[{"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-166":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},2337371,4570,"Chapter 166: Self-Reflection","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-166",166,"\u003Cp>Lin Jingle locked himself in the Thought-Over Cliff, but every day he still came out half the time to handle affairs, and after finishing, he returned on schedule to serve his confinement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun had seen such people on TV and in books in her past life, but never in reality, so she found it quite novel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was deeply curious, and as a result, she observed him for several days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging from his busy schedule and relentless rotation, and since he couldn’t cultivate or replenish spiritual energy while confined in the Thought-Over Cliff, Lin Jingle’s complexion grew worse day by day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, after opening her Ren and Du meridians, Pan Yun simply alternated between rice and steamed buns with side dishes; if not for daily martial practice and constant book study, she would have become just like Miaohe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How truly miserable~~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably because Lin Jingle set such a strong example, five days after he entered the Thought-Over Cliff, Xue Taixu and other academy masters gradually came to the cliff to reflect on their faults.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lingzi accepted them all without refusal and treated them equally, throwing each one into the Thought-Over Cliff, letting them out only at set times to descend and handle affairs; if they didn’t return on time, Cheng Lingzi would stand midair and shout down, ordering the Punishment Hall to drag them up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One rule: come up whenever you like, but once you enter, you obey him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the academy masters enter the Thought-Over Cliff with dark faces, then return after finishing their duties to continue their reflection was quite enjoyable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a pity, though, that no one shared this pleasure with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Lin Jingle entered, Zhou Wangdao no longer showed his head at the cave entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day, he silently lent her a hand when she fetched water in the morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Pan Yun offered him food, he refused; when she offered water, he dared not even accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How pitiful~~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, only Pan Yun lived like she was on vacation, and she remarked, “Life is already hard enough—why make it harder on yourself? Eating doesn’t interfere with reflection, does it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the entire mountain, only the black cat and Cheng Lingzi could hear her words, so Cheng Lingzi asked her, “You’ve been here a long time—have you reflected on yourself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun nodded. “I have.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you reflect on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun opened her mouth to state her insights, but Cheng Lingzi raised a hand to stop her. “You needn’t tell me. This is the Thought-Over Cliff—you know in your heart whether you’ve reflected, and whether you’ve acknowledged your faults.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know you’ve gained much here—secrets, arrays, even friendship—but if I were to judge, your gains still fall short of Zhou Wangdao’s suffering and boredom, because he questioned his heart and his Dao, and didn’t come here in vain. What about you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thought-Over Cliff—its greatest purpose lies in the words ‘thought’ and ‘over.’ You fixate on studying its arrays, fixating on surface appearances—isn’t that putting the cart before the horse?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lingzi rose and said, “Zhou Wangdao is released today, but you still have sixteen days left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lingzi’s words left Pan Yun silent, stripping her of appetite and interest in the array lines within the black hole; she began seriously pondering: had she really reversed priorities?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had she truly done anything wrong by coming here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep down, Pan Yun still didn’t believe she was wrong—she had entered the academy to nothing but malice; how could she simply overlook that and treat the academy like home?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t a masochist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But next time she encountered such a situation, she could treat herself as family—no matter what she felt inside, she must at least appear correct on the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lingzi, seeing her deep in thought, assumed she had truly reflected, and left satisfied, unaware that she was already plotting deception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the Thought-Over Cliff truly was a rare quiet place, one that allowed deeper self-awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking it through, Pan Yun was certain: she was not a good person. “I am not a gentleman. I have selfish motives, I harbor resentment, I am neither forgiving nor universal in love. I’ve thought carefully—I recognize my flaws, but I don’t want to change.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiaohei, the listener: …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stood up to leave, but Pan Yun grabbed its hind leg, hoisted it upside down, and hugged it to her chest, lifting its head to face hers. “When I was very young, I loved only myself—I only wanted to cultivate, to become immortal, or return to my past life, even to a higher-dimensional space. But my parents loved me too much, and my two foolish older brothers treated me far too well, so I learned to love them too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the rest of the Pan family, I merely felt it immoral to burden them—they’ve already done enough for me, for my father and brothers. We’re all adults; everyone must bear their own responsibilities. So I left, unwilling to drag them down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To say Pan Yun loved her grandmother and her second uncle’s family deeply was impossible—she cared for them only slightly more than neighbors, purely to avoid burdening them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mount Sanqing…” Pan Yun paused, then sighed. “They were good too—like my parents, even better than my parents and brothers. They loved me, to some extent, because of blood ties—they gave birth to me, so they loved me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But they weren’t like that. I still don’t fully understand why they treat me so well. I didn’t want to love them, but they were too kind to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiaohei, drenched in heartfelt confessions: …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It couldn’t help asking, “Did anyone in your past life ever say you had a mental defect?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun glanced down at it. “You think I’m mentally ill? You’re the one with mental illness—I’m perfectly normal. In my past life, many praised me: I loved my country, my party, my people, and I was intelligent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiaohei suddenly asked, “What’s the name of your best friend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiaohei: “None? Then who is the person you love most?” Pan Yun’s frown deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“None either,” Pan Xiaohei asked, “Have you ever thought about forming a family and having a child?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “Is the array too hard to learn? Is knowledge insufficient? Is cultivation not appealing? Why must I make friends or fall in love?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiaohei: “You’re like a robot trained by the state—raised since childhood to study and cultivate, and after twenty years, you have no best friend. You’re not human, yet you’re human—what else could you be but mentally ill?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun’s grip on it tightened gradually, her eyes narrowing dangerously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiaohei shrieked, “You have violent tendencies—you want to murder your own companion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun snorted and tossed it aside, saying nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, Pan Yun spoke: “I was too smart, too gifted from childhood. Before age five, I attended school with the older kids at the orphanage. After five, I went alone to another school, where I received special state training.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The people around us changed every year; later, the rotation became every two or three years. Learning was so fascinating, everyone was busy studying and cultivating—who had time to make friends?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun said, “So none of us had close friends. You say I have a problem—do they all have problems too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiaohei: “Theoretically, yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!. Read\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, you’re not human, you have no emotions—you’re like AI. Can AI diagnose mental illness?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun stood up confidently, looking down at it. “I’m different—I’m the psychologist. Pan Xiaohei, if you want to become a True God, you can’t just read what’s written in books—you must observe this mortal world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shook her head and swayed. “To trust books completely is worse than having no books.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Xiaohei stared at her blankly, then said, “You talk too much, but I believe you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun’s lips curled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lingzi came down to deliver her medicinal broth. “This is the last delivery. The person who just brought medicine told me to pass on a message: your senior brother’s medicine is gone. Once you leave the mountain, hurry to earn money and buy your own medicine for body strengthening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lingzi said, “Your Mount Sanqing is so stingy. Why not leave your sect and come to Long Hushan? We give our disciples far better things—at least no one has to worry about bathing expenses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “Aren’t I already in Long Hushan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t mean as an academy student—I mean as a direct disciple of Long Hushan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “Aren’t all direct disciples of Long Hushan surnamed Zhang? And aren’t they all male? Master Cheng Lingzi, are you asking me to change my surname and my gender?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lingzi fell silent, then said, “Except for the heir, the requirements for direct disciples of Long Hushan have relaxed—women and those with other surnames are now allowed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun looked unconvinced. “Then how did my Master Xuanmiao end up in Mount Sanqing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lingzi fell silent again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun took the medicinal broth and began boiling water to prepare her bath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lingzi stood there for a long while, then finally asked, “Did Xuanmiao tell you all this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I guessed it myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lingzi tugged at his mouth. “You guessed well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun lifted her chin. “Because I’m smart. When I first entered Long Hushan, I inquired—there isn’t a single female Daoist among the direct disciples, and even among academy students, there are few Zhang women. How could I not think deeply?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lingzi tugged at his mouth. “Your observation is sharp, but back then, there were still a few Zhang women studying in the academy and the Celestial Master’s Mansion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A few? Could they learn whatever they wanted, just like their brothers and sisters?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lingzi left in embarrassment. “Just focus on your studies in the academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun tilted her head. “Of course—I have no such restrictions in Mount Sanqing. I’ll learn everything the academy teaches.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun, full of ambition, turned to soak in the medicinal bath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In five more days, she could leave the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A medicinal bath every three days—obviously cost a fortune. The money I gave must be gone, and I don’t know how much my senior brother added himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh—I wonder if Miao Zhen and Miaohe have enough cultivation resources. Has my senior nephew gone to Guangxin Prefecture for the exam yet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hope he still has enough funds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Cong still had funds, since he held the financial authority of Mount Sanqing; after covering the next six months’ expenses and essential cultivation resources, little remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wang Cong went to take the exam, he prepared an enormous amount of goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He brought medicinal herbs from Mount Sanqing, various ceramics from Wang Xiaojing, newly harvested wheat from below the mountain—he loaded five carts, planning to sell them in Guangxin Prefecture and earn some profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1833,"2026-06-20T22:03:57.478Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","24c68800c473f1886ef73855d960404253124de670a1649570e5cfaed7e65414","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-167","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-165",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-cover.jpg"]