Chapter Summaries

Ling Chu and Lingering Wind and Fading Moon brought the scale-plague antidote to the City Lord, whose wife was infected and whose own neck had begun to itch. After the City Lord confirmed the potion worked, Ling Chu offered to sell him the recipe for five million sea shells, leaving him to consider the price.

• The City Lord's Wife angrily berated the City Lord's Alchemists because their potions had failed to cure her scale plague, while the City Lord worried that his itchy neck meant he was infected too.
• A guard reported that an antidote had cured a patient's symptoms, and the City Lord urgently invited Ling Chu and Lingering Wind and Fading Moon to the City Lord's Office.
• Ling Chu said they had six doses, and the City Lord bought them all for thirty thousand sea shells and sent one to his wife.
• A servant reported that the City Lord's Wife's scales were receding, and Ling Chu noticed the City Lord had begun rubbing his itchy neck.
• The City Lord asked how many more doses they could brew, and Ling Chu offered to sell the recipe instead.
• Ling Chu asked for five million sea shells, arguing that the recipe would let the City Lord produce enough antidote for Black Reef Island's thousands of infected residents.

Ling Chu sold Black Reef Island’s City Lord the scale plague antidote formula, then negotiated over the source blood needed to make it. When she revealed she owned a Level Seven Island, the City Lord proposed making their islands friendly states and building a Large Directional Spatial Teleportation Array.

• The City Lord paid Ling Chu five million sea shells for the antidote formula, and Grace examined it as Black Reef Island’s leading alchemist.
• Grace recognized that the formula could work but learned it required mutated Sea Monster source blood, which Ling Chu offered to sell.
• Ling Chu declined a long-term supply of vegetables in exchange for the source blood and revealed that she owned a Level Seven Island.
• The City Lord proposed making Black Reef Island and Ling Chu’s island friendly states, with a Large Directional Spatial Teleportation Array for sending aid between them.

Ling Chu considered linking Hope Island and Black Reef Island with a teleportation array, and the City Lord offered a blueprint and materials in exchange for source blood to treat the epidemic. After Ling Chu agreed to buy the scarce materials, the City Lord’s Wife intervened and gave her the spatial anchor stones for free.

• Ling Chu learned that Level Seven Islands could build fixed, two-way teleportation arrays that either island lord could shut down.
• The City Lord offered a Friendly State Agreement, a legendary teleportation array blueprint, and two spatial array masters if Ling Chu provided enough source blood to treat Black Reef Island’s epidemic.
• Ling Chu inspected the blueprint and found that construction required 500 intermediate mana stones and 500 spatial anchor stones, which she could not readily obtain elsewhere.
• The City Lord offered to sell Ling Chu 400 intermediate mana stones and 500 spatial anchor stones for three million sea shells, and she agreed to pay.
• The City Lord’s Wife arrived, chastised him for charging Ling Chu, and offered to give her the 500 spatial anchor stones from her private stores.

Ling Chu secured an alliance between Hope Island and Black Reef Island, arranged affordable treatment for the scale plague, and prepared to send more source blood. Meanwhile, Huang Xiaowen attempted a blindfolded dart challenge at the Golden Bay Casino and hit three moving targets in succession.

• Ling Chu and the City Lord signed an alliance agreement, formally making Black Reef Island Hope Island’s first ally and enabling a dedicated teleportation passage.
• Lingering Wind and Fading Moon gave Grace sealed source blood and instructions for making several thousand doses of antidote.
• The City Lord, his wife, and Ling Chu agreed on a low-cost antidote plan, with the City Lord’s Office covering the cost for residents unable to pay.
• Huang Xiaowen asked the Golden Bay Casino manager to establish a standing dart challenge with a hundred-thousand-sea-shell prize and a fee for failed attempts.
• Blindfolded and standing with her back to three moving targets, Huang Xiaowen used the bells and a metal rebound plate to hit the ten-point ring with all three darts.