[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world":3,"chapter-the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-63":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Phoenix Returns to Rule the World",{"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},2353187,4602,"Chapter 63: Survival After the Calamity","the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-63",63,"\u003Cp>The Wu woman, who had been confined to the courtyard, flew into another great rage. She wanted to smash things but felt reluctant to break any of them. With her fury having nowhere to vent, Qingyu entered carrying tea and saw the Wu woman rampaging through the room. Terrified, Qingyu wanted to retreat, but before she could even turn around, the Wu woman called out to her:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop right there!\" the Wu woman barked in anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have only just lost my influence, and you lowly wenches already dare to treat me with such disrespect, dawdling with the tea. Do not forget, I am still your mistress.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the Wu woman had finished speaking, she pulled the hairpin from her hair and stabbed it into Qingyu’s arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Qingyu’s scream, there was a crisp \"clatter\" as Qingyu dropped the tea and the tray to the floor. Seeing the teacups shattered everywhere, the Wu woman grew even angrier; she hadn't even been willing to break them herself. With the hairpin still stuck in Qingyu, she slapped her across the face. Qingyu did not even dare to cry; she bit her lip hard and, ignoring the wound on her arm, knelt to pick up the shards. Just as the Wu woman was about to kick Qingyu again, Jun Zhengming arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jun Zhengming enter, the Wu woman forcibly stopped the kick she was about to deliver. Adjusting her mood, she said ingratiatingly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master, this lowly wench is clumsy and broke the teacups. I hope she didn't disturb you, Master?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zhengming saw that Qingyu’s arm was covered in blood as she knelt on the ground picking up the shards and knew she had been beaten by this poisonous woman again. But he had just received a large sum of silver from the Wu family, so he ultimately said nothing, merely ordering Qingyu to clean up and withdraw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zhengming said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Today, the Wu family has returned the silver. For Yiyi’s sake, I will temporarily restore your position as mistress. If you cause trouble again, do not blame me for being heartless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, the Wu woman appeared submissive, but in her heart, she hated Jun Zijin to the core. If it weren't for that lowly girl, she would never have suffered such humiliation. Ever since that lowly girl returned to the residence, she hadn't had a single good day. If that was the case, then no one should have peace, and that lowly girl, in particular, could not be allowed to live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A poisonous plan crossed the Wu woman’s mind. A flash of malice appeared in her eyes, but it was only for an instant; her face immediately filled with smiles again. Yet, her face, wrapped in gauze, looked hideous no matter how one looked at it, and she could no longer feign her usual gentleness. The Wu woman said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rest assured, Master, this concubine will certainly not cause trouble again. But the residence has been quite unsettled lately. I hear the Bodhisattva at Putuo Temple is very efficacious. I was thinking, why don't we go together tomorrow to offer incense and pray for blessings? Perhaps it will protect our residence, ensuring favorable weather and peace from now on!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zhengming pondered to himself. Although Putuo Temple was some distance from Jingcheng, it wasn't too far by his estimation. If the journey went smoothly without delays, about two days for a round trip should be enough. After a moment of silent deliberation, Jun Zhengming agreed and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well. Things have indeed been going poorly lately. Tomorrow morning, all the courtyards in the residence will go to Putuo Temple to offer incense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying this, Jun Zhengming glanced at the Wu woman’s repulsive face and turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Qingyu sent word to Jun Zijin, Jun Zijin had just gone to bed. Although Qingyu did not know what plan the First Lady had for this trip, Jun Zijin could foresee that the First Lady certainly did not want to simply offer incense and pray for blessings. She got up, gave instructions to Hanxiao and Miaozhu, and prepared a tranquilizer gun, tranquilizer needles, anesthetic, and several bottles of pills. After a moment of thought, she found a rope to bring along before going back to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this trip to Putuo Temple, excluding the Old Lady who had difficulty walking, Jun Zhengyuan who was resting at Yihong Academy, and Jun Chengcai who was nowhere to be seen for months at a time, everyone including the vacationing Jun Zhengming and all the female relatives of the residence were on the list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Jun Zijin arrived at the main gate of the Jun residence with Hanxiao, the veiled First Lady and Jun Yiyi were just about to board their carriage. The First Lady looked back at Jun Zijin with an inscrutable expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin looked back, raised her eyebrows, and then glanced at Qingyu, who was walking with her head bowed behind the First Lady’s carriage. She gave a subtle nod, ignored them further, and boarded her own carriage with Hanxiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Putuo Temple was on Putuo Mountain outside the outskirts of Jingcheng, forty miles from the capital. If there were no delays, it would take about three hours by carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage moved slowly along the winding mountain road. On both sides of the path were lush, verdant trees with thick foliage that blocked out the sky. Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the branches, casting mottled light and shadows. The mountain path was quiet and serene, the scenery exceptionally beautiful. Every contact between the wheels and the road made a slight sound, which seemed particularly clear on this tranquil mountain path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the carriage, Jun Zijin leaned against the soft cushions. Having risen extremely early, she felt drowsy as the carriage swayed and closed her eyes for a light nap. Before long, Hanxiao also closed her eyes to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was unknown how long this tranquility lasted. When the carriage reached a fork in the mountain road, suddenly, a sharp sound of something piercing the air shattered the silence. Immediately following, a cold, gleaming arrow shot toward the carriage with lightning speed. Jun Zijin was startled awake from her sleep; she opened her eyes abruptly, her gaze becoming sharp and alert in an instant. Relying on her keen intuition and extraordinary reflexes, she pulled Hanxiao to one side, narrowly dodging the fatal arrow. The arrow grazed her sleeve and pinned itself into the wooden wall of the carriage with a dull \"thud.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The driver outside the carriage was so terrified by the sudden turn of events that he lost his balance and fell off the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin shouted \"Careful!\" to Hanxiao. She sat up quickly, and at the same time, the frightened horse suddenly broke free of the reins like a madman, dragging the carriage as it galloped toward the other fork in the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage jolted violently on the rugged mountain road, and the two inside were tossed about. The rope they had brought along had fallen somewhere, and they didn't know where.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin understood that she had to bring the situation under control as soon as possible, otherwise, they would both fall into the valley and be smashed to pieces. She gritted her teeth, reached out to grab the handrail on the inner wall of the carriage tightly, and after steadying herself, tried to lean out to reach the reins connected to the horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this time, Hanxiao’s face had already turned pale with fear, her mouth agape and unable to make a sound. But seeing Jun Zijin’s actions, she also forced herself to calm down and helped hold onto Jun Zijin’s sleeve to prevent her from falling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the frightened horse had completely lost its senses and only cared about running forward desperately. With her malnourished and small frame, Jun Zijin simply could not reach the reins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the carriage sped along, the mountain road became increasingly steep. Ahead was a cliff, but the horse did not stop; instead, it ran even more crazily. Jun Zijin knew well that if this continued, the carriage would soon plunge off the cliff, and both she and the horse would be smashed to pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She used all her strength to grab the handrail inside the carriage to steady herself. The edge of the cliff was already before her eyes. In this moment of life and death, she finally touched the long rope that had fallen from her person during the jolting. Jun Zijin gritted her teeth, quickly wrapped the rope around her arm a few times, pulled Hanxiao over, and with one hand, swung with all her might toward the nearest large tree ahead. The long rope drew an arc in the air and accurately wrapped around the tree trunk. At the same time, the horse let out a shrill neigh and plunged off the cliff, dragging the carriage with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin leaped with Hanxiao, using her strength to throw Hanxiao upward, narrowly tossing her onto the road above the cliff, while she herself, exhausted, fell straight toward the bottom of the cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, a dark figure was seen leaping out, speeding straight toward the cliff. In the blink of an eye, the dark figure suddenly stretched out his arms and wrapped them around Jun Zijin’s waist. Then, taking advantage of the momentum, he performed a magnificent spin, leaping high upward with her, and the two landed steadily on the top of the cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin was held in his arms; because of the thrilling scene just now, her pretty face was slightly flushed, and a trace of relief at having survived the disaster remained in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>",1621,"2026-06-21T03:35:39.629Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","da38943fc1b78cd4f2bd1cb77c8ee38b95eca26e25599a2cb80f36845240b2c3","the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-64","the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-62",224,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-cover.jpg"]