[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-treasure-immortal-basin":3,"chapter-the-treasure-immortal-basin-the-treasure-immortal-basin-chapter-4":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Treasure Immortal Basin",{"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},2355187,4608,"Chapter 4: Goddess","the-treasure-immortal-basin-chapter-4",4,"\u003Cp>Days passed one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he knew it, He Pingsheng had been at Xiuzhu Peak for over half a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this half-month, nothing special happened, but He Pingsheng himself had grown stronger from the sustained intake of meat and spiritual rice, coupled with daily water-carrying hikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had become much sturdier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carrying water was no longer so taxing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, he now carried water twenty times a day with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet to conceal the effect of the golden rice, He Pingsheng still had to put on an expression of utter exhaustion every day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, the weather was clear, the sky bright and pure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As usual, He Pingsheng carried his water to the canteen entrance; before he reached the great vat, he saw a crowd gathered far ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Colorful and eye-catching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Pingsheng glanced and noticed many strangers had suddenly appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some wore the distinctive robes of Grand Void Gate’s direct disciples; others were laborer disciples like himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They clustered together, pointing and whispering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasional sharp female voices cut through the murmurs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Pingsheng had no intention of approaching, but before he could pour his bucket into the vat, a woman called out: “You—the water carrier—come here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Pingsheng turned to look. The dense crowd parted, revealing a woman in a pink robe, eyes blazing with fury, glaring at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before her, Zhang Da lay on the ground like a dog, blood trickling from his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Zhang Da been beaten?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“G…Goddess, greetings…” He Pingsheng set down his carrying pole and bowed respectfully before the woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grand Void Gate’s rules were strict: laborer disciples must bow deeply to inner disciples, even kneel and kowtow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To male disciples, regardless of familiarity, one must respectfully address them as “Great Lord”; to female disciples, one must call them “Goddess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman in the pink robe stared at He Pingsheng with icy disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Pingsheng took a deep breath and replied cautiously: “Yes, I am solely responsible for carrying water.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zheng…” Without another word, the woman drew her sword with a flick of her wrist and pointed the blade at He Pingsheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the blade reached him, a sharp gust of wind struck his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Pingsheng stumbled backward three or four steps in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman said: “Goddess has a question for you. If you dare lie, I will not spare you today!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Y-yes, yes, yes…” He Pingsheng bowed his head again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman said: “The spring water of Xiuzhu Peak has always been crisp and sweet—the finest of the Nine Peaks, even surpassing Tianyi Peak. I ask you: why has this water grown increasingly foul these past days?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Plain and disgusting to drink!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Pingsheng’s face twisted in distress: That’s right!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he first arrived, he thought the water tasted excellent, but lately it had become utterly ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself wanted to know the answer!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… I don’t know,” He Pingsheng admitted, since he truly didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph!” The woman sneered, her eyes flashing with sharp light: “You filthy wretch—did you bathe in the spring while carrying water? Did you pollute our sacred spring? If so, I’ll kill you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Pingsheng panicked: “I have never done such a thing! Please, Goddess, investigate thoroughly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the woman could respond, Zhang Da leapt to his feet and rushed at He Pingsheng, kicking out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a thud, he sent He Pingsheng sprawling to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Da swung his fists, hammering He Pingsheng’s head repeatedly: “You damned bastard! I told you to carry water, yet you resented it and dared to poison the spring! I’ll beat you to death, you fool!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! Thud! Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Da struck a few more times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing He Pingsheng bleeding from nose and mouth, he finally stopped, growling: “Goddess, rest assured—I’ll chop this dog to pieces and feed him to the dogs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he kicked He Pingsheng several more times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though He Pingsheng had grown stronger recently, he was still only a fourteen-year-old boy—how could he match Zhang Da, a thirty-something brute with hardened muscle?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no chance. He could only curl up and take it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman’s expression softened slightly: “Killing this dog is fine—replace him with someone more sensible. But this is your laborer squad’s affair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing they were truly deciding his fate, He Pingsheng panicked. He scrambled up and cried: “Goddess, please see clearly! I carry water every day—I have no time to bathe there! Please investigate thoroughly! This has nothing to do with me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, another woman in a green robe hurried over from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little sister, what are you doing?” the green-robed woman asked. “Are you causing more trouble again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pink-robed woman replied: “Second sister, you’re here…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing major—these filthy, disgusting laborer disciples dared bathe in the spring behind the mountain and polluted the sacred water. That’s why the taste has changed these past days. I came to uphold justice and kill this filth!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No!” The green-robed woman’s expression turned alarmed: “Absolutely not!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing a chance for salvation, He Pingsheng stepped forward two paces: “Goddess, please see clearly! I have never bathed in that pool!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I drink this water every day too—why would I poison my own drink?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The green-robed woman nodded, then turned her gaze from He Pingsheng to the pink-robed woman: “Little sister, if someone bathed in the pool, the water’s taste likely wouldn’t change. To find the truth, we must go to the spring ourselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We must not wrongfully accuse them. Though they are lowly laborer disciples, they all struggle hard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph…” The pink-robed woman sneered, feeling humiliated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The green-robed woman said: “Very well—I’ll accompany you to the spring. You others come too—see what strange thing has happened to this water.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Pingsheng didn’t know how to address these two women, but clearly, the green-robed one held more authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone followed the two women toward the back mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they walked, He Pingsheng limped, his whole body aching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was bruised purple and blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even so, he still carried his two empty buckets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all—he still had work to do!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, the consequences would be even worse.\u003C\u002Fp>",1014,"2026-06-21T04:08:57.694Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a2999df2e0f4c7d0a6f8bc8e19d02a83f6a26b78ea0e4e0b1df5fbf12e4bf543","the-treasure-immortal-basin-chapter-5","the-treasure-immortal-basin-chapter-3",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-treasure-immortal-basin-cover.jpg"]