[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-the-ming":3,"chapter-overthrowing-the-ming-overthrowing-the-ming-chapter-35":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing the Ming",{"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},2289262,4476,"Chapter 35: Who Is Unhappy?","overthrowing-the-ming-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>\"Pfft...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dull, squelching sound, like a pig's bladder being sliced open. In the blink of an eye, a long, narrow blade had been plunged through Gu Laosan's neck as if by a magic trick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tip of the blade entered from the throat and emerged from below the base of the skull. Gu Laosan was still savoring the good life... when suddenly his neck went cold, and fresh blood sprayed out as if it were worthless...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ugh... Li... cough...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Laosan stared wide-eyed, wanting to shout Li You's name, but the blood flowing backward like a river had long since drowned his vocal cords!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thud...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sound, Gu Laosan fell backward. The image of Tian Si from that day flashed through his mind. A thought of regret didn't even have time to spread before his consciousness faded into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fall startled Huang Mao and the others in front of him; they leaped back as if they had seen a ghost. Subconsciously retreating, they pointed their fingers at Li You, stammering \"You... you... you...\" for a long time, but unable to utter a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You’s strike was fast, sharp, and vicious. He caught them off guard with a cold, sudden blade; even an expert, at such close range, would have been unable to react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this what a scholar does? This damn guy is a killing machine!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Conglong swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He was completely convinced. Was this Li You really here to be a mountain bandit, or was he here to suppress bandits?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mother of a... are scholars always this tough?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yin, however, felt a strange excitement. He suddenly recalled the scenes of killing Northern Barbarians with him in Ningxia. Without realizing it, his impression of Li You had undergone a massive change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this was a blade drawn by Li You just to ensure they, these mine slaves and salt slaves, got a share of meat. How could he not be moved?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qin looked at Li You, his eyes shining with a brilliant light; no one knew what he was thinking!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My god, Brother You, has a god of slaughter possessed you? That was damn satisfying!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Dading, who had been so angry he wanted to jump in and fight, was also shocked by Li You’s sudden strike. Always one to hate evil with a passion and possessing a simple mind, he only felt it was incredibly cathartic!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You stepped on Gu Laosan’s chest and pulled out his blade in a leisurely manner. Just then, someone shifted, and the torchlight illuminated Li You’s entire face...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That face, usually as gentle as jade, was now cold and ruthless. The tragic wolf blood on his body and his disheveled hair bun made his shadow dance and flicker in the firelight, instantly stretching and towering, looking like the Demon King of the World from *Journey to the West: The Release of Calamity*, or the Great Sage Equal to Heaven causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I really hate it when people snatch my things. Besides, I’m a mountain bandit now too. If I’m already a bandit and still get my things snatched, don't I have any face to maintain?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You’s voice was not loud, one could even say it was very soft. Ignoring Huang Mao and his gang of lackeys, he looked calmly at Wang Qiong, a faint, ambiguous smile hanging on the corners of his mouth as he spoke to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Qiong had indeed been frightened by this sudden turn of events, but he had followed Wu Nai down the mountain for outings and had seen big scenes involving blades. Though he was twenty-one, he was not comparable to the spineless, blustering ghosts like Huang Mao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He silently wiped the blood that had splattered onto his face. The reason he didn't move was that this Gu Laosan was not his man, but belonged directly to Cao Er.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, he really couldn't figure out what position Li You held in the Shanzhai. That day, he had seen the Great Chief come to Nanshan specifically to walk and chat with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Qiong pondered for a moment and said: \"Mr. Li, whether you are currently one of our people in the Shanzhai, I truly cannot tell. But the bandit path has the 'Four Covenants,' 'Eight Reward Rules,' and 'Eight Execution Clauses.' Among them, the seventh, 'Those who bully their own kind shall be executed.' I wonder if you are aware of this, sir?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s right, of course I know. It is precisely because I understand our mountain rules that I executed Gu Laosan for bullying me. Is that not performing my duty and upholding the rules of our Shanmen? Come, tell me, who else is unhappy about it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Qiong truly did not expect Li You to answer like this, and to answer with such righteous indignation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was stunned for a long while before saying: \"Scholar, you are truly worthy of being a man of letters; you know the mountain rules so fluently!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You acted as if he didn't understand the sarcasm and laughed: \"What is the purpose of reading? To read more and cultivate one's courage!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, after Li You killed Tian Si, Wa Qingyun had told him about these mountain rules. However, these rules were very \"double-standard.\" After this seventh rule, there was another: \"Those who molest women shall be executed.\" If that were truly enforced, then fifty or sixty percent of the bandits in Longmen Shanzhai would have to die!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for whether Cao Er would use the killing of Gu Laosan as an excuse to take his life?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn't particularly worried. Whether in the high temples or the distant rivers and lakes, all living beings have desires and preferences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like high-ranking officials who can fathom the intentions of their superiors, understand the desires of their colleagues, and grasp the thoughts of their subordinates. If one can do all of this, one will naturally have a smooth official career and rise rapidly. Similarly, being a mountain bandit is just a different environment; the principles are the same. When Cao Er returns, he will naturally find a way to resolve it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his mind clear, Li You turned to the seven bandits including Huang Mao and said: \"You lot had better not eat this wolf carcass, otherwise I will be very unhappy!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Huang Mao, Xu Lifang, Zhang Zhengxiong, and the others didn't care about wolf meat. Seeing that even Wang Qiong hadn't made a move against Li You, what else could they count on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Fan Fei, Wu Zhaodi, Shi Youchun, and others who had followed Huang Mao in stirring up trouble were full of regret. But the outcome was set, and they dared not talk back to that killing machine, Li You. Only Fan Fei, as he walked away, muttered: \"When the Second Master returns, he will definitely make you pay! Everyone who ate the wolf meat will have the wolf shit whipped out of them...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's right, this Wang Qiong is one of Wu Nai's men, those bastards from the North Shanzhai line; they’d love to see the Second Master have a hard time!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly, what’s he acting so high and mighty for? When the Second Master and Master Shi both return, we’ll see how this dog-shit-eating Li... fares!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Xu Lifang kept his head down and said nothing, as if he were deep in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lackeys have their own form of spiritual victory. Li You naturally didn't hear them, and even if he had, he wouldn't have bothered to pay them any mind. At this moment, Yu Zhengchun arrived with Liu the Lame, Guan Baoning, Qian Chengzhi, Mrs. Wang, Song Man, and others. Furthermore, Qian Zhong and Qian Yong were carrying the two large iron pots from the kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come, light the bonfire, we’re eating meat!\" Li You called out to everyone, beaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good! Very nice!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Agreed!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good, time to eat meat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mine slaves and salt slaves were all excited, as if the bloodthirsty scene from just moments ago had dissipated under the anticipation of eating meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wa Qingyun and Liu Longjin took people to skin the wolves, but there weren't enough hands. The few bandits left behind by Cao Er had all been driven away by Li You, and the people who came with Wu Nai were only three. They couldn't very well ask Wang Qiong to skin them. Besides, Liu Longjin was worried they would be clumsy and ruin the wolf pelts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Qinchen, Hongxin, Conglong, have those three help with the skinning!\" Li You shouted to Liu Longjin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Them?\" Wa Qingyun paused. One had to know that these few were once highwaymen in the Mount Daba area. They had a record of taking down eighteen men from a small Shanzhai. What if they were given blades and, instead of skinning wolves, decided they wanted to skin people?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Longjin didn't think that much. He first threw his own hand-blade over, then picked up Gu Laosan’s single-edged blade and dagger, and tossed them to Guan Hongxin and Li Qin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh... damn, it’s been a long time since I’ve touched a blade!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Hongxin caught the single-edged blade, stroked the hilt, and said to Li Qin with a smile. His gaze was very clear...\u003C\u002Fp>",1557,"2026-06-20T03:32:06.992Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","1904512e42e6ff86ee3f3d9126dae81e516058b05b077ea771a833b58747b2d0","overthrowing-the-ming-chapter-36","overthrowing-the-ming-chapter-34",71,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-the-ming-cover.jpg"]