Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Heaven and Earth Gold and Silver”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Si Zhanqing rewards County Magistrate Fang Xun for helping resolve the Cold Mountain incident:
  • Fang Xun receives one hundred taels of gold.
  • The twenty-three laborers are supposed to receive ten taels of silver each.
• Fang Xun is overwhelmed by the wealth but immediately begins plotting to keep the laborers’ silver for himself. He tells Si Zhanqing he will distribute it on her behalf.
• Si Zhanqing refuses her maid’s suggestion to take further action against Fang Xun or the laborers. She departs Cold Mountain County that same afternoon.
• Three days later, Fang Xun returns with several laborers to the underground mine where Si Zhanqing had entered. He confirms that the area has changed:
  • The mountain is no longer as cold as before.
  • The Cold Mountain Grass is beginning to wither.
• Fang Xun suspects that Si Zhanqing successfully collected the remnant soul of the fallen cultivator responsible for the region’s cold aura. Without it, Cold Mountain’s environment may deteriorate, threatening the court’s supply of Cold Mountain Grass.
• Although Fang Xun recognizes the possible crisis, he dismisses it because he expects to be transferred back to the Sacred Capital soon. He also regrets not secretly keeping the rare Cold Mountain Venerable for himself until its value increased further.
• Rather than give the laborers their promised silver, Fang Xun sends them inferior substitute rewards: silk, wine, and dried meat.
• Li Shun realizes that Fang Xun has stolen their silver but chooses not to protest. He is simply relieved that neither Si Zhanqing nor Fang Xun killed the laborers.
• Inside the Square Inch space, Li Shun examines his Cold Mountain Grass spirit field. The Cold Mountain Venerable now stands at the center, surrounded by two Cold Mountain Lords and over eighty ordinary Cold Mountain Grass plants.
• Li Shun reflects on his unexpected success in cultivating Cold Mountain Lord and wonders whether it is due to extraordinary luck or the nourishing influence of the Cold Mountain Venerable. He begins considering how to cultivate the Venerable itself.

Character Developments

• Si Zhanqing: Demonstrates both generosity and authority by honoring her promise of reward. Her refusal to punish Fang Xun or eliminate witnesses suggests either confidence, indifference, or a deeper, undisclosed plan. Her departure leaves her motives mysterious.
• Fang Xun: Reveals himself to be greedy, opportunistic, and shortsighted. He values immediate personal gain over justice, the laborers’ welfare, and the future stability of Cold Mountain County. His willingness to ignore the coming ecological and political consequences highlights his corrupt character.
• Li Shun: Becomes more cautious and perceptive. He recognizes Fang Xun’s dishonesty but decides that survival is more important than recovering the stolen reward. His previous distrust of everyone begins to soften slightly after surviving the incident without being silenced.
• The laborers: Remain vulnerable and fearful, but their survival marks a significant improvement over their expectations. Their lack of power contrasts sharply with the officials and cultivators who control their fate.

Significant Themes

• Greed and corruption: Fang Xun’s theft of the laborers’ reward illustrates how officials exploit those beneath them while disguising selfishness as administrative action.
• The value of gold and silver: Precious metals are not merely wealth in this world; they are also important resources for practitioners of the Twelve Longevity Method, making Si Zhanqing’s reward especially significant.
• Short-term gain versus long-term consequences: Fang Xun recognizes that Cold Mountain Grass may eventually become scarce but ignores the problem because he expects to leave office. His selfishness reflects the dangers of officials who avoid responsibility for future harm.
• Power and survival: The laborers’ gratitude at simply remaining alive shows the brutal imbalance between ordinary people and powerful cultivators or officials.
• Hidden motives and uncertainty: Si Zhanqing’s unexplained decision to spare everyone leaves open questions about her true intentions.
• Cultivation and adaptation: Li Shun’s spirit field reflects his growing ability to manipulate and nurture rare spiritual plants, suggesting that his cultivation path may depend as much on experimentation and unusual circumstances as on conventional methods.

Character Interactions

• Si Zhanqing and Fang Xun: Their exchange begins with Fang Xun fearing punishment, but Si Zhanqing reassures him through a generous reward. Her calm authority contrasts with his obsequiousness and greed.
• Si Zhanqing and her head maid: The maid questions whether they should take additional action, but Si Zhanqing decisively rejects the idea, maintaining her enigmatic stance.
• Fang Xun and the laborers: Fang Xun uses false promises to control them, privately intending to keep their silver. His public reassurance masks his willingness to let them suffer or die later.
• Li Shun and Fang Xun: Li Shun correctly sees through Fang Xun’s deception but chooses not to confront him, prioritizing safety over justice.
• Li Shun and his spiritual plants: His relationship with the Cold Mountain Grass, Cold Mountain Lords, and Cold Mountain Venerable becomes increasingly important as he studies how they influence one another and seeks to expand his cultivation abilities.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun studies the newly evolved Cold Mountain Venerable, realizing that it has surpassed the limitations of ordinary plants. He considers cultivating multiple Venerables to continuously repair the Threefold Self-Reflection Stone Statue, whose use causes severe backlash and cracking.
• To understand the Venerable’s nature, Li Shun consumes it directly. Its immense medicinal power floods his body and mind, dramatically strengthening and expanding his soul without causing pain.
• Through this experience, Li Shun concludes that Cold Mountain Grass, the Cold Mountain Lord, and the Cold Mountain Venerable are successive evolutionary stages of one life form. He suspects that an ultimate form exists beyond them and wonders whether this is the goal of the mysterious Changle Marquis.
• Li Shun visits Jixia Bookshop, only to find its owner, Zhou Xunzhen, transformed from a vigorous man into a severely aged, nearly dying old man. Zhou has also lost much of his memory and no longer recognizes Li Shun or remembers the books in his shop.
• Li Shun suspects that Zhou’s condition may be the consequence of the Twelve Longevity technique—perhaps longevity “borrowed” from Heaven must eventually be repaid.
• When Three Reflections Upon Myself activates, time resets. The Cold Mountain Venerable reappears and Li Shun’s enhanced soul returns to normal, leaving him temporarily weak and disoriented.
• During subsequent rewinds, Li Shun consumes the Venerable again, this time focusing on observing it rather than himself. He glimpses an indistinct, mysterious azure-green figure within its cold aura.
• By May, Cold Mountain County experiences an unnatural heat wave. The county becomes furnace-like, causing discomfort, irritability, and frequent conflicts among the population.
• At the county yamen, Fang Xun’s child is born. He verifies that the infant is truly his bloodline through a blood-based soul connection and celebrates becoming a father.
• Yu Niang asks when Fang Xun will marry her formally. Fang Xun avoids answering, revealing a reluctance to commit and causing resentment to flash across her face.
• In the Square Inch Space, Li Shun divides the spirit field. He leaves one half for ordinary Cold Mountain Grass and uses the other for an intense survival struggle in which dozens of stalks entwine, consume, and compete with one another. After weeks of research and repeated rewinds, the experiment reaches its decisive final stage.

Character Developments

• Li Shun becomes increasingly analytical and experimental. Rather than preserving the Cold Mountain Venerable as a single-use resource, he seeks to understand and reproduce its evolutionary process. His repeated consumption of it greatly sharpens his spiritual perception and reveals hidden aspects of its nature.
• He also becomes more cautious and observant after witnessing Zhou Xunzhen’s terrifying decline, recognizing that powerful longevity techniques may carry severe, concealed costs.
• Zhou Xunzhen has undergone an alarming reversal from youthful shopkeeper to decrepit old man. His physical deterioration is accompanied by memory loss, suggesting that his life force or existence is being rapidly consumed.
• Fang Xun is delighted by the birth of his son and displays strong concern over confirming the child’s bloodline. However, his evasiveness toward Yu Niang shows selfishness or hesitation regarding marriage.
• Yu Niang is physically weakened after childbirth and emotionally hurt by Fang Xun’s refusal to give her a clear answer. Her fleeting resentment suggests growing tension in their relationship.

Significant Themes

• Evolution and transformation: The Cold Mountain life form progresses through increasingly powerful stages, suggesting that spiritual plants may possess an evolutionary path ending in a supreme, commanding existence.
• Knowledge through direct experience: Li Shun relies on consuming the Venerable and repeatedly resetting time to investigate its essence, emphasizing experimentation, firsthand observation, and the value of accumulated attempts.
• The cost of power and longevity: Zhou Xunzhen’s rapid aging raises the possibility that supernatural longevity is not free but merely postpones an inevitable repayment.
• Cycles, loss, and impermanence: Each rewind restores the Cold Mountain Venerable but removes Li Shun’s enhanced soul, creating a painful contrast between temporary power and inevitable return to weakness.
• Competition and survival: The brutal struggle among the Cold Mountain Grass reflects natural selection, sacrifice, and the possibility that superior evolution emerges through conflict.
• Responsibility versus avoidance: Fang Xun embraces fatherhood but avoids formally acknowledging his relationship with Yu Niang, highlighting the tension between familial duty and personal convenience.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun and Zhou Xunzhen have a brief but unsettling encounter. Zhou fails to recognize Li Shun, while Li Shun recognizes him and silently withdraws rather than press the dying man for answers.
• Fang Xun interacts warmly with his newborn son but distances himself from Yu Niang when she asks about marriage. His evasiveness contrasts with his obvious excitement over the child.
• Li Shun’s most important “interaction” is with the Cold Mountain Venerable itself. By consuming and analyzing it across multiple rewinds, he gradually uncovers its evolutionary nature and begins developing a method to cultivate stronger forms.

Chapter Summary: “Lesser Yin Reveals Silver”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun continues researching how to cultivate Cold Mountain Venerables within Square Inch Space.
• He determines that creating one requires three essential conditions:
  1. Sustained nourishment through the Agricultural School’s Spirit-Splitting Life-Creation Technique.
  2. Guidance from the aura of an existing Cold Mountain Venerable.
  3. The isolating power of Square Inch Space, which prevents outside interference from disrupting the evolution.
• After a prolonged battle among dozens of Cold Mountain Grass plants, the final survivor successfully evolves into a second Cold Mountain Venerable.
• The two Venerables immediately attack each other, demonstrating that “kings do not see kings.” Li Shun separates them to prevent their mutual destruction.
• Li Shun considers whether multiple Venerables might eventually allow him to cultivate an even higher existence at the end of the evolutionary path, but dismisses the idea as impractical due to the scarcity of Cold Mountain Grass.
• He decides to preserve one Venerable as a cultivation guide and reserve the other for repairing the Threefold Self-Reflection Stone Statue.
• Li Shun becomes increasingly concerned about unusual heat in Cold Mountain County and suspects it may be connected to the Changle Marquis.
• He recalls Zhou Xunzhen’s disappearance from Jixia Bookshop and concludes that she has probably died, possibly because of the dangerous Twelve Longevity Method.
• While preparing to leave Square Inch Space, Li Shun discovers several mysterious silver-white metal spheres in the spirit field and begins examining them.

Character Developments

• Li Shun demonstrates greater mastery of cultivation research, recognizing that preparation and controlled conditions can turn seemingly uncertain success into near-inevitability.
• His ambition expands when he considers using multiple Cold Mountain Venerables to reach the unknown final stage of evolution, though his practical judgment restrains him.
• He shows continued caution and self-control by refusing to consume a Venerable immediately, despite craving the clarity and mental benefits it provides.
• His concern about Cold Mountain County and Zhou Xunzhen reveals increasing awareness that larger political or supernatural forces are affecting his surroundings.
• Li Shun also reflects on the Twelve Longevity Method with empathy, understanding why dying people might accept a dangerous cure despite its future consequences.

Significant Themes

• Evolution through struggle: The Cold Mountain Grass must survive brutal competition before transforming into a higher life form.
• Controlled cultivation and environmental influence: Success depends not only on innate potential but also on nourishment, guidance, and protection from disruptive external forces.
• The isolation of power: Even beings that reach the level of “kings” cannot coexist peacefully and instinctively seek to destroy one another.
• Ambition versus practicality: Li Shun imagines reaching a greater evolutionary stage but recognizes the limitations imposed by scarce resources and slow cultivation.
• Mortality and desperate choices: The Twelve Longevity Method represents the temptation to sacrifice the future for immediate survival.
• Political and hidden dangers: The strange heat, the Changle Marquis, Zhou Xunzhen’s disappearance, and the mysterious metal spheres hint at larger forces developing beyond Li Shun’s immediate experiments.

Character Interactions

• The Cold Mountain Grass plants interact through violent competition, with the final survivor absorbing the remains of the defeated plants.
• The newly created Cold Mountain Venerable immediately clashes with the older one, forcing Li Shun to intervene and separate them.
• Li Shun reflects on his past connection to Zhou Xunzhen, whose closed bookshop suggests her likely death.
• He also mentally compares himself and Feng Guan to other people forced to rely on the dangerous Twelve Longevity Method.
• The chapter ends with Li Shun encountering unexplained silver-white spheres, introducing a new mystery connected to the Cold Mountain Venerable’s transformation.

Chapter Summary: “Each Harboring Their Own Desires”

Plot Points and Events

• Fang Xun reflects on his recent promotion, the birth of his son Huan’er, and his uncertain future after returning to the Sacred Capital.
• Worried that his new position as Registry Clerk will offer limited opportunities for advancement, Fang Xun becomes increasingly determined to secure greater merit—not only for himself but also to guarantee his son’s future.
• He thinks bitterly about Yu Niang, the child’s mother. Although he still feels attached to her because she supported him during difficult times, he considers her impractical ambitions dangerous. However, he hesitates to act against her because of the Changle Marquis’s warning and his unwillingness to deprive Huan’er of his mother.
• Fang Xun recalls interrogating Xiong Jin, who revealed that the attack on the county yamen was intended to help a young relative of royal Xiang Kingdom bloodline break through to a higher realm. The youth is supposedly extraordinarily gifted and represents the kingdom’s hope for revival.
• Fang Xun becomes obsessed with capturing this young descendant. He believes doing so would earn him major merit, elevate his standing among his fellow disciples, and secure a prosperous future for himself and Huan’er.
• Before Fang Xun can order Wu Kuang to investigate, a crippled laborer named Li Shun requests an audience.
• Li Shun confesses that he secretly discovered and concealed a Cold Mountain Lord during an earlier mine exploration. Unable to endure the anxiety of hiding such a valuable treasure, he finally turns it over to the authorities.
• Fang Xun recognizes that Li Shun’s confession is motivated not only by fear but also by his desire to accumulate enough merit to escape his lowly laborer status.
• Rather than simply rewarding or dismissing him, Fang Xun realizes that Li Shun has valuable knowledge of cultivating Cold Mountain Grass, which is nearing extinction and may become extremely profitable.
• Fang Xun decides to keep Li Shun under his control and have him care for the Cold Mountain Lord until it can later be sold at a higher price.

Character Developments

• Fang Xun: His paternal instincts deepen after Huan’er’s birth, but they become entangled with ambition and self-interest. His concern for his son motivates him to seek political advancement and wealth. He also reveals a calculating, opportunistic nature, immediately considering how to exploit both the Xiang descendant and Li Shun’s agricultural expertise.
• Yu Niang: Though absent, she remains important to Fang Xun. His mixed feelings toward her show lingering affection, frustration, and political caution.
• Li Shun: He is portrayed as fearful and morally conflicted, but also ambitious. His decision to surrender the Cold Mountain Lord is driven by both guilt and the desire to improve his social position.
• Wu Kuang: He continues to serve Fang Xun obediently, bringing Li Shun before him and handling the Cold Mountain Lord.
• Huan’er: The infant becomes the central emotional motivation behind Fang Xun’s ambitions and plans for the future.
• Xiong Jin’s young relative: Although not yet seen, he emerges as a major potential target because of his royal bloodline and extraordinary talent.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and self-interest: Nearly every character acts according to personal goals. Fang Xun seeks merit and wealth, while Li Shun seeks freedom from his low status.
• Family and responsibility: Fang Xun’s desire to protect and provide for Huan’er drives both his political ambitions and moral compromises.
• Fear versus opportunity: Li Shun’s fear initially causes him to hide the treasure, but ultimately his desire for advancement pushes him to reveal it.
• Political exploitation: Fang Xun views people, treasures, and information as resources that can be used to improve his position.
• Moral ambiguity: Fang Xun is neither purely benevolent nor openly cruel. He recognizes others’ weaknesses and uses them pragmatically while justifying his choices as necessary for his family’s future.
• The value of rare resources: The Cold Mountain Lord and Cold Mountain Grass represent both spiritual power and economic opportunity, emphasizing the material calculations underlying the cultivation world.

Character Interactions

• Fang Xun mentally contrasts his feelings toward Huan’er and Yu Niang, revealing both tenderness and resentment.
• His recollection of interrogating Xiong Jin establishes Fang Xun’s interest in the Xiang Kingdom descendant and connects him to the broader political conflict.
• Fang Xun questions Li Shun closely, exposing that the laborer’s confession is motivated by ambition as much as fear.
• Wu Kuang acts as the intermediary between Fang Xun and Li Shun, delivering the laborer and the Cold Mountain Lord.
• Fang Xun’s final decision turns Li Shun from a potential offender into a useful subordinate, while the Cold Mountain Lord becomes an investment rather than merely a seized artifact.

Chapter Summary: Beginning Cultivation of the Profound Method

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun is summoned before County Magistrate Fang Xun after secretly discovering resources in the forbidden Cold Mountain Mine Cave. Fang sternly reminds him that all such resources belong to the court, but spares him because he voluntarily surrendered them.
• Fang Xun submits a recommendation for Li Shun’s promotion, though he warns that the process must undergo extensive verification in the Sacred Capital.
• Ten days later, Li Shun is officially promoted from his lowly status to the first rank of Gongshi, freeing him from labor service.
• Constable Wu Kuang escorts Li Shun to meet Fang Xun. Before going, Li Shun carefully tidies his worn clothes and white hair, showing how deeply the promotion affects his dignity and self-image.
• Fang Xun adopts a gentler attitude and asks Li Shun about his forgotten courtesy name. Li Shun eventually recalls it as Tui Zhi, meaning “advancing and retreating in proper measure.”
• Fang Xun seals the study with a powerful forbidden technique and reveals that ranked officials, soldiers, generals, and even influential scholars across Great Qian cultivate the imperial method known as the Twelve Longevity Method.
• He transmits the method through a golden document sealed with a jade seal. When Li Shun touches it, the document dissolves into countless characters that enter his mind, imprinting hundreds of thousands of words directly into his consciousness.
• Li Shun pretends to be overwhelmed by the transmission while secretly absorbing and analyzing the method. Fang Xun patiently answers his questions until evening.
• Fang Xun tells Li Shun that he can only guide him through the initial threshold and predicts that cultivation will allow him to “shed his mortal frame and exchange his bones” by the next morning.
• After returning home, Li Shun restrains his excitement and waits until his divine ability, Threefold Self-Reflection, has recovered sufficiently before beginning cultivation.
• He studies the method’s central doctrine: humanity must defy Heaven, reverse creation, and steal longevity from the natural order.
• The method consists of twelve stages, beginning with Longevity and ending with Mysterious Female. Li Shun finally begins circulating the profound technique.

Character Developments

• Li Shun rises socially from an impoverished laborer to a ranked Gongshi. His promotion restores his dignity, though he remains outwardly humble and cautious.
• He demonstrates strong emotional control and intelligence by disguising how much he understands from the transmitted method. His restraint in delaying cultivation also reveals discipline and strategic thinking.
• Li Shun’s recovery of the courtesy name Tui Zhi reconnects him with his forgotten past and marks the beginning of a new identity.
• Fang Xun shifts from stern magistrate to benevolent mentor. However, his earlier satisfaction at manipulating Li Shun suggests that his kindness is mixed with calculation.
• Fang Xun is revealed to possess deep knowledge of cultivation and to be personally invested in passing the imperial method to Li Shun.
• Wu Kuang acts as a practical intermediary and shows genuine emotion at Li Shun’s success.

Significant Themes

• Social transformation and dignity: Li Shun’s promotion changes not only his legal status but also his posture, clothing, and sense of self.
• Power and control: Fang Xun’s recommendation gives him considerable influence over Li Shun, while the court’s restrictions demonstrate the political system’s control over cultivation and resources.
• Secrecy and deception: Li Shun must conceal his true abilities and reactions, suggesting that knowledge is dangerous and that survival depends on appearing weaker than one is.
• Defiance of Heaven: The Twelve Longevity Method rejects passive acceptance of mortality. Its philosophy seeks to reverse the natural order and seize longevity through cultivation.
• Rebirth and transformation: The twelve stages symbolize a cycle of returning from decline to youth, presenting cultivation as a second life and a reconstruction of the self.
• Tradition and authority: The method originates with Emperor Gan and is practiced throughout Great Qian, linking spiritual power directly to imperial and bureaucratic authority.

Character Interactions

• Fang Xun first intimidates Li Shun with the threat of punishment, then reassures him by arranging his promotion, establishing both authority and control.
• Wu Kuang congratulates Li Shun and escorts him to the magistrate, treating his advancement as a long-awaited personal triumph.
• Fang Xun and Li Shun’s meeting becomes a formal master-disciple exchange. Fang Xun grants him a new level of knowledge, while Li Shun responds with humility and gratitude.
• During the transmission, Li Shun asks questions and Fang Xun patiently explains the method, creating an atmosphere of mentorship while preserving Fang Xun’s superior position.
• Li Shun’s final oath of gratitude reflects his public loyalty, even as his private thoughts and plans remain concealed.

Chapter Summary: “Re-entering Longevity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun cultivates the Twelve Longevity Method, entering a profound state in which his consciousness rises above the world and perceives all things as circulating Life Qi.
• He realizes that his own Life Qi is nearly exhausted, leaving him close to death despite the Square Inch Puppet having preserved his body from ordinary aging.
• Comparing humanity’s brief lifespan with Heaven and Earth’s immense vitality, Li Shun grows angry and demands that Heaven lend him some of its Life Qi.
• Through persistent will and spiritual communication, he discovers that Heaven and Earth respond to his intent. A stream of azure Life Qi descends into him, granting him seventy additional years of life.
• His body undergoes a dramatic transformation: his aging, weakened form becomes youthful, his illnesses disappear, and his previously broken leg is restored.
• He returns to the appearance and vitality of a sixteen-year-old, experiencing normal movement and physical vigor for the first time in decades.
• Afterward, Li Shun analyzes the method and realizes that the borrowed lifespan will eventually be reclaimed. His body will remain vigorous for most of the seventy years, followed by rapid aging through the method’s final stages until death.
• He remembers Zhou Xunzhen, concluding that the man’s borrowed lifespan may have reached its end.
• Li Shun begins considering whether Threefold Self-Reflection could reverse time and allow him to borrow longevity again—possibly obtaining more than he did during his first attempt.

Character Development

• Li Shun shifts from fear and desperation to calm determination. His initial terror of death transforms into the bold conviction that he can negotiate with Heaven itself.
• His successful borrowing of longevity restores not only his body but also his confidence, ambition, and physical freedom.
• He remains cautious and intellectually curious, questioning why the technique appears to have no immediate cost and wondering what hidden collateral or danger may exist.
• His thoughts become increasingly strategic as he considers repeating the process through time reversal and improving upon his first attempt.

Significant Themes

• Mortality versus cosmic permanence: Human life is portrayed as fragile and temporary compared with the seemingly limitless vitality of Heaven and Earth.
• Defiance of fate: Li Shun refuses to accept the natural limits of aging, challenging Heaven’s apparent distribution of lifespan.
• Borrowing and repayment: Longevity is not truly gained but borrowed, suggesting that power always carries delayed consequences.
• The hidden price of immortality: Although the technique seems free of side effects, Li Shun suspects that its true cost or collateral may not yet be visible.
• Rebirth and identity: His transformation into a youth gives him a second life, forcing him to confront the contrast between his former aged self and his renewed body.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun has no direct human interactions in the chapter; the central “interaction” is his confrontation and negotiation with Heaven and Earth.
• He also mentally recalls Zhou Xunzhen, using the man’s apparent decline as evidence for understanding the later stages of borrowed longevity.
• His relationship with the Twelve Longevity Method deepens from reliance to reverence, though this admiration is tempered by suspicion about its unknown costs.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qidian announces a lottery event for April, running from April 1 to April 7.
• All monthly tickets cast during this period are entered into the lottery, with more votes increasing chances of winning.
• Prizes: 60 KFC "V Me 50" meal sets.
• Lottery drawing on April 8; prize registration closes on April 15 at 18:00.
• Winners announced in a separate chapter for one week.

Character Developments

• No significant character developments in this chapter as it's an event announcement.

Significant Themes

• Appreciation and gratitude for reader support.
• Importance of monthly ticket rankings for the book's success.

Character Interactions

• No character interactions in this chapter as it's an event announcement.

Additional Notes

• Author encourages readers to vote with monthly tickets and promises an extra chapter and usual updates.
• Author expresses gratitude for reader support.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun returns to the county office after using the Longevity Method, and Fang Xun examines his rejuvenated body.
• Li Shun falsely claims that he borrowed fifty-five years of lifespan, concealing his true potential. Fang Xun explains that borrowed lifespan is actually Heaven and Earth’s Life Qi; the amount reflects a person’s importance, potential, and future possibilities.
• Fang Xun reveals that he once borrowed one hundred and twenty years, establishing his own exceptional talent.
• Because Li Shun has been promoted to Public Knight, he should normally return to his ancestral home, East Mountain Town. However, the town is one of the royal tomb-guarding settlements, where life is bleak and advancement is nearly impossible.
• Fang Xun offers Li Shun a position in the county office instead. Li Shun accepts immediately, recognizing that remaining under Fang Xun’s protection is far better than returning home.
• Li Shun learns that his new duty will be tending the Cold Mountain Lord, while also allowing him access to the county office’s books, especially the Great Qian Code.
• The mention of East Mountain Town triggers memories of Li Shun’s lost family: his parents disappeared when he was fifteen, leaving him to care for his younger siblings before he was taken away for forced service.
• Chief Constable Wu Kuang interrupts Fang Xun’s conversation with news that they have found traces of a wanted “brat,” forcing Li Shun to withdraw.
• Back in his residence, Li Shun suspects that Cold Mountain’s abnormal heat and dryness may be affecting the growth of Cold Mountain Grass. He decides not to reveal the valuable resource until he is strong enough to protect himself.
• Li Shun spends the day studying the Twelve Longevity Method. At day’s end, he activates Three Reflections Upon Myself and undergoes the second reflection, returning to his old, dying body.
• He realizes that the ability completely resets Heaven and Earth after each reflection, erasing the traces of his previous lifespan borrowing across the entire world.
• Using his previous experience, Li Shun successfully borrows one hundred and thirty years of lifespan, nearly twice his earlier claimed amount and exceeding Fang Xun’s old record.

Character Developments

• Li Shun becomes increasingly calculating and cautious. He successfully deceives Fang Xun about his lifespan, hides the existence of the Cold Mountain Grass, and carefully evaluates every opportunity for both benefit and danger.
• His connection to his former family resurfaces, revealing unresolved concern for his younger siblings and giving him a personal reason to investigate East Mountain Town.
• Li Shun’s understanding of Three Reflections deepens dramatically. He confirms that it resets the entire world rather than merely restoring his own body or position in time.
• His rapidly increasing lifespan-borrowing ability suggests extraordinary potential, possibly far greater than Fang Xun realizes.
• Fang Xun shows pride in his own talent but also practical judgment. He recruits Li Shun not merely out of generosity, but because Li Shun can help manage the troublesome Cold Mountain Lord.
• Wu Kuang appears as an excited, forceful constable carrying important news about a fugitive or suspect.

Significant Themes

• Potential versus achievement: Borrowed lifespan indicates potential, but Fang Xun emphasizes that talent means little if one dies before fulfilling it.
• Caution and concealment: Li Shun repeatedly hides his true abilities and valuable discoveries, recognizing that premature exposure would make him vulnerable.
• Fate, Heaven, and destiny: Lifespan is portrayed as Heaven and Earth’s recognition of a person’s significance, while Three Reflections allows Li Shun to reset fate itself.
• Identity and rebirth: Li Shun has physically shed his mortal condition, but his memories and obligations from his former life still influence him.
• Power and survival: Advancement brings privilege but also greater danger; Li Shun must balance opportunities with the risks of attracting powerful enemies.
• Family and unresolved past: Memories of his missing parents and siblings hint at future investigations and emotional conflict.

Character Interactions

• Fang Xun questions Li Shun about his borrowed lifespan, creating a tense exchange in which Li Shun presents himself as merely average.
• Fang Xun encourages Li Shun after the supposed fifty-five-year result, while subtly revealing his own superior achievement.
• Fang Xun offers Li Shun protection and employment, and Li Shun responds with exaggerated gratitude to secure his position.
• Their relationship is mutually useful but unequal: Fang Xun believes he is placing Li Shun under his protection, while Li Shun quietly observes Fang Xun’s motives and searches for hidden opportunities.
• Wu Kuang’s sudden entrance interrupts their conversation, suggesting that Fang Xun’s affairs involve an urgent investigation that Li Shun is not yet meant to hear.

Chapter Summary: “Two-Hundred-Year True Person”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun awakens in his rejuvenated sixteen-year-old body and realizes that borrowing lifespan has done more than extend his years: it has greatly strengthened his Life Qi, physical vitality, and bodily potential.
• He returns to the county yamen and falsely claims that he borrowed only fifty-five years of lifespan. Fang Xun shows no suspicion, confirming that he apparently cannot detect Li Shun’s true level.
• Fang Xun explains that powerful cultivators can estimate another person’s borrowed lifespan by observing their Life Qi, making false claims dangerous. Li Shun becomes concerned that borrowing too much may expose the secret of Square Inch.
• Despite this concern, Li Shun decides that the opportunity is worth the risk and performs a Third Reflection, activating the Twelve Longevity Method once again.
• During the ritual, Li Shun encounters the circulation of Life Qi in the Cosmos Realm and sees a brilliant purple-blue radiance descend from Heaven and Earth into his body.
• He successfully borrows exactly two hundred years of lifespan, realizing that this is likely the maximum amount Heaven and Earth permits him to borrow at once.
• At the same moment, in a mysterious underground chamber beneath the Sacred Capital, the Twelve Golden Men and a vast army of silver soldiers briefly tremble in response to the purple-blue radiance, hinting at a major hidden connection or future consequence.
• Li Shun returns to the yamen and again reports only fifty-five borrowed years. He then asks Fang Xun to let him remain at his side rather than return home after receiving the rank of Public Servant.
• Fang Xun accepts and assigns him to help care for the Cold Mountain Lord. Just afterward, Constable Wu Kuang arrives with news that they have found the trail of “that brat,” causing Fang Xun’s pleased expression to disappear abruptly.

Character Developments

• Li Shun gains enormous confidence and strength after reaching the two-hundred-year lifespan limit. His body now possesses extraordinary vitality and seemingly inexhaustible physical power.
• He becomes more calculating and cautious, deliberately concealing his true achievement while testing Fang Xun’s ability to perceive borrowed lifespan.
• Although he recognizes the danger of attracting attention, Li Shun’s desire for longevity and reliance on Square Inch overcome his fear. He demonstrates growing resolve and ambition.
• Li Shun also becomes more politically perceptive, using sincere gratitude and strategic flattery to secure a permanent position beside Fang Xun.
• Fang Xun continues to believe Li Shun’s false report and appears pleased by Li Shun’s request to serve him. His sudden change in expression at the end suggests that the discovery reported by Wu Kuang is serious.
• Wu Kuang acts urgently and impulsively, interrupting Fang Xun and Li Shun with important news.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of longevity: Li Shun’s willingness to risk exposure emphasizes the overwhelming temptation of immortality and extended life.
• Concealment and deception: Li Shun carefully hides his true lifespan from Fang Xun, illustrating the dangers of revealing one’s abilities in a world governed by powerful observers.
• Power and potential: Borrowed lifespan strengthens not only longevity but also Life Qi and physical potential, suggesting that lifespan is a foundation for cultivation and transformation.
• Limits imposed by Heaven and Earth: The fixed two-hundred-year maximum establishes that even Li Shun’s extraordinary ability operates within larger cosmic laws.
• Hidden ancient forces: The trembling Golden Men and silver army imply that Li Shun’s actions have awakened or affected an ancient power beneath the Sacred Capital.
• Loyalty as strategy: Li Shun’s request to remain with Fang Xun is emotionally convincing but also serves his broader interests, blending genuine gratitude with calculated self-preservation.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun repeatedly deceives Fang Xun by reporting only fifty-five borrowed years while studying whether Fang Xun can detect the truth.
• Fang Xun explains the abilities of high-level cultivators, unintentionally warning Li Shun about the risks of revealing his actual strength.
• Li Shun presents himself as grateful and loyal, persuading Fang Xun to let him remain at his side.
• Fang Xun assigns Li Shun to care for the Cold Mountain Lord, strengthening their working relationship.
• Wu Kuang’s abrupt entrance interrupts the exchange and introduces a new source of tension, as his report about finding someone’s trail immediately changes Fang Xun’s mood.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Xun asks Li Shun to demonstrate his Spirit-Splitting Life-Creation Technique, which revitalizes the Cold Mountain Lord plant.
• Fang Xun increases the number of spirit plants without considering Li Shun's limit.
• Fang Xun gives Li Shun the original Spirit-Splitting Life-Creation Technique scroll.
• A massive flood threatens the county yamen.

Character Developments

• Li Shun: Shows proficiency in his secret art, gains an official position (Cold Mountain Keeper), and expresses gratitude towards Fang Xun. He also starts planning to borrow lifespan for his puppet.
• Fang Xun: Shows interest and appreciation for Li Shun's skills, increases the number of spirit plants, and plans to take Li Shun to the Sacred Capital.

Significant Themes

• The power and limitations of the Spirit-Splitting Life-Creation Technique.
• The importance of the Cold Mountain Lord plant to Fang Xun.
• The potential extinction of Cold Mountain Grass.
• The consequences of borrowing lifespan without permission.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun and Fang Xun: Their relationship improves as Fang Xun shows more trust in Li Shun, even sharing the original technique with him. Li Shun, in turn, expresses loyalty and gratitude.
• Li Shun and the constables/runners: Li Shun's status rises, and he is greeted respectfully by the others in the yamen.

Chapter Summary: “Sudden Underwater City”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A massive wall of muddy water suddenly surges toward Cold Mountain County, threatening to destroy the entire city.
• County Magistrate Fang Xun activates the Bright Light Formation, creating a golden dome that shields the county from the flood’s initial impact.
• Although the city survives the first wave, the floodwaters continue rising rather than receding. By afternoon, they have submerged the city walls, leaving Cold Mountain County trapped beneath a vast body of water.
• Fang Xun, County Assistant Yu Shang, and County Lieutenant Cheng Yishu investigate the flood’s possible cause.
• Yu Shang suggests that abnormal heat may have melted the glaciers on nearby snow-covered peaks. Cheng Yishu reveals that members of the Black-Armored Army had been illegally harvesting and selling ice from the mountains, possibly contributing to the disaster.
• Fang Xun reprimands Cheng Yishu but spares him severe punishment, instead ordering him to control the army, maintain order, and prevent unrest.
• Fang Xun asks Yu Shang to assess the county’s food, fodder, and supplies to determine how long the city can survive.
• Chief Constable Wu Kuang privately informs Fang Xun that the army’s ice gathering could not have caused such an enormous flood. Fang Xun concludes that the disaster was likely engineered by the surviving nephew of Xiong Jin, an enemy Fang Xun has been pursuing.
• Fang Xun suspects the boy used witchfire to melt the ten-thousand-year mysterious ice and deliberately flood the city. He orders Wu Kuang to search for him and declares that he will personally intervene once the boy is found.
• Meanwhile, the trapped citizens begin to panic as the flood remains stationary above them. The oppressive situation creates an increasingly fearful and unstable atmosphere.
• Li Shun listens to an argument in a neighboring courtyard and reflects bitterly that even underground tunnels would not have protected them from a disaster descending from above.

Character Developments

• Fang Xun: Demonstrates decisive leadership by protecting the city with the formation. Though furious at the Black-Armored Army’s recklessness, he remains pragmatic and merciful, prioritizing stability over immediate punishment. His hatred toward Xiong Jin’s nephew becomes clearer, and he personally commits to the pursuit.
• Cheng Yishu: Revealed to have failed to control his subordinates, whose greed helped worsen the situation. He fears punishment but is relieved when Fang Xun gives him a chance to correct the problem.
• Yu Shang: Acts as a calm, analytical adviser, offering a plausible explanation for the flood and taking responsibility for evaluating the city’s remaining resources.
• Wu Kuang: Shows loyalty and initiative by reporting the illegal ice harvesting and carrying out Fang Xun’s orders. His earlier failed attempt to capture the enemy reveals the mysterious boy’s surprising combat ability.
• Xiong Jin’s nephew: Though absent from the scene, he is portrayed as an elusive and dangerous antagonist capable of using witchfire to unleash a catastrophic flood.
• Li Shun: Responds to the disaster with grim realism, recognizing that ordinary preparations cannot account for supernatural or unprecedented dangers.

Significant Themes

• Natural disaster and human responsibility: The flood may have been caused partly by extreme weather but was worsened by human greed and reckless exploitation of the mountains.
• Leadership under crisis: Fang Xun’s quick activation of the formation and organized response prevent immediate destruction, while his orders aim to preserve public order and resources.
• Hidden enemies and political conflict: The flood is not merely a natural calamity; it may be a calculated act by a political enemy seeking revenge or destruction.
• Fragility and helplessness: Despite strong defenses, the county is trapped beneath rising water, emphasizing how powerless people can become before overwhelming forces.
• Fear and social instability: The prolonged disaster begins to erode public confidence, suggesting that panic and unrest may become as dangerous as the flood itself.

Character Interactions

• Fang Xun questions Yu Shang and Cheng Yishu about the flood’s origins, balancing authority with investigation.
• Cheng Yishu confesses the Black-Armored Army’s misconduct, prompting Fang Xun’s anger and a warning rather than harsh punishment.
• Fang Xun delegates practical responsibilities to Cheng Yishu and Yu Shang, dividing military, civil, and logistical duties.
• Fang Xun and Wu Kuang privately discuss the more sinister possibility that the flood was deliberately created by their elusive enemy.
• Li Shun’s observation of his neighbors’ argument illustrates the broader anxiety spreading through the submerged city.

Chapter Summary: “Cultivation Methods Under Heaven”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the catastrophic flood, Li Shun considers using Threefold Self-Reflection to rewind time, but decides against it. His ability can only reset one day and would not have enabled him to prevent or even foresee the disaster without arousing suspicion.
• Li Shun realizes that his cultivation of the Twelve Longevity Method has only extended his lifespan and improved his physical condition. It has not granted him any supernatural abilities, leaving him increasingly anxious about his lack of strength.
• Since Fang Xun refuses to explain cultivation clearly, Li Shun begins questioning the county constables. He learns that Great Qian officials gain extraordinary power through the Sage’s radiance bestowed by the court, rather than through ordinary martial training.
• Hoping to learn more, Li Shun visits Assistant Magistrate Yu Shang, bringing him ten jin of dried meat as a gift. He openly asks how people such as the county magistrate acquire the ability to fly and perform other supernatural feats.
• Yu Shang explains the cultivation structure of Great Qian:
  • Official academies, the most orthodox and widespread path, grant power through government office and official robes.
  • The prominent schools—Confucian, Mohist, Daoist, Legalist, and Military—possess deep traditions and many practitioners.
  • The hidden schools, including Yin-Yang, Diplomat, Medical, Agricultural, Miscellaneous, and Novelist schools, are smaller but possess specialized and mysterious techniques.
  • Other obscure schools exist but rarely reveal themselves.
• Yu Shang warns that the Hundred Schools are fiercely hostile toward one another. Choosing a school is effectively permanent, and abandoning one’s path may lead to persecution.
• Cold Mountain County has few cultivation opportunities because it is remote and populated largely by penal laborers. The only possible connection is the former master of Jixia Bookshop, whose current whereabouts are unknown.
• Yu Shang points out that Li Shun’s Spirit-Splitting Life-Forming Art originated with the Agricultural School, making him loosely connected to that tradition, though not formally initiated. He reassures Li Shun that the county’s Bright Light Formation should protect the city from the flood.
• Returning home, Li Shun reflects on his options. He remembers that Threefold Self-Reflection causes him to appear in ceremonial robes and a cap, leading him to conclude that his natural affinity is not with the Agricultural School but with the Confucian School.

Character Developments

• Li Shun becomes more urgent and ambitious about acquiring genuine supernatural strength. He recognizes the limitations of his longevity techniques and begins actively searching for a path to power.
• He also demonstrates greater political and social awareness by using gifts and indirect questioning to obtain information from Yu Shang.
• Li Shun’s mysterious connection to the Confucian School becomes more apparent through the recurring ceremonial clothing produced by Threefold Self-Reflection.
• Yu Shang is revealed as worldly, perceptive, and knowledgeable about Great Qian’s cultivation system. Although initially indifferent, he provides Li Shun with valuable information after recognizing his intentions.
• Fang Xun remains evasive and unhelpful, emphasizing the secrecy surrounding cultivation knowledge.

Significant Themes

• The limits of power: Li Shun’s ability to rewind time is powerful in theory but severely restricted in practice, especially against large-scale disasters.
• Knowledge as a gatekeeping tool: Cultivation depends on inheritance, teachers, and institutional access. Without guidance, even a determined person cannot easily enter a school.
• Institutional power versus personal cultivation: Great Qian officials gain supernatural abilities through state recognition, while other practitioners rely on ancient philosophical traditions.
• Identity and destiny: Li Shun’s existing techniques suggest an Agricultural School connection, but the symbols associated with Threefold Self-Reflection hint at a deeper Confucian alignment.
• Social hierarchy and exclusion: Remote locations, penal status, and political affiliation determine who has access to cultivation and power.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun’s failed attempts to obtain knowledge from Fang Xun motivate him to seek information elsewhere.
• His conversations with the constables reveal how ordinary officials understand power and reinforce his outsider status as the Cold Mountain Keeper.
• His meeting with Yu Shang begins as a transactional exchange involving dried meat but develops into a candid discussion of cultivation. Yu Shang both warns Li Shun about the dangers of choosing a school and encourages him to remain close to the county magistrate.
• Li Shun’s final interpretation of his ceremonial robes transforms the information Yu Shang provided into a personal conclusion: he may be destined for the Confucian path.

Chapter Summary: “Greed Arose in All Living Things”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Shun reflects on the damaged Threefold Self-Reflection Stone Statue in his Square Inch Space. He suspects it may have belonged to a powerful Confucian figure or even a legendary Sage, but realizes that restoring it may not reveal its inheritance. He decides to pursue cultivation through more practical methods instead.
• He thinks of Feng Guan, who had some knowledge of the School of Novelists, and wonders how he is faring after leaving Cold Mountain County.
• Cold Mountain County is completely submerged after three days and nights of flooding. The city survives only because of its protective formation; any failure could result in the entire population being drowned instantly.
• The constant danger causes the townspeople to become increasingly anxious and violent, with frequent quarrels and fights that exhaust the Black-Armored Army.
• The county officials reassure one another that their grain and military supplies can last six months to a year. They estimate the flood will recede within two months and deliberately avoid reporting the disaster to the imperial court, fearing punishment for negligence.
• Although the water level begins to fall, the situation worsens when drowned animals decompose under the summer heat. Their corpses create a poisonous stench and miasma that enters the city, causing illness among the weaker residents.
• Yu Shang urges Magistrate Fang Xun to activate the Bright Light Formation’s purification function, but Fang hesitates because doing so would weaken the formation’s defensive power.
• Fang’s reluctance is partly due to his pursuit of Xiong Jin’s nephew, whom he believes is responsible for the county’s recent troubles. Though the young man is only in the Mortal Embryo Realm, he has repeatedly escaped Fang and appears to be acting according to a deliberate plan.
• Fang considers reporting the fugitive’s whereabouts to the authorities but rejects the idea because he wants to claim the reward and glory himself. His greed ultimately overcomes caution.
• He decides to activate the purification function as bait, hoping to lure Xiong Jin’s nephew out of hiding. Publicly, however, he presents the decision as an act of compassion and responsibility.

Character Developments

• Li Shun: Becomes more realistic and restrained about his cultivation path. Rather than relying on the uncertain restoration of the stone statue, he resolves to build his progress steadily through dependable means.
• Fang Xun: His character is defined by growing ambition and greed. Although he recognizes the danger of the flood, disease, and fugitive, he prioritizes personal credit over public safety and official procedure. He disguises his selfish scheme as benevolence.
• Yu Shang: Acts as a practical adviser who recognizes the need for purification, though he remains deferential to Fang Xun.
• Cheng Yishu: Focuses on the army’s supplies and survival prospects, offering reassurance that the soldiers will not starve.
• The townspeople: Shift from fear and endurance to desperation, illness, and social unrest as the disaster continues.

Significant Themes

• Greed versus duty: Fang Xun’s desire for personal merit prevents him from making the safest decision for Cold Mountain County.
• Official corruption and evasion of responsibility: The county officials conceal the disaster to avoid punishment, choosing delay and deception over honest reporting.
• The fragility of civilization: Flooding, disease, and fear quickly undermine social order despite the city’s resources and defensive formations.
• Appearance versus reality: Fang presents a self-serving trap as an act of compassion, highlighting the gap between public rhetoric and private motives.
• Pragmatism in cultivation: Li Shun’s reflections emphasize the importance of reliable progress over depending on uncertain inheritances or miraculous opportunities.

Character Interactions

• Li Shun’s solitary reflections contrast with the officials’ collective discussions about the flood.
• Yu Shang recommends activating the purification function, while Fang Xun hesitates because of its military risks.
• Cheng Yishu supports the view that the city has enough supplies to endure, though he shares concern about remaining trapped.
• Fang internally debates whether to report the fugitive, but his ambition wins out. He then persuades the others to implement his plan by presenting it as righteous governance.
• Yu Shang accepts Fang’s decision without questioning his hidden motives and praises him as a benevolent official.

Chapter Summary: “Heaven-Sent Calamity Cannot Be Erased”

1. Key Plot Points

• Fang Xun’s Bright Light Formation successfully clears the miasma infecting Cold Mountain and heals the residents. The citizens initially praise him as a wise lord.
• The people soon discover the formation’s other functions and beg Fang Xun to activate a cooling effect to relieve the summer heat. Fang Xun is furious at their "audacity" and drives them away.
• Later, to suppress unrest and keep the city calm, Fang Xun activates both the purification and cooling effects—but this visibly weakens the city’s overall protective barrier.
• Over the next few days, Fang Xun leads the Black-Armored Army to drain the floodwaters around Cold Mountain. The water level drops dramatically, raising public morale.
• On the 18th day of the sixth month, Fang Xun appears to leave the city with most soldiers/constables—but it is a trap.
• A burly warrior wielding two giant warhammers attacks the county yamen, smashes through the defensive formation, and heads for Fang Xun’s son Huan’er’s room.
• Fang Xun reveals himself in silver armor, having staged the entire ambush. He suppresses the attacker with the incantation: “The Master did not speak of strange powers, chaos, spirits, or gods!”
• During the intense battle, Fang Xun re-energizes the yamen’s Bright Light Formation to seal the enemy—but this strips the city’s outer barrier to a fragile film.
• The floodwaters, previously held back, pour back in from the heavens, spelling catastrophe for Cold Mountain.
• Li Shun, watching from his residence, recognizes the attacker as resembling Xiong Jin.

2. Character Developments

• Fang Xun: Grows increasingly arrogant and self-centered. He sees the formation’s blessings as personal favors rather than duties, treats commoners dismissively, and is willing to weaken the city’s defenses to trap a single enemy. His motivation is explicitly tied to securing a “splendid future” for his son.
• The burly attacker (likely Xiong Jin): Bold, reckless, and intimately familiar with the yamen’s layout. He becomes more monstrous in battle, growing in size and fighting with overwhelming ferocity. His willingness to charge alone suggests desperation or principle.
• Li Shun: Passive observer; sharp-eyed, quietly taking note of the chaos from a distance. He recognizes the attacker but does not intervene.

3. Significant Themes

• Hubris and overreach: Fang Xun overuses the formation to satisfy public demand and achieve personal goals, draining its power and inviting disaster.
• Heaven-sent calamity vs. human folly: The flood is a natural catastrophe; Fang Xun’s manipulation of mystical formations accelerates the looming doom.
• Performative governance: Fang Xun cares more about public praise and control than genuine welfare—he grants small comforts while setting the stage for catastrophe.
• Sacrifice and ambition: Fang Xun is willing to endanger the whole city to protect his son and crush his enemies.

4. Character Interactions

• Fang Xun vs. the citizens: He angrily rejects their petition for cooling, then begrudgingly grants it—showing his contempt and transactional view of ruling.
• Fang Xun & Huan’er: He softens around his infant son, contrasting his public ruthlessness with private affection.
• Fang Xun & Yu Niang: She is confined in secret for pestering him about marriage/status—indicating his coldness toward personal ties.
• Attacker vs. Fang Xun’s forces: One-man assault on the yamen; he shatters formations and fights through swarms of guards.
• Fang Xun vs. attacker: A direct battle blending magic and martial might; Fang Xun’s incantation briefly suppresses the enemy, but the attacker breaks free and forces the conflict to escalate.

Final Note

The chapter ends on a cliffhanger: the Bright Light Formation’s diversion to trap the attacker causes the city-wide defense to fail, and the sea of floodwater crashes back down—“from the heavens.” The title suggests this calamity was inevitable and cannot be erased by mortal tricks.

Chapter Summary: Wisdom Exhausted by Greed

Key Plot Points and Events

• The defensive formation protecting Cold Mountain County collapses under a massive flood, allowing the waters to overwhelm the city. The county yamen’s formation barely holds, but most residents are swept away or killed.
• Li Shun survives by retreating through a secret underground passage into a tiny chamber lined with Cold Mountain Grass. He repeatedly uses Square Inch Space to absorb the incoming water, exhausting his spiritual sense. The stored floodwater becomes an enormous, isolated mass inside his spatial realm.
• Once the flood begins receding, Li Shun emerges to find the city devastated, filled with ruins, corpses, and grieving survivors. He condemns Fang Xun for sacrificing the population.
• Fang Xun, however, is celebrating. He believes he has captured a surviving member of the Xiang Kingdom and expects the achievement to earn him a prestigious promotion within the Great Qian Court.
• Fang Xun reports the capture to his master through a ritual involving incense and a mirror. His master praises him but orders him to guard the prisoner until Black-Robed Envoys arrive to escort him to the capital.
• The Black-Robed Envoys arrive the next morning. Fang Xun falsely presents Fang Xun’s destructive actions as the prisoner’s fault, claiming the captive caused the flood.
• The envoys take the prisoner away, leaving Fang Xun convinced that his political future is secure.
• Once outside the Cold Mountain region, the escort is revealed to be an illusion: the envoys and their qilin mounts transform into paper figures. A sickly, elegant youth appears before the captive, mockingly addressing him as Jiang Chongguang and ridiculing his helpless condition.

Character Developments

• Li Shun: Demonstrates resourcefulness and preparedness by using his hidden chamber and Square Inch Space to survive the flood. His repeated absorption of water severely drains his spiritual sense, showing both the power and limitations of his ability. He also becomes more openly critical of Fang Xun’s cruelty after witnessing the city’s devastation.
• Fang Xun: His greed and ambition dominate his judgment. Although he recognizes the need to report the capture properly and protect the prisoner, his excitement over promotion exposes his self-serving nature. He willingly deceives the Black-Robed Envoys and accepts blame being shifted onto the captive.
• Xiong Jin’s nephew / Jiang Chongguang: Remains restrained and powerless throughout most of the chapter, but the final revelation suggests he is important enough to be targeted and that the supposed escort is part of a larger deception.
• The mysterious youth: Introduced as a confident, mocking figure who has apparently manipulated or replaced the Black-Robed escort. His appearance creates a major cliffhanger and hints at hidden factions or schemes.

Significant Themes

• Greed and ambition: Fang Xun’s desire for rank and recognition blinds him to the human cost of the flood and makes him easy to manipulate.
• The abuse of power: The authorities treat ordinary citizens as expendable and portray the captive as a monster to justify their actions.
• Appearance versus reality: The Black-Robed Envoys are revealed to be paper decoys, while Fang Xun’s heroic achievement is likely based on deception.
• Survival and preparation: Li Shun survives because of long-term planning, hidden resources, and clever use of his abilities.
• Moral contrast: Li Shun, despite his own desperation, shows concern for the dead townspeople, while Fang Xun sees the disaster primarily as a step toward advancement.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Shun internally condemns Fang Xun after witnessing the flood’s destruction.
• Fang Xun humiliates and threatens the imprisoned giant, showing his contempt for the captive.
• Fang Xun reports to his master and receives praise and further instructions.
• Fang Xun cooperates with the Black-Robed Envoys, falsely blaming the prisoner for the flood.
• The mysterious youth confronts the captive after the escort’s illusion collapses, teasing him about his former reputation as a “peerless hero.”

Chapter Summary: “Lightly Mocking Fang Xun”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Han Sushu arrives just in time to rescue Jiang Chongguang from Fang Xun’s rune-forged restraints, freeing him with a burst of yellow light.
• Jiang admits he suspected Fang Xun’s scheme but still fell into the trap because he wanted revenge for his uncle. Han Sushu criticizes his foolishness.
• Han decides they must flee to East Mountain rather than remain near Cold Mountain. There, they intend to excavate Emperor Gan’s tomb and obtain a treasure capable of transforming Jiang’s mortal body and strengthening his cultivation.
• Before leaving, Han writes a mocking poem on the official road, ridiculing Fang Xun for being deceived by a paper substitute. He and Jiang then escape on talisman-transformed cranes.
• Fang Xun discovers the poem and realizes he has been tricked. Enraged and humiliated, he vomits blood and destroys the road in a furious outburst.
• Back at the yamen, Fang becomes consumed by fear and regret. He recognizes the obvious clues he ignored because of his ambition to gain promotion by capturing a Xiang Kingdom rebel.
• Fearing punishment and the ruin of his reputation, Fang devises a sinister plan: conceal the truth, delay matters until he can leave for the capital, and eliminate anyone who might expose him.
• The next day, Fang publicly lies that the rebel was safely delivered to the Sacred Capital and promises that Cold Mountain’s people will receive all deserved rewards.
• He then behaves like a devoted administrator, personally managing reconstruction, comforting victims, and opening the granaries to feed disaster survivors. The people praise his benevolence, though Li Shun suspects that his sudden transformation conceals another motive.

Character Developments

• Jiang Chongguang: Remains impulsive and revenge-driven, but willingly follows Han Sushu’s guidance. His confidence rises when he learns that the tomb’s treasure may help him unlock his exceptional physique.
• Han Sushu: Acts as Jiang’s calm, powerful rescuer and strategic guide. He openly mocks Jiang’s poor judgment but remains committed to helping him grow stronger and pursue revenge.
• Fang Xun: Undergoes the most dramatic shift. His pride collapses into humiliation, terror, remorse, and desperation after realizing he was fooled. His fear of exposure turns him toward calculated deception and possible mass murder. His public kindness is revealed as potentially manipulative rather than genuine.
• Li Shun: Serves as an observant outsider who notices that Fang Xun’s sudden “change of heart” does not seem natural.

Significant Themes

• Pride and humiliation: Fang Xun’s ambition makes his deception especially devastating, and Han Sushu’s poem publicly intensifies his disgrace.
• Ambition and self-deception: Fang ignores multiple warning signs because he is intoxicated by the prospect of promotion and glory.
• Appearance versus reality: Fang presents himself as a righteous magistrate while secretly planning to suppress witnesses and cover up the truth.
• Political corruption and survival: The chapter highlights how officials manipulate information, exploit isolated regions, and treat ordinary people as tools for personal advancement.
• Revenge and transformation: Jiang’s desire for vengeance drives the journey to East Mountain, where the tomb’s treasure may fundamentally alter his power and status.

Character Interactions

• Han and Jiang share a familiar brother-like relationship: Jiang depends on Han, while Han responds with blunt criticism and practical protection.
• Han’s poem turns Fang Xun’s failed scheme into a personal public humiliation, creating a stronger emotional conflict between them.
• Fang’s interactions with Cold Mountain’s people are carefully staged. He uses promises of rewards, displays of compassion, and disaster relief to win their trust and conceal his crime.
• Li Shun’s doubts contrast with the townspeople’s admiration, suggesting that Fang’s façade may eventually be challenged.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Xun continues to deceive Li Shun about his knowledge of the Great Gan Code, further solidifying his facade as a diligent scholar-official.
• Li Shun grows increasingly suspicious of Fang Xun's true intentions and begins cultivating Cold Mountain Grass secretly.
• After half a year, the incoming county magistrate's arrival is delayed due to the damaged official road, giving Fang Xun less than a month to finalize his plans.
• Fang Xun devises a scheme to use County Lieutenant Cheng Yishu as a scapegoat for his crimes and offers him a promotion to secure his cooperation.

Character Developments

• Fang Xun: Maintains his deception, but begins to show signs of stress and impatience as his time runs out. He becomes more desperate to find a scapegoat and leave Cold Mountain County.
• Li Shun: Grows more suspicious of Fang Xun and continues to cultivate Cold Mountain Grass in secret, preparing for an unknown confrontation.
• Cheng Yishu: Initially loyal to Fang Xun, he becomes tempted by the offer of a promotion and the chance to leave Cold Mountain County.

Significant Themes

• Deception and Trust: Fang Xun's deception of Li Shun and his manipulation of Cheng Yishu highlight the theme of trust and its fragility in the face of self-interest.
• Ambition and Corruption: Both Fang Xun and Cheng Yishu are driven by ambition, leading them to make morally questionable decisions.
• The Law and Its Interpretation: The Great Gan Code's statutes are used to both maintain order and further personal agendas, illustrating the law's potential for both justice and corruption.

Character Interactions

• Fang Xun and Li Shun: Their interactions become more tense as Li Shun grows more suspicious, while Fang Xun struggles to maintain his facade.
• Fang Xun and Cheng Yishu: Fang Xun manipulates Cheng Yishu, playing on his ambition and desire to leave Cold Mountain County, while Cheng Yishu becomes increasingly tempted by the offer of a promotion.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Xun promotes Cheng Yishu to acting county magistrate before his departure.
• Cheng Yishu enjoys his new power, issuing orders and feeling satisfied.
• Fang Xun prepares to leave, taking Li Shun and Huan'er but leaving Yu Niang behind.
• County Assistant Yu Shang and Constable Wu Kuang discuss Fang Xun's strange behavior.
• Wu Kuang discovers secret tunnels beneath Cold Mountain County City, potentially causing catastrophic collapses.

Character Developments

• Cheng Yishu: Greedily accepts the acting county magistrate position, reveling in his newfound power.
• Fang Xun: Becomes more distant and secretive, preparing to leave Cold Mountain County.
• Li Shun: Considers escaping to the capital, worried about his lifespan being exposed.
• Yu Niang: Continues to deteriorate mentally, screaming and cursing.
• Yu Shang & Wu Kuang: Grow suspicious of Fang Xun's behavior and discover the secret tunnels.

Significant Themes

• Greed and corruption: Cheng Yishu's desire for power and Fang Xun's secretive actions.
• Betrayal and abandonment: Fang Xun's decision to leave Yu Niang behind.
• Consequences of hidden actions: The potential disaster caused by the secret tunnels.

Character Interactions

• Fang Xun and Cheng Yishu: Fang Xun promotes Cheng Yishu, and they discuss the acting county magistrate position.
• Li Shun and Fang Xun: Li Shun watches Fang Xun prepare to leave, considering his own escape.
• Yu Shang and Wu Kuang: They discuss Fang Xun's strange behavior and discover the secret tunnels together.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Shang discovers the truth about Fang Xun's secret mine tunnels and the impending disaster.
• He initially plans to report to the commandery governor but changes his mind, deciding to expose Fang Xun's scheme to gain personal glory.
• Fang Xun confronts Yu Shang before he can leave Cold Mountain County, capturing him using the character "Prison."
• News spreads about the scarcity of Cold Mountain Grass, causing panic among the laborers who rely on it to fulfill their annual quota.
• Desperate laborers turn to the abandoned Cold Mountain Mine Cave, hoping to find remaining grass seedlings.

Character Developments

• Yu Shang's greed and ambition grow, leading him to prioritize personal gain over the safety of Cold Mountain County.
• Fang Xun's cold and calculating nature is further revealed as he confronts and captures Yu Shang.

Significant Themes

• Greed and ambition leading to downfall (Yu Shang)
• Desperation and the will to survive (laborers)
• The harsh consequences of Great Qian's laws (laborers' plight)

Character Interactions

• Yu Shang and Wu Kuang: They secretly investigate the mine tunnels together, with Wu Kuang showing loyalty by following Yu Shang's orders.
• Yu Shang and Fang Xun: Their confrontation highlights the stark contrast between their values and intentions, with Fang Xun's cold calculation prevailing over Yu Shang's greed.

Chapter Summary: “A Plan to Smash the Cauldrons and Sink the Boats”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The people of Cold Mountain rush to the mine after rumors spread that Cold Mountain Grass has nearly gone extinct. Acting County Magistrate Cheng Yishu seals the mine and claims the grass has not completely died out, promising to request reduced or exempted labor service.
• Cheng privately knows the grass is entirely dead. He fears that revealing the truth will trigger a riot and realizes that Fang Xun has maneuvered him into taking responsibility for the crisis.
• Inside the mine, Fang Xun is secretly preparing to exploit the situation. He plans to cause a mountain collapse and blame it on ignorant villagers trespassing and damaging the mine while searching for Cold Mountain Grass.
• Fang receives an official letter ordering him to report to the Sacred Capital’s Rectification Garden for screening and training. He intends to use this as a legitimate excuse to leave Cold Mountain before the disaster, ensuring that blame cannot easily reach him.
• Fang decides to turn the unconscious Yu Shang and Wu Kuang into “hidden pieces” who can support his plan after his departure. Using a Confucian technique, he appears to control or transform them into eerie, obedient agents.
• On December 31, snow begins falling. The people celebrate, believing the return of winter may restore the conditions needed for Cold Mountain Grass to grow.
• Li Shun, however, senses that something is wrong. Fang has stopped visiting the greenhouse, while Yu Shang and Wu Kuang have disappeared.
• Worried that a catastrophe is approaching, Li Shun devises a survival plan. He intends to hide his consciousness in the Square Inch Space while splitting off a strand of his spirit to possess a durable creature, allowing him to observe events even if his body dies.
• He chooses a midge as his vessel, strengthens it with Cold Mountain Lord leaves and his own blood essence, and begins transforming it into an extraordinary host.

Character Developments

• Cheng Yishu shifts from attempting to maintain public order to recognizing that he has been made Fang Xun’s scapegoat. His fear and resentment grow as he realizes he may be unable to escape responsibility.
• Fang Xun reveals himself as calculating, ruthless, and highly opportunistic. He turns the grass crisis into cover for a planned mine disaster, arranges an escape to the capital, and manipulates Yu Shang and Wu Kuang into tools for his scheme.
• Li Shun demonstrates increasing caution and strategic thinking. Though he recognizes the danger, he feels powerless because of his limited strength. His willingness to abandon his physical body and create a spirit-linked backup shows both desperation and ingenuity.
• Yu Shang and Wu Kuang are reduced from independent figures to seemingly controlled agents under Fang Xun’s Confucian technique.
• The Cold Mountain people remain hopeful and largely unaware of the danger, interpreting the snow as a sign that the grass may recover.

Significant Themes

• Political manipulation and scapegoating: Fang Xun deliberately leaves Cheng Yishu to bear the consequences of a crisis he engineered.
• Exploitation of public fear: Rumors of the grass’s extinction create the perfect excuse for Fang’s planned destruction of the mine.
• Survival through preparation: Li Shun responds to uncertainty by developing a contingency plan rather than relying solely on his existing resurrection ability.
• Appearance versus reality: Public officials claim the situation is under control, the people celebrate the snow, and yet a hidden catastrophe is being prepared beneath them.
• Moral ruthlessness: Fang treats other people—including Cheng, Yu Shang, and Wu Kuang—as disposable pieces in his larger plan.
• Identity and consciousness: Li Shun’s plan raises the question of whether survival depends on preserving the body or merely the mind and soul.

Character Interactions

• Cheng Yishu confronts and calms the angry crowd while concealing the truth about the mine.
• Cheng internally blames Fang Xun for placing him in an impossible position.
• Fang speaks to the unconscious Yu Shang and Wu Kuang as potential instruments, then uses his Confucian power to animate and transform them.
• Li Shun observes the unexplained absences of Fang, Yu Shang, and Wu Kuang, connecting them to the growing danger.
• Li Shun experiments on a midge, using spiritual energy and blood essence to create a possible survival vessel.