Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “The Theft”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After discovering that the Agriculture and Forestry Department officials had dug up parts of the Bamboo Grove and disturbed the Spirit-Gathering Array, Feng Jun orders warning signs to be installed and repairs the damaged array.
• He finds that someone had moved a piece of Black Iron and pulled up wooden markers in the backyard. Angered by the carelessness, he decides that no one may enter the backyard or Bamboo Grove without his permission.
• Feng Jun has the officials transported away in Luohua Manor’s luxury business RV. The display of wealth intimidates them, though Xiao Ya remains resentful because she wants to take more Bamboo Fungus home.
• Xu Leigang explains that he and Wang Haifeng had initially blocked the officials’ vehicle from entering. The dispute nearly escalated, but Wang Haifeng’s brother helped settle it. Because Wang Haifeng was caring for his ill mother, Xu Leigang and Li Shishi had been left to supervise the visitors.
• Concerned about future inspections, Feng Jun asks Sister Hong to use her connections to ensure that officials contact him before coming to the manor. She agrees to help.
• That night, Gu Jiahui enters the pavilion to cultivate. Feng Jun permits her mother, Yang Yuxin, to use it as well, partly out of gratitude and partly because he hopes Yang Yuxin will recognize the pavilion’s value and encourage Gu Jiahui’s cultivation.
• Before dawn, Gao Qiang reports that three thieves have attacked the gate guards, stolen a motorcycle, and escaped through the Mountain Gate.
• Feng Jun rushes to the Bamboo Grove, using his extraordinary movement speed. He discovers that the Spirit-Gathering Array has been deliberately dismantled and that seven or eight kinds of materials are missing.
• He realizes the thieves had been studying the array for some time and concludes that someone inside the manor must have assisted them.
• The chapter ends as the gate guards recount the attack: one guard was knocked down while trying to stop the thieves, while the second arrived too late and was also placed in danger.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more protective and distrustful. The officials’ careless behavior convinces him to impose stricter boundaries, while the theft confirms his fear that the manor has an insider betraying him.
• Xu Leigang is shown to be responsible but limited when left alone to manage a large group of visitors. His actions also reveal his loyalty and willingness to confront outsiders.
• Wang Haifeng is absent because of his mother’s acute cholecystitis, adding a personal crisis that prevents him from helping at the manor.
• Sister Hong demonstrates continued loyalty and usefulness by agreeing to mediate with the Agriculture and Forestry Department despite her former conflict with Feng Jun.
• Yang Yuxin begins to witness the manor’s supernatural secrets. She sees Feng Jun fly through the rain, leaving her shocked and suspicious.
• Gu Jiahui remains an exceptionally promising potential cultivator, and Feng Jun increasingly considers how to retain her as a disciple.
• The gate guards show courage by confronting the thieves despite being caught off guard and poorly equipped.

Significant Themes

• Protection of private territory: Feng Jun’s anger reflects the importance of respecting boundaries, especially around the manor’s valuable and mysterious cultivation resources.
• Betrayal and hidden threats: The theft reveals that the danger is not merely from careless outsiders; someone within the manor may be secretly cooperating with the thieves.
• Power and intimidation: The luxury RV serves as a deliberate demonstration of Luohua Manor’s wealth and status, allowing Feng Jun to warn the officials without openly threatening them.
• Cultivation and secrecy: The Spirit-Gathering Array is central to Feng Jun’s power and must be concealed from ordinary people. Its destruction exposes the risks of allowing outsiders too much access.
• Compassion versus suspicion: Feng Jun remains strict with intruders but shows sympathy toward Wang Haifeng’s family and kindness toward Yang Yuxin because of her sacrifices for Gu Jiahui.
• The collision between the ordinary and the supernatural: Yang Yuxin’s sighting of Feng Jun’s flight marks another moment in which the manor’s hidden supernatural reality begins to become visible.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun sternly reprimands the Agriculture and Forestry Department visitors through his actions, repairing the array and arranging signs rather than openly confronting them.
• Xu Leigang explains the earlier confrontation at the gate, helping Feng Jun understand that the disorder resulted partly from insufficient manpower rather than deliberate negligence.
• Feng Jun contacts Sister Hong for assistance, showing that their relationship has developed from past conflict into mutual trust and cooperation.
• Feng Jun permits Yang Yuxin to enter the pavilion, balancing his interest in Gu Jiahui’s cultivation potential with gratitude toward her mother.
• The thieves attack the gate guards when discovered, turning the manor’s security dispute into a serious criminal threat.
• Yang Yuxin witnesses Feng Jun’s supernatural speed, creating a new tension between Feng Jun’s desire for secrecy and her growing awareness that he is far more than an ordinary manor owner.

Chapter Summary: “A Fair Arrangement”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Three thieves raid Luohua Manor, seize valuable materials, and steal a motorcycle while escaping. One guard is badly injured when he refuses to release a captive item/person.
• Feng Jun stops the guards from immediately calling the police and pursues the thieves by motorcycle, then by air, tracking the spiritual energy of the stolen Spirit Stone Under Refinement.
• The thieves transfer the stolen goods into a speeding pickup truck. Feng Jun causes the vehicle to crash by placing stones in its path.
• Disguising himself as an ordinary villager, Feng Jun approaches the wreck. He knocks out or incapacitates the surviving thieves, robs them of cash and valuables, and removes several conspicuous objects from the scattered cargo.
• Feng Jun discovers that one of the thieves is Little Han, the young cousin of a worker at his manor. This reveals that someone inside Luohua Manor betrayed him and helped identify the spiritual materials.
• He discovers that Little Han possesses a rare cultivation aptitude: a Wu Earth Constitution combined with Roadside Earth Destiny. Despite recognizing his potential, Feng Jun sends him to the Phone Plane because he considers him an enemy.
• Feng Jun leaves the Spirit Stone in the thieves’ possession temporarily so he can trace the larger organization behind the theft. He also realizes that the manor’s Black Iron and stolen motorcycle are missing, implying that another accomplice escaped.
• Later, two people arrive to collect the scattered materials but abandon the injured thieves. Ambulances and police eventually arrive, while the incident is largely treated as an ordinary traffic accident and robbery.

2. Character Development

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly calculating and ruthless. Rather than simply recovering his property, he deliberately preserves the Spirit Stone as bait to uncover the conspiracy behind the theft.
• His distrust deepens after he identifies Little Han as the likely insider who recognized the Spirit Stone’s unusual nature.
• Feng Jun’s attitude toward potential cultivators is shown to be pragmatic and dangerous: aptitude alone does not earn Little Han protection because his betrayal makes him a threat.
• Little Han is revealed to be more intelligent and ambitious than he appeared, possessing both unusual cultivation potential and enough perception to notice the Spirit Stone.
• The thieves are portrayed as opportunistic and reckless. Their actions expose them to Feng Jun’s retaliation, while their associates prioritize recovering the stolen materials over rescuing them.
• The guards at the manor appear loyal but confused by Feng Jun’s secretive behavior and his decision to handle the matter personally.

3. Significant Themes

• Justice versus self-preservation: Feng Jun does not rely on official authorities, instead enforcing his own form of justice while concealing his supernatural abilities.
• Betrayal from within: The theft is more serious because it involves an insider at the manor, suggesting that Feng Jun’s growing power and unusual resources attract corruption and espionage.
• Secrecy and concealment: Feng Jun hides his identity, avoids leaving evidence, and withholds the Spirit Stone to prevent enemies from discovering the true nature of his possessions.
• The value of spiritual resources: The Spirit Stone is far more important than ordinary stolen goods such as money, motorcycles, or Black Iron, emphasizing the difference between mundane and cultivation-world value.
• “Fairness” in cultivation aptitude: Feng Jun reflects that cultivation talent is not limited to women; men on Blue Star can possess it as well. However, the chapter complicates this idea by showing that talent does not guarantee mercy or moral worth.
• Power and dignity: Feng Jun views himself as a cultivator whose status cannot be casually challenged, revealing his growing confidence—and willingness to kill or cripple those who threaten him.

4. Character Interactions

• The guards attempt to deal with the robbery, but Feng Jun orders them to prioritize the injured guard’s treatment and secretly takes control of the response.
• Feng Jun confronts the injured thieves after the crash. One falsely claims to be from the Agriculture and Forestry Department, but Feng Jun mocks the explanation and refuses to help them.
• When the man tries to force Feng Jun to rescue the others, Feng Jun attacks him and searches the wreck victims for valuables.
• Feng Jun recognizes Little Han and mentally connects him to the manor’s security breach, transforming their former employer-worker relationship into one of suspicion and hostility.
• The surviving driver witnesses Feng Jun’s violence and theft but is too frightened and injured to resist. Later, he cooperates with the rescuers and points out the people who recover the stolen goods.
• The rescuers who arrive afterward demonstrate the thieves’ lack of loyalty by collecting the materials and leaving the injured men behind.

Chapter Summary: “Hard to Go Legit”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun observes the aftermath of the staged car accident and robbery. He confirms that the thieves are also concealing illegal activities and will not alert the police, easing his concern that the incident might attract official attention.
• He identifies the surviving driver through the man’s driver’s license and phone, discovering links to an entertainment venue. Rather than immediately dealing with him, Feng Jun follows the vehicle carrying the stolen Spirit Stone.
• The thieves evade surveillance by circling Yang City before hiding the Spirit Stone in a storage room inside a research institute compound.
• Feng Jun discreetly enters the office building, disables the security cameras, and retrieves the Spirit Stone Under Refinement and a wooden stake stolen from Luohua Manor. He then explores the building to investigate the people behind the theft.
• The Tang brothers’ investment company is revealed to be a loan-sharking operation established after they became wealthy through the steel industry. Although they intended to become legitimate businessmen, they struggle to abandon their criminal methods.
• Tang Lao’er accepted the Luohua Manor theft for a large payment, despite his brothers’ warnings that Feng Jun might be dangerous. He tries to increase his profit by withholding some of the stolen goods and negotiates with two clients, eventually selling them the Spirit Stone for 800,000 yuan.
• Feng Jun confronts Tang Lao’er in disguise. He demonstrates supernatural telekinetic abilities by suspending a cigarette and lifting a lighter, terrifying Tang Lao’er into kneeling and begging for mercy.
• Feng Jun makes it clear internally that Tang Lao’er is unlikely to survive, but outwardly offers to spare him if he reveals who commissioned the theft and how the arrangement was made.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes more confident and methodical. He carefully tracks the stolen item, avoids unnecessary exposure, infiltrates the research institute, and uses his supernatural abilities to intimidate those responsible.
• Tang Lao’er is shown as greedy, calculating, and hypocritical. He claims to be a legitimate financier but still accepts criminal jobs when the reward is high. His confidence collapses instantly once Feng Jun displays his powers.
• Tang the Eldest and Tang the Third appear more cautious and pragmatic than their brother. They recognize the danger of provoking Feng Jun, but Tang Lao’er’s pursuit of profit overrides their concerns.
• The surviving driver is established as a low-level criminal associate connected to an entertainment venue, though Feng Jun postpones dealing with him.
• The two clients who purchase the Spirit Stone are secretive and demanding. Their willingness to pay more for the stone suggests they understand its unusual value, though they dismiss the risks endured by the thieves.

Significant Themes

• The difficulty of becoming legitimate: The Tang brothers’ attempt to move from criminal activity into respectable business fails because their instincts, networks, and methods remain rooted in the underworld.
• Greed and opportunism: Tang Lao’er accepts the theft because of the promised financial reward and then tries to manipulate both sides for additional profit.
• Power and intimidation: Feng Jun’s supernatural abilities completely reverse the power dynamic. Tang Lao’er, previously confident and coercive, becomes helpless once he realizes whom he has provoked.
• Concealment and mutual guilt: Both Feng Jun’s enemies and the thieves are hiding crimes, creating a situation in which no one can safely involve the police.
• The hidden value of the Spirit Stone: The stone appears ordinary to outsiders but is connected to the immortal mist at Luohua Manor and may be worth vastly more than the thieves realize.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun silently observes the thieves before following their vehicle and recovering the stolen items.
• Tang Lao’er bargains aggressively with the two buyers, inflating the Spirit Stone’s value while withholding the wooden stake until further payment is made.
• Feng Jun confronts Tang Lao’er after the sale, calmly exposing that the stone is worth far more than the amount received.
• Through controlled supernatural displays, Feng Jun frightens Tang Lao’er into submission and demands information about the person who arranged the theft.

Chapter Summary: “Black Hand”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Lao’er, deputy general manager of Xinchao Investment Company, dies by jumping from the seventeenth-floor rooftop during a rainstorm.
• Feng Jun secretly escapes the building by jumping into a third-floor restroom, then pretends to be an ordinary bystander witnessing the death. His calm performance prevents suspicion.
• Through questioning Tang Lao’er beforehand, Feng Jun learns that Tang accepted a theft commission from Mr. Park, a former client. Park believed Luohua Manor’s mysterious mist-filled valley and Bamboo Grove concealed something capable of promoting health and longevity.
• Tang’s men infiltrated Luohua Manor and stole an unusually heavy piece of Black Iron, believing it might be the core of the Bamboo Grove’s secret. The object was handed to one of Park’s associates, while another accomplice was injured and hospitalized.
• After determining that Tang and the hospitalized accomplice have no further useful information, Feng Jun eliminates both of them. He tracks the thief in the hospital through his phone and leaves before anyone realizes he was present.
• The stolen stone is delivered to Mr. Park, who remains uncertain whether it is genuinely important. The thief, however, becomes terrified after learning that Tang has died and that the earlier theft was followed by a deadly car accident.
• Park initially dismisses the supernatural explanation, but he and the thief agree to test the stone by transporting it around Yang City. Park sends an assistant to carry it, accompanied by the thief’s nephew.
• Feng Jun tracks them down while they are still discussing the plan.
• During the drive, Park’s assistant suddenly dies while stopped at a red light. The nephew panics and reports the incident.
• Park begins to suspect that a person handing out flyers in the rain may have been connected to the death, implying that Feng Jun is using supernatural-looking methods—or carefully engineered attacks—to pursue everyone involved.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates increasing ruthlessness, efficiency, and confidence. He combines surveillance, technological skill, psychological manipulation, and possibly supernatural abilities to punish those who intrude upon Luohua Manor. He also shows strong composure, convincingly acting like an uninvolved passerby after Tang’s death.
• Tang Lao’er: Revealed to be a greedy intermediary who underestimated both Feng Jun and his own subordinate’s willingness to risk everything for money. His death marks the consequences of organizing the theft.
• Tang’s subordinates: Their greed and disregard for warnings lead them into escalating danger. They treat the rumored “Miraculous One” as merely a way to increase their payment.
• Mr. Park: Initially skeptical and dismissive of supernatural claims, but repeated deaths force him to take the threat more seriously. His faith makes him willing to consider churches and religious protection, though he still tries to approach the matter rationally.
• The thief and his nephew: Their confidence collapses into fear once they realize that the deaths may be connected to Luohua Manor. The thief refuses to risk further involvement, while the nephew becomes increasingly panicked.
• Park’s assistant: Becomes another victim during the attempted test of the stolen stone, reinforcing the impression that the object or Feng Jun carries a deadly curse.

Significant Themes

• Greed and consequences: Financial gain drives the theft, but greed blinds the criminals to obvious warnings and places them in mortal danger.
• The unknown and supernatural fear: The characters struggle to determine whether the deaths are supernatural punishment, coincidence, or deliberate human action. Their uncertainty magnifies the terror.
• Faith versus skepticism: Park mocks local spiritual beliefs and insists there is only one true God, yet he gradually becomes willing to test religious protection against the supposed miracle.
• Power and retaliation: Feng Jun protects Luohua Manor through decisive violence, creating an atmosphere in which intruders are punished without understanding how the punishment occurs.
• Appearance and deception: Feng Jun’s ability to act like an innocent witness contrasts with the hidden violence he has already committed. Ordinary scenes—such as a man handing out flyers—may conceal extraordinary danger.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun interrogates Tang Lao’er, extracting information about Park, the theft, the Black Iron, and the accomplices before disposing of him.
• Feng Jun silently tracks and accesses the hospitalized accomplice’s phone while the man’s family remains unaware.
• Mr. Park confronts the thief about how he could have completed a transaction with Tang after Tang’s apparent suicide. The thief’s terror convinces Park that something unusual may be happening.
• Park and the thief argue over whether to test the stolen stone, each trying to make the other assume the risk. They ultimately agree to send Park’s assistant and the thief’s nephew.
• After the assistant’s death, Park interrogates the nephew by phone, attempting to identify what triggered the incident. The mention of the flyer distributor hints that Feng Jun may have been physically present and deliberately involved.

Chapter Summary: “Source of Disaster”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A South Luo Country national, Gao Hejun, suddenly dies while stopped at a red light, attracting police attention and throwing Mr. Park into panic.
• Mr. Park accuses Bai Yue Ren of being a devil and threatens to expose him for stealing the Spirit Stone. Bai Yue Ren counters that Park had ordered the theft and could also be reported.
• Police search the vehicle and discover that the enormous Spirit Stone has vanished from the trunk.
• Feng Jun is revealed to have orchestrated the disappearance. Rather than immediately reclaiming the stone, he used it as bait to identify and eliminate the hostile forces behind the theft.
• After learning that the driver was connected to South Luo Country, Feng Jun decided to act. Disguised as a flyer distributor, he pulled the car into the Phone Plane, removed the Spirit Stone, and ensured it would never return to Blue Star.
• Mr. Park becomes convinced that supernatural forces are involved, though he later tries to rationalize the incident as the work of the mysterious flyer distributor.
• Police investigate surveillance footage but cannot identify the disguised Feng Jun because of heavy rain and poor image quality. They also debate whether Gao Hejun should undergo an autopsy, with disagreements arising over who has authority to approve it.
• Claiming that his own life is in danger, Mr. Park receives protection from two plainclothes officers.
• While leaving with the officers, Mr. Park slips and falls down the stairs after being startled by a bicycle falling into muddy water. He is knocked unconscious and later awakens as an idiot.
• Bai Yue Ren, terrified by the deaths and supernatural events, contacts his master for protection. The master gives him a Protective Talisman and instructs him to seek out Feng Jun respectfully rather than confront him aggressively.
• Though afraid to travel or remain in Yang City, Bai Yue Ren decides to meet Feng Jun and attempt to resolve the matter through compensation.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun is shown to be calculating and strategic. He deliberately delays taking back the Spirit Stone so he can identify the people behind the theft and use the situation to destroy hostile forces.
• Mr. Park shifts from arrogant confidence to hysteria and fear. His belief in supernatural phenomena grows after witnessing the stone’s disappearance and the deaths surrounding it. His paranoia ultimately leads him to request police protection, though he is later catastrophically injured.
• Bai Yue Ren becomes increasingly frightened and cautious. Although initially involved in the theft, he recognizes the Spirit Stone as a source of death and realizes Feng Jun is far beyond his ability to confront. He turns to his master for guidance and protection.
• Bai Yue Ren’s master appears authoritative but cautious. He offers spiritual protection while advising Bai Yue Ren not to provoke Feng Jun, suggesting that even he may fear the local supernatural power.
• The police remain professional and cooperative toward the foreign nationals, but their investigation is hindered by poor surveillance footage and uncertainty over the cause of death.

Significant Themes

• Supernatural power and inevitable consequences: The Spirit Stone brings death and disaster to everyone involved, reinforcing the idea that forbidden power cannot be controlled safely.
• Cause and effect: Those who plot against Luohua Manor suffer increasingly severe consequences, from unexplained death to madness and physical injury.
• Fear versus rationalization: Characters alternately accept and deny supernatural explanations. Mr. Park tries to blame an unidentified flyer distributor, while Bai Yue Ren openly acknowledges that Feng Jun possesses extraordinary abilities.
• Strategic revenge: Feng Jun does not act impulsively; he turns the theft into an opportunity to trace and dismantle the network opposing him.
• Powerlessness of ordinary institutions: The police can investigate deaths and provide protection, but they cannot detect or prevent Feng Jun’s supernatural actions.

Character Interactions

• Mr. Park and Bai Yue Ren argue over responsibility for the theft, with both threatening to expose the other. Their alliance deteriorates as fear replaces confidence.
• Mr. Park and the police clash over the autopsy and his demand for protection. The officers accommodate him but remain skeptical of his supernatural suspicions.
• Mr. Park and the other South Luo Country employee argue over whether Gao Hejun’s autopsy can proceed without his family’s consent, revealing internal disputes over authority and loyalty.
• Bai Yue Ren and his master have a fearful consultation. Bai asks for help against Feng Jun, while the master gives him the talisman and warns him to approach Feng Jun carefully.
• Feng Jun and the thieves never confront one another directly, but Feng’s calculated actions dominate the chapter: he removes the Spirit Stone, exposes their vulnerability, and leaves them terrified of his power.

Chapter Summary: “An Oversight Despite Every Precaution”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun recognizes Chen Ernan as the intermediary who previously helped connect the South Luo Country group with Tang Lao’er and participated in the theft of the Spirit-Gathering Array.
• Chen Ernan attempts to contact Zhang Weihong, claiming he possesses important information about the theft. Feng Jun immediately realizes Chen’s identity and refuses to meet him on those terms.
• Terrified that Feng Jun already knows everything, Chen Ernan brings his nephew to Luohua Manor and kneels in the rain at the entrance. He orders his nephew to kneel as well.
• While returning from the hospital, Feng Jun uses a divine-sense attack on the vegetative South Luo Country patient. The patient shows slight physical reactions and abnormal brain waves, though he does not truly wake.
• At the manor, Feng Jun finds that one guard is hospitalized and another has been badly beaten. Gao Qiang is now helping guard the entrance.
• Chen Ernan begs for mercy, invoking “Master Tanguang” and claiming to possess his protection. Feng Jun forces Chen to crawl into the manor on his knees and demands to examine the supposed protective talisman.
• Feng Jun immediately identifies the talisman as worthless and throws it away. He remains determined to punish Chen for helping steal from the manor and for the violence inflicted on the guards.
• Feng Jun reflects angrily on the betrayal by the manor’s insiders. Although he believes he treats his workers generously—with food, lodging, and good wages—some still considered stealing from him.
• Feng Jun hints that Chen should “buy more insurance,” implying that he has no intention of forgiving him despite allowing him to speak.
• Chen warns Feng Jun about a potential vulnerability: police investigating the recent murders might use mobile-phone location data and cell-tower records to identify people present near the crime scenes.
• Feng Jun learns that even a powered-off phone may potentially reveal its recent location through stored device or cloud data. This alarms him because his supernatural ability depends on using a phone as a medium.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Becomes increasingly ruthless and distrustful after discovering the theft involved an insider. He maintains a calm exterior but is inwardly shaken by Chen’s warning about technological tracking. He realizes that his supernatural methods may leave evidence through his phone.
• Chen Ernan: Changes from a conspirator confident enough to participate in the theft into a terrified, submissive man desperate to survive. He kneels, crawls, kowtows, and offers information in exchange for mercy. His warning about phone tracking shows both practical intelligence and an attempt to redeem himself.
• Feng Jun’s guards: Their injuries emphasize their loyalty and dedication to the manor. One is hospitalized after being seriously injured, while Gao Qiang steps in to reinforce security.
• The manor workers: Their possible involvement in the theft deepens Feng Jun’s sense of betrayal, leading him to question whether his generosity has been sufficient or whether people will always be motivated by personal gain.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and mistrust: Feng Jun is more angered by the existence of an insider than by the theft itself, since it suggests that even those he supports may betray him.
• Power and submission: Chen’s public kneeling, crawling, and self-abasement contrast sharply with Feng Jun’s absolute control over his fate.
• Justice versus vengeance: Feng Jun claims to value principles but admits that he does not feel obligated to keep promises to immoral people. His response is driven more by personal vengeance than by legal justice.
• Limits of supernatural power: The talisman is exposed as fake, while Feng Jun’s own abilities remain powerful but imperfectly concealed.
• Technology as a threat: Modern surveillance creates a new danger for Feng Jun. His phone, essential to his abilities, may also become evidence linking him to supernatural attacks and crime scenes.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Zhang Weihong: Feng Jun uses Zhang Weihong as the channel through which he rejects Chen’s request and signals that he already understands the situation.
• Feng Jun and Chen Ernan: Their confrontation is deliberately humiliating and threatening. Feng Jun questions Chen, dismisses his protective talisman, and makes clear that information alone may not save him.
• Chen Ernan and his nephew: Chen forces his nephew to share his punishment, demonstrating his panic and willingness to impose humiliation on others to show submission.
• Feng Jun and the guards: The injured guards reinforce Feng Jun’s anger toward the thieves and his appreciation of the guards’ loyalty, especially compared with the suspected betrayal by the manor workers.
• Chen Ernan and Feng Jun regarding the police investigation: Chen shifts from begging to providing genuinely useful intelligence, warning Feng Jun that mobile-phone and location data could expose him. This gives Feng Jun an important new security concern.

Chapter Summary: “A Bit Short-Handed”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Ernan, who acted as an intermediary in the plot against Feng Jun, begs for his life and offers his entire fortune in exchange for mercy.
• Feng Jun demonstrates his power by summoning lightning. He spares Chen Ernan but punishes him with a precisely targeted strike that leaves him badly injured and temporarily deafened.
• Feng Jun orders Chen Ernan to:
  • Pay five million in compensation to the two injured gatekeepers.
  • Never return to Funiu for the rest of his life.
• Chen Ernan gratefully accepts and crawls backward out of the manor, terrified of showing disrespect. He later tells his nephew to keep the lightning incident secret, considering his survival a blessing.
• Feng Jun learns that the manor’s investigation into the theft is still underway. Old Han has fled, while Wang Haifeng and Lei Gang are tracing the motorcycle used in the crime.
• The manor has mobilized nearly everyone to protect its grounds:
  • Hao Fengjing watches the Bamboo Grove.
  • Zhang Caixin guards the backyard.
  • Other assistants and workers handle communications and security.
• Feng Jun realizes that the manor is seriously understaffed. With several key people away and Wang Haifeng distracted by his mother’s illness, the manor nearly lacks enough capable personnel to function smoothly.
• He decides to recruit more disciples and workers, while also reconsidering how the manor’s staff should be organized. He concludes that relying mostly on local workers is risky and that outsiders may be needed to create better checks and balances.
• Feng Jun asks Gazi to recommend trustworthy people from their hometown, but Gazi warns that such people might become personally loyal to Feng Jun rather than cooperating with the existing management.
• After finding that Yang Yuxin and Zhang Caixin cannot easily recommend outsiders from their hometowns, Feng Jun asks Li Shishi to recruit ten people from her village near Yang City.
• Wang Haifeng then reports that the stolen motorcycle has been found abandoned in a pond and that the suspect has been identified as Wang Laili.
• Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang, relying partly on the villagers’ fear and respect for Luohua Manor, locate Wang Laili and beat him severely. Despite losing several teeth, Wang Laili continues denying involvement.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Shows both overwhelming power and controlled restraint. Rather than killing Chen Ernan, he chooses a severe but limited punishment to avoid attracting further official attention. The incident also forces him to recognize weaknesses in his manor’s staffing and management.
• Chen Ernan: Transforms from a conspirator who underestimated Feng Jun into a terrified and obedient survivor. He accepts punishment without resistance and becomes deeply convinced that Feng Jun possesses almost supernatural or immortal abilities.
• Gazi: Demonstrates practical judgment and administrative insight by challenging Feng Jun’s plan to recruit only people from their hometown. His advice reveals that he thinks beyond personal loyalty and considers organizational stability.
• Yang Yuxin: Remains calm and capable during the crisis, helping coordinate the manor’s defenses and ensuring that the children and rear areas remain safe.
• Li Shishi: Provides a practical solution to the staffing problem by offering to recommend workers from her village. Her playful remarks also add humor to the tense situation.
• Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang: Display determination and local influence in pursuing the thief. Their methods are aggressive, but they successfully mobilize both official contacts and villagers.
• Wang Laili: Is established as a habitual troublemaker and hardened suspect who refuses to confess, even under severe pressure.

Significant Themes

• Power and restraint: Feng Jun’s ability to kill Chen Ernan is unquestioned, but he deliberately limits the punishment to avoid creating more suspicious deaths and worsening relations with authorities.
• Fear as authority: Chen Ernan and the villagers obey Feng Jun not merely because of formal power but because they believe Luohua Manor possesses supernatural strength.
• Organization and preparedness: The crisis exposes that Feng Jun’s growing influence has outpaced his manpower and administrative systems.
• Loyalty versus management: Gazi’s warning highlights the difficulty of balancing personal loyalty with a broader chain of command.
• Local influence and social control: The manor’s reputation allows Feng Jun’s followers to operate effectively even where their direct official influence is limited.
• Humor amid danger: Chen Ernan’s dark joke about the protective talisman, Li Shishi’s comments about web novels, and Chen’s belief that his ancestors saved him lighten an otherwise violent and threatening chapter.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun interrogates and punishes Chen Ernan, establishing a clear hierarchy of power and forcing him to accept restitution and exile.
• Chen Ernan and his nephew privately discuss the lightning strike, with Chen insisting that his survival must remain secret.
• Feng Jun consults Gao Qiang about the investigation and later discusses the manor’s security situation with Yang Yuxin.
• Feng Jun and Li Shishi argue humorously about recruiting special forces and the unrealistic ideas found in fiction.
• Feng Jun seeks Gazi’s advice, but Gazi respectfully challenges his assumptions about recruiting hometown acquaintances.
• Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang work together to identify and confront Wang Laili, while local villagers support them indirectly by providing information and backing away from interference.

Chapter Summary: “Not Afraid of Confrontation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Laili, a habitual petty thief, is caught stealing a motorcycle and valuable items from Luohua Manor. Because rain has erased footprints and scent trails, he confidently denies everything and threatens to report Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang to the Patrol Bureau.
• Concerned about openly taking a villager away, Wang Haifeng contacts Feng Jun. Feng Jun arrives to find hundreds of villagers watching Wang Laili, who continues to insist that the witnesses are lying.
• Feng Jun gives Wang Laili one final chance to confess. When Wang Laili demands to know what he supposedly stole, Feng Jun refuses to argue and instead leads everyone to Wang Laili’s house.
• Beneath a stone step, Wang Haifeng discovers a burlap-wrapped object. Wang Laili claims it is a heavy iron family heirloom, hoping to create uncertainty over ownership.
• The object is revealed to be a box containing more than twenty kilograms of gold. The villagers immediately realize that Wang Laili stole it from Luohua Manor and turn against him.
• Feng Jun prevents the matter from being reported to the Patrol Bureau by claiming the gold is controlled material left in his care by a friend. The villagers understand the implication and allow the manor’s people to leave without involving the authorities.
• After returning to the manor, Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang ask how Feng Jun transformed the Black Iron block into gold. Feng Jun gives no explanation, telling them that proper cultivation will eventually reveal the answer.
• Feng Jun recovers both the Black Iron and the Spirit Stone but decides not to immediately restore the Spirit-Gathering Array in the Bamboo Grove, since the manor’s internal problems require attention.
• Sister Hong returns and privately asks whether Feng Jun was responsible for eliminating Tang Lao’er from Xinyuan Investments and a man from South Luo Country. Feng Jun confirms that he was, adding that more people died than she realizes. Sister Hong angrily criticizes him for acting impulsively without consulting her.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates patience, authority, and strategic thinking. Rather than physically forcing a confession or involving the authorities, he exposes Wang Laili’s lie publicly and uses the villagers’ judgment to resolve the situation.
• Wang Laili is shown to be shameless, manipulative, and overconfident. He tries to exploit legal uncertainty, public sympathy, and the manor’s reluctance to involve the Patrol Bureau, but his greed ultimately exposes him.
• Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang initially struggle to handle the confrontation but become increasingly furious once they realize Wang Laili stole the Black Iron. Their respect for Feng Jun’s abilities also grows when they discover his transformation of the metal into gold.
• The villagers shift from curious spectators to active critics of Wang Laili. Their long-standing resentment toward his petty thefts makes them unwilling to support him once the gold is discovered.
• Sister Hong emerges as a concerned and assertive figure. Her anger shows both her emotional investment in Feng Jun and her belief that he should not carry out dangerous actions without informing his allies.

Significant Themes

• Truth exposed through evidence: Wang Laili’s verbal manipulation collapses once the hidden box and gold are revealed.
• Greed and self-incrimination: His insistence that the gold is a family heirloom and his earlier refusal to identify the stolen object make his guilt obvious.
• Power beyond ordinary law: Feng Jun and the manor’s unusual status allow them to resolve the matter outside normal legal channels, while still needing to manage appearances in the village.
• Confrontation and strategy: The chapter emphasizes that direct confrontation does not always require violence; Feng Jun wins by controlling the situation and forcing Wang Laili to expose himself.
• Cultivation and hidden abilities: The transformation of Black Iron into gold hints at Feng Jun’s increasingly extraordinary powers, which even his disciples do not yet understand.
• Trust and communication: Sister Hong’s confrontation introduces tension within Feng Jun’s circle, highlighting the danger of acting alone and withholding important information from allies.

Character Interactions

• Wang Laili repeatedly challenges Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang, using threats of reporting them to intimidate them.
• Feng Jun confronts Wang Laili calmly and gives him a final opportunity to admit the theft.
• Wang Haifeng physically uncovers the hidden box and exposes Wang Laili’s lie, while Xu Leigang reacts with anger at the thief’s shamelessness.
• The villagers collectively reject Wang Laili’s claims, turning the public confrontation against him.
• Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang question Feng Jun about the gold’s origin after returning to the manor, but he keeps the secret.
• Sister Hong privately confronts Feng Jun about his recent killings, criticizing his secrecy and impulsiveness.

Chapter Summary: “A Notorious Reputation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun reveals to Sister Hong that people from South Luo Country, acting through Xinyuan Investments, orchestrated the theft at Luohua Manor. Their goal was connected to the manor’s spiritual energy, which had already been damaged by an insider’s betrayal.
• Feng has killed several people involved in the plot—seven in one day—and insists that Wang Laili, a local thug who betrayed the manor and remains a threat, must also die.
• Sister Hong warns Feng that people are investigating him because his phone signal appeared near the scenes of suspicious deaths. Feng realizes he must stop carrying his phone when carrying out dangerous actions.
• Wang Laili refuses to flee or take the manor’s threats seriously. After drinking heavily, he is found dead in a shallow pond. The police dismiss the death as accidental drowning, and no one investigates because Wang was widely disliked.
• Rumors spread that Luohua Manor arranged Wang’s death, greatly strengthening its frightening reputation. The incident becomes a warning against provoking Feng and his organization.
• Chen Ernan, worried about the situation, increases his compensation to Luohua Manor from five million to eight million and purchases accident insurance for himself.
• Feng rewards the manor’s guards with salary increases and cash bonuses. The injured short gate guard refuses his bonus and instead asks Feng to treat his older brother, who became disabled after a construction accident.
• Feng agrees to attempt the treatment, while warning that success cannot be guaranteed. The guard plans to bring his brother to the manor under the pretense of helping cover shifts and recuperating in the countryside, protecting Feng’s secrecy.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly ruthless and pragmatic. He believes threats to Luohua Manor and its spiritual energy must be eliminated permanently, but he also shows generosity by helping the gate guard’s family.
• Sister Hong acts as Feng’s conscience and protector, worrying that his violence and growing notoriety will endanger both him and herself. Although disturbed by his killings, she accepts that some threats must be dealt with.
• Wang Laili is portrayed as reckless, vicious, and incapable of recognizing danger. His death confirms his tendency to provoke forces far beyond his control.
• Chen Ernan demonstrates fear and caution by paying more compensation and buying insurance, showing how seriously he now regards Feng’s power.
• The short gate guard displays loyalty, humility, and strong family devotion. He values his brother’s recovery more than a large monetary reward and carefully respects Feng’s desire for privacy.

Significant Themes

• Reputation as power: Luohua Manor’s influence grows not through public proof, but through rumors and fear surrounding unexplained deaths.
• Violence and deterrence: Feng views killing dangerous enemies as necessary to protect the manor, its people, and its spiritual resources.
• Modern surveillance versus supernatural ability: Feng recognizes that technology—especially phone tracking—can expose even someone with extraordinary powers.
• Loyalty and familial responsibility: The gate guard’s request highlights self-sacrifice, brotherly affection, and the burdens placed on poor families.
• Justice outside official systems: The police overlook Wang’s death because he was disliked and because investigating would be inconvenient, leaving Feng’s private retaliation effectively unchallenged.
• Secrecy and controlled influence: Feng helps people quietly rather than allowing his healing abilities to become public or inspire worship.

Character Interactions

• Feng and Sister Hong argue over his violent methods, with Sister Hong urging caution and Feng insisting that certain enemies cannot be spared.
• Feng’s confrontation with Wang Laili continues indirectly after Wang’s threats, ending in Wang’s mysterious death and reinforcing the manor’s intimidating image.
• Chen Ernan responds to the conflict by compensating Feng and protecting himself financially, reflecting his fear and dependence on Luohua Manor.
• Feng and the short gate guard share a respectful exchange: the guard requests medical help instead of accepting money, and Feng agrees out of appreciation for his loyalty and concern for his family.

Chapter Summary: “Even the Dogs and Chickens Ascend”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The short gate guard’s older brother travels to Luohua Manor to seek work, despite poor health and a bad back. A three-wheeled cart driver initially overcharges him and refuses to approach the manor’s Mountain Gate because of its intimidating reputation and fear of the “Miraculous One” and Crow King.
• Once the driver learns that the passenger is Brother Bai’s relative, his attitude changes. The gate guard is now respected locally because of his position at Luohua Manor and his association with Feng Jun.
• The gate guard welcomes his injured brother, explains that he hurt his arm fighting a thief, and lets him enter the normally restricted manor. He also pays the driver five yuan instead of haggling over the fare, revealing that his improved income has made him less concerned with small expenses.
• A minibus carrying potential workers is allowed through the Mountain Gate after Feng Jun’s approval. The older brother learns that the manor is recruiting laborers because it is short-handed.
• The gate guard explains the manor’s internal hierarchy: Assistant Li Shishi helped recruit workers from her hometown, Gao Qiang is conducting the selection, but neither of them possesses ultimate authority. Feng Jun remains the decisive figure, while the gate guard himself strictly controls access to the manor.
• Recruitment interviews are held at the Number One Pump pavilion. Applicants receive a preliminary evaluation through conversation and arm-wrestling against Gao Qiang, a former special forces soldier.
• The selection process ends on a cliffhanger when a confident teenage boy challenges Gao Qiang, asking whether defeating him would guarantee immediate full employment.

Character Developments

• The short gate guard has gained confidence, status, and financial security since beginning work for Feng Jun. He now earns a substantial salary and behaves as though Luohua Manor is his home, referring to its workers collectively as “we.” However, he remains cautious about the manor’s secrets and warns his brother not to interfere in matters beyond guarding the gate.
• The older brother begins as a poor, anxious outsider but gradually realizes that his younger brother has risen in status. His observations show him trying to understand the manor’s unusual power structure and strict rules.
• The cart driver shifts from dismissive and exploitative to respectful once he discovers the passenger’s connection to Brother Bai, demonstrating how Luohua Manor’s reputation influences local behavior.
• Li Shishi is portrayed as generous and well-regarded in her village. Her success at the manor has raised her family’s status, and she uses her position to help fellow villagers find stable employment.
• Gao Qiang is established as a practical and physically formidable recruiter. His military background makes him an intimidating evaluator, though he is presented as an employee carrying out assigned work rather than a true decision-maker.
• The young applicant appears bold and ambitious, immediately challenging Gao Qiang’s authority and physical strength.

Significant Themes

• The transformative power of opportunity: Employment at Luohua Manor improves the gate guard’s income, reputation, and confidence, showing how a single opportunity can elevate someone’s social position.
• Power and status: The chapter repeatedly contrasts formal titles with real authority. Even people who seem influential—such as Li Shishi, Gao Qiang, and the gate guard—ultimately depend on Feng Jun’s approval.
• Class and social mobility: The cart driver’s attitude changes completely after learning of the brothers’ connection to the manor, illustrating how association with power can alter how ordinary people are treated.
• Rules, secrecy, and boundaries: The Mountain Gate symbolizes the manor’s separation from the outside world. Access depends not only on employment but on Feng Jun’s permission, and the gate guard stresses that outsiders should not investigate matters they do not understand.
• Community and patronage: Li Shishi’s recruitment drive reflects village connections and mutual assistance, while the workers value the manor because it offers reliable wages, food, lodging, and protection from exploitation.
• Practical ability over credentials: The manor prioritizes strength, reliability, and useful skills rather than education or formal qualifications.

Character Interactions

• The brothers’ reunion combines affection, concern, and contrasting attitudes toward money and status. The older brother worries about the gate guard’s injured arm and the waste of two yuan, while the younger brother emphasizes dignity and his improved position.
• The older brother and the cart driver reveal the manor’s intimidating reputation through their discussion of the Mountain Gate and the Miraculous One.
• The gate guard explains the manor’s hierarchy to his brother while deliberately warning him not to speak openly about cultivation or the manor’s secrets.
• Li Shishi’s relationship with her fellow villagers gives them confidence that someone will protect them if they are mistreated.
• Gao Qiang interacts with applicants through questioning and arm-wrestling, turning the hiring process into a test of both physical strength and determination. The final challenge from the teenage boy sets up the next stage of the selection.

Chapter Summary: “Stability Above All”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Qiang defeats the overconfident young man Di Aixin in an arm-wrestling match by using a surprise attack and superior technique rather than raw strength. He recognizes Di Aixin’s exceptional physical talent and considers mentoring him if Feng Jun does not recruit him.
• Feng Jun remains focused on investigating the theft of the Spirit-Gathering Array rather than on hiring workers.
• A week passes after the recent incidents: Mr. Park is left brain-dead, most of the conspirators are dead, Chen Ernan has disappeared from Yang City, and only Old Han remains missing. Feng Jun concludes that Old Han likely knew about the plot because he fled, despite his family’s apparent fear and distress.
• With no further official action, Feng Jun relaxes and resumes normal activities. He helps the injured brother from Short Gate Post recover and allows Li Shishi to bring villagers to Luohua Manor for employment.
• Feng Jun delays restoring the valley’s central Spirit-Gathering Array because the manor lacks enough personnel to protect multiple cultivation sites. He decides the backyard array can adequately support the disciples and women currently cultivating.
• Feng Jun grows resentful toward Wang Haifeng and Xu Leigang for being overly welcoming to the Agriculture and Forestry Department, whose inspectors later revealed Luohua Manor’s secrets during the investigation.
• Workers from Li Shishi’s hometown gradually settle into manor life. Their tasks include planting, watering, construction, and land leveling. They receive reasonable treatment and access to shared vehicles, though local and outside workers begin forming separate social groups.
• Minor conflicts arise over work assignments and vehicle use. Li Shishi reports the issue instead of blindly supporting her fellow villagers, and Feng Jun sends Gao Qiang to warn the local workers by invoking the fate of the local Han Brothers.
• Over the summer, the workforce becomes sufficiently stable. Workers fear the Bamboo Grove because of the disappearances and deaths connected to it, and Li Shishi repeatedly warns them not to approach or investigate.
• At the end of August, Feng Jun restores the Spirit-Gathering Array in the valley. He plans to reactivate the Heaven-Swallowing Formation in September, reach Qi Refining Level Five, advance to Level Six in October, and then shift his attention back to developing the Phone Plane.
• Mou Miao returns from Cloud Garden with three Boiler-Backed Engines and news that the magistrate of Chaori County is willing to discuss contracting mountain land. Feng Jun immediately rejects the idea internally, vowing never to contract mountain forestland as long as Hu Changqing remains alive.

Character Developments

• Gao Qiang demonstrates his experience and tactical cunning by defeating Di Aixin through technique and surprise. Despite his victory, he honestly recognizes Di Aixin’s greater natural strength and potential, revealing his willingness to nurture talented successors.
• Di Aixin is established as exceptionally strong, confident, and somewhat impulsive. His defeat frustrates him, but his determination to challenge Gao Qiang again highlights his competitive spirit and promise.
• Feng Jun becomes more cautious and strategically minded. Rather than immediately restoring the damaged array, he prioritizes security, workforce stability, and the protection of Luohua Manor’s secrets.
• Li Shishi proves to be a responsible manager. She does not favor her fellow villagers during disputes and reports problems objectively, helping Feng Jun maintain control.
• The manor workers gradually become disciplined and mutually watchful. Their fear of endangering everyone’s livelihood helps prevent them from investigating the Bamboo Grove.
• The injured brother from Short Gate Post fully recovers, though he never learns that Feng Jun secretly treated him. Short Gate Post chooses not to reveal the truth.
• Mou Miao continues supporting Feng Jun’s cross-plane ambitions by restoring the supply of Boiler-Backed Engines and bringing useful political and economic information.

Significant Themes

• Stability before expansion: Feng Jun understands that power and resources are useless without enough people to protect them. He delays restoring the array until the manor is secure.
• Technique versus brute strength: Gao Qiang’s arm-wrestling victory emphasizes that experience, leverage, and skill can overcome superior natural strength.
• The danger of excessive power: The Spirit-Gathering Arrays are rare because their benefits attract enemies. Feng Jun recognizes that activating too many at once makes his forces vulnerable.
• Trust, secrecy, and vigilance: The manor’s survival depends on keeping its supernatural resources hidden and ensuring workers monitor one another.
• Leadership and fairness: Li Shishi and Feng Jun maintain authority by treating disputes seriously without allowing favoritism or local alliances to undermine the organization.
• Legacy and mentorship: Gao Qiang’s interest in guiding Di Aixin reflects the military ideal of passing knowledge and potential to the next generation.
• Economic foundations of ambition: Feng Jun’s larger plans depend on the production of Boiler-Backed Engines, showing that technological manufacturing remains essential to his cultivation and cross-plane development.

Character Interactions

• Gao Qiang humiliates Di Aixin in an arm-wrestling match but then acknowledges his talent and considers becoming his mentor.
• Feng Jun’s absence from the hiring process contrasts with Gao Qiang’s personal involvement in evaluating and training workers.
• Li Shishi mediates between her fellow villagers and the manor’s management by reporting conflicts to Feng Jun rather than taking sides.
• Feng Jun uses Gao Qiang to discipline the local workers, reminding them that being locals does not protect them from consequences.
• Li Shishi warns all workers about the Bamboo Grove, while older workers reinforce her message by urging everyone to protect the group’s livelihood.
• Mou Miao returns with both equipment and a proposal from Chaori County, connecting Feng Jun’s manor operations to his broader economic and political plans.

Chapter Summary: “Killing Intent Emerges”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun dismisses Mou Miao’s suggestion that he contract the mountain forest, remaining deeply distrustful of Hu Changqing despite reports that Hu supports the project.
• Mou Miao presents three newly improved Boiler-Backed Engines, assembled with assistance from Wang Haifeng’s father and several veteran technical experts. The machines are quieter, more durable, more efficient, less polluting, and significantly cheaper to produce.
• Feng Jun tests one of the engines on the barren mountain and is pleased with the results, especially the reduced production costs.
• He hosts Mou Miao and Liu Xiaoxuan for a banquet. After drinking, Mou Miao again urges him to consider contracting the mountain land, explaining that Hu Changqing’s support may have helped the proposal advance quickly.
• Feng Jun remains suspicious, believing Hu may be setting a trap that could place hundreds of millions of his capital at risk. While intoxicated and irritated, he openly wonders when Hu Changqing will die and begins considering possible plans against him.
• Yang Yuxin offers to help Feng Jun seek mountain land near Long City, where there may be large areas of vacant land suitable for planting trees. Although tempted by the opportunity, Feng Jun ultimately rejects it because he dislikes Long City, wants to avoid complications, and has no real need to expand there.
• The following morning, County Magistrate Chi Zhijie calls Feng Jun, setting up the next development.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: His past poverty and social hardships have made him highly suspicious and inclined to assume the worst of others. He shows loyalty and generosity toward Mou Miao, but remains cautious about political and business dealings. His drunken thoughts reveal that his hostility toward Hu Changqing is developing into genuine murderous intent.
• Mou Miao: Demonstrates pride in the improved Boiler-Backed Engines and appreciation for the technical experts who helped develop them. He continues acting as a mediator by relaying official support for the mountain-contracting project, though he ultimately respects Feng Jun’s decision.
• Yang Yuxin: Shows practical resourcefulness and influence by offering to investigate land near Long City. She also appears confident in Feng Jun’s ability to operate on a large scale.
• Liu Xiaoxuan: Quietly supports Mou Miao, helping him to bed after he becomes drunk and revealing the couple’s established domestic relationship.
• Hu Changqing: Though absent, he becomes increasingly important. His reported support for Feng Jun’s project conflicts with their history of hostility, making Feng Jun suspect ulterior motives.
• Chi Zhijie and Chao Gang: Their efforts appear connected to the rapid advancement of the mountain-contracting proposal, suggesting continued official involvement in Feng Jun’s affairs.

Significant Themes

• Distrust and survival mentality: Feng Jun’s experiences at the bottom of society have taught him to protect himself by assuming malicious motives.
• Business progress through technology: The improved engines represent meaningful innovation through lower noise, greater efficiency, reduced pollution, and lower costs.
• Power and political risk: Contracting the mountain involves enormous financial stakes and dependence on officials whose support may change.
• Loyalty and friendship: Feng Jun celebrates Mou Miao’s achievements sincerely, showing that personal relationships matter to him beyond financial gain.
• Ambition versus simplicity: Although opportunities near Long City could bring greater influence and profit, Feng Jun prefers avoiding unnecessary complexity and focusing on his family’s well-being.
• Emerging violence: Feng Jun’s casual but ominous wish for Hu Changqing’s death marks a shift from resentment toward contemplating active retaliation.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Mou Miao discuss the engine improvements, business costs, and the risks of contracting the mountain.
• Mou Miao relays information about Hu Changqing’s apparent support, while Feng Jun responds with disbelief and suspicion.
• Mou Miao and Liu Xiaoxuan display their close, domestic relationship when she helps him after he becomes drunk.
• Yang Yuxin challenges Feng Jun’s reluctance by suggesting land near Long City, but he rejects the idea after considering its risks and lack of personal necessity.
• The chapter ends with Chi Zhijie contacting Feng Jun, likely bringing new information or pressure regarding the mountain-contracting decision.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• County Magistrate Chi Zhijie contacts Feng Jun about the proposed forest-land lease in Sunrise County. He explains that, after Mou Miao’s visit to Yang City, the county has made progress and asks Feng Jun to return for negotiations.
• Feng Jun declines to return immediately, claiming he is occupied in Yang City, and suggests that the county begin preliminary discussions and feasibility studies.
• Chi presses him, even offering to visit Yang City with the county Party Secretary. Feng Jun finally agrees to send his assistant, Li Xiaobin, to represent him and promises to return when he has time.
• The county secretary criticizes Feng Jun for sending only an assistant, but Chi admits that the project cannot proceed without Feng Jun because the lease requires an enormous lump-sum payment.
• Feng assigns Li Xiaobin to handle the negotiations, partly because she has little to do at the manor. She agrees but requests a car and driver so she can represent Feng’s interests properly.
• Feng turns to Yang Yuxin for help finding a female driver. She quickly arranges two drivers through her connections with a communications company.
• During their conversation, Feng asks Yang Yuxin about building an independent communications network for a possible island or remote property. He describes a mountainous area of roughly 3,000 square kilometers and 30,000 users.
• Yang explains that a complete network plan—including site selection, base stations, equipment, installation, and commissioning—could be contracted out, though connecting the network to external systems would be more difficult.
• Their discussion turns humorous when Yang suspects Feng may want to emigrate or establish an independent territory. Feng jokes about buying an island while reassuring her that he has no intention of becoming a king or leaving the country.
• Two female drivers arrive that afternoon with their own vehicle. The next morning, Li Xiaobin drives to Sunrise County, leaving Luohua Manor with only Li Shishi as its remaining assistant.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun continues to avoid being directly drawn into bureaucratic negotiations. He is willing to cooperate but prefers to delegate practical matters while maintaining control from a distance.
• County Magistrate Chi Zhijie reveals himself to be persistent and politically involved. He understands Feng’s importance to the project but is frustrated by Feng’s reluctance to return personally.
• Li Xiaobin gains a more meaningful role as Feng’s representative in the forest-lease negotiations. Her request for a driver shows both practical awareness and concern for Feng’s status.
• Yang Yuxin continues trying to repay Feng for helping her daughter. Her willingness to use powerful family and business connections demonstrates both her influence and her growing loyalty toward him.
• Feng Jun’s relationship with Yang Yuxin becomes more relaxed and humorous, with their conversation showing increased familiarity and trust.

Significant Themes

• Power and dependence: The county may control the forests, but it depends on Feng’s money and participation to make the project viable.
• Delegation and influence: Feng’s authority allows him to accomplish things without appearing personally. His assistants and connections can act effectively on his behalf.
• Reciprocity and indebtedness: Yang Yuxin feels uncomfortable accepting Feng’s help without contributing something substantial, while Feng accepts her assistance without demanding repayment.
• Privacy versus public influence: Feng wants to maintain a low profile, yet his wealth, abilities, and growing reputation increasingly attract government and corporate attention.
• Independence and control: The proposed private communications network reflects Feng’s desire for self-sufficiency and control over remote territory or future projects.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Chi Zhijie: Their polite conversation is a subtle power struggle. Chi tries to pressure Feng into returning, while Feng deflects him with courteous excuses and delegation.
• Chi Zhijie and his secretary: The secretary sees Feng’s behavior as arrogance, but Chi recognizes the practical reality that the county cannot replace Feng’s financial role.
• Feng Jun and Li Xiaobin: Feng gives her responsibility because he trusts her and wants to make use of her otherwise idle time. Their exchange also shows his concern over staffing and logistics.
• Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin: Their discussion blends business planning, mutual favors, and playful banter. Yang offers concrete assistance, while Feng cautiously explores the possibility of constructing a large independent network.
• Li Xiaobin and the county: Her departure marks the beginning of Feng’s indirect negotiations with Sunrise County and temporarily changes the staffing balance at Luohua Manor.

Chapter Summary: “Qualifications and Opportunities”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun completes eight days of secluded cultivation in the valley, using the Heaven-Swallowing Formation and Spirit-Gathering Arrays. He successfully advances to Advanced Qi Refining Level Five, but chooses not to force a breakthrough to Level Six, planning to attempt it in October.
• His emergence from seclusion relaxes the tense atmosphere at Luohua Manor. The manor’s workers and guards return to their normal duties.
• Several outside matters are resolved:
  • The Agriculture and Forestry Department again investigates the manor, apparently hoping to collect more bamboo fungus, but Sister Hong blocks them.
  • The Patrol Bureau seeks information related to the South Luo Country case, but Yang Yuxin refuses to let them meet Feng Jun while he is in seclusion.
  • Negotiations with Sunrise County over contracting mountain land progress smoothly. Feng Jun’s representatives favor a middle-sized plot of roughly six square kilometers, though he could ultimately select up to eleven.
• Construction begins on a jade house near the mountaintop behind the rear courtyard. Feng Jun intends it to signal that he plans to live in Yang City permanently, which would help reduce suspicion if trouble later arises in Sunrise County—particularly involving Hu Changqing.
• Feng Jun permits Yang Yuxin and her daughter greater access to the valley bamboo grove, no longer trying to conceal its unusual nature. He recognizes that Yang Yuxin already knows the grove is extraordinary and views her cooperation as deserving reciprocal goodwill.
• Yang Yuxin begins experiencing substantial health improvements from repeatedly visiting the grove, including better sleep, improved skin, reduced hair loss, greater vitality, and a more stable mood.
• By mid-September, nine of Li Shishi’s fellow villagers become regular employees after receiving their first wages. One worker is excluded and has his probation extended because he violated the manor’s strict ban on gambling.
• Gao Qiang recommends the physically gifted and strong-willed worker Di Aixin as someone worth cultivating. Di has challenged several of Feng Jun’s disciples: he draws with Gazi but is defeated by Xu Leigang.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun advances in cultivation and demonstrates patience and strategic restraint by stopping at Level Five rather than forcing an uncertain breakthrough.
• He becomes more open about sharing the manor’s benefits with trusted allies, especially Yang Yuxin and her daughter. His decision reflects both confidence and a belief that mutual trust is more practical than maintaining an impossible secret.
• Feng Jun also shows long-term planning by building the jade house and establishing a credible permanent base in Yang City.
• Yang Yuxin grows increasingly perceptive about Feng Jun’s secrets and his motives. She understands that access to the bamboo grove is a privilege granted because of her useful cooperation. Her own health improves dramatically, strengthening her desire to continue visiting the grove, though she remains cautious about seeking formal cultivation guidance.
• Gao Qiang proves observant and responsible in evaluating the workers. He enforces the manor’s rules while also identifying Di Aixin’s potential.
• Di Aixin is portrayed as immature and confrontational, but also honest, strong, courageous, and protective of others. His refusal to submit to anyone weaker than himself leads him to challenge Feng Jun’s disciples.
• Xu Leigang reinforces his position as the strongest of Feng Jun’s three disciples by decisively defeating Di Aixin, while Gazi recognizes the younger man’s promise and advocates for him.
• The gambling offender receives leniency because it is his first violation, but the manor’s authority and rules remain firm.

3. Significant Themes

• Strategic restraint and patience: Feng Jun understands that cultivation and larger plans should not be rushed.
• Trust, secrecy, and mutual benefit: The valley’s secrets can no longer be completely hidden, so Feng Jun chooses controlled openness rather than pointless concealment.
• Power and influence: Yang Yuxin’s official position cannot solve her personal health problems, but Feng Jun’s supernatural resources can. Their relationship develops through an exchange of protection, cooperation, and access.
• Long-term planning and self-protection: The jade house is both a personal investment and a way for Feng Jun to establish an alibi and reduce suspicion surrounding future conflicts.
• Rules and discipline: The manor offers generous benefits but expects obedience, especially regarding gambling and conduct.
• Recognizing talent: Di Aixin’s raw strength and character suggest that ability may emerge from unconventional or immature individuals, even if Feng Jun remains skeptical of Gao Qiang’s standards.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin: Their relationship becomes more openly cooperative. Feng Jun allows her and her daughter into the bamboo grove, while Yang Yuxin continues handling official and administrative problems for him.
• Sister Hong and government inspectors: Sister Hong firmly rejects repeated attempts by the Agriculture and Forestry Department to investigate or take more bamboo fungus.
• Yang Yuxin and the Patrol Bureau: She uses her authority to dismiss officials seeking information about the South Luo Country case, protecting Feng Jun during his seclusion.
• Gao Qiang and the gambling worker: Gao reprimands the worker, emphasizing that the manor has provided entertainment and comfort, so boredom is not an excuse for breaking the rules.
• Di Aixin and Feng Jun’s disciples: Di challenges them to prove their strength. He draws with Gazi, who respects his potential, but loses decisively to Xu Leigang. Coach Wang avoids the confrontation because he doubts he can win.
• Feng Jun and Gao Qiang: Gao’s recommendation of Di Aixin prompts Feng Jun to reflect that his own standards for judging talent are far higher and more mysterious than the others realize.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun evaluates Di Aixin, a hardworking young construction worker known for his natural strength and reckless energy. Believing the young man needs guidance, Feng challenges him to press down a single finger. Di uses all his strength but cannot move it, realizing the vast difference between ordinary physical power and Feng Jun’s abilities.
• Impressed by Feng’s strength, Di kneels and asks to become his disciple. Feng refuses, suggesting that Gao Qiang train him first. Although Di is exceptionally strong and coordinated, Feng determines that his aptitude for immortal cultivation is mediocre. His best path is likely

Martial Cultivation or “Entering the Dao Through Martial Arts.”

• Gao Qiang questions why Di cannot be accepted as a disciple when Feng has taken others. Feng explains that discipleship depends on aptitude, contributions, and proper inheritance—not simply raw strength. Gao is reminded that he himself is still undergoing a trial period and must earn his place before Di.
• Feng acknowledges that Di could become a top soldier or successful fighter and may ultimately surpass Feng’s existing martial disciples, but he refuses to casually expand his circle of disciples. His philosophy is that teachings must be carefully transmitted to worthy and deserving people.
• The older brother of the short gate guard recovers from his injuries and considers working at Luohua Manor. Gao Qiang refuses because the manor prohibits close relatives from working together in sensitive positions, fearing conflicts of interest or collusion.
• Feng Jun sympathizes with the brothers’ poverty and, after learning that the older brother trained as a cook, arranges a kitchen-assistant job for him in White Apricot Town. The job pays modestly but includes food, lodging, and commissions. Feng also quietly asks him to report relevant rumors about the manor.
• Gao Qiang recognizes that Feng is deliberately building an informant network through trusted people connected to the manor.
• Near the end of September, Feng receives word that negotiations over contracting a mountain forest in Sunrise County are nearly complete, requiring him to return and finalize the arrangement. He plans to travel alone to avoid leaving the manor understaffed.
• Zhang Caixin advances to the fifth level of Mortal Transcendence and decides to accompany Feng so she can consolidate her cultivation. Sister Hong and the others remain behind to manage manor affairs. At the end,

Yang Yuxin unexpectedly volunteers to join the trip as well.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates both overwhelming strength and careful judgment. He acts as a mentor and protector but becomes increasingly selective about disciples, emphasizing aptitude, loyalty, contribution, and the seriousness of inheritance.
• Di Aixin is shown to be honest, hardworking, strong-willed, and eager to improve. Though unable to cultivate conventionally, he may have outstanding potential as a martial artist, soldier, or combat champion.
• Gao Qiang reveals loyalty and concern for Di, advocating for the younger man despite his own lower position. He also proves capable of understanding Feng’s larger strategy and becomes an important administrator.
• The Bai brothers display mutual loyalty despite financial hardship. The older brother’s desperation comes from poverty rather than jealousy, while the younger brother remains respectful and tries to help him.
• Zhang Caixin continues her rapid cultivation progress, confirming that she possesses extraordinary talent. Her decision to accompany Feng reflects both her dedication to cultivation and her growing involvement in his affairs.
• Yang Yuxin unexpectedly inserts herself into Feng and Zhang Caixin’s journey, hinting at personal or strategic interest.

Significant Themes

• The value and limits of natural talent: Physical strength does not automatically translate into cultivation aptitude, though it can open other paths to greatness.
• Merit and hierarchy: Feng insists that discipleship must be earned through ability, contribution, and proper order rather than granted impulsively.
• Responsible mentorship: Feng tries to guide young people before their personalities harden, believing that proper direction can prevent resentment or antisocial behavior.
• Controlled transmission of power: The idea that “teachings are not lightly transmitted” reflects Feng’s growing awareness that knowledge and cultivation must be entrusted selectively.
• Poverty and opportunity: The Bai brothers’ situation shows how economic hardship shapes ambition, while Feng’s assistance offers practical help without compromising manor rules.
• Building influence indirectly: By placing reliable people in outside jobs, Feng expands his information network and strengthens the manor’s connection to the surrounding community.

Character Interactions

• Feng tests Di’s strength and redirects his desire for discipleship toward training under Gao Qiang.
• Feng and Gao debate Di’s qualifications, revealing differing views of potential, fairness, and advancement.
• The Bai brothers discuss family responsibility and the older brother’s desire to escape poverty by joining the manor.
• Gao enforces Feng’s rules while helping arrange the older brother’s outside employment.
• Feng, Zhang Caixin, Sister Hong, and the others coordinate the upcoming trip, with Zhang choosing to go, Sister Hong staying behind, and Yang Yuxin joining at the last moment.

Chapter Summary: “What Professionalism Means”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun travels to Sunrise County with Yang Yuxin and Zhang Caixin to advance the large-scale land-contraction project.
• Yang Yuxin suggests hiring a retired judge rather than relying solely on a lawyer. She explains that judges are more familiar with practical risks, local policies, and the kinds of problems that may arise in future disputes.
• Feng Jun returns briefly to his family’s convenience store but leaves after crowds of acquaintances arrive seeking advice or favors. He trusts his parents to decide whom the family should help.
• He books the Forestry Hotel’s presidential suite and hosts classmates and local acquaintances at Purple Bamboo Hall.
• County Magistrate Chi Zhijie arrives late, apologizes with a penalty drink, and discusses the county’s cooperation, the processing project, and Sunrise County’s tourism industry. Feng Jun maintains that he is not particularly interested in tourism so that his sudden change of attitude will not appear suspicious.
• Chi hints that city leaders and former officials are supporting the land project, implying that the county’s actions have higher-level backing.
• Feng Jun spends the evening reconnecting with former classmates through karaoke rather than immediately discussing official matters.
• The following morning, formal negotiations begin at the county government office.
• Yang Yuxin’s retired-judge consultant reviews the proposed arrangement and identifies serious procedural and political risks:
  • The land should undergo public tender, listing, and auction procedures.
  • The county has not prepared these legally necessary steps.
  • Coordinated or sham bidding would be improper and could create future legal problems.
  • County-level approval alone is insufficient; city-level officials should also endorse the contract.
  • Future officials could challenge the arrangement if the land’s value rises, especially if they believe the original price was too low or that benefits were improperly distributed.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun shows increasing caution and strategic awareness. Although he wants the project to move forward, he deliberately maintains his earlier claim that he is uninterested in tourism to avoid arousing suspicion.
• He also demonstrates loyalty to his family, allowing his parents to decide whom to help and refusing to exploit their kindness indiscriminately.
• Yang Yuxin proves herself politically perceptive, practical, and highly capable. She recognizes that legal formalities alone are not enough and uses her connections to secure an experienced judicial consultant.
• Zhang Caixin appears more innocent and skeptical of Yang Yuxin’s unconventional methods, especially the idea that a judge might be more useful than a lawyer.
• Li Xiaobin is shown to have made substantial preliminary progress but has overlooked important legal and procedural requirements.
• County Magistrate Chi presents himself as cooperative and politically connected, while indirectly reminding Feng Jun that influential city leaders support the project.
• The retired judge acts as a blunt professional safeguard, challenging both the county and Feng Jun’s side rather than simply approving the deal.

Significant Themes

• Professionalism versus informal connections: Personal influence can accelerate negotiations, but it cannot replace proper legal procedures.
• Long-term risk and foresight: The judge emphasizes that a deal appearing fair today may be challenged years later as land values and political leadership change.
• Power and bureaucracy: The project depends not only on county officials but also on city-level approval and broader political support.
• Family loyalty and social boundaries: Feng Jun values his parents’ judgment and distinguishes between genuine obligations and opportunistic acquaintances.
• Public responsibility and state assets: The judge warns that privately arranged land contracts can be interpreted as diverting public benefits to individuals.

Character Interactions

• Yang Yuxin and Feng Jun discuss whether a lawyer or judge would better protect the contract; their exchange establishes her confidence and practical understanding.
• Zhang Caixin questions Yang Yuxin’s claims, prompting Feng Jun to clarify the difference between legal expertise and judicial decision-making.
• Feng Jun hosts classmates and maintains friendly ties with them, balancing his new status with his old relationships.
• County Magistrate Chi interacts cordially with Feng Jun while carefully signaling official support and political backing.
• The retired judge confronts Li Xiaobin’s preliminary arrangements and warns Feng Jun that the county’s proposed process could create serious legal trouble later.

Chapter Summary: “Schemes Fall Through”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun, Yang Yuxin, and Li Xiaobin consult the retired judge Jiang about the county’s proposed contract for the barren mountains. Judge Jiang repeatedly highlights the political and legal risks, especially the danger that future officials—or Elder Hu Changqing—might investigate the deal.
• Feng Jun considers using a formal public tender, auction, and listing process, but Judge Jiang points out that staged or artificial bidders could later appear suspicious.
• After a long discussion, Yang Yuxin reassures Feng Jun that the prefectural and provincial authorities are unlikely to interfere once the county makes an official decision and receives city-level approval. She tells him she will support him whether he proceeds or withdraws.
• Negotiations with the county accelerate. Judge Jiang identifies two improper contract conditions and a more serious hidden danger. The county agrees to revise the conditions, while County Magistrate Chi Zhijie personally comes to explain the arrangements.
• Judge Jiang insists that the prefecture provide an official seal or written confirmation, believing this would eliminate the greatest future risk. Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin agree that this safeguard is reasonable.
• Chao Ying visits Feng Jun because she plans to develop a tourism project near his proposed property. Feng Jun tells her he may abandon the purchase if the authorities cannot resolve the hidden legal problem.
• Chao Ying realizes that Feng Jun has discovered the loophole involving “Resource Self-Mediation” in the Contracting Management Measures. She immediately informs her brother, Chao Gang.
• The chapter reveals that Chao Gang had deliberately planned to help Feng Jun publicly while secretly leaving a contractual “backdoor” or trap at Elder Hu’s request. He also intended to hint at the loophole to Feng Jun, using the gesture to build a relationship with him while protecting himself politically.
• Feng Jun’s discovery ruins Chao Gang’s carefully arranged plan and destroys Chao Ying’s hope of using the favor to gain Feng Jun’s support for her tourism venture.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing caution and political awareness. Rather than rushing into the contract, he listens to legal advice and recognizes the importance of hidden policy risks. His ability to uncover the loophole surprises the Chao siblings.
• Yang Yuxin remains confident and politically well-connected. She understands that high-level officials are unlikely to care about the relatively minor matter and assures Feng Jun that she will stand behind his decision.
• Judge Jiang proves that his constant criticism is not merely obstructionist. His detailed knowledge of local regulations allows him to identify dangers that a less experienced judge might overlook. He values both professional caution and his chance to demonstrate his usefulness to Yang Yuxin.
• Chao Gang emerges as a calculating political figure. He tries to satisfy Elder Hu, protect himself, avoid angering Feng Jun, and invest in Feng Jun’s future at the same time. His plan is pragmatic but morally ambiguous.
• Chao Ying is frustrated and disappointed because Feng Jun discovers the loophole before she can reveal it herself. Her intended favor—and the tourism opportunity attached to it—loses its value.
• Chi Zhijie shows practical cooperation by personally explaining the county’s position and helping advance the negotiations.

Significant Themes

• Political and legal risk: Even a seemingly beneficial agreement can become dangerous if procedures are incomplete or regulations are interpreted differently by future officials.
• The limits of good intentions: Feng Jun’s project would benefit the local people, but political motives and hidden clauses threaten to undermine it.
• Pragmatism versus loyalty: Chao Gang must balance obedience to Elder Hu with his recognition that Feng Jun represents a more promising future alliance.
• The value of local expertise: Judge Jiang’s familiarity with regional policies proves more useful than the credentials of a potentially more prestigious but less locally informed legal expert.
• Schemes and changing power dynamics: Several characters attempt to manipulate the situation for political or personal advantage, but Feng Jun’s unexpected awareness causes those plans to unravel.
• Long-term investment in people: Chao Gang believes Elder Hu’s influence is fading while Feng Jun’s power is rising, prompting him to prepare for the future rather than rely solely on old alliances.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun respectfully but firmly engages Judge Jiang, accepting his warnings while asking him to assess their seriousness.
• Li Xiaobin openly challenges Judge Jiang’s relentless criticism, while Yang Yuxin maintains enough respect for him to let the discussion continue.
• Yang Yuxin privately reassures Feng Jun and emphasizes her confidence in handling higher-level political concerns.
• Judge Jiang’s advice influences Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin to demand formal prefectural confirmation.
• Chao Ying approaches Feng Jun as a potential neighbor and business partner, but his disclosure that he may abandon the deal leaves her alarmed.
• Chao Ying then reports to Chao Gang, revealing the collapse of their intended strategy.
• Chao Gang’s internal reasoning shows that his apparent support for Feng Jun was both a political performance for Elder Hu and a calculated attempt to cultivate Feng Jun as a future ally.

Chapter Summary

• Chao Ying’s tourism plan and Feng Jun’s land contract: Chao Ying is frustrated that Feng Jun discovered the contractual loophole on his own. She had hoped to warn him about it, earn his gratitude, and then ask to use or widen the roads he would build through the remote land he contracted. Those roads were essential to developing the nearby tourism project, since infrastructure costs were otherwise beyond her means. Feng Jun’s chosen property—mountains, water, valleys, and a hill—happens to overlap naturally with the county’s planned tourist area.
• Chao Gang advises caution: Chao Gang tells his sister not to act too aggressively. Although Feng Jun’s discovery reduces the favor he would owe her, she can still help coordinate the solution and preserve their partnership. He also reminds her that Feng Jun is capable and well connected through the Gu Family, making him more an ally than a rival. Chao Ying admits she is uneasy because Feng Jun is forceful and difficult to control, while Chao Gang accepts that they must adapt to circumstances beyond their control.
• Chao Gang confronts the waiting officials: Leaving his office, Chao Gang dismisses several people seeking appointments because he needs to handle the more important matter involving Hu Changqing. His secure political position allows him to act bluntly and avoid the usual displays of accessibility.
• Dispute over restrictions on Feng Jun’s investment: Hu Changqing challenges the wording of the land contract, particularly the provision allowing local authorities to make adjustments and seek later approval. Chao Gang explains that the clause was intended to restrain Feng Jun and prevent potential abuse, such as indiscriminate logging. Hu immediately recognizes that Chao Gang had acted out of suspicion and partly wanted to make Feng Jun suffer for disrespecting him.
• Hu Changqing accepts responsibility for Cloud Garden: Chao Gang admits his selfish motives, while presenting the restrictions as a way to keep capital under control. Hu agrees to take charge of the Cloud Garden matter and promises to explain it to provincial authorities, ensuring that Feng Jun can invest without obstruction. His main concern is not wealth or power but preserving his reputation and ensuring that local people remember him favorably.
• Old and new political forces: Hu then asks whether Feng Jun still refuses to visit him. Chao Gang realizes that Hu is not simply demanding a junior’s respect; he likely wants to meet someone from the Gu Family or otherwise understand the powerful resources behind Feng Jun. The situation symbolizes the tension between established older leaders and ambitious new forces. Chao Gang reflects on whether he belongs to the old generation, the new one, or an uncertain middle ground.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chao Ying shifts from frustration toward reluctant acceptance, though she remains uncomfortable with losing control over Feng Jun and the tourism project.
• Chao Gang acts as a pragmatic mediator between his sister, Feng Jun, and Hu Changqing. He acknowledges his own political maneuvering while trying to repair the situation.
• Hu Changqing reveals both pride and political wisdom. Though offended by Feng Jun’s earlier behavior, he is willing to protect the investment and appears interested in Feng Jun’s connections and potential influence.
• Feng Jun does not appear directly, but his independence, wealth, boldness, and links to the Gu Family drive the chapter’s conflicts. His refusal to visit Hu represents his unwillingness to submit easily to older authority.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus control: The characters must adjust their plans because Feng Jun acts independently rather than according to their expectations.
• Political influence and capital: The chapter explores how business investment, infrastructure, government authority, and powerful family connections overlap.
• Generational transition: Hu Changqing and Feng Jun embody older and newer forces, while Chao Gang stands between them.
• Reputation and legacy: Hu’s greatest concern is leaving behind a good name rather than accumulating further wealth.
• Strategic relationships: Favors, roads, contracts, introductions, and personal visits all function as tools of influence in the political and business negotiations.

Chapter Summary: “Wisdom Comes with Age”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hu Changqing, a retired but highly influential former leader of Cloud Garden, tells Mayor Chao Gang that he wants to meet Feng Jun personally.
• Chao Gang worries that Feng Jun’s unconventional personality may make him unwilling to meet Hu. He initially considers arranging for county officials to accompany Feng Jun, but Hu rejects the idea of forcing the meeting.
• Demonstrating humility and flexibility, Hu decides that he will visit Feng Jun himself rather than demand that the younger man come to him.
• Chao informs Feng Jun, who is surprised and briefly unsettled. Feng had previously considered taking drastic action against Hu, so Hu’s unexpected friendliness changes the situation and makes such plans unnecessary.
• Feng books a suite at Cloud Garden Hotel and waits there with Zhang Caixin and Yang Yuxin. Dou Jiahui declines to attend, believing that his presence could sour Hu’s mood because of their past grievances.
• Hu arrives at the hotel with Mayor Chao. Although Feng does not greet him in the lobby, he and the two women wait for Hu outside the elevator, showing respect.
• During their meeting, Hu praises Feng’s appearance, talent, and achievements, while also teasing him about being accompanied by two women.
• The discussion centers on problems with the proposed contracting arrangement. Feng explains that certain provincial policies are difficult to implement and that he may relocate the project.
• Hu offers to take Feng’s written concerns to the provincial capital and help resolve the obstacles, asking Chao Gang to remind him.
• Hu then attempts to persuade Feng to expand the project into a broader tourism-development effort for Sunrise County. Feng politely but firmly refuses, saying his resources are limited and that he mainly wants to create a pleasant place for his parents to retire.

Character Developments

• Hu Changqing: Reveals his political wisdom, adaptability, and willingness to set aside seniority and pride for practical goals. Though he is initially irritated that Feng does not greet him downstairs, he controls his temper and maintains a warm, approachable manner. His survival of cancer and desire to continue contributing emphasize his determination and sense of responsibility.
• Feng Jun: Remains cautious and politically alert, refusing to be manipulated into accepting obligations beyond his intentions. At the same time, he shows proper respect toward Hu and recognizes the value of Hu’s assistance. His willingness to wait for Hu at the hotel demonstrates tact, while his refusal to take on countywide tourism confirms his independence.
• Mayor Chao Gang: Acts as the mediator between the older leader and Feng. He understands both men’s personalities and carefully manages their meeting, though he finds their unpredictability exhausting.
• Zhang Caixin: Displays composure and social awareness by preparing tea and cooperating quietly during the formal meeting.
• Yang Yuxin: Remains present as part of Feng’s close circle during the encounter.
• Dou Jiahui: Shows restraint and practical judgment by staying away rather than risking renewed conflict with Hu.

Significant Themes

• Wisdom and flexibility with age: Hu’s willingness to visit a much younger man demonstrates that experience can bring humility and strategic patience rather than rigidity.
• Power and mutual respect: Although Hu possesses greater political status, Feng is not intimidated and insists on maintaining control over his own decisions.
• Political negotiation: The meeting illustrates how personal relationships, favors, status, and indirect pressure influence business and regional development.
• Independence versus public responsibility: Feng wants to help his hometown, but only within limits that serve his personal goals. He resists being drawn into a larger public project.
• Restraint over confrontation: Feng had contemplated extreme measures against Hu, but Hu’s unexpected outreach creates a peaceful alternative. Both men avoid escalating tensions.
• The value of appearances and etiquette: Greeting Hu respectfully, serving tea, and waiting at the elevator help establish goodwill, even though both sides remain carefully guarded.

Character Interactions

• Hu and Chao: Chao attempts to arrange the meeting indirectly, while Hu repeatedly challenges his cautious approach and ultimately takes matters into his own hands.
• Chao and Feng: Chao carefully informs Feng of Hu’s intentions and guides him toward the hotel, balancing political pressure with concern for Feng’s temperament.
• Hu and Feng: Their meeting is cordial but strategic. Hu flatters Feng and offers concrete assistance, then tests whether Feng can be persuaded to support tourism development. Feng responds respectfully while firmly protecting his boundaries.
• Feng and Zhang Caixin/Yang Yuxin: They function as a coordinated social unit, with the women supporting Feng’s presentation and Zhang preparing tea.
• Feng and Dou Jiahui: Their brief exchange shows mutual trust and awareness of the political risks surrounding Hu.

Chapter Summary: “Shrewdness and Decisiveness”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Caixin serves tea during a meeting between Feng Jun, the Chao family, and veteran official Hu Changqing. By drinking her own tea in one gulp, she signals that she is acting as a friend rather than formally performing tea ceremony duties.
• Feng Jun describes his businesses as jade trading and potential health products. Chao Gang adds that Feng also manufactures machines at Cloud Garden for export, although Feng is clearly unaware of or embarrassed by the claim and avoids discussing it.
• Hu Changqing directly asks about Feng Jun’s relationship with the Gu Family. Feng subtly looks to Yang Yuxin for help, revealing how much he relies on her social judgment.
• Yang Yuxin boldly identifies herself as the Gu Family’s daughter-in-law, explaining that although her surname is Yang, her child’s surname is Gu. She then skillfully deflects Hu’s questions about her relationship with Feng.
• Hu probes whether Yang will frequently visit Feng’s planned development in Sunrise County. Feng avoids answering, but Yang hints that she is helping Feng with his work and that smoother progress in Sunrise County might encourage him to return there more often.
• Hu and Chao recognize that Yang strongly indulges and supports Feng. They also note Feng’s courtesy in booking a hotel room specifically to wait for Hu, which helps preserve Hu’s dignity and reputation.
• After investigating Yang’s identity, Chao Ying discovers that she is the widow of the Gu Family’s third son. This explains part of her connection to the family, but raises further questions about how Feng gained influence with powerful figures such as “Smooth Sailing.”
• The chapter ends with Hu amused and intrigued by the complicated relationships, but insisting that they first focus on completing their own business arrangements.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Presents himself as a successful but somewhat secretive businessman. He is uncomfortable when others exaggerate or expose details of his enterprises and depends on Yang Yuxin to navigate delicate social situations. He also demonstrates practical courtesy by arranging the meeting location and waiting for Hu.
• Yang Yuxin: Displays confidence, decisiveness, and sophisticated conversational tactics. She answers intrusive questions without becoming defensive, protects her privacy, and subtly pressures Feng to take Sunrise County more seriously.
• Hu Changqing: Though elderly and politically experienced, he is unusually direct and curious. He carefully observes everyone’s behavior, reads hidden implications, and evaluates Feng’s manners, connections, and relationship with Yang.
• Chao Gang: Acts as a mediator and observer. He understands the political significance of Yang’s identity and recognizes that her influence likely depends on support from the wider Gu Family.
• Chao Ying: Initially judges Yang based on her status as a widow, but her investigation helps uncover the deeper political connections surrounding Feng.
• Zhang Caixin: Makes a brief but meaningful appearance, using the tea ritual to clarify her role and relationship with the guests.

3. Significant Themes

• Political and social influence: The chapter emphasizes that personal relationships and family connections can be as important as formal titles or businesses.
• Subtext and indirect communication: Characters rarely state everything openly. Glances, tea-drinking, evasive answers, and carefully worded hints reveal their real intentions.
• Respect and reputation: Feng’s decision to wait for Hu in a booked room shows the importance of appearances, courtesy, and preserving an elder’s dignity.
• Powerful women and social agency: Yang Yuxin is not passive; she controls the conversation, protects her status, and uses ambiguity to influence Feng and the officials.
• Mystery surrounding Feng Jun: His rapid rise, unclear businesses, foreign exports, and Gu Family connections continue to create speculation.
• Pragmatism over moral judgment: The characters focus less on whether relationships are conventional and more on what influence and practical benefits those relationships provide.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Yang Yuxin: Their interaction reveals mutual reliance. Feng looks to Yang for help in negotiations, while Yang supports him but also subtly pressures him to invest more effort in Sunrise County.
• Hu Changqing and Feng Jun: Hu tests Feng through direct questions about his businesses, political ties, and personal relationships. Feng responds cautiously but prefers Hu’s straightforwardness to indirect maneuvering.
• Hu Changqing and Yang Yuxin: Hu probes her identity and connection to Feng, but Yang confidently meets his questions with controlled, ambiguous replies, earning his respect.
• The Chao family and Feng Jun: Chao Gang promotes Feng’s industrial achievements, while both he and Chao Ying observe and speculate about Feng’s connections.
• Hu Changqing, Chao Gang, and Chao Ying: After Feng leaves, they analyze his relationship with Yang and conclude that her influence alone cannot explain Feng’s access to major power networks, deepening the mystery around him.