[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-path-of-immortality":3,"chapter-the-path-of-immortality-the-path-of-immortality-chapter-497":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Path of Immortality",{"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},2271647,4436,"Chapter 497","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-497",497,"\u003Cp>The Great Liang Kingdom, Xiaqiu—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city is built against the mountains, and the river winds around them; this is where countless waters converge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take the Great Lake alone—Qiwu Lake, one of the top six lakes in all of Great Liang, lies not far from the mountain city. Also, the You River, Li River, Zhang River, Ruan River, and Fu River each swell in turn and merge here, yet the people still call the combined river the You River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The You River flows west without pause, cutting through the lands of several nations, until finally it empties into the vast Western Crossing Sea, at last coming to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to the vast waters, the fish market in Xiaqiu thrives extraordinarily, giving rise to numerous large and small fishing guilds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each guild’s members are trained in mortal martial arts; among them, the skilled can fight ten men at once, and it is said that the leaders of the two largest fishing guilds in Xiaqiu are even cultivators who have crossed the Heavenly Gate of the Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They command talismanic artifacts, command yin spirits and ferocious beasts—truly fearsome, not to be underestimated!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They not only control several rivers and lakes around Xiaqiu, but firmly hold the city’s fish market, and have colluded with local officials, smoothing over all bureaucratic hurdles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From then on, their position grew even more solid—they had become the undisputed tyrants of the city!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Xiaqiu, due to the mutual protection among guilds,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>anyone working for even a moderately sized fishing guild is regarded by the townsfolk as having a legitimate trade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for those from the major guilds, no further explanation is needed—their doorsteps have been worn down by matchmakers’ feet more times than anyone can count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today is the wedding day of a well-known member of the Yi Lake Guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Yi Lake Guild is quite large, many came to honor the couple’s wedding invitations, and several officials familiar with the bride and groom even took leave specifically to attend, making the scene even more lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a time, the three-compound old house rang with gongs and drums, filled with laughter and chatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Red silk tassels and cypress branches hung beneath the eaves to ward off evil and invite fortune, complemented by the brilliant red wedding couplets everywhere, giving the whole place an especially festive air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with so many guests, the house could not hold them all; neighbors came to help, offering their own small courtyards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the streets on both sides were lined with tables, chairs, and benches, stretching in a continuous line like a long dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, around a large round table, six or seven people sat chatting over tea and fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a half-grown boy with sun-darkened, coarse, blackened skin and bright, darting eyes full of cunning turned his head sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought he had heard a familiar voice, and leapt off the bench in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His swift motion caused his sunshade bamboo hat to tilt; he hastily grabbed it and clumsily steadied it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy had not misheard—sure enough, moments later, a figure turned into the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exchanging polite bows with the host who was greeting guests, the man walked straight toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Chen!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy leapt forward, exclaiming joyfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before his eyes stood a young man of about twenty, wearing a slightly worn blue cotton robe, slender and of unremarkable appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang smiled and nodded at the boy as he entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He first exchanged pleasantries with the others at the table, then pulled the boy over and sat beside him on the bench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been days since we last met—you’ve grown even darker. I forgot to ask yesterday at the fish market: how are your cormorants doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang lifted his teacup, took a sip, and asked the boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Chen, don’t mention those cormorants! I was planning to raise them to help me fish, but a few days ago they all died—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, the boy’s enthusiasm surged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he started talking, he couldn’t stop, pulling Chen Hang into a long stream of words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang listened, his thoughts stirred slightly, and he couldn’t help but feel something deep within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, since he had concealed his appearance and come to Xiaqiu posing as a wandering scholar, half a year had slipped away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In these six months, he had indeed cultivated his magic power, living like an ordinary mortal—rising with the sun, resting with its setting, showing no sign of difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After earning money by selling calligraphy and essays at the market, Chen Hang had specifically bought a small boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his spare time, he would row it across the rivers and lakes, enjoying the wind and moonlight; to outsiders, he seemed content and carefree…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several months ago, while rowing along a tributary of the Zhang River outside the city, he had accidentally saved a life—the very boy now wearing the bamboo hat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy’s name was He Chang, son of He Hui, the old head of the Bamboo Creek Guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Bamboo Creek Guild bears the name of a fishing guild and is officially registered with Xiaqiu’s merchant association, it is merely a loose gathering of fishermen from Bamboo Creek Village and nearby households, even borrowing the village’s name for its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, though He Hui is the guild’s leader, his household is far from wealthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, after a family tragedy years ago, He Hui refused to move into Xiaqiu City, choosing instead to remain and tend his ancestral land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several months ago, He Chang accidentally swallowed a poisonous insect while swimming, disrupting his qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Chen Hang not pulled him onto his boat, He Chang would have drowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of this bond, He Chang naturally grew very close to Chen Hang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And He Hui was endlessly grateful,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>offering lavish gifts in thanks, though Chen Hang repeatedly refused them; still, He Hui kept this debt of gratitude deeply in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, as He Chang finally finished speaking, his throat dry, he hastily lifted his teacup and drank it down in one gulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, an old man with white whiskers approached, spoke a few words, and asked Chen Hang to step outside to write a few characters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang had wanted to tell Chen Hang about his recent experiences raising cormorants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing someone had called him, he could only shut his mouth with a sheepish look, waiting to continue after Chen Hang returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hang usually earned his living by selling calligraphy and essays at the market; He Chang was not surprised by this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon after Chen Hang left, a green-dressed girl with a delicate, beautiful face at a nearby table pursed her lips and quickly followed him outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang frowned, thought for a moment, and instantly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to look around, as if searching for his father and several village friends to come to his aid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after searching for a long while, he could not find them anywhere, making him blink frantically, drenched in sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At a time like this, where the hell have they gone to drink horse piss?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang knew he could not delay any longer; after a moment, he could no longer bear it and bolted outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he could catch up to Chen Hang, as he passed a dark alley, a hand suddenly shot out from within, aiming to drag him deep into the shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though startled by this sudden attack, He Chang reacted instantly, twisting his waist and executing the Iron Plank Bridge technique to evade the grab.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of them, living on the water, had learned some martial arts for self-defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention He Chang’s late elder brother, who had truly been a Daoist qi cultivator, having joined the Liang Kingdom’s cultivation sect, Yuanshan Mansion—once bringing great glory to the He family of Bamboo Creek Village and making them famous throughout Xiaqiu!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though this brother had died in a training accident before reaching Foundation Establishment, his hard-won embryonic breath dissolving into nothing, he had left behind some legacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them were several martial manuals and medicinal bathing methods, later applied to He Chang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though He Chang had dodged in time, the man in the alley changed tactics instantly, flipping his wrist to seize He Chang’s collar, then yanking him sideways with force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang’s scalp tightened, but now he could not break free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let himself fall forward, and at the same time swung a powerful punch straight at the man’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A palm intercepted He Chang’s fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the dull sound echoed, He Chang felt as if he had struck thick oxhide; his knuckles tingled red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the man across from him also grunted softly—clearly, He Chang’s punch had hurt him, at least a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He Chang, your martial arts haven’t improved at all these years. Your brother was once such a formidable figure—a true Daoist qi cultivator! How can you, his brother, be as stupid as an ox?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as He Chang was about to explode, the hand gripping his collar suddenly released him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a voice came from the alley:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard that a few months ago, you foolishly poked at leeches at the bottom of the river and got bitten, nearly drowning? Only you could do such a stupid thing in all of Xiaqiu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huang Min?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the voice, He Chang slowly lowered his fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his guard remained high; he asked suspiciously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You knew about this? Though you’re always full of nonsense, you still have some martial spirit—you wouldn’t trick Big Brother Chen out here and then gang up on him, would you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Min, if you’re involved in this, I really will look down on you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bullshit! My Huang family is one of Xiaqiu’s great clans—don’t judge a gentleman by a villain’s standards!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This matter is entirely my sister’s doing; she wants to ask Chen Hang his feelings directly, just the two of them, no one else involved—how could there be any gang-up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Min slammed his palm against his palm, furious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s just a poor scholar who sells calligraphy and essays, an outsider, with an utterly ordinary face—not even remotely handsome, lost in a crowd the moment you look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many times has my sister even met him? How many words have they exchanged?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could she suddenly admire his character and talent, insisting on asking him his feelings?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absurd! Ridiculous! I think your Big Brother Chen is a demonic cultivator, skilled in witchcraft and curses, and has bewitched my sister!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang’s expression was now quite a sight; he ventured cautiously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… Big Brother Chen was lured out by your sister acting on her own? And you suddenly grabbed me to stop me, just to avoid spoiling their moment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean ‘spoiling their moment’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Min was furious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re utterly ignorant!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, as the voices continued, the man from the alley slowly stepped forward—he was a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy, tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a fine hemp robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at He Chang, still resentful, muttering:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just don’t get it—what’s so special about Chen Hang?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never mind other things—this man is even afraid of water. We’re all from a water village, yet my sister is obsessed with him—I simply can’t understand it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t talk nonsense!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang’s expression turned grim:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If Brother Chen truly feared water, how could he have ever rowed a boat—and how could he have saved my life? You’re plainly lying with your eyes wide open.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he truly wasn’t afraid of water, why does he only play around in small streams and ponds, never venturing onto the big rivers? Earlier, under the pretense of buying paintings, I asked him this very question—he simply said the time hadn’t come yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Min shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What time? There’s no such thing as ‘the right time.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I think this man is plainly afraid of storms and waves, which is why he acts this way—who in a water village behaves like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, He Chang fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon reflection, he realized that although Chen Heng loved wandering through mountains and rivers, he had indeed never ventured onto those wild, turbulent major rivers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself had once asked curiously, and received precisely that same excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t talk nonsense!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang merely repeated the phrase again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Min gave a faint, cold laugh, said nothing, and after a while, guessed his sister had finally said everything on her mind—he nodded slightly, signaling, and walked out of the alleyway with He Chang behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had the two turned a corner than Huang Min saw his sister’s eyes slightly red as she walked away with her head down, while Chen Heng bowed apologetically behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ungrateful fool—this is better!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Huang Min knew the outcome was final.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Filled with both anger and relief, his emotions were complex—he muttered those words and turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang rubbed his chin; as he walked up beside Chen Heng, he heard him sigh:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With things this way, how could such a thing still happen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say, Brother Chen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang was utterly confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing. I suppose I’ll have to seek a living with the fishermen’s guild now.” Chen Heng smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You merely turned down Huang Min’s sister’s feelings—does the Huang family now forbid you from selling calligraphy and writing in town? How tyrannical!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang exclaimed in shock and anger:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going straight to Huang Min to demand an explanation!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not like that—the Huang girl just offered to buy me a shop so I wouldn’t have to suffer sun and rain. But since I’ve already refused her marriage proposal, how could I accept such a gift? So I used that as an excuse to simply pack up my stall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, I’ve long intended to join the fishermen’s guild—your father knows this too; I mentioned it to him a month ago. The Huang family never pressured me.” Chen Heng spoke honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You turned down a girl’s heart, and yet she still wants to buy you a shop?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang felt as if he were still dreaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instinctively studied Chen Heng—his savior wasn’t handsome at all, just someone with excellent calligraphy and a gentle disposition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, just because of that, people are lining up to feed him soft meals?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[135] “If I’d known this, I should’ve studied poetry and books back then—maybe I’ll encounter something like this myself someday…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I had known this would happen, I should have studied poetry and literature back then... I wonder if I’ll ever encounter such a wonderful thing again...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang muttered under his breath, then prepared to urge Chen Heng once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in He Chang’s view, making a living on the water meant real hardship—enduring wind, waves, sun, and rain—nothing like the comfort and ease of selling calligraphy in town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Chen Heng seemed to guess his thoughts—he clapped He Chang on the shoulder and led him forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Chen, where are we going now?” He Chang asked, bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve all paid our contributions—the banquet should be ready by now. If we don’t hurry, we’ll only be left with scraps and leftovers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those fellows at the table won’t leave us any wine or food.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Heng smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never earn much selling calligraphy—since I spent money on this, I might as well eat my money back today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright then, from now on I’ll fish with you, Brother Chen—but don’t dismantle the stall yet; try it out for a couple days first…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chang scratched his head, realizing Chen Heng had made up his mind—he swallowed his words, grinned sheepishly, and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right—we should eat our money back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seasons passed, and before they knew it, two years had gone by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this day, by the Feiyun River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Jian, in human form, stood on the shore, watching Chen Heng—now lean and sunburnt, indistinguishable from an ordinary fisherman—on a small fishing boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Jian’s eye twitched involuntarily; he didn’t know what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, who would believe this man was once a noble of the Yucheng lineage?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>",2701,"2026-06-19T22:30:06.574Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","412ebacb8a47dc6214696d5869090e71e96d6c5259f8e3d17554f98e5ff860d2","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-498","the-path-of-immortality-chapter-496",545,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-path-of-immortality-cover.jpg"]