[{"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-95":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},2292058,4481,"Chapter 95","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-95",95,"\u003Cp>Wenguan Marquis Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling lifted a black stone, glanced at the black-and-white stones on the go board, and absentmindedly placed one down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu picked up a white stone, placed it on the board, capturing a large cluster of black stones, then shook her head: “Your mind is troubled—you’re not fit to play go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Li, I’ve lost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling immediately conceded and began gathering her black stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu collected the white stones as well, saying: “Sister, are you worried about the recent rumors of the demon race’s marriage proposal? You needn’t fret—my father says His Majesty won’t agree. This is merely the demon race’s attempt to humiliate Young Master Shu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling forced a faint smile and murmured:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When my brother was useless, I longed for someone to supervise his studies every day. Now that he’s Wenguan Marquis, I’m afraid he’ll come to harm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if the demon race intends…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could finish speaking,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Tao, seated in the outer chamber, exclaimed in delight: “Young Master, you’re back so soon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang smiled. “I’ve settled matters in Wuyincheng. Should I stay there to celebrate the New Year?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling stepped out happily, scanning Lu Fang from head to toe. Seeing no injuries on him, she finally exhaled in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang frowned: “Sister, are you unwell? We’ve only been apart a few days—how have you lost so much weight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Tao snapped:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s all because of those demon race marriage rumors—so despicable! Those demons are truly vile; they can’t defeat Young Master, so they resort to underhanded schemes. I heard even high officials in court support it. I’m furious, let alone the Young Lady.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You talk too much,” Lu Ling shot Xiao Tao a glare. “Brother, it’s nothing serious. Sister Li says His Majesty won’t agree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang nodded with a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed, no need to worry. I just left the palace—His Majesty clearly stated he won’t accept this proposal. He even considers it an insult to Da Zhou and will soon retaliate strongly against the demon race.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling patted her chest and let out a deep breath of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she’d heard it from Li Yu, her heart had still been clenched tight. Now that her own brother said it, she was utterly at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu stepped out and asked: “Young Master Shu, did you persuade Shen Squad Leader to promote the Da Zhou Gazette in Wuyincheng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang nodded with a smile and recounted the entire story of his trip to Wuyincheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yu listened, stunned. She’d assumed Lu Fang’s mission to negotiate with Shen Squad Leader would be extremely difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he’d come up with a commercial scheme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such an original idea—even Li Yu, who knew nothing of commerce—was instantly intrigued, let alone Shen Squad Leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Yu, isn’t your Young Master Shu handsome?” Lu Fang joked. “Don’t fall for me—I’m just a legend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft!” Li Yu flushed with embarrassment and anger, then hastily took her leave from Lu Ling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang was utterly baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling glared at Lu Fang. “Brother, you’re Wenguan Marquis now—how can you still speak so recklessly? You can’t talk to Sister Li like that—it’s too frivolous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang scratched his head, remembering—he wasn’t in his past life anymore. In Da Zhou, such remarks were indeed slightly too casual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right, Sister. I got carried away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling covered her mouth with a smile. “Brother, do you like Sister Li? If she became your wife, I think it’d be perfect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re matchmaking nonsense!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang sighed helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling’s smile faded. She grew serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, do you think Sister Li isn’t good enough for you? Or that she has some flaw? In my view, how many women in Da Zhou can match her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang fell silent. In talent and appearance, Li Yu was among the very best. Her charm was undeniable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d even dreamed of her several times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in reality, Lu Fang felt Li Yu might dislike him—he’d killed Lin Daiyu in his novel once, and she’d nearly beaten him up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, there was no spark between them. No feeling at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling added fuel to the fire:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, you don’t know—every time Sister Li talks to me, she can’t go three days without mentioning you. She says you’re talented, gifted, and of the finest character. If you’d just make the first move, things would turn out well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?” Lu Fang rubbed his chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come to think of it… maybe she does!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m Wenguan Marquis, and I saved her life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never noticed before, but now that you mention it—I recall her eyes always held admiration when she spoke to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Xiao Tao blinked her big eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling suppressed her laughter and nodded vigorously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, you’re at an age for marriage. You should pay attention—don’t keep acting indifferent. Look, even you’ve noticed it. To us outsiders, it’s obvious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, let’s talk about this later,” Lu Fang shook his head. “Make braised pork with preserved vegetables for dinner—I’m craving your specialty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, I’ll have the kitchen prepare the ingredients.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling beamed. “Brother, you’ve traveled far—you must be tired. Go rest. When dinner’s ready, I’ll send Xiao Tao to call you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang nodded and left, scratching his head, his voice barely audible: “Does Li Yu really like me?...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Lu Fang left,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling ordered: “Xiao Tao, go to the kitchen and have them prepare the ingredients for braised pork with preserved vegetables.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Xiao Tao nodded, hesitating. “Young Lady, did Sister Li really look admiring when she spoke to Young Master? I never noticed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling covered her mouth. “I didn’t notice either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Tao frowned. “Then why did you say it was obvious?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ling sighed with a wry smile. “Sister Li certainly doesn’t dislike Brother. Just now, I suddenly thought she’d be perfect—if she married in, it’d be a great boon for the Lu family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But my opinion alone isn’t enough, so I tested Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His reaction was clearly favorable toward Sister Li—look at how smug he just acted. I barely held back my laughter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's obvious that Brother just now had feelings for Sister Li—just look at how self-absorbed he was; I almost couldn't hold back laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Yao Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a gloomy, dim hall sat three Demon Kings: the Golden-Haired Monkey King, the Bai Jiaoying King, and the Bai Jing Tiger King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first-seated Bai Jiaoying King spoke coldly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard Da Zhou just sent a reply to the Demon Emperor. What do you think—will the Da Zhou Son of Heaven agree to the marriage proposal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bai Jing Tiger King, transformed into a purple-robed middle-aged man with a “King” mark on his forehead, said gravely: “The Da Zhou Son of Heaven has married into our race before. He likely won’t dare start a war this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Golden-Haired Monkey King sneered darkly: “Not necessarily. Had I not learned the Da Zhou Son of Heaven once swore never to marry into our race, I wouldn’t have proposed this marriage scheme.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Golden-Haired Monkey King sneered darkly: “Not necessarily. If I hadn’t heard the Great Zhou Son of Heaven declare he would never engage in marriage alliances, I wouldn’t have suggested this marriage ploy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>when a fifth-rank Tongbi Demon Monkey entered, bowed, and said: “Monkey King! The Wan Yao Hall has received Da Zhou’s reply—it explicitly refuses the marriage proposal. The Demon Emperor and the Three Elders are furious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good!” The Golden-Haired Monkey King asked: “What exactly did the letter say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good!” the Golden-Haired Monkey King asked. “What exactly did the letter say?”\u003C\u002Fp>",1267,"2026-06-20T03:56:21.568Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b6c088760567ba423e2291fb57531c2e4d46b954dd5630e47f2f2732b65d05b4","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-96","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-94",289,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-cover.jpg"]