Chapter Summaries

Russell told Mrs. Moore to simplify her fish soup recipes after finding her Blind Dragon soup overloaded with seasonings. He enjoyed the first new soup and asked Morris to pass on his praise.

• Russell asked Mrs. Moore to improve her Blind Dragon soup by using fewer seasonings, but she misunderstood and became anxious.
• Russell ordered Mrs. Moore to make a different fish soup each day using salt, ginger, garlic, and only one other seasoning.
• Morris explained Russell’s instructions to Mrs. Moore and reassured her that Russell was not blaming her.
• Barbara returned from visiting Lord Kevin and revealed that she had petted the Phantom Beast, prompting Morris to warn her to keep the news secret.
• Russell drank the fish soup made with black pepper, enjoyed it, and asked Morris to praise Mrs. Moore.

Russell discussed Eric’s advancement and his plans for Xiangshui River Cave with Baron Roman, then visited Glimmering Town and ordered a man arrested for defecating beside the river.

• At dinner, Russell said Charles and Eric would soon move to Small Market Town, while Kevin the wolfdog would remain at the manor to guard Russell.
• Russell told Baron Roman that Eric had become a Phantom Beast Knight after Kevin contracted with a Half Ghost Beast, and he planned to lure Lisbon out before consolidating Xiangshui River Cave.
• Russell agreed to return for his grandmother’s birthday and accepted Meryl’s offer to lend him a gemstone necklace if he could not prepare a special gift.
• Russell rode through Glimmering Town with his Knight Retainers and noticed residents relieving themselves near the Glimmering River.
• Russell ordered James to arrest a man defecating by the river and hand him over to the town watch commander.

Russell visited Glimmering Town after merchant caravans arrived and bought two White Crystals after haggling with a gemstone seller. He left with the crystals, realizing the seller had still made a substantial profit.

• Charles reported that Red-nosed Rudy had organized the magic potion operations and that he had settled the manor's disputes.
• Russell ordered that tunic supervisors handle disputes first, with a weekly manor court that he would attend.
• After hearing that merchant caravans had filled Glimmering Town, Russell rode there and explored the crowded market with Charles and his companions.
• At a gemstone stall, Russell learned that White Crystal could help focus the mind during Battle Aura cultivation and meditation.
• Russell bargained the seller down from thirteen Gold Coins to eight for two White Crystals, then suspected he had still overpaid.

Russell bought two crystal lenses to make monocles for his farsighted grandmother, then used the Dark Dreamscape to search the caravan for valuable goods. He discovered and bought a pregnant Golden Black Pig that seemed to be carrying a Phantom Beast baby, and returned to the territory with Charles after collecting the finished lenses.

• Russell asked a lamp artisan to polish two White Crystals into lenses for monocles intended as a birthday gift for Old Madam Ingrid.
• Russell stayed at a small inn and entered the Dark Dreamscape, where he searched the caravan's stalls for magical goods.
• Russell found a glowing pregnant sow at a livestock stall and suspected it was carrying a Phantom Beast baby.
• Russell bought the Golden Black Pig sow and sent Jack and the other Knight Retainers to take it to Wuyou Snake Manor.
• Russell collected the finished monocles, met Charles, and returned to the territory.

Russell discovered that the Golden Black Sow carried a Phantom Beast baby, but Little Dream Dragon refused to help it develop, leaving its chances uncertain. He prepared to visit Fluorite Castle for Old Madam Ingrid’s birthday.

• Russell told Charles and Butler Morris that the Golden Black Sow might carry a Phantom Beast baby and ordered the sow to receive careful care.
• Eric confirmed the baby’s aura was weak and it would probably struggle to develop into a Phantom Beast.
• In the Dark Dreamscape, Russell failed to persuade Little Dream Dragon to breathe dragon flame to help the baby.
• Russell decided the sow’s fate was up to chance and considered joining Baron Gloomlight’s Snow Ghost-clearing expedition.
• Russell trained and inspected his territory, then dressed for his journey to Fluorite Castle ahead of Old Madam Ingrid’s birthday.

Russell returned to Fluorite Castle ahead of his grandmother’s birthday banquet and reunited with relatives and visiting lords. After hearing them discuss the Grand Duchy’s plans for war, he went to see his mother and sister, then returned to the hall to wait for his elder brother and sister’s family.

• Russell arrived at Fluorite Castle and learned that his grandmother would come the next day, while Lord Cooper, Rowena, her husband, and Roland were expected soon.
• Old Butler Carter welcomed Russell, and Russell told him he was family rather than a servant.
• Baron Roman introduced Russell to visiting lords, including Dave Golden Mushroom, who said Russell’s aunt was unwell but stable.
• The lords discussed whether the new Grand Duke would pursue war, and Russell questioned the risks of the unmarried ruler being the Shadowflame Family’s only heir.
• Baron Roman sent Russell to check on Meryl, and Russell found her and Laura organizing the birthday banquet.
• Russell returned to the hall, listened to stories about the snowfields, and began thinking about Roland and Rowena.

Russell reunited with his older brother Roland and older sister Rowena, who returned to Fluorite Castle with her husband, Lord Cooper. After the family welcomed them and exchanged greetings, everyone gathered in the sitting room to catch up.

• Baron Roman and the household went to the castle gate to welcome Roland, Rowena, and Lord Cooper.
• Roland greeted Baron Roman and Madam Meryl, then warmly embraced Russell and Laura.
• Rowena greeted her parents and the knights, teased Russell about not writing to her, and invited him to visit Black Court Mountain.
• Rowena spoke with Old Butler Carter, while Roland helped host the gathering in the sitting room.
• Russell sat with Lord Cooper as the family and guests chatted around them.

Russell reunited with his family at Fluorite Castle, shared pearls with Rowena, and listened as Roland discussed the Grand Duke’s plans and the Snow Giant. After Roland visited Lord Ross, Russell went to sleep, expecting the Dark Dreamscape to make Fluorite Castle the domain of him and the Little Dream Dragon.

• Russell surprised his family by explaining his recent discoveries and gave Rowena a pearl necklace and ring.
• Roland told Baron Roman that the Grand Duke wanted to open new territory and gain the Shadowflame Dragon’s recognition, while the Snow Giant remained missing.
• Baron Roman urged Roland to maintain his relationship with the Grand Duke, and Roland left to visit Lord Ross.
• Russell watched Roland talk to Lord Ross from his room, then shut the window and went to sleep.

Russell accepted Rowena’s challenge to a duel and discovered he could hold his own against her with the Radiant Sword Technique. Their fight continued at the training grounds, where Baron Roman and Meryl watched as Rowena began to grow anxious.

• Russell woke at Fluorite Castle and joined Rowena, Cooper, Laura, and Roland for breakfast.
• Rowena challenged Russell to a duel after he teased her, and Russell agreed to fight after breakfast.
• Russell drank several bowls of Qi and Blood Paste, which strengthened his Battle Aura before training.
• At the training grounds, Eric warned Russell that Rowena’s opened limb meridians gave her a physical advantage, so Russell relied on his swordsmanship.
• Russell and Rowena exchanged dozens of blows; Rowena gained the upper hand, but Russell’s steady defense and counterattacks forced her to stay cautious.
• Baron Roman and Meryl arrived to watch as Rowena grew anxious during the duel.

Russell defeated Rowena in a sibling duel by patiently waiting for her Battle Aura to falter, earning praise from Baron Roman and the others. At Old Madam Ingrid’s birthday gathering, Rosen discussed vassal duties with Russell and asked whether he would take Royal as a knight attendant, but Russell declined for now.

• Madam Meryl questioned whether Russell could beat Rowena, while Baron Roman explained that Russell’s careful battle style gave him a chance if Rowena lost her composure.
• After a hundred exchanges, Rowena’s Battle Aura faltered, and Russell pierced her combat uniform and struck her soft armor, knocking her down and winning the duel.
• Rowena demanded another fight, but Cooper took her away to change; Baron Roman, Roland, Charles, and Dave Golden Mushroom praised Russell.
• Old Madam Ingrid arrived with Rosen’s family, and the family gathered in the great hall to celebrate her birthday.
• Rosen told Russell that Royal had nurtured a Battle Qi Seed and asked whether Russell would take him as a knight attendant, but Russell declined because he had only just begun cultivating Battle Aura.

At Old Madam Ingrid’s birthday gathering, Russell gave her reading glasses that restored her ability to read clearly. She praised his invention and said she would tell the scholars at Red Castle about it, leaving Russell’s creation poised to earn wider recognition.

• Rowena and Cooper presented Old Madam Ingrid with a colorful-feathered hat, and Roland gave her a gemstone bracelet sent with birthday wishes from Princess Anxia.
• Laura presented her grandmother with a scarf she had knitted herself.
• Russell gave Old Madam Ingrid two pairs of reading glasses and showed her how to use them.
• Old Madam Ingrid tried both pairs, found the weaker pair suited her better, and celebrated being able to read clearly again.
• Old Butler Carter tried Russell’s stronger glasses and was amazed, prompting Old Madam Ingrid to say she would write to the scholars at Red Castle about Russell’s invention.

At the family celebration, Russell’s reading glasses earned praise and raised hopes that he might become a scholar. He enjoyed the banquet’s Origin Meat, considered breeding a new kind of cultivated livestock, and ended the chapter dancing with Malena.

• Old Madam Ingrid and the gathered nobles praised Russell’s reading glasses and discussed her sponsoring his improvements.
• Roland, Rowena, and Baron Roman congratulated Russell, and Roman expected him to become a capable lord for the Fluorite Mushroom Family.
• Russell ate Origin Meat and considered raising piglets from his Golden Black Sow to develop a new Cultivated Origin Beast breed.
• At the celebration dance, Malena invited Russell to dance, and he accepted.

At a ball, Russell discussed his plan to breed a new Cultivated Origin Beast from the extraordinary piglet in his Golden Black Sow with Malena. Afterward, Madam Meryl urged him to consider marrying Malena, but Russell said he wanted to focus on his manor and cultivation for now.

• Russell danced with Malena and told her that his pregnant Golden Black Sow might miscarry, but he hoped to raise the piglet as a new breed called Wuyou Black Pigs.
• Malena approved of Russell's plan and asked to visit Wuyou Snake Manor, and Russell said Teacher Charles could show her around.
• Russell ended the dance and stayed in the rest area instead of joining the next one.
• Madam Meryl praised Russell for finding a positive path in life, then urged him to pursue Malena and take her for another dance.
• Russell told Meryl that he had a clear plan for his future and wanted to focus on his manor and Battle Aura cultivation.

After returning to Wuyou Snake Manor with Rowena’s Fluorite Mushroom Bug gift, Russell learned that the Golden Black Sow had produced no Phantom Beast offspring. He ordered the piglet whose origin power was fading to be raised separately and given the best feed, hoping it could become a new breed of Cultivated Origin Beast.

• Rowena gave Russell a Fluorite Mushroom Bug as a belated coming-of-age gift, and Russell accepted it after she insisted.
• Russell returned to Wuyou Snake Manor with the Mushroom Bug and the one hundred Gold Coins for the Reading Glasses Improvement Research Project.
• James reported that the Golden Black Sow had given birth but produced no Phantom Beast offspring.
• Russell and Eric examined the fattest piglet and confirmed that its origin power was dissipating.
• Russell ordered James to have Old Hans arrange for a serf family to raise the piglet separately with the best pig feed.

Russell inspected the new birch grove and the Windmill Mill, where weak winds meant the mill needed an additional set of drive shafts made with Metal Ceramic. He approved the extra expense and left the master carpenter responsible for ensuring the mill worked properly.

• Russell inspected serfs planting magically developed birch cuttings across the river and told Rudy to report developments in Magic Potion Tunic.
• Russell visited the Windmill Mill construction site and learned that the local wind was too weak for the planned machinery.
• The master carpenter explained that another set of drive shafts and Metal Ceramic components were needed for reliable operation.
• Russell ordered Charles to purchase the Metal Ceramic components and warned the master carpenter that he would be held accountable if the design still failed.

Russell commissioned Mundis to craft improved Reading Glasses for his grandmother and declined to pursue glassmaking on a larger scale because his territory lacked coal. Katie then reported that she and Catherine had joined Lisbon’s group and confirmed he possessed a Blood Fang Fungus, leaving Russell intent on obtaining it while the sisters continued their careful infiltration.

• Russell hired Mundis to polish White Crystal lenses into Reading Glasses for Old Madam Ingrid and arranged to have them fitted at Great Wind Manor.
• Russell decided not to invest heavily in glass products because Guangguang River Valley lacked surplus coal and glassmaking required extensive fuel.
• Katie told Russell that she and Catherine had joined Lisbon’s group, whose growing arrogance had led to deadly clashes with Savage Cave.
• Katie confirmed that Lisbon cultivated a Blood Fang Fungus and made a blood-red ointment called Gum Blood, though only Lisbon knew where the fungus was grown.
• Russell told Katie to keep following Lisbon cautiously and said the sisters mattered more to him than the gains from Xiangshui River Cave.

Russell ordered sanitation improvements in Small Market Town and proposed collecting and composting manure to test it as fertilizer. After Charles pointed out flaws in his payment plan, Russell revised the policy and left Charles to prepare detailed sanitation regulations.

• Russell asked Charles to have Old Hans and the others build a latrine in Small Market Town, then ordered manure collection and composting grounds to test whether fermented manure could fertilize fields.
• Charles and Eric questioned why Russell planned to pay for manure when the serfs could be ordered to hand it over, and Russell chose to provide the money as a cleaning fee instead.
• Charles warned that paying for manure might encourage serfs to avoid the latrine and keep manure at home, so Russell canceled plans for latrines in every tunic and proposed selling buckets and jars cheaply to the serfs.
• Russell instructed Charles to have the sanitation regulations written and read aloud to the Tunic Chiefs and serf stewards.

Charles announced Russell’s sanitation policy to the Tunic Chiefs and serf overseers, pairing punishments for relieving themselves outdoors with payments for collected waste. He assigned Old Hans to build a public toilet and organize construction workers, while Charles reflected on Russell’s growing confidence and his own stalled cultivation.

• Charles warned that anyone caught relieving themselves outdoors would receive ten lashes, while serfs who collected urine or feces could earn copper coins.
• The serf overseers welcomed the rewards and affordable buckets and jars, and Charles told them to explain the policy to every household.
• Charles tasked Old Hans with building a toilet in Small Market Town and described plans to bring merchant caravans there regularly.
• Charles told Old Hans to expand the town, widen its roads, and recruit a construction team that Russell would feed while punishing lazy workers.
• At home, Charles compared Russell’s growing confidence and Eric’s advancement as a Phantom Beast Knight with his own prospects, then tried to cultivate before giving up and deciding to focus on serving Russell.

Charles visited Russell at the manor annex, and Russell checked that the Wuyou Black Pig piglet’s magical aura remained intact. When Lord Cooper, Miss Rowena, and Miss Laura planned to visit, Russell ordered preparations for their reception, ending with his decision to serve the new fish soup recipe.

• Charles arrived at noon, joined Russell for lunch, and helped manage the manor’s affairs.
• Russell inspected the Wuyou Black Pig piglet in the Dark Dreamscape and found its magical aura had not dissipated.
• A knight informed Russell that Lord Cooper, Miss Rowena, and Miss Laura planned to visit Wuyou Snake Manor.
• Russell instructed Butler Morris to receive the guests at the standard used for his elder brother Roland, and Morris assigned preparations to the servants.
• Russell told Morris to use the new fish soup recipe for the luncheon.

Russell hosted Rowena, Cooper, and Laura at his manor, then defeated Rowena again in a duel by tiring her out with his defensive tactics. Rowena accepted that Russell had grown and called on Cooper to fight him next.

• Russell welcomed Rowena, Cooper, and Laura to Wuyou Snake Manor and hosted them for lunch.
• Rowena mistook Russell's plain fish soup for a sign that his household could not afford spices, but Russell explained that it was an invention he wanted Mrs. Moore to improve.
• Russell asked Butler Morris to conceal Rowena's criticism from Mrs. Moore while passing along Cooper's praise.
• Rowena challenged Russell to a second duel, but he wore her down and knocked her red longsword away before defeating her again.
• Russell explained that he had used his endurance and superior tactics to overcome Rowena's stronger Battle Aura, and she called on Cooper to duel him.