Chapter Summaries

After Aspen killed the village chief, Xia Nan saw that the villagers remained frightened of abandoning the Sacrifice Ritual, even after learning the truth. Aspen chose to lead Fog Lamp Village through the change, while Winter Tree and Lillie decided to leave for River Valley Town; Xia Nan agreed to escort them there.

• The villagers reacted to the village chief's death with panic and distrust, unable to abandon their fear of the Sacrifice Ritual.
• Aspen returned the Druid's Diary to Xia Nan, thanked him, and resolved to guide Fog Lamp Village away from its old customs.
• Winter Tree and Lillie told Xia Nan they planned to go to River Valley Town, where Winter Tree hoped to learn about becoming an Adventurer.
• Aspen encouraged Winter Tree to be careful and offered him a place to return to if life in town proved difficult.
• Winter Tree asked Xia Nan to escort him and Lillie to River Valley Town, and Xia Nan agreed to leave with them the following morning.

Xia Nan returned to River Valley Town with Winter Tree and Lillie, helped them consider practical ways to begin their new lives, and then set about processing his commissions and loot. He arrived at the Green Grass Crucible Herbal Shop carrying valuable Fog Lamp Grass and materials from a mutated monster, ready to learn what they were worth.

• Xia Nan arrived in River Valley Town two days ahead of schedule with Winter Tree and Lillie and treated them to a meal at the White Tit Tavern.
• Lillie planned to seek sewing, weaving, or other steady work, while Winter Tree intended to find a job that would teach him about adventurers before deciding whether to join their profession.
• Xia Nan encouraged them to work steadily and offered to help if they ran into trouble, then parted ways with them as they searched for housing and work.
• Xia Nan turned in the Goblin Nest commissions and sold the recovered loot, adding their proceeds and the Canyon Druid Cabin coins to his savings.
• Xia Nan headed to the Green Grass Crucible Herbal Shop with a backpack of high-quality Fog Lamp Grass, a Fog Lamp Monster Crystallized Core, and bundles of Thorny Vines to have them assessed.

Xia Nan returned to River Valley Town with Fog Lamp Grass and unusual materials from the Fog Lamp Monster, selling them to Edwina after reassuring her that the Canyon entrance remained passable. His adventure earnings brought his account back into four digits temporarily, and he headed to the Blacksmith Shop to deal with his Enchanted Armor debt.

• Xia Nan delivered the Fog Lamp Grass to Edwina and explained that he had entered the Canyon from the other end because a mudslide blocked the usual route.
• Edwina asked about the blockage, but Xia Nan said Professionals could still cross the entrance under normal weather, easing her concerns about future gathering missions.
• Xia Nan showed Edwina the Fog Lamp Monster's crystallized core and thorny vines, and she assessed their qualities and offered 320 gold for them.
• Xia Nan accepted Edwina's offer and left the Herbal Shop with three Crystal Cards.
• Xia Nan calculated that his adventure income had brought his bank balance back into four digits and walked toward the Blacksmith Shop.

Xia Nan collected the custom [Purgatory Pulse] armor from Barn and paid the remaining balance. As Xia Nan prepared to leave for a trip that could last several months, Barn offered to buy back his old Chainmail and asked if he should add Luminous Iron Dust to Xia Nan’s next armor.

• Xia Nan met Barn’s son Hugh at Rock Hammer Blacksmith and asked to see Barn about his equipment order.
• Barn showed Xia Nan the finished [Purgatory Pulse], whose purgatory steel gave it increased durability, fire resistance, and slight stamina recovery when the wearer took fire damage.
• Xia Nan inspected and tried on the custom armor, found it comfortable and suited to his mobile fighting style, and paid Barn the remaining balance with his Crystal Card and savings.
• Barn admired how Xia Nan’s equipment had improved over the past year and offered to buy back the Chainmail Xia Nan had been wearing.
• Xia Nan handed over the Chainmail and said he was leaving on a trip that might keep him away for several months, prompting Barn to ask whether he should use Luminous Iron Dust in the next set of armor.

Xia Nan spent three days preparing routes and supplies for a long journey from River Valley Town to Barracuda Bay, then invited Winter Tree and Lillie to dinner and introduced them to Adeline. As their conversation grew lively, Molly arrived with news about the equipment Xia Nan had consigned at the association.

• Xia Nan gathered travel information, bought maps, and planned backup routes for his journey to Barracuda Bay.
• Xia Nan treated Winter Tree and Lillie to dinner after they found work in River Valley Town.
• Xia Nan introduced Winter Tree and Lillie to Adeline so she could look after them while he was away.
• Adeline chatted with Winter Tree and Lillie, and they gradually relaxed around her.
• Molly arrived and told Xia Nan there was news about the equipment he had consigned at the association.

Molly told Xia Nan that a Professional in Barracuda Bay wanted to buy his [Tidal Surge Lure Rod], and he decided to take it with him on his upcoming journey. After making preparations, Xia Nan reached the River Valley Town Post Station, where two familiar companions were waiting beside a carriage.

• Molly explained how receptionists advanced through the Adventurers Association and why she had made Xia Nan her priority adventurer.
• Molly told Xia Nan that a buyer in Barracuda Bay wanted to negotiate for the [Tidal Surge Lure Rod], and offered to handle the negotiations on his behalf.
• After learning the buyer was in Barracuda Bay, Xia Nan retrieved the [Tidal Surge Lure Rod] so he could bring it on his journey and negotiate in person.
• Two days later, Xia Nan left White Tit Tavern and went to the River Valley Town Post Station with his travel supplies.
• Xia Nan found two familiar companions waiting beside a carriage for him.

Xia Nan joined the Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce caravan as a temporary guard, traveling with the Oathkeeper Blackwood party along his planned route. The convoy’s wealthy owner, Horako, welcomed him with an extravagant gift, leaving Xia Nan wondering what lay behind the merchant’s generosity.

• Xia Nan arranged to travel with Margaret and Solding’s Oathkeeper Blackwood party after learning their escort mission followed his route.
• Xia Nan met the caravan at the Post Station and inspected its luxurious goods, disciplined Guards, and central carriage belonging to Horako.
• Horako greeted Xia Nan warmly and praised his reputation as the Grey Sword.
• Horako gave Xia Nan a pearl-adorned silver pocket watch as a first-meeting gift, prompting Xia Nan to question the merchant’s motives.

Xia Nan accepted Horako’s silver-chain pocket watch but refused the escort fee, then traveled safely with the caravan for seven days while training whenever he could. As he prepared to leave camp for another training session, Solding hurried over with news of a promising find and a big meal.

• Xia Nan accepted Horako’s greeting gift and refused the same escort fee as the Oathkeeper Blackwood Squad because he was only traveling one way.
• The caravan departed River Valley Town and traveled for seven days, easily repelling several Goblin attacks without anyone being injured.
• At the evening campsite, Xia Nan checked his [Gravity Etching] progress and prepared to go train nearby.
• Margaret remembered her fallen companions and reaffirmed her resolve to preserve the name Oathkeeper Blackwood.
• Solding emerged from the grass and urged Xia Nan to come see something good, saying they would eat well that night.

Solding led Xia Nan and Margaret into the woods to harvest Anvil Honey, using smoke and a diversion to collect honeycomb without destroying the colony. They returned to camp with the honey, where caravan owner Horako arrived with steaming pots.

• Solding discovered an Anvil Bee hive and invited Xia Nan and Margaret to gather its honey.
• Xia Nan learned that Anvil Honey was valuable and delicious, and Solding explained his plan to harvest it safely.
• Xia Nan funneled smoke into the hive while Solding used Taunt to draw most of the bees away.
• Margaret cut down the honey-filled section of the hive, leaving the pupae and larvae intact.
• Xia Nan and Margaret returned to camp with the honeycomb, where Solding removed bee stings from his hand.
• Horako arrived at the bonfire with his assistant and workers carrying steaming Iron Pots.

Horako joined Xia Nan and the others for dinner, impressing them with his generosity and skill at conversation. After offering Solding his valuable ring and being politely refused, he noticed Xia Nan’s jewelry and turned his attention to him.

• Horako brought Black Feather Chicken soup to the camp and joined Xia Nan, Margaret, and Solding for dinner.
• Solding told Horako about finding Anvil Honey, and Horako praised the group without pressing them for details.
• Xia Nan enjoyed the chicken soup and sampled Anvil Honey with bread and dried meat.
• Solding admired the Carnelian in Horako’s ring, and Horako offered it to him as a gift.
• Solding refused the expensive ring, and Horako eased the awkwardness with a compliment.
• Horako noticed Xia Nan’s rings and necklace and gently shifted the conversation toward him.

Xia Nan and Blackwood Squad learned that Horako’s convoy was traveling to Ram Horn Town to investigate the newly discovered Pastel Gemstones. Horako showed them one, and Xia Nan sensed it affecting his attention as Horako’s possessive demeanor emerged.

• Horako praised Xia Nan’s rings and offered to share his jewelry, but Xia Nan politely refused.
• Horako explained that his real purpose in traveling to Ram Horn Town was to investigate reports of Pastel Gemstones, while the convoy’s ordinary cargo served as a backup business plan.
• Xia Nan decided he would complete the guard mission and continue toward the Southern Islands rather than stay to investigate the gemstones.
• Horako asked Xia Nan and Blackwood Squad to help investigate after reaching Ram Horn Town; Xia Nan refused, while Margaret and Solding asked for time to decide.
• Horako revealed a fingernail-sized Pastel Gemstone, briefly drawing Xia Nan’s attention before he closed the box and guarded it possessively.

Xia Nan arrived in Ram Horn Town with Horako’s caravan and began investigating the unusual Pastel Gemstone that had made the merchant hesitant to part with it. After the innkeeper offered him Honey Tangerines, Xia Nan raised the rumors about strange minerals, and the innkeeper denied that anything unusual had happened in town.

• Xia Nan completed the fifteen-day journey to Ram Horn Town, training his [Gravity Control] and anticipating the chance to travel alone after leaving the caravan.
• Horako arranged rooms for the caravan and hurried off to investigate the Pastel Gemstone, while Xia Nan decided to gather information in town before continuing his journey.
• Xia Nan checked into the Cashmere Rusty Nail and went downstairs to speak with the innkeeper while Margaret and Solding remained in their rooms.
• The innkeeper welcomed Xia Nan with lemon water and Honey Tangerines, which Xia Nan found exceptionally sweet.
• Xia Nan asked about strange events and the rumored special minerals, and the innkeeper stiffened before insisting that no such thing had happened in Ram Horn Town.

Xia Nan and Oathkeeper Blackwood Squad agreed to look into the rumored Pastel Gemstone mine, but their investigation was interrupted when Horako clashed with a blacksmith. As the blacksmith raised his hammer, Xia Nan intervened and told him to calm down.

• Xia Nan noticed that the tavern owner's attitude turned cold when he asked about the Pastel Gemstone, deepening his suspicions about the gemstone and its possible mine.
• Margaret and Solding decided to help Horako investigate for the money and their interest in the gemstone, while Xia Nan said he would wait two days and asked them to share what they discovered.
• The caravan's second-in-command rushed into the tavern and reported that Horako had argued with someone at the blacksmith shop, so Xia Nan and the others went to investigate.
• Xia Nan found Horako confronting a hostile blacksmith amid a silent, unfriendly crowd; Horako claimed the gemstone's seller had said it came from the blacksmith.
• When the blacksmith began lifting his forging hammer, Xia Nan pressed it down and told him to calm down.

Xia Nan and the other Adventurers stopped a confrontation between Horako and a blacksmith in Ram Horn Town, then questioned Horako’s steward about the merchant’s unusual trip. Xia Nan suspected the town’s strange behavior was connected to Horako’s Pastel Gemstone and prepared to tell Margaret what he had discovered.

• Xia Nan, Solding, and Margaret intervened as Horako argued with a blacksmith, calming both men and dispersing the tense crowd.
• Horako explained that the blacksmith had refused to discuss a gemstone deposit, then left to rest at the inn.
• Xia Nan questioned A-Fu and learned that Horako rarely traveled in person, had little commercial reason to investigate a gemstone mine, and kept his motives secret.
• After A-Fu left, Xia Nan concluded that Ram Horn Town had a problem and suspected Horako’s Pastel Gemstone could influence people’s minds.
• Margaret asked Xia Nan whether he had discovered something as he prepared to share his suspicions.

Xia Nan and Blackwood Squad suspected that the Pastel Gemstone was influencing the minds of Ram Horn Town’s residents and Horako. After Horako reluctantly handed it over for inspection, Xia Nan used the Dreamweaver Corridor ring to absorb energy from it.

• Xia Nan, Margaret, and Solding considered whether the Pastel Gemstone had already affected them and decided to explain their suspicions to Horako.
• Xia Nan told Horako that the gemstone might control people’s minds and insisted on inspecting it for the caravan’s safety.
• Horako resisted giving up the gemstone but eventually handed its box to Xia Nan, whose companions witnessed his intense distress.
• Xia Nan opened the box, and Solding, Margaret, and Horako reacted to the gemstone’s beauty and tried to look at or reclaim it.
• Xia Nan touched the Pastel Gemstone with the Silver Ring, and the Dreamweaver Corridor detected it as a charging substance and replenished its energy from 2% to 2.0003%.

Xia Nan discovered that the Pastel Gemstone charged Dreamweaver Corridor and that its influence over people vanished after the ring absorbed a small amount of its energy. While Horako and Blackwood Squad planned to leave Ram Horn Town, Xia Nan decided to investigate the rumored gemstone mine and the town’s strange condition.

• Xia Nan touched the Pastel Gemstone and saw that Dreamweaver Corridor had absorbed 0.0003% energy from it.
• The gemstone’s mind-control effect disappeared, leaving Horako and Solding confused and restoring Horako’s ability to think clearly.
• Horako canceled the Investigation Quest and announced that the caravan would leave Ram Horn Town after delivering its goods and resupplying.
• Xia Nan chose to remain in town and investigate the gemstones and rumored mine, while keeping his plan from Horako and Blackwood Squad.
• That night, Xia Nan watched the town from his inn window, planned how to question the townspeople, and noticed a distinctive church building.

Xia Nan tried to learn about Ram Horn Town’s hidden mineral sources by questioning the tavern owner and a blacksmith, but both became guarded and refused to talk. After his failed attempts at persuasion, he reached the town square and focused on the church’s rose-and-sun Holy Symbol.

• Xia Nan trained before dawn, then questioned the tavern owner about the town’s quiet life and Honey Tangerines, but the man grew suspicious and offered little information.
• Xia Nan asked the town blacksmith to maintain his dagger, then tried to steer their conversation toward the source of the shop’s iron and coal.
• The blacksmith reacted coldly to Xia Nan’s question about the materials’ source and returned to forging, ending the conversation.
• Xia Nan reflected on his failed Persuasion attempts as he reached the central square and examined the church’s rose-and-sun Holy Symbol.

Xia Nan learned that Ram Horn Town’s respected priest, Moen, had served the community for nearly forty years, but the townspeople reacted uneasily when he asked why the church was closed. After Moen used divine magic to settle a children’s dispute, he introduced himself to Xia Nan and asked about the doubts on his mind.

• Xia Nan recognized the church’s Holy Symbol as belonging to Chauntea and approached local farmwives to learn about the town.
• The women praised Moen for guiding the town and sharing the church’s grain during a poor harvest.
• When Xia Nan asked why the church was closed, the women nervously claimed it needed repairs, making him suspect a connection between the church and the Pastel Gemstone.
• Moen restored life to a stick the children were fighting over and taught them to share its gift.
• Moen introduced himself to Xia Nan as Chauntea’s only priest in town and asked what was troubling him.

Xia Nan questioned Priest Moen about Horako’s plans and the closed church, growing suspicious of the priest’s connection to the mind-controlling gemstones in Ram Horn Town. After comparing notes with Horako, Xia Nan remained unsure whether Moen knew the truth as Margaret and Solding joined them at the inn.

• Priest Moen recognized Xia Nan as a traveler with Horako’s caravan and learned that it planned to leave Ram Horn Town soon.
• Moen explained that the church was closed for repairs, but Xia Nan suspected the closure was connected to the strange gemstones and planned to investigate later.
• Xia Nan recalled that Horako had met Moen before the merchant broke free of the gemstone’s Mind Control and wondered whether the priest would notice the changed plans.
• Horako told Xia Nan that he had discussed staying in town with Moen while under Mind Control, but had not spoken to him since breaking free.
• Margaret and the Dwarf Solding came downstairs as Xia Nan prepared to question Horako further.

Xia Nan and Margaret investigated Ram Horn Town’s gemstone influence and visited an orange grove to question a local young woman about Priest Moen. She began recounting how Moen had helped her survive a deadly fever during a harsh winter, but the chapter ended before she explained what happened.

• Xia Nan told Margaret, Solding, and Horako that the Pastel Gemstone appeared to be influencing people across Ram Horn Town.
• Margaret urged Horako to leave town as soon as the caravan had replenished its supplies, and Horako insisted that he would not abandon his caravan.
• Xia Nan and Margaret went to an orange grove on the outskirts of town while Solding stayed behind to protect Horako.
• Margaret befriended the young woman tending the grove and steered their conversation toward the town and Priest Moen.
• The young woman praised Moen and began describing how he had helped her when she was a young child with a high fever during a bitterly cold winter.