Ch. 1001Negotiation

Chapter Summary: “Negotiation”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Yu Zhiyuan consults Yang Yuxin about Feng Jun’s medical abilities and treatment conditions, particularly whether Feng Jun can cure cerebral infarction in his ninety-nine-year-old family elder.
  • Yang Yuxin confirms Feng Jun’s extraordinary abilities but warns that he is extremely uncompromising: he will not permit doctors, guards, or other observers to interfere, ask questions, or challenge his decisions. Patients must accept everything he says.
  • Yu Zhiyuan decides to recommend Feng Jun to his family but deliberately withholds the possibility that Qi Wukui may have been harmed by Luohua, fearing it would delay or complicate treatment.
  • Yu Zhiyuan’s family uses its political influence to accelerate the transfer of the White Apricot Town land to Epoch Corporation. Higher authorities signal their intention to support Yang City’s cultural industry, prompting local officials to arrange an urgent meeting with Epoch.
  • Yang Yuxin remains suspicious of Yang City officials because someone previously attempted to break a contract with Feng Jun. She worries that a fifty-year cultural-town project could later be undermined.
  • Yu Zhiyuan offers the Yu Family’s involvement as a guarantee. After negotiations, the Yu Family agrees to take a forty percent stake in the project, while Epoch retains control. Yang Yuxin insists that Prosperity Corporation must not be involved.
  • Yu Zhiyuan suggests that both families surrender part of their shares and give them to Feng Jun, potentially strengthening their relationship with him.

Character Developments

  • Yu Zhiyuan emerges as practical, grateful, and politically capable. Although motivated by the desire to save his family elder, he also carefully considers the interests of the Yu and Gu Families.
  • Yang Yuxin is shown to be cautious, distrustful, and fiercely protective of Feng Jun’s interests. She refuses to rely on vague promises and insists on concrete safeguards.
  • Feng Jun, though mostly absent, gains a stronger reputation as an immensely powerful but highly demanding healer who refuses to compromise, regardless of a patient’s status or wealth.
  • Yu Zhiyuan’s family demonstrates its influence by quickly mobilizing political connections to secure the land deal.

Significant Themes

  • Power and influence: The chapter highlights how medical ability, political connections, and family status intersect. Feng Jun’s power is so great that even wealthy and influential families must accommodate him.
  • Trust and contractual security: Yang Yuxin’s distrust of officials reflects the fragility of long-term agreements and the need for enforceable commitments.
  • Negotiation and mutual benefit: The land deal becomes a compromise in which the Yu Family gains access to Feng Jun’s possible treatment while Epoch obtains the land and financial backing.
  • Pragmatism over personal loyalty: Yu Zhiyuan withholds sensitive information about Qi Wukui because saving his elder takes priority over exposing possible wrongdoing.
  • Feng Jun’s growing influence: The suggestion that shares be gifted to him indicates that both families view him as someone worth actively cultivating and appeasing.

Character Interactions

  • Yu Zhiyuan and Yang Yuxin: Their conversation establishes Feng Jun’s conditions and reveals their differing attitudes—Yu Zhiyuan seeks reassurance, while Yang Yuxin bluntly emphasizes the risks.
  • Yu Zhiyuan and his family: He reports his findings and recommends Feng Jun, initiating the family’s political intervention.
  • Yu Family and Yang City officials: Through behind-the-scenes influence, the Yu Family helps pressure the city government into expediting the land transfer.
  • Yu Zhiyuan and Yang Yuxin: Their later negotiation leads to a joint venture, with the Yu Family taking a forty percent stake and Epoch retaining control.
  • Both families and Feng Jun: The proposed gift of shares represents an attempt to secure Feng Jun’s goodwill and recognize his importance.

Ch. 1002Feng Shui Master?

Chapter Summary: “Is He a Feng Shui Master?”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Yang Yuxin tells Feng Jun about the Yu Family’s proposal to give him shares from their surrounding-land development project. Feng Jun accepts the idea in principle, since the Yu Family is sincerely trying to resolve the land dispute, though he remains uninterested in becoming a shareholder.
  • Yu Zhiyuan meets Feng Jun at the Xianlai Grand Hotel to discuss treating the ninety-nine-year-old Old Master Yu.
  • Feng Jun states that he is 99% confident he can treat the old man, provided there are no serious complications, but warns that the cost may approach one hundred million.
  • Yu Zhiyuan asks whether medical personnel may observe the treatment. Feng Jun allows them to monitor instruments but refuses to tolerate questioning or interference.
  • A major dispute arises over the treatment location. Feng Jun insists that he never makes house calls and demands that Old Master Yu be brought to Luohua Manor. Yu Zhiyuan argues that the old man is too frail to travel and that transporting someone of his status would be extremely difficult.
  • Feng Jun refuses to go to Long City, explaining that the treatment could take one or two months and that he cannot spare the time. He proposes closing roads and transporting the old master slowly, but Yu Zhiyuan points out the enormous inconvenience and logistical problems.
  • Feng Jun finally explains that Luohua Manor possesses a unique “energy field,” or feng shui formation, necessary for the treatment. He claims that he personally created it.
  • Yu Zhiyuan realizes that Feng Jun’s leased mountain land was not intended for ordinary development but to create a feng shui treasure land. He also understands why Yang Yuxin bought the surrounding property: to protect the formation.
  • Convinced that Qi Wukui’s actions caused the original conflict, Yu Zhiyuan privately blames him and agrees to visit Luohua the next morning to experience its effects.

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun remains stubborn, self-assured, and highly independent. He refuses rewards he feels he has not earned and rejects social obligations, including becoming a shareholder or making house calls.
  • He also demonstrates practical flexibility: although he dislikes interference, he permits medical observation through instruments and attempts to explain his treatment conditions rather than simply ending negotiations.
  • Feng Jun’s confidence borders on arrogance when he claims that no one besides himself could have arranged Luohua’s feng shui. His successful explanation also reveals that he is willing to use a convincing bluff to protect his interests.
  • Yu Zhiyuan begins the meeting prepared to negotiate firmly, but Feng Jun’s refusal to accommodate the Yu Family repeatedly frustrates him. Nevertheless, he restrains his temper because of the importance of saving Old Master Yu.
  • By the end, Yu Zhiyuan’s resentment fades once he understands the feng shui explanation. He develops greater respect for Feng Jun and recognizes the logic behind Yang Yuxin’s actions.
  • Yang Yuxin is shown as a mediator who helps repair relations between Feng Jun and the Yu Family and protects Feng Jun from being disturbed.
  • Qi Wukui, though absent, is increasingly portrayed as the source of the Yu Family’s trouble because of his reckless attempt to interfere with Feng Jun’s land.

Significant Themes

  • Personal rules versus powerful social expectations: Feng Jun refuses to bend simply because the Yu Family is influential or Old Master Yu is important.
  • The value of boundaries: Feng Jun’s insistence on controlling the treatment environment reflects his desire to avoid interference and preserve autonomy.
  • Misunderstanding and revelation: The Yu Family initially sees the land as an ordinary development opportunity, but later realizes it is central to Feng Jun’s feng shui formation.
  • Traditional feng shui and modern explanations: Feng Jun describes feng shui as an “energy field,” blending mystical ideas with scientific-sounding language to make his claims more persuasive.
  • The consequences of arrogance and intrusion: Qi Wukui’s lack of restraint created conflict by threatening something whose importance he failed to understand.
  • The burden of status: Old Master Yu’s position makes transportation and medical treatment extremely complicated, showing how power can create logistical obstacles rather than eliminate them.

Character Interactions

  • Yang Yuxin and Feng Jun: Yang acts as a bridge between Feng Jun and the Yu Family, presenting their proposal in a way he can accept.
  • Feng Jun and Yu Zhiyuan: Their conversation is a tense negotiation marked by mutual bluntness. Yu Zhiyuan tries to appeal to practicality and status, while Feng Jun repeatedly insists on his own rules.
  • Feng Jun and the Yu Family: Although Feng Jun previously resented them because of Qi Wukui, he becomes more receptive after seeing their sincere effort to settle the land dispute.
  • Yu Zhiyuan and Qi Wukui: Qi Wukui is not present, but Yu Zhiyuan’s growing understanding of the situation leads him to condemn Qi’s actions and regard them as the cause of the conflict.
  • Feng Jun and Old Master Yu: They have not yet met, but the chapter establishes the difficult conditions under which Feng Jun will agree to treat him: the patient must come to Luohua, and the treatment must occur within Feng Jun’s specially prepared environment.

Ch. 1003Many Exceptions

Chapter Summary: “Breaking the Rules More Than Once”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Yu Zhiyuan agrees to bring the Yu Family patriarch to Luohua Manor for treatment, but Feng Jun emphasizes that the manor is strictly private and accessible only by invitation.
  • Although Yu Zhiyuan outwardly accepts the restriction, he assumes the Yu Family’s influence will eventually allow them entry whenever they wish.
  • After informing his siblings, Yu Zhiyuan faces their objections. However, the connection to feng shui and the necessity of the treatment leave them unable to oppose the arrangement.
  • The next morning, Yu Zhiyuan arrives early with his driver. Feng Jun personally guides him through Luohua, first showing him the mist-filled valley and the Bamboo Grove where his disciples cultivate.
  • Yu Zhiyuan experiences the grove’s unusual restorative effects but remains suspicious, wondering whether he is being manipulated or affected by some kind of energy interference.
  • He witnesses several extraordinary sights, including a mysterious veiled woman cultivating and a butterfly apparently carrying an iPad. Feng Jun confirms that the butterfly is real, further deepening Yu Zhiyuan’s doubts about the manor.
  • Yu Zhiyuan enjoys Spirit Rice at breakfast and then receives a special tour of the rear courtyard and the Jade Stone Building, despite both areas normally being closed to outsiders.
  • He is shocked to discover that the building is genuinely made of mutton-fat white jade and that Yang Yuxin and her daughter are cultivating in the courtyard.
  • Yu Zhiyuan recognizes that Luohua is far more extraordinary than he had assumed and begins to accept that Feng Jun is not an ordinary man.
  • When informed that the patriarch is arriving by special train, Yu Zhiyuan asks whether he can stay inside the manor. Feng Jun refuses because of the manor’s privacy, offering instead a specially equipped bus parked at the entrance as the treatment location.

Character Developments

  • Yu Zhiyuan: Begins as skeptical, confident in the Yu Family’s influence, and convinced that Feng Jun may be deceiving others. His experiences at Luohua gradually unsettle his assumptions. Though he remains cautious, he becomes impressed and increasingly convinced that Feng Jun possesses genuine extraordinary abilities.
  • Feng Jun: Maintains firm control over Luohua’s boundaries and refuses to compromise its privacy, even for a powerful family. He is polite but deliberately evasive about the manor’s secrets and demonstrates confidence in the supernatural environment he has created.
  • Yang Yuxin: Her presence in the rear courtyard, cultivating with her daughter, reveals her trust in Feng Jun and suggests her close involvement with Luohua’s spiritual practices.
  • Yu Zhiyuan’s driver: His startled reaction to the iPad-carrying butterfly provides comic relief and reinforces how bizarre Luohua appears to outsiders.

Significant Themes

  • Power versus boundaries: Yu Zhiyuan assumes wealth and status can overcome restrictions, but Feng Jun insists that even the Yu Family must respect Luohua’s rules.
  • Skepticism confronted by the supernatural: Yu Zhiyuan repeatedly tries to rationalize what he sees, yet each new experience challenges his worldview.
  • Privacy and exclusivity: Luohua is portrayed as a secretive sanctuary whose value depends partly on keeping outsiders away.
  • Cultivation and spiritual energy: The Bamboo Grove, misty valley, Spirit Rice, and Jade Stone Building all demonstrate the manor’s unusual spiritual environment.
  • Social status and genuine ability: Yu Zhiyuan’s wealth and influence matter less inside Luohua, where Feng Jun’s mysterious powers and resources determine access.

Character Interactions

  • Feng Jun and Yu Zhiyuan negotiate the treatment and the rules of entry, establishing a polite but cautious relationship.
  • Yu Zhiyuan reports the arrangement to the Yu siblings, whose objections are silenced by the treatment’s feng shui requirements.
  • Feng Jun introduces Yu Zhiyuan to the Bamboo Grove and later permits him limited access to the Jade Stone Building, emphasizing that both privileges are exceptional.
  • The veiled woman silently shows disdain toward Yu Zhiyuan’s casual comments about the Bamboo Grove, while Xu Leigang remarks that Yu Zhiyuan is fortunate to be there.
  • Yang Yuxin acknowledges Yu Zhiyuan briefly but otherwise ignores him, reinforcing the secluded and disciplined atmosphere of the cultivation courtyard.
  • Feng Jun ultimately refuses Yu Zhiyuan’s request to house the patriarch in the manor but cooperates by providing an alternative treatment arrangement.

Ch. 1004Stay Calm!

Chapter Summary

  • Feng Jun establishes strict boundaries: Yu Zhiyuan asks whether Old Master Yuan and the Yu family will stay inside the manor. Feng Jun firmly insists that Luohua Manor is private property and that no unrelated personnel may enter. He offers to treat the old man in a special-care ward instead, even if the manor’s spiritual aura would make treatment less effective. This creates tension and weakens the previously friendly atmosphere.
  • Old Master Yu’s convoy arrives: The Yu family agrees to Feng Jun’s conditions: only one doctor and two security guards may enter, and they must remain within fifty meters of the bus. Old Master Yu is transported in a heavily equipped luxury medical bus rather than Luohua’s vehicle, largely because of security protocols. The convoy stops near the Number One Pump pavilion while the rest of the vehicles remain outside the gate.
  • Conflict over manor rules: Luohua’s gate guard approaches the bus to remove its tires, a standard manor rule meant to prevent vehicles from moving freely inside the grounds. One of the Yu family’s security guards forcefully stops him, knocking him down. The guard retaliates, but Gao Qiang intervenes before the situation escalates further.
  • Shen Qingyi demonstrates overwhelming strength: Shen Qingyi, the veiled woman in green, attacks when the security guard reaches for a pistol. She sends him flying with a green projectile, then breaks his arm when he attempts to draw the weapon. She warns that anyone who attacks again will be killed. When additional Yu family personnel climb over the gate, she disables them as well, though she deliberately limits the damage.
  • Feng Jun defends Luohua’s authority: Yu Zhiyuan argues that the security guards were only performing their duties by preventing unauthorized people from approaching the bus. Feng Jun counters that the gate guard was not an outsider but a member of his household, and that Yu’s people had no right to attack him without asking questions. He emphasizes that visitors must respect Luohua’s rules rather than treat the manor as their own territory.
  • The confrontation ends uneasily: Gazi throws the injured guard outside and warns that drawing a gun inside the manor will have severe consequences. The gate guard proceeds with removing the bus tires, demonstrating that Luohua’s rules will be enforced regardless of the Yu family’s status.

Character developments and interactions

  • Feng Jun becomes more assertive and uncompromising, making clear that he will not surrender control of his home to powerful outsiders. His insistence on principles reveals both pride and concern that yielding once will invite further interference.
  • Yu Zhiyuan is caught between the Yu family’s security requirements and Feng Jun’s authority. He recognizes that he lacks the power to override official security arrangements and becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the conflict.
  • Yu Zhicai questions Feng Jun’s methods and views Luohua’s retaliation as excessive, but Feng Jun turns the argument around by stressing that the family intruded into his private space.
  • Shen Qingyi reveals extraordinary, possibly supernatural abilities. Feng Jun identifies her as an external bodyguard rather than a cultivator from Luohua, concealing the true nature of her skills.
  • Gao Qiang and Gazi act as firm defenders of the manor, while the Yu security team’s aggressive caution escalates a minor procedural misunderstanding into violence.
  • Major themes: The chapter focuses on territorial authority, personal boundaries, security versus trust, and the abuse of status. It also highlights Feng Jun’s refusal to be intimidated by political power and contrasts formal authority with the private rules of Luohua Manor. The repeated command to “stay calm” becomes ironic as both sides respond forcefully, showing how quickly mistrust can turn a routine arrival into a confrontation.

Ch. 1005Li Shishi Advanced

Chapter Summary: “Li Shishi Advances”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Feng Jun confronts the Yu family over their failure to follow Luohua Estate’s rules, insisting that anyone seeking his help must show basic respect.
  • The estate staff quickly change the tires of the Yu family’s bus, confirming that this is a routine security procedure.
  • Feng Jun examines Elder Yu, who has suffered a severe stroke and is near death. He warns that the old man arrived just in time and might be beyond saving if treatment were delayed another two weeks.
  • Using the Dual-Ring Function, Feng Jun calculates the proper dosage of an Origin-Nurturing Pill. He gives Elder Yu one-third of a pill and stimulates its effects by rapidly patting the old man’s body.
  • Feng Jun refuses to provide any pill powder for the healthcare doctor to analyze, recognizing that Elder Yu’s medical staff have powerful connections and could create serious trouble if given too much information.
  • Feng Jun schedules a second treatment for six that evening and leaves the bus under Gao Qiang’s protection.
  • The Yu family struggles with Luohua Estate’s strict restrictions: security personnel and doctors cannot leave the bus area without permission, while the estate refuses to provide food or water after the earlier dispute.
  • Gao Qiang offers to transport food and water if the Yu family arranges it themselves. Xu Leigang later invites them to the villa for lunch, with Feng Jun’s approval.
  • The group travels to the villa, where they unexpectedly learn that Li Shishi has advanced in cultivation.

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun displays greater confidence and authority. He is blunt, uncompromising, and deliberately projects an intimidating image, but his caution with the pill shows that his arrogance is supported by careful judgment.
  • Elder Yu is shown to be in extremely poor physical condition, barely conscious and close to death, making Feng Jun’s treatment crucial.
  • Yu Zhiyuan acts as the main mediator, repeatedly smoothing over conflicts and cooperating with Luohua Estate to protect his family’s interests.
  • Yu Zhicai remains proud and frustrated by Feng Jun’s attitude, but eventually realizes that arguing is pointless and withdraws from several confrontations.
  • The healthcare doctor becomes increasingly irritated by Feng Jun’s dismissive behavior and lack of transparency, though he is forced to admit that Feng Jun’s assessment of Elder Yu’s condition is accurate.
  • Gao Qiang demonstrates practical judgment and familiarity with security procedures. He offers the Yu family a reasonable solution while maintaining Luohua’s rules.
  • Xu Leigang acts as a bridge between the two sides by inviting the Yu family to lunch. Li Shishi’s advancement also causes him to question whether his own cultivation has reached its limit.
  • Li Shishi achieves an unexpected breakthrough, surprising everyone because her aptitude had been considered ordinary.

Significant Themes

  • Respect and power dynamics: Feng Jun insists that status does not excuse people from respecting the rules of those whose help they seek.
  • Life versus mere survival: Feng Jun contrasts meaningful recovery with simply prolonging Elder Yu’s biological existence in a helpless state.
  • Secrecy and trust: Feng Jun carefully guards the Origin-Nurturing Pill, aware that powerful outsiders might exploit or investigate his methods.
  • Clashing worlds: The Yu family’s formal, authority-based approach conflicts with Luohua Estate’s informal but rigid jianghu-style rules.
  • Unexpected potential: Li Shishi’s breakthrough reinforces the idea that cultivation talent cannot always be judged by conventional assessments.
  • Limits and ambition: Xu Leigang’s reaction reveals his anxiety about whether he can progress beyond the Martial Master realm.

Character Interactions

  • Feng Jun and Yu Zhicai clash over etiquette, with Yu Zhiyuan repeatedly intervening to prevent the dispute from escalating.
  • Feng Jun and the healthcare doctor disagree over Elder Yu’s treatment, especially Feng Jun’s forceful massage and refusal to explain or share his medicine.
  • Gao Qiang negotiates with Yu Zhiyuan over food and water, showing a more cooperative relationship than the earlier exchange between Feng Jun and the Yu brothers.
  • The woman in green openly mocks the Yu family’s lack of preparation, emphasizing Luohua’s disdain for their entitled attitude.
  • Xu Leigang helps repair relations by escorting the family to lunch, while indirectly making clear that Feng Jun is not responsible for the earlier conflict.
  • At the villa, the Yu family encounters Feng Jun and the newly advanced Li Shishi, shifting the chapter’s focus from Elder Yu’s crisis to the surprising progress of Luohua’s cultivators.

Ch. 1006Ancient Inheritance

Chapter Summary: “Ancient Inheritance”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • During a meal at Luohua Manor, Xu Leigang discusses cultivation with members of the Yu Family, explaining that he cultivates alongside Feng Jun but avoiding detailed explanations.
  • Feng Jun discovers that the Yu Family’s fifteen-year-old chubby grandson possesses a Hairpin Gold constitution, giving him some cultivation talent and allowing him to recognize the quality of the manor’s spirit rice. However, Feng Jun considers the aptitude mediocre and has no intention of accepting him as a disciple.
  • The chapter reveals that Li Shishi has finally reached Mortal Transcendence, though only temporarily. With Zhang Caixin’s help, she successfully receives a wisp of spiritual qi because both practice the Five-Element Mortal Transcendence Technique. Her realm later falls back, leaving her in a Half-Step Mortal Transcendence state, but she now understands the process and should be able to advance again.
  • Feng Jun is impressed by their daring but becomes even more determined to avoid accepting disciples with poor or mixed aptitudes, remembering how difficult it has been to guide Li Shishi.
  • Shen Qingyi demonstrates her ancient cultivation background through her careful method of eating spirit rice. Feng Jun recognizes it as an old qi-practitioner technique designed to maximize spiritual-qi absorption.
  • Old Yu’s condition remains stable after receiving medicine. Feng Jun later reduces the dose of the Origin-Nurturing Pill to one-quarter and gives him another massage.
  • Shen Qingyi returns that evening to take over Old Yu’s care. The security guards outside the Mountain Gate, still frightened by her unexplained strength, consider testing her again.

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun: Becomes more cautious about taking disciples, especially those with weak aptitude. He also gains deeper appreciation for the value of ancient inheritances after observing Shen Qingyi’s cultivation habits.
  • Xu Leigang: Acts as a mediator between the Yu Family and the manor. He shows loyalty to Feng Jun while warning the Yu Family not to provoke Shen Qingyi.
  • Li Shishi: Makes a major but difficult breakthrough in cultivation. Her persistence and fear of being abandoned by Feng Jun motivate her to accept Zhang Caixin’s risky assistance.
  • Zhang Caixin: Shows concern for Li Shishi and takes the initiative to transfer spiritual qi to her. Her actions strengthen their friendship and demonstrate her willingness to help fellow cultivators.
  • Shen Qingyi: Her ancient, refined cultivation knowledge becomes more evident. Her eating technique reveals the depth and continuity of the Jade Ruins’ inheritance.
  • Yu Family members: Display curiosity about cultivation and the supernatural world. The eldest grandson is especially observant, investigating the manor and trying to understand Shen Qingyi’s status.
  • Old Yu: Remains stable under Feng Jun’s treatment, giving the Yu Family hope.

Significant Themes

  • The importance of aptitude and inheritance: Natural talent affects how easily someone can cultivate, while ancient sects possess accumulated knowledge that cannot easily be imitated.
  • Persistence versus innate ability: Li Shishi struggles because of her weak aptitude, contrasting with naturally gifted cultivators such as Zhang Caixin, Yun Buyao, and the Yu boy.
  • The value of old traditions: Shen Qingyi’s eating method illustrates how ancient cultivation knowledge preserves practical details lost in the modern era.
  • Loyalty and cooperation: Zhang Caixin’s assistance to Li Shishi shows that cultivation within the manor is not purely competitive.
  • Caution around power: The Yu Family’s interest in Shen Qingyi and the guards’ desire to test her highlight the danger of underestimating unfamiliar cultivators.
  • Class and social influence: The Yu Family’s political and military connections allow them to investigate the manor and move confidently among powerful people, though their influence does not necessarily protect them from supernatural forces.

Important Character Interactions

  • Xu Leigang explains cultivation to Yu Zhiyuan and his grandson while carefully protecting the manor’s secrets.
  • Yang Yuxin formally welcomes Yu Zhicai, reflecting the Yu Family’s importance and social standing.
  • Zhang Caixin encourages Li Shishi and transfers spiritual qi to help her break through.
  • Feng Jun reacts to their risky experiment with disbelief but acknowledges its success.
  • Feng Jun observes and interprets Shen Qingyi’s ancient method of consuming spirit rice.
  • Yu Zhicai questions Xu Leigang about Shen Qingyi, the manor’s cultivators, and the Dao techniques associated with other sects. Xu warns him that Shen should not be provoked.
  • The security guards remain intimidated by Shen Qingyi after her earlier display of inexplicable strength, setting up possible conflict in the next scene.

Ch. 1007Competing in Wealth

Chapter Summary: “A Contest of Wealth”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Shen Qingyi replaces Gao Qiang as the overnight guard while Gao continues helping transport supplies to the bus. Elder Yu’s family gives cigarettes to the gate guard to reduce tensions and maintain good relations.
  • Shen Qingyi spends the entire night meditating in the guard booth without food, warmth, or rest. Her endurance and heightened hearing amaze and unsettle the nearby security guards.
  • Feng Jun administers Elder Yu’s third Origin-Nurturing Pill. By late morning, Elder Yu regains consciousness enough to speak, signaling a major improvement. Feng Jun later treats him again and applies medicinal wine containing a Body-Tempering Pill, predicting clearer improvement the following day.
  • At Luohua Manor, Li Shishi celebrates stabilizing her cultivation at Mortal Transcendence Level One. The gathering becomes an extravagant exchange of congratulatory gifts:
    • Hao Fengjing gives her an obsidian bracelet.
    • Sister Hong gives her an expensive camera.
    • Yang Yuxin offers her use of a Long City apartment.
    • The male disciples contribute a car, money, a handbag, help with manor work, and even Spirit Beast meat.
  • Feng Jun objects to the gifts becoming a competition. The arrangement is revised so Li Shishi may use the apartment while Yang Yuxin retains ownership.
  • Shen Qingyi does not attend the celebration because she is not a manor member and may effectively be under guard or acting as a hostage.
  • At two in the morning, an alarm sounds at the manor. Shen Qingyi immediately awakens, leaps onto the guard booth, and scans the surroundings, demonstrating her exceptional vigilance.

Character Developments

  • Shen Qingyi is portrayed as proud, disciplined, physically resilient, and highly perceptive. She refuses a blanket, meditates all night without discomfort, hears whispers from hundreds of meters away, and responds instantly to the alarm.
  • Elder Yu shows significant medical recovery after Feng Jun’s treatments, progressing from unconsciousness to speaking and regaining his spirits.
  • Feng Jun continues balancing medical treatment with caution, using powerful pills in controlled ways and setting limits on the manor’s extravagant gift-giving culture.
  • Li Shishi reaches Mortal Transcendence Level One and displays growing confidence and maturity. Unlike her former materialistic self, she is willing to decline outright ownership of a multimillion-yuan apartment, preferring to earn her own home.
  • Yu Zhicai gains reassurance from his father’s recovery and is finally able to leave to resume his responsibilities.
  • The manor’s disciples reveal their differing personalities and financial situations through their gifts, while their collective appreciation for Li Shishi strengthens their sense of community.

Significant Themes

  • Cultivation and personal transformation: Li Shishi’s advancement represents not only a rise in power but also emotional and moral growth.
  • Wealth versus sincerity: The celebration gradually turns into a contest of increasingly expensive presents, prompting Feng Jun to remind everyone that gifts should express affection rather than status.
  • Loyalty and mutual support: Li Shishi’s service to the manor is repaid through generous gifts, showing the close bonds among the members.
  • Power and exceptional ability: Shen Qingyi’s meditation, hearing, and reflexes emphasize the vast difference between cultivators and ordinary people.
  • Practical generosity and boundaries: The apartment arrangement demonstrates a compromise between offering meaningful support and avoiding excessive or inappropriate gifts.
  • Hope and recovery: Elder Yu’s improvement provides the Yu family with renewed optimism and validates Feng Jun’s increasingly effective treatments.

Character Interactions

  • The gate guard reluctantly accepts cigarettes from Elder Yu’s grandson, reflecting the tense but pragmatic relationship between the Yu family’s group and the guards.
  • Shen Qingyi remains cold and distant toward the grandson’s attempted kindness, warning him not to approach her with the blanket.
  • The security guards repeatedly speculate about Shen Qingyi, alternating between mockery and fear before becoming impressed by her abilities.
  • Feng Jun cooperates with Elder Yu’s physician while maintaining authority over the treatment process.
  • At the celebration, the women’s lavish gifts pressure the men to contribute, turning the congratulations into a playful but uncomfortable contest.
  • Feng Jun mediates between Yang Yuxin’s generosity and Li Shishi’s modesty by allowing use of the apartment without transferring ownership.
  • The chapter closes with Shen Qingyi’s immediate response to the alarm, reinforcing her role as the manor’s exceptionally capable and vigilant protector.

Ch. 1008Can't Tolerate It

Chapter Summary: “Intolerable”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • An intruder secretly enters Luohua Manor during the celebrations for Li Shishi’s advancement. He avoids most cameras and warning systems but is detected by a passive electromagnetic sensor because of the electronic equipment he carries.
  • The manor’s automatic alarm activates, and its lights switch on. Security personnel organize themselves, with Shen Qingyi remaining near Elder Yu’s coach bus while Feng Jun and others block the intruder’s possible escape routes.
  • The intruder deploys electronic jammers to disable some cameras and sensors, then attempts to flee.
  • Gao Qiang spots and pursues him. The intruder fires a poisoned steel bolt, injuring Gao Qiang in the shoulder and causing temporary paralysis.
  • Feng Jun orders everyone to capture the attacker alive. Shen Qingyi uses a long-range white-light attack to knock branches down in the fugitive’s path, slowing his escape.
  • Feng Jun then strikes the intruder with Divine Sense and binds him with the Immortal-Binding Rope. He prevents the bound man from rolling over a steep mountain wall and captures him.
  • Feng Jun gives Gao Qiang a Detoxification Pill after discovering that the neurotoxin could otherwise cause serious brain damage.
  • The captured attacker is brought back to the small courtyard. Wang Haifeng wakes him and violently interrogates him, furious that the intruder disrupted the celebration and injured Gao Qiang.
  • The chapter ends with the group preparing to question the unconscious or dazed attacker, while the authorities at the entrance ask whether he was targeting Elder Yu. Feng Jun refuses to surrender him immediately and intends to interrogate him first.

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun demonstrates calm authority and overwhelming combat ability. He coordinates the pursuit, uses Divine Sense and the Immortal-Binding Rope to subdue the attacker, rescues him from falling, and prioritizes Gao Qiang’s treatment before interrogation.
  • Gao Qiang shows courage and alertness by reacting first and chasing the intruder, but he is injured by the poisoned bolt. His injury highlights both his vulnerability and the strong bonds he has formed with the Luohua group.
  • Shen Qingyi remains disciplined and focused on her assigned duty of protecting Elder Yu. She also reveals impressive long-range combat ability by accurately striking the path ahead of the fleeing intruder from a great distance.
  • Li Shishi, having just advanced, contributes by activating all the manor’s lights from the control room, helping expose and hinder the attacker.
  • Wang Haifeng becomes openly aggressive after seeing Gao Qiang injured. His normally more restrained personality gives way to anger, and he personally attacks the captured intruder.
  • Flower Flower acts according to her priorities as a Spirit-Plant Shepherd, first checking the spirit plants and watching for possible deception rather than immediately pursuing the intruder.
  • The wider Luohua group displays increased confidence and solidarity. Gao Qiang’s injury is treated as an attack on the entire team.

Significant Themes

  • Loyalty and group solidarity: The team reacts fiercely to Gao Qiang’s injury, showing that shared experiences have turned the members into a close-knit group.
  • Security and preparedness: Feng Jun’s investment in lighting, sensors, cameras, and defensive arrangements proves valuable, even though the systems are only civilian-grade.
  • Hidden danger beneath celebration: A joyful gathering quickly becomes a security crisis, emphasizing that Luohua Manor remains vulnerable to enemies despite its growing power.
  • Power and technological limitations: The intruder’s jammers and stealth techniques temporarily disrupt the manor’s defenses, but Feng Jun and his companions’ superior abilities ultimately overcome both technology and infiltration.
  • Retribution and intolerance: The group considers the attack especially unforgivable because it violated their safe home, interrupted their celebration, and harmed one of their own.

Character Interactions

  • Shen Qingyi and the security personnel maintain their assigned positions rather than abandoning Elder Yu’s protection.
  • Feng Jun directs Gao Qiang, Gazi, Wang Haifeng, and the others during the pursuit, insisting that the intruder be captured alive.
  • Gao Qiang warns the group that the bolt is poisoned, prompting Gazi and Feng Jun to respond immediately.
  • Feng Jun treats Gao Qiang before dealing with the prisoner, demonstrating concern for his subordinate.
  • Wang Haifeng dismisses the chubby Yu family boy at first, but accepts the boy’s suggestion to check for a hidden poison tooth before reviving the prisoner.
  • The confrontation strengthens the group’s collective anger and reinforces their sense that Luohua Manor and its people must be defended at all costs.

Ch. 1009Astonishing Divination

Chapter Summary: “Astonishing Divination”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Wang Haifeng interrogates the captured intruder while Feng Jun searches the battlefield. He recovers an extraordinarily compact and powerful mechanical hand crossbow, along with two electronic jammers.
  • After noticing something suspicious while reviewing information on his phone, Feng Jun orders the intruder—identified as Zhuang Shuai from Cangping City, Jizhou—to be taken to the Mountain Gate.
  • Feng Jun warns the security team that Zhuang Shuai may have swallowed a time-release cyanide capsule. Though he admits he cannot prove it, he claims seventy-percent confidence.
  • The security personnel increase their alert level to maximum, fearing that the intruder may have been targeting Elder Yu. They ask to enter Luohua Manor to protect him, but Feng Jun refuses because of their existing agreement.
  • Before medical assistance can save him, Zhuang Shuai dies exactly as Feng Jun predicted. An autopsy later confirms that he had genuinely swallowed a time-release cyanide capsule.
  • The security organization concludes that Zhuang Shuai was likely a suicide operative and must have had an accomplice nearby. They begin investigating his identity and searching for the mastermind.
  • The manor’s surveillance systems are found damaged, prompting plans to strengthen security against future attacks.
  • Yu Zhiyuan asks Feng Jun to explain how he identified Zhuang Shuai and the cyanide capsule. Feng Jun finally claims that he learned the information through divination.

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun remains confident, secretive, and unwilling to reveal the true source of his abilities. He cooperates enough to prevent trouble but refuses to surrender control of his territory or explain his methods.
  • He also demonstrates a practical and ruthless side: he is prepared to let the authorities deal with the intruder’s death, while making sure witnesses know he had warned them beforehand.
  • Yu Zhiyuan becomes increasingly burdened by the political and investigative consequences of the incident. Although skeptical, he recognizes that Feng Jun’s “divination” may be credible given Feng Jun’s reputation.
  • The short security leader prioritizes Elder Yu’s safety above all else but also understands the importance of identifying the hostile organization behind the attack. He chooses cooperation over forcing entry into Luohua Manor.
  • The security personnel grow dissatisfied with Feng Jun’s secrecy, especially after one of their colleagues is injured and they receive no explanation for his unusually precise information.

Significant Themes

  • Secrecy and trust: Feng Jun’s refusal to explain himself creates tension even among allies who depend on his help.
  • Prevention and security: The intruder’s attack exposes weaknesses in Luohua Manor’s defenses and reinforces the principle of eliminating threats before they fully develop.
  • Power and autonomy: Feng Jun insists on controlling access to his manor and refuses to let outside forces violate their agreement, even under the justification of protecting Elder Yu.
  • The supernatural versus rational investigation: The authorities struggle to accept that Feng Jun’s knowledge came from divination, particularly because his predictions were astonishingly specific.
  • Hidden enemies and conspiracy: Zhuang Shuai’s suicide capsule and professional equipment suggest a larger organization and an accomplice still at large.

Character Interactions

  • Feng Jun and the security leader clash over whether the security team may enter Luohua Manor, with Feng Jun firmly defending his authority.
  • After Zhuang Shuai dies, Feng Jun and the leader exchange a wary look, both suspecting that the death may have involved more than the obvious cyanide poisoning.
  • Yu Zhiyuan acts as an intermediary between Feng Jun and the security personnel, pressing him for information while trying to avoid escalating the conflict.
  • Their final exchange ends humorously and skeptically: Yu Zhiyuan accepts that Feng Jun may truly have divined the clues, but considers identifying both “Zhuang Shuai” and “cyanide” far too precise to be ordinary divination.

Ch. 1010Clues

Chapter Summary: “Traces”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Feng Jun offers to prove his ability to identify poisons, but warns Yu Zhiyuan that such services come at a price. He reveals that the anesthetic on the attackers’ arrow was a synthetic neurotoxin that could have caused Gao Qiang brain damage, though Feng Jun had already administered an antidote.
  • Feng Jun prepares another dose of the Body-Tempering Pill for Elder Yu, assuring Yu Zhiyuan that it will not rupture the old man’s fragile blood vessels.
  • The treatment causes Elder Yu intense pain and heavy sweating, but produces remarkable results. His speech temporarily improves, and his physical recovery accelerates.
  • After several days, Elder Yu is able to bathe and move more easily. Although his legs remain unstable and his speech slurred, his spirits improve greatly.
  • Unable to sleep at the sanatorium, Elder Yu insists on returning to Luohua Manor in the middle of the night. After arguing with his guards, he is brought back by bus and sleeps peacefully once inside the manor.
  • Yu Zhiyuan asks Feng Jun to allow Elder Yu to stay in the manor’s small courtyard, believing its environment is especially beneficial. Feng Jun agrees only after Yu Zhiyuan promises to pay the full treatment fee—one hundred million yuan—and resolve the land-development issue.
  • Feng Jun limits Elder Yu’s attendants to one physician and two security guards, warning them not to disturb the manor’s residents.
  • Yu Zhiyuan reports that the investigation into Zhuang Shuai has produced little. Zhuang has no registered phone card, has not returned home in five years, travels unpredictably, and has sent more than two million yuan to his family, whose son suffers from congenital heart disease.
  • The hand crossbow used in the attack was manufactured in “Mud Nation.” Zhuang has been seen most often in Long City, Ming City, Bud City, and Peng City. His martial background includes inherited family techniques, training at Xiaolin Temple on Mount Ling, and two years of underground fighting. Feng Jun suspects Zhuang may also have connections to the Daoist Sect, though Yu Zhiyuan cannot confirm this. Zhuang is known to have an interest in antiques.

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun remains confident, pragmatic, and transactional. He helps Elder Yu but insists on proper compensation, clear boundaries, and protection for his manor. His ambitions have shifted away from ordinary business projects, reflected in his refusal to involve himself in the land-development company.
  • Yu Zhiyuan becomes increasingly respectful and grateful toward Feng Jun. He is willing to pay a very large sum and use his influence to protect Feng Jun’s interests, while also showing humility when dealing with the manor’s low-ranking gate guard.
  • Elder Yu progresses significantly through Feng Jun’s treatment. Despite pain, stubbornness, and childish temper, he demonstrates a strong will to live and an unusual attachment to Luohua Manor, where he feels more comfortable and sleeps better.
  • Zhuang Shuai becomes a more mysterious and potentially dangerous figure. His extensive travel, martial training, unexplained income, and possible ties to Buddhist, Daoist, or antique-related circles deepen the mystery surrounding him.

Significant Themes

  • Trust and proof: Feng Jun’s claims are met with skepticism, so he offers demonstrations and concrete evidence rather than demanding belief.
  • Power and negotiation: Even gratitude is expressed through transactions, influence, and obligations. Feng Jun and Yu Zhiyuan maintain a mutually beneficial but carefully negotiated relationship.
  • Healing and transformation: Elder Yu’s treatment illustrates both the physical pain and dramatic rewards of strengthening and recovery.
  • Boundaries and independence: Feng Jun helps the Yu family without allowing them unrestricted access to his manor or control over his affairs.
  • Mystery and pursuit: The investigation into Zhuang Shuai emphasizes how difficult it is to track someone skilled, mobile, and deliberately concealed.

Character Interactions

  • Feng Jun and Yu Zhiyuan discuss poison identification, Elder Yu’s treatment, payment, land development, and the conditions for the old man’s stay at the manor.
  • Feng Jun reassures Yu Zhiyuan about the safety of the medicine, while Yu Zhiyuan openly thanks him and promises provincial support.
  • Elder Yu clashes with his physicians and security personnel when he insists on leaving the sanatorium, displaying his stubborn authority.
  • Yu Zhiyuan humbly negotiates with the gate guard, Xiao Bai, to reenter the manor, despite his own high social status.
  • Feng Jun and Yu Zhiyuan end the chapter by comparing clues about Zhuang Shuai’s movements, training, finances, and possible affiliations.

Ch. 1011Mutual Difficulties

Chapter Summary: “Mutual Obstruction”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Feng Jun suspects that Zhuang Shuai was connected to the earlier incident involving Bai Chuanmu/Bai Mu, but he withholds this from Yu Zhiyuan because revealing Bai’s death could create additional trouble.
  • Feng contacts Xu Mansha to investigate Zhuang Shuai. Their conversation is monitored because “Zhuang Shuai” has become a surveillance keyword, so both speak cautiously.
  • Xu Mansha later learns from Smith that Zhuang Shuai had close ties to a Xia Nation citizen with Mud Nation nationality named Bai. Smith had seen him three times and identified him as a cultural-relic smuggler who operated under the alias Wang Guang, or “Xiao Wang.”
  • Smith has been searching for Li Xiaomao, who likely knows the most about Zhuang Shuai and Bai Mu’s partnership. However, Li disappeared after Smith broke his leg.
  • Xu Mansha visits Luohua Manor to report her findings. Feng tells her that Zhuang Shuai died from cyanide poisoning and that he suspects Zhuang Shuai was Bai Mu’s accomplice. They plan to coordinate further with Manager Yang.
  • Old Yu’s recovery progresses rapidly. He can stand and walk a few steps, and Yu Zhiyuan fulfills his agreement by sending Feng Jun fifty million in cash.
  • Since the conditions have been met, Old Yu moves into Luohua Manor. His arrival creates immediate tension because his physician and guards want to bring in medical equipment, while Luohua’s security team refuses to allow unapproved items into the rooms.
  • Gazi insists that the manor’s rules take priority. Old Yu eventually accepts the restriction, amused by Gazi’s stubbornness and principles.
  • The manor’s security policies cause further conflict when a convoy carrying Boiler-Backed Engines is stopped and inspected at the gate. Xu Leigang mediates, allowing a limited inspection, but Gazi remains dissatisfied.
  • The chapter ends with Gazi ordering the gatehouse to make Yu Zhiyuan’s daughter wait outside, demonstrating that even the Yu family must follow Luohua’s rules.

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun becomes increasingly cautious and strategic. He hides sensitive information from Yu Zhiyuan, assumes that communications may be monitored, and investigates Zhuang Shuai indirectly.
  • Yu Zhiyuan continues honoring his agreement with Feng Jun, providing the promised money and arranging Old Yu’s transfer to the manor. He remains suspicious of Feng Jun but respects their cooperation.
  • Xu Mansha shows loyalty and discretion toward Feng Jun. Though uncertain about his motives, she personally travels to Luohua Manor to deliver information and is visibly intimidated by the manor’s authority.
  • Old Yu demonstrates remarkable physical recovery and a forceful personality. Despite his status, he ultimately accepts Luohua’s restrictions and appreciates Gazi’s uncompromising attitude.
  • Gazi emerges as a strict defender of Luohua Manor’s rules. He refuses to yield even to powerful outsiders and views obedience to the manor’s regulations as more important than status or personal relationships.
  • Xu Leigang acts as a mediator between the manor and outside parties, using his family influence to resolve the equipment dispute without completely abandoning security procedures.
  • Smith is established as a dangerous and influential figure who controls or intimidates smugglers such as Li Xiaomao and is actively searching for information about Zhuang Shuai.

Significant Themes

  • Security versus convenience: Luohua Manor’s strict defensive measures repeatedly inconvenience visitors, but the recent intrusion justifies the precautions.
  • Rules versus status: Gazi insists that even Old Yu and the Yu family must obey the manor’s rules, emphasizing that authority and wealth do not automatically grant privileges.
  • Mutual obstruction: Both sides need one another—Old Yu needs Feng Jun’s treatment, while Feng Jun benefits from the Yu family’s support—yet their competing rules, suspicions, and security concerns continually create friction.
  • Secrecy and surveillance: Characters carefully conceal information because their conversations may be monitored, while Feng Jun investigates a criminal connection without exposing himself.
  • Hidden criminal networks: The investigation reveals a broader cultural-relic smuggling operation linking Zhuang Shuai, Bai Mu, Smith, Li Xiaomao, and possibly other unidentified figures.

Character Interactions

  • Feng Jun and Yu Zhiyuan discuss the suspicious circumstances surrounding Zhuang Shuai, though Feng withholds key information.
  • Feng Jun and Xu Mansha communicate cautiously by phone before meeting in person under anti-eavesdropping protection.
  • Xu Mansha reports Smith’s information about Zhuang Shuai and learns that Feng has linked him to Bai Mu’s death.
  • Feng Jun, Gazi, Lu Xiaoning, Xu Leigang, Old Yu, and Old Yu’s physician clash over whether medical equipment may enter the manor.
  • Old Yu recognizes Gazi’s stubborn personality and compares him favorably to his own younger self.
  • Xu Leigang negotiates with the security guards over the machinery convoy, while Gazi resents what he sees as an insult to Luohua Manor.
  • Gazi’s final refusal to admit Yu Zhiyuan’s daughter reinforces the ongoing struggle between the Yu family’s expectations and Luohua Manor’s uncompromising rules.

Ch. 1012Denying Supernatural Powers

Chapter Summary: “Denying Supernatural Powers”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Old Master Yu’s granddaughter is barred from entering Luohua Manor because the guards insist that Feng Jun must personally approve her entry. Although Yu Zhiyuan had already obtained Feng Jun’s agreement, the matter is stalled because the guards’ leader, Gazi, refuses to act, and Feng Jun cannot be reached.
  • A security guard asks Teacher Mei—also identified as Hao Fengjing/Mei Jin—to lend him her walkie-talkie so he can communicate with the manor. She refuses because of his rude, commanding attitude.
  • When the guard attempts to seize the walkie-talkie by force, Teacher Mei immediately uses a lightning talisman. She dodges his attack and strikes him with a powerful thunder technique, leaving him paralyzed and convulsing on the ground.
  • Old Master Yu and the others are stunned by the display. When he asks whether she used a Five-Thunder Talisman, Mei calmly denies it and threatens to demonstrate again if necessary.
  • Gao Qiang contacts Mei through the walkie-talkie to ask why the manor’s “Thunder Method” was used. After learning that the guard provoked her, he offers to intervene, but Mei dismisses the matter and returns to the rear courtyard.
  • Old Master Yu’s companions suggest reporting Luohua Manor as suspicious or supernatural. However, Yu refuses, insisting that there is nothing unusual to report and implicitly choosing to conceal what he witnessed.
  • The chapter shifts to the Mountain Gate, where Luohua’s people are retaliating against outsiders who previously obstructed Feng Jun’s business. Ren Zhixiang, a wealthy businessman seeking land for a stroke rehabilitation and nursing center, is stopped, questioned, and violently restrained.
  • Ren claims he only came to enjoy the scenery, but the guards accuse him of hiding his real purpose and pin him to the ground. They worry he may have poison concealed in his body, referencing an earlier death.
  • Just as a guard is about to strike Ren, a woman on a motorcycle arrives and recognizes him, interrupting the confrontation.

Character Developments

  • Teacher Mei/Mei Jin (Hao Fengjing): Demonstrates greater confidence, speed, and combat ability. Feng Jun’s training and warnings have taught her to attack first when facing danger, and her experiences in the Phone Plane have made her decisive rather than hesitant. She also shows that she will respect elders without submitting to intimidation.
  • Old Master Yu: Remains perceptive despite the effects of his stroke. He is fascinated by Mei’s supernatural ability but chooses not to expose or report Luohua Manor. His refusal suggests growing sympathy toward Feng Jun’s side, or at least a pragmatic willingness to protect its secrets.
  • Gao Qiang: Continues to fulfill his role as Luohua’s security chief. Although injured previously, he remains responsible for maintaining order and responds professionally to the use of the Thunder Method.
  • The security guards: Are shown as aggressive, uncompromising, and highly suspicious. They justify their conduct as part of their security duties, but their rough treatment escalates tensions with visitors.
  • Ren Zhixiang: Attempts to remain calm and diplomatic despite being detained, but his composure breaks when the guards assault him. His business interest in the manor’s land becomes a source of conflict.
  • The motorcycle woman: Makes a dramatic entrance and appears to have a prior connection with Ren, though her identity and intentions are not yet revealed.

Significant Themes

  • The conflict between ordinary authority and supernatural power: The guards rely on force and institutional control, while Mei possesses abilities that completely surpass conventional security measures.
  • Suspicion and secrecy: Both Luohua and its opponents conceal their identities and motives. Even those who witness supernatural events are pressured—implicitly or explicitly—to deny that anything unusual occurred.
  • Retaliation and escalating hostility: Because each side has obstructed the other’s affairs, both Luohua’s guards and outside officials respond with increasingly aggressive behavior.
  • Loyalty and protection: Old Master Yu’s refusal to report Luohua suggests that personal judgment and loyalty outweigh official expectations.
  • Training and preparedness: Mei’s survival depends on Feng Jun’s instruction that she act decisively and use her talismans without hesitation.

Character Interactions

  • Mei and the security guard: Their disagreement over the walkie-talkie escalates into a physical confrontation, ending with Mei decisively defeating him.
  • Mei and Old Master Yu: Yu challenges her indirectly by encouraging the guard to attack, while Mei responds by displaying her power and warning him not to provoke her further.
  • Mei and Gao Qiang: Gao checks on the incident through the walkie-talkie and offers support, but Mei assures him that she can handle the situation.
  • Old Master Yu and the doctor: The doctor urges him to report Luohua as abnormal, but Yu rebukes him and refuses to participate in exposing the manor.
  • The guards and Ren Zhixiang: Their interrogation turns violent when Ren gives a deliberately evasive answer about his purpose. The guards’ fear of poison reveals how tense and dangerous the broader conflict has become.
  • The motorcycle woman and Ren Zhixiang: Her arrival and immediate recognition of Ren suggest an existing relationship and halt the guards’ attack at a critical moment.

Ch. 1013Yu Qingzhu

Chapter Summary: My Name Is Yu Qingzhu

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Ren Zhixiang is badly beaten while attempting to enter Luohua Manor. He recognizes Tang Wenji and urgently warns her to be careful.
  • Tang Wenji arrives on her motorcycle and confronts the manor’s armed security guards, demanding that they release Ren. Her confidence reflects her recent advancement to Intermediate Martial Master.
  • The guards hesitate to escalate the confrontation, especially after Tang reveals her Nine-Section Whip and challenges them.
  • Yu Qingzhu, a strikingly beautiful and powerful young woman, approaches and politely introduces herself. She explains that she is the granddaughter of “Old Yu,” a famous elder from Funiu, and that she is also being prevented from entering the manor.
  • Ren explains that he intended to enter Luohua Manor because of his close relationship with Feng Jun, though he did not dare call Feng Jun directly.
  • Tang defends Ren and helps him gain entry. She also asks Feng Jun’s people to allow Yu Qingzhu inside because Yu is trying to fulfill her duty as a granddaughter.
  • Feng Jun, who has been quietly observing the situation, permits Yu Qingzhu to enter because of a previous promise to her grandfather, Yu Zhiyuan.
  • Yu asks whether her female companion may enter as well, but Gazi refuses because she is unrelated to the manor. Tang attempts to intervene but receives no response.
  • Unable to help further, Tang invites Yu Qingzhu to ride with her. Ren also obtains a motorcycle, and the three leave together on two bikes.

Character Development

  • Tang Wenji displays increased confidence and assertiveness after becoming an Intermediate Martial Master. Although she is bold and confrontational, she is not reckless; she remains alert to danger and understands the limits of her strength.
  • Her “jianghu” sense of loyalty becomes prominent. She protects Ren, advocates for Yu Qingzhu, and tries to help Yu’s companion despite the manor’s rules.
  • Ren Zhixiang remains composed and somewhat humorous despite being beaten. His comment about his expensive clothes shows his calm, self-possessed personality. His connections to Feng Jun and Luohua Manor are also revealed to be stronger than the guards initially assumed.
  • Yu Qingzhu is introduced as graceful, confident, socially polished, and intimidating beneath her refined appearance. Her concern for her grandfather and her companion shows that she is considerate and loyal.
  • Feng Jun is characterized as a distant but attentive leader. He deliberately leaves minor conflicts to his subordinates so they can develop independence, but he intervenes when necessary and honors his promise to Yu Zhiyuan.
  • Gazi and the guards demonstrate strict adherence to Luohua Manor’s rules, even when dealing with influential visitors. Gazi also shows that he distinguishes between personal gratitude and formal access.

Significant Themes

  • Confidence versus recklessness: Tang’s confidence has grown, but her awareness of danger prevents it from becoming entirely blind arrogance.
  • Authority and reputation: Names such as Feng Jun, Old Yu, and the Green Mountain Sect carry weight, yet Luohua Manor still insists on screening visitors rather than automatically yielding to status.
  • Loyalty and obligation: Tang protects her acquaintances, Yu Qingzhu cares for her grandfather and companion, and Feng Jun honors his promise to Yu Zhiyuan.
  • Rules and personal relationships: The chapter contrasts Luohua Manor’s strict security procedures with the influence of personal connections and trusted intermediaries.
  • Hidden power beneath appearances: Yu Qingzhu’s delicate beauty contrasts with the pressure of her formidable aura, while Tang’s lively bravado conceals genuine combat ability and caution.

Character Interactions

  • Tang and the guards engage in a tense confrontation, with Tang using threats and confidence to prevent violence.
  • Tang and Yu Qingzhu quickly develop a friendly rapport, with Tang impressed by Yu’s beauty and manners.
  • Tang acts as an intermediary between the visitors and Feng Jun’s staff, using her standing to secure entry for Ren and Yu.
  • Feng Jun and Gazi indirectly reveal differing judgments: Feng permits Yu to enter because of his promise, while Gazi maintains the rule excluding unrelated companions.
  • The chapter ends with Tang, Yu Qingzhu, and Ren traveling together, establishing a new alliance between the three.

Ch. 1014That Instant of Heartbeat

Chapter Summary: The Heartbeat of That Instant

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Gazi is stunned by Yu Qingzhu’s beauty when he sees her arrive, briefly regretting that he previously prevented her from entering the estate. He quickly suppresses the feeling, however, insisting that her beauty is irrelevant to him.
  • Yu Qingzhu ignores Gazi and follows the Little Celestial Master into the estate.
  • Feng Jun negotiates with Jade Ruins’s Grand Elder through Liaoliao over repairing damaged magical treasures. Jade Ruins changes its proposed exchange from four damaged treasures for one repaired item to three-for-one, but Feng Jun initially rejects the deal.
  • Feng Jun agrees to consider the arrangement if Jade Ruins investigates the mastermind behind Zhuang Shuai, exploiting the sect’s long-standing influence in Long City.
  • Shen Qingyi visits Feng Jun while he is negotiating and questions him about his Immortal-Binding Rope and mysterious green bell. Feng Jun reveals that both are powerful magical treasures, though the rope is ineffective against Gold Core cultivators and the bell is intended for Dust-Free-stage users.
  • Feng Jun teases Shen Qingyi about her casual manner toward him compared with the Grand Elder’s respectful address. She immediately corrects herself and formally asks for guidance, revealing her willingness to learn from him.
  • Feng Jun goes to check on Ren Zhixiang, who is planning to establish a Cerebral Infarction Rehabilitation Center. Feng Jun permits him to discuss the project with Manager Yang and advises him to demand compensation from the people who injured him outside the estate.
  • Feng Jun authorizes Ren Zhixiang to create a blacklist barring troublesome individuals from entering the rehabilitation center, suggesting that the estate will retaliate against those who obstruct or attack its associates.
  • Elder Yu emerges from the treatment area, visibly recovering but still weak. Ren Zhixiang recognizes his condition as another case of cerebral infarction.

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun: Remains confident and increasingly powerful, casually revealing that Jade Ruins’s damaged treasures are of little value to him. He also demonstrates a protective and vengeful side by supporting Ren Zhixiang’s response to the assault. Seeing Yu Qingzhu revives feelings he believed had faded, exposing lingering attraction beneath his emotional control.
  • Yu Qingzhu: Maintains an aloof and dignified demeanor, ignoring Gazi and proceeding directly into the estate. Her beauty and status continue to affect those around her.
  • Gazi: Experiences immediate admiration and attraction toward Yu Qingzhu but deliberately represses it, attempting to preserve his pride and emotional distance.
  • Shen Qingyi: Shows growing curiosity about Feng Jun’s abilities and treasures. Though initially informal, she quickly adopts a respectful attitude when corrected, demonstrating humility and genuine recognition of his authority.
  • Ren Zhixiang: Proves resourceful and well connected, having gathered information and hired protection despite his illness. He is humiliated by the attack but responds pragmatically, while showing compassion toward Elder Yu.
  • Elder Yu: Appears to be recovering from cerebral infarction but remains physically frail and dependent on assistance.

Significant Themes

  • The persistence of old emotions: Feng Jun’s reaction to Yu Qingzhu shows that deeply rooted attraction can survive even after changing circumstances and rising social status.
  • Power and changing status: Feng Jun’s former insecurity has largely disappeared. He now possesses enough authority and resources to negotiate with a sect, protect associates, and dictate access to his estate.
  • Respect and hierarchy: Shen Qingyi’s correction of her manner highlights the importance of proper etiquette and acknowledging differences in cultivation and authority.
  • Reciprocity and leverage: Feng Jun is willing to compromise with Jade Ruins, but only when the exchange serves a broader purpose, such as uncovering Zhuang Shuai’s backers.
  • Healing and protection: The planned rehabilitation center connects the characters’ supernatural world with practical medical concerns, while Feng Jun’s response to Ren Zhixiang’s injuries reinforces the estate as a place of both recovery and protection.

Important Character Interactions

  • Gazi and Yu Qingzhu: Gazi is overwhelmed by her beauty, while Yu Qingzhu pointedly ignores him.
  • Feng Jun and Jade Ruins’s Grand Elder: Their negotiation centers on the value and repair of damaged magical treasures, with Feng Jun using information about Zhuang Shuai as bargaining leverage.
  • Feng Jun and Shen Qingyi: Their conversation reveals her increasing respect and curiosity toward him, as well as his playful but authoritative teaching style.
  • Feng Jun and Ren Zhixiang: Feng Jun discusses the rehabilitation center, offers practical advice, and supports Ren’s plan to punish those responsible for his injuries.
  • Ren Zhixiang and Elder Yu: Ren immediately recognizes Elder Yu’s medical condition and responds with sympathy, establishing a connection between the two patients.

Ch. 1015Elder Yu's Apology

Chapter Summary: “Old Master Yu’s Apology”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Old Master Yu meets Ren Zhixiang, who reveals that he also suffered a cerebral infarction and has recovered roughly 70–80%.
  • Ren explains his plan to establish a nonprofit rehabilitation center near Feng Jun’s estate. He intends to keep only one hundred million for himself and invest the rest of his wealth into helping other patients.
  • Impressed by Ren’s generosity, Old Master Yu offers support, but Ren politely insists on retaining complete control of the rehabilitation center.
  • Ren realizes that the elderly man is the influential Old Master Yu. Old Master Yu then apologizes for the security guards who mistreated Ren at the estate entrance, explaining that they were merely enforcing the rules.
  • Yu Qingzhu reveals that Feng Jun previously knew her granddaughter, Xia Xiaoyu. Feng Jun pretends not to remember her, irritating Yu Qingzhu and creating tension between them.
  • Yu Qingzhu comments on Feng Jun’s rise from an employee at Sister Hong’s fitness club to her business partner.
  • Zhang Caixin arrives and meets Yu Qingzhu. Their polite exchange quickly develops into subtle rivalry, including a forceful handshake and veiled remarks.
  • Old Master Yu asks about Zhang Caixin’s cultivation and whether it relates to the Thunder Talisman. Zhang confirms that her abilities extend beyond merely using the talisman.

Character Developments

  • Ren Zhixiang: Demonstrates humility, gratitude, and a strong sense of social responsibility. His illness changes his priorities, leading him to devote most of his wealth to helping other stroke victims. Despite Old Master Yu’s status, Ren remains determined to manage the rehabilitation center independently.
  • Old Master Yu: Shows humility and fairness by personally apologizing for his guards’ behavior. His interest in cultivation and supernatural abilities also reveals his desire to learn as much as possible despite his declining health.
  • Feng Jun: Maintains his authority and independence while carefully concealing the true source of Ren’s recovery. He deliberately provokes Yu Qingzhu by pretending not to remember Xia Xiaoyu, but he also supports Zhang Caixin when their interaction becomes competitive.
  • Yu Qingzhu: Appears socially confident but emotionally reserved, especially around men. Her cool attitude toward Feng Jun reflects their unresolved history and mutual irritation. She is perceptive enough to notice Zhang Caixin’s hostility but is not adept at responding to it.
  • Zhang Caixin: Displays possessiveness and instinctive defensiveness toward Feng Jun. Her seemingly friendly interaction with Yu Qingzhu contains subtle competition, while her confirmation of cultivation further reveals the supernatural nature of the estate’s residents.

Significant Themes

  • Illness and transformation: Ren’s cerebral infarction gives him a new perspective on wealth, mortality, and meaningful contribution.
  • Charity versus personal control: Ren wants to help others but refuses to surrender control of his project, emphasizing that generosity does not mean abandoning independence.
  • Hidden supernatural power: Feng Jun and Zhang Caixin conceal the true nature of their abilities behind terms such as feng shui and cultivation.
  • Status and humility: Old Master Yu’s apology contrasts his immense social standing with his willingness to accept responsibility.
  • Interpersonal rivalry and romantic tension: The exchanges between Feng Jun, Yu Qingzhu, and Zhang Caixin reveal jealousy, pride, unresolved misunderstandings, and competing claims to closeness with Feng Jun.

Character Interactions

  • Old Master Yu and Ren Zhixiang: Their conversation establishes mutual respect. Old Master Yu admires Ren’s charitable intentions, while Ren is overwhelmed by the elder’s apology and offer of support.
  • Feng Jun and Yu Qingzhu: Their sarcastic, restrained exchange reveals prior conflict and unspoken tension. Yu Qingzhu challenges Feng Jun over Xia Xiaoyu, while Feng Jun responds with deliberate indifference.
  • Yu Qingzhu and Zhang Caixin: Their introduction becomes a subtle contest of strength and social position, masked by polite compliments.
  • Feng Jun and Zhang Caixin: Feng Jun notices Zhang’s hostility toward Yu Qingzhu but chooses to support Zhang rather than expose her behavior.
  • Old Master Yu and Zhang Caixin: His questions about cultivation bring the chapter back to the estate’s supernatural secrets, and Zhang cautiously confirms that her abilities go beyond the Thunder Talisman.

Ch. 1016Life, Web

Chapter Summary: “Life, the Web”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Zhang Caixin confirms that Feng Jun’s group practices more than merely using Thunder Talismans, though she carefully avoids revealing details.
  • Elder Yu probes whether Talismans can be activated by ordinary people through technology such as lasers or electromagnetic fields. Feng Jun gives a guarded answer, explaining that Talismans rely on supernatural principles and cannot be easily understood through conventional science.
  • Yu Qingzhu asks Zhang Caixin to teach her cultivation, but Zhang refuses to answer directly. Ren Zhixiang explains that cultivators do not casually pass on their teachings and that Feng Jun is similarly unwilling to accept disciples.
  • Feng Jun has Xia Xiaoyu admitted to the manor. Her arrival highlights the long-standing connections between Feng Jun and several of his current associates.
  • Yang Yuxin and Ren Zhixiang discuss the location of a rehabilitation center. The center must be close enough to benefit from the manor’s unusual influence but far enough away to preserve the manor’s security.
  • Elder Yu offers to stay at the future rehabilitation center to help promote it, greatly encouraging Ren Zhixiang.
  • Elder Yu jokingly asks Yang Yuxin to predict his remaining lifespan. She avoids giving a firm answer, while suggesting that his improving health may allow him to live much longer.
  • Yu Qingzhu secretly asks Xia Xiaoyu and Gao Qiang about the manor’s cultivation methods and whether they could help Elder Yu live longer.
  • Gao Qiang explains that the manor’s men generally practice martial arts while the women mostly practice Daoist cultivation. Martial artists may eventually gain extraordinary abilities, but reaching that level is extremely difficult.
  • Yu Qingzhu discusses the possibility of Elder Yu cultivating with her father, Yu Zhiyuan. They agree that Daoist cultivation and medicinal pills might improve his health, but the real obstacle is persuading Feng Jun to teach him.

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun remains cautious and selective. He protects the secrets of cultivation, refuses to provide Talismans freely, and shows no interest in accepting disciples merely because they are powerful or influential.
  • Zhang Caixin demonstrates loyalty and restraint, answering questions without exposing the manor’s deeper secrets. Her refusal to teach Yu Qingzhu reinforces her guarded attitude toward the Yu family.
  • Elder Yu appears curious, humorous, and pragmatic. Beneath his jokes about death, he genuinely hopes to regain his health and extend his life.
  • Yu Qingzhu becomes increasingly interested in cultivation, partly because she wants to help her grandfather. Although she dislikes Feng Jun, she is willing to approach his circle for answers.
  • Gao Qiang acts as a cautious intermediary. He gives Xia Xiaoyu truthful but limited information while avoiding any betrayal of Feng Jun’s trust.
  • Xia Xiaoyu has matured during her two-year absence and is fascinated by the manor’s hidden abilities. Learning that cultivation may still be possible for her leaves her hopeful but disappointed by Feng Jun’s high standards.
  • Yang Yuxin shows tact and emotional intelligence when speaking with Elder Yu, while continuing to protect the manor’s interests.
  • Yu Zhiyuan recognizes that influence and status are no longer enough to persuade Feng Jun. He understands that Feng Jun’s relationships are based on earlier loyalty rather than present-day power.

Significant Themes

  • Secrecy and controlled disclosure: The manor’s residents reveal only carefully limited information about cultivation, Talismans, and spiritual energy.
  • Power and social status: Elder Yu’s wealth and influence cannot guarantee access to cultivation. Feng Jun’s independence allows him to reject powerful families.
  • Old relationships versus new connections: Feng Jun favors people who supported him before he became successful, creating a sharp distinction between genuine friendship and opportunistic approaches.
  • Aging, health, and mortality: Elder Yu’s declining age motivates much of the discussion. The chapter explores whether cultivation can restore vitality and whether knowing one’s lifespan would actually improve life.
  • Science versus the supernatural: Elder Yu attempts to understand Talismans through technology, but Feng Jun emphasizes that cultivation does not fit conventional scientific frameworks.
  • The difficulty of inheritance and teaching: Cultivation is portrayed as a guarded tradition, not a commodity that can simply be purchased or requested.

Character Interactions

  • Zhang Caixin and Elder Yu: Their exchange reveals Elder Yu’s desire to understand and potentially exploit the military value of Talismans, while Zhang remains firm and evasive.
  • Feng Jun and Elder Yu: Feng Jun blocks Elder Yu’s attempts to obtain Talismans freely, establishing a polite but firm boundary.
  • Yu Qingzhu and Zhang Caixin: Yu Qingzhu’s request to learn cultivation is met with Zhang’s silent refusal, reflecting their mutual lack of goodwill.
  • Yang Yuxin and Elder Yu: Their playful discussion about lifespan masks a serious conversation about recovery, aging, and hope.
  • Xia Xiaoyu and Gao Qiang: Gao Qiang explains the distinction between martial arts and Daoist cultivation, giving Xia Xiaoyu a clearer understanding of the manor’s practices.
  • Yu Qingzhu and Yu Zhiyuan: Father and daughter discuss whether cultivation could save Elder Yu, ultimately recognizing that Feng Jun’s consent is the decisive issue.
  • Feng Jun and his established associates: Xia Xiaoyu’s arrival reinforces that many people accepted by Feng Jun share a history with him from before his rise in status.

Ch. 1017Old but Still Sharp

Chapter Summary: “Sharper with Age”

Plot Points and Events

  • Yu Zhiyuan and Yu Qingzhu analyze Feng Jun’s behavior and finances. They conclude that although Feng Jun charges enormous sums for medical treatment, he is not truly poor; instead, he lacks convenient ways to convert his valuable assets—especially the mutton-fat white jade Jade Stone Building—into cash.
  • Yu Zhiyuan advises Yu Qingzhu not to pressure Feng Jun into teaching cultivation. He suggests that she build a relationship with Lei Gang and help him, believing Feng Jun cannot be forced into cooperation.
  • The Yu family discusses whether Feng Jun should cure Qi Wukui, Yu Qingzhu’s third aunt’s husband. Yu Zhiyuan suspects Qi’s illness was caused by Feng Jun through Gu Worms, which may be an invasive species from another plane.
  • Concerned that the worms could escape after Qi’s death and threaten Blue Star, Feng Jun realizes that curing Qi might be the safest solution. He also considers having Flower Flower destroy any escaped worms if necessary.
  • Elder Yu personally approaches Feng Jun and asks him to treat Qi. He progressively raises the proposed payment from 200 million to 500 million.
  • Feng Jun refuses to guarantee a cure or accept partial payment. He insists that Qi’s family provide the full 500 million in cash upfront, explaining that he does not trust Qi and does not want to deal with payment disputes.
  • Elder Yu’s apparent bargaining over the payment is revealed to be a test of Feng Jun’s attitude and personality. He concludes that Feng Jun is self-centered and difficult to reason with, though not yet excessively ambitious.
  • Yu Qingzhu wonders whether Qi’s wife will be willing to pay such a sum. Elder Yu bluntly says that if she refuses, Qi can die, emphasizing that Feng Jun is not desperate for money.
  • Yu Qingzhu tries to learn more about Feng Jun’s Jade Stone Building, but Elder Yu dismisses it and insists that she cannot enter the area anyway.
  • New intelligence reveals that Zhuang Shuai received funding from Mud Nation’s Overseas Wanderers Association to target Luohua Manor. Elder Yu is surprised that the operation was aimed at Luohua rather than at him or his security forces.
  • The likely motive is that foreign forces are seeking Luohua’s supernatural phenomena.
  • Shen Qingyi enters Luohua Manor freely and messages Feng Jun that she has news about Zhuang Shuai.

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun: Demonstrates caution, pride, and strong distrust of Qi Wukui. Though motivated partly by resentment, he also shows responsibility toward Blue Star by considering the ecological danger posed by the Gu Worms. He remains unwilling to compromise his terms even for a huge payment.
  • Elder Yu: Shows political intelligence and a willingness to sacrifice pride for his family. His aggressive price increases are partly a negotiation tactic and partly a way to assess Feng Jun’s character. He remains blunt, practical, and protective of his family.
  • Yu Zhiyuan: Acts as a perceptive strategist, correctly identifying Feng Jun’s mindset and warning against coercion.
  • Yu Qingzhu: Becomes more curious about Feng Jun and his mysterious wealth. She is willing to help approach him but is also frustrated by her inability to gain access to the Jade Stone Building.
  • Qi Wukui: Remains offstage but is portrayed as the likely victim of Feng Jun’s retaliation and as someone whose past actions have created serious consequences.
  • Shen Qingyi: Continues to move freely within Luohua Manor and serves as a trusted source of intelligence for Feng Jun.

Significant Themes

  • Power and negotiation: Wealth alone cannot guarantee access to Feng Jun’s abilities. Trust, personal relationships, and Feng Jun’s judgment matter more than money.
  • Consequences of revenge: Feng Jun’s retaliation against Qi Wukui may create a larger danger through the possible spread of alien Gu Worms.
  • Responsibility and morality: Feng Jun’s concern for Blue Star shows that even while acting vindictively, he recognizes a broader duty to protect the world.
  • Family loyalty and obligation: Elder Yu is willing to intervene personally and risk his dignity to help a relative, but he also expects Qi’s immediate family to bear the cost.
  • Secrecy and supernatural power: Luohua Manor’s wonders attract foreign attention, suggesting that Feng Jun’s hidden abilities and resources may soon become an international concern.
  • Age and wisdom: The chapter contrasts younger characters’ emotional or simplistic approaches with Elder Yu’s experience, manipulation, and broader strategic thinking.

Important Character Interactions

  • Yu Zhiyuan and Yu Qingzhu: They discuss Feng Jun’s wealth, personality, and the best way to gain his cooperation.
  • Elder Yu and Feng Jun: Elder Yu negotiates for Qi Wukui’s treatment, while Feng Jun maintains strict terms and openly expresses his distrust.
  • Elder Yu and Yu Qingzhu: After meeting Feng Jun, Elder Yu explains his conclusions about Feng Jun’s personality and warns her not to misjudge his motivations.
  • Elder Yu and the security guard: The guard reports the foreign funding behind Zhuang Shuai’s attack, shifting the family’s attention toward the threat against Luohua Manor.
  • Shen Qingyi and Feng Jun: Shen arrives with new information about Zhuang Shuai, setting up the next development in the investigation.

Ch. 1018Overseas Wanderers Society

Chapter Summary: Overseas Wanderers Association

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Shen Qingyi reports to Feng Jun that Jade Ruins has investigated Zhuang Shuai, also known as Wang Guang, after being asked to exchange three damaged magic artifacts for information.
  • The investigation reveals that Zhuang Shuai works for the Overseas Wanderers Association, an organization composed mainly of Mud Nation expatriates. Bai Mu’s true identity is revealed as Bai Chuanmu, a Mud Nation native and member of the same organization.
  • Jade Ruins suspects a Mud Nation descendant named Ito of being the mastermind behind the incident involving Feng Jun. Although there is no direct proof, Ito left Xia Nation five days earlier and traveled to the Black Continent.
  • Feng Jun orders Shen Qingyi to prepare a detailed report on the association’s members, especially those concentrated in Ming City, Long City, and Bud City. His concealed killing intent shows that he is preparing retaliation.
  • Old Master Yu separately informs Feng Jun that the authorities have investigated the case and identified the Overseas Wanderers Association. They possess technical evidence placing Ito in Yang City on the night of the incident, suggesting that he fled because he felt guilty.
  • Feng Jun openly warns that the matter will not end and implies that he intends to escalate the conflict. Old Master Yu and the security officer caution him against acting recklessly.
  • The chapter ends with the security officer bringing up Bai Chuanmu’s disappearance, apparently suggesting that Feng Jun may know more about him or that Bai’s disappearance is relevant to the investigation.

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun becomes increasingly determined to retaliate. He sees repeated attacks against him as a challenge that must be answered forcefully, both to satisfy his own sense of justice and to deter future provocations.
  • He also shows strong independence and distrust toward vague appeals to political interests or the “greater good.” He argues that authorities cannot ignore his interests while expecting him to sacrifice for objectives he is not allowed to understand.
  • Shen Qingyi acts as Jade Ruins’ intelligence intermediary. She understands Feng Jun’s desire for revenge and accepts it as a natural response to being repeatedly targeted.
  • Old Master Yu attempts to restrain Feng Jun, emphasizing caution, political complexity, and the need to preserve potentially friendly forces within the Overseas Wanderers Association.
  • The security officer presents the government’s concerns more directly, explaining the association’s factions and warning that aggressive action could alienate people sympathetic to Xia Nation.

Significant Themes

  • Justice versus political pragmatism: Feng Jun wants immediate and personal justice, while the authorities prioritize long-term diplomatic and strategic interests.
  • Individual rights versus the greater good: Feng Jun objects to being excluded from important decisions but then being asked to sacrifice for them.
  • Deterrence and retaliation: Feng Jun believes wrongdoing must be punished severely enough to prevent further attacks.
  • Complexity of political loyalties: The Overseas Wanderers Association is divided among those loyal to Mud Nation, those seeking foreign support, those hostile to their homeland, and those sympathetic to Xia Nation.
  • Self-reliance: Feng Jun rejects the idea that Xia Nation should depend on uncertain allies or outside saviors, arguing that its rise must ultimately rely on its own strength.

Character Interactions

  • Feng Jun and Shen Qingyi: Shen provides intelligence about Ito, Zhuang Shuai, Bai Chuanmu, and the association. Feng Jun responds by ordering a broader investigation and making clear that he intends to strike back.
  • Feng Jun and Old Master Yu: Their conversation becomes a debate over revenge, restraint, and national interests. Old Master Yu urges patience, while Feng Jun accuses the authorities of applying a double standard by ignoring his opinions but demanding his sacrifice.
  • Feng Jun and the security officer: The officer supplies evidence against Ito and explains the association’s internal factions. Feng Jun remains skeptical of bureaucratic excuses and mocks the idea that justice can simply be delayed indefinitely.
  • Old Master Yu and the security officer: They work together to persuade Feng Jun that not every member of the association is hostile and that some may be useful allies.

Ch. 1019Huahua's Aspirations

Chapter Summary: Flower Flower’s Aspiration

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Elder Yu and Feng Jun discuss Bai Chuanmu, an Overseas Wanderers Association member who disappeared after contacting Zhuang Shuai. Elder Yu suspects Feng Jun was involved, but Feng Jun denies killing him while implying he could eliminate enemies if he wished.
  • Feng Jun announces that he will soon leave on an extended trip and gives Elder Yu three days to arrange Qi Wukui’s payment for treatment. Elder Yu agrees and urges his family to secure the money quickly.
  • Feng Jun gives Elder Yu another half Body-Tempering Pill. The medicine causes intense detoxification, improving Elder Yu’s physical condition but producing unpleasant bodily effects.
  • Elder Yu demands that Qi Wukui’s family pay five hundred million yuan. Because Qi Wukui’s side cannot easily transfer the money directly, Yu Zhiyuan arranges for it to be sent to Yang Yuxin’s company. Feng Jun approves, using the opportunity to repay part of the large debt he owes her.
  • After the payment arrives, Qi Wukui is transported to Luohua in a luxury coach. His wife insists Feng Jun should treat him at the provincial hospital, but Feng Jun refuses and makes it clear that Qi Wukui must come to him or the money will be returned.
  • Upon arriving at the estate, Qi Wukui’s wife is allowed to enter despite Feng Jun’s initial hesitation. She is shocked into unconsciousness when Flower Flower appears flying toward them while carrying an iPad and wearing a tiny, handmade nurse’s cap.
  • Flower Flower explains that it wants to treat Qi Wukui and believes that, if people are already learning about supernatural beings, it should present itself as a benevolent healer rather than a frightening “demon.”

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun remains calm, confident, and strategically controlling. He refuses to explain himself unnecessarily, insists on setting the conditions for Qi Wukui’s treatment, and uses the payment to settle some of his obligations to Yang Yuxin.
  • Elder Yu demonstrates his sharp instincts by recognizing that Feng Jun may be connected to Bai Chuanmu’s disappearance. His health improves significantly through Feng Jun’s medicine, but he also becomes more aware that his authority within the Yu Family is gradually weakening with age.
  • Qi Wukui’s wife is portrayed as anxious and protective, desperately trying to keep her husband in the hospital. Her disbelief and fear at seeing Flower Flower emphasize how extraordinary the estate’s secrets are.
  • The health-care doctor has become a devoted admirer of Feng Jun after witnessing the medicine’s effects. He is amazed by Flower Flower and acknowledges that such a creature should not exist.
  • Flower Flower displays a dramatic, playful, and idealistic personality. It deliberately dresses like a nurse and sees itself as a “good demon” working to save lives and challenge people’s prejudice against supernatural beings.
  • Yu Qingzhu remains openly hostile toward Feng Jun but is willing to interact with others around him, especially Gao Qiang. Her question about whether Flower Flower has cultivated shows her growing curiosity about the supernatural world.

Significant Themes

  • Power, secrecy, and knowledge: Feng Jun warns Elder Yu that knowing too much about cultivation and supernatural powers can create danger. The chapter explores the tension between revealing extraordinary truths and protecting people from the consequences.
  • Authority and aging: Elder Yu reflects on how his influence within the Yu Family has diminished, even though he remains capable of enforcing his will.
  • Money and obligation: The five-hundred-million-yuan payment demonstrates the value attached to Feng Jun’s medical abilities, while Feng Jun’s decision to repay Yang Yuxin highlights his sense of personal responsibility.
  • Prejudice and identity: Flower Flower wants to redefine how people view demons, presenting itself as compassionate and helpful rather than evil.
  • The extraordinary becoming ordinary: Feng Jun and his close associates treat Flower Flower’s impossible behavior with relative familiarity, while outsiders react with shock, fear, or disbelief.

Character Interactions

  • Feng Jun and Elder Yu: Their exchanges are filled with suspicion, testing, and mutual recognition. Elder Yu probes Feng Jun about Bai Chuanmu, while Feng Jun remains evasive and focuses on practical matters.
  • Elder Yu and his family: Elder Yu pressures Yu Zhiyuan to obtain the treatment money, while privately lamenting that his influence is no longer as absolute as it once was.
  • Yu Zhiyuan and Yang Yuxin: Yu Zhiyuan negotiates the transfer of Qi Wukui’s payment through Yang Yuxin’s company, assuming her financial relationship with Feng Jun makes her a suitable intermediary.
  • Feng Jun and Qi Wukui’s wife: She challenges his treatment conditions, but Feng Jun refuses to compromise. His authority ultimately forces her to bring Qi Wukui to Luohua.
  • Feng Jun and Flower Flower: Feng Jun is amused but exasperated by Flower Flower’s theatrical nurse costume and lofty ambitions. Flower Flower, however, treats its unusual appearance as part of a sincere mission to prove that demons can be benevolent.
  • The observers and Flower Flower: Elder Yu’s group is startled but not completely unprepared because they had heard about the iPad-carrying Butterfly. The health-care doctor and Yu Qingzhu react with fascination, marking a growing awareness of Flower Flower’s extraordinary abilities.

Ch. 1020Settling the Score Slowly

Chapter Summary: “Settling the Score Slowly”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Yu Qingzhu asks whether Flower Flower, Feng Jun’s extraordinary butterfly, can cure Qi Wukui. In desperation, she sets aside her pride and addresses Feng Jun as “Master.”
  • Feng Jun confirms that the butterfly can treat Qi Wukui but insists that the ten-million diagnostic fee still be paid, irritating Yu Qingzhu.
  • After Yu Qingzhu’s third aunt regains consciousness and tries to protest, Elder Yu forcefully silences her. He threatens to cripple the financing of her real-estate company, Prosperity, if she continues causing trouble.
  • Two hours later, Flower Flower exits the bus, signaling that Qi Wukui’s treatment is complete. Feng Jun announces that all the parasites in Qi’s body have been removed.
  • Qi Wukui is found in terrible condition after more than a month of illness: severely emaciated, covered in rashes, boils, bleeding, and wounds. Although the parasites are gone, he is physically weak and must recover slowly.
  • The healthcare doctor asks Feng Jun to give Qi half of a valuable green pill to accelerate his recovery. Feng Jun refuses, reasoning that Qi’s slow recovery will prevent him from harming others for several months.
  • Hospital tests confirm that every parasite has disappeared, leaving the doctors astonished. They suspect the phenomenon may resemble the curse techniques associated with the Witch Borderlands.
  • Qi’s wife complains to Yu Zhiyuan that the five-hundred-million treatment fee was outrageous and suggests that Feng Jun might have planted the parasites himself. Yu Zhiyuan dismisses her suspicions and reminds her that Qi brought the disaster upon himself by attempting to seize Luohua Manor’s land.
  • Yu Zhiyuan warns her to accept the loss, let Qi recuperate, and treat the incident as a lesson. He emphasizes that without Elder Yu’s intervention, Qi and possibly others might have died.
  • The Yu Family obtains Qi’s medical records and becomes even more wary of Luohua Manor. The hospital manages to preserve several parasite eggs for research, which Feng Jun allows to remain under heightened security.
  • After resolving Qi’s case, Feng Jun turns to investigating the Overseas Wanderers Association. Jade Ruins supplies information, and Feng Jun concludes that Ming City is the best place to act, particularly against the commercially focused Mud Nation group there.

Character Developments

  • Feng Jun remains detached, confident, and highly calculating. He values the treatment’s success but deliberately withholds additional medicine from Qi, viewing prolonged recovery as a fitting punishment.
  • Yu Qingzhu becomes more humble and pragmatic, abandoning her pride by calling Feng Jun “Master” and cooperating with him to save her uncle-in-law.
  • Third Aunt remains selfish, suspicious, and indignant. Even after her husband is cured, she focuses on the price and tries to shift blame onto Feng Jun.
  • Elder Yu demonstrates his authority and protective instincts. He suppresses his niece’s behavior and personally intervenes to preserve relations with Feng Jun.
  • Yu Zhiyuan acts as the voice of reason within the family. He recognizes that Qi’s greed and arrogance caused the conflict and criticizes his relatives for repeatedly overstepping their limits.
  • The healthcare doctor shows genuine concern for his patient and admiration for Feng Jun’s abilities. His willingness to save Qi despite personal inconvenience reveals his strong medical ethics.
  • Qi Wukui is humbled physically and financially. His attempted land grab results in a devastating illness, a massive payment, and months of recovery.

Significant Themes

  • Consequences of greed and arrogance: Qi’s attempt to forcibly acquire Luohua Manor leads directly to his suffering and financial loss.
  • Power and humility: The Yu Family’s status cannot simply overpower Feng Jun; they must lower themselves, plead, and respect his authority.
  • Justice and measured revenge: Feng Jun saves Qi’s life but refuses to restore him immediately, ensuring that the man suffers a prolonged consequence for his behavior.
  • The limits of medical knowledge: The butterfly’s treatment appears miraculous and possibly supernatural, challenging conventional science and medicine.
  • Family responsibility and internal conflict: The Yu family must confront the damage caused by one relative’s reckless actions, while different members respond with blame, denial, or acceptance.
  • The value of rare knowledge: Feng Jun allows the parasite eggs to be studied, suggesting that even dangerous supernatural phenomena may have scientific value.

Character Interactions

  • Yu Qingzhu and Feng Jun: Her respectful appeal contrasts with his dismissive attitude and insistence on payment.
  • Third Aunt and Elder Yu: Her attempts to complain are immediately suppressed by his threats, showing the hierarchy and discipline within the family.
  • Feng Jun and the healthcare doctor: The doctor politely requests additional medicine, while Feng Jun questions whether it is truly necessary and ultimately refuses.
  • Third Aunt and Yu Zhiyuan: She seeks validation for her anger and suspicions, but he instead reprimands her and forces her to acknowledge Qi’s responsibility.
  • The Yu Family and Luohua Manor: The family’s view shifts from hostility and underestimation to caution and respect after witnessing Flower Flower’s power.
  • Feng Jun and the Overseas Wanderers Association: With Qi’s matter settled, Feng Jun redirects his attention toward identifying and targeting the association’s members in Ming City.
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