Chapter Summaries

After Physician Tang gave Linsey a plan to cure his left arm, Linsey visited Nine Bends City’s commercial district to seek the required plants and buy silk for a fishing rod. He entered Bewildering Garden to ask about the medicinal plants he needed.

• Physician Tang’s treatment plan instructed Linsey to find a life secret realm and use Soul Blue Lily, Night-Shining Ramie Mushroom, and Phoenix Grass to restore his left arm.
• Linsey’s task bar updated with a reward of three Legendary Plant Seeds and a Plant Expert’s Backpack for curing his arm.
• Linsey visited the Saizhuoke Commercial District and chose Weaver’s Dream, Phantom Cloak, and Bewildering Garden as his targets.
• Disguised as a tailor, Linsey bought Phantasmal Light Silk for 30 gold coins to use in synthesizing a fishing rod.
• Linsey entered Bewildering Garden, where a salesperson offered to recommend plants.

Linsey discovered Phoenix Grass cost far more than he could afford, so he came up with a way to raise money by crafting silk stockings from Phantasmal Light Silk. He left Bewildering Garden carrying two bouquets of Dreamy Purple Roses and headed to the Merchant Guild to recruit Ailini for his plan.

• Linsey learned that Phoenix Grass had last sold for 430 ordinary Gold Coins, far beyond his available funds.
• Linsey realized the Golden Rule could not simply provide him with money and resolved to manage his spending carefully.
• After seeing customers buy expensive flowers, Linsey decided to use Phantasmal Light Silk to craft and sell silk stockings.
• Linsey bought two bouquets of Dreamy Purple Roses, crafted the stockings with his Workbench, and went to the Merchant Guild to find Ailini.

Ailini weighed whether to settle down as a merchant in Remote Yue City before Linsey arrived with flowers and proposed a money-making deal. His request that she remove her trousers terrified her, leaving their reunion on the verge of disaster.

• Ailini reviewed her trading plans and considered opening a restaurant, but decided she could not give up traveling freely.
• Bauer told Ailini that a visitor carrying expensive flowers had come to see her.
• Ailini discovered the visitor was Linsey and let him into her room.
• Linsey gave Ailini the flowers and said he wanted to pursue a profitable deal with her.
• Linsey took stockings from his pack and told Ailini to remove her trousers, prompting her to threaten to fight him.

Linsey and Ailini agreed to cooperate on producing and selling stockings, with Ailini handling promotion and sales while Linsey concealed his identity. When Linsey demonstrated his ability to transform into Ailini, she accepted his secrecy plan but forbade him from taking her appearance again.

• Ailini recognized the stockings’ commercial potential and advised Linsey to use cheaper materials so they could maximize profits as the sole sellers.
• Bauer stumbled into Ailini’s room, saw her wearing the stockings, and was ordered to leave.
• After examining the stockings in a borrowed mirror, Ailini agreed to manage their promotion and sales while Linsey produced them.
• Linsey explained that he needed to earn 430 gold coins for Phoenix Grass to treat his injured left arm, making Ailini eager to help him profit.
• Ailini warned that Linsey’s visits to the trading house could expose his identity, and Linsey transformed into her appearance to show how he would stay concealed.
• Ailini accepted Linsey’s ability but demanded that he change back and never imitate her again.

Ailini promoted Linsey’s stockings at a merchant gathering and arranged to discuss cooperation, while Linsey tested his new fishing rods and earned Silver Coins. The next morning, a young attendant invited Linsey to meet his master, Ya Li Kun, but Linsey did not recognize the name.

• Ailini attracted attention at the banquet by wearing Linsey’s stockings and arranged to discuss a possible partnership with a prominent Riverbank Merchant Guild merchant.
• Linsey tested his Flower Fishing Rod and Magma Fishing Rod in the river, caught fish and City Crates, and earned 13 Silver Coins.
• Linsey worried about the risks Ailini faced while handling their business and hoped their promotion was going smoothly.
• The next morning, a young attendant invited Linsey to meet his master, Ya Li Kun, who wanted to ask about Linsey’s origins in Lookout Point City.
• Linsey asked the attendant who Ya Li Kun was and why he should recognize the name.

Linsey rejected an invitation from the Sixth Stage merchant Ya Li Kun and resisted a merchant apprentice’s attempt to use a Double Serpent Coin on him. Ailini arrived and claimed Linsey was her lover, asking the apprentice to keep him out of the investigation into the stockings.

• A merchant apprentice introduced his master, Ya Li Kun of the Riverbank Merchant Guild, as a Sixth Stage Ascendant and insisted Linsey attend his invitation.
• Linsey refused, suspecting Ya Li Kun’s interest might be connected to Kuit or Ailini’s stockings.
• The apprentice threw a prototype Double Serpent Coin at Linsey, but Linsey’s Willpower Source Material suppressed its effect and he crushed it.
• Linsey warned the apprentice about using an Awakened’s skill on a stranger, frightening him with his apparent strength.
• Ailini arrived, hugged Linsey’s arm, and told the apprentice that Linsey was her lover and had nothing to do with the stockings.

Ailini discussed the success of the stockings with Linsey as the Riverbank Merchant Guild began pursuing the profitable product, while Linsey worried about Kuit and Ya Li Kun. Meanwhile, Han Si Ke escorted the imprisoned Kuit toward Remote Yue City, where Green Fir accused him of endangering the forest.

• Ailini told Linsey that stocking sales could help her advance to the Fifth Stage, and she explained how her approach to trade differed from the money-focused merchants of Platinum City.
• Linsey worried that Ya Li Kun might join forces with Kuit, but Ailini said merchants would not readily share information when profits were at stake.
• Linsey gave Ailini his current stock of stockings, and she planned to buy more raw materials and arrange a separate place to stay.
• Han Si Ke escorted Kuit in a Law Power prison wagon from Lookout Point City toward Nine Bends City, with Green Fir traveling alongside them.
• Kuit argued that his role in the Forest Veins disturbances had been coincidental and asked Han Si Ke to verify his claims, but Han Si Ke continued driving in silence.

Linsey upgraded his shop to Level 2, then went to Nine Bends City’s library to research forest life secret realms and found that its collection had been moved. The librarian directed him to a Book Collector on Turquoise Street for help.

• Linsey upgraded his shop at night, expanding and improving its interior while confirming that it still met City Hall’s size regulations.
• Linsey reviewed the shop’s new Level 2 status and considered how its rising transaction requirements might slow future upgrades.
• Linsey planned to research forest secret realms and related herbs before meeting Ailini again.
• Linsey closed his shop and went to the Nine Bends City library, where he learned its former collection had been moved to Lookout Point City.
• The old librarian told Linsey to seek information from a Book Collector on Turquoise Street.

Linsey visited the Book Collector Alande to seek knowledge about the Life Secret Realm in the forest. He exchanged an old edition of Merchant and Dragon Maid for copies of Alande’s materials and left with an offer of further help.

• Linsey traveled through the wealthy northern district and noticed ordinary people imitating the silk stockings Ailini had introduced.
• Linsey found Book Collector Alande’s residence and asked him for information about the Life Secret Realm.
• Alande explained that he had copied books from the library before its materials were moved and asked Linsey to trade him a book.
• Linsey offered an old edition of Merchant and Dragon Maid, which Alande recognized and accepted.
• Alande used his source essence to copy the materials and gave them to Linsey, promising further help if he had questions.

Linsey received several hundred gold coins from The Rower as the first week’s profits, then upgraded his Simulation Management ability and chose Rare Goods. As rain intensified around Courtyard in the Forest, Linsey worried that the worsening weather might cause a flood.

• Linsey returned home and accepted an anonymous package containing gold coins and a note from The Rower with the first week’s profits.
• Linsey counted his Merchant Gold Coins and saw that he had completed more than half his expected requirement in one week.
• Linsey’s Simulation Management Level rose from 3 to 4, and he chose Rare Goods over Bank Interest and External Promotion.
• The courier left after Linsey said he had nothing to send, while Linsey noticed the darkening sky and heavy rain.
• Linsey chose Rare Goods, then went to the backyard and wondered whether the worsening rain would cause a flood.

Linsey studied records of life secret realms, deduced that rivers might help him locate more, and received a task to explore the jungle. When a tremor shook Nine Bends City during a storm, he rushed to the roof and saw the forest trees swaying wildly.

• Linsey compared the known secret realms on a map and noticed that both lay near prominent rivers.
• Linsey planned to search the three rivers around Nine Bends City and received a Jungle Exploration task.
• Luo Shanna arrived at Linsey’s shop to shelter from the rain and try to draw closer to him.
• A sudden tremor startled Luo Shanna, while Linsey rushed to the roof to look toward the forest.
• Linsey saw the trees beyond the city walls swaying and wondered whether another disturbance had begun in the forest.

As a violent storm battered Nine Bends City, Linsey saw its river defenses hold, then watched organizer Mu Le Na Hu En silence the city and suppress the forest’s unrest. Mu Le Na Hu En announced that the storm had revealed ancient treasures and urged residents to explore the forest after the rain.

• Linsey observed the Merchant River rise toward its banks before the city’s channels and foundation stones accelerated the floodwaters away.
• Mu Le Na Hu En unleashed a roar that silenced the area around Nine Bends City and halted the forest’s unrest.
• Linsey returned indoors, dried himself with the Emblem of Ice and Fire, and reassured Luo Shanna that the city lord had handled the danger.
• Mu Le Na Hu En addressed the city, declaring that ancient forest treasures had reappeared and inviting residents to explore after the storm.

After Mu Le Na Hu En used his organizer ability to drive the city toward exploring the forest, Linsey broke free of its influence and questioned the city lord’s purpose. Ailini brought him new materials and suggested Mu Le Na Hu En was seeking a cure for his injuries before the forest grew too dangerous, leaving Linsey to consider whether the city could survive if the search failed.

• Mu Le Na Hu En’s call to action influenced Linsey and the city, but Linsey recognized the interference and freed his thoughts from it.
• Luo Shanna hurried home after the speech, and Linsey realized her abrupt behavior had also been shaped by the organizer’s ability.
• Ailini arrived through the storm to check on Linsey and brought Emerald Leaf Silk, which she expected would suit stockings for forest expeditions.
• Linsey began making stockings from the new silk while asking Ailini why Mu Le Na Hu En was urging people out of the city.
• Ailini suggested Mu Le Na Hu En was using the city’s search to find something that could heal his injuries, while worsening forest disturbances might eventually force people to abandon the Courtyard in the Forest.

During the relentless rain, Linsey sold mint to a customer who tried to pay extra for poisonous plants, but he refused. After closing the shop, Linsey wondered whether the flooding might lead to unusual catches if he went fishing.

• Linsey sold mint to a customer seeking plants useful in the forest and warned him about its limits.
• The customer offered Linsey extra Gold Coins for poisonous plants, but Linsey refused and returned his change.
• The customer took the mint and left Linsey's shop in the rain.
• Linsey closed the shop, checked his supplies, and decided to try fishing in the flood to see whether he could catch something unusual.

During a violent storm, Linsey hooked and battled a giant Storm Rainbow Trout in the Merchant River, then dragged it into his yard and killed it. He stood over the catch and began breaking it down, weighing whether to repair his ruined fishing platform or fish again.

• Linsey hooked a powerful fish in the storm and discovered in the Hunting Notes that it was a rare River King, the Storm Rainbow Trout.
• Linsey fought the fish for several hours as it damaged his fishing platform and drained both their stamina.
• Linsey pulled the Storm Rainbow Trout out of the river and into his yard, where it smashed his cultivated plants.
• Linsey switched his fishing rod into a steel spear and killed the thrashing Storm Rainbow Trout with a blow to the brain.
• Linsey planted a Resource Conversion torch and began breaking down the catch while considering whether to repair the platform or go fishing again.

Linsey discovered that the Storm Rainbow Trout had been badly wounded before he caught it, strengthening his suspicion that a serious crisis was unfolding in the forest. After cooking the fish and gaining permanent attributes, he fished through the storm for unusual rewards until the rain finally stopped and the city stirred back to life.

• Linsey found a recent wound on the Storm Rainbow Trout and connected it with the Forest Veins attack and other disturbances in the forest.
• Linsey cooked the trout into Spicy Rainbow Fish Casserole, ate it, and permanently gained one point in Constitution, Agility, and Strength.
• Linsey built an iron fishing platform and caught a storm-marked chest containing coins and Water Crystals, which he synthesized into a Water Crest.
• Linsey continued fishing and acquired a Spraying Fish weapon and Gale Water Lily seeds.
• After fishing through the night, Linsey watched the rain stop and noticed that the city had resumed activity.

After the rain, Linsey salvaged a scale from the Storm Rainbow Trout, claimed a fish-shaped hammer reward, and invited Ailini to dinner. He tested Gale Water Lily seeds in his backyard and discovered they multiplied rapidly, leaving him to consider their potential.

• Linsey recovered a Rainbow Fish Scale from the dismantled Storm Rainbow Trout and found Workbench recipes requiring Advanced Gems.
• Linsey claimed the Bang Bang Fish Stunning Hammer from the Hunting Notes reward.
• Linsey hired Luo Wei to deliver a dinner invitation to Ailini and paid him two Silver Coins.
• Linsey cleaned the backyard and tested a Gale Water Lily seed in a water pit.
• The Gale Water Lily rapidly filled the pit with leaves and reproduced several generations, so Linsey removed some growth and reconsidered destroying the plant.

Linsey shared a fish that permanently enhanced Ailini’s physique, and she discussed her growing stockings business and possible profits. Before leaving, Ailini agreed to investigate gem and ore prices and told Linsey that Remote Yue City was the only place in Courtyard in the Forest to find a warriors’ guild.

• Ailini tasted Linsey’s fish, felt its lasting enhancement take effect, and learned she could eat it two more times.
• Ailini proposed selling the rare fish, but Linsey refused because he had only caught one.
• Ailini told Linsey she had partnered with Ya Li Kun and was seeking a craftsman’s signature seal to protect her stockings design.
• Linsey asked Ailini to look into high-grade gem and ore prices, and she agreed to report back when she brought him his earnings.
• Linsey asked where to find a warriors’ guild, and Ailini said he would have to go to Remote Yue City.

Linsey visited the Messenger Hall to commission a search for Red and learned that she was difficult to locate across worlds. He also paid for news about Lookout Point City and heard that Merchant Kuit was being escorted to Nine Bends City.

• Linsey invited the hungry child who had delivered his letter to Ailini inside for food, and the boy told him about the Messenger Hall on Red Apricot Road.
• Linsey used his Decryption Game 0 skill to identify an unusual messenger and asked him to search for Red, describing her appearance and strength.
• The messenger explained that Red would be difficult to find, gave Linsey an identification token for the commission, and said the fee could be settled if they found her.
• Linsey paid five crude gold coins for information about Lookout Point City, and the messenger reported that Law Knight Han Si Ke had defeated Merchant Kuit, who was being escorted to Nine Bends City.

After learning that Han Si Ke would arrive in Nine Bends City with Kuit in two days, Linsey decided to leave before they could find him. He said goodbye to Ailini and planned to prepare more stocking goods for her before departing the next afternoon.

• Linsey worried that news of Law Knights escorting a prisoner to a city governed by the Organizer might threaten his homeland, then chose to take the bodies of Ethan and Nan Ya to the warriors' guild in Remote Yue City for burial.
• Linsey decided to leave Nine Bends City before Han Si Ke, Kuit, and a Life Scholar arrived, and he packed up his shop that night.
• Linsey went to Ailini's home and told her that Han Si Ke would bring Kuit to the city in about two days.
• Ailini gave Linsey a bag of gold coins as an advance on his payment, and Linsey offered to make more stocking stock for her before he left.
• Ailini hurried out to buy materials while Linsey watched her carriage depart, uncertain when they would meet again.