[{"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-66":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},2353190,4602,"Chapter 66: My Lord, Why Are You So Dense?","the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-66",66,"\u003Cp>Jun Zhengming was currently standing where Jun Zijin and Quan Aoyu had fought the assassins; the terrain here was extremely treacherous, with a cliff not far ahead, and the biting cold wind made his robes snap loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were signs of a struggle here. Jun Zhengming’s brows were tightly furrowed, his gaze like a torch as he scanned the surroundings. Although it was night, the blazing torches illuminated this patch of the world as if it were bright daylight. And because the fight had been intense, even though Quan Aoyu had ordered the scene to be cleared and the wind had already dispersed the smell of blood, it was not difficult to see the traces of the battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zhengming’s heart tightened, his breath catching in his throat. He followed the marks to the edge of the cliff, where there were signs of a carriage falling. Jun Zhengming’s face turned pale, and a sense of foreboding surged in his heart. He leaned toward the edge of the cliff and looked down; in the darkness, he saw only a steep, bottomless abyss, with nothing but the howling cold wind blowing up, sounding like sharp, piercing whips lashing against his body. Jun Zhengming’s heart sank heavily—could his daughter have fallen into this bottomless abyss?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the corner of his eye caught a piece of fabric snagged on a protruding rock on the cliff face. He hurriedly ordered his men to retrieve it. The Retainer was terrified, but he dared not defy the Master’s order, so he had to take a long rope, tie it around his waist, and grit his teeth as he slowly descended toward where the fabric was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Retainer brought the fabric back, Jun Zhengming confirmed it was indeed the clothing Jun Zijin had been wearing that day. Jun Zhengming’s heart sank to the bottom of the abyss, and he muttered in a low voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the Second Girl has fallen off the cliff, there isn't a sliver of hope left.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He searched the surroundings anxiously, hoping to find a glimmer of hope. However, apart from the precipitous cliffs and the howling wind, there was nothing else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zhengming felt his vision go black and his legs go weak; unable to care about his image, he plopped down onto the ground. Who was so vicious, wanting to trouble the Jun family and put the Second Girl to death?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the search party also arrived here. Upon seeing this, the First Lady immediately began to cry. The First Lady cried in a way that could be described as heart-wrenching:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My Second Girl, how could you meet with such a disaster? Master, you must find the person who harmed the Second Girl.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Yiyi was also streaming with tears, sobbing from time to time. The two of them looked so grief-stricken that it was truly quite moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Shuyan bit her lip hard, her face deathly pale; she did not believe her Second Sister was just gone like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Father, I beg you to send men down to look for Second Sister; perhaps she can still be saved,\" Jun Shuyan pleaded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Li let out a cold snort:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Fourth Girl speaks without feeling the pain; it's such a high cliff, how can anyone go down in the middle of the night?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zhidie chimed in:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly. If Second Sister really fell down, how could she still be alive? Are you going to sacrifice more people's lives just to have someone carry a corpse back up?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're talking nonsense! Second Sister won't die!\" Jun Shuyan shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough!\" Jun Zhengming roared. He then turned and gave loud instructions to the accompanying Retainers:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You few, go down the mountain immediately to fetch reinforcements. You, ensure you find ropes and rescue tools as quickly as possible, and we will go down to search as soon as the sky brightens!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You all, return to the Wang Fu first to wait for news,\" he said to the ladies and young ladies of the various courtyards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worried that something might happen to the female family members in the middle of the night, Jun Zhengming arranged for some Retainers to escort everyone back to the Wang Fu first, while he himself stayed with the remaining Retainers to wait for dawn to descend the cliff and search.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Jun Zijin’s side, Quan Aoyu ordered his subordinates to clean up the aftermath and take the few living captives who hadn't managed to bite their tongues to commit suicide back for strict interrogation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the mess on the ground and the fallen assassins, a complex emotion surged in Jun Zijin’s heart. There was both awe and pity for life, as well as relief and joy at having turned danger into safety; she took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hanxiao, who had been scared out of her wits, stumbled out from behind a large rock, and upon seeing Jun Zijin, she burst into tears with a \"waa\":\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Lady, I thought we were both going to die just now...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin comforted her softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, alright, it’s fine. I’m here, I won’t let anything happen to you, don’t be afraid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yu and Feiying both gave Jun Zijin a thumbs-up. If not for their Master watching, Bai Yu would likely have been unable to resist pestering Jun Zijin for a spar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yu thought to himself that it wasn't realistic to spar with that girl right now, but her hidden weapons were extremely formidable; it wouldn't be too much to ask to see them, right? If he could manage to swipe one...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Bai Yu trotted over to Jun Zijin, scratched his head, and said with a grin:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"County Princess, that hidden weapon technique of yours just now was truly superb. I’ve never seen such exquisite skill in all my life. Could the County Princess let me have a look at your hidden weapon?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin raised an eyebrow, took out the anesthetic gun, and tossed it to Bai Yu:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's yours.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yu caught it in a flurry, his face full of surprise:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The County Princess is generous!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feiying, who was to the side, also leaned in to see the novelty. Bai Yu played with the anesthetic gun, his eyes shining, but he didn't know how to use it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Jun Zijin shook her head helplessly, reached out to take the anesthetic gun, took an anesthetic needle from her person to load it, and demonstrated the firing action simply. Bai Yu’s eyes widened in amazement:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This thing is actually so magical, where did the County Princess get it?\" Bai Yu took the anesthetic gun and tucked it away carefully as if it were a precious treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin smiled mysteriously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is my exclusive treasure. Want to know?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yu stepped forward twice and nodded repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I won't tell you.\" Jun Zijin blinked, showing a playful side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yu was deflated, and everyone laughed, the oppressive atmosphere caused by the ambush instantly lightening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Bai Yu had put away the anesthetic gun without even letting him see it, Feiying leaned toward Jun Zijin, aggrieved:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"County Princess...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll give you one later too,\" Jun Zijin laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Feiying immediately beamed with joy:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Many thanks, County Princess! For the County Princess's kindness, Feiying will certainly repay you with a gushing spring!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin waved her hand, \"A small matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feiying was satisfied, but Quan Aoyu was displeased. He swept a glance at the two secret guards, and Bai Yu and Feiying shivered, immediately retreating to clear the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Quan Aoyu walk to Jun Zijin’s side; his tall and upright figure was like an indestructible mountain, giving one an inexplicable sense of security.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his head slightly, his deep, pool-like eyes gazing at the Jun Zijin before him, and said softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You saved me again.\" Although his voice was not loud, it contained endless tenderness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jun Zijin smiled slightly and tilted her head to meet Quan Aoyu’s gaze. Her eyes, clear as water, were like stars twinkling in the night sky, bright and moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You saved me today as well.\" Her tone was calm and firm, as if this were the most ordinary thing in the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, the two looked at each other quietly, and the surrounding world seemed to become silent. Their gazes met, as if there were thousands of words they wanted to say, yet they didn't know where to begin. However, at this very moment, without the need for excessive words, the tacit understanding and emotion in each other’s hearts had already been conveyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both of them laughed in unison. The smiles were like flowers blooming in spring, brilliant and warm; they were also like a gentle breeze, softly brushing across each other’s hearts. Everything was so natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yu, however, was like an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth anxiously on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh my! My Master, why are you so dense?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Yu muttered to himself while pacing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You clearly like the young lady to death in your heart; what time is it now, and you still haven't hurried to pull the Crown Princess into your arms? It’s truly maddening!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as if a fire were burning in Bai Yu’s heart. He was so anxious he wanted to go and push Quan Aoyu. But he could only be anxious in vain, with no way to exert his strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feiying suppressed a laugh and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master, this place is not suitable for a long stay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1595,"2026-06-21T03:35:39.629Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","3e71f71f3efe4eeddbaf81977973ed0edf3560aca7d633b9ceb21c09edd672a7","the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-67","the-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-chapter-65",224,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-phoenix-returns-to-rule-the-world-cover.jpg"]