Chapter Summaries

Li Yan examined the Dragon Snake Plate and the books he had taken from Huo Jiao and Young Master Du, uncovering their ties to water deities, forbidden arts, and the Eight Great Cold Forests. After deciding to investigate a nearby Buddhist grotto, he fell asleep and dreamed of an ancient submerged temple marked “Dragon Girl.”

• Xie ZhengYuan recognized Li Yan’s rare merchant guild plate, assured him the guild hall would protect his privacy, and hosted the group.
• Li Yan and his companions ate at the guild hall, and they discussed asking the merchant guild for information the next morning.
• Li Yan studied the Dragon Snake Plate and Huo Jiao’s books, learning about the plate’s concealment and water-evasion powers and the Four Dukes Sect.
• Li Yan burned Huo Jiao’s evil Mysterious Female Art and examined Young Master Du’s scriptures, recognizing their illustrations as the Eight Great Cold Forests and connecting them to the Great Luo Dharma Realm.
• Li Yan considered visiting the nearby Dazu Rock Carvings, then fell asleep and dreamed of a submerged temple bearing the words “Dragon Girl” as a colossal creature passed through it.

After Dragon Girl showed Li Yan a dream of a snake demon receiving human sacrifices, he asked Xie ZhengYuan to investigate river sacrifices and help him find a storyteller and a Treasure Hunter. As Li Yan went to hear a tale about the Manifest Saint True Lord, Long Yan'er and Sha LiFei left the guildhall together, followed secretly by Lu San.

• Dragon Girl's dream showed Li Yan a giant snake demon swallowing children offered as living sacrifices, but the demon sensed the divination and ended the dream.
• Li Yan watched Xie ZhengYuan practice XinYi Quan, then learned that a Buddhist procession was honoring children killed near Chongqing Prefecture.
• Li Yan asked Xie ZhengYuan to introduce him to Li TieZui, find a reliable Treasure Hunter, and investigate places where people still performed river sacrifices; Xie ZhengYuan agreed to help.
• Li Yan described publicity methods to Xie ZhengYuan, who recorded them as a valuable technique for the Xie family.
• Long Yan'er lamented losing her Natal Gu and her ability to use techniques, but Sha LiFei encouraged her to enjoy life, and they left the guildhall together.
• Lu San followed Long Yan'er and Sha LiFei while Wang Dao Xuan stayed behind, and Li Yan entered a teahouse with Xie ZhengYuan as a storyteller began a tale about the Manifest Saint True Lord rescuing his mother.

Li Yan questioned Li TieZui about the Gray-robed Mad Monk and learned of a frightening encounter that had driven the storyteller to retire. Suspecting Qingcheng Mountain held more answers, Li Yan planned to investigate there, while Lu San arrived with a possible way to help Sha LiFei.

• Li Yan visited Xie ZhengYuan’s teahouse and waited for Li TieZui while listening to a story about Manifest Saint True Lord.
• Sha LiFei and Long Yan'er explored Zouma Town, where Long Yan'er watched embroiderers and argued with Sha LiFei about what she should do with her life; Lu San secretly watched them.
• Li Yan confronted Li TieZui about the Gray-robed Mad Monk, and Li TieZui tried to strike him with an iron fan before Li Yan disarmed him with the Undying Imprint Method.
• Li TieZui revealed that he had traced the Gray-robed Mad Monk to Zhaojue Temple, heard that he had been a Living Underworld Messenger, and later dreamed of the monk warning him not to speak of him.
• Li Yan concluded that Qingcheng Mountain might know more about the Gray-robed Mad Monk, then returned to the inn, where Lu San said he had a way to help Old Sha.

Li Yan’s team split up to handle Sha LiFei’s dangerous awakening ritual, the Bai family’s commission, and the investigation into living sacrifices connected to the Dragon Girl. Li Yan set out with the Bai family while Lu San and Sha LiFei waited for a Treasure Hunter, and Wang Dao Xuan investigated a wealthy family’s feng shui.

• Lu San proposed a dangerous ritual to awaken Sha LiFei’s divine ability, and Sha LiFei eagerly agreed despite the low odds.
• Li Yan divided the team’s tasks, then learned from Xie ZhengYuan that three families near Chongqing Prefecture were suspected of performing living sacrifices.
• Li Yan departed for Chengdu with the Bai family, while Wang Dao Xuan and Wu Ba went to investigate the suspected families in disguise.
• Two days later, Lu San and Sha LiFei received Falcon Li Dong’s messages and prepared to meet an old and young Treasure Hunter who had arrived at the guild hall.
• Wang Dao Xuan examined a wealthy family’s feng shui, declared the situation very bad, and tried to leave.

Wang Dao Xuan investigated the strange deaths and disappearances in Old Bear Village, where a harmful feng shui arrangement and sinister village customs were connected to the Mountain God Temple. After uncovering the elders’ deception, he confronted them at Tiger Killing Pass and began declaring his identity.

• Wang Dao Xuan used jianghu tricks and a prophetic poem to frighten Old Bear Village’s clan elders into explaining their troubles.
• Wang Dao Xuan entered the village with Wu Ba and noticed its guarded residents, missing livestock, and yin qi beneath the Meng family residence.
• The Meng clan chief revealed that the village’s ancestors had built a Mountain God Temple and made offerings there, while livestock died and children wandered into tombs.
• Wang Dao Xuan learned that the villagers placed their ancestors’ spirit tablets in the temple and that young men had been killing themselves at Tiger Killing Pass.
• At the temple, Wang Dao Xuan discovered tombs and offerings tied to the village’s sinister customs, then accused the elders of bringing disaster upon themselves.
• The elders drew short blades as Wang Dao Xuan raised his Coin Sword and began, “I, the Rooster...”

Zhao Xianda covered up Wang Dao Xuan’s destruction of Old Bear Village while spreading the name Youji, and Li Yan’s group continued toward Chengdu as they learned of new dangers and personal trials. The chapter ended with Sha LiFei reading Li Yan’s warning and asking Senior Yu whether the anticipated treasure would appear that night.

• Zhao Xianda identified Old Bear Village as the Ghost Fish Gang, handed the case to the Enforcement Hall, and ordered the jianghu to hear that Youji had punished the bandits.
• Wang Dao Xuan told Wu Ba that his family had fallen victim to an evil entity and that he sought the Dao to prevent others from suffering the same fate.
• Li Yan received Falcon Li Dong’s report about Wang Dao Xuan’s actions and ordered him to investigate the suspected Dragon God cult in secret until their group reunited.
• Li Yan warned Long Yan'er that reforming her Natal Gu could be fatal, and she said she would return if she succeeded.
• Falcon Li Dong delivered Li Yan’s letter to Sha LiFei, who was recovering from poisonous bee stings near Ba Yue Mountain, and Sha LiFei asked Senior Yu if the expected treasure would appear that night.

Sha LiFei, Lu San, and the Yu family followed a spirit into a hidden gathering where mountain spirits drank from a pond beneath a green-haired Tea Immortal. After drinking the pond water, they watched the spirits exchange treasures and waited for their chance to trade.

• Yu ShanGen guessed that the Tea Immortal was an ancient tea tree spirit and explained that it could only be approached through an exchange.
• Sha LiFei, Lu San, Yu ShanGen, and Yu Bao used the Treasure Hunters' human-evasion technique to follow a spirit into the tea plantation.
• Lu San identified an ancient tree-root spirit, and the group followed a white-flamed tea picker through a Ghost Wall into a moonlit mountain path.
• Sha LiFei saw Lu San's spirit pets and other mountain spirits gather around a glowing pond where a green-haired old man sat on a Stone Platform.
• Lu San, Little White Fox Chu Qi, Sha LiFei, Yu ShanGen, and Yu Bao drank from the pond, then watched a burly spirit offer a lingzhi mushroom to the Tea Immortal in exchange for leaves.

Sha LiFei and his companions traded ritual objects for Spirit Tea from the Tea Immortal, then escaped before their greed could provoke it further. Li Yan received their reports, assigned the Twelve Yuan Chen titles, and was preparing to meet Bai Huan when something crashed through the roof.

• Sha LiFei exchanged ritual objects for abundant Spirit Tea, but Lu San stopped him when the Tea Immortal's eyes turned bloody, and the group escaped its collapsing illusion.
• Sha LiFei gave the Yu family the secret location of the Tea Immortal, and Old Man Yu agreed to process the tea over forty-nine days.
• Li Yan read the reports and learned that Sha LiFei and Lu San were searching near the Dazu Rock Carvings while Wang Dao Xuan investigated zombie activity in Nanchong.
• Li Yan ordered his companions to use Twelve Yuan Chen titles, assigning Sha LiFei Wu Ma and Lu San Xu Dog while Wang Dao Xuan used Rooster of You.
• Li Yan prepared to meet Bai Huan, but roof tiles suddenly shattered above him.

At Dragon Spring Post, Li Yan learned that Long Yan'er needed rare venomous insects to condense a new Natal Gu and went out to gather information. He followed two Monk Sect brothers into the night and watched them prepare an ambush as a carriage bearing a huge stone coffin approached.

• Li Yan gave food to a hungry child hiding on the roof, then learned that Master Xiaoyue was coming to see Wu Chao Yun and Wu Xing Yu, who had absorbed their divine astral energy.
• Bai Huan told Li Yan that Long Yan'er planned to condense a new Natal Gu at West Ridge Snow Mountain but still needed rare venomous insects, so Li Yan left to ask around.
• At a tavern, Li Yan overheard two men discussing a plan from the royal residence and their willingness to risk offending the Yellow Mausoleum Sect.
• Li Yan followed the two men, identified them as Monk Sect brothers, and saw them conceal themselves beside the official road on Dragon Spring Mountain with short spears ready.
• A carriage creaked toward the brothers through the darkness, carrying a huge stone coffin.

Li Yan followed Fa Kong and Fa Se as they seized an ancient Stone Coffin from the Yellow Mausoleum Sect, then watched a zither-playing occult master and a masked spellcaster kill the monks and take control of it. The masked figure ordered armed men to move the coffin, while the old woman departed to investigate disappearances near the Marquis Wu Shrine.

• Li Yan recognized the Stone Coffin as an ancient object like the one connected to the Guest in the Mist and watched Taoist Wu lead the Yellow Mausoleum Sect caravan through the night.
• Fa Kong and Fa Se ambushed the caravan, fought through the disciples, and tried to seize the coffin after Taoist Wu warned them that it contained a dangerous evil thing.
• The Stone Coffin released Yin Energy, incapacitating Taoist Wu and turning the disciples against one another, so Fa Kong and Fa Se used Vajra Pestles to suppress it and fled with the coffin.
• Pei Yu Fang intercepted the monks and revealed that they had been used to conceal the true culprit; a masked spellcaster appeared, killed Fa Kong, and burned his body.
• Pei Yu Fang bound Fa Se with zither strings and tore him apart, while the masked spellcaster burned his remains; Pei Yu Fang explained that the coffin might hold clues to the Dragon Palace Water Mansion and the Elixir of Immortality.
• Pei Yu Fang left to investigate disappearances near the Marquis Wu Shrine, and the masked spellcaster ordered dozens of armored men carrying Fire God Spears to work.

Li Yan investigated reports of a murder at Marquis Wu Shrine while seeking clues about the Lute Worm. He found that a Demon Hunter had been killed, the authorities were concealing the truth, and Zhu Chen was an occultist who had also come looking for the Lute Worm.

• Li Yan learned that the King of Shu’s armed force was tied to a search for the Elixir of Immortality and the Dragon Palace Water Mansion, then returned to Dragon Spring Post to ask Bai Huan about the Lute Worm.
• Bai Huan said the Lute Worm might be a Strange Beast described in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and Li Yan decided to investigate the shrine.
• Li Yan traveled to Marquis Wu Shrine and searched its halls, but found no sign of the Lute Worm or anything suspicious.
• Soldiers carried out the corpse of a Demon Hunter, and Li Yan recognized that the man had been killed rather than slain by a mountain leopard as the constable claimed.
• Zhu Chen challenged the constable’s account and persuaded the other scholars to investigate the shrine, while Li Yan realized Zhu Chen was an occultist seeking the Lute Worm.

Li Yan joined Zhu Chen and a group of scholars investigating the deaths at Marquis Wu Shrine, where a mysterious creature lured victims away with lute music. Demon Hunter Tang Ling arrived with the Lute Demon Pei Yu Fang, and they planned to hunt the Lute Worm that night while also targeting the disguised Faceless Young Master.

• Li Yan accepted Zhu Chen's invitation to investigate the strange deaths at Marquis Wu Shrine and followed the scholars to question Daoist Ling Yun.
• Daoist Ling Yun explained that tomb robbers and later victims had been found as skin sacks, and that one survivor had heard lute music before his companion vanished.
• Tang Ling of the Meishan Sect arrived as the new Demon Hunter, accompanied by the Old Woman who had played the lute the previous night.
• Tang Ling announced that he would capture the beast that night, while Zhu Chen and the scholars chose to remain at the shrine.
• Tang Ling privately identified Zhu Chen as the Faceless Young Master and agreed with Pei Yu Fang to capture him while hunting the Lute Worm.
• Tang Ling reasoned that the Lute Worm had awakened as a tomb guardian and said they would likely need Pei Yu Fang's ritual lute to capture it.

Li Yan, the Faceless Young Master, Pei Yu Fang, and Tang Ling followed the bewitched Young Master Wang from Marquis Wu Shrine to a grave mound. There, a strange insect emerged from the earth, revealing the Lute Worm they had been tracking.

• The Faceless Young Master knocked the scholars unconscious, changed into nightclothes, and pursued Li Yan, while Li Yan hid with Profound Water Escape.
• Li Yan used Spirit Communication Art to investigate the shrine and realized the Lute Worm's music bewitched people with spiritual nature.
• Pei Yu Fang's qin attack exposed the Faceless Young Master, and he and Li Yan exchanged accusations and refused to trust one another.
• Tang Ling spotted Young Master Wang leaving the shrine in a trance, and the others followed him to the hills behind it.
• Young Master Wang collapsed beside a crumbling grave mound, and a large, strange insect crawled out of the earth.

Li Yan, Tang Ling, Pei Yu Fang, and the Faceless Young Master fought over the captured Lute Worm and the ancient lute. Li Yan ended the clash with Pei Yu Fang’s death and kept the lute, while Tang Ling pursued the Faceless Young Master toward Chengdu Prefecture.

• Tang Ling trapped the Lute Worm in a metal net, and Pei Yu Fang used her bleeding hands and ancient lute to draw it inside before Tang Ling sealed the instrument.
• Tang Ling confronted Pei Yu Fang over his missing junior sister, and the Faceless Young Master revealed that she had been harmed by the Third Prince.
• Pei Yu Fang attacked Tang Ling and tried to escape with the lute, but Li Yan cut the strings and struck her with his Yang-Thunder Demon-Subduing Hammer, crippling her arm.
• The Faceless Young Master tried to take the lute, but Li Yan kept him at gunpoint while Pei Yu Fang began casting a soul-devouring curse.
• Tang Ling used the Meishan Sect’s fire-gun technique to kill Pei Yu Fang, and Li Yan took the ancient lute as the Faceless Young Master fled.
• Tang Ling followed the Faceless Young Master toward Chengdu Prefecture, while Li Yan returned to Dragon Spring Post with the lute.

Li Yan completed his escort mission, handing Long Yan'er the captured Lute Worm and sending Bai Huan's party to Qingcheng Mountain. After receiving news about his companions, he prepared to travel to Sha LiFei, but a little beggar warned him that dangerous men were searching Dragon Spring Post for him.

• Officials investigating the deaths at the Marquis Wu Shrine left Constable Wang to handle the case and report it to the government office.
• Li Yan returned to Dragon Spring Post, where Master Xiaoyue explained that Qingcheng Mountain was occupied by internal disputes and agreed to take his materials to Master Fire Tuo.
• Li Yan told Master Xiaoyue about the Shu King Residence's schemes, and she promised to inform the Yellow Mausoleum Sect.
• Long Yan'er fed the captured Lute Worm into the ancient zither and confirmed it could serve as the mother of her gu.
• Master Xiaoyue escorted Bai Huan, Zhao Yun, Xing Yu, and Long Yan'er toward Qingcheng Mountain, completing Li Yan's escort mission.
• Li Yan received updates on Sha LiFei and Wang Dao Xuan, chose to seek out Sha LiFei, and then heard from the little beggar that vicious men were searching Dragon Spring Post for him.

Li Yan learned that the Shu King Residence had put a bounty on him and chose to draw attention away from his companions by openly traveling from Dragon Spring Post. After learning the bounty concealed political trouble in Chengdu, he headed toward the ferry, unaware that news of his appearance was stirring wider forces.

• Yang TianBao warned Li Yan that Evil Beggars were searching for him and relayed news of the Shu King Residence's bounty; Li Yan gave him silver and continued preparing to leave.
• Li Yan went to the carriage-and-horse shop, where Lu Feng and his men prepared an ambush, but they backed down after seeing Li Yan's powerful footprints; Li Yan bought a gray donkey instead.
• Two Yellow Mausoleum Sect disciples told Li Yan they had warned off wandering martial artists and explained that the Shu King Residence had issued the bounty to avoid scrutiny from an investigating censor.
• Li Yan thanked the disciples and rode toward the Tuo River ferry, planning to mislead pursuers and meet Sha LiFei, Wang Dao Xuan, and the others.
• News of Li Yan's appearance spread, and a carriage carrying a burly man in painted opera makeup hurried toward Dragon Spring Post as other people headed for Chengdu.

Sha LiFei and Lu San traced a possible link between the Dazu Rock Carvings, the Nine Heavens Buddha Lord, and Shitilavana while investigating a remote Buddhist grotto. They found the tomb’s guardians and learned that Maitreya Sect members were also searching for the Buddha Lord’s tomb.

• Sha LiFei questioned local stonecutters about a Buddha statue said to suppress an evil entity, and an old stonecutter told him about Cai JiuYuan and the grotto near Wangu Town.
• Lu San read a letter from Yan XiaoGe reporting that the Shu King Residence had issued a bounty and that Yan XiaoGe would fight his way toward them.
• Sha LiFei and Lu San entered the gorge at night, where Lu San sensed that the Ksitigarbha statue suppressed mystical powers and detected people hiding above them.
• The old monks at the ruined temple let Sha LiFei and Lu San enter after Lu San mentioned Shitilavana.
• A group led by a cold-eyed merchant surrounded the temple and demanded that the monks reveal the location of the Buddha Lord’s tomb, leading Sha LiFei to suspect they were Maitreya Sect members.

Sha LiFei and Lu San fought off Maitreya Sect members seeking Shitilavana and learned that Guo Lao San was also searching for it. Meanwhile, Li Yan suspected Shitilavana was behind the Ksitigarbha statue’s suppression of supernatural abilities, while a young swordsman arrived to challenge him amid a crowd of onlookers.

• Sha LiFei and Lu San confronted Maitreya Sect members who tried to force several old monks to reveal what they knew about the former Nine Heavens Buddha Lord’s tomb.
• Lu San charged the attackers as Sha LiFei shot their leader, and the pair killed the Maitreya Sect members with help from venomous creatures and Little White Fox Chu Qi.
• Sha LiFei questioned a surviving fake monk, then learned from the old monks that Guo Lao San led the Treasure Hunters’ Mystery Exploration Branch in Shu and was searching for Shitilavana.
• An old monk said Shitilavana was both there and in people's hearts, prompting Sha LiFei and Lu San to suspect the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva statue concealed it.
• Li Yan considered whether Shitilavana supported the statue’s ability to suppress supernatural powers and realized that his fame had drawn a stream of challengers.
• A young swordsman called for Li Yan to appear, while a crowd gathered outside the inn to watch their anticipated fight.

Li Yan used a display of precise martial skill to deter people seeking to build their reputations by challenging him, then prepared to uncover the hidden magic users monitoring him. The Shu King Residence’s gathered experts decided that Sect Master Wang would challenge Li Yan under the pretext of seeking instruction, while Li Yan left a paper figure in his room as a decoy.

• Li Yan pierced sunflower seed shells into bluestone to form the character “Li,” frightening off the young swordsman who had sought instruction.
• Li Yan sensed that someone was spying on him with magic and used the Dragon Snake Plate to frustrate the monitoring spell.
• A Black-Clothed Old Taoist and a child used the round-light technique to watch what appeared to be Li Yan reading in his room.
• The Face-Painted Weirdo and other unorthodox experts from the Shu King Residence discussed killing Li Yan and reclaiming the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl.
• Sect Master Wang agreed to challenge Li Yan openly under the guise of seeking instruction and kill him during their match.
• Li Yan left a paper figure with his aura sitting in his room as he prepared to counter the watchers.

Li Yan uncovered the Shu King Residence’s plot and crippled Bu Xu after rescuing the Spirit Medium from his life-draining scheme. The next day, Wang Han challenged Li Yan in public while hidden firearm-wielders prepared to shoot him, leaving their confrontation about to begin.

• Li Yan tracked Bu Xu to a warehouse, defeated his altar protection, and learned that the Shu King Residence had hired several sect leaders to target him.
• Bu Xu admitted that Wang Han would challenge Li Yan and that an explosive-laden boat had been prepared; Li Yan crippled Bu Xu, and the Spirit Medium later killed him before the inn burned.
• News spread that Wang Han, the Lotus Sect Master, would confront Li Yan, drawing a large crowd to the inn.
• Wang Han demonstrated his Transformed Strength by shaking melon-seed shells from a bluestone and called Li Yan outside.
• Li Yan emerged with the Severing Dust Blade as Wang Han faced him, while hidden Divine Firearm wielders aimed their guns from a distant inn.