Chapter Summaries

Russell learned that Lone Wolf Lisbon planned to cross Wuyou Snake Manor and attack Savage Cave, so he arranged an ambush to stop him. Russell, Eric, Charles, and four Knight Retainers waited at the foot of Curved Blade Mountain as Kevin watched the road, and Russell prepared to nap while they waited.

• Cooper and Rowena said they would leave for home the day after tomorrow, and Rowena challenged Russell to another match next year.
• Eric told Russell that Lisbon planned to travel through Alfalfa Tunic and attack Savage Cave, where Big Clumsy Bear Grove stood in his way.
• Russell ordered Eric to confirm Lisbon’s route and timing through the Wildcat Sisters and prepare an ambush.
• The Wildcat Sisters sent word that Lisbon would pass the foot of Curved Blade Mountain at midnight.
• Eric led Russell, Charles, and four Knight Retainers to lie in wait while Kevin watched the road, and Russell asked Charles to wake him if anything happened.

Russell explored the Dark Dreamscape and found a mysterious glowing stone embedded in Curved Blade Mountain, then awoke as Eric’s group prepared an ambush for Lone Wolf Lisbon. Eric struck Lisbon with a sudden sword attack, beginning the planned assault.

• Russell entered the Dark Dreamscape with Little Dream Dragon and discovered a faintly glowing, rounded stone embedded in Curved Blade Mountain.
• Russell considered whether the stone was a gemstone from a nearby Gem Dragon, memorized its location, and continued exploring until Little Dream Dragon grew tired.
• Eric warned Russell that Lisbon and more than twenty followers had arrived, including the Wildcat Sisters, and Russell ordered the group to follow their plan.
• Eric assigned the Knight Retainers to hold back Lisbon’s followers while he launched the decapitation strike and Charles protected Russell.
• Lisbon entered the ambush site, and Eric rushed out and slashed his throat before he could finish shouting.

Russell’s forces defeated Lone Wolf Lisbon’s gang, captured the survivors, and recovered the Blood Fang Fungus Mushroom Bug. Russell began dissolving Lisbon’s contract with the bug before Lisbon died, while the fate of the prisoners awaited judgment.

• Eric ambushed and fatally wounded Lone Wolf Lisbon, then Russell’s knights defeated the remaining rangers and Wandering Souls and forced them to surrender.
• Russell declared that Xiangshui River Cave would become part of Wuyou Snake Manor and ordered the captives bound and taken to the manor’s annex for individual judgment.
• Russell ordered Katie and Catherine to search Lisbon’s residence for the Blood Fang Fungus Mushroom Bug, then returned with the prisoners and kept Lisbon alive under Eric’s watch.
• Katie brought the Mushroom Bug to Russell about two hours later, and Russell instructed Charles and the Wildcat Sisters to judge the captives, execute the worst offenders, and reform the rest.
• Russell began working to dissolve Lisbon’s contract with the Mushroom Bug before Lisbon died, hoping to prevent harm to the creature.

Russell stripped the Blood Fang Fungus Mushroom Bug’s contract from Lisbon and ordered his execution. He then judged the captured members of Xiangshui River Cave, expanded Wuyou Snake Manor’s Cave Patrol Squad, and prepared to visit the cave.

• Russell used Lisbon’s blood and Blood Siphon Potion to break the Blood Fang Fungus Mushroom Bug’s contract, then had Tom kill Lisbon and burn his body.
• Katie reported that the Wildcat Sisters had captured the remaining Wandering Souls, and Russell ordered the Worm Grass protected while the captives awaited judgment.
• Russell ordered the execution of those who had willingly committed evil with Lisbon and offered the remaining rangers and Wandering Souls a choice to join his Cave Patrol Squad or leave for other caves.
• Russell executed one ranger and nine Wandering Souls; three rangers and thirty-one Wandering Souls pledged loyalty to him as serfs and joined the Cave Patrol Squad.
• Russell told Katie and Catherine to lead the group to Xiangshui River Cave so he could receive the Cave Freemen’s allegiance and inspect the settlement.

Russell explored the Xiangshui River Cave with Katie, Charles, and Catherine, learning about its Ice Cap, river, and Cave Freemen. After taking control of the cave following Lone Wolf Lisbon’s death, he gained the Freemen’s loyalty and reached Lisbon’s mushroom fields.

• Katie explained how the Ice Cap divided the caves’ warm, habitable areas from the frozen regions, while Charles and Catherine discussed the land’s history.
• Russell learned that the Xiangshui River was an ordinary surface river buried beneath the snow and asked where its unfrozen waters flowed.
• Catherine summoned Moray and Monet to pledge loyalty to Russell, who promised the Cave Freemen work, protection, and the freedom to marry.
• Moray and Monet called the other Cave Freemen to pledge loyalty, and more gathered as Russell’s group traveled through the cave.
• Katie led Russell to Wolf Head Cavern, where the Worm Grass of the Mushroom Bug and the Blood Fang Fungus fields filled Lisbon’s former lair.

Russell explored Xiangshui River Cave, claimed a jar of Gum Blood, and ordered the Cave Patrol Squad to secure the settlement and guard the Blood Fang Fungus field. He then climbed out of Big Mouth Cavern with his companions to see the snowy forest, where life thrived beneath the snowfield’s harsh conditions.

• Russell inspected the Blood Fang Fungus and claimed the jar of Gum Blood, leaving the mushroom field untouched until he could consult Baron Roman.
• Russell ordered Eric to register the cave’s free commoners as manor serfs, guard the Blood Fang Fungus field, and patrol for Snow Ghosts, while Catherine assisted him.
• Russell asked Katie to guide him around Xiangshui River Cave and visited Big Mouth Cavern with Kevin and his companions.
• Kevin checked that the snowfield was safe, and Russell climbed through the cavern opening to explore the snow walls and snowy forest.
• Charles struggled to climb out of the cavern until Tom and Jack pulled him up, and Katie urged him to lose weight.

Russell uncovered and contracted an Amber Bug, a rare butterfly wondrous creature that had been sealed in amber for millions of years. After the amber shattered, the butterfly bonded with him and appeared beside Little Dream Dragon’s mark.

• Russell returned from the snowfield with Kevin and told Charles that he intended to hunt Snow Ghosts.
• Russell assigned Eric, Katie, Charles, and the Knight Retainers to organize Xiangshui River Cave as Cave Tunic, with agricultural and border-defense structures.
• Russell took Kevin to Curved Blade Mountain and dug a golden-yellow stone containing a butterfly from the rock wall.
• Russell recognized the stone as an Amber Bug, cut his finger, and used his blood to contract it.
• The Amber Bug awakened, shattered its amber casing, and flew into Russell’s palm beside Little Dream Dragon’s M-shaped mark.

Russell bonded with a Sword Butterfly Amber Bug, whose swordsmanship insight transformed his understanding of the Radiant Sword Technique and greatly accelerated his Battle Aura training. He ended the chapter having doubled his combat strength, though Tom’s greater Battle Aura still let him defeat Russell in their spar.

• Russell discovered that the Sword Butterfly Amber Bug’s mark could merge with the Little Dream Dragon’s mark and help him master swordsmanship.
• Russell refined the Radiant Sword Technique, carved more than a centimeter of new meridians toward both hands, and named the butterfly Sword Butterfly.
• Russell tested Sword Butterfly’s abilities and watched it unleash several faint streaks of sword aura.
• Russell sparred with Knight Retainer Tom and dominated him for a quarter of an hour before his Battle Aura waned and Tom overwhelmed him.
• Eric, Charles, Tom, and the other Knight Retainers praised Russell’s improved swordsmanship, while Russell called it a small improvement.

After Russell displayed his newly awakened swordsmanship, he planned to formalize Wuyou Snake Manor’s administration and hire workers for specialized duties. Charles welcomed the Wildcat Sisters to his house and spent the night thinking about them.

• Russell demonstrated his swordsmanship to Eric and credited his enlightenment to the dragon’s guidance.
• Russell learned that 472 freemen from Xiangshui River Cave had become his serfs and scheduled a manor meeting to establish official positions.
• Russell tasked Charles with drafting an administrative system for Wuyou Snake Manor.
• Russell agreed with Morris that the manor should hire Pig, Horse, and Fish Herders and discuss other servant duties with Old Hans.
• Charles gave Katie and Catherine rooms in his house until their dormitories were built, then lay awake thinking about them.

Russell discovered that the Sword Butterfly could enter the Dark Dreamscape and help him and Little Dream Dragon explore beyond its usual boundary. The pair reached Curved Blade Mountain before Little Dream Dragon grew tired, and Russell woke the next morning with the Sword Butterfly Mark circling Little Dream Dragon’s mark.

• Russell found the Sword Butterfly beside him in the Dark Dreamscape, where it joined Little Dream Dragon and playfully circled it.
• Little Dream Dragon passed through the Dark Dreamscape’s boundary, and Russell realized the Sword Butterfly illuminated a small sphere around itself.
• Russell tested the Sword Butterfly’s range and found it could not move more than two meters from Little Dream Dragon.
• Russell rode Little Dream Dragon as the Sword Butterfly led them beyond the Dark Dreamscape to the foot of Curved Blade Mountain.
• Little Dream Dragon became tired, and Russell returned to waking life the next morning with the Sword Butterfly Mark beside Little Dream Dragon’s mark.

Russell discussed his new Mushroom Bug with Baron Roman, then searched the castle library for information about rare bugs without success. After Russell left, Roland and Madam Meryl discussed Russell’s lack of interest in Malena and Roland’s own prospects.

• Russell told Baron Roman that he had six bugs and explained that Blood Fang Fungus might be a newly discovered mushroom, then assured him that Reading Glasses for their grandmother were being made.
• Russell searched Baron Roman’s study for information about Amber Bugs but found no useful records, and he concluded that he would have to investigate the Sword Butterfly Amber Bug himself.
• Roland envied Russell’s Gold-Silver Wolfdog Kevin and joked with Russell about his own hopes of winning over Lord Ross before Russell rode away from Fluorite Castle.
• Roland wondered whether Russell had stopped competing with him for Lord Ross, then returned to the sitting room and told Madam Meryl that Russell had not cared about Malena.
• Madam Meryl scolded Roland for failing to socialize actively while Russell remained uninterested in Malena and Marcus considered sending her to the Girls’ Academy in Furious Wind City.

Russell arranged tax-free monthly visits by merchant caravans to Wuyou Snake Manor and approved Charles's proposed government structure. The manor meeting began the next day as Russell arrived before the gathered serfs, with officials yet to be appointed.

• Russell visited Bencote at the Governor's Office and asked him to notify merchant caravans that trade at Wuyou Snake Manor would be tax-free.
• Russell returned to his manor and trained with the Radiant Sword Technique, resolving to reach Great Knight within three years.
• Charles told Russell that representatives had been nominated in all seven tunics and outlined a proposed framework of administrative, security, and court officials.
• Russell approved the framework and instructed Charles to leave assistant positions vacant until he decided whether to fill them.
• The serfs gathered in the Small Market Town for the manor meeting, and Russell arrived on horseback as they bowed to greet him.

Russell held a manor meeting in Small Market Town to reorganize Wuyou Snake Manor after its annexation of Xiangshui River Cave. He appointed three chief officials, then handed the meeting to Charles to continue implementing his plans.

• Russell gathered the manor’s officials, retainers, and representatives and announced that he would establish a system of officials.
• Russell appointed Charles Chief Scribe, Eric Security Chief, and Old Hans Court Chief.
• Old Hans thanked Russell and asked to keep addressing him as Lord Master, and Russell agreed.
• Russell tasked Charles with presiding over the rest of the meeting, selecting officials, and announcing policies.

At Wuyou Snake Manor’s meeting, Russell approved the territorial officials and the first tunic elections. The meeting paused at noon, with more tunic appointments still to come.

• Charles, Eric, and Old Hans nominated officials, and Russell approved nine people for the manor’s administrative, security, and court positions.
• Russell renamed Bean Wheat Tunic to Market Tunic, and Iron-Arm Dunn won reelection as its Tunic Chief.
• Red-nosed Rudy won reelection as Tunic Chief of Magic Potion Tunic, while Drulk narrowly defeated Horace and Bal to lead Cave Tunic.
• Charles paused the meeting until one in the afternoon, and Russell invited the newly appointed officials to lunch at the manor villa.

Russell oversaw elections and appointments at Wuyou Snake Manor, filling the remaining local leadership and guard posts while creating a transport team. At the evening feast, he laid out construction and town reorganization plans and ordered continued vigilance against Snow Ghosts.

• The serfs elected Mrs. Sharby as Lentil Tunic Chief, and Russell appointed her despite Charles's concern that she was a woman.
• Officials selected Jack and Bal to lead the Birch Forest and Wolf Head Cavern Insect Grass Guard Squads after Horace declined the latter post.
• Russell appointed James captain of the new Manor Transport Team, completing the main appointments.
• At dinner, Russell called for work on public latrines, compost yards, septic pits, and Small Market Town's reorganization while ensuring serfs would be fed and rewarded for construction work.
• Katie promised to guard Xiangshui River Cave and prevent Snow Ghosts from crossing into the territory.

Russell let the manor servants visit the Small Market Town while he discussed new roles for the Browns with Butler Morris. After learning of Mrs. Brown’s pastry skills, he asked her to help invent new pastries, leaving his plans for familiar foods from Earth in motion.

• Russell declined to visit the Small Market Town and gave the manor servants, including Butler Morris, the day off.
• Butler Morris proposed sending Mr. Brown to raise Wuyou Black Pigs and keeping Mrs. Brown at the manor residence as a pastry chef.
• Russell agreed to let Mr. Brown try pig herding, warning that he would replace him if he failed to meet expectations.
• Russell questioned Mrs. Brown about her pastry skills and learned she had trained as a kitchen maid at Fluorite Castle.
• Russell asked Mrs. Brown to work with him to invent new pastries, including steamed buns, dumplings, fried dough sticks, and big white mantou.

Russell asked Mrs. Brown to develop steamed buns, then inspected the manor’s growing magical herbs and considered experimenting with freshwater pearl cultivation. He recruited Ribs Jimmy to gather mussels from the Glimmering River, and Jimmy returned with two despite the swift current.

• Russell explained his idea for steamed buns, and Mrs. Brown agreed to experiment with different flours and improve them.
• Russell read about the Dragon Knight Sigroft, found the epic dull, and rode with Kevin to inspect the magic herb fields.
• Russell saw that the dill, monochoria, birch trees, and Fluorite Mushrooms were growing well, then chose a site to consider for a future mussel pond.
• Russell decided to test pearl cultivation in a small pond before committing to a larger excavation.
• Russell asked Old Hans to bring Ribs Jimmy, who immediately swam into the Glimmering River and returned with two freshwater mussels.

Russell began experimenting with pearl cultivation in a newly dug pond while the valley warmed and dandelions bloomed. When Baron Roman called the nobles to Fluorite Castle for a trade route clearing meeting, Russell decided to join the expedition into the snowfield.

• Russell appointed Ribs Jimmy Fish Herder and tasked him with raising mussels and embedding grains of sand in them to cultivate pearls.
• Ribs Jimmy and several young men collected river mussels, wedged their shells open, implanted grains of sand in their mantles, and placed them in the pond.
• Russell left Ribs Jimmy in charge of monitoring the mussels as June brought warmer weather and dandelions across the valley.
• Raphael delivered Baron Roman’s order for the lorded nobles to attend a trade route clearing meeting at Fluorite Castle.
• Russell told Eric to prepare for the expedition, then left for Fluorite Castle with Kevin, the Gold-Silver Wolfdog, and Raphael.

At a meeting in Fluorite Castle, Roland organized a campaign to clear Snow Ghosts from the Double River Trade Route and assigned Russell’s small force to handle scattered groups. After Lord Ross mocked Russell, Roland asked why the wyvern disliked him, then admitted he hoped to become a Wyvern Knight for the family.

• Roland announced that the forces would divide the Double River Trade Route with Earl Fuqiang's Knight Order and clear the Snow Ghosts separately.
• Russell said he would bring one Phantom Beast Knight and five Armored Knights, and Baron Roman suggested they follow the main force to deal with smaller groups.
• Lord Ross mocked Russell, but Russell calmly accepted Baron Roman's assignment; the knight lords scheduled their departure for July 5.
• Roland asked Russell what had caused Lord Ross to dislike him, and Russell said the change had begun around his coming-of-age ceremony.
• Roland revealed that he wanted to ride a dragon because the family needed a Wyvern Knight, and Russell encouraged him before they parted.

Russell prepared to join Baron Roman's expedition to clear the Double River Trade Route, refusing the Wildcat Sisters' request to accompany him. At Fluorite Castle, Roman assembled the knights and Phantom Beasts, and the expedition set out toward the route.

• Russell rewarded Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Moore for their food, then refused the Wildcat Sisters permission to join the expedition and told them to help manage the manor.
• Russell rode to Fluorite Castle with Eric, Kevin, and the four Knight Retainers, where the other Baron Knight teams had gathered.
• Kendall greeted Russell and Eric, and they joined Baron Roman at the training ground with the assembled knights and Phantom Beasts.
• Baron Roman praised Eric as Guangguang River Valley's eighth Phantom Beast Knight, then ordered everyone to assemble and follow him to the Double River Trade Route.
• Baron Roman rode out with his three contracted Phantom Beasts, and Clay Dragon Ross flew overhead as the knights headed toward the trade route.