[{"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-84":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},2292047,4481,"Chapter 84","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-84",84,"\u003Cp>Shen Qi bowed to Lu Fang and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis Wenguan, we can make a concession—for now, refrain from using special methods against her. But the three of you must not leave this hall. That is the Shen family’s bottom line.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang exhaled in relief and replied, “Agreed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qicheng snorted, turned, and walked away. “Those useless fools still haven’t identified the poison?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qiheng looked at those in the hall and said, “Everyone, disperse. Your presence here helps nothing. Stay alert—someone dared to poison, so they might launch a surprise attack on the Shen family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the others gradually left…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qiheng said to the lead guard, “From now on, no one may approach this place without my permission.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead guard responded in affirmation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Qiheng cast one final glance at Shen Kangbo, whose condition remained poor, then hurried away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Lu, thank you,” Shen Xiaxuan said bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not for you, I’d be dead right now. How can the Shen family be so tyrannical and unreasonable?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader said coldly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You still don’t understand the Shen family’s current situation. The Patriarch has been poisoned—that’s a massive crisis for the family. Even you, let alone me, are under house arrest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Xiaxuan rolled her eyes behind her back, had no interest in arguing, and leaned close to Lu Fang with concern:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Lu, are you alright? I just saw you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang shook his head and turned to Shen Squad Leader:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can now be certain the poisoner is someone from the Shen family—or at least closely tied to it. If you had to guess, who do you think is the most likely suspect?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Dadan sniffed and blurted out: “It must be Shen Lingyun!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader shook her head. “My eldest cousin wouldn’t dare do something like this. Even if he wanted to, he’d have my uncle’s backing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang pressed: “You think Shen Qicheng is the most likely poisoner? Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader paused, then spoke slowly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before I was seven, all Shen family affairs were managed by my eldest uncle. Though my second uncle made better business decisions, everyone assumed my eldest uncle would inherit the family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Patriarch himself intended to groom my eldest uncle as successor, while my second uncle served more as an advisor. No one objected—after all, my eldest uncle was the eldest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang nodded. Though the Great Zhou didn’t rigidly follow primogeniture like his past world, succession usually followed birth order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader gave a bitter laugh and continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After I turned seven, I don’t know why the Patriarch suddenly took notice of me. He trained me in both business and martial arts, treating me as if I were his heir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My parents thought I was clever and gifted. I never felt that way myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But as I grew older, several business reforms and strategies I proposed succeeded spectacularly. In martial cultivation, I crushed all my peers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So rumors spread that I was the future Shen heir. Two years ago, the Patriarch officially named me his successor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang nodded. “So you believe Shen Qicheng poisoned the Patriarch to seize the succession?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That explained why the Shen family treated Shen Squad Leader with hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader shook her head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do think that, but my second uncle isn’t even a Shen by blood—he’s also a suspect. Honestly, if not for this incident, I’d never suspect either of these two elders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before this, even if they resented the Patriarch naming me heir, they never acted out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To me, both have truly devoted themselves to the Shen family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang understood her meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was contradictory—she suspected both, yet didn’t believe them capable. Yet outside herself, they were the only two with strong motive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader sighed and looked at Shen Kangbo within the mystic light: “Who the culprit is doesn’t matter anymore. If we can cure the Patriarch, all problems vanish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang wasn’t so optimistic. Whoever used poison to frame Shen Squad Leader either used an irremediable toxin—or a fake one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was truly a frame-up, then the poisoner didn’t want Shen Squad Leader to inherit the Shen family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After considering all angles, Shen Qicheng and Shen Qiheng remained the top suspects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Xiaxuan muttered under her breath:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could they have teamed up? I thought Shen Qiheng seemed to revere Shen Qicheng. Maybe they made some deal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible!” Shen Squad Leader declared firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Both my uncles deeply respect the Patriarch. One might turn traitor for some reason—but both simultaneously? Nearly impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Xiaxuan countered: “Why not? If one can have ill intent, why not two?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader sneered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because my two uncles control nearly all of the Shen family’s power. If they had reached an agreement, they wouldn’t need poison.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then…” Lu Fang’s eyes gleamed. “Who do you think is the third suspect?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader froze, clearly never having considered this. She frowned deeply, then said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t think of anyone else. If I must pick one, it’s the mysterious woman beside you, Marquis Wenguan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Xiaxuan rolled her eyes. “I think the third suspect is you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader ignored her and turned to Lu Fang:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m curious—why do you protect this mysterious woman? To stand against the Shen family for a woman? If Master Wang truly wanted you dead, even with a Half-Sage protecting you, he could kill you easily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Xiaxuan blinked, watching Lu Fang closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang smiled wryly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t I already say? She’s my responsibility. She’s just an innocent caught in this conspiracy. As my friend often says—if I abandon her, I won’t be able to sleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Dadan sniffed, speaking with the wisdom of a child:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not falling for her, are you? My master says men all fall for every pretty woman they see—even the Patriarch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Squad Leader tapped Shen Dadan on the head—he winced and crouched down. She treated it like routine, ignored him, and said to Lu Fang:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m curious—if you had to choose, who do you think is the third suspect? Aside from me.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1019,"2026-06-20T03:56:21.568Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7ef476778d4228d431e5e014e6988a339b12a494a0dc42714cdd8977c2c95176","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-85","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-83",289,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-cover.jpg"]