Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Parents Arrive”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun’s parents, Feng Wenhui and Zhang Junyi, finish their affairs and travel to Yang City with Gazi and Xu Leigang. Dou Jiahui accompanies them.
• They are astonished by Luohua Manor’s enormous mountain grounds, completed walls, villas, roads, wells, bamboo forests, and yacht. They realize Feng Jun’s success is far greater than they had imagined.
• Zhang Junyi notices Feng’s former classmate Li Xiaobin working as his assistant and privately considers her a possible daughter-in-law. Feng’s parents also express appreciation for the friends and former classmates supporting their son.
• Feng Jun tours his parents around the estate and takes them cruising. He reveals that the wall alone cost nearly a hundred million yuan and reassures them that his wealth is legitimate and that he still has substantial funds.
• The couple spends several days relaxing in the bamboo forest’s Spirit-Gathering Array. Its extraordinary environment improves their health, especially Feng Wenhui’s chronic knee problems, making them feel roughly ten years younger.
• Feng’s parents discuss whether the bamboo forest could be opened to paying visitors. Wang Haifeng estimates its value at roughly two thousand yuan per hour, but notes Feng Jun would not approve of commercializing it.
• While his parents enjoy the estate, Feng Jun negotiates a business dispute involving jade distribution. He firmly refuses to supply jade directly to Long City or allow Sister Shen to establish an official branch there.
• Sister Shen argues that Long City offers substantial profits and says she fears losing the opportunity to another distributor. Feng Jun rebukes her, emphasizing that her business depends entirely on his supply and that his tolerance does not grant her territorial rights.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: His parents’ visit highlights his transformation from an ordinary young man into a wealthy, powerful, and independent figure. He remains generous toward his family and associates but is increasingly decisive and authoritarian in business matters.
• Feng Wenhui: Initially overwhelmed by his son’s wealth, he becomes concerned about its legality. His practical, frugal nature emerges when he objects to the bamboo forest’s implied cost and insists that wealth should be accumulated carefully.
• Zhang Junyi: She is proud and trusting of Feng Jun. Her concern shifts toward his marriage prospects, particularly after seeing Li Xiaobin, though she ultimately respects her son’s choices and judgment.
• Li Xiaobin: Her role as Feng Jun’s assistant demonstrates his continued support for old classmates. She understands that a romantic relationship with him is unlikely but remains comfortable and loyal.
• Wang Haifeng: He acts as a responsible caretaker and intermediary, explaining the bamboo forest’s value while respecting Feng Jun’s policies.
• Sister Shen: Her recent success and growing connections make her overconfident. The confrontation with Feng Jun reminds her that her influence is dependent on his jade supply.

Significant Themes

• Family pride and generational concern: Feng Jun’s parents are proud of his achievements but remain worried about legality, health, marriage, and financial responsibility.
• Wealth and responsibility: The chapter contrasts Feng Jun’s immense resources with his parents’ modest, practical mindset.
• The healing power of the supernatural: The bamboo forest functions as a source of health and renewal, revealing the extraordinary value hidden within Feng Jun’s estate.
• Power and dependence in business: Sister Shen’s confrontation shows that commercial connections mean little without access to Feng Jun’s resources.
• Boundaries and entitlement: Feng Jun distinguishes between allowing someone limited freedom and granting them ownership or rights, warning Sister Shen not to mistake kindness for obligation.
• Private value versus public commercialization: The bamboo forest could be extremely profitable, but Feng Jun chooses to preserve it as a private resource rather than exploit it commercially.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun’s parents warmly interact with his employees and former classmates, especially Li Xiaobin, Xu Leigang, and Wang Haifeng.
• Zhang Junyi subtly evaluates Li Xiaobin as a potential match for Feng Jun, while Li responds tactfully and acknowledges their professional relationship.
• Feng Jun reassures his father about the legality of his wealth, though he jokes that honest accumulation is difficult.
• Feng’s parents bond over the bamboo forest’s health benefits and debate whether it could be monetized.
• Feng Jun, Zhang Weihong, and Sister Shen clash over jade distribution. Zhang Weihong supports Feng Jun’s restrictions, while Sister Shen attempts to use her new connections to pressure him.
• Feng Jun ultimately reasserts his authority, making clear that all major jade distribution decisions remain under his control.

Chapter Summary: “The Scenery Remained the Same”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun reprimands Sister Shen for trying to secure the Long City distributorship without fully considering his feelings toward the place. He allows the matter this time but warns that another offense could cost her distributor status.
• Sister Hong reveals that she could have handled the distributorship decision herself, suggesting that she arranged the meeting partly to see Feng Jun.
• The two discuss their deteriorated relationship. Feng Jun agrees to treat her to dinner and tells her to proceed with building the house they had once planned on his land, despite his declining interest in it.
• Sister Hong learns that Feng Jun’s parents are now staying at Luohua Manor. The news unsettles her because of their age difference and makes her worry about how she might be viewed by his family.
• Before leaving, Sister Hong asks Feng Jun to have dinner with her sometime.
• Feng Jun’s connection with Li Shishi develops as she openly expresses interest in him. He warns her that his personal life is chaotic and that she should avoid becoming involved with him.
• Feng Jun reconnects with Hao Fengjing after she indirectly complains that he has been neglecting her. He invites her to do yoga with him, and she agrees, asking him to bring Li Shishi along.
• Feng Jun brings Li Shishi to meet Sister Hong before the evening’s plans. Sister Hong treats Li Shishi coolly, making the younger woman feel intimidated and inferior.
• Hao Fengjing arrives early by skipping a class. After dinner, she and Feng Jun retreat to his suite, while Li Shishi remains outside as a nominal “shield.”
• Feng Jun and Hao Fengjing practice yoga together in private. Afterwards, she comments that Luohua Manor feels more comfortable than the hotel, and Feng Jun invites her to visit it more often.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains self-controlled and pragmatic, but his attraction to Sister Hong and his complicated relationships with several women reveal his emotional conflicts. He recognizes that his life is disordered and honestly warns Li Shishi about his tendency toward romantic entanglements.
• Sister Hong/Zhang Weihong: Becomes more emotionally vulnerable despite her authoritative business persona. Her desire to spend time with Feng Jun, her investment in building his house, and her unease about meeting his parents show that she still cares deeply about him.
• Sister Shen: Is shown to be capable but politically careless, relying on Sister Hong to mediate after angering Feng Jun.
• Li Shishi: Grows bolder and more direct in expressing her attraction to Feng Jun. However, Sister Hong’s presence makes her aware of the competition and of her relatively weaker position.
• Hao Fengjing: Demonstrates continued interest in Feng Jun while maintaining a degree of coyness and restraint. Her complaints about his absence and eagerness to meet him show that she has been waiting for him to reestablish contact.

3. Significant Themes

• Unresolved relationships: Feng Jun and Sister Hong’s former intimacy has not disappeared, but their relationship has shifted into an awkward mixture of business, attraction, regret, and emotional distance.
• Power and vulnerability: Although Sister Hong is Feng Jun’s business superior in this setting, his authority over the distributorship briefly reverses the balance. Both use business matters to approach personal issues they cannot discuss directly.
• Romantic rivalry and insecurity: Li Shishi feels overshadowed by the older, more established women in Feng Jun’s life, while Sister Hong herself becomes insecure upon hearing about his parents.
• Self-control versus desire: Feng Jun repeatedly acknowledges his attraction but tries to impose boundaries. His discipline is challenged by his memories of Sister Hong and by the ease with which he resumes intimacy with Hao Fengjing.
• Home and belonging: Luohua Manor represents more than a residence. Feng Jun’s parents’ presence gives it familial importance, while Hao Fengjing’s preference for it suggests that the manor has become associated with comfort and intimacy.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Sister Shen: A tense business exchange in which Feng Jun issues a warning but ultimately spares her punishment.
• Feng Jun and Sister Hong: Their conversation mixes authority, flirtation, regret, and lingering affection. Sister Hong tries to prolong their time together and asks him to resume personal contact.
• Feng Jun and Li Shishi: Their banter becomes increasingly candid. She admits her attraction, while he deflects her advances and advises her against becoming involved with him.
• Li Shishi and Sister Hong: Their brief meeting is dominated by Sister Hong’s intimidating indifference, leaving Li Shishi resentful and self-conscious.
• Feng Jun and Hao Fengjing: They reconnect through teasing and flirtation, using yoga as an excuse to meet. Their comfortable intimacy contrasts with Feng Jun’s strained interactions with Sister Hong.
• Hao Fengjing and Li Shishi: Hao uses Li Shishi’s presence as a protective pretext before privately meeting Feng Jun, while Li Shishi remains outside and observes the complicated dynamics around him.

Chapter Summary: “The Thirty-Thousand Joke”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After spending time together, Feng Jun, Hao Fengjing, and Li Shishi go out for a late-night meal.
• Hao Fengjing discusses finding a believable reason to visit Luohua Manor more often without attracting gossip from her family. They decide she can claim to be teaching Li Shishi an instrument.
• Feng Jun offers Li Shishi a position at the manor, warning that the remote, quiet environment may be difficult for someone young and sociable.
• Li Shishi accepts the isolation and negotiates her salary. Feng Jun offers her 30,000 yuan per month, including food and lodging, which astonishes her.
• Hao Fengjing explains that Li Shishi has a junior-college degree in animation. Feng Jun is pleased because her artistic skills may be useful for his work involving the Phone Plane.
• The three joke about Li Shishi’s role, Hao Fengjing’s piano lessons, and the romantic relationship between Feng Jun and Hao Fengjing.
• During the meal, Manager Cong, a former colleague who had repeatedly undermined Feng Jun’s career, approaches them and tries to make Feng Jun attend a gathering of wealthy clients.
• Feng Jun coldly dismisses him, revealing how much his status and attitude have changed since leaving the advertising company.
• Manager Cong is shocked and angered by Feng Jun’s lack of deference, especially after noticing the two attractive women accompanying him.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates increased confidence, wealth, and authority. He now treats his former workplace rival with indifference rather than fear or desperation.
• Hao Fengjing becomes increasingly involved in Feng Jun’s life and manor. She is willing to create an excuse to visit him but remains cautious about gossip and her family situation.
• Li Shishi secures a highly paid job and becomes part of Feng Jun’s inner circle. Her playful, outspoken personality contrasts with the manor’s quiet atmosphere, but she claims she can tolerate the isolation.
• Manager Cong remains arrogant and status-conscious. He assumes Feng Jun is still the submissive employee he once knew and fails to recognize Feng Jun’s transformation.

Significant Themes

• Transformation and reversal of status: Feng Jun has risen from an exploited employee to a wealthy and powerful figure, while Manager Cong’s former authority no longer affects him.
• Wealth and independence: The 30,000-yuan salary symbolizes Feng Jun’s financial power and Li Shishi’s sudden improvement in circumstances.
• Loneliness versus cultivation: Luohua Manor offers an ideal environment for discipline and personal growth but lacks the social excitement young people typically desire.
• Friendship and intimacy: Hao Fengjing and Li Shishi develop a teasing, comfortable relationship, while their shared connection to Feng Jun creates both humor and romantic tension.
• The lingering effects of past injustice: Feng Jun claims to have moved beyond his old grievances, but Manager Cong’s presence exposes the resentment left by having his achievements and commissions taken from him.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Hao Fengjing plan how to conceal her visits to the manor, showing their growing closeness and concern about social judgment.
• Hao Fengjing recommends Li Shishi for employment and proposes using piano lessons as a cover, while Li Shishi jokes openly about Feng Jun and Hao Fengjing’s relationship.
• Feng Jun and Li Shishi negotiate her employment in a relaxed but practical manner, with Feng Jun testing whether she can endure the manor’s remoteness.
• The reunion between Feng Jun and Manager Cong contrasts their former power dynamic with the present one: Cong speaks condescendingly, but Feng Jun responds with detached contempt.
• The chapter ends with Manager Cong becoming irritated, setting up a likely confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Revealing the Secrets of Daoist Arts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Manager Cong approaches Feng Jun while dining with Li Shishi and Hao Fengjing, partly to strengthen the prestige of Mingyang Advertising Company’s young master. He expects Feng Jun, a former employee, to show deference by offering a toast.
• Feng Jun ignores him, embarrassing and angering Manager Cong. In retaliation, Cong mentions that Zhang Yunzhen—Feng Jun’s former girlfriend—is about to marry.
• The news unsettles Feng Jun, revealing that he still has unresolved feelings for his first love despite his attempts to portray himself as emotionally detached.
• The following day, Feng Jun visits his parents at his estate. His father suggests opening the miraculous bamboo grove to the public so it can generate income.
• Feng Jun rejects the idea, explaining that the grove was created through “lost Daoist arts” and that he cannot expose its secrets. He admits that his earlier explanation about negative ions was fabricated because he feared his parents would not believe the truth.
• To prove that Daoist arts are real, Feng Jun demonstrates supernatural abilities by producing a large jade stone and revealing a Golden Armor Talisman.
• His father activates the talisman, which surrounds him with a protective yellow glow. Feng Jun’s mother tests it with a machete, discovering that it prevents injury.
• Feng Jun explains that the talisman can withstand ordinary dangers, including most car accidents, but its duration depends on the strength of the attacks it absorbs.
• After roughly twenty-five minutes of testing, the talisman’s protection disappears. Feng Jun reassures his parents by giving each of them two additional talismans.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Shows greater confidence and emotional control. He refuses to be belittled by Manager Cong, though Zhang Yunzhen’s impending marriage exposes lingering emotional pain. He also decides to trust his parents with the truth about his supernatural abilities, marking an important step in their relationship.
• Manager Cong: Reveals himself as prideful and vindictive. When Feng Jun refuses to cooperate, Cong deliberately uses Zhang Yunzhen’s name to provoke him.
• Zhang Yunzhen: Though absent, she remains emotionally significant as Feng Jun’s first love and the person he has never fully forgotten.
• Feng Wenhui: Initially concerned with financial practicality and avoiding waste, he becomes fascinated by Feng Jun’s Daoist techniques. His curiosity leads him to test the talisman enthusiastically.
• Zhang Junyi: Initially skeptical and protective of traditional propriety, she is forced to reconsider her worldview after witnessing Feng Jun’s powers. Despite her shock, she strongly supports and defends her son.

Significant Themes

• Lingering attachment and emotional wounds: Feng Jun’s reaction to Zhang Yunzhen shows that past love cannot be dismissed simply through outward bravado.
• Family trust and revelation: Feng Jun finally shares the truth about his abilities, deepening the bond between him and his parents.
• Tradition versus the supernatural: The parents struggle to reconcile ordinary modern life with the reality of Daoist arts.
• Parental concern and responsibility: Feng Jun’s parents emphasize caution, financial stability, and having a fallback plan, while Feng Jun seeks to give them freedom and security.
• Power and secrecy: The bamboo grove and talismans are valuable precisely because their origins must remain hidden from the public.
• Practical testing of the extraordinary: Rather than accepting Feng Jun’s claims blindly, his parents verify the talisman through direct experimentation.

Character Interactions

• Manager Cong’s polite but hostile conversation with Feng Jun becomes a contest of status and pride, ending with Cong attempting to hurt Feng Jun emotionally.
• Li Shishi and Hao Fengjing notice Feng Jun’s reaction to Zhang Yunzhen but tactfully avoid questioning him.
• Feng Jun and his parents argue playfully over money, work, propriety, and the possibility of his parents traveling or having another child.
• Feng Jun’s demonstration transforms the family conversation from skepticism to astonishment. His father responds with excitement and practical questions, while his mother reacts with disbelief, fear, and eventually protective pride.
• The chapter ends on a warm familial note, with Feng Jun entrusting his parents with protective talismans and promising to improve their effectiveness.

Chapter Summary: “Letting Go”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun reveals the value and rarity of the four Golden Armor Talismans he gives his parents. Each is worth more than a million, making the set worth nearly seven million, though Feng insists their safety is more important than their monetary value.
• His parents initially react with shock at the expense, but Zhang Junyi quickly accepts the talismans and decides they will keep and use them. Feng explains that the talismans cannot simply be sold because they are rare, personally produced, and tied to secrets that must remain private.
• Feng admits that he is the only person capable of making the talismans, though production is currently limited. He also hints that his physical growth may be connected to Taoist cultivation and suggests he might eventually help his mother grow taller.
• Feng and his parents discuss secrecy. They agree not to reveal his abilities or the manor’s secrets to Gazi or Dou Jiahui. Feng deliberately withholds some information because he hopes to eventually help his parents cultivate rather than burden them with incomplete knowledge.
• The family explores the Bamboo Grove, where Feng restrains himself from killing a squirrel because he respects his mother’s dislike of violence.
• Feng later receives Zhang Wei and Li Qiang, former acquaintances who visit Luohua Manor to admire its scenery, walls, and facilities.
• Li Qiang suggests filming the manor for television publicity, but Wang Haifeng firmly rejects the idea to protect the manor’s privacy and hidden secrets, especially the Bamboo Grove’s unusual mist.
• Zhang Wei proposes bringing his company for a weekend outing and barbecue. Feng agrees, provided they take precautions against forest fires, showing that he is beginning to use his wealth and property more freely rather than suppressing himself excessively in the name of secrecy.
• As Feng prepares to leave to visit Sister Hong, he encounters Xu Leigang at the manor gate. Xu explains that his aunt wants Feng to return to Peach Blossom Valley because the local square-dancing group has lost its former energy since Feng—and the crow—left.
• Feng reacts irritably, remembering that some neighbors had previously wanted to drive him away, but he is secretly pleased to hear that they regret his departure.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates strong filial devotion, valuing his parents’ safety above money. He remains cautious and secretive about cultivation, but he is also learning to “let go” of excessive restraint and enjoy the freedom his success provides. His pride and slight vindictiveness appear when he takes satisfaction in the neighbors’ regret.
• Feng Wenhui: Initially focuses on the talismans’ staggering cost, but gradually accepts their importance and agrees that they must remain secret. His practical, money-conscious nature contrasts with Feng Jun’s willingness to spend for protection.
• Zhang Junyi: More readily embraces her son’s gift and intentions. She confidently accepts the talismans and responds warmly to Feng’s desire to help her, revealing her trust and affection.
• Wang Haifeng: Acts as a protective and reliable manager of the manor. He understands more of its secrets than Feng’s parents and prevents outsiders from filming the Bamboo Grove.
• Xu Leigang: Is caught between his loyalty to Feng Jun and his obligations to family and old neighbors. Though he does not want to involve himself with Peach Blossom Valley, he cannot easily refuse his aunt.
• Zhang Wei and Li Qiang: Treat Feng as a successful old friend while also recognizing the manor’s value as a prestigious social and media venue. Their visit highlights Feng’s changed status.

Significant Themes

• Family devotion and sacrifice: Feng’s willingness to spend millions on his parents’ protection emphasizes that family matters more to him than wealth.
• Secrecy and responsibility: Feng must carefully control who learns about his talismans, cultivation, and the Bamboo Grove, since revealing too much could create danger or unwanted attention.
• The limits of money: The talismans are technically valuable, but their true worth lies in their protective power and rarity; some things cannot or should not be sold.
• Freedom versus restraint: Feng recognizes that being cautious does not require him to deny himself every pleasure. Allowing friends to visit the manor represents a healthier balance between privacy and personal freedom.
• Regret and social consequences: The Peach Blossom Valley residents’ renewed interest in Feng shows that people often appreciate someone only after losing access to them.
• Transformation: Feng’s growing wealth, abilities, and influence have changed his relationships and social position, while his parents and former acquaintances struggle to adjust to that change.

Character Interactions

• Feng and his parents share an affectionate but humorous discussion about the talismans, money, Taoist abilities, and secrecy.
• Feng’s respect for his mother influences his behavior when he spares the squirrel.
• Feng, Wang Haifeng, Zhang Wei, and Li Qiang negotiate how the manor may be used, balancing publicity and social enjoyment against privacy and security.
• Feng and Xu Leigang discuss the request from Peach Blossom Valley, revealing Feng’s lingering resentment toward the neighbors and Xu’s difficulty balancing personal loyalty with family obligations.

Chapter Summary: Life in the Martial World

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Feng Jun leaves his villa in Peach Blossom Valley, the area’s previously unusual atmosphere disappears. The elderly residents notice the loss keenly, especially those sensitive enough to detect subtle differences in tea and their surroundings.
• Several residents investigate Feng Jun’s whereabouts and learn that he has built an enormous estate in White Apricot Town. They also hear rumors that the mystical crows from Peach Blossom Valley now live near his manor and are revered locally as the “Crow King.”
• Old Madam Jiang, one of Xu Leigang’s relatives and a former close friend of his mother, suffers a serious hip injury after slipping on water. Her recovery is slow and extremely painful, leading her to ask Xu Leigang to persuade Feng Jun to treat her.
• Xu Leigang hesitates because Feng Jun is angry with Peach Blossom Valley’s residents for previously mistreating him. Although Old Madam Jiang did not participate in the square-dance harassment, she also failed to defend Feng Jun and had benefited silently from the environment he created.
• Old Madam Jiang goes directly to Feng Jun’s manor entrance, forcing Xu Leigang to deal with the situation. Feng Jun unexpectedly encounters them and refuses to meet her, ordering Xu Leigang to tell her that the manor is private property and that outsiders are not welcome.
• Feng Jun becomes irritated with Xu Leigang for appearing more concerned about old neighbors than about him, but he then remembers Xu Leigang’s loyalty, his care for his elderly mother, and the many ways he has helped Feng Jun. He recognizes that he may have been too demanding of his subordinate.
• Xu Leigang apologetically explains Feng Jun’s position to Old Madam Jiang and her daughter, Sister Hui. Sister Hui suggests that she can give Feng Jun an opportunity to vent his anger and hints at a possible way to persuade him to treat her mother.
• Later, Feng Jun goes into the city and contacts Li Shishi, who is finishing her resignation from the café. He invites her shopping for work clothes and possibly a handbag. He intends the gifts as a reward for her reliable support of Hao Fengjing.
• Li Shishi happily agrees and wonders whether Feng Jun is also buying gifts for “Sister Mei.”

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: He remains proud, guarded, and unwilling to help those who benefited from him without showing gratitude. However, his anger softens when he reflects on Xu Leigang’s loyalty and kindness, revealing that he is capable of self-criticism and forgiveness.
• Xu Leigang: He is placed between his obligation to Feng Jun and his gratitude toward Old Madam Jiang, who helped care for his mother. His respectful, apologetic behavior shows his strong sense of duty toward the elderly, though Feng Jun worries that he is too distracted by personal relationships.
• Old Madam Jiang: Her injury makes her desperate to access Feng Jun’s abilities. She realizes too late that the special atmosphere she enjoyed came from him, not from Peach Blossom Valley itself. Her earlier indifference now leaves her dependent on someone she never supported.
• Sister Hui: She emerges as shrewd, decisive, and willing to negotiate. Unlike her mother, she quickly recognizes Feng Jun’s importance and begins planning how to appeal to his emotions.
• Li Shishi: Her cheerful, carefree personality lifts Feng Jun’s mood. Her willingness to help and her previous loyalty to Hao Fengjing establish her as someone Feng Jun values and wants to reward.

Significant Themes

• Gratitude and reciprocity: Feng Jun questions why he should help people who accepted his benefits without acknowledging him or defending him.
• Consequences of indifference: The residents of Peach Blossom Valley only appreciate Feng Jun after losing access to the benefits he unknowingly provided.
• Loyalty versus obligation: Xu Leigang’s conflict shows the tension between loyalty to his master and gratitude toward people who helped his family.
• Aging and vulnerability: Old Madam Jiang’s injury emphasizes the physical fragility of the elderly and their dependence on others.
• Power and boundaries: Feng Jun’s wealth, abilities, and private estate allow him to control access to his resources and reject those who previously mistreated him.
• Emotional balance: Feng Jun’s anger is challenged by his memories of Xu Leigang’s kindness, while Li Shishi’s cheerful presence helps him regain perspective.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Xu Leigang: Their exchange highlights Feng Jun’s resentment and Xu Leigang’s difficult position. Feng Jun refuses to help Old Madam Jiang but later recognizes Xu Leigang’s genuine devotion and past contributions.
• Xu Leigang and Old Madam Jiang: Xu Leigang respectfully but firmly explains that he cannot force Feng Jun to help. His defense of her reveals their longstanding familial connection.
• Xu Leigang and Sister Hui: Sister Hui tries to devise a strategy for winning Feng Jun over, while Xu Leigang warns her not to manipulate or deceive him.
• Feng Jun and Li Shishi: Their lighthearted shopping conversation contrasts with the earlier conflict. Feng Jun’s offer to buy her clothes reflects his appreciation for her loyalty and hard work.

Chapter Summary: “Pride and Prejudice”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun goes shopping at an outlet mall, primarily intending to buy luxury clothes, shoes, bags, and watches for his parents now that they know the truth about his success.
• Because he is unsure of their exact sizes, he buys multiple sizes and plans to let them keep whatever fits. He spends more than one million yuan.
• He also purchases a fashionable Luohua necklace for Sister Hong, whom he plans to treat to dinner later.
• At the mall, Feng Jun encounters Xia Xiaoyu and Yu Qingzhu. Xia Xiaoyu asks about Gao Qiang visiting him, while Yu Qingzhu remains openly cold toward Feng Jun.
• Yu Qingzhu criticizes the Luohua necklace and urges Feng Jun to return sensitive information he took from Director Luo. Feng Jun responds provocatively, claiming the information consists of intimate videos of Luo and his mistress.
• Yu Qingzhu becomes embarrassed but quickly recovers and criticizes Feng Jun’s behavior and taste. Xia Xiaoyu attempts to mediate, suggesting that Feng Jun should have bought more expensive jewelry to match his purchases.
• Li Shishi clarifies that nearly everything was bought for Feng Jun’s parents, surprising both Xia Xiaoyu and Yu Qingzhu.
• Feng Jun proudly emphasizes that he built his own success and is free to spend his money on his elders. He leaves before Yu Qingzhu can respond.
• Later, Feng Jun picks up Sister Hong from a beauty salon and brings Li Shishi along. Sister Hong notices the huge amount of shopping.
• Feng Jun insists on eating hot pot rather than Western food, refusing to accommodate Sister Hong as he usually does. He parks the car at Penglai Grand Hotel to protect the expensive purchases and plans to walk to the nearby restaurant.
• By the end of the chapter, Feng Jun decides he must clarify his relationship with Sister Hong. He intends to stop endlessly yielding to her and considers pursuing Zhang Caixin instead, potentially making her his cultivation companion.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Shows filial devotion by spending lavishly on his parents. He also becomes more assertive and less willing to tolerate criticism or suppress his own preferences for women. His increasingly provocative exchanges with Yu Qingzhu reveal his pride and irritation, while his thoughts about Sister Hong and Zhang Caixin suggest he is moving toward a deliberate, morally complicated “playboy” lifestyle.
• Li Shishi: Acts as Feng Jun’s practical companion and social ally. She helps carry the purchases, recognizes Yu Qingzhu’s hostility, defends Feng Jun, and openly challenges Xia Xiaoyu’s assumptions.
• Yu Qingzhu: Remains prejudiced against Feng Jun and attempts to belittle both his jewelry choice and his conduct. However, learning that the purchases are for his parents causes her to acknowledge that he is filial and not entirely without merit.
• Xia Xiaoyu: Tries to maintain a friendly connection with Feng Jun and mediate between him and Yu Qingzhu, but she is shocked by the scale of his spending and his explanation that the goods are for his parents.
• Sister Hong: Appears elegant and accustomed to having her preferences accommodated. Her disagreement with Feng Jun over dinner highlights the shifting balance in their relationship.

Significant Themes

• Filial piety and wealth: Feng Jun uses his newfound wealth to honor his parents, presenting luxury spending as an expression of gratitude rather than self-indulgence.
• Pride and prejudice: Yu Qingzhu judges Feng Jun based on his perceived vulgarity and taste, while Feng Jun resents her condescension and responds with deliberate provocation.
• Independence and self-made success: Feng Jun takes pride in having built his position himself and contrasts his achievements with those of privileged heirs.
• Changing power dynamics: Feng Jun begins asserting his desires instead of constantly accommodating women around him, signaling a change in his relationships.
• Romantic and moral ambiguity: His decision to pursue multiple women without intending to marry reflects his increasingly pragmatic and self-serving approach to romance.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yu Qingzhu: Their hostile exchange centers on Director Luo’s information, the Luohua necklace, and Feng Jun’s attitude. Neither backs down, though Yu Qingzhu privately concedes that his filial behavior is admirable.
• Feng Jun and Li Shishi: Li Shishi supports Feng Jun throughout the shopping trip and directly defends him when Xia Xiaoyu and Yu Qingzhu misunderstand his purchases.
• Feng Jun and Sister Hong: Their conversation over dinner reveals growing tension. Feng Jun refuses to cater to her preference for Western food, indicating that he wants to redefine their relationship.
• Xia Xiaoyu and Yu Qingzhu: Xia Xiaoyu attempts to soften Yu Qingzhu’s remarks, while Yu Qingzhu maintains her cold, judgmental stance toward Feng Jun.

Chapter Summary: “Thawing”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun, Sister Hong, and Li Shishi share an initially awkward dinner. After drinking, Sister Hong cautiously asks whether Feng Jun’s parents intend to remain in Yang City.
• Feng Jun explains that his parents will eventually return home and admits that he may also leave Yang City someday. Although Luohua Manor has required enormous investment, he still feels drawn to developing his hometown, Sunrise County, where the mountains offer greater freedom and room for expansion.
• Sister Hong worries that Feng Jun’s departure would end the profitable jade business—and perhaps their relationship. Feng Jun reassures her that he can continue supplying jade through Hai Feng and acknowledges her past help in protecting his finances and business.
• They discuss how Sister Hong supported him when authorities investigated his finances, while Feng Jun secretly moved money to prevent trouble from affecting her. Their mutual concern and sacrifices are finally recognized.
• The conversation becomes warmer, and the two regain some of the easy banter they once shared.
• Sister Hong drinks heavily because she is emotionally conflicted about Feng Jun, his parents, and the undefined nature of their relationship. She fears he may eventually choose another woman or obey his parents’ wishes and leave her.
• While drunk, she reveals that Cai Xin likes Feng Jun, then asks him to take her back to the grain store. Feng Jun instead takes her to her suite at the Penglai Grand Hotel.
• In private, Sister Hong admits that Feng Jun is the “demon star” fate sent into her life. She declares that their relationship must end once he marries someone else.
• Feng Jun playfully replies that if he never marries, they could remain together forever, then lightens the moment by suggesting they do yoga.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Shows greater emotional openness and acknowledges both his attachment to his hometown and his concern for Sister Hong’s welfare. He becomes less willing to hide behind the label of “business partner” and responds warmly to her indirect expressions of affection.
• Sister Hong: Her guarded, queenly exterior begins to crack. She reveals jealousy, fear of abandonment, and genuine romantic attachment to Feng Jun. Despite her uncertainty about marriage and his family’s influence, she clearly wants to preserve their relationship.
• Li Shishi: Acts as an observant and practical mediator, recognizing Sister Hong’s drunkenness and helping manage the situation. She also humorously disguises the couple’s conflict as a family quarrel.
• Feng Jun’s parents: Though absent from most of the chapter, their arrival and possible influence create significant pressure on Sister Hong and make her question whether Feng Jun can openly choose her.

Significant Themes

• Emotional thawing: Mutual honesty and recognition of past sacrifices soften the distance between Feng Jun and Sister Hong.
• Fear of abandonment and uncertainty: Sister Hong struggles with the possibility that Feng Jun will leave Yang City, marry someone else, or allow family expectations to determine their future.
• Love versus labels: Their relationship is officially framed as business partnership, but both understand that their feelings have gone far beyond business.
• Family influence and filial duty: Feng Jun’s devotion to his parents makes Sister Hong worry that she may never have a secure place in his life.
• Communication and indirect confession: Both characters express love through hints, practical support, and teasing rather than direct declarations or a marriage proposal.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Sister Hong move from restrained conversation to mutual acknowledgment of their loyalty and affection.
• Sister Hong indirectly tests Feng Jun’s feelings by asking about his departure and revealing her discomfort with the possibility of losing him.
• Feng Jun reassures her through his acknowledgment of her help and his playful suggestion that they could remain together indefinitely.
• Li Shishi provides comic relief while also recognizing the romantic tension between them.
• The final exchange—Sister Hong setting a condition about ending the relationship after Feng Jun marries, followed by Feng Jun’s teasing response—captures their unresolved but deepening intimacy.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun teaches Sister Hong a powerful “yoga” technique derived from his cultivation methods. They practice for two hours and experience significant physical and spiritual benefits, including Feng Jun sensing that he is close to breaking through to the Qi Refining Second Layer.
• Afterward, Feng Jun and Sister Hong shower, smoke, and joke together. Sister Hong admits that the technique is highly effective but suspects Feng Jun has practiced it before.
• Sister Hong asks about Li Shishi, who is waiting outside. Feng Jun explains that Li Shishi is a potential new assistant, while Sister Hong teases him about being attracted to beautiful women.
• The group orders late-night food and drinks at Li Shishi’s suite, continuing until around 4:30 a.m. Feng Jun and Sister Hong then return to the room and fall asleep around six.
• The next morning, Dou Jiahui calls Feng Jun about his return to Luohua Manor. Feng Jun and Sister Hong go to inspect a plot of land in a city park and review architectural drawings for a future residence.
• Zhang Caixin is already waiting at the site with the renderings. Feng Jun approves the Xia Nation-style design, while Zhang Caixin makes pointed remarks about his previous promise to build a jade house.
• Park management officials explain that all design and construction work must receive their approval, separate from ordinary urban-planning authorization. Sister Hong confidently assures them that the procedures will be followed.
• During the inspection, Zhang Caixin privately questions Feng Jun about what happened with Sister Hong the previous night. Feng Jun evasively says that Sister Hong cares about him and hints that Zhang Caixin does as well.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly confident in his ability to use cultivation techniques to influence and strengthen others. He enjoys Sister Hong’s company but also continues to manipulate romantic tensions between the women around him. He is nearing another cultivation breakthrough.
• Sister Hong: Drops much of her usual composure and openly embraces pleasure and spontaneity. The yoga session leaves her energetic and visibly radiant, strengthening her attraction to and trust in Feng Jun. She also demonstrates practical authority by handling the construction officials smoothly.
• Zhang Caixin: Shows jealousy and emotional discomfort after recognizing Sister Hong’s growing closeness to Feng Jun. Her sarcastic comments conceal hurt and competitiveness, though she still remains involved in helping with the residence project.
• Li Shishi: Is presented as carefree, energetic, and food-loving. She accepts the late-night gathering enthusiastically and remains largely unaware of the deeper romantic tensions between the others.
• Dou Jiahui and the park officials: Their roles mainly advance Feng Jun’s plans for returning to Luohua Manor and establishing a city residence.

3. Significant Themes

• Cultivation concealed behind ordinary language: Feng Jun calls the technique “yoga,” using a familiar term to hide its supernatural origins and gradually reveal its benefits.
• Desire, attraction, and rivalry: The chapter emphasizes the shifting romantic dynamics surrounding Feng Jun, especially Sister Hong’s intimacy with him and Zhang Caixin’s jealousy.
• Power and confidence: Sister Hong’s social authority and Feng Jun’s hidden abilities allow them to navigate officials and practical obstacles with ease.
• Domestic ambition and belonging: The planned city residence represents Feng Jun’s growing wealth, influence, and desire to create a personal base outside Luohua Manor.
• Playful deception: Much of the chapter’s humor comes from double meanings, evasive answers, and Feng Jun’s refusal to fully explain his cultivation methods.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Sister Hong share an intimate, teasing relationship, with their yoga practice deepening both physical closeness and mutual interest.
• Sister Hong and Li Shishi interact during the late-night meal, while Feng Jun manages Li Shishi’s enthusiasm and keeps her from intruding further afterward.
• Zhang Caixin and Sister Hong’s contrasting moods are highlighted: Sister Hong appears radiant and triumphant, while Zhang Caixin responds with cold sarcasm.
• Feng Jun deliberately provokes Zhang Caixin by suggesting that Sister Hong cares about him, then implies Zhang Caixin may also be deeply attached to him.
• The chapter ends with an unresolved romantic contest, as Feng Jun hints that he may eventually compare or prioritize the women based on who can remain by his side the longest.

Chapter Summary: “Things Not Going Smoothly”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun successfully placates Zhang Caixin by assuring her that she will be able to remain by his side longer than anyone else. Her outwardly cold demeanor softens, though her romantic feelings are increasingly obvious.
• Sister Hong teases Feng Jun about being best suited to Zhang Caixin, but also warns him not to toy with her emotions. Their playful exchange becomes physically threatening when Sister Hong steps hard on Feng Jun’s foot after he refuses to explain himself.
• Dou Jiahui returns to Luohua Manor depressed after a failed romantic encounter. He had met a twenty-year-old online friend, spent more than thirty thousand on traveling and entertainment with her, and became serious about marrying her.
• The woman, however, wanted to move to a first-tier city and would only consider dating him if he could buy a home there. Dou Jiahui admits he cannot afford such a burden and accepts that they should remain friends.
• While drinking with Feng Jun and Gazi, Dou Jiahui complains about modern society and worries that settling down in his hometown would trap his future children in the same social class. Gazi suggests working for Feng Jun, but Dou Jiahui refuses because he does not want to become dependent on his brother.
• Feng Jun offers to lend Dou Jiahui money if he can identify a business he wants to pursue. Dou considers opening a chicken farm but remains uncertain about its profitability and the risks of disease. His spirits improve simply because Feng Jun is willing to trust and support him financially.
• Dou Jiahui’s return coincides with Feng Jun’s parents preparing to leave. Feng Wenhui and Zhang Junyi depart for Cloud Garden City with Wang Haifeng driving them.
• After they leave, Gazi cultivates in the bamboo grove while Feng Jun continues constructing protective formations and prepares to advance to the Qi Refining Second Layer.
• Xu Leigang privately raises the issue of his Aunt Jiang again, asking Feng Jun to help treat her. Feng criticizes Xu for allowing family matters to interfere with his rare cultivation opportunity, but Xu explains that his age, family responsibilities, and estrangement from his wife and children make his situation difficult.
• Feng Jun relents somewhat and asks Xu to give him a convincing reason to help Aunt Jiang. Xu argues that curing her would embarrass the people of Peach Blossom Valley, who would regret rejecting or underestimating them once the news spread.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains confident and teasing in his interactions with Zhang Caixin and Sister Hong, but also demonstrates loyalty and generosity toward Dou Jiahui. His conversation with Xu Leigang reveals that, despite his demanding attitude toward cultivation, he is capable of reflecting on whether he has been too harsh.
• Zhang Caixin: Becomes visibly happier after Feng Jun reassures her about staying with him. Her affection for him is clear even though she maintains a composed exterior.
• Sister Hong: Continues to act as a bold, queenly, and mischievous figure. She openly supports Zhang Caixin’s relationship with Feng Jun while warning him to treat her seriously.
• Dou Jiahui: Experiences romantic disappointment but handles it pragmatically. He refuses both an unaffordable marriage arrangement and the prospect of becoming financially dependent on Feng Jun, showing pride, independence, and concern for family dignity.
• Xu Leigang: Struggles to balance cultivation with obligations to his family. His persistence in pleading for Aunt Jiang shows loyalty, though Feng Jun sees it as a distraction from a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
• Gazi: Acts as a supportive friend to Dou Jiahui and continues making progress in cultivation, apparently nearing the point of surpassing Xu Leigang.

Significant Themes

• Romance and emotional manipulation: Zhang Caixin’s happiness depends on Feng Jun’s reassurance, while Sister Hong challenges him to take her feelings seriously.
• Materialism and marriage: Dou Jiahui’s failed relationship reflects the pressure to own property, especially in major cities, before marriage can be considered viable.
• Class anxiety and social mobility: Dou fears that remaining in his hometown will limit his future children, revealing his concern about entrenched social class and opportunity.
• Pride and independence: Although Dou needs financial help, he refuses to work directly for Feng Jun because he values equality and does not want to feel beholden to his brother.
• Family duty versus personal advancement: Xu Leigang’s responsibilities conflict with cultivation, while Feng Jun’s own attachment to his elderly parents forces him to reconsider his judgment of Xu.
• Trust and brotherhood: Feng Jun’s willingness to lend Dou money demonstrates deep trust, while Dou’s response shows that he feels responsible for honoring that trust.
• The rarity of cultivation: Feng Jun emphasizes that being accepted as a disciple is an extraordinarily rare opportunity, making Xu Leigang’s distractions seem especially costly.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Zhang Caixin: A brief reassurance from Feng Jun noticeably improves Zhang Caixin’s mood and reinforces their romantic bond.
• Feng Jun and Sister Hong: They exchange flirtatious and antagonistic banter, with Sister Hong defending Zhang Caixin and Feng Jun accusing both women of manipulating him.
• Feng Jun, Dou Jiahui, and Gazi: The three discuss Dou’s failed romance, economic prospects, and possible business ventures. Feng provides emotional and potential financial support, while Gazi offers practical advice.
• Feng Jun and Xu Leigang: Their master-disciple conversation centers on discipline, family obligations, and the cultivation opportunity. Feng initially rebukes Xu but ultimately listens and agrees to consider helping Aunt Jiang.
• Feng Jun and his parents: Their departure allows Feng Jun greater freedom to cultivate and prepare his formations, though their presence had previously limited where he could practice.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun agrees to treat Old Madam Jiang’s broken leg, largely because Xu Leigang asks him to. He privately enjoys the thought that Jiang’s family will regret having failed to defend him during an earlier conflict.
• Xu Leigang suggests charging the family a large fee, but Feng Jun refuses, insisting that the treatment is a favor rather than a business transaction. Xu secretly decides he will cover any shortfall himself if Jiang’s family is unwilling to pay.
• Feng Jun restricts the treatment location. Old Madam Jiang and her family will not be allowed into the bamboo grove or deeper areas of the manor; instead, they must come through the Mountain Gate and receive treatment at the pavilion near Pump Station No. 1.
• The appointment is scheduled for the following morning at nine o’clock, with Feng Jun warning Xu to keep the matter discreet so that rumors of a “miracle doctor” do not spread.
• Director Mei Hao Fengjing arrives at the manor with Li Shishi, who has completed her resignation and officially becomes Feng Jun’s new assistant. Hao Fengjing also announces that Li Shishi will become her disciple.
• Li Shishi moves into the front building and begins learning the manor’s operations from Li Xiaobin. Xiaobin becomes quietly jealous of the newcomer, though she recognizes Li Shishi’s politeness and innocence.
• Hao Fengjing moves into the rear building and spends the night practicing yoga with Feng Jun in a flirtatious teacher-student interaction.
• The next morning, Feng Jun goes to Pump Station No. 1, where Old Madam Jiang is waiting with her second daughter, eldest grandson, and Xu Leigang. Jiang’s family realizes that they could have avoided this difficult journey if they had supported Feng Jun when he once lived in Peach Blossom Valley.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun shows a mixture of generosity, pride, resentment, and vindictiveness. He is willing to help Jiang because of Xu Leigang, but he also wants her family to feel the consequences of their past behavior. His strict control over access to the manor emphasizes his growing authority and protectiveness over his territory.
• Xu Leigang demonstrates loyalty and gratitude toward both Feng Jun and Old Madam Jiang. He is deeply moved by Feng Jun’s willingness to help and is prepared to pay the treatment cost himself to repay an old favor.
• Old Madam Jiang’s family is forced to confront the consequences of having failed to support Feng Jun previously. Their need to seek him out creates a reversal in their relationship with him.
• Li Shishi officially enters Feng Jun’s circle as a new employee. She is portrayed as young, respectful, somewhat naive, and eager to please, quickly earning Li Xiaobin’s attention.
• Hao Fengjing becomes more closely integrated into the manor’s household. She takes responsibility for Li Shishi, claims her as a disciple, and continues her playful, intimate relationship with Feng Jun.
• Li Xiaobin remains loyal and confident in Feng Jun’s trust, but she experiences jealousy when comparing herself with Li Shishi’s youthful appearance and charm.
• Gazi notices Feng Jun’s remarkable increase in speed, suggesting that Feng Jun’s cultivation and abilities continue to advance.

3. Significant Themes

• Repayment of favors and obligations: Xu Leigang feels responsible for repaying Old Madam Jiang’s past kindness, while Feng Jun helps Xu in return. The chapter explores how favors create lasting social and emotional debts.
• Regret and consequences: Jiang’s family must now seek help from the person they once failed to defend. Their difficult journey symbolizes their belated recognition of Feng Jun’s importance.
• Power, status, and controlled access: Feng Jun’s strict rules about who may enter the manor reflect his rising status and his desire to preserve the secrecy and sanctity of his cultivation grounds.
• Generosity versus pride: Feng Jun refuses to reduce his aid to a simple financial transaction, emphasizing that his motivation is personal rather than commercial—though his pride and resentment remain central to his decision.
• Growth of Feng Jun’s household: The arrival of Li Shishi and her relationship with Hao Fengjing and Li Xiaobin show the manor becoming a more organized social and professional community.
• Secrecy and reputation: Feng Jun is concerned that rumors of miraculous healing could attract unwanted attention, so he insists that the treatment be kept discreet and only “half-veiled.”

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Xu Leigang: Their master-disciple relationship is built on trust and loyalty. Xu asks Feng Jun to help Jiang, while Feng Jun agrees partly to ease Xu’s family obligations.
• Feng Jun and Old Madam Jiang’s family: Their interaction is shaped by past resentment. Although Feng Jun is now powerful enough to help them, he deliberately keeps them at a distance by limiting where they may go inside the manor.
• Feng Jun and Hao Fengjing: Their exchanges are teasing and flirtatious. Hao acts protectively toward Li Shishi, while Feng Jun jokingly challenges her affection and authority.
• Hao Fengjing and Li Shishi: Hao takes Li Shishi under her wing, helps her move in, and declares her a disciple.
• Li Xiaobin and Li Shishi: Their relationship begins professionally, with Xiaobin training the newcomer. Beneath this, Xiaobin feels threatened and jealous, while Li Shishi remains respectful and sweet-natured.
• Feng Jun and the gatehouse staff: The staff’s willingness to follow instructions from Feng Jun’s trusted associates highlights the informal hierarchy and influence surrounding him.

Summary

• Plot/events: The narrator posts a standalone “third update” in honor of Mother’s Day. Since they cannot return home, they call their mother instead. The chapter also includes appeals for monthly votes and likes.
• Character development: The narrator is presented as affectionate and mindful of their mother despite being unable to visit. Their decision to call highlights a desire to maintain family connection.
• Themes: Family, homesickness, appreciation for mothers, and staying connected despite physical distance. The passage also reflects the author’s interaction with readers through voting and engagement requests.
• Character interactions: The central interaction is the narrator’s phone call with their mother, though no details of the conversation are provided. The narrator also directly addresses readers, asking whether they called their own mothers and inviting them to vote and like the chapter.

Chapter Summary: “Faith’s Power”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun treats Old Madam Jiang’s leg injury despite initially refusing to help anyone from Peach Blossom Valley. After examining and massaging her, he gives Xu Leigang four sealed pills and instructs the family to administer them twice daily.
• Feng refuses payment, but Old Madam Jiang insists that repaying favors is a matter of conscience. Xu Leigang convinces her not to offer money by warning that challenging Feng’s wishes might offend him.
• The family leaves the manor after waiting half an hour, while the guards speculate about Feng’s supposed supernatural abilities and envy those who have access to his help.
• Back home, Old Madam Jiang confirms that Feng’s treatment worked. She recognizes the soothing spiritual energy in his hands as the same aura associated with the Xu family villa, finally abandoning her doubts about Feng’s powers.
• Meanwhile, Hao Fengjing spends time with Feng Jun and Li Shishi. They take a nighttime yacht trip, and Hao later stays at the manor, where she teaches Li Shishi music and explores the cool bamboo grove.
• Feng warns Hao not to share photographs of the bamboo grove because its unusual growth and environment should remain private. She spends much of the day there before eventually returning to Feng’s building.
• Feng treats Old Madam Jiang a second time the following Sunday and declares that she should be able to walk by Wednesday or Thursday.
• At her hospital follow-up, the doctor is astonished by her rapid recovery. Although he advises her not to remove the cast or walk yet, she insists, attributing the cure to “Talisman Water” and, privately, to Feng’s treatment.
• Old Madam Jiang successfully walks a few steps and immediately begins publicizing Feng’s abilities throughout her residential complex. She shows neighbors one of the sealed pills and enthusiastically praises him.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains aloof, strict, and unwilling to accept money, reinforcing his image as a powerful figure whose help cannot be bought. His healing ability and spiritual energy become more evident.
• Old Madam Jiang changes from a skeptical patient into a fervent believer. Her recovery confirms her faith in Feng, and she becomes determined to repay him by spreading his reputation.
• Xu Leigang continues acting as Feng’s intermediary and protector of his authority. He understands Feng’s temperament and skillfully manages Old Madam Jiang’s desire to offer payment.
• Old Madam Jiang’s second daughter remains anxious and practical, repeatedly checking whether the treatment worked and reminding her mother to use the valuable pills.
• Hao Fengjing grows increasingly comfortable at Feng’s manor and develops a closer relationship with him. Her return to the rear building suggests greater intimacy between them.
• The guards and the hospital doctor represent ordinary outsiders who are skeptical of Feng’s supernatural reputation but are forced to reconsider it when confronted with remarkable results.

Significant Themes

• Faith and belief: The chapter asks whether belief itself can produce extraordinary results. The doctor attributes Old Madam Jiang’s recovery to faith in Talisman Water, while the reader understands that Feng’s spiritual treatment and pills are the true causes.
• Reputation and influence: Feng’s reputation allows Xu Leigang to control situations without revealing the full truth of Feng’s abilities. Old Madam Jiang’s testimony further expands the legend surrounding him.
• Gratitude and moral obligation: Old Madam Jiang sees repayment not as a financial transaction but as a matter of personal integrity. Her public praise becomes her way of returning Feng’s favor.
• Power and distance: Feng’s servants, guards, and acquaintances interact with him regularly but still regard him as fundamentally beyond their reach. His ordinary appearance contrasts with his extraordinary abilities.
• Secrecy and protection: Feng’s warning about the bamboo grove shows his desire to conceal unusual spiritual phenomena and prevent outsiders from discovering the manor’s secrets.

Character Interactions

• Feng and Old Madam Jiang interact briefly but decisively: his treatment earns her complete reverence.
• Xu Leigang mediates between Feng and the Jiang family, using his knowledge of Feng’s personality to prevent Old Madam Jiang from offering money.
• Old Madam Jiang and her daughter clash mildly over whether the treatment worked and how carefully to use the pills, revealing the daughter’s concern and the old woman’s renewed confidence.
• The guards discuss Feng from a distance, showing how his reputation differs among those who work around him versus those who seek his help.
• Hao Fengjing and Li Shishi spend time together through photography, music lessons, and sightseeing, while Li Xiaobin and Xu Leigang enforce the manor’s boundaries.
• Feng and Hao Fengjing grow closer romantically, culminating in her consciously following him to the rear building after dinner.

Chapter Summary: “Everyone Advanced”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun spends more than a week constructing a massive Heaven-Swallowing Formation made up of twenty-seven Spirit-Gathering Arrays. He chooses this approach because the Primordial Chaos Heaven-Devouring Technique consumes Spirit Stones too quickly, while the arrays can draw spiritual energy from the entire Blue Star Realm.
• By the second Monday, the formation is nearly complete, but Feng Jun lacks ten jin of Crystal Fire Yam Paste, a rare formation material the Yu Family is procuring for him. He travels to the Phone Plane to wait for the delivery and continues excavating Spirit Stones in the meantime.
• The Chen Clan sends additional martial cultivators and servants to Zhige Mountain. Chen Junwei serves as an Innate-level guard, while other Martial Masters and Warriors patrol the mountain and assist Feng Jun.
• The Spirit-Gathering Array produces a series of breakthroughs:
  • Deng Lao’er advances from Martial Warrior to Martial Master.
  • Lang Zhen advances from Beginner Martial Master to the intermediate stage.
  • Chen Junsheng, despite having lost his former cultivation, captures spiritual energy and reaches Mortal Transcendence Level One.
• Yu Changqing, the actual immortal cultivator among them, becomes increasingly frustrated that several martial cultivators advance before she does. She deliberately keeps the formation operating to help Chen Junsheng stabilize his breakthrough.
• While cultivating selflessly and without forcing her progress, Yu Changqing enters an unusually calm state. Feng Jun then observes that she is on the verge of a breakthrough and instructs her to continue circulating her energy. Her cultivation immediately begins flowing more smoothly.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing mastery of formations and resource management. Rather than waste Spirit Stones on direct cultivation, he devises a large-scale formation capable of gathering ambient spiritual energy efficiently.
• Deng Lao’er surprises everyone by being the first of the Deng brothers to break through, despite his more impulsive personality and weaker foundation.
• Lang Zhen finally overcomes a long-standing cultivation barrier. Feng Jun’s medicine, improved living conditions, healed injuries, and access to spiritual energy restore his confidence and vitality.
• Chen Junsheng begins rebuilding his cultivation from nothing after previously losing his inner energy. His breakthrough into Mortal Transcendence proves his exceptional temperament and sensitivity to spiritual energy.
• Yu Changqing experiences frustration and wounded pride when others advance before her. However, her willingness to keep the formation active for Chen Junsheng shows her generosity and sense of responsibility. Her selfless, unforced cultivation unexpectedly brings her closer to her own breakthrough.
• Hao Fengjing becomes increasingly devoted to Feng Jun and the manor. She learns quickly because of her reverence for him and develops a strong attachment to the bamboo grove, seemingly sensing its unusual spiritual influence.
• Chen Junwei and the Chen Clan deepen their practical relationship with Feng Jun by providing guards and personnel, though Chen Junwei’s assignment as a gatekeeper is portrayed as excessive for someone of his status.

Significant Themes

• Abundance through cooperation: The Spirit-Gathering Array benefits everyone nearby, allowing multiple people to advance together rather than relying solely on individual resources.
• Unexpected progress: Advancement does not always follow talent, age, or apparent potential. Deng Lao’er, Lang Zhen, and Chen Junsheng all progress sooner than expected.
• Selflessness and breakthrough: Yu Changqing’s breakthrough becomes possible only after she stops pursuing it aggressively and cultivates in order to help Chen Junsheng.
• Cultivation as both material and mental: Pills, healed injuries, and spiritual energy aid progress, but mindset and emotional balance are equally important.
• Resource scarcity and adaptation: Rare materials such as Crystal Fire Yam Paste and Spirit Stones limit cultivation, forcing Feng Jun to develop efficient formations and rely on networks such as the Yu and Chen families.
• Jealousy, pride, and perseverance: Yu Changqing’s frustration reflects the competitive nature of cultivation, but she ultimately overcomes it through patience and generosity.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yu Changqing: Feng Jun notices her impending breakthrough and encourages her to continue cultivating, restoring her confidence at a critical moment.
• Yu Changqing and Chen Junsheng: She keeps the formation running so Chen Junsheng can stabilize his newly attained Mortal Transcendence realm, putting his needs above her own frustration.
• Chen Junsheng and Yu Changqing: After stabilizing his breakthrough, Chen Junsheng silently clasps his hands toward her in gratitude and respect.
• Feng Jun and the Chen Clan: The clan supplies guards and martial cultivators, while Feng Jun makes use of their manpower around Zhige Mountain.
• Feng Jun and Hao Fengjing: Hao’s reverence for him motivates her to learn her assistant duties quickly, while her repeated yoga sessions and attraction to the bamboo grove suggest a growing personal and spiritual connection to the manor.

Chapter Summary: “A Sensation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun returns from mining Spirit Stones and learns that Chen Junsheng has broken through to the Mortal Transcendence realm. He observes the breakthrough carefully because he plans to teach cultivation methods in the Blue Star Realm.
• Chen Junsheng stabilizes his new realm after only three hours, while Yu Changqing remains immersed in cultivation. Feng Jun checks the “People Nearby” function and discovers that she is only minutes away from advancing to the Mortal Transcendence Eighth Layer.
• Feng Jun encourages Yu Changqing, and she successfully breaks through eighteen minutes later. She spends the rest of the night consolidating her cultivation before shutting down the Spirit-Gathering Array.
• News of the successive breakthroughs spreads among the three thousand martial cultivators near Zhige Mountain. Everyone becomes convinced that the Spirit-Gathering Array is extraordinarily effective.
• The major families begin trying to gain access to the array and, more importantly, to Feng Jun. Chen Junsheng warns that the Divine Physician himself is more valuable than merely freeloading on the array’s spiritual energy.
• Feng Jun announces that he will accept rare treasures, cultivation techniques, talisman materials, and similar resources. Several families offer to search for talisman materials, though none openly admit to possessing cultivation manuals.
• After two days, Yu Changqing thanks Feng Jun and explains that she must reduce her use of the array and eventually return to her sect. Her orthodox cultivation method requires her to temper her mind and avoid pursuing rapid advancement without proper experience.
• Because demand for access to the Spirit-Gathering Array is increasing, Feng Jun decides to create a contribution-point system. Yu Changqing suggests using Spirit Stone values as the basis for pricing contributions.
• Yu Changqing recommends her younger sister, Yu Changzhu, to help organize the system. Feng Jun agrees but insists that Yu Changzhu needs two assistants because of her flighty personality and lack of seriousness.
• A member of the Mi Family and Chen Junsheng are selected as the additional assistants. Chen Junsheng volunteers out of gratitude and because his family understands cultivator-related matters.
• The Yu Family finally delivers the Crystal Fire Yam Paste—an unexpectedly large supply of twenty-two catties.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes more aware of the influence he can exert through small actions, such as encouraging Yu Changqing at a crucial moment. He also begins transitioning from an individual cultivator into someone managing resources, alliances, and a broader support network.
• Yu Changqing: Advances to the Mortal Transcendence Eighth Layer. Her disciplined attitude remains clear: she values proper cultivation, mental tempering, and avoiding excessive dependence on external resources. She also shows greater concern for her sister’s future.
• Chen Junsheng: Successfully reaches Mortal Transcendence and demonstrates maturity, restraint, and sound judgment. He recognizes that Feng Jun’s personal support is more important than access to the Spirit-Gathering Array and volunteers to assist him.
• Yu Changzhu: Is positioned to gain greater opportunities through Feng Jun, but her frivolous interest in cars and unreliable temperament become obstacles she must overcome.
• The surrounding families: Shift their attention from simply obtaining spiritual energy to building relationships with Feng Jun, whom they increasingly regard as the true source of opportunity and influence.

Significant Themes

• The value of opportunity versus the source of power: The Spirit-Gathering Array is impressive, but the chapter emphasizes that Feng Jun’s guidance and connections are even more valuable.
• Influence and unintended consequences: Feng Jun’s small encouragement directly contributes to Yu Changqing’s breakthrough, showing how seemingly minor actions can affect cultivation and future events.
• Resource management and institutionalization: Feng Jun moves toward creating a formal contribution system, transforming informal favors and access into an organized structure.
• Balance between rapid advancement and personal cultivation: Yu Changqing’s approach highlights the importance of mental and emotional tempering rather than relying solely on spiritual energy.
• Alliance-building and political caution: Feng Jun welcomes assistance from multiple families but avoids becoming dependent on a single faction, protecting his independence and long-term interests.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun observes Chen Junsheng’s breakthrough and later encourages Yu Changqing, directly helping her advance.
• Chen Junsheng and Feng Jun establish a relationship based on gratitude, mutual trust, and practical cooperation.
• Yu Changqing advises Feng Jun on how to design the contribution-point system and recommends Yu Changzhu for the work.
• Feng Jun candidly evaluates Yu Changzhu’s weaknesses and asks that she be supported by two assistants.
• The Chen Family and other aristocratic families reconsider their priorities, realizing that cultivating a relationship with Feng Jun matters more than merely purchasing access to the Spirit-Gathering Array.

Chapter Summary: “Nothing Has Blown Up Here”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After obtaining the Fire Sweet Potato Mash, Feng Jun delays returning to the Blue Star Realm so he can continue developing the Contribution Point System in Zhi Ge. He realizes this project reflects a growing desire to establish a lasting foundation there, not merely to distribute spiritual energy.
• Chen Junsheng, Yu Changzhu, and Mi Shixiong begin the complicated calculations needed for the system. Once their work progresses smoothly, Feng Jun prepares to leave.
• The Tian Family delivers a secret letter addressed to Feng Jun. He initially orders it burned, distrusting anonymous letters, but the Fire Silkworm Silk inside survives the flames.
• The message reports that the Eastern Branch of the Masterful Hands Pavilion possesses numerous cultivation techniques, including immortal arts and a movement technique. The informant provides the branch’s location and storehouse details in exchange for access to cultivation outside Feng Jun’s Spirit-Gathering Array. Feng Jun sets the information aside for later.
• Feng Jun returns to the Blue Star Realm with the Fire Sweet Potato Mash, prepares it, and announces that he will enter seclusion for approximately half a month.
• He orders Wang Haifeng, Xu Leigang, and Lu Xiaoning to suspend their normal duties and patrol the valley continuously while he cultivates. Li Shishi is assigned to deliver their meals.
• Feng Jun tests and activates the twenty-seven Spirit-Gathering Arrays surrounding the Bamboo Grove, forming a powerful Heaven-Swallowing Formation. Several arrays are incorrectly positioned and explode—three times initially and once more during repairs.
• The explosions alarm the estate workers, but Xu Leigang quickly suppresses their curiosity by telling them not to ask about matters beyond their concern.
• Once the formation begins gathering spiritual energy, Feng Jun brings his disciples to observe the changes. Gazi, who has the strongest sensitivity, notices the increased spiritual energy first.
• Feng Jun explains that the energy will become denser and hints that he may eventually design individual Daoist cultivation paths for the three disciples.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Shows increasing long-term ambition in Zhi Ge, suggesting he is becoming invested in building an organized foundation rather than acting only as a powerful individual. He remains cautious and pragmatic, rejecting suspicious communications but willing to investigate useful intelligence. His decision to reveal spiritual-energy concepts to his disciples marks a gradual opening of his secrets and a new stage in their relationship.
• Wang Haifeng, Xu Leigang, and Lu Xiaoning: Demonstrate loyalty by immediately accepting Feng Jun’s orders and agreeing to abandon their usual responsibilities to protect his seclusion. Their willingness to patrol without even leaving to eat reflects their trust and reverence.
• Gazi: Displays the greatest natural sensitivity to spiritual energy and an enthusiastic belief in cultivation and immortality, influenced by his familiarity with web novels. His talent and excitement make him the most likely of the disciples to advance quickly.
• Xu Leigang: Shows practical reliability, handling the estate workers’ questions and arranging to inform his family. His family’s improved attitude toward him after his mother’s recovery also suggests a positive change in his personal life.
• Li Shishi: Is selected to support the disciples during their vigil because Feng Jun believes she understands proper reverence better than Li Xiaobin.

Significant Themes

• Building institutions and foundations: Feng Jun’s Contribution Point System reflects his increasing desire to create a stable, lasting order rather than relying solely on personal authority.
• Trust, secrecy, and controlled revelation: Feng Jun carefully controls who receives knowledge about cultivation, the Bamboo Grove, and his abilities. He gradually introduces his disciples to spiritual concepts instead of revealing everything at once.
• Cultivation as experimentation: The failed Spirit-Gathering Arrays emphasize that even Feng Jun’s great abilities require testing, precision, and tolerance for mistakes.
• Loyalty and hierarchy: The disciples willingly obey Feng Jun’s unusual orders, while Feng Jun balances authority with responsibility by explaining the danger and planning their support.
• The contrast between ordinary and extraordinary worlds: Explosions that would be routine in the Phone Plane are unprecedented on Blue Star, highlighting the growing intrusion of supernatural forces into an ordinary modern setting.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the Tian Family: The Tian Family acts cautiously and respectfully, delivering the unusual letter rather than opening it. Feng Jun’s initial refusal reflects his distrust of indirect schemes, though he ultimately reads the surviving message.
• Feng Jun and his disciples: He informs them of his seclusion, assigns them protective duties, and later teaches them about heaven-and-earth spiritual energy. Their conversation reveals their anticipation that he will eventually teach them more advanced techniques.
• Feng Jun and Gazi: Gazi’s questions about immortality and “cultivating truth” amuse Feng Jun, but they also prompt Feng Jun to promise personalized cultivation paths.
• Xu Leigang and the estate workers: After the explosions, Xu Leigang firmly discourages questioning, protecting Feng Jun’s secrecy and maintaining order.
• The disciples among themselves: They cooperate in organizing patrols and accept the temporary suspension of their outside affairs, demonstrating their shared loyalty to Feng Jun.

Chapter Summary: “Strange Sight”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The spiritual energy in Peach Blossom Valley rises rapidly after the activation of twenty-seven Spirit-Gathering Arrays. Feng Jun determines that the arrays need another day and a half before reaching roughly ninety percent efficiency.
• By Thursday morning, the valley is covered in dense white mist despite the clear weather. A large vortex forms above the Bamboo Grove, drawing the mist inward and steadily expanding.
• Feng Jun enters seclusion and begins cultivating the Primordial Chaos Heaven-Devouring Technique, aiming to break through from the Qi Refining First Layer to the Second Layer.
• His cultivation dramatically affects the valley: the vortex expands to over ten meters, and the surrounding mist is consumed. The disciples initially believe that Feng Jun is absorbing the fog itself.
• The mist eventually disappears around late morning, but the valley still retains abundant spiritual energy. It is later explained that the mist was a mixture of spiritual energy and dew rather than pure spiritual energy.
• Feng Jun successfully breaks through to the Qi Refining Second Layer. He calculates that the formations should support him through the Qi Refining Third Layer Peak, likely within five or six days, though he gives himself a deadline of half a month.
• He remains uncertain whether the available spiritual energy will be sufficient for the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, especially because his cultivation technique consumes an unusually large amount of energy.
• The three disciples organize a practical guard system around the valley. One main observation post and two auxiliary posts are enough to monitor the large area.
• Their guard duty includes comic teasing over the walkie-talkies, particularly involving the receptionist delivering lunch and the disciples impersonating one another.
• Sister Hong arrives at Luohua Manor with two companions to see Feng Jun. The disciples admit her entry, partly because Feng Jun appears to have renewed his relationship with her, but she learns that he is currently in seclusion.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates a major advancement in cultivation, successfully reaching the Qi Refining Second Layer. His confidence grows as he realizes that the formations can probably support him to the Third Layer Peak, though he remains cautious about higher breakthroughs.
• Xu Leigang, Wang Haifeng, and Gazi: Become increasingly awed by Feng Jun’s power as they witness the enormous vortex and spiritual-energy phenomenon. They also show improved coordination by creating an efficient security rotation.
• Wang Haifeng: Acts as a practical observer and communicator, noticing the vortex first and helping interpret the strange phenomenon. He also handles Sister Hong’s arrival, though he is uncomfortable explaining Feng Jun’s absence.
• Xu Leigang: Maintains an enthusiastic, outspoken attitude and participates in both security planning and the group’s playful banter.
• Gazi: Shows some insecurity about whether he can sense spiritual energy, then joins the others in joking and observing the valley.
• Sister Hong: Takes a significant step into Feng Jun’s current world by visiting Luohua Manor, admiring its unusual surroundings, and seeking him directly.

Significant Themes

• The contrast between ordinary reality and cultivation: A clear morning produces an apparently supernatural landscape, showing how cultivation can transform the natural environment.
• The immense cost of power: Feng Jun’s technique advances quickly but consumes vast amounts of spiritual energy, making resources a central limitation.
• Growth through infrastructure and preparation: The Spirit-Gathering Arrays and carefully arranged guard posts demonstrate that Feng Jun’s progress depends not only on personal talent but also on planning and support.
• Mystery and misinterpretation: The disciples misunderstand the nature of the white mist, emphasizing how unfamiliar cultivation phenomena appear even to those close to Feng Jun.
• Loyalty and expanding relationships: The disciples protect Feng Jun’s seclusion and make decisions based on his broader plans, while Sister Hong’s arrival suggests that personal relationships are becoming increasingly connected to his cultivation life.
• Comedic camaraderie: The walkie-talkie jokes and teasing provide a lighthearted counterbalance to the serious breakthrough and supernatural events.

Character Interactions

• The three disciples communicate constantly through the “Disciples Only” walkie-talkie channel, alternating between astonishment, speculation, and humor about Feng Jun’s cultivation.
• They compete jokingly over who can sense spiritual energy and tease one another about observation posts and the receptionist.
• The disciples protect Feng Jun’s privacy by allowing Sister Hong into the manor and explaining that he is in seclusion, though they are unsure how much she already knows.
• Sister Hong interacts with Li Shishi, Li Xiaobin, and Wang Haifeng while trying to locate Feng Jun, revealing her familiarity with the manor’s staff and her apparent personal connection to Feng Jun.

Chapter Summary: “When Kings Meet”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sister Hong visits Luohua Manor after learning that Feng Jun has entered a fifteen-day period of secluded cultivation.
• Xu Leigang and Wang Haifeng guard the bamboo grove and refuse to let anyone enter. Sister Hong initially misunderstands “cultivation,” briefly thinking Feng Jun may be doing yoga, but eventually realizes he is practicing something supernatural.
• She waits until nightfall for Feng Jun to emerge, then returns the following morning and witnesses a massive vortex of spiritual energy above the bamboo grove. The phenomenon shakes her understanding of Feng Jun and makes her reconsider the meaning of their past “yoga” sessions.
• Sister Hong decides to stay at the manor, partly to remain near Feng Jun and partly to investigate further. She becomes increasingly aware that Hao Fengjing has a special relationship with him.
• When Sister Hong and Hao Fengjing meet, both immediately recognize the other as a potential romantic rival. Their introductions—Sister Hong as Feng Jun’s “business partner” and Hao Fengjing as merely a “music teacher”—only heighten their suspicions.
• Sister Hong becomes irritated when she discovers that Hao Fengjing has a key to the rear building, knows about the bamboo grove, and enjoys privileges she does not have.
• The two women engage in a restrained but pointed exchange, each disguising her hostility beneath polite conversation. Hao Fengjing avoids revealing her relationship with Feng Jun and deflects Sister Hong’s attempts to probe her.
• Over the next several days, the spiritual vortex grows dramatically, reaching roughly fifteen or sixteen meters in height. Five days after Sister Hong’s arrival, it suddenly vanishes.

Character Developments

• Sister Hong: Her curiosity about Feng Jun develops into suspicion, jealousy, and competitive determination. She moves from doubting or misunderstanding cultivation to recognizing Feng Jun as a genuine master. Her reactions also reveal that she cares more deeply about her relationship with him than she admits.
• Hao Fengjing: She remains composed, discreet, and guarded. Although she recognizes Sister Hong’s hostility, she refuses to openly compete with her and maintains a low-profile approach. Her access to the rear building and familiarity with the manor suggest a close bond with Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun: He never appears directly, but his influence dominates the chapter. His secluded cultivation, wealth, supernatural abilities, and relationships with several women shape everyone’s behavior.
• Li Shishi: She is placed in an uncomfortable position as mediator between the two women. Her loyalty and gratitude toward Hao Fengjing make her more inclined to protect Hao Fengjing’s position.
• Xu Leigang, Wang Haifeng, and Gazi/Lu Xiaoning: They serve as Feng Jun’s guards and gatekeepers, protecting his seclusion while revealing selective information to those they trust.

Significant Themes

• Mystery and revelation: Feng Jun’s cultivation becomes increasingly difficult for outsiders to dismiss as a hoax, forcing Sister Hong to reconsider her assumptions about him and the world.
• Jealousy and rivalry: The chapter focuses heavily on subtle competition between Sister Hong and Hao Fengjing, with both women trying to assess the other’s closeness to Feng Jun.
• Power and privilege: Access to the rear building, the bamboo grove, the yacht, and Feng Jun’s private attention all function as signs of status within his circle.
• Appearance versus reality: Polite titles such as “business partner,” “music teacher,” and “friend” conceal more complicated relationships. Likewise, the apparently ordinary act of yoga may have been connected to Feng Jun’s cultivation.
• Patience and persistence: Sister Hong’s repeated visits and willingness to wait demonstrate her determination to understand Feng Jun and secure her place in his life.

Character Interactions

• Sister Hong repeatedly questions Xu Leigang and the guards about Feng Jun’s cultivation but receives only vague answers.
• Her first meeting with Hao Fengjing is outwardly courteous but filled with concealed suspicion and rivalry.
• Sister Hong attempts to challenge Hao Fengjing by asking about her relationship with Feng Jun and offering to arrange music students, but Hao Fengjing calmly redirects the conversation back to Feng Jun.
• Hao Fengjing avoids direct confrontation, yet her familiarity with the manor and expectation that Feng Jun will call her intensify Sister Hong’s jealousy.
• The chapter ends with the supernatural vortex disappearing, creating anticipation about Feng Jun’s condition and what will happen when he finally emerges.

Chapter Summary: “Take It Easy First”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun completes eight days of secluded cultivation and reaches the peak of Qi Refining Level Three. Because his cultivation art requires consolidation at the peak of each minor realm, he decides not to advance immediately.
• He dismantles the twenty-seven Spirit-Gathering Arrays, retrieves the partially depleted Spirit Stones, and leaves the cultivation valley.
• His disciples, Xu Leigang, Wang Haifeng, and Gazi, react to his emergence. Wang complains humorously about guarding the manor, while Feng Jun instructs them to install more surveillance cameras and allows them to resume cultivating.
• Feng Jun’s return causes activity throughout Luohua Manor. Li Xiaobin arranges a celebratory meal and informs Mou Miao, who has come to discuss the growing Boiler-Backed Engine business.
• Mou Miao reports that over six hundred engines have been produced and discusses shifting production toward the improved model, lowering costs, and developing a third version. He and Liu Xiaoxuan have benefited enormously from the business and are now considering buying a home.
• Feng Jun learns that Hao Fengjing and Sister Hong had encountered each other while he was in seclusion. Concerned about their relationship and possible jealousy, he calls both women.
• Hao Fengjing refuses to visit immediately, agreeing only to come on Friday or Saturday. Sister Hong teases Feng Jun about his cultivation, but he hints that his abilities are genuine, claiming to practice immortal cultivation and even implying that he can transform stones into jade.
• Sister Hong visits the manor, drinks too much to drive home, and accepts Feng Jun’s offer to stay. She specifically requests the rear building, knowing Hao Fengjing has access to it. Feng Jun jokingly suggests it is convenient for practicing yoga, unintentionally provoking her jealousy.
• Sister Hong spends a restless night and sleeps until the next afternoon. Meanwhile, Feng Jun hosts Mou Miao and Liu Xiaoxuan for breakfast and shows them around the manor before they depart.
• Unsure whether to focus next on the Blue Star Realm or the Phone Plane, Feng Jun receives Hao Fengjing’s message saying she has finished work early. He considers inviting her for tea, then decides instead to enter the Phone Plane, recognizing that he still lacks practical immortal techniques.

Character Development

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates greater control and caution in cultivation by pausing to consolidate his foundation. He balances his supernatural ambitions with practical responsibilities at the manor and business affairs. His growing confidence is evident in his teasing claims about immortal cultivation, though he remains aware that he lacks useful techniques.
• Wang Haifeng and the disciples: Their loyalty and willingness to endure difficult guard duty are emphasized through humor. Feng Jun rewards their efforts by permitting them to resume cultivation.
• Mou Miao and Liu Xiaoxuan: Their lives have been transformed by the Boiler-Backed Engine enterprise. They have progressed from struggling workers to financially successful partners planning to buy a home.
• Sister Hong: Her jealousy toward Hao Fengjing becomes more apparent. Although she is upset, she deliberately avoids repeating her previous mistake of withdrawing for too long and takes the initiative to visit Feng Jun.
• Hao Fengjing: Remains cautious and self-possessed, choosing when to visit rather than responding immediately to Feng Jun’s invitation. Her brief message later suggests a desire to see him.
• Li Xiaobin: Acts as a dependable and considerate employee by organizing the welcome meal without intruding on Feng Jun’s private affairs.

Significant Themes

• The need for balance and patience: Feng Jun must pause despite rapid progress, reflecting the principle that cultivation cannot ignore natural limits.
• Power versus preparation: Although Feng Jun has advanced significantly, he recognizes that high cultivation alone is insufficient without usable immortal techniques.
• Jealousy and romantic rivalry: Sister Hong and Hao Fengjing’s overlapping relationship with Feng Jun creates tension, with Feng Jun attempting—sometimes clumsily—to manage both women.
• Loyalty and mutual prosperity: Feng Jun’s disciples and business associates benefit from their association with him, while their hard work and goodwill also support his ambitions.
• Modern life alongside cultivation: Surveillance cameras, walkie-talkies, industrial production, business negotiations, and smartphones coexist with arrays, spirit stones, and immortal cultivation.
• Secrecy and gradual revelation: Feng Jun continues concealing the true nature of his abilities, offering jokes and half-truths while deciding how much others can be trusted with.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun humorously warns Wang Haifeng that additional disciples could reduce the resources available to current followers.
• He reassures his disciples that his next seclusion will not last as long and authorizes them to cultivate again.
• Feng Jun and Mou Miao discuss production costs and future engine development, showing mutual trust and cooperation.
• Feng Jun speaks separately with Hao Fengjing and Sister Hong, trying to smooth over their encounter and maintain both relationships.
• Sister Hong challenges Feng Jun’s claims about immortal cultivation, while he responds with playful but suggestive hints about his supernatural abilities.
• Her request to stay in the rear building, combined with Feng Jun’s teasing comment about yoga, intensifies the romantic tension.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun choosing the Phone Plane over an immediate meeting with Hao Fengjing, prioritizing the acquisition of useful techniques after reaching a cultivation bottleneck.

Chapter Summary:

The Inspectors Arrive

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun continues juggling affairs between the two worlds. He remembers his unfinished plan to create a software database and intends to keep studying talismans, especially the Immortal version of the Sweet Rain Talisman.
• Producing Sweet Rain Talismans could give him a valuable source of finished Spirit Stones, which are more useful in cultivation transactions than raw Spirit Stones Under Refinement. The talisman could also be sold to mortals, making it economically and strategically important.
• After three days of experimentation, Yu Changqing attempts to cultivate again using the Spirit-Gathering Array. Seven people compete for access to its spiritual energy, including Chen Junsheng and Yu Changzhu, who temporarily abandon their work to secure a place.
• Feng Jun organizes the participants with disguises and assigned positions, though he dislikes the lack of rules surrounding the array’s use.
• When Yu Changqing activates the Gathering Spirit Formation Disk, inspectors from Donghua Kingdom arrive after receiving a report about suspicious cultivation activity.
• Feng Jun intercepts the inspectors before they reach the courtyard, giving him time to protect the cultivators and prevent the inspection from disrupting Yu Changqing’s cultivation.
• The inspectors consist of two Qi Refining First Layer cultivators and a stronger Qi Refining Third Layer cultivator, Senior Brother Guo. Feng Jun identifies himself as an independent cultivator but refuses to reveal his sect or background.
• At the courtyard, the inspectors verify Yu Changqing’s identity, her affiliation with Carefree Platform, and the authenticity of the Gathering Spirit Formation Disk.
• The younger male inspector challenges Yu Changqing’s right to possess and use the disk as a Mortal Transcendence cultivator. His questions become increasingly arrogant and threatening.
• Yu Changqing firmly states that Carefree Platform authorized her presence and that Feng Jun is protecting her. Feng Jun reinforces her warning, preventing the inspector from escalating the confrontation.
• Senior Brother Guo then notices the other people around the courtyard and begins questioning who they are, raising concerns about forbidden cultivation by ordinary families.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun shows increasing awareness of the need for systems, rules, and long-term planning. He is also becoming more confident in dealing with official cultivators, using his mysterious status and apparent backing to protect those under his care.
• Yu Changqing has advanced to the Mortal Transcendence Eighth Layer and is trusted by Carefree Platform to use a Gathering Spirit Formation Disk. She demonstrates greater confidence, answering the inspector respectfully but refusing to submit to intimidation.
• Chen Junsheng and Yu Changzhu reveal how valuable the Spirit-Gathering Array has become by setting aside their responsibilities to compete for access.
• The young male inspector displays the arrogance common among Qi Refining cultivators toward Mortal Transcendence practitioners. His hostility is partly motivated by jealousy because he lacks a Gathering Spirit Formation Disk himself.
• The young female inspector is more courteous and curious, asking about Feng Jun’s identity and sect.
• Senior Brother Guo acts as the more experienced and restrained member of the inspection team. He recognizes that Feng Jun likely possesses an unusual legacy or powerful backing and prevents the younger inspector from provoking a stronger opponent.

Significant Themes

• Power hierarchy and social status: The chapter emphasizes the vast divide between Mortal Transcendence and Qi Refining cultivators. Reaching Qi Refining changes a person’s legal and social status, allowing them to avoid investigation as an ordinary mortal.
• Hidden identities and protection: Feng Jun’s refusal to reveal his sect creates an aura of mystery and protects his interests. Independent cultivators cannot be investigated casually, allowing hidden legacies and families to survive.
• Resource scarcity and competition: The Spirit-Gathering Array becomes a coveted resource, prompting people to abandon other goals in order to obtain cultivation opportunities.
• Rules versus disorder: Feng Jun wants cultivation opportunities and access to resources governed by clear rules, but the growing demand for the array creates confusion and competition.
• Institutional authority and intimidation: The inspectors represent Donghua Kingdom’s authority, but their power is limited when confronting someone with stronger protection or uncertain backing.
• Family cultivation restrictions: The chapter explains that ordinary families are forbidden from openly training cultivators. A family can only fully benefit from a Qi Refining descendant after that person establishes themselves in the cultivation world and gains the right to relocate the clan.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun organizes the seven cultivators using the Spirit-Gathering Array while accommodating Chen Junsheng’s greater spiritual-energy needs.
• He meets the inspectors halfway to prevent them from disturbing Yu Changqing and carefully controls the conversation.
• The male inspector questions Feng Jun’s status and criticizes Yu Changqing’s use of the formation disk, creating tension.
• Yu Changqing invokes Carefree Platform’s authority and Feng Jun’s protection, refusing to be bullied.
• Feng Jun openly backs Yu Changqing, warning the inspector that she has a powerful protector.
• Senior Brother Guo defuses the confrontation and redirects attention toward the other people using the array, setting up a new potential conflict over whether Feng Jun is illegally helping ordinary mortals cultivate.