[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou":3,"chapter-the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-106":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ink Saint of Great Zhou",{"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},2292069,4481,"Chapter 106","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-106",106,"\u003Cp>The Zheng family’s birthday banquet was a great success; just from Gao Youyao’s introductions, Lu Fang had met nearly every prominent merchant and noble in Beicheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the banquet, Old Master Zheng and County Magistrate Zheng appeared only briefly before moving to other courtyards to entertain guests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those in this courtyard were mostly the younger generation, all greeted by Zheng Youqing as he circulated among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just before the banquet ended, Zheng Youqing walked up to the table where Lu Fang and the others sat, ignored Lu Fang entirely, and stared fixedly at Gao Youyao: “Miss Gao, shall we move somewhere else to talk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright,” Gao Youyao replied, giving Wu Feng a glance; Wu Feng nodded slightly, rose, and followed behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing chuckled softly: “What? Don’t you trust my character, Miss Gao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao shook her head: “Not at all—I’m just worried about gossip. Would it be alright if Master Wu came with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Zheng Youqing could answer, Lu Fang smiled and stood up: “I’m coming too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao hesitated, then nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing smiled broadly—it was even better they all came; he wouldn’t have to devise a way to lure the scholar away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This way, please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group headed toward a side courtyard of the county magistrate’s residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wealthy merchants and nobles still drinking at the banquet noticed this and began whispering among themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like there’s going to be a show.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surely not—today is Old Master Zheng’s seventieth birthday. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate if something happened now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft, what’s inappropriate? You know what kind of man Zheng Youqing is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I feel sorry for that foolish scholar—he’s been dragged into this for no reason. He probably won’t even know how he died.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing led them to a secluded two-story pavilion and smiled sweetly: “Miss Gao, let’s go inside and talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao had expected this; her hand, hidden in her sleeve, tightened around the Shadow-Recording Talisman. She smiled: “After you, Young Master Zheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Feng said to Gao Youyao: “If anything happens, call out—I’ll burst in immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing smiled, unconcerned, and stepped into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao whispered in a low voice: “When I succeed, I’ll smash a cup or bowl—then I’ll need your help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced at Lu Fang and frowned: “I shouldn’t have brought you. Stay sharp and don’t provoke Zheng Youqing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it, got it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang replied indifferently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d pieced together most of what was going on—he’d insisted on coming to protect her from harm, but figuring out how to resolve this cleanly was proving difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Zheng family were officials—could he really use force?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he did, it would be unjustified, and what then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Gao Youyao entered the room, Zheng Youqing shut the door and leered up and down at her: “Miss Gao, why is this? What do I lack compared to that fool of a scholar?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao kept her distance and replied coldly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Zheng, show some respect. Didn’t you say you knew who poisoned my father? I want to know who did it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing laughed, unhurried, and sat calmly at the table, pouring himself a cup of wine: “Miss Gao, you didn’t eat enough, did you? I’ve had a special banquet prepared—let’s eat and talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao stood firm: “If you don’t know, then I’m leaving.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing instantly rose and blocked the door, his smile twisting into a snarl: “You bitch! You want me to beg you? You’re refusing my kindness? You’ll drink this today—even if I have to force it down your throat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao stumbled back two steps: “What are you planning? Is this all your scheme? Did you poison my father to seize the Gao family’s fortune?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing nodded, brazenly: “Yes, I ordered it. What else? That old fool refused my family’s marriage proposal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be sensible. Don’t force me to do something cruel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or do you think I won’t wipe out your entire Gao family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao, furious, snapped: “So it was you! You dare commit such a shameless act—don’t you fear retribution?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing grinned: “Retribution? I’ve already claimed your family. Do you think I don’t know you used a Shadow-Recording Talisman to trap my words? So what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao seized a wine cup from the table and smashed it hard against the floor—her goal was achieved; now she must leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing calmly raised his cup, drained it, and laughed: “Go ahead and smash—let’s see if your martial artist can even get in now, hahaha…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG! The door was kicked open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Feng frowned at Gao Youyao: “Are you alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao shook her head: “I’m fine, Master. Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang, who had entered behind them, glanced at Zheng Youqing’s frozen smile and chuckled: “Oh? Young Master Zheng, what’s wrong? You’re smiling worse than crying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You!” Zheng Youqing’s face flushed with rage. Seeing Gao Youyao and the others leave without any intervention from Ruan Gongfeng, he exploded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ruan Gongfeng! What’s going on?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the shadows stepped a middle-aged Confucian scholar, his face long like a donkey’s, with a goatee. His voice was sharp: “Young Master Zheng, I didn’t act for a reason.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing pressed urgently: “Didn’t we agree you’d subdue that high-rank martial artist? Are you not his match?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Gongfeng shook his head: “The martial artist you described is Sixth Rank, First Tier. I’m Sixth Rank, Second Tier—a Confucian scholar. I could easily defeat him, and I’m confident I’d subdue him within ten moves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing frowned: “Then why didn’t you act?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Gongfeng sighed: “Just as I was about to sneak in and strike, I suddenly felt a weight of a thousand jin pressing down on me—I couldn’t move a muscle. Someone powerful was watching.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Zheng Youqing’s face turned deathly pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone stronger than Ruan Gongfeng? Without even appearing, they’d paralyzed him—clearly, the hidden high-level cultivator was immensely powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did Gao Youyao hire a high-level cultivator?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing remembered his reckless words—if Gao Youyao had recorded everything with the Shadow-Recording Talisman and took it to the authorities, everything was finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ruan Gongfeng read his thoughts and said solemnly: “At this point, we must tell Old Master Zheng everything. Neither you nor I can handle this alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandfather will scold me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Youqing panicked—he couldn’t fathom why a minor family like the Gaos could afford to hire a high-level cultivator to protect them.\u003C\u002Fp>",1074,"2026-06-20T03:56:21.568Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7c646db027c8349ba78d6ee64619e2dc6ab5247e4a0cfce2a5fff438254ad302","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-107","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-105",289,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-cover.jpg"]