[{"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-42":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},2292005,4481,"Chapter 42: Chapter Forty-Two: One Arrow, Two Eagles","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-42",42,"\u003Cp>“Willing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker was Lu Fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eager to seize great fortune, he was willing to try even if he believed only four-tenths of what Snow Luo Sha said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they could truly find the ancient land of a human cultivator of great power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only might they gain vast fortune, but also have a chance to obtain the residual spiritual imprint and divine arts of that human cultivator!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Danger and reward are always proportional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s nearly impossible to gain vast fortune without taking risks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After weighing the pros and cons, Lu Fang agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zixuan frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Snow Luo Sha—his heart simply had no confidence; ancient sages’ records said the ancient lands of the Lesser Upper Realm were extremely dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout history, very few had survived emerging from those ancient lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancient land of a human cultivator of great power was indeed tempting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with only their three’s strength, they might fall into grave peril…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go! Why not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang’s gaze was resolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re willing?” Snow Luo Sha wrinkled her nose in disgust. “I certainly don’t want to go searching with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has no one ever told you how childish you are?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang rolled his eyes upward in an exaggerated, theatrical motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re utterly rude!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow Luo Sha rolled up her wide palace sleeves, revealing pale arms, clearly preparing to teach Lu Fang a lesson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop! Stop! Stop!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zixuan once again stepped between the man and the Luo Sha, shaking his head vigorously at Lu Fang, then at Snow Luo Sha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was utterly fed up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did these two have incompatible destinies?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did two words lead to fists?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please don’t harm your harmony. Princess Snow Luo Sha, this gentleman is our Great Zhou’s Civil Crown Marquis—he means no harm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zixuan glanced at Lu Fang, whose dark armor had already materialized, then at Snow Luo Sha, fists clenched and eyes blazing—clearly neither had listened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He Zixuan, move aside. Let me teach her a lesson.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang said in a low tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You move aside! How dare he talk about teaching me a lesson? I’ll knock every tooth out of his mouth—I’m furious! Even my two-headed dog is stronger than him! How can anyone be this unbearable!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow Luo Sha’s melodious voice turned shrill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both the man and the Luo Sha reached out and grabbed He Zixuan’s shoulders, pulling him left and right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zixuan spun like a ball, turning several times in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zixuan shouted sternly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to scold the two for their foolishness, his peripheral vision caught a figure rapidly approaching from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That figure looked vaguely familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang also saw the newcomer. “It’s Xiao Yunru!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zixuan nodded. “Why does he look so disheveled? Like he’s fleeing for his life—who has the strength to chase him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still fighting or not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow Luo Sha snapped irritably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To her surprise, He Zixuan and Lu Fang completely ignored her, instead commenting on Xiao Yunru’s frantic escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This scene is rare indeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zixuan pulled a memory-recording talisman from his treasure pouch and recorded the pitifully fleeing Xiao Yunru.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow Luo Sha, ignored, felt as if she’d punched air—furious, she stomped her foot. How utterly insulting to a Luo Sha!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? Xiao Yunru, why do you look so ragged?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zixuan tucked away the memory talisman and greeted Xiao Yunru as he arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yunru ignored him entirely, darted past the trio, and kept running without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘You’ll have no more laughter left!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yunru thought bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lian Yi clung to him like sticky glue—he couldn’t shake him off, so he angrily stopped and fought a few rounds with Lian Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment they clashed, he immediately abandoned the fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was no match for Lian Yi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After fleeing for a while, Xiao Yunru devised a plan to kill two birds with one arrow: lure Lian Yi to Lu Fang, forcing them to fight each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could escape Lian Yi’s pursuit and use the blade to kill Lu Fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this guy being chased by dogs? Running so fast?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zixuan teased, watching Xiao Yunru’s retreating back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang, however, frowned at a distant dark shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than ten breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black-robed monk in a saffron cassock sprinted over, landing lightly atop a sand dune, palms together as he uttered a Buddhist greeting, his eyes—full of aggression—boldly scanned Snow Luo Sha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Luo Sha woman, you are destined to be mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lian Yi’s gaze was greedy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Lotus Buddhist sect’s arts centered on plunder, and Snow Luo Sha’s potent Yin energy was the perfect match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zixuan recognized the monk’s attire, his smile freezing: “Black Lotus Buddhist Sect!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His power is immense!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang warned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had read about the Buddhist kingdoms and, upon hearing the man was from the Black Lotus Buddhist Sect, prepared for immediate combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A monk from the Buddhist kingdom that worships plunder—the Black Lotus Buddhist Sect?” Snow Luo Sha scrunched up her face. “I have no destiny with you. Leave now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no, no!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lian Yi shook his head wildly, glancing sideways at Lu Fang and He Zixuan. “I want only the Luo Sha woman. You two are lucky—I allow you to leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black lotus platform, the size of a palm, rose from Lian Yi’s chest, swelling with the wind until it grew to over ten zhang wide, engulfing him and Snow Luo Sha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Powerful pressure spilled from the black lotus, forming gales that whipped sand into chaotic swirls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She is our friend. If you intend to trouble her, you’d better weigh whether you have the strength to fight three at once!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Zixuan’s voice was hoarse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lian Yi’s strength was obvious to any sane person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke firmly, yet still felt dread—perhaps even their combined strength wouldn’t be enough against Lian Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this man was the monk who had chased Xiao Yunru to the brink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bravo! You truly have a gentleman’s spirit!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow Luo Sha, enclosed within the black lotus, was far calmer than He Zixuan—she even gave a thumbs-up, nodding approvingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leave—or die!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lian Yi didn’t look at He Zixuan; he tilted his head toward Lu Fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We don’t want to leave. And we don’t want to die.” Lu Fang met Lian Yi’s violent gaze without fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow Luo Sha nodded slightly, smiling at Lu Fang. This human wasn’t as unbearable as he’d seemed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh dear, I was probably quite rude just now myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, you looked so confident a moment ago—your strength must be decent. Can’t you just defeat this little monk yourself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang whistled, smiling as he continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you can’t beat him, and even our combined strength can’t beat him, then for our safety, if you lose, we’re running!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow Luo Sha was stunned. When she finally processed it, she shut her eyes, lowered her head, then snapped her head up and screamed: “Ahh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could there possibly be such an unbearable human in this world!\u003C\u002Fp>",1171,"2026-06-20T03:56:21.568Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7027254787c927c82a12d2feba176ce0908d1a7c119488dd3650a3592c918191","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-43","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-41",289,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-cover.jpg"]