[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-book-of-strange-tales":3,"chapter-the-book-of-strange-tales-the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-69":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Book of Strange Tales",{"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},2317349,4532,"Chapter 69: Show Your True Skill (Requesting Monthly Tickets)","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-69",69,"\u003Cp>\"In total...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Mao leapt lightly onto the nearby table and bent down to inspect the large gray rat on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From left to right, from right to left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if counting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the little fox on the ground had counted how many rats there were, yet it still couldn’t count them all, so it looked up, fixing its gaze on Lin Jue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed to think Lin Jue was more honest than Third Senior Brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nine,\" Lin Jue replied truthfully. \"We’ll remember for our fellow cultivator.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believe you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, he dismissed the bean soldiers and called Yang Gong and the others inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides Yang Gong’s family, several merchants who had gone with them to Fuxiang Peak were still there; seeing the large gray rats and silver coins laid out on the ground, they all gasped in surprise—they hadn’t expected the items to actually be recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yang Gong, count your belongings first. If there’s extra, it likely belongs to neighbors—please return it on their behalf. If there’s less, those spirits must have secretly taken it. Yang Gong, you know best: our Fuxiang Monastery’s Daoists would never hide anything.\" Third Senior Brother offered no further explanation—he was content with peace of mind and didn’t care whether Yang Gong returned the money or not. He turned to the other wealthy men. \"Next household.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five people came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five households in total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spread evenly across several parts of the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by Third Senior Brother’s intent, even after resolving matters for these five households, if the trouble hadn’t come to them yet, he wouldn’t stop—Fuxiang Monastery, though a secluded mountain sect of spiritual methods, still held some resolve to rid the people of harm; even if trouble never came, continuing meant continuing to rid the people of harm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, night deepened, then dawn arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They moved from household to household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoists from Jian Dao Peak hadn’t slept; the merchants who lost silver hadn’t slept; Lin Jue and Third Senior Brother naturally didn’t complain of fatigue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, daylight broke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last merchant’s home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the rat hole was in the corner of the room’s wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Senior Brother again had the merchant step aside, closed the windows and doors, summoned the bean soldiers, then stood guard at the hole, inviting the cat Daoists from Jian Dao Peak to descend and eliminate the rats, bringing up the silver coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything was the same as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more so, after staying up all night, both their expressions showed fatigue; with dawn now breaking, outside came the cries of street vendors, the clatter of horse and mule hooves, and the rumble of cart wheels. These households all conducted business in the city, their homes bordering bustling streets—surely many people were already out. Normally, demons and evil spirits wouldn’t appear at this hour, so the two relaxed their vigilance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One sat on a chair, elbow propped on the armrest, palm supporting his chin; the other stretched his legs, tapping his fingers on his thigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the fox lay curled at Lin Jue’s feet, eyes half-closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, without warning, the fox’s ears twitched, and it immediately lifted its head toward the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something outside had caught its attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, a whistling sound came from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wu...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a blunt object slicing through air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sharp crack, a staff suddenly pierced through the window paper and shot into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Senior Brother’s expression hardened instantly. He had been half-asleep, but now snapped awake and stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a flick of his fingers, two bean soldier warriors stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue also gripped his broadsword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wu wu wu...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff entered the room but didn’t stop—it kept spinning, emitting a continuous wu-wu-wu sound, whirling wildly inside the room at a speed comparable to a person swinging or throwing it, yet never ceasing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, it moved from the front corner toward the two men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue watched carefully, not moving rashly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt the staff had no target—or perhaps didn’t know where they were in the room—so it flew and spun everywhere, searching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bean soldier warriors locked onto the staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two flashes of blade light followed one after another!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew how strong the bean soldier warriors were, or how sharp their blades were—but two strikes later, the solid wooden staff instantly snapped into three pieces, falling to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue stepped forward with his sword, bent down to look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just an ordinary staff, polished smooth, like one used in a martial arts school; now broken into three pieces, it showed no sign of anything unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just moments ago, it had whirled wildly through the room, clearly possessing some strange quality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it an invisible spirit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still in the room?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heaven and earth vast, spirits of this place heed my command! Spiritual light cleanses, shattering ancient darkness! Demons and ghosts, come forth—do not hide from the light! The Three Realms’ Yin and Yang—my incantation reveals your form!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue and Third Senior Brother spoke almost simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They exchanged glances but didn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the incantation ended, nothing happened in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not a spirit!\" Third Senior Brother, with more experience, made the first judgment. \"It’s a technique!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A technique?\" Lin Jue looked down at the nearly harmless wooden staff and made his own judgment. \"This must be a warning to us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Likely so,\" Third Senior Brother agreed. \"Cultivation is hard; learning techniques is harder. Ordinary cultivators rarely engage in magical duels, and never lightly against someone whose background they don’t know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two archers stepped forward with heavy footsteps, arriving beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Third Senior Brother reached behind one archer and drew a long sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Too bad—stealing is bad enough, but harming people within the city? We, as cultivators, as true men, once we’ve seen this, how can we let you go unpunished?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue watched him, momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He detected a hint of martial world spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Younger brother, be careful!\" Third Senior Brother laughed loudly, then raised his voice toward the outside. \"Fellow cultivator—show us your true skill!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had the words left his lips than a rustling sound came—the three wooden pieces on the ground suddenly rolled, then rose one after another, spinning again, now directly toward the corner where the two stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wu wu wu...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room filled with the sound of whistling air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, several beans flew out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They landed and became warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue saw the staff spinning through the air—still at the same speed—but now with sharp, jagged edges after being cut, its lethality clearly increased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two pieces flew straight toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff formed a spinning circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In desperation, Lin Jue dodged sideways, avoiding one piece, then raised his broadsword upward—clang!—he knocked another flying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force didn’t seem strong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing this, Lin Jue lost most of his fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to advance, but the shield-bearer moved faster, already rushing ahead and swinging his shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Clang!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff was knocked back to the ground again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It trembled, unable to rise again before a warrior stomped on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining two pieces—one was seized directly by a warrior’s hand, the other pinned against the wall by a shield; though they vibrated violently, they couldn’t break free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Senior Brother stepped forward, grabbed the staff, and tapped it once—immediately, the wooden pieces stopped moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What technique is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Object control technique?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the door creaked open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking a demon had arrived, Lin Jue spun around swiftly—it was the merchant, hearing the commotion, coming to check, likely believing they’d caught the demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he opened the door, he saw the room full of warriors and froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, more whistling sounds came from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, they were lighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pup pup pup...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several blades sliced effortlessly through the window, spinning into the room, flying toward the people inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the merchant open his eyes wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And screamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master Luo, don’t shout! Hide quickly! The demon who stole your silver has come!\" Lin Jue shouted to him, lowering his voice. \"If you get a chance, go report to the constables!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, a series of soft thuds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several warriors caught the blades with their shields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blades embedded themselves, nearly piercing through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after piercing, the blades wobbled, as if trying to pull themselves free—only when Third Senior Brother stepped forward and tapped them did they stop moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet more blades kept flying in from outside, whirling chaotically through the room, filling the air with dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost all the bean soldiers formed a shield around Lin Jue and Third Senior Brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blades now flew faster and with greater force—equivalent to a normal person throwing with full strength; ordinary civilians couldn’t dodge them. Fortunately, Lin Jue reacted quickly, and the warriors moved with agility—either slapping the blades away with shields, cutting them down with long swords, or taking the blows on their own bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, they weren’t alive to begin with; these blades could barely harm them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This man’s skills are mediocre, but his spell is infuriating, and this place works against us—we can’t beat him!” Third Senior Brother whispered to Lin Jue. “He’s surely hiding somewhere nearby. If I keep him occupied here, will you dare take two Bean Soldiers to find him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue thought briefly and knew Third Senior Brother was mostly right—he understood that if they kept going like this, they’d never locate the man, while the blades would slip through gaps and slice them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s there to fear?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t make a sound. I’ll hold him off here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third Senior Brother whispered, then handed him another bean—likely the other one from that night—and warned: “If you’re in danger, remember: only send the Bean Soldiers into peril, never yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue lowered his voice, nodded, and took it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, he tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shhh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sheet of iron flew past his face and struck the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if sensing movement, a sparrow cat’s head poked out from a hole beside the wall, staring at them: “What’s wrong with the Daoists from Fuxiang Peak? Do you need help…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished, he saw the sky full of blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sparrow cat instantly retracted its head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fuyao!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fox tilted its head, eyes glinting, sharp and intelligent—as if reading Lin Jue’s thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your senses are keen. Can you tell where he is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, the fox dashed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue hurried after it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a flash, they were out of the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, the demon knew they’d been inside, so all the blade traps were confined within—the moment they stepped out, the space opened up, clear and unobstructed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crouching low, silent, they soon ran out of the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside was a street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whaa…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A burst of bustling noise flooded their ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These merchants were old friends; though their own affairs were settled, the others had stayed out of loyalty, waiting with each person until the end. Seeing Lin Jue, they all turned to look, about to ask how things stood—then noticed his broadsword and hurried expression, and fell silent in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue made a hushing gesture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many vendors and townsfolk filled the street—some hawking goods, some strolling, some repairing houses. All turned curious glances toward the Daoist with the fox and the broadsword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue followed the fox, striding quickly down the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost diagonally across the road, opposite the Luo household, was a small courtyard whose owner was away—the gate tightly locked. The fox stopped before it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bean falls, wind rises, soldiers appear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jue whispered, then hurled two beans into the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Harmonize with all things…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He silently recited this, then stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many passersby had already been astonished; now they watched in disbelief as the Daoist, broadsword in hand, took one step forward—and passed straight through the gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chorus of gasps erupted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the gasps came another sound!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Daoist had barely crossed the wooden gate when he immediately stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gate shuddered twice, two blade tips protruding through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two strikes carried far greater force.\u003C\u002Fp>",2023,"2026-06-20T14:45:35.226Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","779df90b692fc7f4f294fe3327b85db71ad53b6a0354ef6a7b35ef196ca65871","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-70","the-book-of-strange-tales-chapter-68",608,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-book-of-strange-tales-cover.jpg"]