Chapter Summaries

Liang Qu awakened the third level of the Ying Long Mark, Wandering the Six Voids, and gained the ability to draw rivers and command water with greatly increased power. He tested the new ability by climbing a stairway of mist above the river.

• Liang Qu endured the Ying Long Mark’s transformation and gained the third golden pattern, Drawing a River with the Tail, while his Three Bridges changed into a form resembling Azure Dragons.
• Long E Ying retreated as watery Azure Dragons circled Liang Qu, and Long Binglin recognized that Liang Qu had created a flowing riverbed simply by walking.
• Liang Qu inspected his transformed meridians and discovered that the new Three Bridges had absorbed the role of his three minor meridians.
• Liang Qu spent 120,000 Marsh Essence to raise his Water King Ape Fusion Degree to twenty-thousandths and gained additional River’s Favor.
• Liang Qu used Wandering the Six Voids to rise through thick river mist, forming a stairway in the air as Quan Linghan watched in shock.

Liang Qu tested his newly developed ability to ride clouds and mist, discovering that he could fly short distances and carry Long E Ying with him. Later, Ke Wenbin and Xiang Fangsu arrived in Huang Province and asked dockworkers where to find the Xu Family, hearing that Lord Liang had recently sent them a General Yuan armor plate.

• Liang Qu used the Great Mist to climb into the air and found that it supported him only to a limited height.
• Liang Qu formed a cloud beneath his feet and rode it above the river, then discovered he could let Long E Ying stand on it while holding her arm.
• Liang Qu flew with Long E Ying over the river, evaded a pursuing Big Fish Spirit Monster, and explained that his ability was a personal talent rather than a divine ability.
• In mid-November, Ke Wenbin and Xiang Fangsu arrived at Huang Province and asked dockworkers how to reach the Xu Family.
• A dockworker told Ke Wenbin and Xiang Fangsu that Lord Liang, the Dragon Crossing the River, had recently sent the Xu Family a General Yuan armor plate, and Ke Wenbin wondered why the name sounded familiar.

Liang Qu reunited with Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin at the Xu Family Estate, where they discussed Pingyang Prefecture’s possible construction of a defensive wonder against the Ghost Mother Sect. He ended their meal by revealing that his Master had become a Grandmaster.

• Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin arrived at the Xu Family Estate and summoned Liang Qu, joking that they had come to settle their rivalry with Dragon Crossing the River.
• Liang Qu welcomed the two friends and treated them to a meal at Qixia Tower.
• Ke Wenbin told Liang Qu that merchants and the Weng Family were buying land near Pingyang Prefecture for his farming venture, and reminded him to pay the required taxes.
• Xiang Fangsu explained that Pingyang Prefecture was considering building a great pass that could function as a wonder and strengthen its defenders against the Ghost Mother Sect.
• Liang Qu revealed that his Master had become a Grandmaster.

Liang Qu explained how he captured Zhao Hongyuan, while Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin planned to take the prisoner back for Lord Su to question. After Yang Dongxiong completed his breakthrough, the group set out toward Mount Lu, unaware that four armed strangers had arrived on the Ba River seeking Liang Qu for information about the White Ape.

• Liang Qu told Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin how he had captured Zhao Hongyuan, whose demand to speak only with an official of the third rank or above might require Lord Su to interrogate him.
• Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin agreed to collect Zhao Hongyuan in two days and planned to tour Mount Lu and the Ba River before returning.
• Yang Dongxiong emerged from seclusion after completing his Divine Power, and Xu Zishuai persuaded the group to travel south to Mount Lu.
• Four black-clad strangers discussed Liang Qu's surprising strength and decided to find him for information about the White Ape rather than confront him directly.

Liang Qu and his companions climbed Mount Lu, where Ta Ta Kai drove off a Leopard Cat with its stick. Meanwhile, four pursuers arrived at the mountain and decided to search the summit temples for Liang Qu and wait for a chance to attack.

• Liang Qu and his companions learned about Mount Lu’s cold weather, mountain lodgings, and famous temples as they climbed.
• Ta Ta Kai challenged a Leopard Cat that ambushed the group and beat it until it fled.
• Liang Qu’s group decided to go to Wan Shan Temple to reserve rooms and settle in.
• Four pursuers reached Mount Lu and planned to disguise themselves as travelers and search the summit temples for Liang Qu.

Liang Qu and his companions visited Wan Shan Temple, where the abbot welcomed Grandmaster Yang Dongxiong and treated them to fruit from the ancient Arhat Pine Tree King. After exploring Mount Lu, they returned to their courtyard and encountered She Lianmei, a beautiful traveler lodging next door.

• The abbot of Wan Shan Temple greeted Yang Dongxiong, and the two men who had guided the group recognized Liang Qu as Dragon Crossing the River.
• The abbot hosted the group with Arhat Pine Fruit and explained how the fruit differed from ordinary Arhat Fruit.
• Liang Qu and his companions settled into a temple courtyard, ate a vegetarian meal, and visited the Flying-Flow Waterfall.
• The group noticed a woman bathing in the room next door, and Long Yao later met She Lianmei when she arrived with tremella and lotus seed soup.
• She Lianmei asked whether Liang Qu was Long Yao and Long E Ying's elder brother or Dao companion, and Liang Qu came out when Long Yao called for him.

Liang Qu accepted She Lianmei’s Lotus Seeds soup, gained Marsh Essence from it, and recognized that she had ulterior motives despite her friendly approach. That night, She Lianmei reported to her companions that he was difficult to lure, and they decided to keep feeding him soup before trying poison.

• She Lianmei brought Liang Qu Lotus Seeds soup, and he detected no poison, drank it, and gained Marsh Essence.
• Liang Qu and She Lianmei discovered they came from neighboring regions, and she offered to bring him more soup while seeking a companion to tour Mount Lu.
• Liang Qu told Long E Ying and Long Yao that She Lianmei had ulterior motives and asked Long E Ying to watch the neighboring quarters.
• She Lianmei met her companions in the fir forest and explained that Liang Qu’s beautiful maidservants made him hard to seduce.
• She Lianmei’s group decided to continue giving Liang Qu soup to lower his guard, with poison as a fallback, and sent a man to buy more ingredients.

Liang Qu and his companions discovered a tree full of Monkey Wine in Brocade Valley and shared it with the old macaque. After She Lianmei arranged to watch the sunrise with Liang Qu, Long E Ying told him that four people, including a mid-stage Hunting Tiger, were involved in the matter he had been investigating.

• The old macaque led Liang Qu and the others to an ancient tree, where they drilled a hole and collected its Monkey Wine.
• Yang Dongxiong offered the first bamboo tube to the macaque, and the group shared the wine before returning to the courtyard with it.
• The old macaque followed Liang Qu home and practiced Ape Fist alongside Ta Ta Kai.
• She Lianmei brought Lotus Seeds soup, and Liang Qu gained more than five hundred Marsh Essence from two bowls.
• She Lianmei invited Liang Qu to watch the sunrise at Five Elders Peak, and he agreed.
• Long E Ying told Liang Qu that four people—three Hunting Tigers and one Wolf Smoke—were involved, including a mid-stage Hunting Tiger with two Divine Power Seeds.

Liang Qu accompanied She Lianmei to Five Elders Peak, where Ning Chaoqing and two accomplices had prepared an ambush with poisoned soup and pills. After She Lianmei revealed that she knew Liang Qu had brought the Jianghuai White Ape to subdue a Snake Demon, she threatened that he would not leave unless he told her about it.

• Liang Qu warned his companions to stay together as they went to watch the sunrise, while Ning Chaoqing and two men prepared to ambush him on Five Elders Peak.
• Liang Qu noticed the spoiled, poisoned soup She Lianmei offered, refused to drink it, and went with her toward the summit.
• She Lianmei flirted with Liang Qu and praised his connection to the White Ape as they climbed, while he recognized the encounter as part of a negotiation.
• At the summit, She Lianmei asked Liang Qu about the Jianghuai White Ape and revealed she had guessed he brought it to subdue the Snake Demon.
• Liang Qu refused to reveal anything about the White Ape, and She Lianmei warned that he would not be able to leave.

Liang Qu and She Lianmei triggered a hidden ambush on Mount Lu, but Liang Qu used Fubo and his own strength to defeat the attackers. After watching the sunrise, he and Long E Ying captured the surviving Great Martial Masters and prepared to return.

• She Lianmei dropped the lantern to signal the ambush, but Fubo struck down Ning Chaoqing and the Bearded Man before they could reach Liang Qu.
• Liang Qu knocked She Lianmei unconscious and descended through the clouds with Fubo, startling Bone Shrinker.
• Bone Shrinker swallowed a Blood Burning Pill and attacked, but Liang Qu evaded his strike and sent him flying with Azure Wolf.
• Liang Qu watched the sunrise over Pengze while Long E Ying pulled Ning Chaoqing from the mountainside and subdued him again.
• Liang Qu and the others captured three Great Martial Masters and returned with their prisoners.

Liang Qu and his companions captured four people who had tried to obtain information about the White Ape, then learned they were bounty hunters rather than Ghost Mother Sect members. Their questioning exposed a possible connection to a plot against Master Zhao, and Liang Qu caught Ning Chaoqing lying about his identity.

• After watching the sunrise, Liang Qu and Long Binglin brought the four captives back to the courtyard and had their joints dislocated.
• Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin questioned She Lianmei, and Liang Qu used the Ear Consciousness Method to confirm she was telling the truth when she denied belonging to the Ghost Mother Sect.
• She Lianmei explained that the crew had been paid to gather information about the White Ape, while the Bone Shrinker and the Bearded Man confirmed the account.
• The group learned the four were bounty hunters led by Ning Chaoqing, and Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin realized they would earn no merit for capturing them.
• Ning Chaoqing asked for mercy and offered three hundred thousand taels, but Liang Qu asked whether he belonged to the Ghost Mother Sect and identified his denial as a lie.

Liang Qu and his companions tortured Ning Chaoqing and learned that the Ghost Mother Sect had sent him to search for the White Ape, likely at the Flood Dragon’s request. They planned to report the case to the court and explore securing the White Ape a place in its service.

• Ke Wenbin and Long Binglin crippled Ning Chaoqing, then Liang Qu persuaded the abbot to leave them alone by revealing his connection to the Adamantine Bright King.
• After half a day of interrogation, Ning Chaoqing revealed that he was an outside expert cultivated by the Ghost Mother Sect and had been assigned to search for the White Ape.
• Ning Chaoqing admitted he had no proof that the Flood Dragon commissioned the search, but Liang Qu and the others suspected the Snake Clan was behind it.
• Liang Qu considered helping the White Ape obtain a legal position with the court, potentially allowing it to draw a human salary despite the Flood Dragon’s control of the marsh.
• Xiang Fangsu urged them to report Ning Chaoqing’s case to the court, and the group prepared to leave Huang Province the next morning.

After a relaxing visit to Mount Lu, Liang Qu received a defensive array token from Yang Dongxiong and returned to the Xu Family Estate to prepare for a conflict involving Zhao Hongyuan's family. He arranged for the merfolk to gather at Baoqing Wharf, where a crowd of onlookers and greedy boat bosses threatened them until the Xu family's chief steward intervened.

• Yang Dongxiong gave Liang Qu a Subduing Demon Saber Array token, and he gave two more tokens to Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin.
• At the Ba River, Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin went to bring Zhao Hongyuan's family in for questioning, while Liang Qu sent word for the merfolk to gather at the wharf.
• Liang Qu met Guan Congjian and Zong Lichan, explained the urgent situation, and invited them to join him at Wan Shan Temple on Mount Lu.
• Liang Qu returned to the Xu Family Estate, said farewell to Xu Rongguang and his wife, and sent the chief steward to watch over the merfolk.
• At Baoqing Wharf, crowds gathered around the merfolk, and boat bosses lingered while eyeing them for their valuable Mermaid Tears.
• The Xu family's chief steward shouted at the crowd, driving the boat bosses away.

The Xu Family publicly announced its trade agreement with the merfolk as Liang Qu’s fleet collected Mermaid Silk and transported Zhao Hongyuan’s family. After the fleet reached Lan Province, the merfolk drew a crowd, and the River Conservancy Office used their arrival to promote plans for a trading island in Pingyang Prefecture.

• Chief Steward Xu announced that anyone who opposed the merfolk would be opposing the Xu Family, and the crowd at the dock backed away.
• Quan Linghan delivered Mermaid Silk to the Xu Family and received an advance payment in silver notes.
• Liang Qu’s fleet loaded Zhao Hongyuan’s family into prison ships and sailed toward Pingyang Prefecture.
• After four or five days, the fleet reached the crowded Lan Province Canal dock, where Liang Qu struck a man who shouted vulgarities at a Dragon Girl.
• Ke Wenbin and Xiang Fangsu announced plans for an island and organized trade in Pingyang Prefecture, prompting merchant associations to believe the proposal.

The fleet delivered supplies and merchants to the merfolk, then continued to Water Island, where its construction impressed Quan Linghan. After returning to Pingyang Prefecture, Liang Qu learned that Prefect Jian wanted to see him about a great thing.

• Xiang Fangsu and Liang Qu answered merchants’ questions about Water Island and the merfolk, and Ke Wenbin drove off a rude questioner before the fleet departed with twice as many ships.
• On the last day of November, Xiang Fangsu split the fleet, sending Ke Wenbin and A Shui to show the merchants and merfolk Water Island while he returned to Pingyang Prefecture with Liang Qu and others.
• Liang Qu inspected Water Island’s construction and spoke with Quan Linghan, who admired the island but continued searching for a permanent home for the Mermaid Tribe.
• Xu Yuelong warmly welcomed Quan Linghan and the returning fleet in the rain, while Ran Zhongshi and Bai Yinbin teased Liang Qu about his exploits in Huang Province.
• Ran Zhongshi told Liang Qu to go home and then report to the Prefectural Office, where Prefect Jian Zhongyi wanted to discuss a great thing.

Liang Qu learned that he could break the dynasty’s record as its youngest Great Martial Master if he reached Hunting Tiger before turning twenty. After an examination confirmed his bone age was eighteen, he declared he was confident and asked for water-aspect treasures to aid his cultivation.

• Liang Qu returned to the River Conservancy Office and met with Jian Zhongyi and Xu Yuelong.
• Jian Zhongyi explained that Yuan Yuwen had become a Great Martial Master at nineteen years and five months, then died after a Love Gu killed him for breaking his vow to the Southern Border Saintess.
• Jian Zhongyi told Liang Qu that, at eighteen years and three months, he could break Yuan Yuwen’s record and bring honor and rewards to the court.
• A Weng Family apothecary examined Liang Qu and confirmed that he was eighteen years old.
• Liang Qu said he was confident he could break the record and requested water-aspect treasures suited to his Fate Standard.

Liang Qu returned to the River Conservancy Office and learned that breaking Da Shun’s youngest Great Martial Master record could bring him and his hometown extraordinary rewards. After discussing the Imperial Capital with his companions, he handled office affairs and returned home, still wondering what Zhao Hongyuan had told Su Guishan.

• Liang Qu told Ran Zhongshi and the others he was preparing to challenge Da Shun’s record for its youngest Great Martial Master, and they discussed the titles and rewards he might receive.
• Ran Zhongshi and the others described the Imperial Capital’s wonders and planned places Liang Qu could visit there.
• News of Liang Qu’s prospects spread through the River Conservancy Office, exciting his subordinates and drawing envy from Wei’s faction.
• Liang Qu returned to his study, sealed accumulated paperwork, and relied on the Dragonfolk brothers’ work in his absence.
• Liang Qu rode back to Yi Xing Town, bought braised meat from the teahouse shopkeeper, and wondered whether Su Guishan had asked Zhao Hongyuan about the information he had kept hidden.

Liang Qu visited Toad to exchange his ship equipment for Treasure Fish, but learned that better fish might arrive with an ocean merchant caravan. After returning home, he asked Su Guishan about Zhao Hongyuan and learned that the Ghost Mother Sect had made something almost identical to Immortal Island Above the Clouds.

• Liang Qu invited Long Binglin and Long E Ying to visit Toad, then traveled with them to Toad Cave on Fat Catfish.
• Liang Qu asked Toad to trade for two Treasure Fish, but the available fish were mediocre, so Toad offered to obtain better ones from an ocean merchant caravan expected to arrive later.
• Long E Ying explained that the ocean caravans included merfolk and Water Spiders, prompting Liang Qu to consider using Water Spiders for his waterway plans.
• Liang Qu returned home and found Su Guishan eating a late-night meal after settling old matters in Huaiyin County.
• Liang Qu asked Su Guishan about Zhao Hongyuan, and Su Guishan said the Ghost Mother Sect had made something almost identical to Immortal Island Above the Clouds.

Liang Qu learned from Su Guishan that the Ghost Mother Sect used the Yinsha Water Old Mother’s powers to create twenty Living Dead Positions and resurrect people through sacrifices. The Old Monk arrived as Su Guishan explained that the south’s strange practices arose because its people were weak.

• Liang Qu discussed the Mirage Dragon’s failed attempt to create a Dream Realm Dynasty and described the resurrected Grandmaster and Great Martial Master he had encountered.
• Su Guishan explained that Yinsha Water Old Mother originated in the South Sea and that the Ghost Mother Sect had turned this legendary deity into reality at great cost.
• Su Guishan revealed that the Ghost Mother Sect’s twenty Living Dead Positions enabled resurrection, with sacrifices of people sharing the same origin and lineage helping transfer the dead back into living positions.
• Liang Qu realized the Fetus Pearl Pills were prepared sacrifices and that resurrected Great Martial Masters were only briefly animated by the divine souls of resurrected Grandmasters.
• Su Guishan said Zhao Hongyuan had learned the sect’s secrets after saving an important figure from a prince’s faction, and the Old Monk arrived and said the south’s people were weak.

The Old Monk explained that Southern Border’s Gu traditions may have originated as a means of self-protection before evolving into a martial path, and Su Guishan revealed the court’s concern over plans to create a False Dragon in the Lu Cang River. The next day, Liang Qu inspected a successful aquaculture harvest in Yi Xing Town.

• The Old Monk told Liang Qu and Su Guishan how a widow spread a rumor that she brought doom upon husbands to protect herself from unwanted advances.
• The Old Monk theorized that Southern Border people adopted tales of Gu insects as protection from discrimination and conflict, and that martial masters later developed Poisonous Gu into a formal path.
• Liang Qu asked Su Guishan about Southern Border’s blood sacrifices, and Su Guishan said local clans were trying to create a False Dragon for the Lu Cang River.
• Su Guishan warned Liang Qu that the court had sent Grandmasters to prepare for the effort, but said the matter was far beyond Liang Qu’s concern.
• The next day, Liang Qu went with Uncle Chen and Young Shopkeeper Chen to inspect the fields, where herbal merchants showed him their successful harvest of Golden Thread Leeches.