Chapter Summaries

Liang Qu completed a breakthrough, opening four apertures and gaining stronger senses, control over his qi, and the Intimidation ability. After testing its effects on the pond’s spirit monsters, he planned to visit the Great Marsh, but a Mental Link message reported a wild river dolphin pod.

• Liang Qu broke through four Aperture Gates but stalled before the Spinal Column Gate, then discovered that his senses and abilities had greatly improved.
• Liang Qu thanked the Old Monk for protecting the Quiet Room during his breakthrough.
• Liang Qu tested Intimidation on the Crimson Beast, the goat-like spirit monster, and Lionhead, frightening them and apparently knocking Lionhead unconscious.
• Liang Qu found that his pressure had no effect on mosquitoes but killed small fish in the pond.
• Liang Qu planned to eat breakfast and visit the Great Marsh to test his water control and check on Little Black, then received a Mental Link message about a wild river dolphin pod.

Liang Qu learned that Round Head had found a wild River Dolphin pod and went to watch it challenge the pod’s scarred leader. Round Head faced the River Dolphin King, beginning a contest that could give it command of the pod.

• Liang Qu ate breakfast, discussed trying green peppers with Aunt Zhang, and took food and equipment to the Great Marsh.
• Liang Qu checked with Liu Quanfu, who said the warship he was building would be ready around mid-August.
• Liang Qu reached the riverbed and counted thirteen River Dolphins in the wild pod, including three calves and a scarred River Dolphin King.
• Round Head told Liang Qu it was confident it could defeat the leader, then swam out to challenge the pod.
• The scarred River Dolphin King confronted Round Head, whose nine-meter body towered over its opponent.

Liang Qu’s Round Head defeated the scarred River Porpoise King and became leader of its clan, bringing the porpoises under Liang Qu’s indirect command. As the clan prepared to relocate near the Lotus Root Field, Scarhead presented Liang Qu with a strange, teardrop-shaped pearl that yielded Marsh Essence.

• Round Head defeated the scarred River Porpoise King in a prolonged battle, and the clan accepted Round Head as its new leader.
• Liang Qu let the defeated king stay, and Scarhead chose to remain with the clan alongside its family.
• Liang Qu emerged from hiding with his Water Beasts, and the river porpoises submitted after Round Head acknowledged him.
• Liang Qu named the former king Scarhead and decided to move the clan near the Lotus Root Field to help guard the area and search for treasures.
• Scarhead gave Liang Qu a transparent, teardrop-shaped object, which produced 2672 Marsh Essence.

Liang Qu discovered that Scarhead’s bead might be a Mermaid Tear and followed the river dolphins to their collection cave, where he found a strange Tiger Devouring Human You. When he tried to take it, he encountered a terrifying vision, gained Tian Wu’s favor and a Yu Mark, and the vessel lost its spiritual charm.

• Liang Qu suspected Scarhead’s bead was a Mermaid Tear, but Scarhead could not remember where it had found it.
• Scarhead led Liang Qu through the river dolphins’ cave, where he found valuable human artifacts and a wooden Buddha statue with a hidden compartment.
• Scarhead showed Liang Qu a Tiger Devouring Human You that the river dolphins said could drive away Fierce Tigers.
• When Liang Qu reached for the vessel, he experienced overwhelming pressure from a fierce gaze, and the Ze Cauldron absorbed a wisp of Tiger Seed Aura.
• Liang Qu gained Tian Wu’s favor and one Yu Mark, then staggered back as the vessel lost its spiritual charm.

Liang Qu gained Tian Wu’s Favor and the Yu Mark, greatly strengthening his mist abilities, Dragon Tiger Golden Body, and Water Control. After bringing a Buddha statue and a scripture to the Old Monk, he learned the statue was made of precious Netherwood Root and discovered that a pearl he found was a Mermaid Tear left by a vanished tribe.

• Liang Qu absorbed the aura from the Tiger Devouring Human You, gained Tian Wu’s Favor and the Yu Mark, and learned Yu Reveres Wu.
• Liang Qu tested his new mist domain and found his Dragon Tiger Two Qi had changed and his Water Control could move close to eight thousand tons.
• Liang Qu found a scroll inside a Buddha statue, initially judged it an ordinary Buddhist scripture, and brought both items to the Old Monk.
• The Old Monk identified the statue as Netherwood Root and took the scroll to study after noticing something unusual in its writing.
• Liang Qu asked the Old Giant Clam about a pearl, and it identified the pearl as a Mermaid Tear left behind after the merfolk migrated from the Jiang Huai Great Marsh.

Liang Qu learned that the merfolk had fled after the true dragon’s death because they lacked protection from those who coveted their valuable tears and silk. He traced their former home to Bloodstone County, now Fragrant Township County, and considered investigating it after the upcoming River God Sacrifice.

• Old Giant Clam explained why the merfolk had been vulnerable to abduction and revealed that a tribe once lived near Bloodstone County.
• Liang Qu asked Yang Dongxiong about Bloodstone County and learned it had been renamed Fragrant Township County after its bloodstone mines ran dry.
• Yang Dongxiong described the county’s blood-red stones and the legend that dragon blood had fallen on Bloodstone Mountain.
• Liang Qu connected the dragon-blood legend to a past discovery at Over Dragon River and resolved to watch for a River Conservancy Office assignment in Fragrant Township County.
• Liang Qu decided to visit the Martial Arts School to share good news, while Xiang ChangSong sneezed and said he had an ominous premonition.

On June 6, Liang Qu learned that the Old Monk had found Master Huiyuan’s long-lost summary of the Consciousness-Only teachings, and hoped the monk could uncover useful cultivation knowledge in it. As Yi Xing Town’s River God Sacrifice drew near, Liang Qu helped prepare the beasts and saw crowds gather from surrounding villages.

• Liang Qu greeted Oolong, then found the Old Monk eating after studying a scripture in seclusion for seven days.
• The Old Monk explained that the copied scripture was Master Huiyuan’s Completion of Consciousness-Only Treatise Conclusion, a revised summary intended to make the difficult teachings easier to study.
• Liang Qu hoped the scripture might contain cultivation methods or martial arts, while the Old Monk said he had only begun to examine it.
• Liang Qu practiced Ape Fist and trained Fubo, then helped villagers carry the Crimson Beast to the pier for the sacrifice.
• Chen Jiechang, Li LiBo, and Lin Songbao arrived with treasured knives, and Li LiBo nervously prepared to slaughter the Crimson Beast.
• As the River God Sacrifice approached, Liang Qu saw a vast crowd at the pier and learned that people had come from villages unable to hold their own ceremonies.

Liang Qu led Yi Xing Town’s grand sacrifice to the Jiang Huai River, and a vast mist rose as he climbed the altar, convincing the crowd that the River God had revealed himself. The offering earned River’s Favor +0.97, and a pair of blazing eyes opened deep in the Jiang Huai Great Marsh.

• Chen Zhaoan ordered the drums beaten when the incense timer marked the appointed hour.
• Chen Jiechang, Lin Songbao, and Li LiBo brought Lionhead, the Crimson Beast, and the third beast forward to be sacrificed, and their blood was poured into the river.
• Liang Qu climbed the altar as thick white mist spread across Shangrao, prompting the ritual officer, villagers, and martial masters to bow and worship.
• Lin Songbao reminded the ritual officer to continue the rite, and Liang Qu lit the incense, offered wine, and recited the sacrificial text.
• The sacrifice granted Liang Qu River’s Favor +0.97, and a pair of eyes opened in the depths of the Jiang Huai Great Marsh.

Liang Qu completed a River God Sacrifice that convinced the crowd the River God had manifested, then distributed Spirit Monster meat to the worshippers. At an evening opera, he discovered Chen Zhaoan had turned his defeat of the Whale Gang into a play.

• Liang Qu gained a full point of Favorability as the mist and wind surrounded the altar, and the worshippers revered him as someone favored by the River God.
• Liang Qu set rules for distributing the Crimson Beast's meat, then gave Liu Quanfu an extra portion of Lionhead meat.
• Liang Qu and Chen Zhaoan thanked the wealthy households and invited them to watch an evening Water Stage Play.
• Liang Qu attended the opera and recognized its second act as a dramatization of his takedown of the Whale Gang.

Liang Qu watched a play about his defeat of the Whale Gang and learned that troupe master Qian Tingzhi had built it from accounts gathered from survivors. After the performance, Liang asked Qian to change the next three plays, then sat alone on his houseboat before remembering why he had gone out.

• Liang Qu asked Chen Zhaoan how the play knew his exact words, and Chen explained that Qian Tingzhi had researched the Whale Gang and made the play after Du Wenchang was imprisoned.
• Liang Qu watched the play’s second act end to loud cheers while the aquatic beasts splashed nearby and frightened a fisherman.
• Liang Qu asked Chen Zhaoan to have Qian omit the secondary clown’s opening, keeping the play’s background from being explained onstage.
• After the performance, Liang Qu met Qian Tingzhi and requested different plays for the next three days, which Qian agreed to provide.
• Liang Qu sat alone on his houseboat while the beasts kept their distance, then remembered what he had gone out to do.

Liang Qu investigated the hostility he felt in the Jiang Huai River and learned that the Flood Dragon was searching the southern marsh for a thief. The Flood Dragon could only sense his vague location, leaving Liang Qu safe for now, while Toad sent Fat Catfish home with a golden fish as payment for the iron anchor.

• Liang Qu felt a stinging hostility whenever he entered the water and suspected the Flood Dragon was behind it.
• Liang Qu sent Fat Catfish to ask Toad whether he knew why the Flood Dragon might be targeting him.
• Fat Catfish reached Toad's cave with an iron anchor, but Toad was away, so it waited for him to return.
• Toad told Fat Catfish that the Flood Dragon had summoned demons to hunt a thief somewhere in the south, possibly on shore.
• Liang Qu learned that the Flood Dragon could only vaguely sense his location and concluded that he was safe for the time being.
• Toad gave Fat Catfish a golden fish in exchange for the iron anchor.

Liang Qu retrieved a Golden Gong Fish from the Toad and brought it home, where he discovered its golden organ contained a fragrant liquid. After tasting a little, he gained Marsh Essence.

• The Toad gave the Fat Catfish a Golden Gong Fish, which slapped it before the Toad knocked it unconscious.
• The Fat Catfish carried the fish to Liang Qu, who trapped it with Water Prison Art and recognized it as a small shark.
• Liang Qu put the Golden Gong Fish in a water jar at home and told Oolong to guard it while he went to sleep.
• After waking at noon, Liang Qu cut open the fish and removed a golden, liquid-filled organ.
• Liang Qu tasted a little of the liquid and gained 108 Marsh Essence.

After sharing and eating the Golden Gong Fish, Liang Qu gained a vast amount of Marsh Essence and used it to advance his cultivation. He unlocked the Vortex Wave skill, which could open a Vortex Aperture capable of storing water vapor equal to one-thousandth of his Water Control power.

• Liang Qu shared the Golden Gong Fish soup and meat with his six Water Beasts, then gained 4,582 Marsh Essence from the fish.
• The Golden Gong Fish's energy surged through Liang Qu, and he circulated his Qi and blood to assault the Spinal Column Gate.
• After the fish's energy ran out, Liang Qu added his saved Marsh Essence to his fusion level and continued cultivating.
• Liang Qu reached 35.6% Marsh Ape Marsh Spirit fusion and comprehended the innate skill Vortex Wave.
• Liang Qu learned that Vortex Wave could open a Vortex Aperture to store water vapor, and estimated its capacity at eight tons.

Liang Qu discovered that the Golden Gong Fish had strengthened his spiritual consciousness and tested Marsh Ape’s Vortex Aperture, which stored eight tons of water but not stones. Still dizzy, he was interrupted by a Steward from the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild bearing an invitation.

• After becoming dizzy, Liang Qu asked Old Monk to examine him, and Old Monk suspected the Golden Gong Fish had strengthened his spiritual consciousness.
• Liang Qu tested the Vortex Aperture in the garden pond and found it could store and release eight tons of water.
• Liang Qu tested whether the Vortex Aperture could hold stones, but they fell back into the water instead.
• Fan Xinglai told Liang Qu that a Steward from the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild had arrived with an invitation.
• The Steward entered the main hall and greeted Liang Qu.

Liang Qu received an invitation to the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild’s Sky Shipping Auction and discovered that the Golden Gong Fish had strengthened his soul. He exchanged his merits for supplies and chose a River Dolphin token to fulfill Round Head’s wish before the River Conservancy Office moved to the county seat.

• Zhu Bingcan delivered Liang Qu a gold-leaf invitation to the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild’s auction, and Liang Qu decided he was interested in attending.
• Liang Qu woke after an unusually long sleep and found that the Golden Gong Fish had reduced the Mental Link’s occupied space by one-sixth.
• Liang Qu exchanged his accumulated minor merits for ten Qi Replenishing Pills, two Source Water Fruits, and a River Dolphin token.
• Li Shoufu told Liang Qu that the River Conservancy Office would move to the county seat the next day.
• Liang Qu selected River Dolphin token three-seven-four, the token for Round Head’s wife, and went to meet her.

Liang Qu collected a female River Dolphin and reunited her with Round Head and their young, then assessed the value of Source Water Fruits. As the River Conservancy Office relocated and Xu Yuelong’s faction clashed with Wei Lin’s, Liang Qu decided to stay out of sight until after the June eighteenth auction.

• Liang Qu infused his vital blood into token three-seven-four and summoned a female River Dolphin, whom he named A Zhen.
• Round Head and Little River Porpoise greeted A Zhen, and the family happily played together around Liang Qu’s houseboat.
• Liang Qu ate two Source Water Fruits and found that they yielded slightly less Marsh Essence per Lesser Merit than Cockscomb Fruits.
• Liang Qu sent Round Head and A Zhen to settle in the Lotus Root Waters and returned home.
• Liang Qu exchanged for Lesser Merits on the tower ship’s final workday, then stayed home to cultivate while the River Conservancy Office relocated and tensions rose between Xu Yuelong’s and Wei Lin’s factions.

Liang Qu discovered that water stored in his Vortex Aperture gained the ability to form powerful tentacles, and he invited his fellow disciples to a hot pot meal. After recruiting two new apprentices and arranging attendance for the gathering, he left to make preparations.

• Liang Qu used water from his Vortex Aperture to lash a pebble far away and worked out that the water developed stronger effects after being stored for several days.
• Liang Qu reflected on how his intimidation affected Water Beasts and land beasts, then asked Aunt Zhang to prepare jars of hot pot soup base.
• Liang Qu rode Red Mountain to the Martial Arts School and invited Xiang ChangSong and the other senior brothers to eat at Master’s house.
• Xiang ChangSong introduced Liang Qu to two prospective female apprentices, who signed up after meeting him.
• Xiang ChangSong told Liang Qu the school charged eighty taels per apprentice and discussed their invitations to the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild’s auction.
• Liang Qu learned that Second Senior Brother and Sixth Senior Brother could not attend, then left to prepare for the gathering.

Liang Qu hosted his master and fellow disciples with his newly invented hot pot, and they discussed the upcoming Sky Shipping Auction and the county’s growing prosperity. At the auction venue, Liang Qu entered Sky Vessel Tower and was astonished to learn that the vast building had grown around a Jade Rainbow Bridge Tree.

• Liang Qu explained that ordinary mosquitoes did not fear Martial Artists, then introduced six copper pots filled with different hot pot broths for a meal with Yang Dongxiong, Xu Shi, and the other disciples.
• The gathered disciples praised the food, tried Liang Qu’s beef tripe, and talked about Ice Platforms, the upcoming auction, and Ping Yang County’s wealthy families and expanding residences.
• On the eighteenth day of the sixth month, Liang Qu dressed for the Sky Shipping Auction and rode Red Mountain to Sky Vessel Tower, where he saw a street performer balancing a large vat and gave him a piece of silver.
• Liang Qu joined Ran Zhongshi, Xiang Fangsu, and Bai at the entrance, then followed them inside and saw an enormous tree supporting the tower’s second floor.
• Ran Zhongshi identified the tree as the Jade Rainbow Bridge Tree and told Liang Qu that Sky Vessel Tower had grown from it.

Liang Qu explored the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild’s Sky Vessel Tower with Ran Zhongshi and Xiang Fangsu before the auction. Wei Shao then approached him and offered him a Yellow Dragon Pill if he joined their side.

• Ran Zhongshi explained how the Jade Rainbow Bridge Tree was force-grown and how the Guild operated its Sky Vessel Tower.
• Xiang Fangsu haggled for a blood-jade cauldron and bought it for eighty-four gold to have it remade as a gift for his mother.
• Liang Qu learned that Ke Wenbin had recently been promised in marriage to Su Xiaoran.
• Liang Qu left Ran Zhongshi and Xiang Fangsu to greet his Senior Brothers, but Wei Shao stopped him on the way.
• Wei Shao offered Liang Qu a Yellow Dragon Pill if he agreed to join his side.

Liang Qu rejected Wei Shao’s insincere attempt to recruit him and joined Yang Dongxiong’s group at the Celestial Ship Merchant Guild’s auction. As the bidding began, the Golden-Eyed Beast’s arrival stirred an inexplicable longing in Liang Qu.

• Wei Shao offered Liang Qu a Yellow Dragon Pill to join him, but Liang Qu recognized the offer as teasing and refused.
• Ran Zhongshi and Xiang Fangsu joined Liang Qu, and he thanked them before meeting up with his Senior Brothers.
• Liang Qu’s group met Yang Dongxiong and Xu Yuelong on the Third Layer of Sky Vessel Tower and settled into adjacent private rooms.
• The auction began, and Liang Qu watched the early lots sell for increasingly high prices.
• Zhu Bingcan unveiled the Golden-Eyed Beast, whose golden eyes awakened a deep longing in Liang Qu.