[{"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-88":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},2337293,4570,"Chapter 88: Three Realizations","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-88",88,"\u003Cp>Pan Yun took the herbs Wang Feiyin had chosen for her; she exhausted her spiritual energy and mental focus, drawing many talismans, and ultimately succeeded with only twelve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She packed them all together without wasting a moment, then immediately picked up the box and prepared to descend the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing how drained her spirit and energy were, Wang Feiyin dared not let her go alone, so he sent Tao Yanbai to accompany her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two hurried as fast as they could, entering Yushan County before the city gates closed at dusk; the next morning, Pan Yun took her five taels of silver—a fortune—and went to send a fast courier letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She recovered three taels, which was quite a lot; if she only needed to support herself, it would last her a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Pan Yun instantly lost all interest in money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her heart still held many unanswered questions—about the Dao, about the Mountain God Pan Gong, and about all the ways of this mortal world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If human connections were as deep as she now felt them to be, and the Dao determined collective punishment by bloodline, what difference would that make from the mortal imperial court?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the court is wrong, subjects may resist, even replace it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Dao is wrong, can they replace Heaven itself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun thought: either the Dao is wrong, or our understanding of it is mistaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sat motionless on the donkey cart; Tao Yanbai couldn’t help turning back to look at her. “Little Master, are we returning to Mount Sanqing or going to Dazhou Village?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun then remembered Tao Ji was still in Dazhou Village; after a brief pause, she said: “Go to Dazhou Village.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Tao Ji saw Pan Yun return, he hadn’t even fully relaxed before noticing she did nothing—just sat outside the Zhou family gate, chin propped on her hand, staring blankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could assign her any tasks, she wandered off to the village’s central Eight Trigrams Women’s Center and stared blankly again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, he found her in the fields, staring blankly at the rice harvesters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji: …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji gave up trying to use her. He told Tao Yanbai: “Go back. Take Miao Zhen and Miao He to gather more herbs for heatstroke and fever—autumn harvest is starting, and demand for these herbs will be high.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Yanbai agreed and drove the donkey cart away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Tao Yanbai left, Tao Ji found it even harder to locate Pan Yun; she left early and returned late, and when he did spot her, she was either staring blankly or chatting with villagers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, seeing her in the Zhou family courtyard was rare—he was stunned. “Aren’t you going out today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am. I’m going to Yushan County soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji: “To stare blankly in Yushan County?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun turned back. “I’m going to the Minxin Bureau to check if I have any letters. My father and brother are in trouble; since there’s no immediate threat to their lives, someone must have sent me a letter. The official post is safer but too slow—they’ll definitely send it through the Minxin Bureau.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minxin Bureau only delivers to Yushan County—that’s why she stayed in Dazhou Village, to reach Yushan faster for news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, Tao Ji said: “I’ll go with you. I need to buy some herbs anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two siblings walked to Yushan County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, Pan Yun remained silent; even the black cat on her shoulder was quiet—so quiet that Tao Ji grew uneasy. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Little sister, don’t worry. I’ve noticed your heart has been fine these past two days, no ominous signs. They may have already escaped danger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji thought his reassurance worked and pressed on: “Don’t dwell on it. Datong and Guangxin are so far apart—even if something happened, you can’t reach them. Worry is useless. Better to rally yourself and focus on what’s before you now…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “Third Master, don’t try to comfort people again. It’s not your strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji bristled. “How isn’t it? You just listened. So tell me—what good has your worry done these past days besides wasting time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “I haven’t wasted time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sitting there like a fool, doing nothing—isn’t that wasting time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “I’m thinking. I’m not staring blankly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji’s mood calmed. As Daoists, they were meant to think often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked: “What have you figured out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Much. But I can’t speak of it yet,” Pan Yun said. “Let me summarize further.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounded unreliable. Tao Ji stopped pressing her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji first accompanied her to the Minxin Bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clerk at the Minxin Bureau remembered Pan Yun well; he’d worked in Yushan County for years, and customers willing to spend two taels on fast delivery were rare—maybe one or two per year, at most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun had joined that tiny group, so he couldn’t forget her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her, he immediately pulled out a letter. “Little Daoist, you’ve arrived just in time. A letter came today from Datong—I was about to send someone to deliver a message to you, and here you are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun thanked him, took the letter, and opened it without delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent correspondence, father and daughter had hidden their true troubles behind good news—until now, they began probing each other’s real conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Pan Hong couldn’t bear it anymore. He wrote to Pan Yun: “What can’t we be honest about? From this letter on, let us speak openly and discuss everything—so our father-daughter bond won’t fade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun felt her own life was fine, with nothing to hide. Since her father said so, she wrote him in detail: how she cultivated, how deep her power had grown, how brilliant she was, and how much she’d learned on Mount Sanqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was too much to write; the letter was only half finished, so she didn’t send it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Pan Hong’s reply was candid. He described Pan Yu’s injuries in detail and attached a pulse diagnosis, asking if she knew a better prescription.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun immediately thrust the letter at Tao Ji. “Third Master, help me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji read it, frowned. “Internal injury… they must stop the bleeding quickly. By the time this letter goes back and forth, will he survive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her face pale, he hurried on: “I checked the Datong physicians’ prescription—it’s appropriate. Don’t worry. Just replace ginseng with sanqi, and add a little chonglou…” Pan Yun grabbed Tao Ji’s arm. “Write the prescription now. I’ll send it to Datong immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worried Datong couldn’t find sanqi and chonglou, Pan Yun borrowed money from Tao Ji, bought both herbs at the neighboring pharmacy, and packed them into the box to send.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her three taels vanished instantly, leaving her with only one. She now owed Tao Ji five taels—sanqi powder was expensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sending the courier, Pan Yun and Tao Ji both sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing each other’s sighs, they glanced at each other and sighed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun suddenly felt exhausted. She sat on the steps between the Minxin Bureau and the pharmacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji stood beside her for a while. Seeing she had no intention of moving, he said: “Wait here. I’ll buy some herbs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Tao Ji returned, she was still propping her chin, looking utterly drained. He frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A minor trial has reduced you to this? When you were on the brink of death in the capital, you didn’t act like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun tapped her toe on the steps. “Why did they build these steps here, between the Minxin Bureau and the pharmacy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji frowned. “For pedestrians to sit on. What does that have to do with your despair?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.Read\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sitting on them now—isn’t that the point?” Pan Yun said. “Does the Dao even watch and manage such small things?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji looked confused. “What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun pointed to a man across the street. “Third Master, do you think he’s pitiful?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji looked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a middle-aged man in tattered clothes, face etched with hardship, fingers thick and calloused. He squatted on the steps, counting coins—a handful of copper cash pressed under a prescription. He rummaged in his pockets, trying to find a few more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Pan Yun point at him, the man scowled but said nothing, carefully moving the prescription and coins farther away from them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji gave Pan Yun a disapproving look. “He is pitiful. Don’t torment him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun said nothing. She pulled out her one tael of silver, walked into the pharmacy, and returned moments later with three packets of medicine. She handed them to the man. “As prescribed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man froze, staring at her blankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun shoved the packets into his arms. “Take them home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji was stunned. “Little sister, what are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun asked him: “Third Master, do you think the Dao is watching us now? Does it care about this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun walked to a stall across the street and bought two large bags of buns—twenty in total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She waved to the beggars huddled under the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beggars, ever alert, rushed forward the moment she gestured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun handed them buns one by one. With each one, she asked Tao Ji: “Does the Dao care now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it watching?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will it praise me for this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Meow—” Pan Xiao the black cat bristled, fur standing on end. It thought its host had gone mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji couldn’t speak, overwhelmed by confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After distributing them all, Pan Yun handed the last bun to Tao Ji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji took it numbly. Pan Yun asked: “Will the Dao count helping Third Master as merit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since giving the man medicine, her spiritual realm had been chiming with merit notifications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>+5\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>+1 +1 +1…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each bun given granted one point of merit—until she gave one to Tao Ji, when the spiritual realm fell silent. Why, then, did giving a bun to Tao Ji yield no merit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun laughed bitterly. “I was foolish. The Dao has always been clear—we just got the subject wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji stood expressionless, holding the bun. “Little sister, who are you talking to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m talking to you, Third Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I don’t understand a word!” Tao Ji said. “Speech requires mutual understanding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third Master, my merit doesn’t come from the Dao—it comes from those I help. The Dao doesn’t care whether I save people. Only those I save care.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun said: “Rules matter. I thought I was too important. You thought you, and me, were too important. The Dao doesn’t care. There are so many people in this world—how could it focus on any one of them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It has rules. My merit comes from their gratitude. My karmic debt comes from their hatred.” Pan Yun said. “It’s not the Dao collecting emotion—it’s the rules collecting emotion. The Dao is the rule-maker. It won’t act beyond its own rules for one or two people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So everything is false. Big Brother, Fourth Sister—they were wrong. The rules are fixed. The Dao looks down, but its gaze never fixes on any one person. It observes all things equally.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji stared at her, eyes wide. The primordial qi of heaven and earth surged violently toward her. Tao Ji was thrown back two steps, speechless, watching as Pan Yun slowly closed her eyes and slumped silently onto the steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1902,"2026-06-20T22:03:57.478Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2596775c6f712baf1e8bb83b1a7fb158b1b84fb06b548313a8a0802b866ba298","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-89","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-87",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-cover.jpg"]