[{"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-9":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},2291972,4481,"Chapter 9: Chapter Nine: The White-Horned Eagle King","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-9",9,"\u003Cp>“Well written!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu gave her approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The events of the past two days in Poxian had left her, who prided herself on “a bit of literary talent,” bewildered, and she finally understood that beyond the sky there is higher sky, beyond people there are greater people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the Dao of Heaven recognized A Dream of Red Mansions as elegant literature—just the first chapter’s diction, clever wordplay, and refreshingly novel writing style were dazzling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed, it’s excellent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang silently agreed in his heart, picked up his brush, and wrote the final paragraphs of Chapter One; only after finishing did he realize Li Yu had already left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She must have gone back to pack her belongings, since they were about to depart for the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She probably came straight over as soon as she got the news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long passed before Lu Ling hurried back from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang told Lu Ling: “Li Yu’s imperial decree orders us to depart immediately for the capital. Sister, come with me to the capital.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too hasty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling frowned, thought for a moment, then said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, you go ahead to the capital. I’ll sell our land and house first, then come to find you. The demon clans are after you—Li the scholar says they’re currently too occupied with their own troubles; I won’t be in danger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang urged: “Sister…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lu Ling had her own plan; she ordered Xiao Tao to pack Lu Fang’s belongings, took his hand, and gave him a solemn warning:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, out in the world, you must not act like a fool again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She handed him a protective talisman and ten silver notes worth a hundred taels each: “Take these. Use them to grease palms when needed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You keep the talisman,” Lu Fang said, accepting only the silver notes and slipping them into his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling didn’t press further; she reasoned that her brother had a Book Spirit, and was accompanied by a fifth-rank female Confucian scholar—he should be safe. She said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, you now possess righteous qi and have manifested a Book Spirit. You must resolve to fulfill your ideals, and never again indulge in pleasure—especially in places of vice and debauchery.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang laughed softly: “Why do you always sound so grim? Smile more. Your brother’s already resolved—he’s not the one who admires heroes? Then I’ll resolve to become a great hero.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, Lu Ling would never have believed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A great hero?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please. She dared not even hope for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as Lu Fang didn’t waste his life in dull stupor, and showed even a little promise, she’d be satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now it was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang had manifested a Book Spirit from an elegant text, and righteous qi from a demon-sweeping verse. With these two achievements, his future was assured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Autumn wind sighed, leaves withered and fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A carriage rolled out from Poxian’s city gate; on a remote stretch of road, Lu Fang in his white robe shot from the carriage like an arrow, hovering briefly in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Horse-drawn chariot, arise!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang shouted loudly; blue righteous qi surged forth, shaking the surrounding void and sending concentric ripples through space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath his feet, under the setting sun’s glow, the righteous qi coalesced into an ancient war chariot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the chariot, banners fluttered, and below lay a throne-like seat, its back carved with patterns of flying birds and running beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang stood atop the chariot, exhilarated—the sensation beneath his feet felt as real as solid matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Advance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chariot of righteous qi glided forward several zhang, then suddenly dissolved and vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the chariot’s support, Lu Fang flipped backward in midair, landed firmly on the ground, sprinted, leaped several times, and returned to the carriage, pulling back the curtain to climb inside and grumble:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Righteous qi doesn’t seem so impressive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d exerted tremendous effort to manifest the war chariot from the demon-sweeping verse—looks impressive, useless in practice, nowhere near as effective as the Qimen Flying Armor. To say he wasn’t disappointed was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu tightened her Confucian robe and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though you composed the demon-sweeping verse, for a ninth-rank, third-stage Confucian to manifest a chariot on your first try is beyond expectation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang smiled wryly and nodded—he had previously asked Li Yu about Confucian realms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ninth-rank Confucians could barely manifest isolated lines of poetry; to control them for offense or defense required full command of righteous qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overall, ninth-rank Confucians were weak in combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It will take several more days to reach Bozhou. If you’re idle, keep writing A Dream of Red Mansions. If the entire text is composed of elegant literature, it will greatly benefit your cultivation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading the first chapter of A Dream of Red Mansions, Li Yu was eager to see what story Lu Fang would write next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said not a single word urging him to write—yet every word was an urging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang had the same idea; writing in a bumpy carriage posed no difficulty for a ninth-rank, third-stage Confucian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had previously feared irritating Li Yu, but now that she had suggested it himself, he had no more reservations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chapter Two: Lady Jia Passes Away in Yangzhou; Leng Zixing Narrates the Rong Mansion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang dipped his brush in ink and began writing Chapter Two of A Dream of Red Mansions; at his current pace, he could reliably write two chapters per day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t in any hurry to finish A Dream of Red Mansions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aura of scholarly ink was still increasing, and for now, it was sufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Traveling to the capital normally took about a month; he could rush the writing once he arrived…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Lu Fang wrote one chapter, Li Yu read one chapter—gradually, she became addicted to A Dream of Red Mansions, turning into a diehard fan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the journey, the most frequent thing Li Yu said was: “When you’re not busy, write A Dream of Red Mansions…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A light rain began to fall from the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a secluded cave deep within a mountain valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scholar sat cross-legged, covered in wounds, yellow demonic qi rising around him, forming the vague, terrifying shadow of a ferocious fox.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demonic qi remained dense, healing the scholar’s injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An hour later, the demonic qi vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar opened a pair of “fox eyes,” gazing at the rain outside the cave and murmuring: “Heaven is unjust!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar was a ninth-rank fox demon, known by the elegant title “Biyan Zhihu,” and he had named himself Hu Wei—he was born with extraordinary intellect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before his death, the demon seer Wan Shu Wang left a prophecy; the demon clans secretly launched an “Assassinate the Prophecy-Bearer” operation, and Hu Wei was entrusted with the mission and sent to the Great Zhou Dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, this mission lacked favorable timing, terrain, and human support, ending in utter failure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What face do I have to return to the Ten Thousand Demon Palace?” Hu Wei sighed upward, his expression utterly desolate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A piercing eagle cry echoed through the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange eagle with twin white horns flew into the cave, landed, and transformed into a white-horned eagle demon over ten feet tall, with twin wings on its back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon walked upright, its limbs thick and ending in sharp claws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its sinister brown-yellow eyes, serrated beak, and black-and-white downy feathers and wings resembled overlapping scales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Torrents of demonic qi surged behind its head, coalescing into a “demonic wheel,” radiating overwhelming pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant greets the White-Horned Eagle King!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Wei bowed respectfully, forcing a faint smile—his trembling voice betrayed his inner terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the demon clans, those called “King” were all demons above ninth rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No king had participated in this assassination mission—but now the White-Horned Eagle King had traveled thousands of miles to find Hu Wei; he was likely here to punish him…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White-Horned Eagle King glanced coldly at Hu Wei and snapped: “Incompetent and useless!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Wei fell silent as a frozen insect, bowed low: “This guilty demon acknowledges his crime!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White-Horned Eagle King snorted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Had I my way, I’d kill you now. But after we ambush Li Mao’s daughter, Li Yu, you may return to the Ten Thousand Demon Palace to face your punishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!” Hu Wei nodded vigorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing Li Mao’s name, his expression grew colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The great Confucian Li Mao had slain many elite demons; Hu Wei had heard of it and gnashed his teeth in rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if this mission failed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must still teach this Great Zhou Confucian a painful lesson.\u003C\u002Fp>",1427,"2026-06-20T03:56:21.568Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4f3dd700f11736cfcd6177c3a9cac401ab5e1525abd3269b2af9df4e6c5fe376","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-10","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-8",289,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-cover.jpg"]