Chapter Summaries

Lu Zheng returned to Tonglin County after defeating three attackers and helping Wang Changxiong’s escort convoy survive a betrayal. He reunited with Liu Qingyan at Renxin Hall and began telling her about his journey.

• Lu Zheng searched the three dead attackers and took their belongings, including a book called the Poison Hand Insect-Refining Art and several unusual objects.
• Wang Changxiong killed Third Brother Guo for betraying the convoy, and the escorts buried him and disposed of the other attackers’ bodies.
• Lu Zheng traveled with Wang Changxiong’s convoy to Li Family Town, then reached Tonglin County the next day and treated the escorts to a meal.
• Lu Zheng returned home, brought his horse back, and went to Renxin Hall, where Liu Qingyan and Hu Zhou greeted him.
• Liu Qingyan left the clinic with Lu Zheng, and he held her hand as she asked whether his journey had gone smoothly.

After returning from Yizhou Prefecture, Lu Zheng gave Liu Qingyan a Water-Repelling Pearl and shared a lively dinner with her family. As he headed home, Liu Qingyan followed him and offered to massage away his travel fatigue.

• Lu Zheng told Liu Qingyan about his adventures in Yizhou Prefecture and gave her a Water-Repelling Pearl.
• Lu Zheng brought roast chicken, snacks, and wine to the Liu family for dinner.
• After Hu Zhou went home, Lu Zheng recounted his journey while Liu Qingyan, Liu Qingquan, and her parents listened.
• Madam Liu sent the others to bed and urged Lu Zheng to go home and rest.
• Lu Zheng kissed Liu Qingyan on the cheek, but she followed him and offered him a massage.

Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan visited Qingshan Studio to collect the calligraphy plaque he had made for Renxin Hall, which Liu Qingyan was delighted to receive. That night, Lu Zheng called Liu Qingyan using the sachet she had given him, and she came to his door.

• Liu Qingyan gave Lu Zheng a sachet containing her tail fur and told him to call her if he missed her.
• Lu Zheng took Liu Qingyan to Qingshan Studio, where Zhu Yitang showed them the mounted plaque bearing Lu Zheng's calligraphy.
• Lu Zheng had the plaque delivered to Renxin Hall, and Liu Qingyan admired it after it was hung.
• Lu Zheng visited the Liu residence for dinner and taught Hu Zhou saber techniques before returning home.
• Lu Zheng called Liu Qingyan by holding her sachet, and she knocked at his door.

Lu Zheng learned White Cloud Temple’s Cloud Walking Art from Daoist Priest Mingzhang and secretly photographed the scripture before leaving. He celebrated with Lin Wan by claiming he had mastered Wang Xizhi’s running script, and agreed to write for her bureau’s calligraphy and painting competition.

• Shen Ying revealed that she and Liu Qingyan had both known about each other’s identities, leaving Lu Zheng as the only one who had been unaware.
• Lu Zheng visited Daoist Priest Mingzhang, who explained that he had killed a Snake Demon seeking revenge for an old incident.
• Daoist Priest Mingzhang taught Lu Zheng and Yuan Jing the temple’s secret Cloud Walking Art after expressing concern about unusual activity in the southern border.
• After ten days of lessons, Lu Zheng secretly photographed the entire scripture and descended the mountain, delighted by its techniques and cultivation methods.
• Lu Zheng told Lin Wan he had mastered Wang Xizhi’s running script and promised to write a piece for her bureau’s competition.

Lu Zheng turned down He Feixiang’s invitation to meet a Japanese magician, then unexpectedly encountered He Feixiang and the magician at Fulong Plaza. Lu Zheng and Lin Wan entered the elevator with them, leaving the reason for their meeting unresolved.

• Lu Zheng wrote “Nemesis of Crime” on a scroll for Lin Wan’s competition, and Lin Wan decided to submit it despite its unusual wording.
• Lu Zheng and Lin Wan planned lunch and talked about Lin Wan’s martial arts training before He Feixiang called.
• He Feixiang told Lu Zheng that his livestream had gained over three million views overseas and that a Japanese magician wanted to meet him.
• Lu Zheng refused the meeting, saying he was not interested in the magic circle or in making Japanese friends.
• Lu Zheng and Lin Wan went to Fulong Plaza for lunch and unexpectedly met He Feixiang, the Japanese magician, and a beautiful woman at the elevator.

Lu Zheng joined He Feixiang, Shantian Yiyan, and Songye Yangzi for dinner, where the Japanese magicians tried to uncover the secret of his magic trick. He refused Songye Yangzi’s request to buy it.

• Lu Zheng met Shantian Yiyan and Songye Yangzi in the elevator and invited them to eat lamb chops with him and Lin Wan.
• At dinner, Songye Yangzi asked whether Lu Zheng planned to become a professional magician, and he said he was unemployed because he did not need to work.
• Songye Yangzi and Shantian Yiyan discussed how Lu Zheng had performed his trick with He Feixiang’s copper ring, while Lu Zheng treated it as a simple feat.
• Songye Yangzi asked Lu Zheng to sell them the secret of his trick, but he refused.

Lu Zheng refused to sell his magic trick, then demonstrated it for Shantian Yiyan and Songye Yangzi at dinner. The two magicians apologized and urged him to pursue a professional career, while Lu Zheng left the secret of his trick unexplained.

• Songye Yangzi tried to persuade Lu Zheng to sell his trick and asked him to perform it live, but he refused at first.
• Shantian Yiyan challenged Lu Zheng's ability, and Lin Wan snapped her chopsticks in response, making Songye Yangzi and Shantian Yiyan wary of her.
• Lu Zheng explained that he would demonstrate the trick to protect He Feixiang from trouble, then made a lamb chop fly into Shantian Yiyan's plate.
• Shantian Yiyan and Songye Yangzi searched for an explanation, but Lu Zheng claimed he had secretly tampered with the lamb chop and they had seen nothing.
• Shantian Yiyan apologized and praised Lu Zheng's skill, while he and Songye Yangzi urged Lu Zheng to become a professional magician.

After a peaceful month of cultivation, Lu Zheng revisited the items he had taken from the middle-aged man in robes and tested their abilities. He discovered that the wooden True Lord statue concealed something beneath its paint, ending on a flash of golden light.

• Lin Wan tore up the hotel note Songye Yangzi had slipped to Lu Zheng, and the two went home.
• Lu Zheng trained with Lin Wan and gave her his homemade medicated wine, then continued practicing the Cloud Walking Art as his cultivation advanced.
• Lu Zheng took out the bracelet, wooden plaque, brass ruyi, and True Lord statue he had seized from the middle-aged man in robes.
• Lu Zheng found that the wooden plaque could emit a golden ray with power similar to the Evil Expelling Spell, while the brass ruyi seemed ordinary.
• Lu Zheng failed to discover anything in the True Lord statue until he wiped away its paint and saw a flash of golden light.

Lu Zheng learned that the golden statue contained the Jinhua Sect’s powerful divine-soul cultivation method, and Daoist Priest Mingzhang explained how he could cultivate it and eventually return the inheritance. Afterward, Lu Zheng met Liu Qingyan’s cousin Huangfu Xu, whose arrival brought the Liu family’s troubles into the open.

• Lu Zheng uncovered the Transformation Divine Method of the Golden Que of the Nine Heavens on the statue and studied its concise instructions.
• Daoist Priest Mingzhang identified it as the Jinhua Sect’s secret inheritance, advised Lu Zheng to cultivate it only as a secondary practice, and explained that returning it would earn him a gift.
• Lu Zheng returned to Tonglin County and met Huangfu Xu, who arrived at Renxin Hall and called Liu Qingyan his cousin.
• Huangfu Xu tried to keep Lu Zheng out of the Liu family’s private discussion, but Liu Qingyan told him Lu Zheng already knew she was a fox and invited Lu Zheng inside.
• Liu Qingquan, Liu San, Liu Wu, and Madam Liu greeted Huangfu Xu at the family home.

Huangfu Xu explained that Leng Jian had forced the Huangfu family to search for Liu Qingyan after she fled his marriage proposal. The family discussed the danger and Lu Zheng’s possible help, but they left the matter unresolved for the night.

• Huangfu Xu told the Liu family that Leng Jian had sent the Huangfu family across several counties to find Liu Qingyan and had forbidden them from returning without her.
• Lu Zheng learned that Leng Jian was a powerful, cruel Black Wolf Demon who had pursued Liu Qingyan after she rejected his marriage proposal.
• Liu Qingyan warned Lu Zheng not to confront Leng Jian, and Lu Zheng reassured her that he was only asking about the demon’s strength.
• Lu Zheng revealed that he was a White Cloud Temple Lay Practitioner and declared that Liu Qingyan was his fiancée.
• Huangfu Xu doubted that Lu Zheng’s sect would intervene in the dispute, while the Liu family proposed leaving Wanfu County again despite Leng Jian keeping watch on Old Madam.
• Madam Liu arranged a room for Huangfu Xu, and the family postponed deciding what to do until the next day.

Lu Zheng learned that Leng Jian had over two hundred years of Dao Comprehension and was holding Liu Qingyan’s grandmother hostage, then prepared to confront him with help from Shen Ying. Leng Jian attacked the Liu residence, but Shen Ying arrived in time to block him and protect Liu Qingyan.

• Lu Zheng split his talismans and Embroidered Spring Blade between his two homes while weighing how to deal with the Wolf Demon.
• Huangfu Xu told Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan that Leng Jian had more than two hundred years of Dao Comprehension and that a yellow weasel guarded the manor where Liu Qingyan’s grandmother was held.
• Lu Zheng told Shen Ying about the Liu family’s trouble, and she promised to fight Leng Jian alongside him if he came.
• Shen Ying sensed a Demon Creature heading toward Tonglin County, and Lu Zheng recognized it as Leng Jian, who had likely used a spell to track Huangfu Xu.
• Lu Zheng and Shen Ying reached the Liu residence as Leng Jian tried to seize Liu Qingyan, and Shen Ying blocked his attack with illusory peach blossoms.

Lu Zheng and Shen Ying fought Leng Jian to protect Liu Qingyan and her family. Lu Zheng immobilized Leng Jian long enough to sever his arm, but Leng Jian escaped east, and Lu Zheng and Shen Ying pursued him.

• Lu Zheng appeared and joined Shen Ying in attacking Leng Jian, while he urged his cousin to take Liu Qingyan and the others toward the City God Temple.
• Leng Jian trapped the Liu family in a formation of wolf fangs and fought Lu Zheng and Shen Ying with three illusions.
• Leng Jian used concealment to slip past the attackers and rush toward Liu Qingyan, but Lu Zheng dispelled his illusions and moved to intercept him.
• Lu Zheng immobilized Leng Jian and struck at his neck, forcing Leng Jian to sacrifice his left arm to survive.
• Leng Jian withdrew his trapping formation and escaped east in black light, and Lu Zheng and Shen Ying chased after him.

Lu Zheng pursued the badly wounded Leng Jian through the night, refusing to let the demon escape despite Shen Ying having to turn back. As they neared Wild Wolf Mountain, Lu Zheng used a Golden Radiance Spell artifact against Leng Jian, whose strength was nearly spent.

• Lu Zheng, Shen Ying, and Leng Jian raced beyond Tonglin County as Lu Zheng taunted the fleeing wolf demon and attacked with talismans and his saber.
• Leng Jian escaped Shen Ying's hundred-li range, forcing her to return while Lu Zheng continued the pursuit alone.
• Lu Zheng repeatedly attacked Leng Jian with Frost Gathering Talismans and his Tiger Roar Saber, keeping the injured demon from recovering as they fled east through the night.
• By dawn, the pair had crossed over a thousand li into Yao Province, and Leng Jian was pale and exhausted while Lu Zheng still had strength to fight.
• After using up his Evil Expelling Talismans, Lu Zheng drew a wooden plaque and cast the Golden Radiance Spell at Leng Jian.

Lu Zheng defeated Leng Jian, killed him, and harvested his remains before returning to the ancient world near Wanfu County. After learning the way to town, he realized he had forgotten to search Leng Jian’s home and hurried back toward Wild Wolf Mountain.

• Lu Zheng used a Golden Radiance Spell and an immobilization technique to wound Leng Jian, who escaped decapitation but fled with a nearly severed neck.
• Lu Zheng pursued Leng Jian, killed him, stored his remains and harvested materials, then crossed back into ancient times.
• Lu Zheng encountered wary peddlers and paid one a Great Jing Treasure Note for directions to Wanfu County.
• Lu Zheng considered searching for the Huangfu Family’s imprisoned Old Madam and decided to ask about Wild Wolf Mountain.
• Lu Zheng remembered Leng Jian’s home might contain accumulated wealth and used the Swift Travel Art to hurry back to Wild Wolf Mountain.

Lu Zheng captured two of Leng Jian’s subordinates and searched the Wolf Demon’s Cave Residence after defeating him. He found the demon’s treasure but no Magical Artifacts or cultivation methods, then set out to find the fox den where Polygonatum was watching Old Madam Huangfu.

• Lu Zheng subdued Cat Nine on Wild Wolf Mountain and learned that Leng Jian was the Wolf Demon who ruled it.
• Cat Nine led Lu Zheng to Leng Jian’s Cave Residence, where Lu Zheng also captured a robust demon and learned Polygonatum was at a fox den watching Old Madam Huangfu.
• Lu Zheng broke the Black Wind Sealing Spell and searched the Cave Residence, finding prison cells, torture instruments, and no living people.
• Lu Zheng transferred Leng Jian’s treasure trove of Treasure Notes, gold, silver, pearls, and gemstones to his modern-world home.
• Lu Zheng searched Leng Jian’s luxurious living quarters but found no Magical Artifacts or cultivation methods, then asked where the fox den was.

Lu Zheng captured Polygonatum at the Huangfu manor and killed him after the demon tried to escape with the help of Guang Yue, a monk from Rizhao Temple. Guang Yue then questioned Lu Zheng’s relationship with a fox girl and insisted he break things off, leaving the two men at odds as they stayed at the manor for the night.

• Lu Zheng subdued Polygonatum at the Huangfu manor, where Huangfu Ru and Huangfu Ning explained their family’s situation and learned that Lu Zheng knew Huangfu Xu.
• Polygonatum tried to flee when Guang Yue of Rizhao Temple arrived, but Guang Yue knocked him back into the courtyard with his staff.
• Guang Yue accused Lu Zheng of keeping company with a Demon Creature, while Polygonatum falsely claimed the foxes had framed him.
• Lu Zheng used an Illusion Technique to kill Polygonatum, then explained the events at Wild Wolf Mountain to Guang Yue.
• Guang Yue became concerned that a Fox girl was leading Lu Zheng astray and urged him to sever ties with her.
• The Huangfu Family prepared separate rooms for Lu Zheng and Guang Yue as dusk fell, while the two men faced each other tensely.

Lu Zheng left the Huangfu Family estate with Guang Yue, who tried to persuade him to abandon his feelings for Qing Yan and travel with him. When Guang Yue kept following him, Lu Zheng fought back, and their clash ended with Guang Yue retreating three steps.

• Lu Zheng enhanced his blood qi and true qi, then joined Guang Yue and the Huangfu Family for breakfast and discussed the Liu Family’s safety in Tonglin County.
• Lu Zheng told the Huangfu Family he would have Huangfu Ning return to Tonglin County, then left with Guang Yue.
• At a fork in the road, Guang Yue said he would wander alone, but then followed Lu Zheng and urged him to give up his attachment to Qing Yan.
• Lu Zheng tried to escape by speeding away and using an illusion, but Guang Yue saw through it and caught up with him.
• Lu Zheng attacked Guang Yue, who countered with his staff and a palm strike; Lu Zheng answered with the Golden Brilliance Incantation and Mountain Carrying Fist, forcing Guang Yue back three steps.

Lu Zheng and Guang Yue encountered villagers preparing to sacrifice two children to the Lan River’s River God. Lu Zheng went underwater to confront the creature, which tried to persuade him to leave, but he claimed he wanted river delicacies.

• Lu Zheng questioned why Guang Yue was still following him, and Guang Yue urged him to focus on cultivation instead of romance.
• Lu Zheng and Guang Yue arrived at Riverside Village as its villagers carried two children toward the Lan River as sacrifices.
• The villagers explained that the River God demanded children each year, and that a previous immortal master’s intervention had brought a year of deadly floods.
• Lu Zheng dismissed the villagers’ warning and pursued a black shadow upstream beneath the river, while Guang Yue guarded him from the bank.
• The River God confronted Lu Zheng amid treacherous currents, but Lu Zheng continued onward and said he wanted to eat river delicacies.

Lu Zheng and Guang Yue joined forces to kill the black flood dragon that had terrorized Riverside Village for decades. They divided its valuable parts and brought its body back to the villagers, then asked for a boat to take them to the nearest ferry crossing.

• The black flood dragon attacked Lu Zheng and Guang Yue from the Lan Water River, but Guang Yue’s Buddhist light exposed it and forced it into its true form.
• Lu Zheng froze the flood dragon with Frost Gathering Talismans while Guang Yue pinned it with a swastika spell, and Lu Zheng cut off its head.
• Lu Zheng gained more than sixty strands of Light of Luck, and he and Guang Yue divided the flood dragon’s valuable parts.
• Lu Zheng and Guang Yue carried the flood dragon’s corpse to Riverside Village, where villagers mourned the children it had taken and celebrated its death.
• Lu Zheng asked the village chief for a boat to the nearest ferry crossing, and a grieving father volunteered to take them.

Lu Zheng returned to Tonglin County with Guang Yue, who insisted on staying to spar with him and convince him to abandon romantic attachments. Lu Zheng planned to use the arrangement to strengthen himself and eventually send the monk on his way.

• Lu Zheng and Guang Yue traveled by fishing boat along the Lan River and shared a meal of fish soup and dry provisions.
• After reaching the Wanyuan River, Guang Yue followed Lu Zheng toward Tonglin County, and they fought along the way as Guang Yue pressed him to roam the world together.
• Lu Zheng arrived home and reunited with Liu Qingyan, while Guang Yue met the Liu family, Huangfu Xu, and Shen Ying.
• Lu Zheng told everyone that Leng Jian, Cat Nine, and Yuan Fei were dead and explained his visit to the Huangfu manor.
• Guang Yue said he had come to spar with Lu Zheng, and he agreed to stay in Tonglin County for several months.
• Lu Zheng planned to use his newly gained Light of Luck to improve his cultivation and techniques while making use of Guang Yue's presence.