[{"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-277":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},2292240,4481,"Chapter 277: Danger","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-277",277,"\u003Cp>They were not from the same world; Lv Youwei felt deeply disappointed, as if his heart had been hollowed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Scholar Li Yu—doesn’t she live in the courtyard next door? It’s been raining these past two days, and the weather’s turned chilly. Shouldn’t she have an extra quilt?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lv Youwei said with a serious expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Zheng blinked, then spoke like a seasoned veteran: “Big Brother Lv, if you really want to, why not take her a quilt yourself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Me? That wouldn’t be right,” Lv Youwei said, already tempted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Zheng winked and nudged him: “What’s wrong with that? It’s just a quilt. If you’re too shy, I’ll ask my mom to take it over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I…” Lv Youwei instinctively wanted to agree, but the words died on his lips; he sighed: “Let Madam Qian take her a quilt. My going wouldn’t be appropriate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Zheng nodded, speaking with solemn gravity: “Actually, Big Brother Lv, going wouldn’t hurt. She’s the legendary talent Li Yu—just talking to her once would give you material to brag about for life. I heard from my mom she’s leaving tomorrow morning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Saying a few words really isn’t a big deal.” Lv Youwei was about to accept the task of delivering the quilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, Zhao Weiru entered the inn with her entourage. As soon as she stepped in, she walked over and said: “Qian Zheng, take me to see Scholar Li Yu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.” Qian Zheng immediately agreed, leading Zhao Weiru toward the back courtyard. “By the way, Miss Zhao, why are you looking for Scholar Li Yu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Weiru smiled: “I’d like to invite Scholar Li Yu to my Zhao family…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t wait long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu emerged from the back courtyard with Zhao Weiru, her bags piled high. Hearing their conversation, Lv Youwei realized she had agreed to stay overnight at the Zhao residence and had already checked out at the front desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment they stepped out until they left, Lv Youwei stood by, never once getting a chance to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lv Youwei shook his head, his expression desolate as he returned to his own courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong with him? He looks like he’s burdened with some secret?” Madam Qian, behind the counter, looked bewildered and asked Qian Zheng with a hint of gossip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Zheng gestured toward the inn’s entrance with his chin, lowering his voice: “Big Brother Lv seems to have fallen head over heels for Scholar Li Yu. Just now, I heard him muttering her name absentmindedly—so sappy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!” Madam Qian stared, speechless. “Lv Sir is imagining too much. Who is she? The famed talent Li Yu of the entire Zhou Dynasty. How could there ever be anything between them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh!” Qian Zheng shook his head. “I never thought Big Brother Lv, such a straightforward, grounded man, would suddenly turn like this. Maybe this is love.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu had left Shuixiang Town!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, Lv Youwei learned from Qian Zheng that, thanks to his newfound literary aura and a stroke of luck, his relationship with Zhao Weiru had grown much closer—they were at least friends now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That morning, he had accompanied Zhao Weiru to see Li Yu off, watching her depart from Shuixiang Town with his own eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ping’an Inn returned to its usual calm. Though no one else had gained literary aura these past days, the guests’ enthusiasm remained undimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every mealtime, the first floor was packed with patrons come to hear Lv Youwei recite elegant literature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But over these past two days, Lv Youwei’s spirits had dipped. He often sat there lost in thought, staring blankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several times, when Qian Zheng and Madam Qian passed by, they heard him whispering “Li Yu”—as if he’d been possessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Lv Fang himself had never anticipated that, after sealing away all memories of Li Yu, the moment he saw her again, his heart would stir inevitably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps he had loved her long, long ago—only he hadn’t realized it then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With most of Lv Fang’s memories gone, Lv Youwei’s suppressed feelings for Li Yu had swelled endlessly, or perhaps simply poured out without restraint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed the Great Zhou’s Literary Marquis was not as carefree and heartless as he appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, a sudden downpour drenched the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lv Youwei, struggling to write the second chapter of his elegant tale “Journey to the West” on rice paper, managed only a few characters. He stared at the dozen or so lines he’d written, sighed, and set down his brush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After so many days, he’d written only this much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire story was clear in his mind, yet he couldn’t write it out in one breath—this frustration gnawed at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?” Lv Youwei frowned. He thought he heard movement outside his room. Instinctively, he grabbed a wooden stick beside him and walked toward the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now had some silver taels to his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He genuinely feared some foolish thief might target him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door creaked open. He immediately saw a white-clad woman lying in the courtyard. Just by her attire, he recognized her as Li Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavy rain poured down, washing the blood from her body, staining the puddles around her crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Scholar Li Yu, how did you get hurt?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lv Youwei rushed over. Confirming it was truly her—and that she was unconscious—he swiftly carried her to his bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he laid her down, she suddenly opened her eyes and instinctively struck out at him—until she recognized him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s you,” Li Yu whispered, her voice frail from grievous wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lv Youwei was startled by her weakness. “Scholar Li Yu, weren’t you already gone from Shuixiang Town? How did you get hurt?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu pulled an elixir from her storage pouch, swallowed it, then murmured weakly: “I was attacked by a barbarian outside town. I hope he hasn’t caught up yet. I’ll rest a moment, then leave—don’t want to drag Shuixiang Town into this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She fell unconscious again immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse still, as Lv Youwei turned to fetch a physician, the room’s temperature plummeted—suddenly as cold as an ice tomb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the flickering candlelight, a swift shadow darted past, snuffing out the room’s only illumination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every hair on Lv Youwei’s body stood on end. This unnatural phenomenon—surely the barbarian who wounded Li Yu had arrived. Yet his first thought wasn’t to flee—he stepped without hesitation to the bedside, positioning himself between the intruder and her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chilling laugh echoed in the room: “A mortal with no cultivation? You think you can stop me from killing her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“D-don’t come closer!” Lv Youwei stammered, trembling as he faced the towering barbarian before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice shook so badly, it sounded ridiculous.\u003C\u002Fp>",1113,"2026-06-20T03:56:22.339Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c4f23719d3b359a2a755e2431de79e7b799025b45b59f0dc826006f2e3e4133e","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-278","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-276",289,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-cover.jpg"]