Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Backup Plan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A large crowd gathers at the riverside dueling grounds to watch Feng Jun fight two High-Rank Martial Masters.
• Tian Yangni warns Feng Jun that the situation is suspicious and reminds him to respect mortal-world rules and authorities.
• The heir apparent and the Northern Garden Count observe the duel from a nearby hill, surrounded by officials and soldiers.
• Feng Jun has Lang Zhen organize wagers, offering extreme odds: one hundred to one on Feng Jun winning and one to twenty on his defeat. The heir apparent responds by wagering a valuable Golden Armor Talisman.
• Before the duel begins, Feng Jun receives the official written duel document.
• Feng Jun immediately attacks Duke Yongyi’s retainer, using a Quasi-Spirit Artifact blade and the Northern Garden Count’s family’s Hundred Battles Blade Technique.
• The two opponents reveal a coordinated strategy involving spiritual attacks:
  • One uses Bewitching Eyes to disorient Feng Jun.
  • The other uses a faceted shield and enormous hammer to create blinding reflections and disruptive sound waves.
• Despite being hindered, Feng Jun holds his own through speed, agility, and heightened hearing, impressing the spectators.
• The heir apparent and Northern Garden Count realize their planned poison has failed, likely because Feng Jun possesses antidotes supplied by the Yu Family.
• The Northern Garden Count gives a concealed hand signal, implying that their backup plan is being activated.
• Feng Jun senses an unexplained danger and uses his phone’s detection functions to search for nearby people, weapons, metals, and minerals.
• He discovers a Spirit Stone fifty meters away that is actively being used. Before he can investigate further, a large amount of white mist spreads across the battlefield.
• The mist is identified as an array, shocking the audience because using one during a formal duel is viewed as dishonorable.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains confident and dismissive of his opponents, but becomes increasingly alert as he recognizes that the duel involves hidden traps rather than a straightforward contest. His ability to use modern technology and his sharp instincts allow him to detect the concealed Spirit Stone.
• Tian Yangni: Acts as Feng Jun’s cautious adviser, emphasizing the importance of written agreements and the authority of mortal law.
• The heir apparent: Displays arrogance and determination, making a costly wager with a Golden Armor Talisman. When the poison fails, he becomes colder and more willing to escalate the scheme.
• Northern Garden Count: Reveals familiarity with Feng Jun’s blade technique and recognizes that his family’s secrets have been shared. He remains composed in public while coordinating the hidden attack.
• The two opponents: Demonstrate strong teamwork and unusual spiritual and sensory-based techniques, temporarily limiting Feng Jun’s ability to fight normally.
• Lang Zhen: Carries out Feng Jun’s betting scheme and amplifies his confidence publicly by loudly announcing the wager.

Significant Themes

• Honor versus deception: The duel is presented as a formal, regulated contest, but Feng Jun’s enemies secretly employ poison, spiritual attacks, and an array.
• The importance of preparation: Feng Jun’s antidotes, Quasi-Spirit Artifact, mobility, and technological detection tools counter the opponents’ carefully arranged plans.
• Rules and political power: Even powerful martial experts must operate within official structures, while influential nobles attempt to manipulate those structures from behind the scenes.
• Modern tools in a martial world: Feng Jun’s phone provides information unavailable through conventional means, allowing him to detect hidden threats.
• Public spectacle versus sacred combat: The huge audience and noble spectators turn a potentially honorable duel into a staged political performance.

Character Interactions

• Tian Yangni privately warns Feng Jun and encourages him to fight decisively while staying within legal boundaries.
• Feng Jun entrusts Lang Zhen with the betting operation, using the wager to challenge and provoke his opponents.
• The heir apparent and Northern Garden Count quietly discuss the failed poison and coordinate their next move through a concealed gesture.
• The spectators, Yu Family, Tian Family, and nobles become financially and emotionally involved through the betting.
• Feng Jun’s confrontation with the two Martial Masters shifts from a direct duel to a struggle against coordinated sensory attacks and finally an unseen array-based trap.

Chapter Summary: “A Narrow Escape”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duke Yongyi and Count Beiyuan’s faction openly violates the spirit of the duel by relying on outside assistance. Three members of the infamous Masterful Hands Pavilion—two High-Rank Martial Masters and one Innate Expert—suddenly enter the arena, claiming they have come to avenge the fallen Soul-Seizing Thorn.
• The nobles and most officials deliberately ignore the intrusion, signaling that the attackers have their tacit approval. The county magistrate also refuses to intervene, while the Tian Family remains calm because of its confidence in Feng Jun. The Yu Family considers helping but chooses to observe cautiously.
• The attackers arrange themselves around the dueling area and activate the Misty Confinement Formation, an Immortal formation powered by Spirit Stones. One Martial Master controls it with an azure command flag while the others guard the perimeter.
• The formation begins shrinking the space around Feng Jun and the two other people trapped inside. The attackers intend to capture Feng Jun alive, extract his secrets, and later weaken him further with Bewitching Poison Powder once the Yu Family’s antidotes lose their effect. The other two prisoners are treated as expendable.
• Feng Jun discovers that the formation prevents him from accessing his phone and therefore blocks his usual escape route through the Phone Space. Initially alarmed, he carefully studies the pressure surrounding him.
• He eventually realizes that the formation is causing spatial overlap or disturbance, which interferes with the phone rather than permanently severing his connection to it. This discovery restores his confidence and suggests he may still have a way to escape.
• Meanwhile, the formation controller becomes overconfident, believing the spectators will not dare interfere and slowing the formation’s compression to toy with Feng Jun and provoke him into resisting.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Moves from shock and regret over his apparent carelessness to calm analysis. His ability to identify the spatial disturbance reveals his resourcefulness and renewed hope, even when his strongest survival mechanism appears unavailable.
• Masterful Hands Pavilion attackers: Their confidence grows from the nobles’ silent support and the crowd’s inaction. They view Feng Jun as a valuable captive rather than merely an enemy to kill, revealing their greed and strategic motives. Their contempt for the other captives shows their willingness to sacrifice pawns.
• Duke Yongyi, Count Beiyuan, and the Heir Apparent: Their refusal to acknowledge the attackers demonstrates their shameless manipulation of the duel while preserving plausible deniability.
• Lang Zhen and Tian Yangni: Their calm trust in Feng Jun reflects his established reputation for surviving seemingly impossible situations.
• Yu Family siblings: The younger generation shows concern and a desire to intervene, while the sister demonstrates restraint and judgment by choosing observation over impulsive action.
• Formation controller: His growing arrogance leads him to prolong the attack for amusement, potentially creating an opening for Feng Jun.

Significant Themes

• The corruption of justice and honor: The chapter contrasts the formal idea of a duel with the nobles’ willingness to use ambushes, poison, formations, and disposable fighters. Social status allows the powerful to abandon fairness without consequences.
• Power and complicity: The silence of officials and spectators shows how fear and political influence enable wrongdoing. Inaction becomes a form of cooperation.
• Resourcefulness under pressure: Feng Jun survives not through brute force alone but by observing the formation and reasoning through its effects.
• Overconfidence and underestimated opponents: The attackers believe their formation and superior numbers guarantee victory, while their arrogance causes them to underestimate Feng Jun’s adaptability.
• Hope in apparent defeat: Even after losing access to the Phone Space, Feng Jun refuses to assume that his greatest advantage has disappeared. His discovery of spatial disturbance revives his confidence.

Character Interactions

• The Masterful Hands Pavilion openly threatens the crowd, ordering everyone uninvolved to disperse. The commandery soldiers attempt to stop them but are easily thrown aside.
• The nobles’ silent indifference influences the officials and spectators, discouraging anyone from defending the duel’s rules.
• Tian Yangni looks to Lang Zhen for guidance about intervening; Lang Zhen’s relaxed confidence reassures him and the Tian Family.
• The Yu Family siblings quietly discuss whether to act, with the sister ordering caution and limited observation.
• Inside the formation, Feng Jun faces the attackers’ invisible pressure while the formation controller manipulates the space from outside, slowing his movements to taunt Feng Jun into fighting back.

Summary: “A Shocking Explosion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A High-Rank Martial Master traps Feng Jun inside a powerful space-compressing array. Believing that slowly compressing the space will drain Feng Jun’s vital essence, energy, and spirit, he briefly pauses before resuming the compression.
• Feng Jun uses the pause to retrieve explosives. He reasons that although explosives contain less total energy than Spirit Stones, their force is released almost instantaneously, making them ideal for breaking through the array.
• Rather than use only the amount he believes necessary, Feng Jun chooses to detonate a larger quantity to frighten the people controlling the array. However, he remains cautious and studies the array’s fluctuations before acting.
• He tests his ability to access his friend list and discovers a dangerous limitation: entering Sister Hong’s room would freeze time because her phone is turned off. If he entered after activating the detonator, the explosives might never explode, potentially trapping him or causing him to die.
• After checking other rooms, Feng Jun activates the timed detonator and escapes into Hao Fengjing’s room.
• The explosives detonate inside the array, producing a massive blast. The explosion tears apart the white-mist formation and sends shockwaves through the crowd.
• Many spectators, soldiers, and officials are knocked down, injured, or killed. The High-Rank Martial Master controlling the array is badly shocked and nearly overwhelmed.
• Feng Jun emerges unharmed from the smoke and immediately kills his enemy by striking off his head with his long blade.
• The Yu sisters, disguised as the Yu Family’s Second Young Masters, survive by retreating and using a shield. They conclude that someone capable of breaking an immortal array from within and surviving the explosion must be an Immortal.
• The younger sister assumes Feng Jun must also be wealthy because he ignores the Immortal Crystal inside the array. In reality, Feng Jun simply prioritizes killing his enemy and has no particular disregard for the valuable crystal.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates patience, tactical intelligence, and extreme caution. Instead of panicking, he observes the array, tests his escape options, and identifies the risks of using the friend list before detonating the explosives.
• His willingness to use overwhelming force reveals a vengeful and mischievous side: he wants not only to escape but also to frighten the people watching him.
• The High-Rank Martial Master becomes increasingly confident that the array will exhaust Feng Jun, but his confidence turns to alarm when Feng Jun’s resistance threatens the formation. The explosion exposes the limits of his control and leaves him badly outmatched.
• The Yu sisters become more impressed and cautious toward Feng Jun. Their survival instincts and quick defensive response show their combat experience, while their speculation about his identity reveals how extraordinary his feat appears.
• The surrounding soldiers, officials, and spectators shift from boredom and relaxation to panic when the explosion suddenly transforms the supposedly controlled situation into a battlefield.

Significant Themes

• Caution and preparation: Feng Jun’s survival depends as much on testing the friend-list mechanics as on his explosive attack. A small misunderstanding about time and room access could have killed him.
• Ingenuity versus conventional power: Feng Jun defeats an advanced array not through superior martial strength but by combining modern explosives with his unusual ability to move between spaces.
• The danger of complacency: The spectators and soldiers relax because the battle appears uneventful, leaving them unprepared for the sudden blast.
• Perception versus reality: The Yu sisters interpret Feng Jun’s actions as proof that he is a wealthy Immortal who does not value Immortal Crystals. In truth, they misunderstand his priorities.
• Psychological warfare and revenge: Feng Jun deliberately uses more explosives than necessary because he wants to intimidate and punish the person manipulating the array.

Character Interactions

• The High-Rank Martial Master controls the array while Feng Jun silently studies its weaknesses, creating a contest between the master’s confidence and Feng Jun’s hidden preparations.
• Feng Jun indirectly interacts with his friends through the friend list, checking their rooms to ensure he can escape safely after detonating the explosives.
• The Yu sisters protect one another and the disguised younger sister, retreating behind a shield when they sense danger.
• After witnessing Feng Jun’s emergence and execution of his enemy, the sisters discuss his likely identity and power, praising his ability while humorously misunderstanding why he ignores the Immortal Crystal.
• The explosion disrupts the entire gathering, turning a passive audience into victims and forcing nobles, soldiers, and martial experts to react in an instant.

Chapter Summary: “Leaving Alive”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun survives and destroys the immortal array set against him. The two High-Rank Martial Masters inside the array are annihilated, while the Innate Expert who helped arrange it escapes.
• Determined to eliminate any future threat—and hoping the Innate Expert might possess another Spirit Stone—Feng Jun pursues and beheads him.
• He searches the bodies and battlefield for additional Spirit Stones or useful items. He finds none, though he keeps the intact small green flags from the array. The array’s Spirit Stone is badly depleted, retaining less than half its energy.
• The younger Second Young Master Yu interprets Feng Jun’s indifferent reaction to the Spirit Stone as evidence that he comes from an extremely wealthy or powerful background. The older Yu questions this assumption, while the younger one remains eager to observe Feng Jun’s next actions.
• Feng Jun orders Lang Zhen and the Tian Family to search the battlefield again. The surviving onlookers are too frightened to contest him, especially after witnessing the array’s destruction and the death of an Innate Expert.
• Northern Garden Count abandons the Brave Resolute Duke’s heir and discreetly joins the Tian Family, hoping his family connection by marriage will protect him from Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun confronts the duke’s heir over the broken promise of a fair duel. The heir denies responsibility, claiming that Masterful Hands Pavilion acted independently and that Zhu had encouraged the conflict.
• Feng Jun allows the heir to “leave alive,” but the wording clearly implies that the man may be hunted or killed later. Terrified, the heir admits fault and offers compensation.
• The heir finally proposes ten thousand taels of gold, a huge sum that he can barely afford because his mother controls the duke’s family finances.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly ruthless and cautious. He kills the fleeing Innate Expert not only for revenge but also to eliminate future uncertainty and search for hidden Spirit Stones. His experience of nearly starving in Sister Hong’s room has made him more suspicious and unwilling to overlook potential dangers. He also demonstrates strong control over the situation, intimidating powerful nobles without immediately killing them.
• Brave Resolute Duke’s heir: His arrogance collapses into fear and regret after realizing Feng Jun is far more powerful than he appeared. He shifts from attempting to profit from Feng Jun’s lighting business to begging for mercy and offering a large financial settlement. His anxiety over inheritance and family politics is also revealed.
• Northern Garden Count: Shows his survival instinct and political opportunism by abandoning the heir and taking refuge among the Tian Family, using his marriage connection as a possible shield.
• Lang Zhen and the Tian Family: Their role shifts from observers or participants to practical allies who help secure and search the battlefield after Feng Jun’s victory.
• The Second Young Masters Yu: Their contrasting reactions provide commentary on Feng Jun’s perceived status. The younger Yu is fascinated and impressed, while the older Yu is more restrained and realistic.

Significant Themes

• Power hidden behind apparent weakness: Feng Jun’s enemies assumed he was an ordinary or manageable opponent, only to discover that his true strength far exceeded their expectations.
• Caution and survival: Feng Jun’s refusal to leave possible threats unchecked reflects the importance of eliminating uncertainty in a dangerous world.
• Political self-preservation: Characters such as Northern Garden Count and the duke’s heir immediately abandon principles when their lives or interests are threatened.
• Greed and ambition: The conflict originated partly from the heir’s desire to monopolize Feng Jun’s profitable lighting business and use its prestige to strengthen his position within his family.
• Fear as a form of authority: Feng Jun does not need to kill everyone; the memory of his power and the threat implied by “leaving alive” are enough to force submission.
• Appearances and misjudgment: The nobles’ greatest mistake was treating Feng Jun as ordinary. His concealed identity and abilities turn their attempted exploitation into a desperate negotiation.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the fleeing Innate Expert have a brief but decisive confrontation ending in the expert’s beheading.
• Feng Jun directs Lang Zhen and the Tian Family to search the battlefield, treating them as trusted assistants.
• Northern Garden Count abandons the duke’s heir and joins the Tian Family, silently signaling where his loyalties lie.
• Feng Jun confronts the heir about the failed “fair duel.” The heir attempts to shift blame to Masterful Hands Pavilion and Zhu, but Feng Jun still regards him as the main instigator.
• The heir tries to defend himself behind four Iron Guards, yet Feng Jun’s accusation and threat leave him terrified.
• When Feng Jun demands to know how much profit the heir expected to make, the heir realizes that money is his best chance of survival. He admits wrongdoing and offers ten thousand taels of gold in exchange for mercy.

Chapter Summary

This chapter is an author’s note rather than a conventional plot chapter. Feng Xiao reflects on the differing reactions readers have had to his writing and to the protagonist, Feng Jun.

Key events

Feng Xiao recalls two contradictory reviews placed side by side: one claims the writing has become amateurish, while the other says it has improved. Amused by the contrast, he screenshots them and posts the image on social media with the comment that it is impossible to satisfy everyone. He also discusses changing reader opinions about Feng Jun—some previously criticized him for being flashy and arrogant, while others now complain that he talks too much, argues excessively, and acts too cautiously in the Cultivation Plane.

Character development and characterization

Feng Xiao explains that his protagonists are deliberately written as ordinary, grassroots figures rather than idealized “Mary Sue” characters. Feng Jun’s caution is intentional: without an all-knowing system or guaranteed guidance, he recognizes that cultivation involves countless dangers and that life is too valuable to risk recklessly. His willingness to hide—even inside a powered-off phone—illustrates his survival instinct and pragmatic personality. Feng Xiao contrasts this with Li Yongsheng, whose more idealized personality was created partly to explore possible film and television adaptations.

Themes

The chapter emphasizes the impossibility of pleasing every reader, the difference between web-novel and television audiences, and the value of consistent characterization. It defends caution, realism, and rational decision-making over mindless hot-blooded behavior, arguing that protagonists do not need to seek danger simply to appear heroic.

Character interactions

The main interaction is between Feng Xiao and his readers. Reader reviews and criticisms prompt him to explain his creative choices and defend Feng Jun’s personality. Feng Xiao also speaks directly to readers at the end, asking for subscriptions, monthly tickets, and recommendation tickets.

Chapter Summary: “Whose Temper Was Worse”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun confronts the heir of Yongyi Duke’s Manor over his scheme to monopolize and profit from the lighting-system business.
• The heir admits he intended to earn at least ten thousand taels of gold annually from Feng Jun’s invention, hoping to create a new source of income for his extravagant lifestyle.
• Feng Jun invokes the principle of “plotting for one and repaying five,” demanding fifty thousand taels of gold as compensation for the heir’s attempted exploitation.
• He then reveals that the heir’s actions also disrupted his larger plans, implying that Feng Jun’s activities in the wilderness serve a hidden purpose connected to his identity as an Immortal.
• Feng Jun demands one hundred Immortal Crystals to settle the matter. The heir immediately refuses.
• Furious at the heir’s defiant tone, Feng Jun attacks him with a slash. Four Iron Guards intercept the attack using a Four Symbols Battle Formation.
• The guards withstand the strike but are visibly strained, especially the two lower-ranked Martial Masters.
• Feng Jun threatens the guards as well, but the senior Iron Guard apologizes and explains that their duty is to protect the heir unconditionally.
• A pale, beardless middle-aged protector intervenes and attempts to calm Feng Jun, portraying the heir as young and inexperienced.
• The heir, who had initially relied on his family status and assumed Feng Jun would not dare attack him, becomes frightened when he realizes Feng Jun genuinely intends to use force.
• The middle-aged man again claims that the duke’s manor possesses no Immortal Crystals, explaining that mortal possession of them violates the agreement between Immortals and mortals. However, his denial is not entirely convincing, given the heir’s imperial connections and the manor’s influence.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun is shown to be proud, uncompromising, and quick-tempered. He refuses to tolerate manipulation or disrespect and is willing to risk killing a powerful noble heir once he gains enough confidence in his own strength.
• Feng Jun’s recent destruction of an Immortal formation greatly strengthens his position. Witnesses now recognize that challenging him could be dangerous, and he no longer needs to behave as though he is powerless.
• The Yongyi Duke’s heir is revealed as greedy, entitled, and accustomed to using his family’s authority to obtain what he wants. He had viewed Feng Jun as someone who could be pressured, but Feng Jun’s attack terrifies him and exposes his lack of real courage.
• The heir’s pride remains intact enough for him to resent Feng Jun’s demands, but fear prevents him from escalating the confrontation.
• The senior Iron Guard demonstrates discipline and restraint. Although bound to protect the heir, he avoids retaliating unnecessarily and apologizes, showing that he understands the danger Feng Jun represents.
• The middle-aged protector acts as a mediator, attempting to preserve the heir’s life and the duke’s manor’s relationship with Feng Jun through politeness and excuses.

Significant Themes

• Consequences for schemes and exploitation: Feng Jun insists that attempted wrongdoing deserves punishment even when it does not succeed. The process and intent matter, not merely the final outcome.
• Power versus status: The heir relies on noble and imperial connections, but Feng Jun’s personal strength and mysterious Immortal identity allow him to challenge that authority directly.
• Pride and temper: Both Feng Jun and the heir are easily angered and unwilling to yield. However, Feng Jun possesses the greater power, making the heir’s temper dangerous mainly to himself.
• Hidden motives and political danger: Feng Jun’s true purpose in the wilderness remains concealed. The heir understands that exposing or obstructing him may have endangered something far more significant than a simple business venture.
• The limits of wealth: Although the heir assumes money can solve problems, Feng Jun is not primarily motivated by gold. His demand for Immortal Crystals shows that rare cultivation resources and compensation for damaged plans matter more to him.
• Rules and hypocrisy: The agreement forbidding mortals from possessing Immortal Crystals is cited as the reason the duke’s manor cannot have any, but the surrounding circumstances suggest that powerful families may privately ignore or exploit such rules.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the heir engage in a tense negotiation that quickly becomes a confrontation over greed, responsibility, and respect.
• The heir’s initial bargaining posture collapses when Feng Jun demands fifty thousand taels and then one hundred Immortal Crystals.
• Feng Jun’s attack forces the Iron Guards into direct conflict with him, but their leader chooses apology and restraint rather than revenge.
• The middle-aged protector attempts to mediate by appealing to Feng Jun’s supposed magnanimity and minimizing the heir’s responsibility as youthful inexperience.
• Feng Jun rejects this excuse, emphasizing that the heir’s arrogance and tone made peaceful discussion impossible.
• The chapter ends with the conflict temporarily restrained but unresolved: the duke’s side denies possessing Immortal Crystals, while Feng Jun’s demand remains firm and the threat of further violence hangs over the encounter.

Summary of “Arbitrary Extortion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun demands one hundred Immortal Crystals as compensation for releasing the Heir Apparent, though he privately doubts the heir is worth even a fraction of that amount.
• The middle-aged eunuch denies possessing Immortal Crystals, but Feng Jun pressures him by pointing out that the array plate used in the duel contained them. His implied threat of death forces the eunuch into silence.
• Feng Jun declares that the Heir Apparent may either remain behind to work or leave after agreeing to repay the hundred Immortal Crystals within a month.
• Han County Magistrate challenges Feng Jun, accusing him of kidnapping for ransom. Feng Jun denies the charge, insisting that the Heir Apparent is free to leave and merely owes a debt.
• The Heir Apparent initially assumes his family will refuse to pay, but unexpectedly feels conflicted about leaving. He recognizes that staying with an Immortal might offer him a rare opportunity for advancement, despite his dislike of labor and humiliation.
• Feng Jun reveals that he knows the Heir Apparent was born during the Hour of the Pig, contradicting the public claim that he was born during the auspicious Hour of the Dragon. This demonstrates that Feng Jun has access to highly sensitive information about the ducal heir.
• Alarmed, the eunuch immediately apologizes and escorts the Heir Apparent away, realizing Feng Jun may be capable of using the birth information against them.
• The aftermath of the duel becomes a serious political problem: the county deputy is dying, Feng Jun killed five people, more than a dozen spectators also died, and a prefectural soldier was accidentally killed. Officials must find a way to explain the large number of deaths and the appearance of Immortal Crystals.
• Feng Jun then summons the Earl of North Garden, who anxiously seeks Tian Lewen’s help. Tian Lewen explains that his family had warned the earl not to provoke Feng Jun but had deliberately withheld the full truth to prevent him from taking their opportunity.
• Tian Lewen calls for his Seventh Uncle, Tian Yangni, suggesting that the Tian family may now attempt to deal with Feng Jun directly.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly confident in his assumed—or displayed—identity as an Immortal. He uses threats, financial demands, secret knowledge, and controlled intimidation to dominate the situation.
• The Heir Apparent shifts from arrogance and disbelief to hesitation. Although he wants to escape Feng Jun’s demands, he begins to regret losing the chance to remain near an Immortal and possibly gain an opportunity for cultivation or advancement.
• The middle-aged eunuch proves more perceptive and cautious than the Heir Apparent. He recognizes the danger behind Feng Jun’s words, distrusts the demand for payment, and quickly withdraws once Feng Jun exposes his knowledge of the heir’s birth hour.
• Han County Magistrate is portrayed as cautious and privately principled. He avoided overseeing the duel’s most dangerous stage and is relieved that he was not killed, though he must now help manage the official consequences.
• The county deputy is shown as ambitious and eager to prove himself, but his attempt to take charge leaves him gravely injured.
• Earl of North Garden appears fearful, shortsighted, and resentful that Tian Lewen’s family did not warn him more clearly.
• Tian Lewen reveals a calculating, self-interested side. His family withheld information about Feng Jun because they feared the earl would seize their potential opportunity.

Significant Themes

• Power and intimidation: Feng Jun’s authority comes not only from strength but from his ability to make others fear the consequences of defying him.
• Extortion versus compensation: Feng Jun frames his demand as repayment rather than ransom, exposing how easily the powerful can redefine coercion as a legitimate transaction.
• Secrets as weapons: The Heir Apparent’s true birth hour is politically and spiritually sensitive. Feng Jun’s knowledge of it serves as a veiled threat, showing that information can be as dangerous as physical force.
• Political self-preservation: Officials and nobles prioritize survival, reputation, and family interests over justice or loyalty.
• Missed opportunities and ambition: The Heir Apparent’s regret reflects the value placed on access to Immortals, while the Tian family’s secrecy shows how advancement encourages betrayal and guarded self-interest.
• Appearance and authority: Feng Jun continues performing the role of an aloof, untouchable Immortal, and others respond to the image even when they do not fully understand his actual capabilities.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun intimidates the eunuch and forces him to acknowledge the possibility of payment.
• Feng Jun and Han County Magistrate exchange hostile but controlled remarks over whether the Heir Apparent is being held illegally.
• Feng Jun offers the Heir Apparent freedom, but his demand for payment and revelation of private information makes the offer threatening rather than genuine.
• The eunuch urges the Heir Apparent to leave before Feng Jun reveals more or escalates the situation.
• The Earl of North Garden pleads with Tian Lewen for assistance, while Tian rebukes him for failing to interpret the Tian family’s warning.
• Tian Lewen admits that his family deliberately withheld information to prevent the earl from competing for their opportunity, then turns to Tian Yangni as the next person capable of responding to Feng Jun.

Chapter Summary: “Northern Garden Bows Its Head”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Northern Garden Count’s failed attempt to oppose Feng Jun, he seeks a chance to explain himself and avoid completely ruining relations with the Tian Family and Feng Jun.
• Because the Tian Family is related to Northern Garden Count through marriage, Tian Yangni agrees to approach Feng Jun on the count’s behalf. Although the Tian Family has successfully allied itself with Feng Jun, it still avoids openly destroying its relationship with the nobility.
• Tian Yangni calls Feng Jun over under the pretense of showing him valuable items discovered at the battlefield. The heir and his eunuch remain nearby, anxious because their names and birth information have already been obtained by an enemy who may be capable of using them for sorcery.
• The battlefield search uncovers:
  • A gourd containing Bewitching Poison Powder, a powerful invisible hallucinogen capable of affecting even Immortals.
  • An Ice Silkworm Silk Glove.
  • Jiaoxiao Soft Armor worn by the defeated Innate Expert.
• Northern Garden Count explains that Jiaoxiao Soft Armor has become common among Innate Experts because several Spirit Flood Dragons were recently hunted in Cloud Dream Marsh, making the armor more available.
• Lang Zhen sharply rebukes Northern Garden Count for interrupting, demonstrating how little fear he now has of the count while protected by Feng Jun’s authority.
• Second Young Master Yu arrives, claiming he came to help Feng Jun during the battle. Feng Jun teases him about protecting his business interests but then seriously warns that Yu’s insufficient cultivation made approaching the battlefield dangerous.
• Feng Jun notices that the middle-aged man accompanying Second Young Master Yu appears to be disguised, though he does not expose him immediately.
• Feng Jun gives Northern Garden Count permission to explain his actions. The count asks to speak privately, but Feng Jun refuses to send away Lang Zhen or Second Young Master Yu, emphasizing that respect must be mutual.
• Northern Garden Count admits that he was deceived and had overestimated his own position. He had hoped to use the incident to curry favor with Duke Yongyi, though he insists he never intended to directly harm Feng Jun.
• Lang Zhen demands a complete account rather than vague excuses and warns the count not to lie. Intimidated by the possibility of provoking an Immortal, Northern Garden Count abandons his pride and agrees to speak honestly.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains calm, perceptive, and firmly in control. He appreciates genuine loyalty but refuses to tolerate disrespect or evasive explanations. His observation of the disguised man also highlights his increasing vigilance.
• Northern Garden Count undergoes a major loss of pride. Once arrogant and confident in his noble status, he now behaves deferentially toward Feng Jun and even tolerates Lang Zhen’s insults because he understands that noble rank offers little protection against an Immortal.
• Tian Yangni demonstrates the Tian Family’s practical survival instinct. He supports Feng Jun while still trying to preserve a diplomatic connection with Northern Garden Count.
• Lang Zhen becomes more assertive in defending Feng Jun. His direct confrontation with the count shows his confidence in Feng Jun’s backing and his willingness to act as the group’s enforcer.
• Second Young Master Yu proves that, despite his limited cultivation and somewhat irritating personality, he genuinely wants to help Feng Jun. His frustration also reveals his wounded pride and desire to be taken seriously.
• The heir and eunuch remain fearful and cautious, illustrating the danger created by supernatural methods involving personal information.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism and survival: The Tian Family refuses to assume that Feng Jun’s protection will last forever. Even after choosing Feng Jun, it avoids severing every other alliance.
• The limits of status: Northern Garden Count’s noble rank means little in the presence of an Immortal. The chapter repeatedly contrasts worldly authority with overwhelming personal power.
• Mutual respect and loyalty: Feng Jun distinguishes between sincere assistance and opportunistic behavior. He acknowledges Yu’s good intentions but also insists that loyalty does not excuse recklessness.
• Fear and submission: Northern Garden Count’s transformation from arrogance to submission shows how quickly social hierarchies change when an Immortal becomes involved.
• Truth versus excuses: Feng Jun and Lang Zhen refuse to accept the count’s initial vague explanation, forcing him to recount events honestly.
• Hidden dangers: Poison powder, magical attacks using birth information, and disguised identities emphasize that threats are not always visible or direct.

Important Character Interactions

• Tian Yangni and Feng Jun: Tian Yangni cautiously draws Feng Jun into conversation to create an opportunity for Northern Garden Count to speak.
• Feng Jun and Northern Garden Count: Feng Jun remains cold and detached, giving the count a chance to explain but not offering forgiveness or comfort.
• Lang Zhen and Northern Garden Count: Lang Zhen openly insults and pressures the count, reversing their expected social dynamic. The count is forced to accept the disrespect.
• Feng Jun and Second Young Master Yu: Their exchange mixes humor with genuine concern. Feng Jun mocks Yu’s possible motives but recognizes that Yu sincerely intended to help.
• The heir and the eunuch: Their conversation reflects the heir’s lingering confidence and the eunuch’s more realistic fear of supernatural retaliation.
• Feng Jun and the disguised middle-aged man: Feng Jun silently recognizes that the man is hiding his identity, adding an unresolved element of suspicion to the scene.

Chapter Summary: “Innate Opportunity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bao Ge’er installs an expensive lighting system at Northern Garden Count’s Manor, creating excitement and gossip throughout the household. The project costs two thousand taels of gold and attracts the attention of Bao Ge’er’s family, the Count, and the heir of Duke Yongyi.
• The duke’s heir recognizes the value of the lighting system and travels to Qingning Prefecture to investigate Feng Jun, whose technology and power have drawn political interest.
• The heir secretly contacts Masterful Hands Pavilion, which is uninterested in the generators as collectibles but willing to cooperate in exchange for an opportunity to kill Feng Jun, who has recently slain several of its members.
• Efforts to suppress Feng Jun through local authorities fail because officials fear the political consequences of openly deploying troops. The heir, Northern Garden Count, Masterful Hands Pavilion, and the Yangshan Gu Clan eventually coordinate an ambush.
• Three powerful opponents confront Feng Jun: an Innate Expert connected to the heir, a Masterful Hands Pavilion representative carrying the command flag, and a High-Rank Martial Master from the Gu Clan. They use the Misty Confinement Formation, powered by a used Spirit Stone supplied by the heir.
• Feng Jun destroys the formation and defeats the plotters, taking the Immortal Crystal used in the formation. The heir cannot publicly reclaim it without exposing his involvement.
• Northern Garden Count honestly explains the entire scheme to Feng Jun, attempting to distinguish his own actions from the final attack and insisting that he never intended to kill Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun rejects the Count’s initial offer of treasures worth five thousand taels of gold, considering it insulting. The Count then reveals that his household owns a Seven-Colored Ribbon Grass, an extremely rare treasure capable of helping a Martial Master break through to the Innate realm.

Character Developments

• Bao Ge’er is portrayed as reckless and extravagant but also fiercely protective of Feng Jun, refusing to cooperate when his father attempts to act against him. His defiance results in house arrest.
• Northern Garden Count shifts from an opportunistic conspirator to a frightened negotiator. He recognizes Feng Jun’s overwhelming power and tries to preserve his family by explaining the truth and offering compensation.
• The Duke of Yongyi’s heir emerges as politically cautious and calculating. He wants Feng Jun dealt with but avoids direct involvement, using intermediaries and disguising his alliance with Masterful Hands Pavilion and the Gu Clan.
• Feng Jun is established as an overwhelmingly powerful figure who has defeated multiple Innate Experts and can dictate terms even to powerful nobles. His silence and casual demeanor during the Count’s explanation emphasize his control of the situation.
• Lang Zhen remains confrontational and sarcastic, challenging the Count’s attempt to minimize his responsibility.
• Masterful Hands Pavilion is shown to be pragmatic and vengeful: it values profit but is willing to cooperate to eliminate Feng Jun and restore its reputation.
• Northern Garden Count’s wife and the inner household contribute comic social tension through gossip, complaints, and subtle boasting over Bao Ge’er’s spending.

Significant Themes

• Power and the law of the jungle: The chapter openly presents a world where valuable possessions naturally invite seizure by stronger forces. Feng Jun reflects that the supposedly more civilized Blue Star Realm is not fundamentally different, only more discreet.
• Political manipulation and deniability: The heir uses multiple intermediaries to conceal his role, while the Count tries to separate himself from the most serious attack. Responsibility is blurred through layers of agents and alliances.
• Wealth versus rare power: Gold is valuable, but treasures such as Immortal Crystals and Seven-Colored Ribbon Grass are vastly more important because they directly affect cultivation and advancement.
• Reputation and face: Masterful Hands Pavilion wants revenge partly to prevent its members’ deaths from damaging its prestige. The Count also worries that an inadequate offer will make him appear contemptuous or foolish.
• Innate advancement: The Seven-Colored Ribbon Grass introduces a major cultivation opportunity. Its ability to help a Martial Master reach the Innate realm makes it far more valuable than ordinary wealth.

Character Interactions

• Bao Ge’er’s wife complains to the Countess about his spending, while the Countess publicly defends him but privately allows gossip to spread.
• Northern Garden Count attempts to use Bao Ge’er’s relationship with Feng Jun as leverage, but Bao Ge’er’s refusal leads to conflict with his father.
• The duke’s heir coordinates indirectly with Masterful Hands Pavilion and the Yangshan Gu Clan, carefully avoiding direct exposure.
• Northern Garden Count reports the conspiracy to Feng Jun and pleads that he be judged leniently, claiming he sought wealth rather than murder.
• Lang Zhen mocks the Count’s excuses, suggesting that his supposedly restrained methods still could have endangered Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun dismisses the Count’s explanation and demands a meaningful price for sparing him. After rejecting the initial compensation, he is presented with the Seven-Colored Ribbon Grass, potentially offering a path toward the Innate realm.

Chapter Summary: Earl of North Garden’s Speculation

Key Plot Points and Events

• To appease Feng Jun and resolve the conflict surrounding the Zhao Family Fort commandant, the Earl of North Garden offers a Seven-Colored Ribbon Grass, a royal treasure capable of helping someone reach the Innate realm.
• Feng Jun accepts the grass but declares that it is insufficient. The Earl then offers:
  • Control and profits from a secretly discovered Black Iron Mine in Zhao Family Fort Village.
  • Natural treasures worth two thousand taels of gold.
  • Access to every book in the Earl’s household collection.
  • A promise to arrange the commandant’s death within two days.
• The Earl reveals that he had investigated both his enemies and allies. His investigation uncovered that the Zhao family possessed a valuable Black Iron Mine and had manipulated him into opposing Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun recognizes the mine’s authenticity because of the Black Iron Token previously seen on Zhao Second Lord.
• Feng Jun criticizes the Earl for offering property that does not belong to him. He claims he does not wish to forcibly seize other people’s possessions, though he is willing to retaliate against those who have attacked him.
• The Earl, eager to secure Feng Jun’s forgiveness and protection, insists on giving him half the mine’s profits. He frames the arrangement as payment for borrowing Feng Jun’s reputation and intimidation.
• Feng Jun continues to act reluctant, but he is clearly tempted by the offer.

Character Developments

• Earl of North Garden is shown as pragmatic, calculating, and highly opportunistic. He is willing to sacrifice a priceless family treasure to preserve his own position, believing wealth can eventually be recovered as long as he survives.
• The Earl demonstrates strong political and commercial instincts. He investigates everyone involved, understands military connections, and immediately plans how to exploit the mine for long-term profit.
• His desperation also reveals a submissive and adaptive side: once he realizes Feng Jun’s power, he repeatedly increases his offer rather than risk confrontation.
• Feng Jun appears increasingly confident and politically shrewd. He recognizes the value of the offers but deliberately maintains an air of moral restraint and reluctance.
• Feng Jun’s interest in the Earl’s books suggests that his goals extend beyond wealth and cultivation; he is gathering knowledge and information from this world.
• The disguised middle-aged man accompanying Second Young Master Yu remains silent but observant, creating an undercurrent of caution around Feng Jun’s decision.

Significant Themes

• Power and survival: The Earl sees treasures, wealth, and reputation as tools for preserving his family and position.
• Pragmatism versus morality: Both men present principled arguments, but their actions are guided largely by self-interest and strategic calculation.
• Knowledge as power: The Earl’s library is described as the foundation of his family, while Feng Jun’s desire to read it demonstrates the importance of information and learning.
• Political and economic exploitation: The Earl intends to profit from the Zhao family’s mine while presenting the arrangement as protection and cooperation.
• Appearance versus reality: Feng Jun claims not to seize others’ property, while the Earl sees through this pose; the negotiations are filled with polite language masking threats, greed, and fear.

Character Interactions

• The Earl and Feng Jun engage in a tense bargaining exchange. The Earl continually sweetens the offer, while Feng Jun accepts nothing immediately and uses moral criticism to maintain leverage.
• Feng Jun’s brief glance toward the disguised man shows that he remains alert to the opinions and intentions of others before accepting the grass.
• The Earl’s comments about the commandant reveal shared resentment toward the man, though the Earl also worries that Feng Jun may still be focused on the Zhao family and its mine.
• Their interaction ultimately becomes a contest of manipulation: Feng Jun pretends indifference to encourage better terms, while the Earl pretends generosity to secure Feng Jun’s protection and cooperation.

Chapter Summary: “Sealing Off the News”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun agrees to become an adviser to the newly formed “Heroes’ Stock,” persuaded by the Earl of Beiyuan’s exceptional flattery.
• The Earl leaves, promising to send Bao Ge’er later. Magistrate Han then apologizes for previously opposing Feng Jun and admits that the attempted land sale should not have affected Feng Jun’s property.
• Feng Jun insists that everyone should return to their former peaceful relations, but Magistrate Han warns that matters have changed permanently because Feng Jun’s identity as an Immortal has become known.
• Feng Jun summons the Duke of Yongyi’s heir for a private discussion. He deliberately humiliates the heir by refusing to let him sit, while inviting the disguised elder Miss Yu to take the second chair.
• Feng Jun confronts the heir over his connection with Masterful Hands Pavilion and accuses him of colluding with bandits to seize Feng Jun’s land and generator.
• He threatens to expose the heir’s conduct and even suggests that the duke replace him, striking at the heir’s greatest fear.
• Realizing that Feng Jun may still be negotiated with, the heir offers compensation and promises to suppress news of Feng Jun’s presence.
• Lang Zhen confirms that government officials commonly conceal rumors about Immortals, since spreading such information could attract chaos and provoke an Immortal’s anger.
• Feng Jun demands either one hundred Immortal Crystals or several high-quality Immortal Formations as compensation. The heir admits he has neither, having already lost his only Golden Armor Talisman in a wager with Lone Wolf.
• A brief misunderstanding occurs when the heir mistakes Feng Jun’s reference to “Spirit Stones” for food or snacks. Feng Jun clarifies that Spirit Stones are equivalent to the local Immortal Crystals.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more politically aware. Rather than simply retaliating, he recognizes that the duke’s heir could be useful in obtaining resources and facilitating his plans.
• The Duke’s heir shifts from arrogant and aggressive to cautious, submissive, and pragmatic. Fear of being replaced forces him to control his temper and offer cooperation.
• Magistrate Han moves from confrontation to apology and appeasement, acknowledging Feng Jun’s power and the impossibility of restoring the old order.
• Earl of Beiyuan demonstrates his talent for winning allies through tact and flattery, while apparently leaking damaging information about the heir to Feng Jun.
• Lang Zhen remains fiercely protective of Feng Jun, immediately challenging anyone who speaks disrespectfully to him.
• Lone Wolf reinforces the validity of his wager with the heir, emphasizing that even an heir to a duke must honor a bet.

Significant Themes

• Power and social hierarchy: Feng Jun’s status as an Immortal completely reverses the normal relationship between him and the aristocratic heir.
• Political control of information: Officials recognize that suppressing rumors about Feng Jun is essential to prevent public disorder, opportunists, and potential conflict.
• Adaptation and pragmatism: Characters quickly abandon old attitudes when confronted with new power realities.
• Humiliation as leverage: Feng Jun uses public embarrassment and the threat of political ruin to force the heir into cooperation.
• Cultural and linguistic misunderstanding: The confusion over “Spirit Stones” and “Immortal Crystals” highlights the differences between Feng Jun’s world and the local plane.

Character Interactions

• The Earl of Beiyuan uses charm to recruit Feng Jun and appears to undermine the duke’s heir by revealing his involvement with Masterful Hands Pavilion.
• Magistrate Han apologizes to Feng Jun but admits that the situation cannot return to normal.
• Feng Jun dominates his exchange with the duke’s heir, refusing him basic courtesy while granting it to the disguised elder Miss Yu.
• The heir attempts to save himself by offering compensation and promising to suppress the news.
• Lang Zhen defends Feng Jun when the heir sounds disrespectful, while the eunuch cautiously maintains a defensive stance.
• Lone Wolf reminds the heir that losing a wager means surrendering the agreed prize, leaving the heir helpless and embarrassed.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The heir of Duke Yongyi agrees to compensate Feng Jun with treasures worth ten thousand taels of gold, including at least five Golden Armor Talismans.
• More importantly, he purchases Zhige Mountain—roughly three hundred li in every direction—for six hundred taels of gold and intends to transfer it to Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun values the land because it may contain eighty to a hundred Spirit Stones, and ownership gives him freedom to investigate and exploit the mountain without interference.
• The purchase is legally complicated: government land can be sold under the heir’s authority, but privately owned farmland—such as Xiaoqin Village’s fields—cannot be taken without the villagers’ consent. Local residents may still mine jade, provided Feng Jun does not explicitly prohibit them.
• The heir offers to purchase other territories for Feng Jun in the future, guessing that Feng Jun is an immortal cultivator traveling in search of opportunities. Feng Jun politely postpones the offer and asks for Zhige Mountain’s deed.
• After the gathering disperses, Feng Jun decides that the Yangshan Gu Clan must be eliminated because they have continued plotting against him.
• Lang Zhen argues that the heir’s punishment was too lenient and suggests using the heir’s influence against the Gu Clan. Feng Jun refuses, unwilling to rely on another person’s power or become tied to that person’s interests.
• Feng Jun recognizes that the disguised “middle-aged man” and Second Young Master Yu are actually twin sisters. He also identifies the reason for their differing cultivation aptitudes: both possess wood attributes, but the elder sister absorbed most of the nourishment in the womb, leaving the younger sister innately deficient.
• The elder sister acknowledges Feng Jun’s extraordinary abilities after seeing him break an immortal formation and correctly identify their identities. She views him as far more advanced—or at least far better inherited—in immortal cultivation than herself.
• Upon returning to the courtyard, Feng Jun finds two Intermediate Martial Masters apologizing to the injured Deng brothers. Deng Lao’er deliberately remains tied up so Feng Jun can see how badly they were treated.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates his growing influence, strategic independence, and practical interest in Spirit Stones. He remains unwilling to accept favors that might create obligations or diminish his autonomy. His ability to identify the twins’ relationship and innate deficiencies further establishes his mysterious and superior cultivation knowledge.
• The heir of Duke Yongyi: Shifts from an adversary seeking compensation to a cooperative patron. He uses his status to acquire Zhige Mountain and offers continued assistance, apparently hoping to build a relationship with Feng Jun.
• Lang Zhen: Shows a more pragmatic and politically minded approach, believing Feng Jun should exploit the heir’s power to destroy the Gu Clan. His views contrast with Feng Jun’s insistence on acting independently.
• The elder Yu sister: Becomes increasingly respectful and cautious toward Feng Jun. Though she has strong cultivation and powerful backing, she recognizes that his abilities surpass her understanding.
• The younger Yu sister: Reveals a spoiled, hot-tempered personality. She reacts angrily to Feng Jun’s remarks about her deficiency, while still being protected and corrected by her sister.
• The Deng brothers: Their injuries reveal the severity of the earlier conflict. Deng Lao’er’s exaggerated insistence on remaining bound suggests both resentment and a desire to gain Feng Jun’s sympathy.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and convenience: The Golden Armor Talismans are valuable less because of overwhelming strength than because they offer accessible, convenient protection, reflecting how wealth and status shape demand.
• Ownership and autonomy: Feng Jun’s interest in Zhige Mountain centers on freedom of action. Legal ownership allows him to pursue cultivation without depending on local authorities or powerful families.
• Political influence versus personal independence: Feng Jun rejects the idea of using the heir’s forces to handle the Gu Clan, emphasizing self-reliance and avoiding indebtedness.
• Cultivation aptitude and unequal fate: The twins’ differing destinies stem from a physical imbalance established before birth, illustrating how innate qualities can determine opportunities in cultivation.
• Respect for hidden strength: The elder sister’s attitude changes after recognizing Feng Jun’s deeper abilities, reinforcing the theme that apparent status and visible cultivation do not reveal a person’s true power.
• Reputation and restraint: The heir avoids forcibly taking villagers’ land, partly to preserve his reputation and partly because of Feng Jun’s presence. Social legitimacy remains important even among powerful figures.

4. Character Interactions

• The heir negotiates with Feng Jun by offering wealth, land, and future assistance, while Feng Jun accepts the practical benefits but maintains emotional and political distance.
• Lang Zhen challenges Feng Jun’s decision to let the heir off lightly, advocating a more strategic use of the heir’s resources. Feng Jun rejects this reasoning.
• Feng Jun confronts the disguised Yu sisters by exposing their twin relationship and the younger sister’s deficiency. The younger sister responds defensively and angrily, while the elder sister explains and restrains her.
• The elder sister openly acknowledges Feng Jun’s superiority, creating a relationship built on caution and respect rather than hostility.
• At the courtyard, the apologetic martial masters interact submissively with the injured Deng brothers, while Deng Lao’er performs his suffering for Feng Jun’s benefit, setting up the aftermath of the earlier attack.

Chapter Summary: “Unable to Attend to Both” (Second Update)

Key Plot Points and Events

• While Feng Jun leaves to confront powerful enemies, the small courtyard is guarded only by the Deng brothers. The Tian Family refuses to leave anyone behind because its members want to witness the battle between three High-Rank Martial Masters.
• Feng Jun instructs the brothers not to resist powerful intruders, since they would be unable to stop them. Instead, they should remember the attackers’ faces.
• Shortly afterward, more than twenty men— including at least five Martial Masters—raid the courtyard. They search every room for valuable items, injure and beat the Deng brothers, and demand to know where Feng Jun’s possessions have been moved.
• The brothers provoke the attackers by refusing to submit. Under pressure, the intruders reveal that they are acting for the Heir Apparent of the Duke of Yongyi.
• News then arrives that the Heir Apparent has suffered a crushing defeat against Feng Jun. Fearing Feng Jun’s revenge, the attackers flee, leaving the bound Deng brothers behind.
• Two Martial Masters later arrive to distance the Heir Apparent from the raid, claiming the men acted independently. They are unable to free the brothers until Feng Jun returns.
• Feng Jun orders the Heir Apparent to appear. The Heir Apparent arrives with three captured perpetrators, including the Martial Master who led the assault, and apologizes while insisting that he never ordered the beatings.
• Feng Jun gives the captured men to the Deng brothers, allowing them to punish them however they wish. When Deng Lao’er points out that the most abusive attacker is missing, the Heir Apparent is forced to order that man’s capture as well.
• Feng Jun discovers that a crossbow and two flashlights have been stolen during the raid and demands that they be recovered before nightfall.
• He also condemns the destruction and humiliation caused by the raid. The Heir Apparent offers one stalk of Seven-Colored Ribbon Grass as compensation, hoping to settle the matter.
• Feng Jun accepts the grass after learning from Lang Zhen that taking multiple stalks can improve the chances of breaking through to the Innate realm, but insists that the payment is still insufficient because the Heir Apparent failed to restrain his men after their defeat.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun warning that the Heir Apparent cannot excuse himself privately while allowing rumors and public mistreatment to spread unchecked.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates increased authority and composure. He remains calm but becomes sharply unforgiving when his subordinates are harmed and his reputation is challenged. Rather than reacting impulsively, he forces the Heir Apparent to accept responsibility and compensation.
• The Deng brothers reveal courage and loyalty. Despite being badly beaten, they refuse to submit or betray Feng Jun. Deng Lao’er is particularly bold and provocative, even taunting the Heir Apparent’s representatives and demanding further punishment for the missing attacker.
• The Heir Apparent shifts from arrogance to fear and submission. He tries to separate himself from his men’s violence, but recognizes that Feng Jun holds him responsible. His willingness to surrender a valuable cultivation resource shows both his desperation and his desire to survive politically.
• Lang Zhen provides important knowledge about Seven-Colored Ribbon Grass, helping Feng Jun understand its greater value when used in combination.
• The Tian Family is shown to prioritize witnessing the battle over helping defend Feng Jun’s property, reinforcing the prestige and fascination surrounding the conflict.

Significant Themes

• Power and responsibility: The Heir Apparent argues that the strong rule, but Feng Jun insists that power also brings responsibility for the actions of one’s subordinates.
• Loyalty and courage under oppression: The Deng brothers’ refusal to break under torture contrasts with the raiders’ immediate panic once they realize Feng Jun has won.
• Reputation and public consequences: Feng Jun emphasizes that wrongdoing cannot be dismissed through a private apology when many people have witnessed or heard about it.
• Retribution and deterrence: Feng Jun’s demands are designed not only to punish the immediate offenders but also to discourage future attacks on his people and property.
• The value of cultivation resources: Seven-Colored Ribbon Grass represents the immense material and political value attached to advancement toward the Innate realm.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the Deng brothers share a relationship of protection and trust: he does not blame them for failing to defend the courtyard and later allows them to personally punish those who abused them.
• The Deng brothers confront the raiders with defiance, refusing to reveal information unless the attackers identify themselves.
• Feng Jun and the Heir Apparent engage in a tense negotiation. The Heir Apparent apologizes and offers compensation, while Feng Jun repeatedly exposes the weakness of his excuses.
• Lang Zhen’s advice influences Feng Jun’s decision to accept the Seven-Colored Ribbon Grass.
• The Heir Apparent’s own men become a liability, forcing him to sacrifice them and capture the remaining attacker in order to appease Feng Jun.

Chapter Summary: “The Cut”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun decides to retaliate against the Yangshan Gu Clan, particularly Gu Maoyuan, for their repeated hostility toward him.
• The Heir of the Duke of Bravery warns that the Gu Clan may have several Innate Experts and belongs to the powerful Aristocratic Families Alliance.
• The heir explains that the alliance is a loose coalition of ancient families capable of producing Innate Experts. It exists mainly to protect its members from government interference and prevent the imperial court from eliminating them individually.
• Rather than asking the heir to kill Gu Maoyuan directly, Feng Jun instructs him to dismantle the Gu Clan’s businesses. He does not want the businesses themselves, but claims any rare treasures and cultivation manuals.
• Feng Jun’s followers discuss who should lead the operation. Lang Zhen initially volunteers, but Feng Jun worries about his incomplete recovery.
• Deng Lao’er recommends bringing in his father, Dart Chief Deng, an experienced martial-world figure and Lang Zhen’s former associate. Feng Jun approves and orders Deng Lao’er to take the heir’s men to Xiyin City to organize the campaign.
• The heir offers Deng Lao’er medicine for his bruises before departing, showing an unusual degree of respect toward Feng Jun’s subordinates.
• Afterward, Feng Jun invites the Yu sisters and an accompanying middle-aged man inside for tea. Elder Miss Yu introduces herself as Yu Changqing of Carefree Platform and asks about Feng Jun’s origins and lineage.
• Feng Jun responds cryptically, identifying himself as “Feng Jun” and quoting, “In the season of falling blossoms, I meet you again…,” suggesting a prior connection or hidden significance.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly confident in confronting powerful forces. He is willing to challenge the Gu Clan but chooses a practical economic strike rather than directly provoking the Aristocratic Families Alliance.
• The Heir of the Duke of Bravery continues to defer to Feng Jun after being defeated and humbled earlier. Although concerned about political consequences, he readily agrees to help destroy the Gu Clan’s commercial power. His strong interest in profit is also revealed.
• Lang Zhen demonstrates loyalty and responsibility by volunteering for the dangerous mission, while also supporting his former mentor, Dart Chief Deng.
• Deng Lao’er shows initiative by proposing that his father join Feng Jun’s organization. His family’s position and influence begin to grow.
• Dart Chief Deng is established as an experienced, upright, and reliable martial-world figure, making him a valuable addition to Feng Jun’s forces.
• The Yu sisters, especially Yu Changqing, are shown to have deeper knowledge of immortals and martial-world lineages than previously revealed. Their visit appears politically or personally significant.
• Feng Jun recognizes that his current group is understaffed and begins thinking more strategically about recruitment, delegation, and controlled competition among his followers.

Significant Themes

• Power and political balance: Feng Jun’s status as an Immortal changes the normal relationship between martial families, government authorities, and the Aristocratic Families Alliance.
• Retaliation through indirect means: Instead of immediately killing Gu Maoyuan, Feng Jun targets the Gu Clan’s economic foundation, demonstrating strategic restraint and practicality.
• Loyalty and repayment: Lang Zhen’s desire to help Dart Chief Deng reflects gratitude for past kindness, while Feng Jun values reliable personal relationships over formal status.
• Resource and manpower concerns: Feng Jun’s growing ambitions are limited less by personal strength than by a shortage of capable subordinates.
• Hierarchy and shifting respect: The heir’s respectful treatment of Deng Lao’er shows how association with Feng Jun elevates ordinary martial-world figures.
• Hidden identities and past connections: Yu Changqing’s questions and Feng Jun’s cryptic response hint that his true background—and his connection to the Yu Family—may be more complicated than outsiders understand.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the heir negotiate the punishment of the Gu Clan, with Feng Jun directing the heir’s political and military resources.
• The heir and his eunuch advisor discuss the dangers of acting against a member of the Aristocratic Families Alliance.
• Feng Jun tests Deng Lao’er’s willingness to act, then accepts his proposal to involve Dart Chief Deng.
• Lang Zhen validates Dart Chief Deng’s abilities and supports the Deng family’s involvement.
• The heir offers Deng Lao’er medical treatment, signaling his changed attitude toward Feng Jun’s followers.
• Feng Jun’s private invitation to the Yu sisters creates a more intimate and mysterious exchange, culminating in Yu Changqing’s inquiry into his lineage and Feng Jun’s enigmatic answer.

Chapter Summary: “A First Discussion of the Dao”

Plot Points and Events

• Yu Changqing questions Feng Jun about his mysterious sect introduction, “When flowers fall, I meet you again,” and asks about his cultivation level. Feng Jun evasively claims to be slightly above the Transcendent Mortal Seventh Layer.
• She then asks why, after breaking a formation, he took an intact formation flag instead of the more valuable damaged formation foundation. Feng Jun improvises an explanation, claiming the flag can help him deduce karma and identify who created the formation or targeted him.
• Impressed, Yu Changqing assumes Feng Jun possesses profound abilities related to heavenly secrets and karma.
• Feng Jun introduces the cultivation principle of “Wealth, Companions, Methods, and Lands,” presenting it as a concise summary of the conditions necessary for cultivation.
• Yu Changqing asks to discuss the Dao but refuses to reveal sect secrets. Feng Jun turns her words back on her, humorously accusing her of asking him to betray his own sect.
• He explains the general meaning of the four cultivation necessities. Yu Changqing recognizes the ideas but is impressed by how systematically and clearly he expresses them.
• Yu Changqing’s younger sister, Zhu’er, asks about Feng Jun’s “Yin-Yang Isolation” technique. Feng Jun teases her by pointing out that she previously insisted what he used was not a formation.
• Zhu’er apologizes for her earlier disrespect. Feng Jun accepts the apology, reinforcing his image as a magnanimous senior.
• When Yu Changqing presses for an explanation of Yin-Yang Isolation, Feng Jun avoids answering and instead asks about the Carefree Platform sect. He believes he has already repaid the karmic connection between them by explaining the four principles and should not reveal more than necessary.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Continues to rely on improvisation and modern-world knowledge to maintain the appearance of an immensely learned cultivator. He is cautious about exposing his ignorance, carefully balancing generosity with restraint. His humorous internal monologue contrasts sharply with the dignified, mysterious persona he projects.
• Yu Changqing: Becomes increasingly impressed by Feng Jun, interpreting his evasiveness and theories as signs of deep cultivation and extraordinary inheritance. She is intellectually curious, respectful of sect boundaries, and eager to learn from him.
• Zhu’er: Initially confrontational and skeptical, she becomes wary after witnessing Feng Jun’s superior abilities. She apologizes respectfully, though Feng Jun’s teasing leaves her embarrassed and annoyed.
• Relationship dynamics: Yu Changqing begins to regard Feng Jun as a profound and generous senior, while Feng Jun privately views himself as an impostor trying to avoid being exposed. Their interaction is built on mutual misunderstanding, politeness, and growing curiosity.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Feng Jun’s apparent profundity is largely constructed through improvisation, while Yu Changqing’s admiration grows from his carefully maintained façade.
• The value of systematic knowledge: Yu Changqing is impressed not merely by familiar ideas but by Feng Jun’s ability to organize them into a coherent framework.
• Karmic exchange and restraint: Feng Jun believes knowledge should be exchanged according to karmic balance. Giving too much information may create unwanted ties or suspicion.
• Humility and intellectual openness: The discussion emphasizes that teachers and students can learn from one another, and that even a “fool” may possess valuable insight.
• Sect loyalty and forbidden knowledge: Yu Changqing refuses to disclose her sect’s secret teachings, highlighting the dangers and obligations attached to inherited cultivation methods.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun repeatedly deflects Yu Changqing’s probing questions with confident but vague answers, while she interprets his evasiveness as wisdom.
• Yu Changqing sincerely seeks instruction, but Feng Jun limits what he shares to avoid revealing his lack of genuine cultivation knowledge.
• Feng Jun jokes about sect secrecy, causing Yu Changqing embarrassment but also deepening her favorable impression of him.
• Zhu’er’s apology marks a shift from hostility to deference, and Feng Jun accepts it while lightly teasing her.
• The chapter ends with Yu Changqing still eager to learn about Yin-Yang Isolation, while Feng Jun redirects the conversation toward the Carefree Platform, preserving his mysterious senior persona.

Chapter Summary: “Two Peaks and One Valley”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun and Yu Changqing continue discussing their respective backgrounds and the cultivation world.
• Yu Changqing initially suspects Feng Jun may be investigating her origins before deciding whether to teach her, reflecting the factional conflicts common among cultivators.
• Feng Jun reveals that he has never heard of the Five Terraces, Three Mountains and Two Lakes, or the Four Great Sects. Yu Changqing uses the obsolete name “Three Mountains and Two Lakes” as a test of his honesty; his admission of ignorance reassures her that he is not pretending to know everything.
• Feng Jun refuses to explain his own organization, “Luohua Shijie,” arguing that since he does not seek Yu Changqing’s guidance, he has no obligation to answer her questions.
• Yu Changqing eventually offers to explain the major powers of the cultivation world as a way of “repaying karma.” Feng Jun agrees, while warning that he may not be able to answer all her questions.
• Yu Changqing introduces the regional power structure:
  • Four Great Sects: Azure Steel, Crimson Phoenix, Grand Purity, and Yin Fiend.
  • Two Peaks: Swordforge Peak and Pine-Cypress Peak, both cultivation clans rather than conventional sects.
  • One Valley: Viewing Springs Valley, a center for independent cultivators and specialized trades such as spirit-plant cultivation, alchemy, artifact crafting, and talisman making.
  • Five Terraces: Five relatively neutral and detached factions that avoid most local conflicts.
• While explaining these powers, Yu Changqing deliberately includes several inaccurate details to test Feng Jun. His complete failure to react convinces her that he genuinely knows almost nothing about the current cultivation world.
• When Yu Changqing points out that she cannot sense any cultivation aura from him, Feng Jun responds by tapping a Spirit Stone. The stone visibly loses a significant amount of energy, shocking both sisters and suggesting that Feng Jun possesses an extraordinary, concealed ability.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Presents himself as relaxed, direct, and unconcerned with conventional etiquette. He openly admits ignorance rather than pretending to understand, but his unusual concepts, devices, and ability to drain a Spirit Stone imply a mysterious and powerful background. His casual attitude continues to conceal the true extent of his abilities.
• Yu Changqing: Develops from cautious suspicion toward guarded interest. She tests Feng Jun repeatedly to determine whether he is honest, deceptive, or affiliated with a hidden faction. His philosophical comments impress her and give her a sense of enlightenment, while his ignorance of cultivation politics both puzzles and reassures her.
• Yu Zhu’er: Reacts enthusiastically to Feng Jun’s unconventional ideas, especially his preference for the term “Spirit Stones.” Her impulsive comments prompt Yu Changqing to protectively reprimand her, showing the sisters’ close relationship.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge versus appearance: Feng Jun appears ignorant of the cultivation world, yet his philosophy, tools, and hidden powers mark him as extraordinary.
• Trust and testing: Yu Changqing carefully probes Feng Jun’s honesty, illustrating how dangerous factional politics make trust difficult.
• Names and underlying principles: Feng Jun argues that different terms can refer to the same essential Dao, emphasizing substance over convention.
• Hidden strength: The final Spirit Stone demonstration reinforces the theme that visible cultivation aura and actual power are not necessarily the same.
• Factional conflict and neutrality: The discussion of sects, clans, and detached powers establishes the complex political structure of the cultivation world.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yu Changqing engage in a cautious exchange of questions, each trying to assess the other’s origins and reliability.
• Yu Changqing challenges Feng Jun’s knowledge, while Feng Jun responds with bluntness and humor rather than defensiveness.
• Yu Changqing sharply corrects Zhu’er for interrupting and speaking disrespectfully, though her concern comes from protecting her sister from possible consequences.
• Feng Jun’s philosophical statement excites Zhu’er and challenges Yu Changqing’s assumptions about conventional cultivation wisdom.
• The chapter ends with Yu Changqing and Zhu’er reacting in fear and disbelief after witnessing Feng Jun drain the Spirit Stone, dramatically increasing their estimate of his true power.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun demonstrates an astonishing ability to absorb the spiritual energy inside a Spirit Stone directly through one finger. Yu Changqing is stunned because even powerful Immortal cultivators normally require formations or must hold the stone in their palms.
• Yu Changqing explains that Spirit Stones contain extremely dense and violent spiritual energy, making them difficult for ordinary cultivators to absorb. Feng Jun’s technique and complete concealment of his cultivation aura convince her that his strength may be far beyond what she imagined.
• Feng Jun asks about places where Immortal cultivators gather and learns that Cloud City has a Spirit Stone market. Yu Changqing offers to guide him there and suggests that his abilities would make earning Spirit Stones easy.
• Feng Jun postpones the journey because he wants to resolve the aftermath of the Gu Clan incident and enter seclusion. He clarifies that his immediate goal is not advancing as an Immortal cultivator, but breaking through to the Innate realm as a martial cultivator.
• Yu Changqing is speechless at what she sees as his strange priorities, while her younger sister bluntly questions whether such a breakthrough can really happen quickly.
• The Tian Family holds a banquet celebrating Feng Jun’s victory. The Mi Family, the heir to the Duke of Yongyi, and the Earl of Beiyuan all send representatives and valuable gifts, largely out of fear of offending him.
• That night, Zhao Family Fort is attacked. More than twenty men and all the Zhao Family elders are killed. The Earl of Beiyuan publicly appears to rescue the surviving family members, but the attack is understood as his retaliation against the Zhao Family.
• The Earl deliberately leaves the clan alive but strips it of its wealth and power, taking several direct descendants and two respected elderly women away as prisoners or hostages.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun continues cultivating an intimidating image by displaying extraordinary power, though he is secretly suffering from the strain of absorbing the Spirit Stone’s energy. He remains pragmatic, prioritizing access to Immortal cultivation methods and Spirit Stones while still pursuing his martial-cultivation goals.
• Yu Changqing becomes increasingly convinced that Feng Jun is an unfathomably powerful senior, perhaps comparable to an ancient monster of a sect. Her respect and curiosity deepen, but she also recognizes that his methods are beyond her understanding.
• Second Young Master Yu remains outspoken, impulsive, and lacking in social restraint. She openly pushes Feng Jun to act quickly and repeatedly says what her sister considers inappropriate. Feng Jun, however, grows more tolerant of her after recognizing her circumstances and remembering that she previously supported him.
• The Earl of Beiyuan is revealed as calculating and vengeful. Rather than annihilating the Zhao Family, he destroys its core strength and preserves the survivors so he can monitor them and prevent future retaliation.
• The local aristocratic families show their fear of Feng Jun’s power by sending gifts and congratulations despite having no genuine desire to celebrate him.

Significant Themes

• Power and intimidation: Strength determines social standing in this world, and even nobles must flatter someone they fear.
• The limits of understanding: Yu Changqing cannot comprehend Feng Jun’s cultivation, while Feng Jun himself is still seeking knowledge about the Immortal world.
• Appearances versus reality: Feng Jun pretends to be calm and overwhelmingly powerful despite the pain he experiences, while the Earl of Beiyuan disguises revenge as a rescue operation.
• Pragmatism and delayed action: Feng Jun resists rushing toward Cloud City, choosing first to settle local affairs and prepare for cultivation.
• Hierarchy between Immortals and ordinary people: Yu Changqing considers it beneath Immortal cultivators to personally trouble mortals, although she also believes mortals who offend Immortals deserve punishment.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yu Changqing engage in a cautious exchange: she probes him about his technique and aura, while he subtly encourages her to help him obtain Spirit Stones without revealing his true limitations.
• Yu Changqing repeatedly restrains and scolds her younger sister for speaking too freely, creating a contrast between her disciplined caution and her sister’s blunt impulsiveness.
• Feng Jun responds to the younger sister with increasing patience and friendliness, despite her lack of etiquette.
• The banquet and subsequent attack show how Feng Jun’s victory affects the wider political landscape: families that once opposed or feared him now rush to demonstrate submission, while the Earl of Beiyuan quietly punishes those connected to the conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Still a Youth Upon Returning”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Earl of North Garden explains his scheme against the Zhao Family. He has killed the family’s important members, taken several direct descendants and two elderly women hostage, and intends to force the Zhao Family to relocate near the county seat.
• By taking control of the Zhao Family’s land and secretly exploiting the Black Iron Mine, the earl hopes to secure the mine’s profits before anyone—including the Heir of the Duke of Bravery—can interfere. He plans to release the hostages once the relocation is complete, though he may no longer need to honor that promise.
• Feng Jun views the earl’s ruthless plan with approval because of the Zhao Family’s repeated hostility toward him. He is more concerned with receiving the Seven-Colored Ribbon Grass and other treasures from Bao Ge’er.
• The heir avoids Feng Jun while waiting for an opportunity to curry favor with him. Meanwhile, Deng Lao’er and more than twenty of the heir’s men travel to Xiyin City to investigate or act against the Gu Clan’s interests.
• In Xiyin, Deng Lao’er takes the group to a restaurant. While there, he overhears two men discussing plans to seize his father Deng Yifu’s courtyard as repayment for a loan, despite the debt not yet being due.
• Enraged, Deng Lao’er’s men immediately restrain one of the speakers. A confrontation nearly breaks out with the restaurant owner and the other man, but Deng Lao’er chooses to avoid a major fight in the city.
• After finishing their meal, Deng Lao’er’s group captures both men and quickly leaves on horseback.

Character Developments

• Earl of North Garden: Revealed as calculating, politically cautious, and experienced in coercive land seizures. He combines violence, hostage-taking, legal maneuvering, and forced relocation to conceal his theft of the mine.
• Feng Jun: Shows a lack of moral concern regarding the Zhao Family’s suffering, believing their previous actions justify their punishment. His attention remains fixed on obtaining the Seven-Colored Ribbon Grass.
• The Heir of the Duke of Bravery: Becomes more cautious and submissive toward Feng Jun after his earlier defeat. He hopes that offering treasures will improve his position and protect him from the Immortal’s anger.
• Deng Lao’er: Returns to Xiyin with increased confidence and status, leading a substantial group that includes five Martial Masters. However, he still retains a personal, youthful side, particularly in his desire to impress others with his cigarette lighter.
• Deng Lao’er’s men: Demonstrate loyalty and readiness to act on his behalf. Their presence gives Deng Lao’er authority and intimidation in the restaurant confrontation.
• The restaurant owner: Quickly recognizes the danger posed by the group and abandons his attempt to enforce order when he realizes they are powerful outsiders.

Significant Themes

• Power and exploitation: The earl’s takeover of the Black Iron Mine illustrates how powerful figures manipulate law, violence, hostages, and political influence to seize wealth.
• Morality subordinated to survival: The Zhao Family’s future hatred is treated as less important than securing land, houses, and food. The chapter suggests that survival can force victims to suppress even deep resentment.
• Political caution and indirect conflict: The earl avoids openly destroying the Zhao Family because officials and powerful observers are watching. Similarly, the heir avoids Feng Jun rather than confronting him directly.
• Returning home with status: Deng Lao’er’s arrival in Xiyin reflects the familiar martial-world dream of returning home successful and influential, though his first major encounter involves defending his family.
• Strength determines justice: The restaurant conflict shows that formal rules and claims of respectability matter little when one side possesses overwhelming martial power.

Character Interactions

• Earl of North Garden and Feng Jun: The earl explains his plan, while Feng Jun listens without condemning him and privately approves of the Zhao Family’s misfortune.
• The heir and Feng Jun: Though they do not directly meet in the chapter, the heir’s actions are shaped by fear and respect for Feng Jun. He delays leaving until he can deliver valuable gifts and improve their relationship.
• Deng Lao’er and the two debt collectors: Deng Lao’er reacts violently after overhearing their plot against his father, using his superior position to intimidate and capture them.
• Deng Lao’er and the restaurant owner: The owner attempts to stop the disturbance, but Deng Lao’er de-escalates the situation and decides to leave rather than cause unnecessary trouble in his hometown.
• The heir’s guards and the restaurant owner: One guard openly threatens the owner, demonstrating the group’s confidence and willingness to rely on the heir’s authority.

Chapter Summary: “Disaster from Nowhere”

Key Plot Points and Events

Deng Lao’er hides in a sparse grove and overhears two men discussing the crisis that has befallen his family. His father, Deng Yifu—formerly the deputy chief escort of Heroic Wind Escort Agency—had begun taking private protection jobs after being dismissed due to injury. Later, he invested his savings and borrowed money to become a shareholder and escort leader in a new transportation convoy.
During a shipment of farming tools, county soldiers searched the convoy after receiving a tip and discovered a concealed cache of weapons, including swords, spears, halberds, and two powerful crossbows. Deng Yifu knew the convoy had been framed, but the authorities treated the discovery as illegal weapons trafficking. They offered bail only after demanding a five-hundred-silver-dollar deposit from him because he had personally overseen the escort mission. The convoy’s major shareholder, who had greater wealth and influence, was required to pay only one hundred silver dollars.
Deng Yifu’s wife struggles to raise the money. She borrows more than two hundred silver dollars, then attempts to mortgage or sell the family residence. Exploiting the family’s desperation, buyers slash the property’s value dramatically. The situation becomes more sinister when Heroic Assembly Hall claims the residence for itself, pressuring intermediaries to offer no more than 140–145 silver dollars despite its true value of four or five hundred.
Two men discussing the situation are revealed to be connected to Heroic Assembly Hall and the moneylender who lent Deng Yifu money. Enraged, Deng Lao’er beats the Heroic Assembly Hall member severely, orders both men gagged, and leads a large armed group toward the city. The group includes guards from Yongyi Duke’s Manor, whose status allows them to pass through the city gates with minimal interference.
When Deng Lao’er reaches the Deng residence, he hears an angry roar from the rear courtyard and rushes inside. The duke’s guards immediately secure the area with impressive discipline, guarding the gates, watching the horses, covering the rear, and taking positions on the rooftops.

Character Developments

• Deng Yifu: His background as a skilled, reliable, and honorable escort is emphasized. Though financially responsible and respected, he is vulnerable because he invested heavily in a new venture and personally accepted responsibility for the convoy. His misfortune reveals how easily honest people can be trapped by corruption and legal manipulation.
• Madam Deng: She proves fiercely protective of her family. Despite financial desperation, she refuses to accept the humiliating exploitation of her home and openly threatens those taking advantage of them.
• Deng Lao’er: He shows strong loyalty and a quick temper. Upon learning that powerful outsiders are targeting his family’s property, he responds violently and decisively, mobilizing influential allies rather than remaining passive.
• Deng Yifu’s sons: Their regular income helps support the family, but the chapter also highlights the burden their father carries because both sons are martial cultivators who still depend partly on him.
• Yongyi Duke’s Manor guards: Their professionalism and coordination demonstrate the influence and military capability of Deng Lao’er’s allies.

Significant Themes

• Corruption and abuse of power: The authorities’ suspicious weapon discovery, excessive bail demand, and refusal to return deposits suggest that the legal system can be manipulated against vulnerable people.
• Economic exploitation: Buyers and Heroic Assembly Hall take advantage of the Deng family’s urgent need for money, attempting to seize valuable property at a fraction of its worth.
• Honor and loyalty: Deng Yifu avoids competing with his former escort agency out of respect for past ties, while his family and allies rally around him when he is wronged.
• Power and social hierarchy: Wealth, connections, reputation, and political status determine how people are treated. The major shareholder receives leniency, while Deng Yifu bears the heavier burden; Duke’s Manor guards pass through the city with immediate deference.
• Family protection and retaliation: The Deng family’s response shifts from desperate survival to determined resistance once Deng Lao’er intervenes.

Character Interactions

• Deng Lao’er secretly listens to men connected to the forces targeting his family, learning the full extent of the plot.
• Madam Deng confronts predatory buyers indirectly through her refusal to accept their insulting offers and her vow to seek revenge.
• Deng Lao’er violently punishes the Heroic Assembly Hall member, making clear that the Deng family will no longer tolerate intimidation.
• The Duke’s Manor guards interact with the city gate guards through a show of authority, allowing Deng Lao’er’s group to enter without serious inspection.
• The chapter ends with Deng Lao’er reuniting with his family amid an escalating confrontation, while his guards secure the residence and prepare for possible violence.

Chapter Summary: “Life or Death Be Damned”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Deng Lao’er returns to the Deng family residence and finds Heroic Assembly Hall members threatening his mother, Madam Deng, over the imprisoned Dart Chief Deng.
• The intruders demand increasing payments while implying that Deng Yifu’s life depends on the family’s cooperation. Their leader, the arrogant Beginner Martial Master Blackheart, openly insults the Deng family.
• After learning that the men came without invitation, Deng Lao’er orders Brother Tao and the Duke of Bravery’s guards to subdue them. Brother Tao quickly defeats Blackheart, severing his arm, while the other two intruders are captured.
• Blackheart threatens Deng Lao’er with retaliation from “Lord Yun.” Deng Lao’er responds by breaking Blackheart’s leg, making clear that intimidation will not work.
• Deng Lao’er reassures his mother that he and his elder brother can handle the crisis. He explains that his elder brother remains at Zhi Ge while he returned to protect the family.
• He borrows money—or gold—from Brother Tao and sends him to the government office to secure Deng Yifu’s release. Rather than personally appearing, Deng Lao’er intends to force the authorities and Heroic Assembly Hall to return the money they extorted.
• Brother Tao uses the Duke of Bravery’s guard token and five gold leaves to obtain Deng Yifu’s release. The criminal official initially attempts to demand more compensation but ultimately signs the release.
• Deng Yifu returns home exhausted and filthy but largely unharmed. After eating, he warns the family to prepare for a possible attack by the county troops and Heroic Assembly Hall, whom he suspects of colluding against him.

Character Developments

• Deng Lao’er returns as a far more confident and forceful figure. He reacts decisively to the threat, protects his mother, brutally punishes Blackheart, and takes command of the situation.
• Madam Deng is shown as strong-willed and courageous despite her age, though she remains deeply worried about her husband and sons. Deng Lao’er’s return briefly eases her fears.
• Brother Tao demonstrates superior martial skill, discipline, and loyalty. As an Intermediate Martial Master, he defeats the stronger-looking opposition through speed and precise exploitation of openings.
• Blackheart is revealed as a clever but arrogant strategist. His street-fighting experience and willingness to use dirty tactics cannot overcome Brother Tao’s superior cultivation and combat ability.
• Deng Yifu remains resilient and politically experienced. Even after imprisonment, he quickly assesses the broader danger and recognizes that the county troops and Heroic Assembly Hall may launch another attack.
• The family and its allies increasingly recognize that Deng Lao’er and his brother are connected to powerful figures, especially the Heir of the Duke of Bravery and the mysterious divine physician.

Significant Themes

• Family loyalty and protection: Deng Lao’er’s return is motivated by the need to defend his mother and rescue his father.
• Power and changing status: The Deng family’s enemies assume they are vulnerable, but the arrival of Duke of Bravery’s guards reverses the balance of power immediately.
• Justice versus corruption: The authorities cooperate with Heroic Assembly Hall and attempt to profit from Deng Yifu’s imprisonment, exposing the corruption of official institutions.
• Revenge and deterrence: Deng Lao’er’s harsh treatment of Blackheart is intended not merely as punishment but as a warning to anyone else who might threaten his family.
• Hidden alliances and influence: The chapter emphasizes how connections to powerful patrons can determine survival and reshape political and martial conflicts.
• Preparation for escalation: The immediate crisis is resolved, but the final warning suggests that a larger confrontation involving Heroic Assembly Hall, local troops, and the Deng family is imminent.

Character Interactions

• Deng Lao’er and Madam Deng share an emotional reunion, though she criticizes him for relying on others to rescue his father.
• Deng Lao’er confronts Blackheart directly, refusing to be intimidated by his threats or reputation.
• Brother Tao’s respectful treatment of Deng Lao’er surprises Madam Deng, revealing that Deng Lao’er’s current status is greater than she understands.
• Brother Tao and the corrupt criminal official engage in a tense financial negotiation, with the official attempting to extort more money before yielding to the Duke’s authority.
• Deng Yifu and Brother Tao develop an easy rapport during the return journey, especially when discussing corruption and the price of securing freedom.
• Deng Yifu’s final warning shifts the chapter from a family rescue to the anticipation of an organized attack.