[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-cursed-blade-s-walk":3,"chapter-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-659":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Cursed Blade's Walk",{"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},2262964,4415,"Chapter 659: Qufu Kong Family","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-659",659,"\u003Cp>“Ragged Scroll Master” Kong Hui was a member of Jianmu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hailed from the Kong family and was one of the Ten Great Masters of the Northern Song era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having read the classics since childhood until the texts in the Kong family’s library were worn to shreds, he earned the title “Ragged Scroll Master,” later became imperial tutor to the emperor, and once traveled to Mangshan’s Shangqing Palace to lay out an array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given his status, he was certainly among those who fished for the Ding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group halted at Zhangqiu Town to cooperate with the Commandant’s Office in investigating this man’s whereabouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this good news, Li Yan’s expression remained unchanged; instead, he turned to the side and asked, “Chen Chuandong, who are these two?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two others had returned with Chen San.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was a middle-aged man in brocade robes, stout and heavy, with several chins, breathing heavily as he walked, his face always smiling, eyes squeezed shut, constantly wiping sweat from his forehead with a silk handkerchief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was a young scholar, clad in a green robe, his face like polished jade, posture straight, demeanor gentle and refined; though courteous in manner upon entering, his eyes brimmed with curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man was unremarkable—a mere commoner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the young scholar was a cultivator; his Confucian righteous qi could not be fully concealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, let me introduce them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen San quickly spoke: “These two are from the Kong family—both of our own.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan instantly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving, Chen San had mentioned that someone within the Kong family collaborated with the court as a spy for the Commandant’s Office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from their demeanor, they were clearly not important figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was no surprise: since Emperor Gaozu of Han visited Lu to sacrifice to Confucius and enfeoffed Kong Teng as Sacrificial Lord, the imperial courts of Shenzhou had never ceased granting titles to Confucius’s descendants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over generations, the family branched out, and countless descendants had spread far and wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the clan, some were poor, some rich; some high, some low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those willing to serve as court informants were hardly of high standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just within the clan, but the entire Kong family was in decline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The title “Sage of the Line” had shone too long—longer than many dynasties—and decay was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past century, two events had occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, at the end of the Song, the Jin Tent Wolf Kingdom invaded; the then-Sage of the Line shamelessly defected to the steppe court, an act the Shenzhou Confucian sect regarded as a profound disgrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though later executed in retribution, the Kong family’s reputation plummeted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Great Xuan dynasty rose, since its legitimacy was questionable, it continued to enfeoff the Kong family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, a new generation of idle aristocrats emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The previous Sage of the Line was notorious for his wicked deeds; even drunk, he brazenly declared, “There are only three great families in the world: mine, the Zhangs of Longhu Mountain, and the Xias of Jinling. The Zhang Daoists are coarse, the Xia family are nouveau riche—petty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current emperor brooked no folly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When these words reached the capital, a string of imperial edicts condemned him; the Kong family sent emissaries overnight to beg for forgiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sage of the Line voluntarily abdicated, and the matter was settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said the current Sage of the Line was mediocre in talent and learning, a rigid, inflexible old-fashioned man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His only virtue was his effort to reform family morals and preserve the Kong family’s dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, the Kong family’s reputation was no longer what it once was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among major Confucian scholars across the north and south, many had directly written poems mocking and cursing them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in the martial world and the xuanmen, no one dared underestimate the Kong family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple: the Kong family still had one great Buddha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was none other than Lu Hongyuan, one of the Ten Great Masters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally a son-in-law of the Kong family, he was looked down upon, yet possessed peerless talent, excelling in both literature and martial arts; he founded the Mingde Martial Hall and took up the banner of Confucianism to uphold its prestige.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his youth, he was known alongside the current Shenquan Society’s Huo Yin as the Twin Prodigies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this Buddha in their midst, few dared provoke the Kong family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Li Yan asked: “So you are esteemed scholars of the Kong family—what generation do you belong to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Kong family, “the First Family Under Heaven,” placed great emphasis on lineage; today’s generations mostly bear the characters “Gong, Yan, Cheng, Hong, Wen, Zhen, Shang, Yin,” bestowed by the founding emperor of Great Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Kong Zhenshan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fat middle-aged man wiped his sweat, smiling obsequiously: “I never mastered the classics; since childhood I’ve traveled about managing the clan’s properties in Jinan, so I’ve had access to certain things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Upon receiving Commander Chen’s orders, I immediately sought an opportunity to search the library. But, Young Master Li, you know that when the Jin Tent Wolf Kingdom invaded, half the library burned down—much of the material is hard to trace. I’m indebted to my son…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he shot a fierce glare at the young man beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man sighed and stepped forward, bowing: “I am Kong Shangzhao. I salute you all, great heroes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kong Hui was a rare Master of the Kong family, yet within the clan he was a taboo; even without that fire, much of his record was destroyed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan frowned slightly. “Oh? Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young scholar Kong Shangzhao replied: “He possessed peerless talent and became one of Shenzhou’s Ten Great Masters by middle age, even entering the Song court as imperial tutor. But later, his conduct grew increasingly extreme.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Back then, a Wudang disciple came to rebuke him for colluding with the Ghost Sect. Though no solid proof existed, that Wudang disciple vanished mysteriously…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Later, when the Ghost Sect of Great Song ran rampant, the Shenzhou xuanmen united to crush them. Several Masters jointly hunted Kong Hui; they did not publicize it, but the clan knew the truth and did its best to conceal it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Moreover, there is a clan rumor that during the Jin Tent invasion, it was this man who secretly facilitated the Sage of the Line’s defection…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s eyes narrowed. “Aren’t the clues burned? You know a lot…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Li, please don’t misunderstand!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Zhenshan, sensing the tension, quickly explained: “My son has a photographic memory; since childhood he’s devoured countless texts and excels at piecing together fragments.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Much of what he knows was reconstructed from scattered, half-erased records.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? He has such talent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan grew interested and asked several questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All were obscure historical records, with conflicting accounts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young scholar Kong Shangzhao answered fluently, always offering convincing explanations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen San beside him was also surprised, casting a cool glance at Kong Zhenshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the road, this fat man never mentioned this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Zhenshan sighed, first apologized to Chen San, then turned to his son with a look of bitter disappointment: “To be frank, I’ve come here humbly to beg you all to take my son to the capital to escape disaster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did he do?” Li Yan asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Zhenshan’s face twisted with sorrow as he explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This youth, Kong Shangzhao, was of noble birth and had studied since childhood at the Mingde Martial Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His talent and intellect were exceptional, and he excelled at analyzing classics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had no interest in Confucianism; instead, he was obsessed with esoteric studies and often uttered heretical remarks, gradually falling out of favor with his teachers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days ago, he intervened in a dispute and nearly beat the Sage of the Line’s son to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Sage of the Line, who valued family discipline, punished his own son severely, the enmity was now sealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the character of the Kong family’s younger generation, they would surely find a way to retaliate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Zhenshan had spent his life striving, yet as a Kong clan member, he was always looked down upon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His only pride was his son—he feared the horror of burying his own child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fear was not without reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sage of the Line not only presides over the Confucian temple sacrifices but also enjoys privileges such as tax exemption and hereditary temple lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, the Kong family’s temple lands span multiple provinces, exceeding 320,000 mu of fertile land in Luzhou alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qufu has become the Kong family’s “autonomous territory,” where clan rules override imperial law—they are true local emperors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just send him to the capital?” Li Yan asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Zhenshan’s face lit up: “I have arrangements in the capital—I’ll have him hide his identity, live quietly for a few years, and return once the storm passes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he pulled out a wooden box from his robe and pleaded: “Though I am no cultivator, I know the fame of the Twelve Zodiacs. Here are thirty thousand taels of silver—my entire life’s savings. I beg you to help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Chen San fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, he too recognized the young man’s talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the trouble that came with him—he had no wish to take on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Zhenshan deliberately concealed this, knowing Chen San would refuse—and might even refuse to bring them to Li Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s mind stirred, and he nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, it was on the way; second, he wanted to use the young man’s skill to analyze certain materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially regarding the evolution of folk deities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Li Yan turned again to Kong Shangzhao: “Do you know what became of ‘Ragged Scroll Master’ Kong Hui after that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Shangzhao bowed: “Since the fall of Southern Song and the Jin Tent invasion, Kong Hui vanished. At the time, several Masters were hunting him; even if the Kong family had been in Wolf Kingdom territory, they dared not shelter him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan sighed, shaking his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew it was hopeless to find clues about Kong Hui in today’s Kong family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Kong family has a Great Master guarding it, and after so many years, Kong Hui likely reincarnated, changed his identity, and hidden somewhere unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squeak squeak~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the rat Da in Lu San’s leather pouch suddenly began squealing wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here they come!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s eyes flashed with killing intent; he gave a signal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei blew out the candle at once, and everyone scattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Chen San warned the Kong family father and son not to speak, and to stay quietly inside the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was past midnight; the night grew darker still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside Chen’s mansion, a cold wind suddenly rose from the woods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aowu~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tree shadows swayed, and a low, rumbling tiger roar could be faintly heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside Chen’s mansion, Cao Bang had posted hidden sentries; at the sound, their scalps prickled with fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two eerie green “tiger eyes” flickered in the woods, yet no tiger body could be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the sentry was about to blow his whistle, a burst of phosphorescent fire exploded from the treetops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst the green smoke, a spectral image of a white-browed, wide-eyed tiger emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its head alone stood three men tall; with a single sweep of its massive paw, branches rained down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold winds surged, spreading chilling air outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei suddenly burst from the roof, raising his Divine Fire Gun, finger poised on the trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Yan frowned and raised his hand to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something’s wrong—it’s a man!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his current spiritual power, he could pierce through the illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clearly a frail old man, manipulating a wooden tiger puppet soaked in white phosphorus with thin steel wires, while using mouth techniques to mimic tiger roars and terrify others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Li Yan’s ears twitched; he leapt instantly toward the back courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a trap to lure out the snake—go catch the man!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei didn’t waste words; he leapt down from the roof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mid-air, he shifted the Divine Fire Gun to his back; by the time he landed, two flintlock pistols were already drawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faster than him was Wu Ba.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a thunderous crash, soil sprayed outward as Wu Ba’s massive frame launched forward, his feet stomping the muddied ground, stepping left and right in one stride, arriving in the woods, then suddenly leaning sideways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tree as thick as a water barrel was snapped clean in half by his impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tiger, its specter, and the smoke all vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A muffled groan came from the tree; a frail figure dropped down, yet halted midair in a grotesque pause, arms flailing as several sharp steel wires spun and coiled toward Wu Ba’s neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opponent was no weakling—he wielded strange weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If those wires wrapped around him, he’d be severed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he’d chosen the wrong target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Ba chuckled, his iron-gloved hand snatching the wires and yanking them downward with force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An old man crashed violently to the ground, spewing blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could react, Wu Ba clamped his hand around his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Li Yan had reached the back courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the darkness, three slender figures quietly emerged from a hidden drain beneath the courtyard wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The drain’s entrance was no wider than a rice bowl, yet these three, their bones rattling as they twisted, slipped through effortlessly—had Lu San not been watching, they might have slipped past unnoticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three were barely adolescent children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Agile and swift, as they leapt out, they flicked their fingers repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shii-shii-shii!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poison powder shot forth like arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several Cao Bang disciples collapsed on the spot—clearly, a potent stupefying drug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And these children sprinted straight for Wang Daoxuan’s room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There lay the Xu Fu bamboo slips Li Yan and the others had found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just then, all three froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan had landed from the roof, standing coldly across their path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hard target!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Use the thing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three boys, faces fierce, whipped out iron chain balls from their belts and hurled them forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan sniffed the air and caught the sharp stench of oil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chain balls carried hidden mechanisms, concealing phosphorus fire that ignited on impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, these were the ones behind the Bao Hua Bookstore fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the three iron balls fly toward him, Li Yan’s expression didn’t change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the boys’ hearts leapt with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d seen the power of these devices before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what blocked them, they exploded into flames—ghosts and gods couldn’t avoid them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet what terrified them happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan simply raised his left hand, drew a circle, and casually snatched all three iron balls into his palm—none detonated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How is this possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three boys’ scalps prickled; they felt as if they’d seen a ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course they didn’t know Li Yan had entered Dan Jing, integrating the Immortal Seal Technique into his entire body’s force, capable of directly neutralizing the mechanism so the balls wouldn’t trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Run!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three boys exchanged glances and turned to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew this was no opponent they could handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as soon as they turned, their bodies stiffened in terror—they watched a woman step out of the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Long Yan’er, effortlessly subduing them with her insect venom technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, all the intruders were captured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Bang disciples raised torches, bound them with iron chains, and hurled them brutally to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen San suddenly spoke, “Isn’t this Yang Laohai from Wuqiao…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2587,"2026-06-19T18:28:35.913Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","59755a257b39a539150d9a9aa76ac8d69ce9011c2a45c206f916f42b95f3d847","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-660","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-658",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]