then we’re even.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Jingyu leapt up in shock, but the Old Mountain Runner lunged over and pinned his shoulder down to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t run!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many who entered the mountains heard rocks speak and fled in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But rocks were stubborn—they wouldn’t rest until whoever took advantage of them paid back in kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within three li, they’d always be caught, then crushed under the rock’s weight, their skulls driven clean into their neck cavities!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Jingyu knew this was no joke; he crouched there obediently, closed his eyes, and gritted his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rock floated up, weighed Fu Jingyu’s mass, then settled onto his head with equal force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Jingyu’s vision exploded with stars; a visible lump swelled rapidly atop his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The buttocks are soft—but rocks are hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll let it go this time, for Bai Laoyan’s sake,” the rock rolled away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone exhaled quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How are you?” Xu Yuan asked, approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Jingyu was still dizzy, his head spinning as he replied: “I’m fine…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Laoyan hadn’t noticed the rock monster squatting beside him—now he felt awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the mountains teemed with malevolent spirits, countless varieties, and some were invisible to even the most experienced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan offered dried meat to Bai Laoyan, who waved it off without accepting this so-called “kindness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan had pressured the old fox into joining—Bai Laoyan had agreed reluctantly, and his temper remained sour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took his own black bread and bit into it; Xu Yuan went aside to eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he neared the end of his meal, Xu Yuan said to Fu Jingyu: “Once this matter’s done, why not set up a public office at Qihetai to buy valuable mountain materials?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wangxiang Village is closest—offer them a good price, or have them collect from surrounding villages and trade everything through the office.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Bai Laoyan could no longer pretend not to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life in the mountains was harsh; villagers couldn’t leave, and every trade with merchants meant being exploited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they truly could trade with the Purification Office—especially if granted the authority to collect mountain goods on its behalf—it would be tremendous news for Wangxiang Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Laoyan sneered: “Who can’t speak pretty words? Can two kids like you two make decisions on something this big?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan only smiled, offering no rebuttal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Lao stepped forward at the right moment, pointing at Fu Jingyu: “His master is Deputy Commander Ma Tianshou of the Southern Bureau. Setting up an office would be a single word from him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Laoyan grunted, saying nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eating and resting briefly, they resumed their journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Laoyan’s attitude, though not overt, had softened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Reach Wuying Cha before nightfall—there’s a hut belonging to Gao Guanzi of Gao Family Village. We’ll spend the night there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Guanzi was a mountain runner from Gao Family Village; some villages in the mountains were friendly, others hostile—Gao Family Village and Wangxiang Village had good relations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you entered a hut belonging to a hostile mountain runner, they’d eventually track you by scent—and you’d have to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout their journey, Xu Yuan’s group carried a quiet worry: Would they make it in time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qin family had the Locust Witch guarding them—they might press on through the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they couldn’t; even with Bai Laoyan leading, they dared not wander the mountains after dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no one spoke of it—because saying it changed nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep in the mountains flowed a black-brown river of locusts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless locusts gathered, surging over mountains and crawling through gorges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Locust Witch lay comfortably on her descendants’ backs, needing not to move a muscle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qin’s party could only trudge forward on foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wanted to ride on the locusts too—but when Qin asked, the Locust Witch cracked her sharp mandibles and grinned darkly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin dared not press further; he feared that if he did, his men would slowly vanish, devoured one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin’s face was pale; his injuries from that battle had not fully healed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hand was wrapped in white cloth—its skin and flesh had been eaten away by that blade, leaving barely bone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The party passed three ancient walnut trees, each as thick as two men could embrace, their branches heavy with white, brain-like kernels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ceng Si felt his scalp itch fiercely; he scratched hard, but it only grew worse…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Locust Witch snorted: “If you scratch through your skull, your brains will hang up there too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ceng Si jumped—he realized his scratching had torn his scalp open, blood streaming, his skull exposed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The party hurried away from the three walnut trees; the Locust Witch glanced at the sky: “No rest tonight—we’ll reach Guanghuo Street by dawn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin nodded, then suddenly remembered something: “Will you protect us from dangers tonight, Elder?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Locust Witch glanced at Ceng Si and the others, a flicker of barely perceptible greed in her eyes: “Naturally.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The party pressed on; night fell, and from every cold, shadowed corner, nameless evil things, unable to resist their hunger for flesh, reached out tentatively with clawed hands…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chachacha—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Locust Witch cast one glance—her swarm surged in, dragged out the malevolent thing, tore it apart, and devoured it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence returned instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ceng Si and the others exhaled quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan’s group hurried as fast as they could, finally reaching Gao Guanzi’s hut before nightfall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was originally a pit; Gao Guanzi had piled branches over it, covered them with dry leaves, and added camouflage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As cramped as Bai Laoyan’s hut, it reeked of chicken droppings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Laoyan muttered: “This old bastard’s still a slob.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone found a place to sit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yuan offered more dried meat to Bai Laoyan—this time, the Old Mountain Runner didn’t refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eating for a while, Xu Yuan asked: “How many head monsters does the Locust Witch have? What tricks do they use? Any weaknesses?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1187,"2026-06-20T12:07:23.516Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c86559ec21087d5bf283582a6297d3dcde9178a6b1f6faedd38f14a3ad1ac366","nothing-is-taboo-chapter-97","nothing-is-taboo-chapter-95",413,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fnothing-is-taboo-cover.jpg"]