[{"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-143":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},2292106,4481,"Chapter 143: The Law of Execution","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-143",143,"\u003Cp>Lu Fang glanced at Zhao Qingzhu upon hearing this; though he disliked spirits, he had to admit the spirit’s words held merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before they arrived here, only the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon and Zhao Qingzhu had been in this peculiar place, and he had heard Zhao Qingzhu’s account.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps this peculiar place was formed precisely because Wan Juan’s sacrifice failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So if there truly was some law, it might well reside within these two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what law was connected to these two? Lu Fang found this unclear; thinking of it, he turned to the spirit and asked, “What exactly is this law?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qingzhu also showed a look of curiosity; she had heard Lu Fang mention the law before, but only vaguely understood it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was more skeptical—could truly breaking this law really let them escape?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spirit nodded and said, “The laws of such peculiar places vary widely, depending on how each place came to be. I assume you’ve also seen the stone gate that brought you in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang hesitated. “Execution?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spirit smiled. “Correct. The law of this peculiar place is execution. And the way to break it isn’t unique. If I’m not mistaken, that Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon must have some connection to this woman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qingzhu frowned, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang fell silent, but his mind stirred—if the spirit’s words were true, perhaps breaking the law meant Zhao Qingzhu executing Wan Juan’s transformed Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the spirit had thought of this too; he chuckled, “I said before, this method of breaking the law isn’t unique—meaning, whoever executes whom can resolve this situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But what puzzles me is, this girl doesn’t seem strong at all—how did she survive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s none of your concern,” Lu Fang said coldly, turning toward Gubao with Zhao Qingzhu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qingzhu hesitated. “That man seemed to understand the law well. Why don’t we ally with him? I feel our chances of breaking the law would improve.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang shook his head gravely. “I don’t trust that man. He’s been trying to kill me before—I’m certain that if he gets the chance, he’ll strike without mercy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If neither of us can break this law, even allying with him won’t help much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After hearing his description of the law, do you have any thoughts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qingzhu paused, then said, “Did you truly see execution patterns on the stone gate? If so, perhaps killing the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon, transformed from Wan Juan, really could let us leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang nodded. “I think so too. Yesterday, when I saw the chains around the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon’s waist, I felt something odd. Now I think—perhaps it was a hint left by whatever created this place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have plenty of crystals for array formation. When the time comes, you set up the arrays—we’ll work together and maybe kill it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qingzhu shook her head. “It’s not as easy as you think. I’ve used array traps before to kill the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon, but its power is too great—it can shatter arrays outright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you were a fourth-rank, third-grade Confucian official, perhaps our combined efforts might have a chance...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she quickly changed her mind; she had assumed Lu Fang, at his level, wouldn’t possess many precious crystals or materials—yet when he pulled out a mountain of them, she was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sixth-rank, second-grade Confucian seemed far “richer” than she’d imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qingzhu suddenly remembered something. “Just now, that man called you ‘Wenguan Marquis.’ Are you a marquis of the Great Zhou? No—that doesn’t make sense. You look so young—how could you be a marquis?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang had only mentioned his relationship with Lu Ling, never his title as Wenguan Marquis of the Great Zhou. Hearing this, he briefly explained the basic facts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening, Zhao Qingzhu was startled. “I underestimated you before. You risked your life to find me for Ling’er—I truly thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang shook his head and changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These materials and crystals should be enough for you to set up many arrays. Even if the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon is strong, breaking through array after array won’t be easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qingzhu nodded with a smile. “With these crystals and materials, perhaps we can slay the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, Zhao Qingzhu set up array after array around Gubao—some triggered on entry, others only activated by her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as Lu Fang distracted it, Zhao Qingzhu believed they might truly kill the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they failed today, since they were right beside Gubao, they could advance or retreat as needed—they held the advantage of timing, terrain, and unity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a distance, the spirit watched Zhao Qingzhu setting up arrays around Gubao and murmured, “So my guess was right. No wonder she survived—it must be tied to that Gubao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But is it truly that simple—that her executing the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon breaks the law?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t this too obvious? The chains restrict it, and it won’t appear until dawn. Without deeper thought, it seems clear: kill the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon, and the law breaks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone seeing this would naturally assume she is the executioner—because Gubao remains untouched, proving the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon cannot destroy it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Added to that, Gubao shows signs of habitation—clearly Zhao Qingzhu has lived inside. This further suggests the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon cannot enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, if she’s outmatched, she can retreat into Gubao—she has absolute safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hope the law here is this simple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spirit chuckled softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He disliked Lu Fang intensely—even wanted to kill him and steal his fortune. But tonight, he wouldn’t interfere. Not only that—if possible, he’d lend a hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed escaping this hellish place was the top priority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he wasn’t trapped here, his bloodline’s ancestral memories would ensure him future achievements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As night fell, silence settled around Gubao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the dim entrance of Gubao, Lu Fang and Zhao Qingzhu stood, gazing westward, waiting for the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon’s arrival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t wait long—the sharp clinking of chains sounded again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon arrived before Gubao, its blood-red eyes fixed on the two humans nearby, nostrils flaring with breath, its gaze cold and utterly devoid of emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>",1027,"2026-06-20T03:56:21.568Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","385198e88fd30e5d42933ab7ada377ba889ad50a355f6f95b978a2a936230aaf","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-144","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-142",289,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-cover.jpg"]