Chapter Summaries

Liang Qu and Old Toad gathered most of the prey in the Chi Ridge hunt, securing Liang Qu first place. The results revealed that Xu Family disciples filled the next five ranks, and Liang Qu left the rewards to be shared with them.

• Liang Qu counted the Water Beasts' catches and confirmed they had gathered more than six hundred and fifty creatures, with Old Toad catching eighty-nine Spirit Fish in half a day.
• Liang Qu learned that the sentry posts would not accept prey during the final five and a half hours, then rode away with Zheng Rusheng, Liu Shouping, and Zhao Xueyuan as Chi Ang and Xu Jiangming searched for him.
• Old Toad secretly ate the remaining fish while the hunters searched the ridge, and the gong sounded at dawn to end the hunt.
• The marketplace rankings placed Liang Qu first with 442 points and Xu Lijie, Xu Hengyun, Xu Yuansong, and other Xu Family disciples in the following places.
• Liang Qu thanked the Xu Family disciples and explained that he had shared the prey with them so they could divide the rankings and rewards.

Liang Qu swept the Great Hunting Assembly rankings and received valuable cultivation resources, gold, and property, then arranged to arrest Zhao Xueyuan. After sharing the rewards with his senior brothers and sisters, he hurried toward Du Mountain Town to pursue the matter.

• Crowds gathered to celebrate the Great Hunting Assembly, where Liang Qu's portrait was the only one displayed after he took the top six places.
• Prefect Xu Wanxing awarded Liang Qu Tourmaline Wood, Vein Marrow Jade Liquid, gold, and a residence with farmland, while Liang Qu also claimed the jade liquid awarded to second place.
• Liang Qu informed Prefect Tang Yuyou about Zhao Xueyuan, and Tang arranged Zhao's arrest and transfer to the great prison.
• Liang Qu borrowed two of Yang Xu's guards and distributed most of his Vein Marrow Jade Liquid among his senior brothers and sisters.
• Liang Qu handed the remaining rewards to Long Yao and Long Li, mounted Red Mountain, and rode toward Du Mountain Town with Liu Shouping and Zheng Rusheng guiding him.

Liang Qu led soldiers to raid the Zhang Clan residence and exposed the household’s false identities and hidden escape tunnel. He captured the clan head, Zhao Hongyuan, and asked whether he recognized him.

• Liang Qu confronted Lin Fubao at the surrounded Zhang Clan residence and revealed that he remembered the steward’s real name, Lin Guiyong.
• Liang Qu ordered the constables to arrest everyone, and A Wu stopped Zhang Kaiming when he tried to escape over the courtyard wall.
• Liang Qu found a secret passage beneath the study and followed it with A Ji, A Wu, and the head constable.
• A Wu captured the fleeing Zhao Hongyuan in the passage, and the group brought him back to the courtyard.
• Liang Qu asked Zhao Hongyuan whether he recognized him, but Zhao Hongyuan said he did not know Liang Qu’s name.

Liang Qu exposed the Zhao Family’s past crimes and its ties to the Ghost Mother Sect, then had the family arrested in Du Mountain Town. Zhao Hongyuan and Zhao Xueyuan ended the chapter facing each other in Huang Province Prison.

• Liang Qu’s constables gathered the Zhao Family members and captured Zheng Xiang, who had been hiding under the name Du Ming.
• Liang Qu reminded Zheng Xiang that he had hired LaiTou Zhang to rob Liang Qu’s fishing boat and destroy his livelihood three years earlier.
• Zheng Xiang remembered the crime, while Zhao Hongyuan recognized Liang Qu as the fisher boy he had once tried to force into selling himself.
• Liang Qu ordered the Zhao Family bound and arrested, and Liu Shouping explained Master Zhao’s alleged involvement with the Ghost Mother Sect to the Li and Chen family heads.
• The Li and Chen family heads agreed to cooperate with the officials, and the Zhao Family was escorted away as Du Mountain Town residents watched.
• At dusk in Huang Province Prison, Zhao Hongyuan and Zhao Xueyuan stared at each other.

Liang Qu uncovered evidence of the Zhao Family’s Fetus Pearl Pills, reported the arrest and his Assembly victory, and prepared to attend a prefectural banquet. He then visited his fellow disciples, who were waiting for their Master to emerge from seclusion.

• Tang Yuyou ordered the prisoners separated and questioned the captives about their names, origins, and ages.
• A Wu found Fetus Pearl Pills and their accompanying medicine in the Zhao residence, and Liang Qu collected the evidence.
• Liang Qu rewarded Liu Shouping and Zheng Rusheng, then wrote to Xu Yuelong about the Zhao Family arrests and to the King of Yue about his Assembly victory.
• Liang Qu received ninety thousand taels in betting winnings and accepted an invitation to a banquet at Qixia Tower.
• Huo Hongyuan and Zhu Zongwang decided to attend the banquet to find a chance to speak with Liang Qu.
• Liang Qu visited his fellow disciples as they waited for their Master to finish his seclusion.

After winning the Great Hunting Assembly, Liang Qu consumed Tourmaline Wood, advanced his meridian cultivation, and settled his new affairs in Huang Province. He ended the chapter agreeing to expand Old Toad’s pond at his new residence.

• Liang Qu ate the Tourmaline Wood and slept as its spirit-strengthening effects washed over him.
• Liang Qu practiced boxing with Ta Ta Kai, then opened one great meridian and three small meridians using Vein Marrow Jade Liquid.
• Guan Congjian told Liang Qu that he and his master were leaving for the Hanging Temple in Datong Prefecture to attempt its trial.
• A Xu Family steward delivered forty thousand taels of silver from Liang Qu’s sale of Spirit Deer and Spirit Sparrows.
• Liang Qu toured the residence and hundred mu of fields gifted by Xu Wanxing, then promised to pay craftsmen to expand the pond for Old Toad.
• Old Toad praised Liang Qu as a trusted right-hand minister of the Frog Clan.

Liang Qu attended a banquet hosted by Xu Wanxing, where Huang Province’s young talents put aside their Great Hunting Assembly rivalries and discussed rising tensions on the Southern Border. Meanwhile, Old Giant Clam headed toward Pengze and encountered Old Toad, while Liang Qu left the banquet having declined to pursue next year’s martial examination.

• Liang Qu greeted Chi Ang and Xu Jiangming at Qixia Tower, and the two accepted his explanation for winning the Great Hunting Assembly.
• Xu Wanxing explained that an imperial decree had kept him from the assembly’s opening and that Huang Province was gathering supplies to send south amid tensions with the Southern Border tribes.
• Old Giant Clam traveled toward Pengze, where Old Toad passed it and continued ahead in search of Treasure Fish.
• At the banquet, Zhu Zongwang asked whether Liang Qu would enter the martial examination, but Liang Qu said he would not pursue it because his Fate Standard was too great to be changed by the Wolf Smoke Twenty-Eight Constellations.
• Huo Hongyuan privately realized that Liang Qu’s great Fate Standard had already affected the people around him.

At the banquet, Liang Qu learned that Zhu Zongwang was considering a posting in Pingyang Prefecture, where the two might become colleagues after their appointments next March. Later, Liang Qu used the Ze Cauldron to strengthen Fat Catfish and Round Head, then sent his River Dolphins to search Pengze for more of their kind.

• Zhu Zongwang asked Liang Qu about the martial examination and revealed that he had no official post because the Wolf Smoke Twenty-Eight Constellations had to wait three years for appointments.
• Zhu Zongwang said he might seek a post in Pingyang Prefecture, and Huo Hongyuan considered the advantages of joining him there.
• After leaving the banquet, Liang Qu went to the Ba River and used the Ze Cauldron to evolve Fat Catfish and Round Head.
• Liang Qu recognized that Fat Catfish, Round Head, and Cannot Move were all at the peak of Great Monster Spirit rank.
• Liang Qu ordered his River Dolphins to search Pengze for other River Dolphin groups.

Liang Qu evolved Red Mountain into a Crimson Blood Dragon Steed and traveled to Pengze with Long E Ying and Long Binglin to investigate its waters. At Baoqing Wharf, he heard local legends and learned that Pengze’s famed General Yuan was said to be a vast, dragon-headed turtle.

• Liang Qu spent 6,126 Marsh Essence to evolve Red Mountain, combining Swift Foot with Treading Waves and Pure Yang.
• Red Mountain emerged as a powerful Crimson Blood Dragon Steed, while Liang Qu decided not to spend the 18,000 Marsh Essence required for its next evolution.
• Liang Qu adjusted the Water King Ape’s integration display to thousandths, then told Yang Xu he would visit Pengze and promised to return for the birthday banquet.
• Liang Qu crossed the Jiang Huai River, established escape routes, and arrived at Baoqing Wharf with Long E Ying and Long Binglin waiting in the water.
• Liang Qu paid a shopkeeper to recount Pengze’s local legends and heard of General Yuan, an enormous dragon-headed turtle said to drift across the lake.

Liang Qu learned about Pengze’s intense water-god worship and flood risks, then considered earning Favor by protecting locals. After Round Head found a large wild River Dolphin clan, Liang Qu prepared to subdue it.

• Liang Qu heard from a shopkeeper about Pengze’s temple sacrifices and gathered accounts of local customs at several breakfast stalls.
• Long Binglin explained how Pengze’s connection to five rivers could cause backflow floods or drain the lake, while Long E Ying noted the region’s hills.
• Liang Qu considered building a reputation and gaining Favor by saving people from future floods.
• Liang Qu reunited with Round Head and learned it had found a wild River Dolphin clan exceeding eighty members.
• Liang Qu assessed the clan’s strength and ordered Round Head to attack and subdue it.

Liang Qu’s River Dolphins defeated and absorbed a powerful wild clan in Pengze, then discovered Mermaid Tears among its hoarded treasures. The tears revealed that a Mermaid Tribe lived nearby, while Old Toad and Fat Catfish watched a treasure-laden island from a distance.

• Round Head broke the wild River Dolphins’ formation and defeated their aged leader in a duel.
• Round Head persuaded Old River Porpoise and the two Great Monster Spirits to join his clan, bringing its ranks to ninety-six mature River Dolphins.
• Liang Qu’s group accepted the new clan, and Old River Porpoise’s dolphins presented their collected valuables.
• Liang Qu gained a large amount of Marsh Essence from twelve Mermaid Tears and learned that a Mermaid Tribe lived in Pengze.
• Old Toad stopped Fat Catfish from approaching a treasure-filled island, saying something was not right.

Old Toad and Fat Catfish discovered that the island was actually the shell of a gigantic turtle, while Liang Qu learned of the Mermaid Tribe and set out to find them. The chapter left Liang Qu's group approaching a mountain settlement led by Old River Porpoise.

• Old Toad and Fat Catfish searched for the island's treasure, discovered the island was a giant turtle, and fled when it spouted air.
• Old Toad and Fat Catfish argued over dividing the Yellow Leather Bag and expelled each other from the Frog Clan.
• Liang Qu learned from Old River Porpoise that a Mermaid Tribe lived somewhere in Pengze and decided to seek them out.
• Liang Qu's group packed the River Dolphins' belongings and followed Old River Porpoise toward the Mermaid Tribe.
• Fat Catfish reported the giant turtle bearing an island, and Liang Qu suspected treasure lay on its back but chose to focus on finding the Merfolk.
• By evening, Old River Porpoise led Liang Qu's group toward a settlement nestled between the mountains.

Liang Qu sent Long E Ying and Long Binglin to negotiate with the Mermaid Tribe, hoping to bring the merfolk near Pingyang Prefecture under his protection in exchange for temporarily holding their Mermaid Tears. The merfolk recognized the Dragonfolk and let the two envoys meet their leader, leaving the negotiations poised to begin.

• Liang Qu spotted that the Mermaid Tribe had not migrated and approached their camp with Long E Ying and Long Binglin.
• Liang Qu decided he could offer protection to the merfolk near Pingyang Prefecture but asked Long E Ying and Long Binglin to negotiate because he was publicly known as human.
• Liang Qu explained his guarantees and requested that the merfolk temporarily entrust their Mermaid Tears to him, while Long E Ying suggested presenting the arrangement as a fair exchange.
• Long Binglin and Long E Ying approached the camp with a River Dolphin guide as Awei prepared to relay messages to Liang Qu.
• The merfolk surrounded the envoys, recognized them as Dragonfolk, and allowed their leader to escort them into a tent.

Long Pingjiang asked Wu Cangshou about General Yuan, the revered River God of Pengze, and learned of the Black Crocodile’s unusual history, strength, and cultivation method. After Long Pingjiang relayed the information to the Elder, Long E Ying and Long Binglin emerged from their tent beside the waves of Pengze.

• The beaver, Long Pingjiang, and Long Pinghe completed a new yuhuang warship model at the Liang Residence.
• Long Pingjiang asked Wu Cangshou about General Yuan because Liang Qu was traveling to Huang Province and would pass Pengze.
• Wu Cangshou explained that General Yuan had gained Dragon Lord Blood Essence after presenting a luminous coral tree, becoming a dragon-blooded Black Crocodile.
• Wu Cangshou described the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Method and said General Yuan had cultivated it for centuries, becoming exceptionally powerful.
• Wu Cangshou said General Yuan had defeated a Great Demon with one palm and explained why he believed the turtle had planned his path from childhood.
• Long Pingjiang relayed Wu Cangshou’s account to the Elder, and Long E Ying and Long Binglin emerged from their tent at Pengze.

Liang Qu tried to recruit the Mermaid Tribe by appealing to its younger members with gifts and waterproof novels. After Quan Linghan tried to confiscate the deliveries, two young Merfolk chose to follow Liang Qu.

• Long E Ying advised Liang Qu to win over the younger Merfolk, and Liang Qu sent Round Head back with the River Dolphins while he went ashore to buy books.
• Liang Qu paid a bookshop to print waterproof novels, then returned the next evening to collect 167 copies.
• Quan Linghan struggled to persuade his tribe to leave, as many younger Merfolk resisted packing up.
• Long Binglin and the River Dolphins delivered gifts, but Quan Linghan tried to take control of the distribution and ordered the Merfolk to hand everything over.
• After two days of deliveries, Long Binglin and Long E Ying brought Liang Qu two young Merfolk who wanted to follow him.

Liang Qu secured the cooperation of Quan Guangqin and Quan Yuxuan, two merfolk who wanted to find a better home for their people, and had Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe take them to inspect the Jiang Huai Great Marsh. After the pair returned to Pengze and reported their journey, Liang Qu prepared to explore Pengze’s depths.

• Quan Guangqin and Quan Yuxuan explained that they and twenty-eight others wanted to leave their reclusive tribe, and Liang Qu agreed to help them investigate a new home.
• The two merfolk gave Liang Qu nine Mermaid Tears, which he refined for 22,144 Marsh Essence.
• Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe took Quan Guangqin and Quan Yuxuan through the waterway to Shang Rao Wharf in Pingyang Prefecture, where they saw the Jiang Huai Great Marsh.
• Long Pinghe returned the merfolk to Pengze, and Quan Guangqin and Quan Yuxuan told their tribe they had visited another great marsh.
• After news spread that merfolk had appeared ashore in Pingyang Prefecture, Xu Yuelong called for Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe.
• With the effort to win over the merfolk showing promise, Liang Qu set out to explore the depths of Pengze.

Liang Qu and Long Binglin met Old Toad near Shou Mountain and learned that the giant turtle held a treasure greater than Heavenly Water Morning Dew. As General Yuan approached, the Ze Cauldron reacted, and Liang Qu tried to retreat.

• Old Toad told Liang Qu that he had spent three days circling Shou Mountain because he could not reach its island.
• Liang Qu shared Wu Cangshou’s account of General Yuan’s origins, and Long Binglin recognized the tale of the Night-Bright Coral offering.
• Old Toad claimed that General Yuan carried a treasure mountain far greater than the Heavenly Water Morning Dew.
• Long Binglin noticed Shou Mountain drawing closer, and General Yuan swam toward them after catching a fragrant scent.
• Liang Qu decided to withdraw, but the Ze Cauldron trembled and radiated as the distance narrowed.

Liang Qu and his companions were captured by General Yuan, who demanded the stolen Long Qi and threatened to drain their lives on Shou Mountain. Liang Qu traded a strand of Seasonal Long Qi to free them, then exposed General Yuan’s gain and secured permission to choose Longevity Treasures from the mountain.

• Liang Qu escaped General Yuan’s attack with his water-escape Divine Power, but the tortoise seized him and his companions and demanded the treasure it had lost.
• General Yuan threw the group onto Shou Mountain, where its power began draining their life force, and accused Liang Qu of taking the Long Qi.
• Liang Qu considered the effects of the Long Qi and handed General Yuan a strand of four-colored Seasonal Long Qi in exchange for his companions’ release.
• Liang Qu caught his companions as General Yuan cast them off the island, then argued that he had helped the tortoise unite the Four Seasons Long Qi.
• Liang Qu demanded compensation for his companions’ losses, and General Yuan finally agreed to let him climb Shou Mountain and choose Longevity Treasures.

Liang Qu explored Shou Mountain, where immortal monkeys tended a wealth of life-extending treasures, and discovered how General Yuan used Four Seasons Long Qi to sustain his lifespan. He offered to improve the turtle’s life-extending cycle in exchange for treasures, leaving General Yuan intrigued by his promise of a lifespan lasting ten thousand years.

• Liang Qu and Old Toad entered Shou Mountain and found its slopes cultivated with life-extending treasures and guarded by monkeys who mistook them for honored guests.
• Liang Qu climbed the mountain and found a Twelve-Petaled Longevity Lotus, then learned that an Eighteen-Petaled Longevity Lotus grew higher up.
• General Yuan demanded that Long E Ying stay behind as payment for the Eighteen-Petaled Longevity Lotus, but Liang Qu refused and offered to help unleash the effects of the turtle’s Long Qi instead.
• Liang Qu deduced that General Yuan refined Shou Mountain and used Four Seasons Long Qi to grow longevity treasures and replenish his lifespan.
• Liang Qu promised to improve General Yuan’s life-extending cycle enough to potentially grant him ten thousand years, and the turtle reacted with astonishment.

Liang Qu negotiated with General Yuan to trade a Seasonal Spirit Fish for treasure plants, then turned General Yuan’s Long Qi into the fish and gave it to the tortoise. The monkeys found a piece of General Yuan’s old shell, and Liang Qu asked it to imbue the shell with its aura as a birthday gift.

• General Yuan demanded Long E Ying as a hostage, but Liang Qu refused and offered Old Toad instead, bargaining to give it thirty percent of the treasure plants.
• General Yuan agreed to the deal and gave Liang Qu an Eighteen-Petaled Longevity Lotus, a Thousand-Year Treasure Zhi, and a Heavenly Spirit Jade Fruit in addition to the Twelve-Petaled Longevity Lotus.
• Liang Qu used fifty thousand portions of Marsh Essence to turn General Yuan’s four-colored Long Qi into a Seasonal Spirit Fish, which General Yuan placed in Shou Mountain’s pond.
• General Yuan found that the Spirit Fish increased the Long Qi’s efficiency by thirty percent, and Liang Qu received the four treasure plants from the monkeys.
• A Golden-haired Monkey brought Liang Qu a piece of General Yuan’s shed shell, and Liang Qu asked General Yuan to add some of its aura so he could give it as a birthday present.