Chapter Summaries

Gao Yunyi faced down the gamblers mocking Zhang Qingyan by wagering increasingly extravagant sums on small and losing each time. After he placed five enormous gold bricks on the table, the dealer froze, and the gambling house proprietor arrived to address the extraordinary wager.

• Zhang Qingyan asked Gao Yunyi to lend him money, but Gao Yunyi dismissed him and stopped him from confronting the gamblers who mocked them.
• Gao Yunyi bet ten taels of silver on small and lost, then wagered a ten-tael gold ingot on small and lost again.
• Gao Yunyi threw a massive gold brick onto small, but the dice landed on big, and the gamblers continued betting against him.
• Gao Yunyi placed five more gold bricks on small, stunning the room and prompting everyone to urge the frightened dealer to shake the dice.
• The dealer trembled and refused to proceed, so the proprietor entered with guards and respectfully bowed to Gao Yunyi.

After a triumphant outing with Gao Yunyi, Zhang Qingyan sneaked home expecting to avoid notice, but his parents caught him and prepared to punish him. He revealed an Immortal Elixir bestowed by the Immortal, leaving his family and the household staff kneeling before him.

• Gao Yunyi dismissed Zhang Qingyan from the carriage after Zhang kept staring at him and asking about the missing gold bricks.
• Zhang Qingyan slipped into the Zhang residence through the back gate, hoping his parents were asleep.
• Zhang Erhai and Madam Zhang confronted Zhang Qingyan in his room, and Zhang Erhai ordered him to kneel and fetched a military rod.
• Zhang Qingyan stopped his father from striking him by showing him a small red pill and declaring that the Immortal had bestowed it on him.
• Zhang Erhai, Madam Zhang, and the maids and guards all knelt before Zhang Qingyan.

Zhang Qingyan told his parents that an Immortal had bestowed an Immortal Elixir on him, then decided to give it to his grandmother. His father pressed him for details about his connection to the Immortal, but Zhang Qingyan put off answering until the next day.

• Zhang Erhai and Madam Zhang questioned Zhang Qingyan about the Immortal Elixir, and he claimed the Immortal had given it to him because he was wise and kind.
• Zhang Erhai asked Zhang Qingyan to give him the elixir, but Zhang Qingyan refused and revealed that his parents were considering having another child.
• Zhang Qingyan said he would give the elixir to his grandmother, and Zhang Erhai approved of his filial choice.
• Zhang Erhai pressed Zhang Qingyan to explain how he had met the Immortal, but Zhang Qingyan claimed he had to meet the Immortal early to discuss poetry and prose.
• Madam Zhang persuaded Zhang Erhai to let Zhang Qingyan answer the next day, and Zhang Qingyan left with the elixir.

Xiao Zhaohuang returned to her residence and learned that the Immortal had rejected her nephew’s literary offerings but had visited a brothel and gambling den with Zhang Qingyan. She ordered Zhang Qingyan punished, then learned the Immortal favored him and had behaved properly at the brothel.

• Xiao Zhaohuang hurried to her study and asked the Black-Clad Mysterious Person to report everything that had happened since the Immortal arrived in the Capital.
• The Black-Clad Mysterious Person told Xiao Zhaohuang that Xiao Chengchen had brought the Immortal chests of poetry and classical writings, but the Immortal had thrown him and the chests out.
• Xiao Zhaohuang learned that the Jade Spring Mountain palace guards had an unknown origin and suspected her father was behind them.
• The Black-Clad Mysterious Person reported that Zhang Qingyan had taken the Immortal to Qinlan Tower and then a gambling den, prompting Xiao Zhaohuang to order Zhang Qingyan’s legs broken.
• The Black-Clad Mysterious Person warned that the Immortal favored Zhang Qingyan and had rewarded him with an Immortal Elixir, so Xiao Zhaohuang called off the punishment.
• The Black-Clad Mysterious Person assured Xiao Zhaohuang that the Immortal had only drunk wine and eaten grapes at Qinlan Tower, and Xiao Zhaohuang was relieved.

Zhang Qingyan visited Gao Yunyi at the immortal residence on Jade Spring Mountain, where he reported the palace’s unusually heavy guard presence. Gao Yunyi dismissed the warning, and Zhang Qingyan’s curiosity about his strange couch ended when it revealed itself to be a giant snake.

• Zhang Erhai sent Zhang Qingyan to Jade Spring Mountain in a grand procession, publicly presenting his family as supporters of the Azure Profound Immortal Venerable.
• Zhang Qingyan entered the summer palace by claiming to be the Immortal’s younger brother, then toured the heavily guarded grounds.
• Zhang Qingyan paid his respects to Gao Yunyi, dropped his formal act, and eagerly asked about Ximen Daguanren.
• Zhang Qingyan told Gao Yunyi that the summer palace had unusually dense security, but Gao Yunyi remained unconcerned and chose to enjoy his stay.
• Zhang Qingyan asked to touch Gao Yunyi’s strange white couch, and a massive snake’s head rose behind Gao Yunyi and stared at him.

An imperial envoy brought Gao Yunyi a decree granting him exalted titles and lavish rewards, but Gao rejected it and ordered the envoy away. Zhang Qingyan briefly dreamed of becoming a cultivator like Gao, then learned he had no Spirit Root and turned back to planning their amusements.

• An old eunuch delivered the emperor’s decree naming Gao Yunyi Azure Profound Immortal Venerable and granting him honors, treasures, and a residence.
• Gao Yunyi refused to accept the decree, told the emperor he was unqualified to confer titles, and sent the envoy away.
• Zhang Qingyan admired Gao’s defiance and asked to cultivate, but Gao told him he had no Spirit Root and could not cultivate.
• Zhang Qingyan mourned the loss of his dream, then eagerly listed the pleasure boat, roast duck, and cockfights he had arranged for Gao.

Eldest Princess Xiao Zhaohuang sought a way to approach the Immortal and decided to invite Zhang Qingyan to her residence. Meanwhile, Zhang Qingyan returned to the Capital to find scholars accusing him of corrupting the Immortal, and he sneaked home through the back gate only to face his father.

• Xiao Zhaohuang worried that the Immortal was being led astray and ordered her subordinate to invite Zhang Qingyan over.
• Zhang Qingyan rode home believing his bond with the Immortal had grown closer and resolved to use the front gate.
• A crowd of scholars surrounded the Zhang Residence, condemning Zhang Qingyan for taking the Immortal to brothels and gambling dens.
• Zhang Qingyan stayed inside his carriage, realizing the crowd would blame him regardless of the truth, and told his servant to use the back gate.
• Zhang Qingyan slipped into the alley and found his father, Zhang Erhai, waiting with a thick military cudgel.

The Eldest Princess Xiao Zhaohuang summoned Zhang Qingyan to ask how she could invite the Immortal to her residence, and he advised her to approach him as her genuine self. Zhang Qingyan promised to arrange the meeting for the next day, while Xiao Zhaohuang resolved to try despite the uncertainty.

• Xiao Zhaohuang summoned Zhang Qingyan and warned him not to act presumptuously, then asked how she could invite the Immortal to her residence.
• Zhang Qingyan admitted the invitation would be difficult, but avoided having his legs broken by explaining that his big brother was a detached Immortal tempering himself in the mortal world.
• Xiao Zhaohuang grew furious when Zhang Qingyan claimed to understand the Immortal, but the Black-Clad Mysterious Person reminded her to focus on the matter at hand.
• Zhang Qingyan advised Xiao Zhaohuang to set aside her royal status and behave as her true, everyday self when meeting the Immortal.
• Zhang Qingyan said he would find a way to bring his big brother to the Eldest Princess's residence the next day, then Xiao Zhaohuang had guards beat him and throw him out.
• Xiao Zhaohuang told the Black-Clad Mysterious Person she had to try, even if she might fail.

Gao Yunyi gave Zhang Qingyan a powerful pill that transformed his body, then had Bai Suzhen knock him down when he bragged about his new strength. Zhang Qingyan delivered an invitation from the Eldest Princess, but Gao Yunyi claimed he did not know who she was.

• Zhang Qingyan visited Gao Yunyi battered from beatings by the Eldest Princess and his family, and admitted he had given his first pill to his grandmother.
• Gao Yunyi gave Zhang Qingyan another pill, which turned out to be a Level Two Spirit-Stabilizing Pill and caused him intense pain as his body transformed.
• Zhang Qingyan recovered with a muscular physique and abundant Qi and Blood, then celebrated by showing off bodybuilding poses.
• Gao Yunyi said he did not believe Zhang Qingyan could kill an ox, and Bai Suzhen's tail sent him flying.
• Zhang Qingyan told Gao Yunyi that the Eldest Princess wanted to invite him, and Gao Yunyi asked who she was.

Xiao Zhaohuang prepared an elaborate welcome for the Azure Profound Immortal Venerable, hoping he would like her fiery red gown and anxious to meet him. When Gao Yunyi emerged from the carriage, he recognized her as the woman general who had once stabbed her own thigh with a dagger.

• Xiao Zhaohuang dressed in a red palace gown and assembled her residence to welcome the Immortal with the highest ceremony.
• Xiao Zhaohuang worried that the Emperor had placed a powerful hidden expert beside the Immortal and hoped he would not provoke him.
• Zhang Qingyan arrived with a bruised, swollen face, posed to show off his muscles, and asked to join Xiao Zhaohuang's Phoenix Plume Guard.
• Xiao Zhaohuang ordered Zhang Qingyan to scram, then eagerly watched as the carriage curtain opened again.
• Gao Yunyi emerged, and Xiao Zhaohuang was overwhelmed by his appearance.
• Gao Yunyi recognized Xiao Zhaohuang as the strange woman general who had stabbed her own thigh with a dagger.

Gao Yunyi visited Eldest Princess Xiao Zhaohuang, who mistook his poem for a declaration of mutual understanding, while Zhang Qingyan had lured him there by claiming she owned a female cat that could do backflips. After discovering the lie, Xiao Zhaohuang attempted to satisfy Gao Yunyi by performing a backflip herself.

• Xiao Zhaohuang welcomed Gao Yunyi to her residence, and he guessed that she enjoyed needlework.
• Gao Yunyi recited a poem that moved Xiao Zhaohuang, but Zhang Qingyan's praise broke the moment.
• Xiao Zhaohuang praised Gao Yunyi's poetry and offered to show him manuscripts, while Gao Yunyi wondered why Zhang Qingyan had brought him there.
• Zhang Qingyan admitted that he had claimed Xiao Zhaohuang kept a female cat that could do backflips, and Xiao Zhaohuang angrily dismissed the servants and Zhang Qingyan.
• Xiao Zhaohuang performed a backflip in front of the puzzled Gao Yunyi and meowed.

After humiliating herself before Gao Yunyi, Xiao Zhaohuang hid in her bedchamber until she learned he had found her amusing rather than disgraceful. Gao Yunyi and Zhang Qingyan then explored a quiet courtyard in her residence and found a little boy watching ants in a vegetable patch.

• Xiao Zhaohuang hid beneath her bedding, convinced she had ruined her dignity and lost Gao Yunyi's favor.
• A maidservant told Xiao Zhaohuang that Gao Yunyi was not angry and had praised her as an interesting woman, so she ordered help dressing and fixing her hair and makeup.
• Gao Yunyi savored the memory of Xiao Zhaohuang's coquettish meow while Zhang Qingyan wondered what had happened between them.
• Gao Yunyi and Zhang Qingyan wandered through the residence and entered a secluded courtyard after discussing rumors that Xiao Zhaohuang kept male consorts.
• Zhang Qingyan mistook a chubby little boy in the courtyard for Xiao Zhaohuang's illegitimate son, but Gao Yunyi approached him and saw that he was watching ants fight.
• Gao Yunyi, Zhang Qingyan, and the little boy squatted together, absorbed in the ants battling in the vegetable patch.

Eldest Princess Xiao Zhaohuang brought her nephew, Xiao Gaoyi, to meet Gao Yunyi, hoping to secure his protection for the timid orphan. Gao Yunyi accepted Xiao Gaoyi as a younger brother and gave him a Star-Patterned Daoist Robe, while Zhang Qingyan was dragged away for punishment.

• Xiao Zhaohuang arrived and watched Gao Yunyi, Zhang Qingyan, and the little fatty discuss an ant battle in the vegetable patch.
• Zhang Qingyan mistook Xiao Gaoyi for Xiao Zhaohuang's illegitimate son, and Xiao Zhaohuang ordered guards to drag him away for twenty strokes of the cane.
• Xiao Zhaohuang explained that Xiao Gaoyi was her orphaned nephew and that she feared for his safety amid the Capital's dangers.
• Gao Yunyi recognized his own withdrawn nature in Xiao Gaoyi, asked his name, and told him to call him big brother.
• Xiao Gaoyi called Gao Yunyi big brother, and Gao Yunyi gave him a Star-Patterned Daoist Robe as a gift.

Xiao Zhaohuang brought Gao Yunyi to the training ground and performed her halberd techniques, hoping to impress him. Her martial arts realm stirred after she gave the performance her all.

• Xiao Zhaohuang led Gao Yunyi and the others to the training ground, dressed in martial attire and carrying a Fangtian Huaji.
• Xiao Gaoyi told Zhang Qingyan that Gao Yunyi was his big brother, but refused Zhang Qingyan’s demand to be called Second Brother.
• Gao Yunyi ordered the guards to give Zhang Qingyan another thirty strokes after Xiao Gaoyi appealed to him for help.
• Xiao Zhaohuang displayed her powerful halberd techniques, and Gao Yunyi watched with growing admiration.
• After Xiao Zhaohuang’s final strike cracked the stone ground, her dormant martial arts realm began to stir and a surging presence burst from her body.

Gao Yunyi took Xiao Zhaohuang and the others boating on Phoenix Yi Lake, where he summoned Bai Suzhen to join them. Xiao Zhaohuang resented the snake’s possessive scorn but admitted she envied its closeness to Gao Yunyi, while Bai Suzhen plunged into the lake to play.

• Xiao Zhaohuang quietly admired Phoenix Yi Lake beside Gao Yunyi and felt relieved that he seemed unconcerned with the rumors about her.
• Zhang Qingyan asked Gao Yunyi to let Bai Suzhen play in the lake, and Gao Yunyi summoned the enormous white snake with a wave of blue light.
• Bai Suzhen entered the boat and nuzzled Gao Yunyi, while Xiao Gaoyi hid under a table and the other passengers recoiled in fear.
• Bai Suzhen gave Xiao Zhaohuang a contemptuous look, and Xiao Zhaohuang grew angry before admitting she envied the snake’s affection with Gao Yunyi.
• Gao Yunyi sent Bai Suzhen back to the lake, where it churned the water as Zhang Qingyan watched and wished for a Spirit Pet of his own.

Gao Yunyi released Maybach Crane, then prepared to leave Eldest Princess Xiao Zhaohuang’s residence. When he learned she was going to trim her horse’s hooves, he became unexpectedly interested and stayed to watch.

• Gao Yunyi released Maybach Crane, who flew away heartbroken when his master ignored him and spotted Xiao Zhaohuang’s captive White Cranes.
• Xiao Zhaohuang tried to keep Gao Yunyi at her residence, but he refused her little brother’s plea to stay and headed for the gate with Zhang Qingyan.
• A guard reported that Red Hare was refusing food and needed his overgrown hooves trimmed, a task Xiao Zhaohuang handled herself.
• Gao Yunyi asked to watch the hoof trimming, and Zhang Qingyan and the little fatty followed him to the stable.
• Xiao Zhaohuang trimmed Red Hare’s hooves as Gao Yunyi, Zhang Qingyan, and the little fatty watched intently, while the normally unruly horse stood trembling and obedient.

After Xiao Zhaohuang struggled with doubts about how to win Gao Yunyi’s affection, she discovered his Immortal Bird had been left behind and arranged for it to mate with female cranes. Back at the residence, Gao Yunyi gave his nameless chief eunuch the name Cao Zhengchun, which the eunuch accepted with overwhelming gratitude.

• Xiao Zhaohuang wondered why Gao Yunyi had ignored her beauty and asked how she could make him like her.
• Xiao Zhaohuang rushed to Phoenix Yi Lake and found the Immortal Bird amid a flock of exhausted white cranes.
• Xiao Zhaohuang ordered servants to gather beautiful female cranes so the Immortal Bird could leave behind offspring with an Immortal Beast bloodline.
• Gao Yunyi returned to the residence and asked the chief eunuch for his name.
• The chief eunuch explained that he had no name, so Gao Yunyi named him Cao Zhengchun.
• Cao Zhengchun knelt and thanked the Azure Profound Immortal Venerable for bestowing the name.

The Liang Emperor, near death and unwilling to relinquish his throne, joined forces with Pei Jingxuan to plan the Immortal’s assassination in hopes of stealing her eternal-life core. Xiao Zhaohuang gained the Immortal’s favor and political support, while Xiao Chengchen withdrew from the succession struggle.

• The Immortal visited Xiao Zhaohuang for five days, and the Eldest Princess was repeatedly made to trim horses’ hooves until she drove the horses from her residence.
• Eminent scholars and celebrated figures switched their support to Xiao Zhaohuang after believing she had won the Immortal’s favor, leaving Xiao Chengchen isolated and withdrawn from the succession struggle.
• The Liang Emperor sat alone in Yangxin Hall, nearing death but refusing to take the medicine that could only prolong his life briefly.
• The Liang Emperor questioned Pei Jingxuan about a plan to kill the Immortal and obtain the Innate Golden Core said to grant eternal life.
• Pei Jingxuan claimed the Daoist School’s Divine Artifact could kill the Immortal, and the Liang Emperor promised him power and the position of State Preceptor if the plan succeeded.

Xiao Zhaohuang learned that the emperor had formed the Eastern Depot and ordered an investigation into his plans, while Zhang Erhai worried that her actions were making her look like a usurper. Zhang Qingyan returned home transformed by his training and stunned his father with his new physique.

• Xiao Zhaohuang learned that the emperor had established the Eastern Depot using people transferred from Beiping Prefecture to monitor officials and watch the Immortal.
• Xiao Zhaohuang ordered the Pacification Investigation Office to investigate everyone recently granted an audience with the emperor and uncover his hidden trump card.
• Zhang Erhai worried that Xiao Zhaohuang's frequent visits with the Immortal were fueling rumors that she intended to seize the throne.
• Zhang Qingyan returned to the Zhang Residence, bared his muscular torso, and showed his shocked father his new physique.

A carriage bearing the Jade Spring Mountain palace retreat’s flag entered the Imperial City without stopping, as the Imperial Guards feared the Immortal inside. The chapter recounted how the Immortal’s visit to Qinlan Tower had reshaped the Capital’s brothel rankings, while the carriage continued toward its destination in the palace.

• The Imperial Guard commander recognized the carriage’s flag at Chengtian Gate and ordered his men to kneel and let it pass.
• The commander told his anxious subordinates that the carriage carried the Immortal, and they gratefully promised to reward him.
• The Immortal’s visit to Qinlan Tower had made it the Capital’s foremost brothel and raised its Four Golden Flowers to the ranks of the Ten Beauties of Jinghua.
• Drunken Jade Tower’s top courtesan lost her standing, while Tang Yuan'er disappeared after losing her chastity and reputation.
• The Four Golden Flowers kept their faces veiled and claimed they would wait for the Azure Profound Immortal Venerable, which only intensified the public’s pursuit of them.