[{"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-80":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},2292043,4481,"Chapter 80: Who Poisoned Him?","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-80",80,"\u003Cp>“Ancestor, what’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader cried out in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Kangbo’s eyes dimmed; he closed them, sensed for a moment, then weakly said, “I’ve been poisoned by a powerful toxin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Poison?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang frowned. Shen Kangbo was a half-sage; only a toxin of great origin could affect him—and who would dare poison a half-sage as wealthy as him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sensed a conspiracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How convenient—he arrives, and someone poisons Shen Kangbo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is he just unlucky, or is someone deliberately targeting him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Kangbo’s face turned ashen. “Lord Wenguan, forgive me for causing you such a spectacle. The poison is ravaging my internal organs; if I’ve been inattentive in my hospitality, please accept my apologies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Shen Kangbo swept his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hum!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An ancient bronze bell rose into the air, casting mysterious light beams that enveloped Shen Kangbo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only moments passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Kangbo, seated cross-legged, kept his eyes shut, his complexion worsening by the second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It shifted from pale to a sickly green, then to carrot-red; his eyebrows nearly stood on end, his teeth clenched tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone get here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader shouted. The Shen family guards rushed in. She scanned Shen Xiaxuan and Lu Fang with a cold, scrutinizing gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These two are suspected of poisoning the Ancestor. Under no circumstances are they to leave this room without my order.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang frowned. “Miss Shen, we’ve only been here a few minutes. To poison a half-sage so directly—you’re overestimating us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader’s eyes were like ice, fixed on Shen Xiaxuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From what Lord Wenguan just said, you don’t even know this woman who claims to be the Ancestor’s daughter. How can you be sure she didn’t do it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Xiaxuan frantically waved her hands. “I didn’t poison anyone! I came to reunite with my family—why would I poison Shen Kangbo? Don’t make false accusations—I didn’t do it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader ignored her, sneering at Lu Fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Wenguan, why are you silent? Can’t you even confirm her identity? Hmph! Even if you’re a marquis, if my Ancestor dies, I’ll make both of you pay with your lives!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang said nothing. He couldn’t verify Shen Xiaxuan’s origins, but he didn’t believe she was the poisoner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader was too furious. If she’d just calmed down, she’d realize: how could an eighth-rank martial cultivator poison a half-sage face-to-face?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hadn’t even touched. They’d exchanged only two sentences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the poison had to bypass Shen Kangbo’s awareness—that was too improbable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An elderly man in his fifties entered with a group, tall and lean, his face sharp and weathered. Seeing Shen Kangbo’s condition, he roared:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could this happen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader bowed slightly. “Uncle, just moments ago, the Ancestor met Lord Wenguan and an unknown woman—then suddenly collapsed from poison.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang frowned. The newcomer was Shen Squad Leader’s uncle—certainly Shen Qi. He spoke up: “There’s a misunderstanding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qi snorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only the three of you were present when Father was poisoned. Either you did it, or she did.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Squad Leader, don’t think I’m accusing you—only you normally get close to Grandfather. An eighth-rank martialist and a seventh-rank Confucian? They couldn’t poison a half-sage face-to-face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Given the poison’s timing, your suspicion is the greatest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qi spoke with solemn logic; everyone in the room nodded, murmuring in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle! How could I poison Grandfather? Don’t say such things!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader’s expression flared with outrage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qi’s face remained expressionless. “No one leaves this room without my order—not even Shen Squad Leader.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I dare anyone to try!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader looked as if she’d been grievously wronged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qi murmured: “Xu Yiwen—if Shen Squad Leader tries to leave, disregard her status.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thin, tall old man stepped forward, standing rigid as a spear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a first-rank Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader clenched and unclenched her fists, then turned to Shen Kangbo. “Ancestor… are you alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Kangbo’s condition was visibly dire. He sat there, emitting black mist, like a dying old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qi wept bitterly. “Father, rest assured—I’ll find who poisoned you. Even if I drain every last coin of the Shen family, I’ll make them pay dearly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Xiaxuan crept beside Lu Fang, whispering:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Lu, you believe me, right? I didn’t poison the Shen Ancestor. They won’t pin this crime on us, will they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang reassured her: “If you’re innocent, you have nothing to fear. The Shen family won’t let the real culprit go unpunished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Xiaxuan looked anxiously at Shen Kangbo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang noticed her gaze. “The Shen Ancestor is a legend—he won’t die so easily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said it, but he wasn’t certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, whoever dared poison Shen Kangbo must have been confident—otherwise, they wouldn’t have acted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen family members arrived one after another, wailing and threatening vengeance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Kangbo’s second son, Shen Qiheng, a middle-aged scholarly man, listened to the account, then frowned: “Brother, should we seal off Shen Mountain? The poisoner might have other plans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished speaking,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qicheng’s eldest son, Shen Lingyun, rushed in, shouting:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father! Second Uncle! We found poison in Squad Leader’s room—I don’t know what kind, come look!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible! Shen Lingyun, don’t frame me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader’s eyes widened, lunging forward—but Xu Yiwen blocked her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Lingyun sneered: “You want to kill Grandfather, don’t you? After all, he’s planning to leave the Shen family to you—you’re afraid he’ll change his will, so you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qicheng snapped: “Lingyun, don’t speak nonsense. This powder isn’t poison—it’s ground castor beans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qiheng nodded. “It’s definitely castor bean powder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang watched the farce, puzzled. He couldn’t be sure if Shen Squad Leader was guilty, but it didn’t feel like her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who’d be so foolish as to poison someone, then stay right in front of them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless Shen Squad Leader was acting against logic—but everyone in the Shen family seemed hostile toward her, even antagonistic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Shen Kangbo died now, she wouldn’t benefit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if Shen Squad Leader were truly ruthless, she wouldn’t resist marrying him—it would secure her position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather, Shen Qicheng and Shen Qiheng—Lu Fang knew one controlled the Shen family’s finances, the other its intelligence network.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t underestimate that network. The Shen family’s business spanned the entire Zhou Empire; their intelligence was undoubtedly vast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang now thought: their motives were the strongest.\u003C\u002Fp>",1063,"2026-06-20T03:56:21.568Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3a2cc1d09f53f996b1cfd9a0431c4f424c9f6a964aef15f843566f4b7cf8c4b9","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-81","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-79",289,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-cover.jpg"]