[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dao-dust-pearl":3,"chapter-the-dao-dust-pearl-the-dao-dust-pearl-chapter-49":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dao Dust Pearl",{"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},2359550,4614,"Chapter 49: Chapter Forty-Nine: Jiuzhen Lake, the Great Plum Tree","the-dao-dust-pearl-chapter-49",49,"\u003Cp>Qian Chen stood waiting at the door, when he noticed a small head peeking from behind it—a boy of seven or eight, sturdy and cute, likely the old man’s grandson, watching him secretly. Qian Chen smiled gently at him, but the boy instantly ducked back. After a moment, he peered out again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man did not keep Qian Chen waiting long; he soon emerged, dressed in fresh clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He led Qian Chen to the village headman, who inquired about Qian Chen’s origins and name. The headman, observing Qian Chen’s speech and attire, could not believe he was an ordinary man; upon hearing Qian Chen had ties with the incoming county magistrate, and after Qian Chen showed him Cui Dan’s letter of introduction, the headman hurriedly vouched for him without delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he’s a friend of the county magistrate’s, how could he possibly be a villain? Jiang Weng is overcautious!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man, clearly “Jiang Weng,” replied calmly: “Better to be cautious—it never hurts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you planning to visit Jiuzhen Lake, young Daoist?” the headman flattered. “Shall I arrange guides for you? The lake is beautiful, but vast—without someone familiar with the waterways, it’s extremely inconvenient.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Chen smiled. “Not necessary for now… but Headman, I have another question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please, young Daoist, speak!” The headman dared not slack off, immediately serving tea and water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Chen did not refuse; he slung the Tianluo Umbrella behind his back and said plainly: “I came to Jiuzhen Lake because I heard its resources are abundant, with many medicinal herbs. Are there any hunters or herb gatherers nearby who know this lake well enough to venture deep into the marsh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The headman hesitated. “If you merely wish to tour the lake, the hundred or so acres of water are familiar to locals—fishermen often work nearby. But if you seek spiritual herbs, rhino horns, elephant tusks, precious medicinal bark… that’s far more difficult. Our people dare not enter the marsh—it’s full of miasma, insects, snakes, and ferocious beasts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are also jiao dragons and giant crocodiles. Ordinary fishing boats that venture ten li in are overturned and devoured whole.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Each year, those who enter the marsh are either local powerful clans hiring martial experts who can fly and leap, to hunt crocodiles and spiritual rhinos and gather precious herbs and materials—or wealthy families like the Wei family of Jiaobu Town, or the Gu and Tan families of the county seat. Every year, these great clans send hundred-zhang dragon ships to the marsh at fixed times to collect its bounty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only these people know the waterways. Common folk like us dare not interfere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?” Qian Chen had anticipated this. Entering the marsh to gather herbs was a matter of life and death—great profit meant great risk. The villagers here merely sought subsistence and peace; such deadly ventures were naturally avoided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the villagers were so wary—if Jiaobu Town was the best entry point into the marsh, then every year, the desperate outlaws who entered to gather herbs and hunt beasts passed through here. Even if most stayed within the town, they still disrupted the peace of the surrounding area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These wandering martialists had money and blades, and their trade was one of life and death—anything they did was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Chen was considering whether to seek out these martialists and obtain a map of the marsh, when the headman still gazed at him expectantly. The county magistrate was a hundred-li lord, and moreover, a scion of the Qinghe Cui family. If he could curry favor with this young Daoist, perhaps he could escape his menial duties, gain official status, and secure a post within the county seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could a village, no matter how good, compare to the city?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet after learning the truth about Jiuzhen Marsh, Qian Chen reached into his Qiankun Bag, pulled out a small gold ingot, split it into two gold leaves, and tossed them to the headman and the old man. He thanked them for their hospitality and took his leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ancient villages possessed a simplicity Qian Chen had never seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning mist had cleared, and the light rain had paused. A few children ran through the path, splashing in puddles to douse their companions. Those drenched did not grow angry but laughed louder, then sprinted toward their friends to stomp again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Chen saw Jiang Weng’s grandson among the children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s… let’s play under the big plum tree behind the village!” the child stammered to his friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeye won’t let me go…” Jiang Weng’s grandson bit his thumb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine—we won’t eat the plums, we won’t be poisoned… the jump under that tree is so high!” A slightly taller child laughed. “Let’s go under the tree and see who can jump the highest!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the children cheered and dashed off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Weng’s grandson limped to follow, but Qian Chen stopped him. The boy looked up at the Daoist he’d seen earlier, puzzled: “Who are you? What do you want with Yeye?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Chen smiled. “You’re disobeying Yeye again. You want to play under the big plum tree, don’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy nervously covered his mouth with both hands. “Don’t tell Yeye!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Chen chuckled. “Fine, I won’t tell him. But you must tell me where the big plum tree is—and what do you play there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy, reassured by Qian Chen’s smile and promise, sighed in relief. “You don’t seem like a bad person. The big plum tree is behind the village—it takes a while to reach. See that tree as tall as…?” He gestured to a nearby tiled house, measuring three stories high. “The one covered in red plums.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you can’t eat the plums on the tree… Uncle San once stole one, and then…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy licked his lips. “Everyone went to his house for a meal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Chen blinked, touched the Longque Ring on his wrist, and casually let the jade ring catch the boy’s eye—it gleamed brightly. The boy’s gaze lit up. Qian Chen asked: “If the plums are poisonous, why go there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy hesitated, unwilling to speak—he’d been warned by his friends not to tell adults secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qian Chen removed the Longque Ring and waved it before him, tempting: “If you tell me, I’ll let you play with this bracelet for a while…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The child cried out excitedly: “Really? Don’t trick me! Under the plum tree there’s a strange wind—it makes you jump super high!” He blurted out the children’s shared secret, nearly screaming. Qian Chen removed the ring, waved it before the boy, and the jade ring suddenly shrank to the size of two wristbands. The boy shrieked with delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Chen slipped the ring over the boy’s neck, then asked casually: “And is there not a single bird on the big plum tree?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy, too absorbed in the ring to answer seriously, bounced with joy: “No birds at all—not magpies, sparrows, crows—they don’t nest on the big plum tree. And the tree’s too tall for us to climb.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good thing you can’t climb it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Chen asked no more, raised his umbrella, and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy clutched the jade ring, wanting to call out—but seeing Qian Chen vanish into the distance, he hesitated, then turned and ran off!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About a meal’s walk from the village, toward Jiuzhen Marsh, one would see a giant plum tree beside the path. Its trunk was enormous, as thick as two children could embrace. Its canopy spread like a giant umbrella, shading nearly two mu of ground. Its gnarled branches twisted powerfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the dense canopy, green plums dotted the leaves, fresh and tempting, making one’s mouth water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, not a single bird perched on it… Below, seven or eight children laughed and played.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stood beneath the tree, two children gripping a smaller boy’s legs, then flung him upward. The tossed child soared six chi high—nearly a man’s height. A strange wind rose from the canopy, as if tugging his hair upward. The child screamed and laughed, floating high—until the wind weakened, and he drifted slowly back to earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The children repeated this several times, but this time, no strange wind came—only hard landings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several more attempts, the strange wind, which usually appeared quickly, remained absent for an unusually long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the eldest child grew impatient. He pointed at the smallest, Jiang’s grandson: “You’re lightest—I’ll throw you!” The boy, now distracted by his new toy, hesitated: “What if I fall?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll catch you!” The eldest grinned. “You’re not scared, are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not scared!” Jiang’s grandson, stung by the taunt, gritted his teeth and climbed onto the shoulders of two older boys, his feet planted on their legs. They steadied him, counted aloud: “One… two… three!” Then hurled him upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the strange wind surged far beyond normal. The tiny Jiang boy was caught in a powerful suction, rising higher and higher, flying toward the plum tree’s canopy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, cries of awe and alarm erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The older boys watched the Jiang boy rise higher—the wind pulled their own hair upright, and dry leaves swirled around them. Fear gripped them; some ran off, others tried to leap and grab his feet to pull him down—but the boy was already beyond their reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The closer he neared the canopy, the stronger the wind grew, and the faster he ascended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he neared the canopy, he saw a black hollow in the trunk’s fork—only three palms wide. The strange wind poured from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the boy reached the hollow’s mouth, his body, slightly larger than the opening, blocked it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, he saw two tiny lanterns glow within the hollow. A foul, pungent stench surged forth. In panic, his hand slipped inside and touched something slick and cold. Before he could react, a red tongue, as thick as a bowl, shot out from the hollow…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far away, Qian Chen, standing with his hands behind his back, smiled coldly—just as he’d expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a mere thought, the jade ring on the Jiang boy’s neck detached, falling into the hollow. The boy reached to grab it—but the ring, as it fell, grew rapidly, expanding to the size of a water jar. A blade of light shot from within, piercing the plum tree. The ring then tightened around the trunk and yanked out a serpent as thick as a water jar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The serpent, crimson-yellow, speckled with red spots like plum blossoms, was pinned through its vital spot by a black iron hook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It still writhed in death throes…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the serpent was dragged from the plum tree, the Jiang boy, clinging to the hollow’s edge, lurched and fell—but just as he was about to crash down, his body lightened, and he floated gently to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no one noticed this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the serpent was pulled from the tree, the children below screamed and scattered like rabbits. Two bolder ones stood frozen, staring at the monstrous snake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Longque Ring retrieved the serpent’s corpse and vanished instantly, returning to Qian Chen’s hand. He slipped the ring back onto his wrist, glanced at the sky, and raised the Tianluo Umbrella.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clear rain began to fall again. Amid the misty drizzle, Qian Chen walked away under his umbrella, singing without looking back…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fasten the sunset’s glow to my robe, lead me on an old horse…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Passing through misty villages, just as in my childhood home, petals still fly…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His figure faded into the distance, soon leaving the village far behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the children’s screams, villagers rushed out with hoes and pitchforks, only now managing to shield their own children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few bold youths, following the children’s chaotic directions, ran to the giant plum tree behind the village. They arrived to find chaos: broken branches, unripe plums littered the ground. Two children stood among the debris, leaves and twigs in their hair, dazed and terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>",1980,"2026-06-21T05:39:58.326Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c245f1a35eef36f86711ea521fa11b1293a89fca4785f0105cbeb368bc46e5de","the-dao-dust-pearl-chapter-50","the-dao-dust-pearl-chapter-48",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dao-dust-pearl-cover.jpg"]