[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten":3,"chapter-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-85":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Simulated to Reality: I Once Looked Down Upon Ten Thousand Ages?",{"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},2347100,4587,"Chapter 85: Encountering an Old Acquaintance, Court Changes","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-85",85,"\u003Cp>You led Yang Su into the Ancestral Hall, where generations of Founding Masters were enshrined, incense curling in the air, the atmosphere solemn and reverent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You had not stepped out of the Living Dead Tomb in many years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Liu Jinchan saw you and smiled warmly, rising to say, “Shenzhou, you’ve come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice carried warmth and relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yu also stood among the disciples and bowed deeply to you: “Greetings, Senior Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps due to age, Lu Yu had grown even more composed over the years, and you felt a quiet satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The six disciples behind Lu Yu dared not be careless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, they bowed to you: “Greetings, Senior Uncle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning their bows with a faint smile, you took your seat beside the head, where Liu Jinchan sat foremost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jinchan’s gaze lingered for a moment on Yang Su’s reddened eyes, filled with puzzlement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was surprised that this young man had cried until his eyes were red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Yang Su grew uneasy, stammering to explain but unsure where to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yu’s expression hardened—he could not abide a man crying like a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Su, who had mustered a bit of courage, was instantly cowed by Lu Yu’s gaze and scrambled behind you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the years, Lu Yu had earned immense authority among the disciples; none dared defy his strictness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can’t learn?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not your lack of talent—it’s that you haven’t been beaten enough. Let your master spar with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still can’t? Come, come, let your master give you a private lesson.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, Lu Yu held back his strength—he never broke bones or tendons, but he never spared the flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under such pressure, the seven improved rapidly and had already carved out a notable reputation in the martial world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the martial circles, they were known as the “Seven Sons of Zhongnan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because Lu Yu’s cultivation talent was simply too high, he always felt the seven fell slightly short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eldest among them had reached the Grandmaster realm, yet could not withstand a single strike from Lu Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You wondered what realm Lu Yu had truly reached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he had returned to simplicity and purity, his exterior showing no trace of the extraordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When you sparred with Lu Yu, he never revealed his true strength, only grinned and said, “Brother, your cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds—I’m barely holding my own.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You had nothing but silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, you waved your hand; Lu Yu, seeing you speak, said no more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Su exhaled in relief—otherwise, today would have been another one-sided beating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jinchan looked at the gathering before him, his heart filled with satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Daqing martial world, the Three True Ones and One Sect had become the undisputed leaders of the orthodox.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sect was anchored by Lu Yu, a force beyond Grandmaster, while Lu Chen himself was a Grandmaster, and the other disciples all showed potential to reach that realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such flourishing was exactly as it should be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s return to the matter at hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An imperial edict from Daqing has arrived here, concerning the Lu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jinchan seemed already aware of the decree from the capital, and told you two brothers, “Shenzhou, You’an—this requires careful deliberation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t rush.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yu frowned slightly—he had just returned to the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You listened, then fell into quiet thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this moment of silence, the door to the rear hall of the temple slowly opened, and an old man entered with measured steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him walked two young eunuchs, their demeanor respectful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an old acquaintance!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was none other than the former Imperial Seal Eunuch Ma Bao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eunuch who once galloped a thousand miles to the north, sword flashing through the wild grass, was now white-haired and aged beyond recognition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had arrived at Mount Zhongnan yesterday, bearing the Emperor’s decree, and had waited all day without a moment’s delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to the exceptional nature of the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Bao knew this matter was of critical importance and could not afford failure. Instead of waiting as he once had for the Lu brothers to come seeking the decree, he had come himself to deliver it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Emperor Huizong died on Zhongnan, this former dynasty eunuch had still held power over the Eastern Depot and the imperial harem amid court intrigues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All because his master—the Grandmaster of Daqing’s martial world, known in court as the Nine-Thousand-Year-Old, the Empress Dowager’s personal eunuch—had remained unshaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one in the palace dared touch him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, Ma Bao stepped once more onto the soil of Mount Zhongnan, revisiting the place, his heart swelling with indescribable emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, the Demon Master had ravaged Zhongnan, several Grandmasters had fallen, Emperor Huizong had perished—those painful memories clung to him like a nightmare, never fading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bitter twist touched Ma Bao’s lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The master is gone; the servant survives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart could not find peace; over the years, his cultivation had regressed, and he had grown old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Bao’s gaze unconsciously drifted toward Lu Yu, seated at the head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If even the Demon Master had been no match for him back then, what realm had he reached now? His eyes held deep reverence and curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Bao tightened his robe—he had come to Mount Zhongnan today for official business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he had no choice but to come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several eunuchs sent to deliver edicts knew nothing of this Lu family’s Young Protector, this Young Marshal’s power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they truly provoked him, another disaster would surely follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Bao, having had several dealings with this Young Protector, had come of his own accord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not wish to see the Daqing realm descend into true chaos and change its name within just a few years after his master’s death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood the Lu family’s status and influence within Daqing, and knew what this decree meant to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those court ministers in purple robes, feasting on fine meats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only knew that this Young Protector had cultivated on Zhongnan for fourteen years—most of the world had forgotten his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They did not know how many temples in the north held offerings to the Young Protector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They did not know how many households in the north hung portraits of the Young Protector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many generals of the Zhenbei Army, the northern bulwark of Daqing, followed this Young Protector with sincere devotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the court ministers now sought to use this Young Protector’s father as leverage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Bao could not fathom why they thought this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why had the Second Prince, once hailed at his ascension as “Virtuous, Wise, and Ambitious,” acted thus?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One emperor, one set of ministers—he had served as a servant for decades; Ma Bao knew which words could be spoken and which must never be uttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, he must act with caution, ensuring the decree was delivered accurately to the Lu family while avoiding unnecessary conflict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the hall was silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You, rarely so intense, fixed your gaze sharply on Ma Bao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall fell utterly still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You lowered your eyes, the usual smile long vanished from your lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yang Su, standing beside you, looked at you as if seeing you for the first time—he had never seen you so serious, and felt an inexplicable pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, this Senior Uncle had always worn a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Seven Sons of Zhongnan suddenly felt a strange unease toward their once-kindly Senior Uncle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jinchan, seeing this, sat up straighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Bao, who had met this Young Protector several times and always found him gentle, sensed a change today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words he had prepared faltered on his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What came out instead was:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Protector, it has been a long time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You gave a faint nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1294,"2026-06-21T01:32:57.622Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cd6a0e98c87e2a3a73c197a3133f0805c22ab9e76f61abe9d1dc4f6cd27a120c","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-86","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-84",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]