Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Yuan Senior Gets ‘Protected’”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After spending the afternoon in Yufeng Township, Xu Leigang and his companions return to Luohua Manor and discover that Chaoge personnel are forcing their way through the Mountain Gate.
• Two guards have been handcuffed and restrained, while several men operate the gate. A bus filled with dozens of young men and two SUVs suggest that Chaoge has launched a large-scale operation.
• Xu Leigang blocks the entrance with his vehicle and warns the intruders that Zhu Junqing’s family and Yuan Zihao’s relatives are inside. The Chaoge men dismiss these connections and threaten to move his car by force.
• Wang Haifeng receives Xu’s warning and rushes to the gate with Gazi. Yuan Zihao and his son Yuan Huapeng also follow, unwilling to let the intruders act lawlessly.
• A violent storm begins as they arrive, creating an ominous atmosphere.
• Yuan Zihao identifies himself and orders the Chaoge men to stop. Rather than retreat, their leader sarcastically orders several men to “protect” Yuan Senior while the others remove Xu’s vehicle.
• The Chaoge group claims they are searching for Feng Jun, whom they suspect of involvement in a fatal car accident. They use the deaths as justification for mobilizing so many people and attempting to arrest him.
• Outraged by Yuan Zihao’s humiliation and the group’s aggression, Feng Jun exits his vehicle and confronts them.
• When the Chaoge men move to seize him, lightning suddenly strikes him without harming him. As Feng Jun angrily declares that Heaven should strike down the “bastards,” additional thunderbolts hit the attackers.
• Several men are knocked down, while the remaining Chaoge personnel flee in terror.

Character Developments

• Xu Leigang demonstrates increased confidence and decisiveness after advancing to High-Rank Martial Warrior. Although badly outnumbered, he immediately blocks the gate and buys time for reinforcements.
• Wang Haifeng shows his protective loyalty toward Luohua Manor and his longstanding resentment of Chaoge. He is ready to respond violently and arrives armed.
• Yuan Zihao becomes more assertive and morally indignant. Despite his age and retirement, he personally confronts the intruders and refuses to tolerate their abuse of authority.
• Yuan Huapeng displays filial concern by attempting to keep his elderly father away from danger, but ultimately accompanies him.
• Feng Jun shifts from passive observation to direct intervention. His anger at the disrespect shown to Yuan Zihao prompts him to reveal his overwhelming power.
• The Chaoge men are initially aggressive and confident because of their numbers, but their arrogance collapses once Feng Jun’s lightning ability becomes apparent.

Significant Themes

• Power versus authority: The Chaoge group relies on numbers, uniforms, and legal pretexts, while Yuan Zihao’s former status is no longer enough to command respect. True power is ultimately demonstrated through Feng Jun’s supernatural strength.
• Abuse of law and political influence: Chaoge uses a murder investigation as a justification for intimidation and forced entry, blurring the line between law enforcement and banditry.
• Loyalty and protection: Xu, Wang Haifeng, Gazi, Yuan Huapeng, and Feng Jun all risk confrontation to defend the manor and one another.
• The decline of old status: Yuan Zihao’s reputation once carried great weight, but the Chaoge men believe retirement has made him vulnerable. His angry resistance shows that personal dignity and moral authority remain important even when formal influence fades.
• Heavenly justice: The storm and lightning symbolize supernatural punishment. Feng Jun’s words appear to trigger—or at least coincide with—Heaven’s judgment against the attackers.

Character Interactions

• Xu Leigang verbally confronts the Chaoge men and invokes Zhu Junqing and Yuan Zihao’s names to deter them.
• Wang Haifeng rallies Gazi and brings weapons, preparing to defend the manor and settle old grievances with Chaoge.
• Yuan Zihao directly challenges the intruders, while Yuan Huapeng tries to shield his father from the conflict.
• The Chaoge leader mocks Yuan Zihao by ordering men to “protect” him while continuing the forced entry, turning the confrontation into a deliberate insult.
• Feng Jun intervenes when he sees Yuan Zihao surrounded and treated like a prisoner. His lightning attack immediately reverses the balance of power and sends the Chaoge forces fleeing.

Chapter Summary: “Silver Serpents Dance Wildly”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A large group from Chaoge arrives at Luohua Manor, ostensibly to summon Feng Jun for questioning about a recent car accident and alleged smuggling or tax evasion involving Boiler-Backed Engines.
• Before they can act, lightning begins striking the Chaoge people repeatedly and with remarkable precision. The attackers panic, rush toward their vehicles, and are warned not to touch metal or use their phones.
• One man attempts to have an SUV run Feng Jun over, but lightning strikes the vehicle and incapacitates him. Another man is struck while trying to call emergency services.
• Feng Jun calmly stands in the rain under an umbrella, smoking and behaving as though he controls the storm. His companions notice him secretly forming hand seals, suggesting that the lightning is indeed his doing.
• Yuan Zihao, initially skeptical of supernatural claims, is deeply shaken by what he witnesses. Feng Jun humorously reassures him that lightning will not strike an “upright” person.
• Feng confronts the leader of the Chaoge group, a middle-aged man surnamed Wang, and mocks the absurdity of bringing forty or fifty people to deliver a mere summons.
• Sister Hong challenges Wang’s legal justification, pointing out that a summons could be carried out at Luohua Manor and that the group lacks conclusive evidence against Feng Jun.
• Under pressure, Wang reveals that the real purpose of the operation is connected to the alleged smuggling and tax evasion, rather than simply investigating the car accident.
• Feng Jun then demands to know who handcuffed and assaulted his gate guards. After two attackers are identified, he drags them forward and has them reveal their accomplices.
• Coach Wang and Fat Xu emphasize that the Chaoge group exceeded its authority by restraining the guards. Luohua Manor’s side begins forcefully retaliating despite being heavily outnumbered.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates overwhelming confidence and power. His control over the lightning—or at least his apparent ability to direct it—terrifies the attackers and establishes his dominance. He remains calm, humorous, and methodical while humiliating the opposition.
• Yuan Zihao shifts from rational skepticism to stunned uncertainty after witnessing the apparently supernatural lightning strikes. His fear of death makes him newly receptive to ideas of supernatural power and longevity.
• Zhang Caixin becomes fascinated by Feng Jun’s abilities and immediately wonders whether controlling electricity might eventually lead to controlling time or achieving immortality.
• Hao Fengjing, previously detached and still resentful toward the Zhang sisters, is suddenly captivated by the possibility of extending human life.
• Sister Hong takes on the role of a sharp legal and strategic defender, exposing the Chaoge group’s weak justification and forcing its leader to reveal his real motives.
• The Chaoge personnel rapidly lose their arrogance. They arrive intending to overpower Feng Jun but become frightened, submissive, and unable to challenge him directly.
• The gate guards and Feng Jun’s allies gain confidence as Feng Jun protects them and turns the attackers’ own misconduct against them.

Significant Themes

• Power and intimidation: Feng Jun’s apparent control of lightning transforms the balance of power instantly, showing that numbers and official authority mean little against overwhelming personal strength.
• Supernatural ability versus rational explanation: The characters struggle to reconcile Feng Jun’s actions with ordinary reality, especially Yuan Zihao, who cannot decide whether the event is magic, coincidence, or genuine supernatural control.
• Abuse of authority: The Chaoge group disguises a coercive operation as a lawful summons, bringing a large force and assaulting the manor’s guards. The chapter criticizes officials who use legal procedures as a pretext for intimidation.
• Fear and survival instinct: Even the attackers’ bravado disappears once lightning begins striking them. Their immediate concern becomes hiding in vehicles and avoiding metal.
• Justice and retaliation: Feng Jun’s response is not passive defense. He deliberately identifies and punishes those who assaulted his people, presenting his actions as a direct response to the Chaoge group’s misconduct.
• Mortality and immortality: The lightning display prompts Zhang Caixin and Hao Fengjing to speculate about controlling time and extending life, revealing their growing fascination with Feng Jun’s powers.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun teases Yuan Zihao about being morally upright, easing the old man into the vehicle while simultaneously reinforcing the impression that Feng Jun controls the lightning.
• Feng Jun and Wang engage in a tense verbal confrontation: Wang attempts to invoke official authority, while Feng Jun mocks the group’s excessive numbers and hidden agenda.
• Sister Hong directly counters Wang’s legal arguments, exposing contradictions between the stated investigation and the actual focus on smuggling and tax evasion.
• Feng Jun’s companions observe his hand seals and react with amazement, fear, and fascination, deepening their perception of him as an extraordinary figure.
• Feng Jun’s allies confront the attackers who restrained the gate guards, turning the chapter’s conflict from a one-sided raid into a forceful counterattack by Luohua Manor.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• During a thunderstorm, Chaoge agents launch a surprise raid on Luohua Manor, intending to arrest Feng Jun under the pretext of investigating a recent car accident and possible smuggling.
• Feng Jun uses weakened lightning-calling techniques to strike the intruders. None die, but two are seriously injured and may require amputations.
• Wang Haifeng, Xu Leigang, and the manor workers overpower and beat the attackers after they break through the gate. Yuan Youwei records the confrontation and threatens to post it online.
• Sister Hong calls the police, but severe weather delays their arrival. Feng Jun refuses to let the Chaoge group drive away with their injured companions, insisting they can carry them through the rain instead.
• A visitor eventually explains that the raid was organized by a powerful Chaoge corporation seeking to seize Mou Miao’s mechanical-processing business and sales channels. The corporation persuaded local officials to support action against Feng Jun by emphasizing potential GDP and political benefits.
• The police eventually arrive, permit the injured to receive medical treatment, and confine the remaining intruders at the manor overnight before taking them away the next day.
• That evening, Feng Jun and his companions debate how to respond. Feng Jun declares that if Chaoge City does not provide an explanation, he will leave Yang City and return to Sunrise County.
• His statement alarms everyone because his jade business supports Yang City’s emerging jade market and provides substantial employment. The group strongly opposes his leaving, though Lu Xiaoning points out that returning home would give them greater control.
• After repeatedly using the Lightning-Calling Technique, Feng Jun is severely drained of spiritual energy and prepares to replenish it. As he leaves the main building, Gao Qiang urgently calls after him: “Master, please wait.”

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates both overwhelming power and restraint. Although furious at the raid, he does not kill anyone and allows the authorities to handle the aftermath. His possible departure reveals how economically influential he has become.
• Old Master Yuan is enraged by the attempt to restrict his freedom and protect him without consent, but ultimately urges Feng Jun to stop the beating and let official procedures proceed.
• Sister Hong acts pragmatically by contacting the police and later advocating that they investigate the injured before deciding on retaliation.
• Wang Haifeng and the manor workers show fierce loyalty to Feng Jun and the manor by defending it physically against the raiders.
• Yuan Youwei behaves boldly and impulsively, recording the incident and standing up for his family despite being threatened.
• Yuan Zihao openly hates the Chaoge attackers but prevents Youwei from posting the footage online, suggesting concern about escalation or public consequences.
• The Chaoge corporation and officials are revealed as motivated less by justice than by commercial competition, political achievement, and access to Feng Jun’s business connections.
• Feng Jun’s companions reveal their dependence on his presence in Yang City. Their opposition to his departure reflects both personal attachment and fear of losing their livelihoods and status.

Significant Themes

• Power versus official procedure: The attackers invoke legality and authority, yet use violent force and extrajudicial methods. Feng Jun, despite possessing supernatural power, ultimately allows the police process to intervene.
• Economic influence and hidden power: Feng Jun’s jade trade has created jobs, markets, and prosperity, giving him influence far beyond his lack of formal corporate or tax status.
• Greed and political corruption: The raid is driven by a corporation’s desire to steal Mou Miao’s market and by officials’ hopes for GDP growth and political benefits.
• Loyalty and dependence: The group’s resistance to Feng Jun leaving shows how deeply their personal and professional futures are tied to him.
• Restraint and retaliation: The chapter balances the desire for revenge against the need to avoid excessive violence, public scandal, and legal complications.
• Technology and evidence: Youwei’s recordings provide a potential counter to the attackers’ official narrative, though Yuan Zihao insists they not be released publicly.

Character Interactions

• Sister Hong calls the police while Wang Haifeng and the others subdue the raiders.
• Youwei confronts the attackers through his recordings, while Xu Leigang’s family protects him.
• Old Master Yuan orders Gao Qiang to stop the beating and investigate the attackers’ injuries and sponsors.
• A Chaoge representative appeals to Wang Haifeng for help, but Wang demands an explanation of their origins before considering assistance.
• The police prioritize transporting the injured, frustrating Sister Hong and Feng Jun, but Old Master Yuan accepts the necessity of following procedure.
• During the evening discussion, Sister Hong, Zhang Caixin, Hao Fengjing, Yuan Zihao, and Li Xiaobin all reject Feng Jun’s plan to return to Sunrise County, while Lu Xiaoning cautiously supports it.
• The chapter ends with Gao Qiang stopping Feng Jun just as he goes to recover his spiritual energy, creating a cliffhanger about the next development.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Gao Qiang, previously skeptical of mystical interpretations of ancient medicine, realizes that Feng Jun truly summoned the lightning during the earlier incident.
• Feng Jun explains to his six followers that he used a Daoist technique called the Lightning-Calling Technique. The women’s current cultivation method is insufficient to learn it; they must reach the next realm.
• The three male disciples—Wang Haifeng, Xu Leigang, and Lu Xiaoning—cannot yet cultivate Daoist techniques directly. Feng Jun instructs them to pursue martial cultivation first and promises to devise Daoist methods for them after they reach a high enough level.
• Feng Jun reveals that reaching the Innate realm would allow the men to briefly remain suspended in the air. To demonstrate, he walks through the air more than three meters above the ground.
• He warns everyone that cultivation resources are limited and orders them not to reveal the existence of their training or Daoist abilities.
• Feng Jun estimates that Wang Haifeng should not force cultivation if he cannot reach the Innate realm within twenty years, emphasizing that advancement depends on individual circumstances.
• The male disciples leave to cultivate more intensely in the Bamboo Grove, motivated by the possibility of eventually flying.
• The next day, the group works to settle the conflict caused by the previous day’s poisoning incident and prevent Feng Jun from leaving Yang City. Yuan Zihao’s influence helps ease the deadlock.
• Relatives of the poisoned victims come to Feng Jun’s estate to burn incense and express gratitude. To avoid fire hazards and unwanted attention, Feng Jun has the large incense burner removed. Li Shishi suggests that visitors plant bamboo instead, giving Feng Jun a plausible public explanation for the estate’s unusual bamboo groves.

Character developments

• Feng Jun confirms more openly that he possesses genuine Daoist abilities, though he remains guarded about their full extent. He also demonstrates his superior cultivation and takes on a more formal mentor role.
• The male disciples become more ambitious after witnessing Feng Jun’s aerial movement. Their desire to reach the Innate realm strengthens, though Feng Jun cautions them against impatience.
• Wang Haifeng reacts seriously to the possible twenty-year cultivation period, showing determination but also awareness of the long road ahead.
• Xu Leigang privately worries about using cultivation resources to benefit his family, while recognizing that secrecy prevents him from making such requests.
• Hao Fengjing and Sister Hong are disappointed that Daoist techniques remain beyond their reach. Hao also regrets being unable to help her mother through cultivation.
• Gao Qiang’s rational skepticism is shaken when he is forced to acknowledge that Feng Jun summoned the lightning.
• Li Shishi demonstrates practical cleverness by proposing bamboo planting as a way to handle visitors while concealing Feng Jun’s true activities.

Significant themes

• The boundary between science, medicine, and mysticism: Gao Qiang’s disbelief collapses when confronted with an undeniable supernatural event.
• Cultivation as a hierarchy of power: Martial cultivation is presented as a necessary foundation, while Daoist techniques require higher realms and greater resources.
• Secrecy and scarcity: Feng Jun stresses that limited cultivation resources make secrecy essential, creating tension between personal loyalty, family obligations, and collective protection.
• Patience and long-term effort: The disciples must accept that reaching the Innate realm may take decades, and Feng Jun repeatedly warns them against rushing.
• Public appearances versus hidden reality: The estate’s visitors, incense offerings, and bamboo-planting explanation highlight Feng Jun’s need to disguise supernatural activities behind ordinary or socially acceptable practices.

Character interactions

• Feng Jun answers the women’s questions directly but remains cryptic about the lightning itself, allowing his silence to serve as confirmation.
• He brings the male disciples into the discussion, reducing the distinction between the two groups and giving everyone a clearer understanding of their cultivation paths.
• The disciples respond differently to Feng Jun’s revelations: Gazi reacts aggressively in defense of secrecy, Xu Leigang comments skeptically on his recklessness, and Wang Haifeng focuses on the time required for advancement.
• The women share their disappointment privately, while Feng Jun reassures them that even knowing Daoist techniques exist is already an extraordinary privilege.
• Li Shishi and Li Xiaobin react differently to the bamboo proposal: Shishi enthusiastically supports it, while Xiaobin finds her flattery shameless, adding a light comedic note to the chapter.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Leigang meets Director Zhang and asks him to help deal with a troublemaker from Chaoge connected to the case involving Zhang Weihong. He offers money, but Director Zhang is more influenced by his relationship with Old Zhao and by the complicated political pressure surrounding the case.
• Director Zhang agrees to help indirectly, though he avoids becoming openly involved. He becomes curious about Xu’s master, Feng Jun, after learning that Feng owns Luohua Manor and is considered extremely powerful and wealthy.
• Yang City summons the general manager and legal representative of another company involved in the dispute. The investigation reveals that Feng Jun has sold many Boiler-Backed Engines to Luo Country, raising concerns because of Luo Country’s secrecy and political sensitivity.
• Yuan Zihao questions Feng about the sales. Feng refuses to identify his buyers and jokes that the engines were merely sold as scrap. Yuan warns him about possible transportation and national-security complications but ultimately agrees to support him if Feng is confident the transactions cannot be traced.
• Chaoge contacts Mou Miao again and offers to return the confiscated Boiler-Backed Engines and his vehicle in exchange for ending the dispute. Yuan Huapeng advises Mou to accept the goods first and negotiate compensation afterward.
• The police investigation concludes that the accident was caused by an old tire running over a blunt object, not by gunfire or sabotage. Since Chaoge cannot easily dispute the expert report and faces pressure from the victims’ families, it abandons further confrontation and seeks settlement.
• The next morning, Chaoge sends five trucks to Luohua Manor with thirteen Boiler-Backed Engines and the impounded Handa vehicle. Mou Miao insists that the property must be returned before discussing the release of anyone.
• After some resistance, Chaoge unloads the engines. The returned Handa, however, has been driven thousands of extra kilometers, damaged, and left dirty. Liu Xiaoxuan angrily demands compensation rather than accepting the vehicle’s condition.

Character Developments

• Xu Leigang demonstrates loyalty to Feng Jun and confidence in his own influence. He uses both Old Zhao’s relationship with Director Zhang and subtle intimidation to secure cooperation.
• Director Zhang is shown as cautious and politically aware. Although he agrees to help, he avoids taking direct responsibility because the case has higher-level backing and involves dangerous figures such as Zhang Weihong.
• Feng Jun remains secretive and composed regarding his dealings with Luo Country. He treats the investigation lightly, suggesting that he is confident in his ability to conceal his business activities.
• Yuan Huapeng/Yuan Zihao acts as a pragmatic adviser. He helps Feng and Mou Miao navigate the dispute while recognizing the limits of official protection.
• Gao Qiang makes significant progress toward becoming Feng Jun’s disciple. He accepts a harsh three-year unpaid observation period, showing determination and willingness to sacrifice for the opportunity.
• Mou Miao becomes more assertive in negotiations, refusing to release anyone until Chaoge returns the goods.
• Liu Xiaoxuan gains confidence from Feng Jun’s backing and refuses to tolerate Chaoge’s mistreatment of her vehicle, demanding proper compensation.

Significant Themes

• Power and influence: Personal connections, reputation, and hidden authority matter more than money or formal procedures.
• Political caution and secrecy: Feng Jun’s dealings with Luo Country illustrate the risks of operating across sensitive political boundaries.
• Pragmatism over pride: Chaoge abandons retaliation once evidence, public pressure, and practical consequences make continued conflict too costly.
• Loyalty and allegiance: Xu Leigang’s defense of Feng Jun and Gao Qiang’s willingness to work without pay emphasize devotion to a powerful master.
• Justice and compensation: Although Chaoge returns the property, its careless handling of the vehicle shows that restoring possessions does not erase the damage or justify the misconduct.

Character Interactions

• Xu Leigang and Director Zhang negotiate through a mixture of money, mutual connections, veiled threats, and respect for Old Zhao.
• Feng Jun and Yuan exchange skeptical, teasing dialogue, with Yuan warning him about national and logistical risks while Feng remains evasive.
• Mou Miao confronts Chaoge representatives and forces them to return the engines before any settlement can proceed.
• Gao Qiang’s cooperation with Feng Jun contrasts with Chaoge’s distrust and reluctance.
• Liu Xiaoxuan challenges Chaoge directly over the abused Handa, signaling that Luohua Manor now feels strong enough to demand fair treatment.

Chapter Summary: “Thought Moves Heaven and Earth”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Xiaoxuan reluctantly accepts 5,000 yuan from the Chaoge people for damage to her new car.
• The Chaoge group negotiates their release:
  • Mou Miao shamelessly redirects responsibility to Feng Jun.
  • They eventually contact Sister Hong and pay another 500,000 yuan for their freedom.
  • Their deputy general manager remains imprisoned for seizing a patrol officer’s gun.
• The Xu Family suffers severe financial and legal consequences. Third Xu and Fourth Xu receive suspended sentences after costly lawsuits, lose the money earned from Mou Miao, and accumulate debts of at least 500,000 yuan, potentially rising to 700,000 yuan. Despite this, Third Xu refuses to acknowledge his own wrongdoing.
• Once the Chaoge people deliver the boiler-backed engines, Feng Jun considers the conflict resolved. Mou Miao and Liu Xiaoxuan leave the estate and move production to Cloud Garden, where they find manufacturers capable of fulfilling future orders.
• Sister Hong advances to Mortal Transcendence Level One, while Zhang Caixin reaches the peak of Level Three.
• Feng Jun tests whether Sister Hong can use a Storage Pouch, but she cannot. She can operate Zhang Caixin’s Storage Talisman, though Zhang objects to its durability being wasted. Feng Jun promises to obtain more talismans later.
• Feng Jun decides not to return to the Phone Plane until reaching Qi Refining Level Six, partly because of his dangerous karmic ties to Xie Chaoqun and Yu Changqing’s senior brother.
• He begins practicing Thought Moves Heaven and Earth, a technique for cultivating spiritual consciousness. By using phone-app abilities such as “People Nearby” and entering the farm, he strengthens his consciousness.
• After seven days, Feng Jun successfully projects his spiritual consciousness about one foot outside his body. However, the effort causes severe headaches. The Dragon-Phoenix Supreme Heart Method proves capable of restoring his depleted spiritual consciousness.
• Feng Jun continues studying talisman-making, especially the Thunderclap Talisman, Sweet Rain Talisman, and Blood-Essence Warning Talisman. He believes the blood-based talisman is closest to completion.
• The chapter ends when a luxury coach arrives at the estate. A desperate visitor asks Feng Jun for help because someone in their household has been poisoned.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more cautious about his cultivation progression and future travel, choosing to delay advancement and avoid the Phone Plane until he is stronger. He also expands his abilities by successfully cultivating external spiritual consciousness.
• Sister Hong reaches Mortal Transcendence Level One and becomes increasingly comfortable showing a playful, girlish side with Feng Jun. She is frustrated by the long wait for Storage Talismans.
• Zhang Caixin makes remarkable progress, reaching the peak of Mortal Transcendence Level Three. Her sensitivity to spiritual energy reflects her disciplined and ambitious approach to cultivation.
• Mou Miao reveals a more evasive, “shameless” side. His behavior is not dishonest so much as an attempt to avoid being exploited because of his softheartedness.
• Liu Xiaoxuan remains attached to her new car and resents having to accept compensation for its damage.
• Third Xu and Fourth Xu suffer legal and financial ruin but remain unwilling to accept responsibility for their actions.
• Hao Fengjing continues balancing her relationship with Feng Jun against family and political obligations, especially her need to reassure her mother-in-law and attend official meetings.

Significant Themes

• Consequences and accountability: The Xu Family’s losses demonstrate that wrongdoing eventually carries a price, even though the brothers refuse to admit fault.
• Power and negotiation: Money and influence determine who can secure freedom, settle disputes, or shift responsibility.
• Cultivation through discipline and restraint: Feng Jun deliberately postpones advancement, recognizing that reckless breakthroughs can violate the rules of his technique.
• The relationship between mind and power: The chapter emphasizes that spiritual consciousness can be cultivated independently and may become a major source of strength.
• Recovery and balance: The Dragon-Phoenix Supreme Heart Method is valuable not only for increasing cultivation but also for restoring the body and mind after intense exertion.
• Human attachment amid extraordinary abilities: Despite supernatural cultivation, characters still worry about cars, family approval, jealousy, romance, and everyday discomfort.

Character Interactions

• Liu Xiaoxuan argues with the Chaoge people over her car’s damage before accepting compensation.
• Mou Miao pushes responsibility for the Chaoge group’s release onto Feng Jun, forcing them to negotiate through Sister Hong.
• Sister Hong and the Chaoge people bargain over the payment required for their freedom.
• Feng Jun mediates between Sister Hong and Zhang Caixin over the use of Zhang’s Storage Talisman.
• Sister Hong teasingly asks Feng Jun when she will receive her own talismans, leading to a flirtatious exchange.
• Feng Jun and Sister Hong cultivate together, while Sister Hong privately reacts with jealousy when Feng Jun rushes off with Hao Fengjing.
• Feng Jun and Hao Fengjing spend the night together, but her schedule and family responsibilities leave their future cultivation sessions uncertain.
• The chapter closes with strangers appealing directly to Feng Jun for medical help, introducing a new crisis involving poisoning.

Summary of “Slow Regret”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A short, chubby young man arrives at Feng Jun’s estate seeking help for his younger sister, who has been poisoned with paraquat.
• The guards initially try to turn him away, explaining that paraquat poisoning is generally fatal and that the estate is not a hospital. They suspect he may be another person hoping to receive treatment for only a token offering.
• Feng Jun learns that the family already visited a hospital, where doctors said the woman had no hope. The poisoning occurred seven and a half days earlier.
• Feng Jun explains that paraquat causes gradual, irreversible pulmonary fibrosis. Unlike poisons that kill quickly, it leaves victims suffering for days or weeks, giving the poison its cruel reputation.
• Although Feng Jun is interested in testing whether his Detoxification Pills can treat such a serious case, he is reluctant to help without knowing the family’s attitude or whether they have the authority to make decisions.
• The young man reveals that he is not the family member in charge. When the poisoned woman’s older female relative arrives, Feng Jun questions whether she is authorized to decide.
• The family offers to pay for treatment. They initially propose 100,000 for five Detoxification Pills, based on the price Feng Jun charged in White Apricot Town.
• Feng Jun rejects the previous price, explaining that the Salmonella cases in White Apricot Town were tied to his reputation, whereas this case is a private request for him to assume considerable risk.
• He sets the price at two million per pill, while warning that he cannot guarantee a cure and that additional costs may apply.
• The young man protests, but the woman agrees to pay two million for Feng Jun to attempt the treatment, promising to accept any further conditions. Feng Jun then challenges whether she truly has the authority to make that commitment.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun is portrayed as cautious, calculating, and commercially minded rather than automatically compassionate. He wants to attempt the difficult treatment but first evaluates the family’s sincerity, status, and willingness to accept responsibility. He also demonstrates confidence in his unique medical resources and business judgment.
• The short and tall guards initially dismiss the family because they have seen many people try to exploit Feng Jun’s treatment services. However, the short guard becomes sympathetic and subtly helps the family identify Feng Jun. He then acts overly formal and intimidating to repair his image after revealing Feng Jun’s identity.
• The young man begins desperate and respectful, offering money in exchange for help. He is anxious and slow to understand the guards’ hints, but he remains relatively practical and negotiates directly once Feng Jun names his price.
• The woman accompanying him appears exhausted and emotionally devastated, suggesting a close connection to the victim. Despite her distress, she decisively accepts the high price and promises to meet Feng Jun’s conditions, though her actual authority remains uncertain.

Significant Themes

• The cruelty of delayed consequences: Paraquat’s slow, irreversible destruction gives victims time to regret their actions while offering little hope of recovery.
• Compassion versus self-protection: Feng Jun may be able to help, but he refuses to act blindly or allow others to exploit his goodwill.
• The value of life and the price of treatment: The two-million-per-pill demand emphasizes the extreme value placed on a possible cure, while also exposing the commercial and moral complications of miracle medicine.
• Reputation and obligation: Feng Jun helped White Apricot Town partly because the poisoning incident affected his reputation. He sees this unrelated case differently because he has no prior obligation to the family.
• Authority and responsibility: Feng Jun repeatedly asks who has the right to make decisions, suggesting that consent, payment, and accountability will be central to what happens next.

Character Interactions

• The guards mock and discourage the young man, explaining that paraquat is nearly impossible to cure.
• Feng Jun casually joins the guards while eating ice cream, creating a contrast between his relaxed behavior and the family’s desperation.
• The short guard secretly signals that the young man is speaking to the person he seeks, but the young man fails to understand until Feng Jun reacts.
• Feng Jun reprimands the short guard for revealing his identity, though he ultimately forgives him because the guard acted out of concern for a human life.
• The young man and Feng Jun negotiate over the treatment price, with the young man questioning the fairness of Feng Jun’s demand.
• The woman intervenes, accepts the financial risk, and offers Feng Jun broad authority to set conditions—only for Feng Jun to question whether she is actually empowered to do so.

Chapter Summary: “Keep Her Alive First”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• A woman approaches Feng Jun seeking help for her daughter, who has ingested Paraquat. She confirms that she has the authority to make medical decisions for the girl.
• Feng Jun demands an advance payment of two million yuan. After the money is transferred, he allows the family’s luxury medical bus to enter Luohua Manor, but only two hundred meters past the gate.
• The bus is extensively customized with medical equipment, living facilities, bedrooms, bathrooms, and a kitchen. Feng Jun is impressed by its luxury, and the girl’s cousin offers it to him if he successfully treats her.
• Feng Jun examines the teenage patient, who is severely weakened, restrained, and dependent on oxygen and monitoring equipment.
• Her family explains that she drank Paraquat after her mother confiscated her phone to stop her from watching dramas. Initially, the girl did not understand the poison’s severity, but after learning that she might die, she regretted her actions and begged her mother not to let her die.
• The girl’s father is dead, and her mother has raised her alone, explaining why the cousin and other relatives are handling negotiations.
• Feng Jun uses his “People Nearby” ability and discovers that the girl possesses a rare Ginger-Cinnamon Constitution, making her valuable as a potential cultivation companion. He therefore becomes fully committed to saving her.
• To prevent the family and medical staff from moving freely around the manor, Feng Jun orders the bus’s wheels removed. He permits the staff to remain inside, provides arrangements for fuel and supplies, and instructs the guards to monitor them.
• After examining the girl’s pulse for ten minutes, Feng Jun determines that she requires two Detoxification Pills and additional treatment.
• He guarantees that she will not die from Paraquat for the next ten years, but explains that more than half of her lungs have already become fibrotic and that the damage cannot be completely reversed.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Initially reluctant and suspicious, Feng Jun gradually becomes invested in the girl’s survival. His discovery of her special constitution changes his motivation from financial gain or obligation to a personal interest in cultivating a potential companion. He also demonstrates his controlling, cautious nature by restricting the family’s movement and trusting safeguards over promises.
• The girl’s mother: She begins distressed and emotionally overwhelmed but becomes decisive when her daughter’s life is at stake. Her guilt and grief are evident, especially as she recounts the conflict that led to the poisoning.
• The girl’s cousin: The short, fat young man acts as negotiator and intermediary. He is observant, practical, and willing to offer the luxury bus and additional money to secure Feng Jun’s help. He also shows loyalty toward his aunt and cousin.
• The poisoned girl: Though unconscious or barely responsive, her background is clarified. She is academically gifted but impulsive and immature, later regretting her suicide attempt once she understands its consequences.
• The guards: They obey Feng Jun’s orders and help enforce his control over the visitors. Their interactions with the family add a slightly humorous but tense element to the confinement arrangement.
• Medical staff: They remain professional and cooperative, accepting Feng Jun’s restrictions and extra payment without causing trouble.

3. Significant Themes

• The consequences of impulsive actions: The girl’s attempt to obtain her phone results in potentially irreversible physical damage, showing how childish rebellion can have life-threatening consequences.
• Parental control versus adolescent autonomy: The conflict begins with the mother trying to protect her daughter’s eyesight and studies, while the girl interprets the restriction as intolerable interference.
• Regret and the desire to live: The girl’s change from casually drinking poison to desperately begging for survival emphasizes that death may seem abstract until it becomes imminent.
• Trust and control: Feng Jun refuses to rely on assurances from strangers. Removing the bus’s wheels symbolizes his insistence on controlling the environment and protecting himself from possible betrayal.
• Irreversible damage and limited salvation: Feng Jun can preserve the girl’s life but cannot restore her lungs completely, highlighting the difference between survival and true recovery.
• Power, wealth, and desperation: The family’s enormous payment, luxury vehicle, and willingness to offer further compensation reveal how desperation can make people accept Feng Jun’s unusual conditions.
• Hidden potential: The girl’s Ginger-Cinnamon Constitution suggests that individuals may possess value or abilities beyond their visible circumstances, linking the medical crisis to Feng Jun’s cultivation interests.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun questions the mother and cousin to establish their relationship and authority before agreeing to treatment.
• He negotiates payment directly with the cousin, maintaining a firm and businesslike attitude.
• The cousin attempts to persuade Feng Jun by offering him the luxury bus, correctly noticing Feng Jun’s interest in it.
• Feng Jun criticizes the girl’s spoiled behavior, while the cousin defends her as a product of adolescence and generous upbringing.
• The mother repeatedly pleads for treatment and becomes emotionally distressed when discussing her daughter’s regret.
• Feng Jun confronts the mother about whether the girl truly wants to live, making survival a prerequisite for treatment.
• Feng Jun orders the guards and medical personnel around, establishing himself as the unquestioned authority within the manor.
• The guards joke and negotiate with the visitors but ultimately defer to Feng Jun’s decisions.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun giving the mother a precise but limited prognosis: he can keep the girl alive, but the existing lung fibrosis cannot be reversed.

Chapter Summary: “Treat Her First”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun explains that Xiao Hui’s condition is extremely severe. His initial treatment can keep her alive on a ventilator, while a lung transplant might be possible within ten years if suitable donor lungs become available.
• He reveals that a more complex treatment has a 90% chance of fully curing Xiao Hui, though it would require him to pay a “heavy price,” possibly shortening his lifespan.
• Xiao Hui’s mother and her nephew agree to pay Feng Jun after the girl is cured. Feng Jun refuses to set a conventional price, saying he lacks nothing and asking what they can offer him.
• He gives extravagant examples—ten-thousand-year-old wild ginseng, ten square kilometers of land, an overseas copper mine, or a listed company—but rejects them as too troublesome rather than too expensive.
• Xiao Hui awakens in despair, believing she is going to die and regretting her past actions. Her mother comforts her, while Feng Jun interrupts the emotional exchange and insists that they focus on treatment first.
• Feng Jun gives Xiao Hui a large pill. Despite her weakness and aversion to medicine, she swallows it, demonstrating her strong desire to survive.
• Feng Jun waits for news and summons a car. Sister Hong arrives driving Wang Haifeng’s vehicle and teases Feng Jun about the situation.
• Sister Hong suggests demanding two billion from Xiao Hui’s wealthy mother, but Feng Jun dismisses the idea, claiming they are not short of money and do not need to exploit the family.
• Xiao Hui soon feels better. Her mother approaches Feng Jun to thank him and ask when the second pill should be administered, while again offering to provide whatever compensation he desires.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Displays confidence in his medical abilities and unusual treatment methods. He appears indifferent to money and material wealth, preferring useful or personally meaningful compensation. Although boastful and playful, he shows compassion by prioritizing Xiao Hui’s treatment over negotiating payment.
• Xiao Hui: Moves from physical helplessness and fear of death toward cautious hope after taking the pill. Her willingness to swallow the medicine despite her condition highlights her determination to live.
• Xiao Hui’s mother: Begins overwhelmed by grief and fear, but becomes increasingly hopeful as Feng Jun offers a possible cure. Her willingness to promise any form of payment shows her desperation and devotion to her daughter.
• The short, fat young man: Acts as a practical intermediary, questioning Feng Jun’s claims and protecting his aunt from being cheated. He remains skeptical but agrees to proceed once payment terms are deferred.
• Sister Hong: Maintains her teasing, intimate relationship with Feng Jun. She is possessive and playful, pinching him when she misinterprets his comments, while also showing a pragmatic interest in financial gain.
• Medical staff: React with skepticism, disdain, or curiosity toward Feng Jun’s extraordinary claims, emphasizing how unprecedented his abilities appear.

Significant Themes

• Hope against terminal illness: Xiao Hui’s case presents the conflict between medical hopelessness and Feng Jun’s seemingly miraculous treatment.
• Faith versus skepticism: The family and medical staff struggle to decide whether Feng Jun is a genuine healer or a fraud, while his confidence rests on results rather than persuasion.
• The value of life versus money: Xiao Hui’s mother is willing to offer enormous wealth, but Feng Jun insists that money is not what motivates him.
• Desperation and parental love: The mother’s grief, bargaining, and willingness to give anything illustrate the lengths a parent will go to save a child.
• Power and extraordinary ability: Feng Jun’s claim that curing Xiao Hui may shorten his lifespan reinforces his image as someone capable of supernatural, “heaven-defying” acts.
• Treatment before negotiation: The chapter’s central practical principle is captured by Feng Jun’s insistence that they “treat the illness first” and settle the terms afterward.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun negotiates with Xiao Hui’s mother and nephew, repeatedly challenging their assumption that money is the only meaningful reward.
• Xiao Hui and her mother share an emotional exchange in which the mother reassures her daughter that she will survive.
• The medical staff observe and comment on Feng Jun’s claims, creating tension between conventional medicine and his methods.
• Feng Jun and Sister Hong engage in flirtatious, sarcastic banter, revealing their intimacy and contrasting with the seriousness of Xiao Hui’s condition.
• Xiao Hui’s mother later returns to thank Feng Jun and ask about further treatment, signaling that the pill has already produced encouraging results.

Chapter Summary: “Changes in Physique”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun schedules the second Detoxification Pill for midnight because the first pill’s effects will weaken after roughly twelve hours.
• Sister Hong teases Feng Jun about his midnight meeting with the middle-aged woman, implying romantic intentions. Feng Jun dismisses the suggestion and insists the meeting concerns the girl’s treatment.
• Feng Jun checks on the seriously ill girl, Hui, whose pulmonary fibrosis and suffering have been significantly eased by the first pill.
• At midnight, Feng Jun gives Hui the second Detoxification Pill and uses a rapid patting technique to help the medicine spread and eliminate the remaining poison.
• When someone secretly records the treatment, Feng Jun angrily orders the video deleted, establishing that everyone in his territory must follow his rules.
• After treating Hui, Feng Jun tells her family that he will return the next day and demands that they consider what price they can offer him.
• He asks Madam Yang whether she knows of any Daoist Inner Manuals. She does not, but agrees to search for one and gather anything potentially useful.
• The following day, Feng Jun discovers through his special observation ability that Hui’s paraquat poisoning has been completely eliminated.
• Hui’s original “Ginger-Cinnamon Constitution” has changed into a powerful “Yi Wood Physique.” Feng Jun reasons that the former constitution was likely caused or influenced by the poison, while the latter represents her natural physique.
• Feng Jun orders everyone except Madam Yang to leave the bus so he can conduct another private treatment.
• He gives Hui another pill and performs an even more intense series of rapid strikes. The treatment causes her to make sounds resembling pleasurable moans, creating an awkward and comic misunderstanding.
• Feng Jun ends the session after about fifteen minutes and explains that the first treatment should not last too long, implying that future sessions may be extended as Hui becomes accustomed to it.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Continues to demonstrate caution, authority, and reluctance to create unnecessary trouble. He refuses to hand over pills casually, protects his methods from being recorded, and seeks a Daoist Inner Manual in order to advance his cultivation. His discovery of Hui’s changed physique also shows his growing interest in rare constitutions and their cultivation potential.
• Sister Hong: Remains possessive, playful, and openly flirtatious toward Feng Jun. She enjoys teasing him about other women but becomes protective when he mentions Cai Xin.
• Hui: Her condition improves dramatically. She becomes more energetic and comfortable, smiles at Feng Jun, obeys his instructions without hesitation, and develops enough strength to endure his demanding treatment.
• Madam Yang: Shifts from desperate patient’s relative to a respectful intermediary for Feng Jun. She recognizes his extraordinary abilities, follows his orders, and begins searching for the cultivation manual he wants.
• The onlookers and medical staff: Become increasingly awed and fearful of Feng Jun after witnessing his techniques, though some still struggle with curiosity and resentment over his strict rules.

Significant Themes

• Healing and transformation: The Detoxification Pill not only removes Hui’s poison but also reveals a fundamental change in her body and future potential.
• Cultivation and hidden potential: Feng Jun’s interest in Hui’s Yi Wood Physique reflects the importance of innate constitutions in determining a person’s cultivation path.
• Authority and secrecy: Feng Jun insists that his methods remain private and that others respect his rules, emphasizing his control over his knowledge and territory.
• The cost of miraculous aid: Feng Jun does not provide treatment for free; he expects valuable compensation, specifically information or resources related to cultivation.
• Misunderstanding and comic tension: Sister Hong’s suspicions and Hui’s involuntary-sounding moans create humorous contrasts with the serious medical and cultivation-related events.

Character Interactions

• Sister Hong repeatedly pinches and teases Feng Jun about his meeting with Madam Yang, while Feng Jun denies any romantic motive.
• Feng Jun reassures Hui’s family through his treatment but maintains emotional and professional distance.
• When an observer records him without permission, Feng Jun intimidates the person into deleting the footage, with Madam Yang immediately supporting him.
• Madam Yang attempts to negotiate and understand what Feng Jun wants, leading to his request for a Daoist Inner Manual.
• During the private treatment, Hui’s reactions embarrass both herself and Feng Jun, while Madam Yang unexpectedly asks whether the session can continue longer, adding to the awkward humor.

Chapter Summary: “Feeling the Lightning Strike”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun continues treating Xiao Hui’s severe pulmonary fibrosis through an unconventional spiritual-energy method. He warns Ms. Yang that the first treatment was mild and that the next stage will be more intense.
• After the initial treatment, Xiao Hui coughs up black blood clots containing calcified lung tissue. Medical staff are shocked to discover signs that her damaged, fibrotic lung tissue may be regenerating.
• Ms. Yang remains cautiously hopeful and orders the doctors to observe Xiao Hui for the rest of the day. She also arranges confidentiality agreements and increased payment to prevent the treatment from attracting outside attention.
• By afternoon, Xiao Hui’s condition visibly improves. That night, Feng Jun returns to continue the treatment, asking Ms. Yang and the others to leave the bus because the procedure will be more intense.
• Xiao Hui undergoes another painful treatment and coughs up larger, dark blood clots. Feng Jun checks her pulse and confirms that she is still improving, though he admits he may have used too much force.
• A violent thunderstorm begins. Feng Jun realizes that the natural lightning may help him understand how to complete his Thunderclap Talisman.
• He leaves the bus and deliberately stands in the rain, attempting to experience the lightning’s power. The women inside believe he may be risking his life.
• A nearby lightning strike knocks Feng Jun to the ground, terrifying the women. However, he soon laughs excitedly and reveals that he is unharmed and eager to experience more strikes because each one provides valuable energy.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates growing confidence in both his healing abilities and his cultivation. He remains secretive about his methods but becomes increasingly willing to take risks to advance his Thunderclap Talisman.
• Xiao Hui shows clear physical improvement, including easier breathing and smoother speech. Despite her weakness and pain, she begins to trust Feng Jun and timidly asks him not to leave.
• Ms. Yang shifts from cautious skepticism to deep trust in Feng Jun. Her concern for her daughter overwhelms her fear of supernatural treatment and thunderstorms, prompting her to risk going outside to check on him.
• The medical staff move from professional uncertainty to astonishment as they witness evidence of lung regeneration, though they still cannot explain the process scientifically.
• Brother Tian remains protective and skeptical at first, but he accepts the treatment’s apparent success and helps organize transportation and lodging.
• Ms. Yang’s niece acts as a practical observer, helping drive the bus and warning Ms. Yang not to use an umbrella during the lightning storm.

3. Significant Themes

• Faith versus scientific explanation: The medical staff can observe Xiao Hui’s improvement but cannot identify its cause, highlighting the conflict between conventional medicine and Feng Jun’s supernatural techniques.
• Maternal devotion: Ms. Yang’s fear of thunder does not prevent her from worrying about Feng Jun when she believes he may be injured, emphasizing the lengths a mother will go to protect her child.
• Risk and discovery: Feng Jun deliberately exposes himself to lightning to gain insight into his talisman, showing his willingness to endure danger in pursuit of cultivation and technical breakthroughs.
• Secrecy and protection: Ms. Yang insists on confidentiality to shield Feng Jun from unwanted attention, while Feng Jun himself conceals the true nature of his abilities.
• Regeneration and transformation: Xiao Hui’s damaged lungs begin renewing themselves, symbolizing the possibility of overcoming seemingly incurable conditions through extraordinary means.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun gives Ms. Yang careful instructions about monitoring Xiao Hui and limiting witnesses during treatment.
• Ms. Yang and the medical staff debate whether Xiao Hui’s coughing of blood clots represents genuine recovery or only a temporary reaction.
• Ms. Yang orders Brother Tian to secure transportation, lodging, and confidentiality agreements.
• During the nighttime treatment, Ms. Yang refuses to leave her daughter despite Feng Jun’s warning that the procedure will be more intense, creating an awkward but emotionally charged situation.
• Xiao Hui’s improved speech and request that Feng Jun stay reveal her growing dependence on and trust in him.
• When Feng Jun goes outside during the storm, the three women watch anxiously from the bus. Their fear turns to panic when lightning knocks him down, but his laughter reassures them that he has survived—and that he considers the experience beneficial.

Chapter Summary: The Child Who Couldn't Stand the Sun

Key Plot Points and Events

• After a violent thunderstorm, Feng Jun allows Yang Yuxin, her niece, and Xiao Hui to drive their coach into Luohua Manor. They pay the gate guards to install the tires during the night and reach the villa courtyard at around 3 a.m.
• The next morning, the women settle into the vehicle because the coach is not permitted inside the courtyard. They are allowed to enter the manor for meals, showers, and supplies.
• Yang Yuxin unexpectedly encounters her former schoolmate, Li Ting, who is accompanied by her academically successful son, Yuan Youwei. To conceal Xiao Hui’s pesticide poisoning, Yang claims that her daughter is merely unwell and has been admitted directly to a prestigious university.
• Yang gives Yuan Youwei an expensive new phone, while Li Ting indirectly compares their children’s achievements, causing Yang considerable emotional discomfort.
• Yang later asks Feng Jun not to reveal Xiao Hui’s condition to Li Ting. Feng agrees, while warning her not to ask about Li Ting’s own family circumstances.
• Feng explains that Xiao Hui’s lungs have suffered severe structural damage and that recovery will require repeated treatments over a longer period. He plans to bring her into the manor’s backyard for special treatment that night.
• Feng treats Xiao Hui in the spiritually rich backyard and leaves her there overnight. The environment dramatically improves her comfort and energy, allowing her to sleep peacefully.
• Xiao Hui wakes feeling refreshed and describes the backyard as more comfortable than anywhere else, almost like breathing with a ventilator.
• Yang prepares to leave but waits to say goodbye to Feng and discuss several matters. By morning, Xiao Hui’s condition begins worsening again outside the backyard, demonstrating how strongly she depends on its healing environment.

Character Developments

• Yang Yuxin becomes increasingly convinced that Feng Jun’s instructions must be followed without question. Though normally proud and socially confident, she feels embarrassed and vulnerable when comparing Xiao Hui’s hidden condition with Yuan Youwei’s achievements.
• Xiao Hui shows a more cheerful and cooperative side. Her previous recklessness is acknowledged, but she now responds positively to treatment and demonstrates sensitivity toward others, especially when speaking with Zhang Caixin.
• Feng Jun remains confident, detached, and authoritative. He treats Xiao Hui compassionately but is clear that recovery will be gradual. His refusal to let the coach enter the courtyard reinforces his control over the manor.
• Zhang Caixin displays her lively, competitive personality when Feng jokingly calls her an “auntie.” She becomes curious about Xiao Hui after learning that the girl can sense the backyard’s spiritual energy.
• Li Ting is portrayed as socially perceptive and subtly competitive, using her son’s academic success to boast while probing Yang’s family situation.
• Yuan Youwei appears polite and academically accomplished, proudly mentioning that he ranked second in his school.

Significant Themes

• Healing and dependence: Xiao Hui’s condition improves dramatically in the manor’s backyard but deteriorates outside it, emphasizing the power and limits of Feng Jun’s supernatural treatment.
• Pride and humiliation: Yang’s encounter with Li Ting highlights the pressure of social comparison and the pain of concealing a family crisis.
• Mystery and spiritual power: The backyard’s unusual environment is clearly connected to Feng Jun’s abilities, though its nature remains unexplained.
• Authority and trust: Yang gradually accepts that Feng Jun understands Xiao Hui’s condition better than conventional logic or medical expectations.
• Appearance versus reality: Yang and Li Ting exchange polite words while concealing serious family circumstances beneath their respectable appearances.

Character Interactions

• Yang Yuxin and Li Ting’s reunion is outwardly cordial but internally tense, with Li Ting’s praise of her son contrasting sharply with Yang’s concealed distress.
• Yang asks Feng Jun to protect her privacy, revealing her trust in him and fear of social judgment.
• Feng, Zhang Caixin, Sister Hong, and Xiao Hui interact in the backyard. Feng teases Zhang, Zhang argues playfully, and Xiao Hui attempts to smooth things over.
• Xiao Hui’s conversation with Zhang shows the girl’s growing comfort in the manor and establishes a playful connection between the two.
• Yang and Xiao Hui share a hopeful mother-daughter moment after the treatment, though Xiao Hui’s later decline outside the backyard reminds them that her recovery is not yet secure.

Chapter Summary: “Little Herb”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun agrees to let Yang Yuxin and her daughter, Gu Jiahui, remain at Luohua Manor for another week in exchange for the bus Yang’s group is replacing. However, he refuses to allow Jiahui’s niece to stay.
• Yang Yuxin admits that Xiao Hui noticed the backyard’s unusual spiritual energy. Feng Jun warns her to keep the manor’s secrets, though she explains that too many people already know.
• Li Ting meets Gu Jiahui and gives her a generous red envelope. She subtly suggests that Jiahui remain at the manor because the environment may improve her health.
• Yang Yuxin probes Li Ting about the Yuan Family’s relationship with Feng Jun, hoping to discover what offerings or favors might earn his goodwill. Li Ting becomes suspicious and informs Gao Qiang, who reports the matter to Feng Jun.
• The Yuan Family temporarily leaves the manor, with Yuan Zihao attending a memorial service. The elder Yuan indicates that they will continue visiting.
• Two months later, officials in Chaoge City—including the deputy mayor overseeing industry and possibly the mayor—come under investigation, hinting at political consequences connected to earlier events.
• Gu Jiahui asks Feng Jun to enter the spiritually powerful backyard because it allows her to breathe without a ventilator. Feng Jun refuses, judging her body too weak and maintaining the distinction between trusted insiders and outsiders.
• Feng Jun continues cultivating Thought Moves Heaven and Earth, making major progress in telekinetic control. He successfully lifts a pack of cigarettes from three and then five meters away, though overuse leaves him dizzy.
• Jiahui repeatedly messages and video-calls Feng Jun, demanding to know why others may enter the backyard while she cannot. He eventually blocks her.
• The next day, Feng Jun gives Jiahui another Origin-Nurturing Pill and tempers her body with spiritual energy. The treatment causes her to cough up large black-and-red clots for hours.
• Jiahui exaggerates her coughing in an attempt to appear more pitiful and gain permission to stay in the backyard. When she unexpectedly coughs up fresh blood, Feng Jun declares that her next treatment may need to be postponed.
• Zhang Caixin suggests that Jiahui’s wealthy family offer Feng Jun an enormous sum—perhaps one or two billion—to persuade him. Jiahui is left ruefully wondering whether her scheme has backfired.

Character Development

• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly confident and selective about whom he allows into his private cultivation space. He remains outwardly indifferent to requests for favors but quietly continues helping Jiahui because of the value of studying her unusual constitution. His telekinetic abilities advance significantly.
• Gu Jiahui: Grows bolder and more manipulative in seeking access to the backyard. Though physically fragile, she is persistent, clever, and willing to exaggerate her symptoms to gain Feng Jun’s sympathy.
• Yang Yuxin: Demonstrates gratitude toward Feng Jun but also ambition and curiosity. She tries to uncover how others secured his favor, yet her probing makes Li Ting suspicious.
• Li Ting: Becomes more alert to potential threats to Feng Jun’s secrets. She handles Yang Yuxin cautiously and reports her concerns through Gao Qiang.
• Gao Qiang: Takes his probationary role seriously, carefully monitoring visitors and passing suspicious information to Feng Jun in hopes of earning trust and shortening his trial period.
• Zhang Caixin: Shows compassion toward Jiahui and recognizes that Feng Jun’s strictness hides a degree of kindness.

Significant Themes

• Insiders versus outsiders: Feng Jun strictly controls access to the backyard, emphasizing loyalty, trust, and the protection of secrets.
• Power and secrecy: The manor’s spiritual energy and Feng Jun’s abilities attract curiosity, but revealing them could bring unwanted trouble.
• Persistence and manipulation: Jiahui’s attempts to exploit Feng Jun’s soft heart provide comic tension while showing the lengths people will go to obtain extraordinary benefits.
• Healing through cultivation: Jiahui’s painful treatment illustrates both the power and physical cost of Feng Jun’s methods.
• Human relationships and reciprocity: Visitors seek Feng Jun’s help through gifts, gratitude, connections, or money, while Feng Jun values rare cultivation materials more than conventional wealth.
• Progress through discipline: Feng Jun’s telekinetic training demonstrates the gradual refinement of spiritual abilities through repeated practice.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin negotiate the bus arrangement, confidentiality, and Jiahui’s treatment.
• Li Ting welcomes Jiahui, gives her money, and indirectly offers medical advice while evading Yang Yuxin’s questions.
• Yang Yuxin’s probing causes Li Ting to alert Gao Qiang, who then informs Feng Jun.
• Xiao Youwei accidentally reveals information about the backyard’s rainy-day phenomenon and is punished by his parents.
• Gu Jiahui persistently messages Feng Jun, trying to persuade him to grant her backyard access.
• Zhang Caixin witnesses Jiahui’s painful treatment and advises her on how she might win Feng Jun’s sympathy.

Chapter Summary: “The Little Secretary Causes Trouble”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After dinner, Zhang Caixin takes Gu Jiahui to the front courtyard, where Jiahui confirms that the back courtyard is more comfortable, likely because of its unusual environment. However, she is no longer allowed to enter the back courtyard, even when pretending to cough.
• Yang Yuxin and Gu Jiahui settle into the manor. They receive food and lodging but are heavily restricted in where they can go, even more so than Gao Qiang.
• Qin Tiantian removes the medical equipment from the borrowed luxury coach and dismisses the temporary medical staff, leaving only a portable ventilator in case Jiahui’s condition suddenly worsens. The staff suspect that Jiahui’s poisoning may not truly be cured and warn him to remain vigilant.
• Qin Tiantian worries because he cannot enter Luohua Manor or receive detailed information. Yang Yuxin, frightened by Feng Jun’s warning, only tells him that Jiahui is recovering well.
• After hearing that another coach has arrived at the manor, Qin Tiantian assumes someone is copying his approach and goes to investigate.
• The new visitors are foreigners from South Luo Country transporting an unconscious patient who has been in a vegetative state for eight years. They approached Yang City officials through a powerful investor rather than contacting Feng Jun directly.
• The city hopes Feng Jun will treat the patient because he previously cured Old Master Yuan, although Feng Jun is not a licensed doctor and officially runs a tree-planting business.
• Secretary Shen calls Feng Jun and attempts to pressure him by invoking the city’s wishes and his reputation. Feng Jun resists, arguing that his success outside the country would still prove his abilities and that he cannot be held responsible if an unlicensed treatment fails.
• Prefect Zang joins the call and appeals to the city’s investment interests. Feng Jun’s question about who would bear responsibility if the patient died ends the conversation.
• Feng Jun assumes the matter is finished, but two days later the South Luo Country delegation arrives at the manor gate with the vegetative patient.

Character Developments

• Gu Jiahui: Continues recovering and appears visibly healthier, enough to impress Qin Tiantian. She is nevertheless subject to strict restrictions because of the danger and secrecy surrounding her treatment.
• Qin Tiantian: Becomes increasingly anxious and protective of Jiahui. He follows his mother’s instructions, preserves emergency medical equipment, and struggles with his inability to enter the manor or learn the truth about her condition.
• Yang Yuxin: Adjusts to life inside the manor but becomes cautious and secretive after Feng Jun warns her not to reveal information.
• Feng Jun: Shows his impatience with outsiders and official pressure. He remains confident, sarcastic, and unwilling to accept responsibility for practicing medicine without legal protection, though his blunt comments inadvertently make the situation more complicated.
• Secretary Shen: Acts as the main source of pressure from the authorities. His dislike of Feng Jun, influenced by Feng Jun’s relationship with Zhang Caixin and past political conflicts, leads him to manipulate the conversation and expose Feng Jun to Prefect Zang.
• Prefect Zang: Treats the case primarily as an investment and political matter, attempting to persuade Feng Jun by emphasizing its importance to Yang City.
• The South Luo Country delegation: Demonstrates determination and political influence by bypassing Feng Jun and using government and business connections to force the issue.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy and control: The manor’s restrictions and the concealment of Jiahui’s recovery show how carefully Feng Jun’s methods must be protected.
• Conflict between medicine and legality: Feng Jun may possess extraordinary healing abilities, but he lacks a medical license, creating legal and moral risks.
• Political and economic pressure: Officials treat a medical emergency as part of investment promotion, illustrating how business interests influence public decisions.
• Miscommunication and manipulation: Secretary Shen’s questioning and the authorities’ indirect approach cause resentment and push Feng Jun into statements that are later used against him.
• Trust versus suspicion: Qin Tiantian distrusts Feng Jun’s methods but has no alternative, while Feng Jun distrusts those who seek his help through official pressure rather than direct contact.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang Caixin and Gu Jiahui: Zhang controls Jiahui’s movement by taking her to the front courtyard, reinforcing the manor’s rules.
• Qin Tiantian and the medical staff: Their warnings deepen his anxiety, though he insists that the matter remain confidential.
• Qin Tiantian and Yang Yuxin: He repeatedly calls for updates, but she gives him only vague reassurances.
• Feng Jun and Secretary Shen: Their tense phone exchange reveals mutual dislike, with Shen trying to pressure Feng Jun and Feng Jun responding sarcastically.
• Feng Jun and Prefect Zang: Zang appeals to civic investment, but Feng Jun counters with the legal danger of treating a patient without a license.
• Feng Jun and the South Luo Country visitors: They have not yet met directly, but the delegation’s arrival with the patient signals that Feng Jun’s refusal may not be accepted.

Chapter Summary: “I Am Illiterate”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Foreign guests from South Luo Country arrive at Luohua Manor seeking Feng Jun’s help in treating an injured companion, presumably a vegetative patient. Their recovery could lead to major factory investment in Yang City.
• The Investment Promotion Bureau, led by Director Zhao Wenzhang, attempts to persuade or pressure the manor into admitting them. Feng Jun refuses, sarcastically claiming he is “illiterate” and unqualified to exchange cultural or medical knowledge.
• The guards refuse to open the gate without Feng Jun’s permission, despite Zhao threatening to have the Mountain Gate demolished.
• Gao Qiang arrives and deliberately sets up a camera aimed at the gate, effectively recording any official attempt to force entry or damage the property.
• Zhao cautiously confronts Gao Qiang but changes his aggressive attitude after learning that Gao is connected to Elder Yuan’s family. He recognizes the political influence surrounding Luohua Manor.
• During a private discussion, Zhao argues that Feng Jun should treat the foreign guest because the matter concerns investment, Yang City’s development, and influential businessman Mr. Ge.
• Gao Qiang rejects the argument, insisting that Feng Jun has no obligation to provide medical treatment, especially without a medical license. He also questions the reliability of investment from South Luo Country and criticizes the pressure being placed on Feng Jun.
• Zhao asks Gao to let the guests’ vehicles enter, but Gao reminds him that only Feng Jun has that authority.
• Gao reports the involvement of Mr. Ge to Feng Jun. Feng Jun responds dismissively, refusing to recognize Mr. Ge’s authority over him and criticizing the businessman’s exploitative labor practices.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates his independence, distrust of political pressure, and unwillingness to sacrifice his principles or privacy for government interests. His sarcastic “I’m illiterate” remark reflects both defiance and his refusal to be treated as a public resource.
• Gao Qiang: Acts as Feng Jun’s firm but controlled representative. He protects the manor by documenting the confrontation, stands up to Zhao, and argues that Feng Jun’s personal choices should be respected. Although blunt, he avoids unnecessarily escalating the situation.
• Director Zhao Wenzhang: Begins arrogantly, threatening the guards, but becomes cautious once he realizes the manor is connected to Elder Yuan. He shifts from intimidation to persuasion and political reasoning, revealing his awareness of the limits of official power.
• Mr. Ge: Though absent, he becomes an important offscreen force. His reputation as a major investor gives him influence with local officials, but both Gao Qiang and Feng Jun view him negatively because of his harsh, exploitative business model.
• The guards: Initially intimidated by Zhao’s official position, they gain confidence from their loyalty to Feng Jun and refuse to yield when pressured.

Significant Themes

• Individual autonomy versus public interests: Officials frame Feng Jun’s medical ability as something he should use for investment and regional development, while Feng Jun and Gao insist that he has the right to refuse.
• Power, influence, and political caution: Zhao’s behavior shows that official authority is not absolute; connections to Elder Yuan and Feng Jun’s wealth force him to act carefully.
• Economic development versus exploitation: The chapter questions whether investment is inherently beneficial, highlighting the low wages, exhausting conditions, and worker exploitation associated with Mr. Ge’s factories.
• Accountability and documentation: Gao’s decision to record the gate confrontation reflects the importance of evidence when dealing with powerful institutions.
• National and regional tension: The uncertain reputation of South Luo Country’s businesses and the rivalry between local interests complicate the supposed “bigger picture” officials invoke.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun communicates with the guards and orders them not to admit anyone without legal authority.
• Zhao confronts the guards, but their polite resistance frustrates his attempt to assert power.
• Gao’s arrival changes the balance of the confrontation. His camera setup and connection to Elder Yuan make Zhao more cautious.
• Zhao and Gao debate whether Feng Jun should treat the foreign guest, with Zhao emphasizing investment and political obligations while Gao emphasizes consent and legal boundaries.
• Gao informs Feng Jun about Mr. Ge’s involvement, and Feng Jun rejects the idea that Mr. Ge’s influence gives him any control over Luohua Manor.

Chapter Summary: “Seeking Help Everywhere”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• President Ge’s overseas investments have largely failed because of political disruptions, inefficient labor, expensive wages, and unfamiliar union systems.
• Feng Jun dislikes President Ge, partly because Ge previously used government connections to pressure him instead of speaking to him directly.
• President Ge wants Feng Jun to treat a seriously ill friend from South Luo Country, who is waiting outside Luohua Manor. However, Feng Jun refuses.
• Gao Qiang is instructed to ignore the officials and simply record the events. He tells Yuan Huapeng that Feng Jun has no intention of treating the patient.
• Yuan Huapeng explains that Old Yuan supports Feng Jun privately but cannot openly confront President Ge because Ge’s influence is extremely powerful.
• Director Zhao and officials from the Foreign Affairs Office wait outside Luohua Manor for over two hours, hoping higher authorities can persuade Feng Jun to change his mind.
• When pressure and negotiations fail, the officials discuss forcing entry, arresting Feng Jun, or investigating his finances. Director Zhao rejects these ideas, warning them that offending a healer could have serious consequences.
• Mr. Park, a South Luo Country representative, angrily demands immediate treatment and criticizes traditional medicine as backward, despite his party having come specifically to seek Feng Jun’s help.
• Director Zhao promises a quick resolution, but twenty minutes later no progress has been made.
• The chapter ends when Mr. Liang, a senior Fuhong Group executive and longtime associate of President Ge, arrives.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains firm, independent, and unwilling to be pressured. His refusal demonstrates that neither wealth nor government influence can easily control him.
• Gao Qiang: Shows strong loyalty to Feng Jun and resentment toward those who treat him disrespectfully. He follows Feng Jun’s orders without hesitation and deliberately ignores Director Zhao.
• Yuan Huapeng and Old Yuan: Support Feng Jun’s position but reveal the limits of their own political power. Their cautious response highlights President Ge’s considerable influence.
• Director Zhao: Becomes increasingly frustrated and embarrassed as his attempts to secure cooperation fail. Although he tries to maintain a diplomatic front, he understands that forcing the issue would be dangerous.
• Foreign Affairs officials: Display impatience and prioritize Yang City’s reputation and foreign investment over the proper handling of Feng Jun’s refusal.
• Mr. Park: Acts aggressively and arrogantly, relying on consular and diplomatic pressure to demand treatment.
• President Ge: Although absent, he dominates the chapter through his wealth, connections, and attempt to obtain Feng Jun’s help indirectly.

3. Significant Themes

• Power versus personal autonomy: Political influence, money, and official pressure cannot automatically compel Feng Jun to act.
• The limits of authority: Government officials are forced to negotiate with a private individual because they cannot legally or practically control him.
• Respect and reciprocity: Feng Jun’s refusal is linked not only to the request itself but also to President Ge’s disrespectful method of applying pressure.
• Traditional versus modern medicine: Mr. Park dismisses ancient medicine as unscientific, yet his party still seeks out Feng Jun after conventional options presumably failed.
• Diplomatic and bureaucratic pressure: The officials are more concerned with investment, international image, and foreign complaints than with Feng Jun’s personal decision.
• Hidden social hierarchies: Even powerful figures such as Old Yuan must act cautiously around President Ge, revealing the complicated balance between political, economic, and personal influence.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and President Ge: Their conflict is indirect but central. Ge attempts to pressure Feng Jun through officials and intermediaries, while Feng Jun responds by refusing cooperation.
• Gao Qiang and Yuan Huapeng: They discuss Ge’s actions and agree that Feng Jun should not yield. Their conversation clarifies Old Yuan’s reluctant political position.
• Gao Qiang and Director Zhao: Gao ignores Zhao at first and later bluntly tells him that Feng Jun will not change his mind. Their exchange exposes the gap between official expectations and Feng Jun’s authority.
• Director Zhao and the Foreign Affairs officials: Zhao tries to restrain their reckless suggestions, especially the idea of forcibly entering the manor or arresting Feng Jun.
• Director Zhao and Mr. Park: Zhao attempts diplomacy and excuses, while Mr. Park responds with anger, threats, and criticism of traditional medicine.
• The chapter’s closing interaction: Mr. Liang’s arrival suggests that President Ge is escalating the matter through another influential representative, setting up further pressure on Feng Jun.

Chapter Summary: “The Female Driver”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liang Jinlong, a senior representative of Fuhong Group and one of Mr. Ge’s trusted aides, arrives at Feng Jun’s mountain estate on Mr. Ge’s behalf.
• The estate’s guards deliberately prevent Liang’s own car from entering and instead send an inexperienced female driver, Li Shishi, to collect him. Her erratic driving leaves Liang irritated and carsick.
• Liang is further displeased by Feng Jun’s seemingly modest villa, the casual hospitality, the green tea instead of more elaborate gongfu tea, and Feng Jun’s youthful appearance.
• Liang explains that Mr. Ge wants Feng Jun to treat a vegetative patient as a favor to one of Ge’s friends. He emphasizes that the city authorities and Fuhong Group are helping coordinate the request.
• Feng Jun rejects the request. He argues that Mr. Ge has no right to distribute favors Feng Jun earned himself, particularly since Feng Jun was approached indirectly rather than by Mr. Ge personally.
• Feng Jun also challenges Fuhong Group’s intimidating methods, referring to its history of driving opponents to suicide and demanding excessive compensation. He warns Liang that he will not be pressured or manipulated.
• Liang threatensly asks whether Feng Jun intends to make things difficult for Mr. Ge. Feng Jun turns the accusation around, pointing out that Fuhong is the one intruding on his affairs.
• As Liang prepares to leave, he asks for another driver. A composed woman at the estate then questions him about Mr. Ge.
• She reveals that she has met Mr. Ge twice, bought ancient coins from him, and was invited by him to Bath. Her calm, indifferent attitude toward such a powerful figure alarms Liang, who suddenly recognizes that she is likely far more important and formidable than she appears.

Character Developments

• Liang Jinlong: Initially confident because of his connection to Mr. Ge, Liang becomes increasingly frustrated by Feng Jun’s disrespect and the estate’s deliberate lack of deference. Despite his anger, he remains politically cautious and observant, carefully assessing the people around Feng Jun. His final realization about the composed woman leaves him shocked and fearful.
• Feng Jun: Demonstrates independence, confidence, and unwillingness to be controlled by powerful outsiders. He refuses to honor a favor simply because Mr. Ge requested it and openly criticizes Fuhong Group’s coercive tactics.
• Li Shishi: Is introduced as an inexperienced, unlicensed, and nervous driver. Her honesty and defensive bluntness contrast with Liang’s expectations of polished service.
• The unnamed woman: Appears calm, self-possessed, and completely unawed by Mr. Ge’s reputation. Her composure suggests hidden status, strength, or past influence, creating a dramatic shift in the balance of power.

Significant Themes

• Power and influence: Liang assumes Mr. Ge’s reputation will command obedience, but Feng Jun refuses to acknowledge authority that has not been personally earned.
• Personal autonomy: Feng Jun insists that his medical abilities and favors belong to him, not to be offered by others for their own relationships.
• Appearance versus reality: The estate, its casual hospitality, Li Shishi’s poor driving, and Feng Jun’s youth initially make Liang underestimate the situation. Conversely, the unnamed woman’s ordinary appearance conceals her considerable presence.
• Composure as power: The woman’s calmness is presented as a mark of genuine strength, contrasting with Liang’s growing irritation and unease.
• Coercion versus courtesy: The visit is framed as a polite request, but Feng Jun recognizes the involvement of city officials and Fuhong’s reputation as indirect pressure.

Character Interactions

• Liang and the guards: The guards remain formally polite but subtly disrespectful, signaling that Feng Jun’s estate does not fear Fuhong Group.
• Liang and Li Shishi: Their exchange highlights Liang’s elitism and impatience, while Li Shishi responds with straightforward honesty rather than submissiveness.
• Liang and Feng Jun: Their conversation becomes a tense power struggle. Liang invokes Mr. Ge’s authority, while Feng Jun rejects it and exposes Fuhong’s questionable past.
• Liang and the unnamed woman: Their brief exchange unsettles Liang more than the confrontation with Feng Jun. Her neutral references to Mr. Ge suggest that she belongs to a level of power where his reputation no longer carries weight.

Chapter Summary: “Humiliating Themselves”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liang Jinlong realizes that the woman at Luohua Manor is the Gu Family’s “young widow,” a figure powerful enough to make Ge hesitate. He remembers that Ge once gave her a set of rare ancient coins and even tried to invite her on an overseas trip.
• The woman warns Liang not to spread rumors and tells Ge to focus on running legitimate businesses.
• Liang immediately calls Ge, who confirms her identity and becomes concerned about Feng Jun’s connection to the Gu Family. He decides that Fuhong should withdraw from interfering in the South Luo Country medical matter.
• Ge orders Liang to tell Feng Jun that Fuhong had only intended to help some friends and will visit him later. Ge concludes that, regardless of whether Feng Jun can save the patient, provoking him would be dangerous because the Gu Family might retaliate.
• Liang returns to the Mountain Gate and gives Director Zhao a deliberately vague explanation: Feng Jun’s lack of medical qualifications makes cooperation too risky, especially because of possible international consequences.
• The officials then inform the South Luo Country delegation that Feng Jun will not be used as the doctor. They suggest a conventional hospital instead, but Mr. Park refuses, insisting that only Feng Jun is acceptable.
• A Luohua Manor security guard openly mocks the delegation, telling them to return to their own country and use their “precious manual” for treatment.

Character Developments

• Liang Jinlong: Shifts from confident representative to nervous intermediary. He becomes increasingly cautious after realizing Feng Jun and the Gu Family possess influence far beyond what he expected. He tries to avoid another humiliating confrontation with Feng Jun while still preserving relationships with Director Zhao and the officials.
• Mr. Ge: Reveals himself to be highly pragmatic and cautious. Although powerful, he recognizes that the Gu Family and Feng Jun may be untouchable. He quickly abandons the South Luo Country matter once he sees the risks, prioritizing Fuhong’s safety over a business opportunity.
• The Gu Family widow: Remains calm, casual, and intimidating without openly threatening anyone. Her past connection to Ge demonstrates her influence.
• Feng Jun: Never appears directly in the chapter’s main confrontation, but his reputation grows. His medical ability, wealth, connection to the Gu Family, and mysterious background make powerful businessmen and officials reluctant to oppose him.
• Director Zhao: Adapts quickly to the new situation, using Feng Jun’s lack of qualifications as an official excuse while hinting that Luohua Manor has a powerful background.
• Mr. Park and the South Luo Country delegation: Become frustrated and defiant when officials withdraw Feng Jun’s assistance. Their insistence reveals how badly they need his treatment.
• The security guard: Acts bluntly and provocatively, openly voicing the contempt others are trying to conceal.

Significant Themes

• Power hidden behind appearances: The chapter emphasizes that Feng Jun and the woman seem ordinary on the surface but possess connections capable of frightening major businessmen and government officials.
• Self-preservation over principle: Ge abandons his promise to help the South Luo Country delegation once the matter becomes risky, showing that powerful figures ultimately protect themselves first.
• Ambiguity as power: Ge, Liang, and Director Zhao deliberately speak vaguely about Feng Jun’s background, allowing others to imagine how dangerous or influential he might be.
• Bureaucracy as an excuse: Feng Jun’s lack of medical qualifications becomes a convenient justification for refusing cooperation, even though the real issue is fear of provoking him and the Gu Family.
• Humiliation and shifting status: Those who initially tried to pressure Feng Jun end up retreating, making excuses, and indirectly admitting his superiority. The chapter’s title reflects their loss of face.

Character Interactions

• The widow calmly dismisses Liang’s questions while warning him to control his speech, establishing an unequal power dynamic.
• Liang and Ge discuss the widow’s identity and Feng Jun’s connection to the Gu Family, with Ge warning against careless speculation.
• Ge instructs Liang to withdraw while maintaining a polite relationship with Feng Jun.
• Liang carefully negotiates with Li Shishi to contact Feng Jun, fearing another embarrassing encounter.
• At the Mountain Gate, Liang and Director Zhao coordinate a diplomatic explanation for abandoning the medical arrangement.
• Director Zhao clashes with Mr. Park, who refuses to accept any doctor other than Feng Jun.
• The security guard’s taunt further humiliates the delegation and exposes the hostility beneath the officials’ polite language.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Liang Jinlong leaves, Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin discuss why she purchased the ancient coins. She explains that Mr. Ge asked her to speak favorably on his behalf and that the coins were connected to her late husband’s collecting hobby. She bought them to fulfill an unfinished wish of his.
• Feng Jun clarifies that the pills he sold for four million yuan were genuinely worth far more; the price was not merely meant to discourage troublesome buyers. He also defends his firm attitude toward Mr. Ge and Fuhong, arguing that excessive leniency would invite further bullying.
• Yang Yuxin admits that she helped Feng Jun during the confrontation and asks for a favor in return: permission for her daughter, Gu Jiahui, to move into Luohua Manor’s rear building so that she can recover more quickly.
• Feng Jun agrees, estimating that Gu Jiahui will completely recover within three or four months and will not relapse. However, he refuses to let Yang Yuxin move into the rear building as well, explaining that the front building is already generous treatment for people who are merely old acquaintances.
• He jokingly suggests that Yang Yuxin can repay the favor by helping him repel troublesome people twice more, or by paying several hundred million yuan.
• Yang Yuxin questions why the Zhang sisters and Teacher Mei are allowed to live in the rear building. Feng Jun bluntly states that they are his women. He clarifies that the younger Zhang sister is more accurately his disciple and is learning his abilities.
• Yang Yuxin becomes curious about Feng Jun’s “skills,” including his medical abilities, and even offers to have Gu Jiahui become his disciple. Feng Jun declines, saying Jiahui should focus on attending a prestigious university, particularly Fuha University.
• Yang Yuxin privately wonders whether she could become Feng Jun’s disciple herself, while remaining fascinated and uncertain about the true nature of his supernatural abilities.
• The chapter ends when Gu Jiahui comes downstairs asking about a delivery, and Gao Qiang arrives carrying it.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Shows greater confidence and awareness of his elevated status. He believes powerful people must maintain boundaries and cannot always behave like ordinary, overly accommodating individuals. Despite his arrogance, he presents himself as fair and rational. He also reveals that he carefully rations his cultivation resources and only accepts people into his inner circle when they demonstrate sufficient value or sincerity.
• Yang Yuxin: Becomes more comfortable negotiating with Feng Jun and openly acknowledges her debt to him. Her priorities remain centered on Gu Jiahui’s health and future. She respects Feng Jun’s strength while being both cautious and increasingly curious about his abilities and private relationships.
• Gu Jiahui: Though mostly offstage, she is portrayed as talented, healthy-minded, and academically ambitious, with aspirations of attending Fuha University. Feng Jun sees her as potentially gifted enough for cultivation but does not want her to sacrifice her education.
• Gao Qiang: Briefly reappears at the end as the delivery bearer, setting up the next scene.

Significant Themes

• Power, status, and boundaries: Feng Jun believes that a person’s behavior should reflect their position. Showing weakness can encourage others to exploit them, while firm refusal is sometimes necessary for self-protection.
• Favors and reciprocal obligations: Yang Yuxin’s assistance during the conflict earns her access to Feng Jun’s healing resources. Their relationship is framed through negotiation, debts, and exchanges rather than simple charity.
• Family devotion and remembrance: Yang Yuxin’s purchase of the ancient coins demonstrates her desire to honor her deceased husband and complete a meaningful part of his life.
• Wealth versus true value: Money is useful for solving ordinary problems, but Feng Jun’s medicines, abilities, and access to the rear building possess value far beyond their monetary price.
• Cultivation and opportunity: Feng Jun treats cultivation resources as limited and precious, reserving them for people with exceptional talent, loyalty, or usefulness. He also emphasizes that personal advancement should not necessarily come at the cost of education or a conventional future.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin develop a more direct and transactional rapport. She carefully tests his willingness to help, while he responds with teasing, bluntness, and clearly defined conditions.
• Their conversation also exposes Feng Jun’s relationships with the Zhang sisters and Teacher Mei, prompting Yang Yuxin’s curiosity about his romantic and master-disciple arrangements.
• Yang Yuxin’s concern for Gu Jiahui contrasts with Feng Jun’s detached, pragmatic approach. She seeks every possible advantage for her daughter, whereas he insists that access to his resources must be justified.
• The arrival of Gu Jiahui and Gao Qiang interrupts the discussion and shifts the chapter toward the next practical development.

Chapter Summary: “Hesitant to Speak”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun learns that the South Luo Country representatives have left after Liang from Fuhong failed to cause further trouble. He instructs the guards to block a man surnamed Ge if he comes to the estate.
• Gu Jiahui gives Feng Jun an imported e-cigarette as a gift. Feng Jun jokingly calls it a “bribe” and allows her to stay in the back building to aid her recovery.
• Gu Jiahui’s mother, Yang Yuxin, explains that her own place in the front building was earned by defending Feng Jun against Fuhong’s people. Gu Jiahui accepts this explanation and begins recovering rapidly in the back building.
• Gu Jiahui becomes friends with Zhang Caixin, the only other young woman with whom she can freely discuss the unusual relationships and secrets surrounding Feng Jun.
• Gu Jiahui gradually realizes that Zhang Caixin’s sister and Teacher Mei have intimate relationships with Feng Jun. She also learns, indirectly, that Zhang Caixin is cultivating and may be pursuing immortality.
• Intrigued, Gu Jiahui asks her mother to have Feng Jun test her aptitude for cultivation. Yang Yuxin is alarmed but chooses to encourage her daughter’s curiosity while advising her to focus on recovering and gather information first.
• Zhang Caixin advances to the Fourth Layer of Mortal Transcendence. Proud of her breakthrough, she invites Gu Jiahui to celebrate with drinks.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains confident, teasing, and authoritative. He casually rewards Gu Jiahui’s kindness while quietly controlling access to his estate and protecting his interests.
• Gu Jiahui: Her health improves significantly, and she becomes more socially confident. Her curiosity, competitiveness, and rebellious streak emerge as she investigates cultivation and Feng Jun’s secrets.
• Yang Yuxin: Demonstrates patience and maternal responsibility. Although worried about her daughter becoming involved in dangerous or incomprehensible matters, she supports Gu Jiahui and promises to sacrifice everything if cultivation can truly help her.
• Zhang Caixin: Shows both insecurity and pride. She is uncomfortable with her sister’s and Teacher Mei’s closeness to Feng Jun, but takes satisfaction in her superior cultivation aptitude. Her advancement boosts her confidence.
• Fuhong’s Liang and Ge: Their influence appears to be declining, as Feng Jun treats them as nuisances rather than serious threats.

Significant Themes

• Curiosity and the desire for hidden knowledge: Gu Jiahui’s questions about cultivation reflect her growing awareness that the adults around her are concealing extraordinary secrets.
• Maternal protection and sacrifice: Yang Yuxin balances caution with unconditional support for her daughter.
• Competition and insecurity: Zhang Caixin wants to surpass her sister and feels conflicted about Feng Jun’s relationships with multiple women.
• Power and privilege: Residence in the back building is presented as both a medical benefit and a sign of special status within Feng Jun’s circle.
• Coming of age: Gu Jiahui is beginning to understand adult relationships and supernatural matters, though Zhang Caixin still treats her as a child.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Gu Jiahui share a playful, affectionate exchange over the e-cigarette and her access to the back building.
• Gu Jiahui and Zhang Caixin quickly become close friends, bonding over their curiosity and their positions as outsiders to the older women’s relationships with Feng Jun.
• Zhang Caixin teases Gu Jiahui about her age and deliberately provokes her by suggesting that Feng Jun may not test her aptitude.
• Yang Yuxin and Gu Jiahui discuss cultivation cautiously. Yang tries to redirect her daughter toward recovery and investigation, while Gu Jiahui insists on uncovering the truth.
• Zhang Caixin celebrates her cultivation breakthrough by inviting Gu Jiahui for drinks, signaling the beginning of a more personal friendship.