Chapter Summaries

Lu Zheng and Lin Wan took an invisible cloud over the East Sea, climbed to high altitude, and discovered a Lighthouse Country RC-135 reconnaissance plane. Lu Zheng destroyed all four engines, sending the aircraft plunging downward.

• Lu Zheng and Lin Wan rode an invisible cloud from Sea City over the East Sea and toured the Mount Putuo scenic areas.
• Lu Zheng carried Lin Wan up to about ten thousand meters, where they saw a goshawk and then spotted an airplane.
• Lu Zheng and Lin Wan identified the aircraft as a Lighthouse Country RC-135 strategic reconnaissance plane flying over the East Sea near Hua Country's coast.
• Lu Zheng used four White Cloud Great Hand Seals to destroy the plane's engines, and the aircraft turned and plunged downward.

Lu Zheng and Lin Wan learned that the Forbidden City Museum had received a large donation of suspected foreign relics, while Lu Zheng continued his life between two worlds. Duan Changzai then warned that Yuan Sheng Sect sorcerers had returned to Lingbei Province and urged caution around Liu Qingyan.

• The Forbidden City Museum director, police officials, and experts examined a donated collection of smuggled foreign relics and debated their authenticity and ownership.
• Lu Zheng and Lin Wan ate breakfast together after Lu Zheng had secretly delivered the relics to Northern Capital.
• Nearly a month after the Pill Appraisal Convention, Lu Zheng relaxed with Shen Ying in Tonglin County while Liu Qingyan treated patients at Renxin Hall.
• Duan Changzai visited Lu Zheng and reported that Yuan Sheng Sect sorcerers had reappeared in Lingbei Province, warning him that Liu Qingyan should take extra care.

Duan Changzai warned Lu Zheng that Yuan Sheng Sect witches might target Liu Qingyan or Du YueYao to seize their bodies. Lu Zheng arranged extra protection and agreed that Du YueYao would move in with the Liu family, while the threat remained unresolved.

• Duan Changzai explained the Yuan Sheng Sect’s body-taking witchcraft and warned Lu Zheng that its members might come after Liu Qingyan.
• Lu Zheng and Shen Ying decided to protect Liu Qingyan and Du YueYao, with Shen Ying assigning three Peach Blossom Heavenly Maidens to guard Du YueYao.
• Lu Zheng told Liu Qingyan and Du YueYao about the Yuan Sheng Sect while they ate at Bright Moon Pavilion.
• After Lu Zheng warned that Du YueYao could be abducted, Liu Qingyan suggested she move in with the Liu family, and Lu Zheng agreed.

Lu Zheng discussed the Yuan Sheng Sect’s threat with Duan Changzai, then returned to find Du YueYao happily living with the Liu family. The shaman remained unlocated, leaving Du YueYao at risk, but she was content to stay with Qingyan and the others.

• Lu Zheng returned to the modern world for a night’s sleep after Shen Ying moved into the Lu Family.
• Duan Changzai explained that the authorities could not attack the Yuan Sheng Sect directly because the southern frontier’s sects might unite against them.
• Lu Zheng visited the Liu residence and found Madam Liu, Qingyan, Shen Ying, and Du YueYao playing mahjong.
• Lu Zheng told Qingyan and Shen Ying that the shaman’s whereabouts were unknown and warned that Du YueYao might be at greater risk.
• Du YueYao said she was happy living with Qingyan, and she laughed after thinking about children making a dog chase its tail.

Lu Zheng discovered that Li Fourth Brother was using an intelligent rooster to win money at cockfights, and watched them put their plan into action. After the rooster gained a reputation, servants from a wealthy household invited them away.

• Lu Zheng sensed an unusual aura at a cockfight and followed Li Fourth Brother, who had won three matches with his rooster.
• At Li Fourth Brother's courtyard, Lu Zheng overheard the rooster speaking and learned that it wanted money to buy Spirit Medicine.
• Li Fourth Brother and the rooster planned to build the rooster's reputation, sell it to Old Master Wang, and escape with the money.
• Lu Zheng learned that Li Fourth Brother had met the intelligent rooster in the woods after losing his gambling money.
• On the fourth day, two servants from a wealthy household invited Li Fourth Brother and the rooster away.

Lu Zheng watched Li Fourth Brother’s Scarlet Heaven Grand General defeat Old Master Wang’s three fighting cocks and earn him a fortune. After Li Fourth Brother sold the rooster, Old Master Wang had it killed, leaving Lu Zheng shocked by the bloody bowl of chicken blood.

• Li Fourth Brother brought Scarlet Heaven Grand General to Wang Residence to fight Old Master Wang’s cocks for cash.
• Scarlet Heaven Grand General defeated Green Peak Lieutenant and Hundred Flowers General.
• Scarlet Heaven Grand General outlasted Red-Crest Grand Marshal and forced it to surrender.
• Old Master Wang offered to buy Scarlet Heaven Grand General, and Li Fourth Brother sold it for eighty strings of cash after winning thirty.
• Old Master Wang sent a servant to take the rooster away, and the servant returned with a bowl of its blood, reporting that it had been killed in the back kitchen.

Lu Zheng discovered that Wang Xiaowan had been infected with Corpse Poison but could still be cured, despite her father’s fear of White Cloud Temple. He revealed himself to the family and challenged Old Master Wang for preventing her from seeking help.

• Old Master Wang brought rooster blood to the secluded building, hoping it would restore Wang Xiaowan for a time.
• Wang Xiaowan drank the blood and temporarily returned to normal as her cultivation suppressed the Corpse Poison.
• Lu Zheng realized her soul remained unharmed and that an expert could still remove the poison, while the Wangs did not understand her condition.
• Wang Xiaowan asked to go to White Cloud Temple because the poison was worsening, but Old Master Wang refused.
• Lu Zheng revealed his presence and asked whether Old Master Wang was effectively condemning Wang Xiaowan by keeping her from White Cloud Temple.

Lu Zheng discovered that Wang Xiaowan had been infected with Corpse Poison and used Silver Needles and true qi to cure her. After learning how she had contracted it, he recognized her remarkable talent and saw nineteen new strands of Light of Luck in the Jade Seal.

• Lu Zheng arrived at Old Master Wang’s home and explained that Wang Xiaowan’s mind and body were intact, so her Corpse Poison could still be removed.
• Lu Zheng revealed that he was a disciple of Daoist Priest Mingzhang of White Cloud Temple and prepared Silver Needles to treat Wang Xiaowan.
• Lu Zheng used forty-nine Silver Needles and true qi to drive the Corpse Poison from Wang Xiaowan, then destroyed the escaping poison with cloud qi.
• Old Master Wang explained that Wang Xiaowan had been bitten by a zombie beneath the family’s Ancestral Grave after she helped kill it.
• Lu Zheng noticed nineteen additional strands of Light of Luck in the Jade Seal and recognized Wang Xiaowan’s remarkable talent.

Lu Zheng saved Wang Xiaowan from the Corpse Poison using the blood of a chicken demon, then accepted the chicken and an offer of free poultry from Old Master Wang. He invited Xiaowan to seek cultivation at White Cloud Temple, and she resolved to take a master while remaining close to her father.

• Old Master Wang thanked Lu Zheng for saving Wang Xiaowan, and Lu Zheng explained that the rooster they had killed was a weak chicken demon.
• Lu Zheng accepted the demon chicken and Old Master Wang's offer to send poultry from his farm to Lu Zheng's residence.
• Lu Zheng advised Wang Xiaowan to rest and invited her to visit Shaotong Mountain and seek guidance from his master at White Cloud Temple.
• Wang Xiaowan's decision to seek a master brought Lu Zheng nearly forty wisps of the Light of Luck.
• Lu Zheng used an Invisibility Spell to leave, and Wang Xiaowan told her father she would cultivate at home and serve him after recovering.

Lu Zheng returned from resolving the Wang Family’s troubles and ran into Zhao Wenrong and Lin Yushu, then brought home a rooster to cook for the Liu family. Over dinner, he discussed introducing the gifted Miss Wang to White Cloud Temple, leaving Du YueYao lamenting that she could not cultivate at all.

• Lu Zheng told Lin Yushu that Miss Wang had recovered, and Lin Yushu left with Zhao Wenrong to visit her.
• Lu Zheng noticed the influx of scholars and wondered whether Zhu Yushan would finally make it to the County Exam.
• Lu Zheng met Liu Qingyan and Du YueYao outside Renxin Hall and learned that Du YueYao was treating a handsome stranger’s rheumatism.
• Lu Zheng cooked the rooster as Thirteen-Spice Braised Chicken and told the Liu family about the chicken spirit and Miss Wang.
• Lu Zheng said he would introduce the gifted Miss Wang to White Cloud Temple, and Du YueYao lamented her lack of cultivation aptitude.

Lu Zheng questioned Fan Boyu, a traveling merchant who claimed to be resting in Tonglin County, and suspected he had an ulterior motive involving Doctor Du. The chapter ended with Fan Boyu stunned by Lu Zheng’s accusation that he planned to lure the sixteen-year-old physician to Rongzhou Prefecture with money.

• Lu Zheng accepted two hens sent by Old Master Wang and told Uncle Li to keep one and send the other to the Liu family.
• At Le Ping Teahouse, Lu Zheng greeted Old Master Wang and questioned the unfamiliar Fan Boyu about his business and origins.
• Fan Boyu said he traded in mountain goods and came from Linling County in Rongzhou Prefecture, and he discussed local dishes and establishments with Lu Zheng and Old Master Wang.
• As the storyteller continued the tale of Wang Sheng and the female Ghost General, Fan Boyu praised its nuanced characters.
• Lu Zheng challenged Fan Boyu’s claim that rheumatism had stopped him from traveling and accused him of seeking to take Doctor Du away to Rongzhou Prefecture.

Lu Zheng and his allies prepared to ambush Fan Boyu, whom they suspected of being a Yuan Sheng Sect shaman planning to abduct Du YueYao. When Fan Boyu finally appeared at the Liu residence, he unexpectedly asked Du YueYao to become his disciple and cultivate immortality.

• Fan Boyu denied having romantic feelings for Du YueYao, while he and Lu Zheng each privately resolved to act that night.
• Lu Zheng recruited Yuan Jing and arranged for his allies to hide near Du YueYao at the Liu residence, giving her a Jade Tablet containing two powerful ghosts for protection.
• Lu Zheng, Yuan Jing, and Shen Ying waited in concealment as an expert aura descended, but Fan Boyu did not immediately attack.
• Fan Boyu called to Du YueYao from the courtyard and agreed to let Liu Qingyan accompany her outside.
• Fan Boyu greeted Du YueYao warmly and asked whether she would take him as her master and cultivate the path to immortality.

Fan Boyu tried to recruit Du YueYao into the Yuan Sheng Sect, but Liu Qingyan suspected he meant to use her as a possession cauldron. Lu Zheng and the others attacked him, and Fan Boyu revealed that the sect was divided into two rival factions.

• Fan Boyu introduced himself as a ritual priest of the Yuan Sheng Sect and invited Du YueYao to train in its Saintess's cultivation art, while also offering Liu Qingyan a place in the sect.
• Liu Qingyan accused Fan Boyu of planning to have the Saintess possess Du YueYao, and Lu Zheng, Yuan Jing, and Shen Ying appeared and attacked him.
• Fan Boyu resisted the group with a Porcelain Bottle that absorbed cloud vapor and Peach Blossom Evil, while Liu Qingyan and Du YueYao defended themselves with moonlight.
• Fan Boyu explained that the Yuan Sheng Sect had split into the Merit Original Sect and the Reincarnation New Sect, and that he belonged to the Original Sect.
• Fan Boyu said the Reincarnation New Sect had altered the cultivation art into the Saintly Goddess Descent Art, using women with merit as possession cauldrons, while he only wanted Du YueYao as a disciple.

Lu Zheng and his companions ended their fight with Fan Boyu after learning about the Yuan Sheng Sect’s divided branches and his search for a suitable disciple. Fan Boyu proposed taking Du YueYao as his disciple and making her the Original Sect’s Holy Maiden, but Lu Zheng refused.

• Fan Boyu explained that he belonged to the Yuan Sheng Sect’s Original Sect and described its conflict with the New Sect, convincing Lu Zheng and the others to stop fighting.
• The group introduced themselves over tea at the Liu family’s main hall, and Fan Boyu explained why both sect branches had sent people into the Central Plains.
• Fan Boyu praised Du YueYao’s merit and offered to teach her the Yuan Sheng Sect’s ancient witchcraft, predicting she could become its Holy Maiden.
• Du YueYao said she would follow Lu Zheng’s decision, and Lu Zheng asked Fan Boyu about his plans for her.
• Fan Boyu said he would take Du YueYao to the Yuan Sheng Sect and guide her toward becoming Holy Maiden, but Lu Zheng decisively refused.

Lu Zheng persuaded Fan Boyu not to take Du YueYao to the Yuan Sheng Sect’s Southern Border stronghold, citing the danger posed by its New Sect. Fan Boyu agreed to train her in Tonglin County, and Du YueYao accepted him as her master.

• Lu Zheng refused to let Du YueYao travel to Southern Border, warning Fan Boyu that the New Sect might abduct her as a cauldron.
• Fan Boyu could not promise that the Original Sect would go to war if the New Sect seized Du YueYao, and Du YueYao trembled in fear.
• Lu Zheng proposed that Fan Boyu establish a precedent by training Du YueYao outside the sect, with help from the others.
• Fan Boyu agreed to stay in Tonglin County for half a year and return each year to instruct Du YueYao.
• Lu Zheng told Du YueYao she could accept Fan Boyu as her master, and she bowed to him.

Du YueYao began training under Fan Boyu while continuing to treat patients, and Lu Zheng welcomed Wang Xiaowan and her father before bringing them to Renxin Hall. The chapter left Lu Zheng asking Li Hanyu why Brother Zhu had not come.

• Fan Boyu moved into Du YueYao's courtyard to teach her, but she soon returned to Renxin Hall to help Liu Qingyan treat patients.
• Shen Ying spent the day with Lu Zheng, and Lu Zheng later informed Chu Jin that Du YueYao had joined the Yuan Sheng Sect.
• Old Master Wang brought Wang Xiaowan to visit Lu Zheng, and Wang Xiaowan said she planned to seek a master on the mountain.
• Liu Qingquan arrived with lunch, and Lu Zheng took her, Old Master Wang, and Wang Xiaowan to Renxin Hall to eat with Liu Qingyan.
• At Renxin Hall, Lu Zheng greeted Li Hanyu and asked why Brother Zhu had not come.

Lu Zheng missed the Prefecture Exam after getting absorbed in Go, then introduced Old Master Wang and Wang Xiaowan to Li Hanyu and her family. Back in the modern world, he gave Lin Wan a Jade Essence Pill and reassured her that she was precious to him, leaving the two of them together on the sofa.

• Lu Zheng admitted that he had missed the Prefecture Exam while playing Go with Prefectural Assistant Luo, and Li Hanyu explained that Zhu Yushan was too embarrassed to show his face after missing another exam.
• Li Hanyu invited Liu Qingyan and the others to spend the afternoon playing mahjong, and Lu Zheng introduced Old Master Wang and Wang Xiaowan to them.
• Madam Li praised Wang Xiaowan's aptitude, and Li Hanyu invited her to Peach Blossom Glade, where Lu Zheng revealed that another of his wives lived.
• After lunch, Du YueYao joined the women at Peach Blossom Glade while Lu Zheng took Old Master Wang to Jade Ling Garden, where they ran into Fan Boyu.
• That evening, Lin Wan found Lu Zheng watching Peking opera, then told him she felt bored and worried that she had no cultivation talent.
• Lu Zheng gave Lin Wan a Jade Essence Pill and assured her that her sincere heart mattered more to him than any pill; she took it and pushed him onto the sofa.

Lu Zheng and Lin Wan traveled to drought-stricken Chuan Province, where Lu Zheng gathered water vapor into clouds and made rain. His unexpected rainmaking caused an uproar at the Meteorological Bureau.

• Lin Wan encouraged Lu Zheng to help drought-stricken Chuan Province, and he revealed that he could condense water vapor into rain.
• Lu Zheng and Lin Wan flew to Shu Capital, ate hotpot, and then secretly took to the sky on a cloud.
• Lu Zheng and Lin Wan flew south and found that the drought-hit areas had almost no clouds.
• Lu Zheng cast a Cloud-Gathering Incantation from nearly ten thousand meters up and formed a vast cloud layer.
• Lu Zheng used Wind Rain Flying Immortal to send drizzle down over the land, prompting an uproar at the Meteorological Bureau.

Lu Zheng used his magical power to bring light rain to drought-stricken farmland across southern Chuan Province, leaving meteorologists baffled by the clouds’ unnatural path. The next day, as Lu Zheng and Lin Wan visited the panda base, another mysterious rain cloud appeared, prompting officials to debate whether to send drones or call in Dragon Group experts.

• Lu Zheng guided clouds southwest across several cities in southern Chuan Province, bringing brief rain to farmland before exhausting most of his magical power.
• Meteorological Bureau experts found no natural airflow changes to explain the rain clouds’ snake-shaped path and discussed reporting a possible secret experiment.
• Lu Zheng and Lin Wan visited the giant panda breeding base, ate Chuan cuisine, and flew away on clouds from a public park.
• A second mysterious cloud mass formed near the border of Chuan Province and Dian Province, and rain began falling over nearby farmland.
• When officials proposed sending drones into the clouds, a young technician warned they might offend someone and suggested asking the higher-ups to send Dragon Group experts.

Lu Zheng and Lin Wan traveled through drought-stricken regions, bringing rain while an advanced drone investigated their moving cloud mass. After the authorities failed to explain the phenomenon, the couple finished their outing and decided to visit wild rolling rolls in the mountains.

• Old Zheng and the director saw the cloud mass moving toward Dian Province, while the Southwest Military Region dispatched a drone to investigate it.
• Lu Zheng and Lin Wan noticed the drone and realized that moving a single cloud mass across the land made their rainmaking look unnatural, but they continued their journey under the Invisibility Spell.
• The drone found no signs of life in the cloud mass and withdrew, while Lu Zheng and Lin Wan brought rain to northeastern Dian Province before returning to Shu Capital.
• Officials debated the unexplained cloud mass, dismissed a suggestion that an invisible dragon was responsible, and ordered continued monitoring.
• Lu Zheng and Lin Wan visited sights in the morning, toured Qian Province in the afternoon, and decided to take another day off to visit wild rolling rolls in the mountains.