Chapter Summaries

Fang Yun prepared to ascend Book Mountain for the third time, amid mounting pressure and uncertainty about the Ninth Mountain. He arrived on the Seventh Mountain, where newly advanced Provincial Graduates had also gathered.

• Fang Yun became a Seven-Palace Hanlin and prepared his family for his departure to Book Mountain.
• Kong Delun relayed the Kong Family head’s plea for Fang Yun to give it his all, deepening Fang Yun’s sense of responsibility.
• Fang Yun vanished with his physical body when the white light carried him to Book Mountain, alarming the people at the Fang Household.
• Lei Zhongmo left for the Dragon Race Battle Realm, confident he would return as the foremost of the Four Great Talents.
• Zong Ganyu said Fang Yun might pass the Eighth Mountain but doubted he could pass the Ninth, and revealed the Kong Family believed Book Mountain could affect the next Battle of Two Worlds Mountain.
• Fang Yun arrived on the Seventh Mountain and saw many newly advanced Provincial Graduates gathered on the distant grassland.

Fang Yun ascended Book Mountain’s Eighth Mountain by passing its hidden Palace Examination trial and reached the Ninth Mountain. The Book Mountain Elder explained the trial and warned that the Ninth Mountain would take more than a day or two to overcome, then produced a changing roll of bamboo slips.

• Fang Yun crossed the strange winds to the Eighth Mountain with his third-realm literary guts and found its summit empty.
• Fang Yun crossed to the Ninth Mountain and met the Book Mountain Elder, who confirmed that he had passed the Eighth Mountain because it tested the Palace Examination.
• The Book Mountain Elder said the trial judged governance of the state without the scholar knowing it, and Fang Yun declared he would pursue both the Sacred Way and the Human Race’s welfare.
• The Book Mountain Elder warned Fang Yun that the Ninth Mountain could not be passed in a day or two, then showed him bamboo slips whose number and writing kept changing.

The Book Mountain Elder made Fang Yun take on the identity of Zhang Longxiang, a dead Hanlin Academician suspected of being a Rebel Species, and sent him into Sage Kong's Literary World. Fang Yun learned that he would need to take command of the Pearl River Army and lead it to Two Worlds Mountain to pass the Ninth Mountain.

• The Book Mountain Elder used the original Commentary on the Book of Changes to transform Fang Yun into Zhang Longxiang, a middle-aged Hanlin Academician.
• The Elder told Fang Yun that Zhang Longxiang had been imprisoned for ten years on suspicion of being a Rebel Species and had died a month earlier.
• The Elder offered Fang Yun three trials, but Fang Yun chose to become Zhang Longxiang after the other options proved impossible.
• Fang Yun described what he knew about Sage Kong's Literary World, and the Elder asked whether he knew of the Pearl River Army.
• The Elder explained that Zhang Longxiang nominally led the Pearl River Army and had to take command of it before it marched to Two Worlds Mountain.

Fang Yun learned that the Ninth Mountain’s trial required him to secure victory in the Battle of Bi and Shen by taking control of the Pearl River Army. After studying Zhang Longxiang’s past and receiving the Commentary on the Book of Changes to conceal his identity, he was sent into Sage Kong’s Literary World, where he awakened in a prison cell.

• Fang Yun learned that he had to win the Battle of Bi and Shen to pass the Ninth Mountain and obtain its rewards.
• The Book Mountain Elder told Fang Yun to take control of the Pearl River Army and warned that his loved ones might abandon him.
• The Book Mountain Elder explained that Zhang Longxiang had been imprisoned for ten years because his father, Zhang Wankong, was suspected of joining the Rebel Species.
• Fang Yun learned that Zhang Longxiang had not been acquitted, though the Chu Kingdom would release him for lack of evidence and restore his hereditary title.
• The Book Mountain Elder lent Fang Yun the Commentary on the Book of Changes to disguise his identity, then sent him into Sage Kong’s Literary World.
• Fang Yun awoke in a dark prison cell and smelled a putrid stench.

Fang Yun was released from Shanglin Prison in Zhang Longxiang’s identity and returned to the Zhang Estate, where he discovered the household had fallen into ruin. He left the King of Chu’s court waiting while he prepared to learn his assumed life and restore the Zhang Household.

• A eunuch informed Fang Yun that the King of Chu had released him for lack of evidence, but could not produce a King's Edict.
• Fang Yun had two jailers punished for mistreating Zhang Longxiang and refused the King of Chu’s invitation to court, saying he would first put the Pearl River Army in order.
• Fang Yun decided to familiarize himself with Zhang Longxiang’s circumstances and put the Zhang Household in order before addressing the army.
• Fang Yun arrived at the Zhang Estate and found its doors, walls, and grounds badly neglected, though signs suggested someone still lived inside.

Fang Yun returned to the Zhang Estate and revealed himself to Zhang Jing'an, who had grown up believing his father was dead. After learning that the Gou Household had taken the Pearl River Army Banner and Grandpa Hua had died protecting Jing'an, Fang Yun set out to reclaim it, with Jing'an reluctantly joining him.

• Fang Yun arrived at the ruined Zhang Estate and found Zhang Jing'an guarding the inner courtyard with two cleavers.
• Fang Yun told Zhang Jing'an that he was his father, but Jing'an rejected him and insisted Zhang Longxiang had died.
• Zhang Jing'an told Fang Yun that Grandpa Hua had died protecting him and that the Gou Household had taken the Pearl River Army Banner.
• Fang Yun asked where the Pearl River Army's generals were, and Jing'an challenged him by asking where Zhang Longxiang had been.
• Fang Yun invited Jing'an to reclaim the banner from the Gou Household, and Jing'an picked up his cleavers and followed him.
• Fang Yun boarded the carriage, and Zhang Jing'an took the reins and drove them away from the estate.

Fang Yun traveled with Zhang Jing'an to reclaim the Pearl River Army Banner from the Gou Household, while learning how deeply the boy had been hurt by his family’s reputation. The chapter ended with Fang Yun kicking down the Gou Residence’s gates.

• Fang Yun discovered that his Sea-Swallowing Shell had come with him into Sage Kong's Literary World and agreed to continue toward the Gou Residence without stopping to eat.
• Children mocked Zhang Jing'an as the son of a Rebel Species, and Fang Yun concluded that the accusations against Zhang Wankong and Zhang Longxiang were likely false.
• Zhang Jing'an warned Fang Yun that Gou Zhi was a powerful Literary Battle opponent, then promised to call him Father if he defeated Gou Zhi, recovered the banner, and avenged Grandpa Hua and Mother.
• Fang Yun stopped Zhang Jing'an from knocking and kicked the Gou Residence's vermilion gates apart.

Fang Yun, posing as Zhang Longxiang, confronted the Gou Household and demanded the Pearl River Army Banner while Zhang Jing'an watched. After Gou Han tried to stall him, Fang Yun used the Inkstone Turtle to locate the household’s hidden ink and found a secret chamber in the library.

• Fang Yun arrived at the Gou Household, declared he had come to reclaim the Pearl River Army Banner, and struck Gou Han for insulting Zhang Jing'an.
• Fang Yun demanded Gou Zhi’s return and ordered Gou Han to prepare a ritual banquet while he waited.
• Fang Yun and Zhang Jing'an ate while Fang Yun explained that the Gou Household would likely stall for time and summon help.
• Fang Yun asked Zhang Jing'an where Gou Zhi kept the banner, then used the Inkstone Turtle to guide him toward the household’s best ink.
• Fang Yun entered the Gou Household library and realized the Inkstone Turtle had detected a secret chamber beneath the floor.

Fang Yun used the Commentary on the Book of Changes to conceal his Literary Heart and recitation from Zhang Jing'an, then raided the Gou Household's secret chamber and found its Qishan Army Banner and valuable treasures. The chapter ended with Gou Han accusing him of theft as two Hanlin Academicians blocked his way and demanded he face the Gou Household.

• Fang Yun tested the illusion created by the Commentary on the Book of Changes, and Zhang Jing'an mistook Wind-and-Rain Dream Battle for Storming the Linked Camps.
• Fang Yun sent the Cold-Iron Knights into the Gou Household's secret chamber, then collected its treasures and discovered a rare piece of Literary Qi Jade.
• Fang Yun took the Qishan Army Banner and emerged from the chamber as Gou Han and other members of the Gou Household gathered in the library.
• Fang Yun claimed he had found the banner by accident and tried to leave, while Gou Han entered the chamber to inspect it.
• Xiang Lan and Chai Song confronted Fang Yun, and Gou Han roared for Zhang Longxiang to return the Gou Household's treasures.

Fang Yun confronted the Gou Household and demanded the return of the Pearl River Army Banner, while Chai Song and Xiang Lan threatened to stop him. He recovered the banner and remained in the Gou Household’s main hall, awaiting Gou Zhi’s return.

• The Gou Household members drew their weapons, and Fang Yun accused Chai Song and Xiang Lan of supporting the household that had harmed the Zhang Household.
• Gou Han reported that Fang Yun had taken the secret chamber’s treasures, while Fang Yun challenged Chai Song to a Life-and-Death Literary Battle after dealing with Gou Zhi.
• Fang Yun demanded the Pearl River Army Banner and refused to leave until the Gou Household returned it.
• Fang Yun sat in a seat of honor in the main hall and invited Zhang Jing'an to sit beside him.
• Gou Han brought the furled banner to the doorway and threw it into the room, and Fang Yun drew it into his grasp.

Fang Yun returned the Pearl River Army Banner to Zhang Jing'an and confronted Gou Zhi, who arrived with his son and challenged him to a Life-and-Death Literary Battle. Both men swore their oaths before the Temple of Sages, leaving the battle about to begin.

• Fang Yun gave Zhang Jing'an the battered Pearl River Army Banner and told him to return it to the marquis's residence after the Literary Battle.
• Zhang Jing'an spoke of wanting to raise the banner at Two Worlds Mountain and lamented that his mother's and Grandpa Hua's deaths had kept him from studying properly.
• Gou Zhi arrived at the Qishan Marquis Residence and threatened Fang Yun and Zhang Jing'an.
• Fang Yun reminded Zhang Jing'an to remember his pain and fear, then challenged Gou Zhi to a Life-and-Death Literary Battle.
• Fang Yun and Gou Zhi each swore before Sage Kong and the Temple of Sages, setting the terms of their battle.

Fang Yun defeated Gou Zhi in a single clash at the Gou Household and shattered his Literary Palace. He crippled Chai Song while leaving with Zhang Jing'an, as Xiang Lan realized the Zhang Household was about to rise.

• Zhang Jing'an vowed to call Fang Yun Father if he defeated Gou Zhi, and Fang Yun stepped down to confront him.
• Fang Yun’s True Dragon Ancient Sword shattered Gou Zhi’s Lip Spear and Tongue Sword and struck his Literary Palace.
• Fang Yun took the Qishan Army Banner and gave the Pearl River Army Banner to Zhang Jing'an, then left as Gou Zhi collapsed and his Literary Palace shattered.
• Fang Yun severed Chai Song’s Lip Spear and Tongue Sword, his left arm and shoulder, and damaged his Literary Guts before Xiang Lan sealed the wound.
• Xiang Lan concluded that the Zhang Household was about to rise, while Gou Han cursed Fang Yun and threatened revenge.

Fang Yun returned home with Zhang Jing'an after defeating Gou Zhi, and pressed his son to study while they discussed their family’s troubled past. At the Zhang Estate, well-wishers gathered with gifts, and Fang Yun asked trusted visitors to help manage the household as he prepared to question Zhang Jing'an.

• Fang Yun reflected on his fight with Gou Zhi and told Zhang Jing'an that his years in prison and study had made him powerful.
• Fang Yun urged Zhang Jing'an to study, and Zhang Jing'an resisted before revealing that Grandpa Hua had told him not to hate Fang Yun.
• Zhang Jing'an acknowledged that Fang Yun had suffered more than he had, and Fang Yun said he still did not know what had happened in the past.
• Fang Yun and Zhang Jing'an reached the Zhang Estate, where visitors offered gifts and congratulations on Fang Yun's release.
• Fang Yun asked some visitors to help receive gifts and clean the estate, then took Zhang Jing'an aside to ask him questions.

Fang Yun apologized to Zhang Jing'an and learned that Zhang Wankong may have fought heroically at Two Worlds Mountain, though the truth behind the rebel species accusation remained unclear. He promised to restore the Pearl River Marquis Residence and bring back its former servants, then ordered Zhang Jing'an to return to school, prompting the boy to threaten to become a beggar.

• Fang Yun apologized to Zhang Jing'an for his absence and asked him to recount what Uncle Hua had told him.
• Zhang Jing'an said Uncle Hua had insisted Zhang Wankong was a hero of Two Worlds Mountain, not a rebel species traitor, and had described him carrying the Pearl River Army's banner after a victory.
• Zhang Jing'an explained that the authorities had released the Zhang family but warned them to stay silent, while Zhang Wankong's fate and the accusation remained unresolved.
• Zhang Jing'an told Fang Yun that his mother had helped the former servants leave, and that four families still sent support to the estate each New Year.
• Fang Yun promised to restore the Zhang Estate and ordered Zhang Jing'an to invite the four families back and attend school.
• Zhang Jing'an refused to study and threatened to beg in South City, but Fang Yun accepted the challenge.

Fang Yun settled into the Zhang Estate and learned that people in Sage Kong's Literary World were debating his victory over Gou Zhi. At dawn, he caught Zhang Jing'an trying to leave and confronted him about returning to school, leaving their painful argument unresolved.

• Fang Yun oversaw the Zhang Estate's reconstruction and reconnected with loyal families who returned to serve him.
• Fang Yun used the Ji King's Official Seal to view the Literary and Discourse Rankings in both worlds, but could not send messages to the Saint Origin Continent.
• Fang Yun read that scholars were discussing his defeat of Gou Zhi and debating whether Zhang Longxiang could join Sage Kong's Literary World's leading talents.
• Fang Yun caught Zhang Jing'an sneaking out before dawn and ordered him to resume his elementary studies.
• Zhang Jing'an confessed that past bullying and trauma kept him from studying, then blamed Fang Yun for fathering and raising him without proper care or teaching.

Fang Yun tried to guide Zhang Jing'an toward his dream of becoming a general by taking him to the Jingxi Guard. The chapter ended with Fang Yun telling him that he could not become a general yet because he lacked the required qualifications.

• Fang Yun summoned Zhang Jing'an and asked what he wanted to become, and Zhang Jing'an declared that he dreamed of becoming a great general.
• Fang Yun took Zhang Jing'an by carriage to the Jingxi Guard, answering his questions about the Gou Household and the Qishan Army along the way.
• At the guard entrance, Fang Yun asked an officer to arrange an auxiliary or deputy general post for Zhang Jing'an.
• The officer explained that even an auxiliary general had to be a Provincial Graduate, and Fang Yun told Zhang Jing'an that he could not become a general yet.

Fang Yun helped Zhang Jing'an begin pursuing his ambition to become a general by enlisting them both as ordinary soldiers in the Jingxi Guard. The chapter ended as Fang Yun assigned Zhang Jing'an demanding physical training at the Third Battalion.

• Zhang Jing'an said he wanted to become a general, and Fang Yun proposed that they start by serving as soldiers.
• Fang Yun swore he was helping his son fulfill his ambition, and Zhang Jing'an apologized for doubting him.
• Fang Yuan granted their request to join the Jingxi Guard and arranged for them to wear ordinary uniforms and serve without privileges.
• Fang Yun chose the elite Third Battalion and insisted that he and Zhang Jing'an join its training immediately.
• Fang Yun told Zhang Jing'an to walk the Plum Blossom Stakes for half an hour before running with sandbags, surprising Fang Yuan.

Fang Yun demonstrated the Plum Blossom Stakes to Zhang Jing'an and used the exercise to teach him to follow instructions and take care. After earning a squad leader’s position in the Third Battalion, Fang Yun watched Xu Cang punish Zhang Jing'an for disrespecting a superior.

• Fang Yun crossed the 108 Plum Blossom Stakes in seven breaths and challenged Zhang Jing'an to practice carefully for half an hour.
• Zhang Jing'an hurried across the stakes, fell at the eleventh stake, and injured himself after missing the wider gap.
• Fang Yun ordered Zhang Jing'an to restart from the first stake whenever he fell and rebuked him for acting like a street hoodlum instead of a soldier.
• Xu Cang welcomed Fang Yun to the Third Battalion and appointed him a squad leader after hearing he had finished the stakes in seven breaths.
• Zhang Jing'an insulted Fang Yun, so Xu Cang halved his rations for a month and assigned him four hours of labor each night.

Fang Yun trained with the five-hundred-jin Stone Locks while Zhang Jing'an struggled through the barracks’ demanding exercises. After failing at spear practice and formation drills, Zhang Jing'an collapsed in tears, watching the soldiers move in perfect order.

• Xu Cang rejected the soldiers’ pleas for Zhang Jing'an and ordered the men who had spoken up to run twenty laps after supper.
• Fang Yun lifted two five-hundred-jin Stone Locks and trained as the soldiers watched and argued about his past.
• Zhang Jing'an repeatedly fell on the Plum Blossom Stakes, suffered bruises, and returned to training after a military physician treated him.
• Fang Yun impressed the company with his spear technique while Zhang Jing'an struggled to wield his spear and received criticism from the company commander.
• Xu Cang led formation drills that confused Zhang Jing'an, who cried as the soldiers continued without helping him.
• Zhang Jing'an finally collapsed on the drill ground and watched the five hundred soldiers maneuver in formation.

Fang Yun and Zhang Jing'an endured punishing military training while Zhang Jing'an struggled to prove himself and defend his grandfather's name. After weeks of exhaustion and scorn, Zhang Jing'an collapsed during a field exercise and whispered that he could no longer continue, while Fang Yun examined him with a faint smile.

• Fang Yun was made squad leader, while Zhang Jing'an struggled through drills and resented what he saw as his father's abandonment.
• Zhang Jing'an collapsed during training, then confronted soldiers who insulted his grandfather and left to find Fang Yun sweeping the drill ground.
• Fang Yun ordered Zhang Jing'an to return to rest, drove him away when he insisted on helping, and secretly healed him with the Medical Book that night.
• Zhang Jing'an continued failing to finish the Third Battalion's daily training, and Fang Yun secretly healed the injuries he accumulated.
• During a two-day field exercise, Zhang Jing'an collapsed before camp was made and whispered that he could no longer endure being a soldier or general; Fang Yun examined him and faintly smiled.