[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming":3,"chapter-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-114":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Unorthodox Sword of Ming",{"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},2337319,4570,"Chapter 114: I","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-114",114,"\u003Cp>Pan Yun truly missed her father; by now, he should have received the money she sent him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong had indeed received it; he sat on a stool, staring at the money on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue and Pan Yu sat beside the table, both silent like their father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But silence had to be broken; Pan Yu glanced left at his father, then right at his brother, swallowed hard, and whispered, “Father, I want to become a Daoist too—Daoists make so much money…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up!” Pan Yue shot him a furious glare—didn’t he see their father’s brows were knotted with worry?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He comforted his father, “This money might have come from Xiao Mei and her masters—didn’t she write that her senior brothers and sisters treated her well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong said gravely, “I’m worried about the experiment she’s conducting. At first, I thought she was just using it as an excuse to send us money, but now it’s clear she’s truly doing it—otherwise, why would she keep sending us so much? But…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“World Rule Tolerance Experiment—just the name sounds ominous. Is she trying to defy the entire world’s rules?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue’s brow furrowed tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yu whispered softly, “What are world rules?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue: “Heaven and earth, the Heavenly Lord, the Dao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yu’s eyes were blank. “Does such a thing even exist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue hesitated only a moment before saying, “It must exist. If not, where did primordial matter come from? Matter must have followed certain laws to form the world, to create heaven and earth, then people and things. We all follow certain world rules—like birth, aging, sickness, death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yu fell silent—he heard, but didn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He emptied his mind, sat woodenly, listening to his father and brother’s discussion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t grasp what they were talking about, but he understood the outcome: they had no solution, only passive acceptance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guangxin Prefecture was so far from Datong, and they were such people—what could they do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his sons left, Pan Hong stared at the money on the table, clenched his teeth, pulled out ink and brush, swallowed his shame, and with trembling fingers wrote letters to his former colleagues and the deposed Xue Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since his wrongful exile, Pan Hong had never contacted them; he believed himself blameless—innocent to the people, to the ruler, to the law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the charges against him was flattering superiors and forming cliques for personal gain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after his exile, he never reached out to any colleague.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know what had happened to Pan Yun in Guangxin Prefecture; to bring her home and let her stand openly in the world, he alone must be cleared and return to the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearing his name—this case had already been stamped by the Emperor, with the powerful eunuch Wang Zhen watching over it—it was harder than climbing to heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he kept reassuring his sons that things would improve once he was exonerated and returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But deep down, he knew that even if Wang Zhen fell, his case was nearly impossible to overturn—it had the Emperor’s seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could he possibly replace the Emperor himself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor was only fifteen this year—he might never live to see a new one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though hope was slim, Pan Hong still picked up his brush, cheeks flushed with shame, and wrote to them of his hardships in Datong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong waited until the ink dried before sealing the letters and sending them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, everyone he met greeted him with smiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After becoming the village head of this stretch, the Pan family suddenly became popular—people greeted them everywhere, offered help with any task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Pan Yue joined the army under Colonel Qin, the letters and packages sent through the postal stations were no longer inspected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Hong realized: no one in the capital was watching them anymore; the ones who had inspected their mail and seized their belongings were all local Datong postal staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone had wanted to profit from them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, petty demons were hard to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Pan Yue advancing in the army, they now had reason to fear the Pan family, so they dared not touch their letters or parcels anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Postal delivery was slow, and Pan Hong’s colleagues, fellow examinees, and old friends were scattered far and wide—letters wouldn’t reach them quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While waiting for replies, Pan Hong observed the fortune of himself and his two sons, noticing no change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, not entirely—now that their money had increased, the three Pans felt more confident; not only did Pan Yue thrive in the army, but Pan Yu’s health improved day by day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming Pan Yu’s injury wouldn’t affect his future, Colonel Qin had selected him—he only needed to recover fully to become a low-ranking soldier under him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as the lowest soldier, it was far better than his current status as a miscellaneous laborer, doing private chores for officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The former was at least a soldier, with a chance to earn merit and rise; the latter was a military slave, anyone could command them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Pan brothers would serve under Colonel Qin, everyone knew he was upright—if they had talent, they’d have their day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one doubted their ability—if they were incapable, would Colonel Qin have noticed them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had taken a Tartar’s head without weapons. After using Tao Ji’s remedy, Pan Yu recovered quickly; as his father went to mail letters, he stuck close to Pan Yue. “Big brother, please ask Colonel Qin to let me join the army right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Winter’s coming—wait until after the New Year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No,” Pan Yu said. “Don’t think I don’t know—this is when the Tartars come down to raid. Even if the two sides won’t fight, heads still count as merit. After the New Year, the Tartars won’t come down—only training and farming left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He added, “I really don’t want to farm anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue frowned; Pan Yu quickly said, “Big brother, you’re right—Father’s exoneration is as hard as climbing to heaven, so we can’t rely on him. Our family’s future rests on us brothers. Xiao Mei can’t rely on him either—only us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue thought a moment, then said, “Eat your medicine faithfully these days, practice horse stance daily. I’ll speak to Colonel Qin—see if you can join soon. But remember: once you’re in the army, you obey me. Don’t act recklessly, understood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yu nodded vigorously. “Big brother, I’ll do whatever you say.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue: “Mean it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I break it, let my ass split open.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yue sneered. “It will.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yu warmly saw him off to the alley’s mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!. Read\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun knew none of this; it took her several days to receive her father’s letter, which told her that nothing bad had happened lately—on the contrary, things were improving, like Pan Yu’s recovery…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun laughed loudly, holding her waist and declaring boldly, “Rules? Hmph, am I afraid of you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiaohei walked past her feet, his little head bobbing. “Too proud, you’re too proud—beware of joy turning to sorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun snorted. “My luck’s never been better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She dropped her hands from her waist, swung the letter, and turned to head back up the mountain—when a familiar fatty stood before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun immediately composed herself, smiling gently and nodding. “Good man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fatty looked at her with a complex expression. “Temple Keeper, I’ve come to tell you—my younger brother failed the autumn examination.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun already knew he’d failed; she kept smiling, saying nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fatty sighed. “My younger brother is very interested in how you predicted his failure. He wants to discuss Dao with you. When are you free? Please come to our home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun’s brow twitched. “I’m busy all year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a joke—it was him who was curious about her, not her about him. Should she go to him? How presumptuous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun wouldn’t go—not at all!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fatty widened his eyes. “Temple Keeper Pan, my younger brother is the youngest Licentiate in ten miles.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun’s face was blank. “Wow, impressive! But I’m still busy all year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fatty gaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun stepped around him and walked off—what a joke. She was the deity’s messenger. The deity needed incense and faith, but didn’t need to beg for a few people, did she?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back home, Pan Yun burned incense for her master, muttering, “Losing one or two believers doesn’t matter. We need high-quality ones. People like them—only interested in using the gods, curious about us, yet acting so superior—hmph, we don’t care. Right, Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountain deity didn’t respond, but Wang Feiyin, meditating beside her, opened his eyes and glanced at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun stuck the incense in, then went to fetch water to wipe the deity’s statue’s feet, the altar, the table, and everything else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, we don’t want fanatics either—this mountain temple has so few believers. If we had only this one, I’d be overwhelmed, and so would you,” Pan Yun chattered. “They demand too much, wish too big—if I can’t fulfill them, can’t answer their questions, your divine power is limited, their wishes go unmet, and they’ll turn against us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A transaction must be mutual—they make requests, you lend divine power, and in return, you gain faith and incense. That’s how business works…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Feiyin, annoyed by her babbling, interrupted: “Stop talking. Our temple has so few believers. We finally hooked one family, and you’re pushing them away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “You weren’t there—you don’t know how arrogant he was. Like this—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun tilted her chin up, looked down with disdain, and lowered her voice: “My younger brother is the youngest Licentiate in ten miles!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Feiyin shook his head. “You’re the Temple Keeper—why argue over this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not arguing. I’m not angry,” Pan Yun said. “That’s why I told him I’m busy all year—not that I’m never available.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Feiyin: “Fine, fine, you’re not angry. Finish cleaning and come practice. Today I’ll teach you how to calculate the Eight Characters. You can draw intermediate talismans, yet can’t calculate the Eight Characters? What would people say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.” Pan Yun obediently stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Feiyin took out brush and ink. “The Eight Characters depend on calculation—you need good math. By the way, how many math texts have you studied?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun smiled. “Math texts? Don’t worry—I may not know much else, but I’m absolutely excellent at math. I dare say, on all of Mount Sanqing, if I’m second in calculation, no one dares claim first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s lucky number ends in 7—screenshot as proof\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1753,"2026-06-20T22:03:57.478Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","adf575a85d16efa3de5904d7f9cd85638ce1c88e040143381ec1ba83c7a92054","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-115","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-113",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-cover.jpg"]