[{"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-245":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},2292208,4481,"Chapter 245: The Poison","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-245",245,"\u003Cp>“Yes.” Lu Fang rose and stopped a short distance from Jue, maintaining enough space to keep his distance while still being able to hear her orders at all times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way around it, groveling like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he dared utter a single word of defiance now, he would only suffer further humiliation—or die right here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of this stemmed from the decision he had made earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he could only swallow his bitterness in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jue traced her fingers along the red whip in her hand and said: “From now on, when you hear orders from the King or me, you will not say ‘yes.’ You will say ‘Yes, Your Majesty.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang: “Yes, Your Majesty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jue suddenly laughed: “It must be because I’ve been sealed away too long—I used to find your obedience amusing, but now it’s utterly boring to see you act like a dog.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang cursed inwardly but pretended not to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jue walked up to Lu Fang and paced before him, coldly saying: “According to Song Hu Fa, as long as you’re given enough rewards, you’ll do anything. From now on, you’re an outsider of the Wuyi Clan—and your rewards won’t be lacking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The King plans to establish a power base dominated by the Wuyi Clan, and we’ll need to expand our forces. This is your chance to prove yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Making you my bodyguard is your first reward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With this position, no Wuyi Clan member below the rank of Hu Fa holds higher status than you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang feigned delight and nodded, though inside he cursed: Damn, this ancient alien woman knows how to give a slap and then a sweet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh!” Jue looked at Lu Fang with disgust and muttered: “Strange… why did I ever take interest in someone like you? Why did I praise you before the King? It must be because I’ve been sealed too long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t seem special at all. It’s infuriating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lashed her whip—this time not at Lu Fang, but at a nearby large tree, splitting it cleanly in two to vent her irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang’s eyelid twitched; he forced a smile and said: “Song Hu Fa is about to leave to gather intelligence. Would you permit me to accompany him? I can contact loyal followers willing to serve the King and Hu Fa.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If Hu Fa agrees, just give me ten thousand Dao Stones—I guarantee I can assemble a hundred-man squad of cultivators within three months.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Their strength may not be great, but they’ll be invaluable for intelligence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Intelligence must remain firmly under the King’s and Jue Hu Fa’s control—only then can we eliminate any potential threats before they arise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang mixed lies with truth to prevent suspicion from the King and Hu Fa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the earliest steps in building a power base is establishing a direct intelligence network—it’s essential for stable growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he said was correct, so Jue had no reason to doubt him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she suspected something, she’d likely assume he was a greedy fool trying to embezzle Dao Stones under the guise of building a network.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was exactly what Lu Fang wanted—this was all smoke and mirrors. His true goal was still to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jue fell into thought, then glanced at Song Ce, who was still speaking with Huan Hu Fa. She whispered to Lu Fang: “The King originally assigned the intelligence network to Song Hu Fa—but your idea isn’t bad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. Once Song Hu Fa departs, you’ll go out and build the network. I won’t give you Dao Stones—but I have some rare treasures here that will suffice to win loyalty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember: with the Wuyi Clan’s innate talents and strength, we’re destined to build our own power here. This is a critical moment—opportunities abound. It’s up to you to seize them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang’s eyes lit up; he whispered back to Jue: “Yes, Your Majesty. I guarantee I’ll establish an effective intelligence squad within one month, gathering all information on factions hunting the Wuyi Clan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jue gave no verbal reply—only a slight nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking with Huan Hu Fa for a while, Song Ce left alone, taking no Wuyi Clan members with him—they were too conspicuous; bringing them along would accomplish nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After waiting a while, as Lu Fang pondered how to prompt Jue to act, she tossed him a storage pouch and said: “Go. Don’t even think of stealing the rare treasures and running—I’ve left my scent on you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left her scent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang eagerly took the pouch, but his heart jolted—under his hyper-sensory perception, he hadn’t sensed when or how she’d marked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, with his hyper-sensory perception active, he couldn’t detect any trace of it, even after she’d warned him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the pouch were abundant crystals, ores, and special refining materials—all of high quality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might not be enough to recruit a hundred cultivators, but if he targeted weaker ones, it should suffice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jue read his thoughts from his expression and frowned: “You think this is too little? This is only initial investment. Return every ten days—I’ll give you more rare treasures. And remember: never mention the Wuyi Clan’s name outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re just a leader hired by a major power to build an intelligence network.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For your safety, swallow this pill. Without the Wuyi Clan’s unique antidote, you’ll die horribly. The poison activates once a month. One missed dose won’t kill you—but if you skip two months, you’ll dissolve into a pool of blood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jue pulled out a yellow pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Lu Fang snatched it and swallowed it—unexpectedly, it dissolved instantly, and pure energy surged through his limbs and meridians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Jue’s instruction, he sat cross-legged and began absorbing the energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some time, Lu Fang opened his eyes and chuckled softly: “I’ve advanced two minor stages. Jue Hu Fa—was that pill you made me take not poison, but a cultivation-enhancing tonic?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was now Fourth Rank, Second Stage. He knew well how difficult breakthroughs were—he’d been Fifth Rank, Third Stage before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One pill granting two breakthroughs? Honestly, if not for moral constraints, he’d consider staying indefinitely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jue glared at Lu Fang, who had only advanced two stages, and cursed: “Useless fool! You swallowed such a potent pill and only rose two stages? I shouldn’t have given it to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why is your talent so abysmal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wonder if entrusting you with responsibility was a mistake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course it’s a tonic—but also poison. I wasn’t joking. If you don’t take the antidote within two months, you’ll dissolve into blood. You should feel warmth in your dantian—that’s the hidden poison.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1097,"2026-06-20T03:56:22.339Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cd00fbbb71f3a70f223e20e3b54a1743372d331a14998590dc16bfe5d5579822","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-246","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-244",289,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-cover.jpg"]