Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Flying-Crane-Pattern Ancient Jade Pendant

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian reviews the gods of the Dipper Division and decides to aim for inviting a God Lord, settling for a divine commander only if necessary.
• He studies the River Fate Sect’s teachings and gains a deeper understanding of River Fate Arts, building on his previous knowledge of Mountain Fate Arts and Momentum Configuration Arts.
• His improved mastery of Fate Arts allows him to construct rituals in a more flexible, advanced manner rather than following rigid Eight Trigrams or Nine Palaces arrangements.
• Li Qingxian performs a powerful ritual using sixteen imperial edicts, official seals, ritual objects, and Fate Materials connected to Jian Yuancang, Leng Can, Prince of Chu’s Residence, and the Coward King.
• He creates a dark-yellow serpent through the Snake Nail Resolution, then combines it with the Ten Thousand Ants Climbing the Dragon Momentum Configuration.
• The serpent is sent to Jian Yuancang’s residence, where it suppresses the eight directions and begins absorbing Jian Yuancang’s Fortune. Part of that Fortune returns to Li Qingxian, nourishing Fortune Fish in his Fate Mansion.
• Li Qingxian produces seven more Snake Nails and secretly places them around Prince of Chu’s Residence.
• He begins extensive preparations for an apparently large-scale plan, purchasing grain, fodder, food, clothing, herbs, talisman materials, and other supplies. He also gathers people willing to “sell their lives” and hunts their fates.
• To avoid suspicion from the Inner Factory, he reports his activities to the Night Guard commander.
• The chapter ends with the thin envoy once again visiting Ye Han and offering a brocade box. Ye Han, now wearing the Flying-Crane-Pattern Ancient Jade Pendant, declares that a single Heaven’s Mandate Token is insufficient.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates major intellectual and magical growth. His accumulated knowledge now allows him to learn new Fate Arts with ease, validating Complete-Understanding Duke’s theory that learning builds upon prior learning.
• He advances from merely using traditional Fate Arts to integrating them with high-level Momentum Configurations, reaching the level of an Upper Rank Fate Arts Master.
• Li Qingxian becomes increasingly strategic and ambitious. His absorption of Jian Yuancang’s Fortune and secret placement of Snake Nails show that he is actively weakening powerful opponents while preparing a broader operation.
• His organization and logistical planning expand dramatically, suggesting preparations for war, a major ritual, or a large-scale rescue or evacuation.
• Ye Han appears more confident and demanding. His refusal to accept only a Heaven’s Mandate Token implies that he possesses greater bargaining power or expects a more substantial reward.
• The thin envoy continues trying to negotiate with Ye Han, indicating an ongoing alliance or transaction whose stakes are rising.

Significant Themes

• Accumulated knowledge and mastery: Li Qingxian’s progress illustrates how previous learning makes future learning easier and more powerful.
• Fate as something manipulable: Fortune, destiny, official authority, and personal power can all be gathered, redirected, nailed down, or stolen through ritual.
• Ambition and escalation: Li Qingxian refuses to settle for ordinary divine aid and seeks a God Lord, while his magical techniques similarly move toward higher and more dangerous levels.
• Preparation and hidden conflict: His purchases, recruitment of expendable lives, secret Snake Nails, and Fortune-gathering all imply that a major confrontation is approaching.
• Power through synthesis: The chapter emphasizes that combining different systems—River Fate Arts, Momentum Configurations, Snake Nail Resolution, Star Chess techniques, and political authority—creates far greater power than using any one method alone.
• Negotiation and leverage: Ye Han’s rejection of the envoy’s offer highlights the importance of bargaining power and suggests that the Heaven’s Mandate Token is only one part of a larger political or mystical exchange.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian’s past instruction from Zhou Xuanshan remains influential, guiding his study of Mountain and River Fate Arts.
• His understanding of Complete-Understanding Duke’s teachings directly shapes his learning and personal development.
• Han Anbo serves as Li Qingxian’s logistical assistant, purchasing supplies, locating people willing to sell their lives, and helping prepare the materials for Li’s larger plan.
• Li Qingxian must report his activities to the Night Guard commander to prevent suspicion from the Inner Factory.
• Li Qingxian repeatedly evades Zhou Hen while moving through the Divine Capital, demonstrating the tension and surveillance surrounding him.
• The thin envoy continues pressing Ye Han with offers, but Ye Han’s possession of the ancient jade pendant and demand for more than a Heaven’s Mandate Token show that the balance of power in their relationship may be shifting.

Chapter Summary: “When One Place Is in Trouble, Aid Comes from All Sides”

Plot Points and Events

• Cao Ming reports that the Heaven’s Mandate Sect has not responded to the Patrol Bureau’s accusations involving Grim-Faced Spiders and the transformation of civilians into monsters.
• Li Qingxian orders public warnings to be posted throughout the capital. Although this may anger the sect, he argues that issuing a warning is safer and more responsible than remaining silent.
• Shortly afterward, Li Qingxian senses an unexplained and potentially catastrophic danger. His Fate Arts fail to reveal its source, suggesting that some powerful force is interfering with his divinations.
• Refusing to wait passively, Li Qingxian contacts nearly all of his allies and asks for treasures capable of warding off evil, averting disasters, or strengthening his defenses.
• His friends and acquaintances respond immediately, sending him an extraordinary collection of protective and offensive items:
  • Song Yunjing sends a copy of the Sacred Discourse infused with Righteous Qi.
  • Zhao Yishan sends a willow-wood hairpin filled with Righteous Qi.
  • Gai Fengyou sends a treasure belonging to the Fate of Wind Sect’s master, capable of altering fate and expelling evil.
  • Zhang Fugui lends him a Martial Dao Blood Jade containing First Rank martial true blood.
  • The Chief Night Guard provides an Upper Rank Concealment Escape Talisman.
  • Meng Huaichuan lends the powerful Upper Rank artifact Hundred Paths Diagram.
  • Jiangnan Fate Sect supplies Skywheel Fate Disk Secondary Disks, the Golden Rooster Dawnbreak Fate Artifact, and pills.
  • Wu Zhao provides Six-Yang True Flame, which can burn away evil.
• Li Qingxian also raids the Night Guard’s stores and purchases additional pills, talismans, Spirit Spring Water, and other useful resources.
• Qiu Ye invites Li Qingxian to a gathering with other noble heirs, partly as a farewell before Qiu Ye travels south and partly to discuss ways of surviving the impending crisis.
• At Chunfeng Residence, Li Qingxian finds even more gifts, including Liu Muwa’s mechanical horse, Sun Qingtian’s True Bone Thunder Sound, and a rare Spirit Spring Sweet Apricot borrowed by Wang Buwu.
• Guo Xiang delivers the Thousand-Mountain Pool, an exceptionally powerful treasure that even the Mountain Fate Sect’s master cannot use casually.
• Luo Jing gives Li Qingxian a statue of a hostile Evil God, intended as a last-resort weapon to distract or harm an enemy while he escapes.
• The chapter ends when Jiang Youfei sends a dragon-patterned silk pouch. Li Qingxian is shocked by its contents and immediately hides it in his Heaven-and-Earth Bracelet before urgently contacting her.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates strong judgment and political courage by publicly warning citizens about Heaven’s Mandate Sect despite the potential consequences.
• His sudden inability to read his own fate exposes a rare vulnerability. Rather than becoming paralyzed by fear, he responds methodically by gathering every possible defense.
• His behavior shows that he is willing to set aside pride and social formalities, borrowing supplies and openly asking allies for help.
• Cao Ming grows in confidence and understanding after recognizing that Li Qingxian’s seemingly provocative strategy is actually protective and politically sound.
• Li Qingxian’s allies reveal their trust and gratitude by lending priceless treasures, even when doing so requires approval from sect leaders or influential patrons.
• Qiu Ye shows gratitude for Li Qingxian’s earlier assistance and maintains their friendship while preparing to leave the capital.

Significant Themes

• Mutual aid and solidarity: The chapter’s central idea is that danger brings support from every direction. Li Qingxian’s network of friendships proves more valuable than any single treasure.
• Preparation against the unknown: Since the source and nature of the calamity cannot be divined, Li Qingxian prepares for every possibility rather than relying on one solution.
• Political responsibility: Li Qingxian chooses to warn the public even though doing so may provoke a powerful sect, emphasizing duty over personal safety.
• Trust and reciprocity: Many gifts are offered because of past favors, friendship, or respect, while Li Qingxian promises repayment and even offers to cancel debts owed to Zhang Fugui.
• Limits of power: Even a Fifth Rank Fate Arts Master with numerous treasures cannot see through the force blocking his divinations, highlighting the seriousness of the approaching threat.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian advises Cao Ming on how to handle Heaven’s Mandate Sect and teaches him to think beyond immediate political concerns.
• He sends requests for help to a broad circle of friends, receiving rapid and generous responses from cultivators, officials, sects, and noble families.
• Qiu Ye proposes a meeting with Li Qingxian and other influential youths to discuss the crisis and combine their knowledge.
• Guo Xiang and Luo Jing personally deliver rare sect treasures, showing institutional as well as personal support.
• Jiang Youfei’s final delivery creates suspense, as the unknown object appears valuable and possibly dangerous enough to provoke Li Qingxian’s alarm.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian obtains an enormous jade seal from You Fei, though he misleadingly claims it is merely an ancient rebel king’s seal. The others suspect it may be a far more important imperial artifact.
• Preparing for an anticipated calamity, Li equips himself with numerous treasures, wraps twenty Life-Replacement Wooden Children around his body, and uses multiple Fate Arts to seek fortune and avoid disaster.
• He meets Qiu Ye, Nanxiang Marquis Meng Huaichuan, and other acquaintances from the Eerie City Azure Cloud Examination at Huang’s Restaurant. They lend him protective treasures, including an imperial jade belt and the Golden Seal of the old Prince Liuyang, and offer advice about the possible sources of his danger.
• While Li is leaving the restaurant, a masked man throws a brocade box toward him before exploding into smoke and disappearing. The box releases a terrifying Grim-Faced Spider King.
• The Spider King rapidly spreads a massive web that envelops Li and everyone nearby. It cuts off their connections to their treasures, talismans, and magical artifacts, leaving them unable to escape or fight effectively.
• Recognizing the attack as the work of the Heaven’s Mandate Sect, Li publicly denounces them and sends an urgent message to Zhao Yishan, believing that a Grand Confucian may be their best hope of escaping the Eerie Realm.
• The chapter then shifts to Ye Han, who has apparently completed the plot and returned home with a thin envoy. However, two powerful spider threads suddenly tear through the void toward them, suggesting that the attack may have consequences even for its perpetrators.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates extreme caution and preparedness, relying on Fate Arts and an unusually large number of defensive Life-Replacement Wooden Children. Despite his preparations, he is caught off guard by the Spider King’s ability to disable all external treasures.
• He remains calm under pressure, quickly identifies the enemy, warns the public, and seeks help rather than wasting time on ineffective resistance.
• Qiu Ye, Meng Huaichuan, and the other comrades show strong loyalty by lending Li valuable treasures and offering emotional and strategic support. Their joking conversation reveals their close camaraderie despite the seriousness of Li’s situation.
• Ye Han is revealed as an active participant in the attack, working with the thin envoy to deploy the Grim-Faced Spider King. His apparent confidence is immediately undermined when the spider threads pursue him.
• Liu Yitian, Xu Fang, and Wang Shoude arrive secretly in Divine Capital to expand the Divine Bow Sect and plan to visit Li. Their arrival also connects the present crisis to unexplained disappearances involving Tomb Commandants and River Guard soldiers.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus overwhelming supernatural power: Li makes extensive preparations, yet the Eerie Spider web neutralizes nearly all of them, emphasizing the unpredictable danger of eerie forces.
• Loyalty and mutual aid: Li’s friends willingly risk valuable family treasures to protect him, contrasting sharply with the conspirators’ treacherous ambush.
• The hidden dangers within Divine Capital: The attack occurs near the Night Guard and targets Li and other prominent figures, suggesting that even the capital’s supposedly secure areas are vulnerable.
• Fate and calamity: The characters repeatedly discuss prophecies, great disasters, and the relationship between calamity and fortune. Li’s efforts to manipulate fate are tested by an event that seems designed to bypass ordinary defenses.
• Political and sectarian conspiracy: The Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s attack against the Night Guard and children of meritorious nobles indicates a broader plot against the court and its allies.
• The eerie and the unknown: The Spider King’s ability to sever magical connections and drag victims toward the Eerie Realm introduces a threat beyond conventional martial or political conflict.

Character Interactions

• Li exchanges misleading but humorous remarks with Yu Ping, Han Anbo, and Zhou Hen about the jade seal, maintaining secrecy while teasing their suspicions.
• His meeting with Qiu Ye, Meng Huaichuan, and the others is warm and supportive. They discuss possible enemies, reassure him, and provide protective artifacts.
• The group’s lighthearted banter about drinking and borrowed treasures highlights their familiarity before the sudden attack interrupts them.
• Li’s public accusation against the Heaven’s Mandate Sect transforms the ambush into an open declaration of hostility.
• Ye Han’s brief conversation with the thin envoy confirms their cooperation, but the immediate arrival of the spider threads implies that the Grim-Faced Spider King may not be fully under their control—or that a larger power has intervened.

Chapter Summary: The Grand Secretary Seizes a Treasure, the Ruined Hut

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Grim-Faced Spider King’s web suddenly spreads through the Divine Capital, trapping Ye Han, the thin envoy, and Ye Han’s entire household. The web also captures Liu Yitian, Xu Fang, Wang Shoude, Gai Fengyou and his disciples, Li Qingxian, and thousands of Night Guard members and civilians.
• Ye Han discovers that the thin envoy’s promise of protection was false or unreliable. The eerie power of the spider affects him, though preemptive Fate Arts—apparently prepared by Li Qingxian—seem to protect him from its worst effects.
• The thin envoy confirms that Li Qingxian had anticipated danger and used both orthodox and sinister Fate Arts to defend himself. Ye Han blames the Heaven’s Mandate Sect for repeatedly plotting against him.
• Zhao Yishan arrives at the Directorate of Celestial Observations, the headquarters of the Heaven’s Mandate Sect. Using a First Rank Tortoise-Seal Great Seal and the authority of the Divine Capital, he suppresses the entire institution.
• Zhao forcibly removes the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s Beyond-Rank treasure, the Eight Trigrams Starwatching Tower, from the ground and takes it away. The act leaves a massive hole beneath the Directorate.
• Director Liu He is enraged and confused. He realizes the Grim-Faced Spider King’s attack has caused a major crisis, especially after learning that more than a thousand Night Guard members, Nanxiang Marquis Meng Huaichuan, and Prince Chu Tang Enqing were taken.
• The imperial capital enters emergency conditions: drums sound, a full curfew is imposed, all city gates close, troops occupy the streets and walls, and armies outside the city mobilize to defend the capital.
• The Coward King reacts with shock to the disappearance of the imperial prince, Li Qingxian, and so many Night Guard members. His anger and distress are emphasized by his unusually grim determination while eating.
• Li Qingxian awakens in an unfamiliar ruined hut within an apparently dangerous Eerie Ground. He finds broken beams, a collapsed roof, gray mist, and numerous unconscious people scattered across the room.
• He instinctively activates over twenty defensive artifacts, then realizes he has overreacted and restrains his power. Zhou Hen wakes soon afterward and prepares to fight. Li Qingxian checks Han Anbo and Yu Ping, confirming that they are alive and breathing steadily.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian is shown to be highly cautious and strategically prepared. His prior use of multiple Fate Arts protects him from the Grim-Faced Spider King and suggests he anticipated an ambush. Upon awakening, his immediate reaction is to deploy a large number of defensive artifacts, reinforcing his vigilance and resourcefulness.
• The thin envoy reveals a willingness to risk being afflicted by the spider’s eerie power for the sake of his senior brother, but his actions also expose him as reckless and involved in a dangerous Heaven’s Mandate Sect plot.
• Ye Han becomes increasingly distrustful and furious toward the Heaven’s Mandate Sect. He feels repeatedly targeted and is alarmed by the thin envoy’s betrayal or incompetence.
• Zhao Yishan demonstrates overwhelming authority and decisiveness. Rather than merely demanding an explanation, he directly punishes the Heaven’s Mandate Sect by confiscating its most important strategic treasure.
• Liu He shifts from anger to exhaustion and apprehension as he learns the attack has abducted politically important figures, especially Prince Chu. His realization that the thin envoy caused the disaster leaves him nearly speechless.
• Zhou Hen reacts quickly and professionally after awakening, immediately arming himself and guarding against threats. His cooperation with Li Qingxian suggests mutual trust and battlefield discipline.
• The Coward King is forced out of his usual passive or evasive demeanor by the magnitude of the crisis. The disappearance of the prince and Night Guard personnel provokes genuine anger and concern.

Significant Themes

• Political power and accountability: Zhao Yishan’s seizure of the Eight Trigrams Starwatching Tower shows that even powerful sects can be punished when their actions threaten the state.
• The danger of uncontrolled schemes: The Heaven’s Mandate Sect appears to have intended a targeted operation, but the Grim-Faced Spider King’s attack spirals into a catastrophe involving the imperial prince and thousands of officials and guards.
• Preparedness versus recklessness: Li Qingxian’s advance precautions contrast sharply with the thin envoy’s impulsive use of the spider within the capital.
• The fragility of order: The sudden abduction of key figures turns the Divine Capital into a military emergency, demonstrating how quickly political stability can collapse.
• Mystery and survival in the Eerie Ground: Li Qingxian’s awakening in a ruined hut shifts the story from political fallout to immediate survival, with the fate of the captured people still unknown.

Character Interactions

• Ye Han confronts the thin envoy over his promise that the spider would not affect him, while the envoy remains indifferent and reveals Li Qingxian’s defensive preparations.
• The trapped figures in the inn react with confusion, fear, and speculation as the spiderwebs engulf them.
• Zhao Yishan confronts the Heaven’s Mandate Sect through overwhelming force, demanding an explanation before taking its treasured artifact.
• Liu He and his disciples review the list of abducted people, with Liu He’s anger turning to despair when he sees the names of Meng Huaichuan and Prince Chu.
• In the ruined hut, Li Qingxian takes the lead in assessing the situation, while Zhou Hen wakes ready to defend them. Li Qingxian checks on Han Anbo and Yu Ping before examining the condition of the others.

Chapter Summary: “White Paper Gate, Four Neighbors Paying Respects”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian and Zhou Hen discover a strange white paper gate standing in the courtyard beyond the shattered window. Gray mist surrounds it, while mournful suona music, floral scents, and the sound of scratching fingernails create an ominous atmosphere.
• The floral fragrance suddenly changes into the greasy, fishy smell of fatty meat. Li Qingxian seals his and Zhou Hen’s nostrils to prevent the scent from affecting them.
• Suspecting a supernatural threat connected to the Black Lantern Bureau and the Dead Devil Lands, Li Qingxian uses a Fate Disk and a Fortune Fish to begin analyzing the situation.
• As the other captives awaken, Zhou Hen seals their acupoints to prevent panic, speech, or reckless actions.
• Han Anbo recognizes fragments of the phenomenon, recalling the phrases “Four Neighbors Paying Respects” and “ginseng fruit.” Li Qingxian remembers that this is a rare and nearly unavoidable haunting that cannot be completely eliminated, only weakened.
• Li Qingxian examines the group and discovers that everyone bears an invisible, multicolored feather-shaped mark on the back of the head. The mark is concealed from ordinary sight but can be revealed through Cleansing a Room.
• He explains the danger indirectly, avoiding forbidden or dangerous words, and confirms that most of the captives understand they are trapped in a place related to the Black Lantern Bureau.
• Li Qingxian identifies himself as a powerful Night Guard Fate Arts Master and places the group under his command. He warns them not to move or speak recklessly.
• Zhou Hen releases the captives from their sealed acupoints. Several Night Guards and wealthy-looking individuals respectfully greet Li Qingxian as “Lord Marquis,” while the poorer captives remain hesitant.
• Hong Nian, a subordinate of Jian Yuancang, openly addresses Li Qingxian by his name and then questions whether Li Qingxian is truly trying to save them or is instead setting a trap.
• Li Qingxian orders that anyone who carelessly speaks a dangerous name should be crippled. He refuses to provide proof, insisting that the others must either trust his experience or keep away from him.
• The confrontation is interrupted when the White Paper Gate is struck repeatedly, producing a heavy bell-like sound.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates calmness, caution, and leadership. He understands the rules of the supernatural danger, protects himself and Zhou Hen from the scent, identifies the hidden marks, and takes command despite being unable to explain everything openly.
• Zhou Hen remains disciplined and obedient, suppressing the captives’ movements, assisting Li Qingxian, and preparing to punish anyone who endangers the group.
• Han Anbo reveals a partial memory of the haunting, suggesting previous exposure to a similar phenomenon. His fear and dependence on Li Qingxian become clear.
• Hong Nian emerges as skeptical and confrontational. Though he recognizes Li Qingxian’s ability, he distrusts him and demands evidence before obeying.
• Yu Ping strongly supports Li Qingxian and warns Hong Nian to control himself.
• The other captives shift from confusion and fear to cautious hope after learning that Li Qingxian is a high-ranking Night Guard Fate Arts Master.

Significant Themes

• Trust versus suspicion: The trapped people must decide whether to trust Li Qingxian without receiving complete explanations or proof.
• The limits of knowledge and language: Certain truths cannot be spoken directly because specific words may trigger supernatural consequences. Survival depends on indirect communication and restraint.
• Leadership under supernatural pressure: Li Qingxian assumes authority in a crisis, but his orders require cooperation from frightened and skeptical people.
• Invisible danger: The marks on the backs of the captives’ heads symbolize threats that exist even when they cannot be perceived or understood.
• Survival through discipline: Silence, caution, and obedience are presented as essential defenses against the haunting.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian and Zhou Hen work closely together, with Zhou Hen handling physical control while Li Qingxian investigates the supernatural threat.
• Han Anbo privately shares his fragmented memories with Li Qingxian, reinforcing Li Qingxian’s role as the group’s guide.
• Li Qingxian addresses the captives collectively and establishes strict rules for their survival.
• The Night Guards and several well-dressed captives show immediate respect by greeting him as Lord Marquis.
• Hong Nian challenges Li Qingxian’s authority, creating tension with both Li Qingxian and Zhou Hen.
• Yu Ping defends Li Qingxian and confronts Hong Nian, but the dispute is cut short by the ominous pounding of the White Paper Gate.

Chapter Summary: “An Old Woman Offers Birthday Blessings”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian argues that the danger outside is real and challenges Hong Nian to investigate the knocking at the gate.
• Yu Ping and a Ninth Rank Night Guard pressure Hong Nian to either obey the group and swear a poison oath or prove his loyalty by opening the door.
• Remembering how Jian Yuancang once saved his life from a tiger demon, Hong Nian defends Jian and goes to confront the visitor.
• Outside stands a hunchbacked old woman who claims she has come to offer birthday blessings and good fortune. Her back splits open, revealing seventeen furry black arms holding “Longevity” characters—one for each person present.
• Hong Nian attacks her, but she effortlessly catches his blade and “gives” him a longevity blessing by attaching the paper character to his chest. The blessing removes one of his lungs.
• Refusing to believe the supernatural injury is real, Hong Nian continues pursuing the old woman. His remaining organs are expelled from his body, yet he insists that everything is merely an illusion. He eventually bleeds to death.
• Li Qingxian closes the gate, but the surrounding walls and grass begin transforming into white paper. Another shadow appears and knocks from outside.
• Preparing himself with several powerful protective and auspicious items, Li Qingxian causes the shadow to withdraw.
• The survivors analyze the old woman’s behavior and conclude that the supernatural entities may not kill randomly. Instead, they impose specific conditions or demand bodily sacrifices.
• A wealthy merchant suggests sacrificing an unconscious common woman to satisfy the next entity, provoking fear and moral tension among the poorer travelers.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates leadership, caution, and tactical intelligence. He relies on his Fate Arts, protective treasures, and auspicious Annual Fates to defend the group.
• Hong Nian is shown as fiercely loyal to Jian Yuancang but dangerously rigid and distrustful. His refusal to accept evidence or adapt to reality leads directly to his gruesome death.
• Yu Ping continues manipulating the group’s fear and distrust, using the supernatural threat to reinforce obedience and isolate dissenters.
• Han Anbo emerges as a rational analyst, carefully observing the old woman’s actions and trying to infer the rules governing the haunting.
• Zhou Hen supports Han Anbo’s conclusion that the danger requires a price rather than indiscriminate killing.
• The brocade-robed merchant reveals selfishness and class prejudice by proposing that an unconscious common woman be sacrificed, while offering money to avoid consequences himself.

Significant Themes

• Blind loyalty versus rational judgment: Hong Nian’s devotion to Jian Yuancang is admirable, but his refusal to question his assumptions becomes fatal.
• The danger of ideological thinking: Han Anbo explicitly criticizes those who see everything as “black or white” and refuse to think flexibly.
• Fear and social hierarchy: The crisis exposes the divide between wealthy elites and ordinary people, with the rich attempting to make the poor bear the cost of survival.
• Rules within supernatural horror: The entities appear to follow specific conditions, suggesting that understanding their logic may offer a chance of survival.
• Appearance versus reality: The old woman presents herself as a benevolent bearer of blessings, while her “longevity” ritual grotesquely steals organs.
• Leadership under pressure: Li Qingxian’s calm preparation contrasts with the panic, selfishness, and denial displayed by others.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian, Yu Ping, and the Night Guard collectively pressure Hong Nian to prove his loyalty.
• Hong Nian’s defense of Jian Yuancang reflects his personal debt and emotional allegiance.
• The old woman’s exchange with Hong Nian turns a seemingly polite blessing into a violent supernatural attack.
• Afterward, Li Qingxian asks the survivors to share their observations, encouraging cooperation and practical reasoning.
• Han Anbo and Zhou Hen collaborate in interpreting the entity’s behavior.
• The merchant’s proposal to sacrifice the unconscious woman creates conflict between the wealthy travelers and the common people, while the Night Guard rebukes him.

Chapter Summary: “Liu Laoshi Pays New Year Calls”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian asserts his authority as Chief of the Night Guard Patrol Bureau, warning the merchant in brocade robes against causing internal conflict. The frightened merchant apologizes and withdraws.
• As mysterious knocking continues, Li prepares defenses using Fate Arts and unusual materials. A white barrier transforms into an armored black cricket and green katydid, whose antennae guard the doorway.
• Anticipating that the next supernatural visitor may demand another body part, Li orders everyone to prepare blood from the relevant area. He also creates two powerful, faceless wooden figures dressed as inn servants to open the door and interact with the visitor.
• The door reveals Liu Laoshi, an eerie old man dressed in brocade. He claims to be a new neighbor paying a New Year call. His hair turns into sixteen flagpoles bearing the character for “Year,” confirming the bizarre and supernatural nature of the encounter.
• Through ritualized conversation, Liu reveals that he is hungry and indicates pain in the left side of his abdomen. Li correctly infers that Liu wants a stomach.
• Zhou Hen collects blood from the corresponding abdominal area of everyone present. Using the blood and animal stomachs as Fate Materials, Li creates a human stomach and hides the Turtle-Button Silver Seal inside it.
• The servants present the stomach as a New Year return gift. Liu accepts it happily, then leaves while slurping from the stomach, suggesting that he has consumed or retrieved the hidden seal.
• Just as the group prepares to close the door, a young boy in a red bellyband appears and offers another blessing. His bellyband repeatedly peels into layers marked with the character for “Fortune,” forming a path of sixteen red bellybands into the courtyard.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates authority, caution, and ingenuity. He combines political intimidation, defensive Fate Arts, deduction, and deception to manage the supernatural visitors.
• Zhou Hen proves dependable and perceptive, quickly understanding Li’s coded instruction and efficiently collecting the required blood.
• Han Anbo recognizes the extraordinary nature of Li’s wooden servant figures, increasing the sense of Li’s growing power and mystery.
• The merchant in brocade robes is reduced to a submissive, terrified figure after Li’s warning.
• Liu Laoshi appears courteous and festive but remains deeply unsettling. His polite New Year ritual conceals a predatory hunger and an apparent interest in the group’s bodily organs and magical possessions.
• The young boy presents himself as cheerful and auspicious, but his unnatural appearance and supernatural “Fortune” display suggest that he may be another dangerous visitor.

Significant Themes

• Courtesy as a supernatural weapon: The visitors use traditional New Year greetings and rituals to disguise threats and establish strange rules of exchange.
• Danger hidden beneath festive symbolism: Auspicious images—“Year,” “Fortune,” blessings, and New Year visits—become eerie and threatening.
• Intelligence over brute force: Li survives by observing clues, interpreting language carefully, and using ritual strategy rather than direct combat.
• Exchange and sacrifice: The group must provide body parts or blood to satisfy supernatural beings, turning hospitality into a dangerous transaction.
• Authority and control: Li’s command over the room and his mastery of Fate Arts contrast with the visitors’ attempts to impose their own demands.

Character Interactions

• Li intimidates the merchant and establishes himself as the group’s unquestioned leader.
• Li directs Zhou Hen and the others, requiring their cooperation and blood for his plan.
• His created servants act as formal intermediaries, greeting and negotiating with the supernatural visitors.
• Liu Laoshi exchanges New Year blessings with the servants and accepts the fabricated stomach as a gift.
• The chapter ends with the group facing a second visitor—the smiling boy—whose blessings may conceal another supernatural demand.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• A grotesque, round-faced boy dressed in a red dudou and tiger-head boots arrives at the group’s shop, claiming to have come to “bring fortune.”
• He immediately seizes the two tiny shop attendants, then demands the Cricket Valiant and Katydid Valiant as well.
• When one attendant warns him about the insect valiants’ tempers, the boy kills and eats him. He then swallows the second attendant whole.
• The Cricket Valiant and Katydid Valiant confront the boy, but Li Qingxian prevents an immediate clash by secretly preparing a ritual offering.
• Using blood drawn from beneath everyone’s abdomens and Fate Material, Li creates a long, artificial human intestine. He also creates two faceless maidservants using Life-Replacement Wooden Children.
• The maidservants negotiate with the boy, explaining that he cannot take everything. The boy accepts the intestine as a return gift instead of the insect valiants.
• He greedily eats the entire intestine, then realizes it is fake and accuses Li and the others of deceiving him. His face darkens, the mist outside thickens, and the Fortune Character dudous on White Paper Road begin to move.
• The maidservant argues that the boy violated the rules by refusing to leave after receiving the return gift, and declares that he should be punished.
• The boy rejects their rules and hints that the Upper Mountain District has tolerated or benefited from his behavior for years.
• Fearing escalation, the group agrees to provide another drop of blood from each person. Li warns that continually yielding to the boy may only encourage him, while the brocade-robed merchant insists the boy will eventually be satisfied.

Character developments

• Li Qingxian remains calm and strategic, quietly gathering blood and using Fate techniques to create a deceptive offering rather than fighting the boy directly. He also challenges the group’s willingness to sacrifice themselves, exposing the danger of endless concessions.
• The boy in the dudou is revealed as both childlike and monstrously predatory. He behaves with childish entitlement—insisting that anything he likes belongs to him—but displays terrifying violence, supernatural power, and an insatiable appetite.
• The Cricket Valiant and Katydid Valiant act protectively and aggressively, attempting to defend the attendants and resisting the boy’s demand to possess them.
• The little maidservants demonstrate composure and tactical intelligence. They use ritual language and the boy’s own promise to negotiate with him, then condemn him for breaking the established rules.
• Han Anbo is cautious and perceptive, warning the others to remain alert and expressing concern that appeasing the boy will lead to repeated demands.
• The brocade-robed merchant represents fearful compromise, urging the group to surrender small amounts of blood to avoid provoking the boy, even though he becomes uncomfortable when Li points out that the boy might eventually demand his life.

Significant themes

• The danger of appeasement: The group’s willingness to surrender blood may prevent immediate violence but risks creating an endless cycle of concessions.
• Rules, reciprocity, and broken agreements: The encounter revolves around the customs of bringing fortune and returning gifts. The boy’s refusal to honor those customs challenges the authority of the ritual rules.
• Entitlement and consumption: The boy treats people, creatures, and offerings as possessions, turning childish greed into literal cannibalistic horror.
• Appearance versus reality: The boy looks like an innocent, well-dressed child, but his black eyes, hidden teeth, and violent appetite reveal his monstrous nature. Likewise, Li’s “intestine” is only a crafted imitation.
• Collective fear versus individual judgment: Most of the group prioritizes immediate survival, while Li and Han Anbo recognize the long-term consequences of surrendering to the boy.

Character interactions

• The boy repeatedly pressures Li to surrender the Cricket Valiant and Katydid Valiant, while Li refuses to respond directly and instead prepares a substitute offering.
• The attendants try to appease the boy, but one is punished for speaking and both are ultimately eaten.
• The insect valiants confront the boy after the attendants’ deaths, creating a tense standoff.
• The maidservants negotiate with the boy, framing the intestine as a reciprocal gift and warning that he cannot claim everything.
• After discovering the deception, the boy turns hostile, while the maidservant asserts that his behavior has broken the rules.
• The group ultimately sides with the merchant’s proposal to offer more blood, despite Li’s warning that the boy’s demands may continue indefinitely.

Summary of All Enter Blessing Town

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Eerie Being’s Extortion: A boy in a Fortune Character bellyband (an eerie being) demands more intestines and valuables from Li Qingxian and the group. When refused, he threatens to leave unless given a hairpin (belonging to Chief Minister Zhao) and a rattle drum (a rare artifact).
• Li Qingxian’s Provocation: Instead of giving in, Li Qingxian tricks the boy by revealing the hairpin’s legendary history (linked to Zhao’s past identities) and then offering the Thunderlight Great Seal and four Daoist boys to "play" with him.
• Beating the Eerie Being: The four boys savagely beat the boy, stripping him of his treasures (gold lock necklace, copper bracelets, tiger-head boots) before he flees in terror.
• The Little Girl’s Arrival: A richly dressed little girl (another eerie being) enters, scattering Fortune Characters (symbols of misfortune) before running away. The group realizes they’ve unleashed a disaster—the paper structures (walls, doors, road) revert to normal, and the Katydid & Cricket Valiants transform into New Year paintings.
• The Fifth Fortune Character: A young man in a black Fortune Character arrives, claiming to be part of the Blessing-Welcoming Team, sent to receive them. The group is left confused—why is he here?

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2. Character Developments

Li Qingxian

• Proves his cunning by using psychological manipulation (exposing the hairpin’s history) and physical intimidation (sending the Daoist boys to beat the eerie being).
• Asserts dominance by outsmarting an eerie entity, reinforcing his arrogance and confidence as the "Dignified Top Scorer."
• Hides his true power—his actions suggest he may have higher-level abilities (e.g., summoning the Daoist boys, controlling the Thunderlight Great Seal).

The Eerie Beings (Boy & Girl)

• The Boy: Initially arrogant and demanding, but terrified when outmatched—his fear reveals his vulnerability despite supernatural status.
• The Little Girl: Calm and indifferent, treating the Fortune Characters as mere objects. Her rich attire suggests she’s higher-ranked than the boy, but her sudden departure hints at unpredictable consequences.

The Group (Zhou Hen, Han Anbo, etc.)

• Shocked by Li’s actions—they’ve never seen anyone physically confront an eerie being before.
• Zhou Hen & Han Anbo are impressed but confused, while the plainly dressed people are terrified of the aftermath.
• The merchant in brocade robes is most alarmed, possibly foreshadowing his future role in the disaster.

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3. Significant Themes

Power & Arrogance vs. Fear

• Li Qingxian embodies reckless confidence, believing he can dominate even eerie beings—but his actions may have unintended consequences.
• The eerie beings exploit fear (the boy’s threats, the girl’s passive aggression) to manipulate humans.

Supernatural vs. Human Folklore

• The Fortune Characters and bellybands are tied to Chinese New Year traditions, blending mythology with reality.
• The Daoist boys and Thunderlight Great Seal suggest higher-level spiritual forces—Li may be playing with forces beyond his understanding.

Unintended Consequences

• The group thinks they’re safe, but the little girl’s Fortune Characters and the welcoming team’s arrival imply a larger, unseen threat is unfolding.
• The paper structures’ return to normal and the Valiants’ transformation signal that the eerie beings’ interference is permanent.

Deception & Hidden Truths

• Li lies about the hairpin’s owner (Chief Minister Zhao) to provoke the boy, showing his manipulative nature.
• The black Fortune Character man’s true role is mysterious—is he

Summary of Blessing Is a Miracle Elixir

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• A group of strangers, including Li Qingxian, Han Anbo, and others, arrive in Blessing Town, a seemingly bizarre settlement where residents are physically grotesque—some with extra limbs, bark-covered skin, or swollen limbs.
• They encounter Xu Changren, a disheveled, emaciated man with a bloated abdomen and strange leg growths (one leg like bark, the other like stone). He claims to be from Blessing Town and explains its strange customs.
• The group is initially confused because they recall hearing about Eerie Grounds (places of horror and curses), but Xu insists this is Blessing Town, where "blessings" are actually miracle elixirs that prolong life.
• Xu reveals that the town operates under three key rules:
  1. Obey the town yamen and chief (absolute authority).
  2. Accumulate Merit—lower ranks must surrender half their possessions, middle ranks 20%, and upper ranks get free Merit (1,000 Merit for free).
  3. Register at the Lower Yamen—those who save 10,000 Merit can move to Upper Mountain District, a wealthy elite area.
• Xu warns that before the first full moon, newcomers must enter Upper Mountain District or face consequences.
• The group is skeptical but intrigued, especially when Xu mentions that silver notes are useless here—only copper coins and gold are accepted.

2. Character Developments

• Li Qingxian: Initially cautious and analytical, he questions Xu’s claims but remains observant. His wealth (silver notes) is dismissed as irrelevant in Blessing Town, hinting at the town’s bizarre economic system.
• Han Anbo: Acts as a mediator, pressing copper coins to Xu (who refuses due to fear of punishment). His concern for the group’s survival in this strange place is evident.
• Xu Changren: A bitter, desperate figure who seems to have received few "Blessed Afflictions" (which, according to him, should be good luck). His poverty and strange appearance contrast with his claim that blessings prolong life—suggesting either deception or a twisted truth.
• The Strangers: Most are rich merchants or officials, destined for Upper Mountain District, while others (like Xu) are lower-ranking, impoverished residents with grotesque physical traits.

3. Significant Themes

• Deception & Illusion: The town’s name ("Blessing Town") is misleading—what seems like a curse (Eerie Ground) is actually a perverse system of "blessings" that warp reality.
• Power & Meritocracy: The town’s hierarchy is based on accumulated Merit, not innate worth. Those who surrender wealth gain status, while the poor (like Xu) remain trapped in their grotesque forms.
• Survival in an Uncanny World: The group must navigate a place where money is useless in certain forms, where "blessings" are literal afflictions, and where time is limited before the full moon (implying an impending crisis).
• Physical & Moral Corruption: The residents’ grotesque bodies reflect the town’s twisted logic—what should be harmful ("blessings") is framed as beneficial, and beauty is tied to wealth and power.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian & Xu Changren: A tense exchange where Li tests Xu’s claims, while Xu subtly warns him about the dangers of spreading "wrong" information (referencing "Eerie Ground" rules).
• Han Anbo & Xu Changren: Han tries to bribe Xu with copper coins, but Xu refuses, emphasizing the town’s rigid rules. His bitterness suggests he resents the system that keeps him poor.
• The Strangers Among Themselves: The wealthy merchants exchange relieved glances when Xu dismisses silver notes, while the poorer, more deformed residents watch nervously, sensing their own fate is tied to the town’s cruel logic.
• Xu’s Warning to the Group: He acts as both guide and threat, offering help (if they enter Upper Mountain District) but also implying that those who stay too long or speak "wrong" will suffer.

Brief Takeaway

Blessing Town is a nightmarish parody of a meritocratic utopia, where "blessings" are curses, wealth is measured in Merit, and survival depends on navigating a system that **re

Summary of Fortune Prolongs Life

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Arrival in Blessing Town: Li Qingxian and Han Anbo, along with a group of officials, arrive in the Lower District of Blessing Town after escaping a monster attack. They are guided by Xu Changren, a former official turned Town Yamen informant.

Harsh Reality of Blessing Town

• No private trade allowed—all transactions must occur at the Town Market, heavily taxed.
• No self-sufficiency—land and water are controlled by powerful factions (e.g., the Seven Families). Residents must either rent or work for the Town Yamen for basic survival.
• Extreme gender imbalance—women are rare (less than 10% of the population) and forced into the Town Yamen for "selection" (essentially state-mandated marriage or prostitution).
• Street bandits—homeless men who refuse to work or pay taxes, despised by the Upper District and Yamen.

Fortune System

• The Town Yamen enforces strict Fortune regulations—everyone must have received a set number of "Fortunes" (a mysterious, life-extending elixir) to live legally.
• Those who resist or fail to comply are either erased from records (Lower District) or severely punished (Upper District).
• Xu Changren admits he received Fortune only three times, leaving him physically deformed (wooden legs, stone arms, bloated belly) and unable to ascend to immortality.

The Fortune Mirror Incident

• Xu Changren uses a Fortune Mirror to check if the group has received Fortune.
• The mirror shows no traces on Li Qingxian and Han Anbo, but four bleeding Fortune Characters appear on Xu Changren himself.
• Han Anbo reveals their Marquis dispelled the monster, preventing them from receiving Fortune—explaining why the mirror shows nothing.
• Xu Changren, realizing their innocence, helps them report to the Yamen to avoid immediate punishment.

2. Character Developments

Li Qingxian

• Adapts quickly to the harsh realities of Blessing Town, asking practical questions about survival.
• Shows leadership by organizing the group’s next steps.
• Unaware of his own power—his lack of Fortune suggests he may have resisted the monster’s influence, hinting at his potential strength.

Han Anbo

• Observant and analytical, questioning the town’s economy and survival methods.
• Subtly protective of the group, noting the Marquis’s intervention as a key detail.
• Struggles with the moral weight of the town’s system but remains pragmatic.

Xu Changren

• A tragic figure—his physical deformities and failed ascension to immortality make him bitter yet resigned.
• Serves as an informant but is not entirely loyal; he warns the group while also manipulating them slightly (e.g., hinting at future reliance on the young widow).
• Reveals his past as an official, implying he was once powerful but now lives in the Lower District due to his failures.

The Young Widow

• Vulnerable and traumatized, having been abused by the brocade-robed merchant (who tried to sell her to monsters).
• Flustered but defiant, rejecting the merchant’s advances and showing hidden resilience.
• Her fate is tied to the Town Yamen’s system, where she must "choose" a husband—likely a survival tactic rather than true agency.

The Brocade-Robed Merchant

• A hypocrite and predator, pretending to be kind while exploiting others.
• Publicly shamed by the group, revealing his true nature as a manipulative and cruel figure.

The Three Street Bandits

• Symbolize the town’s outcasts, ignored by both the Upper District and Yamen.
• Their presence foreshadows the town’s instability—if more like them appear, the system may collapse.

3. Significant Themes

Survival vs. Morality

• Blessing Town operates on brutal pragmatism—people must adapt or perish, even if it means accepting exploitation (e.g., the widow’s forced "marriage," the merchant’s abuse).
• The group must **navigate a system that prioritizes control over

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian and the others question Xu Changren about the town’s “fortunes.” Xu explains that people receive Fortune Characters through Fortune Mist during the full moon. Those who obtain all nine supposedly ascend to immortality, transforming into white light and entering the Immortal Realm through the Ascension Tree.
• Xu reveals that fortune is more accessible in the lower districts, while Upper Mountain District is protected by fortune-repelling artifacts belonging to the wealthy and powerful lineages. The upper district’s inhabitants avoid ascending until their families have enough descendants to ascend together.
• Li Qingxian challenges the rule forbidding ordinary residents from taking refuge in Upper Mountain District. Xu admits that the restriction is imposed by Mr. Fortune, the distinguished families, and the mayor, but insists it is supposedly for the people’s benefit.
• The group heads toward the yamen to register while Xu explains the customs and hidden structure of Blessing Town. His nervousness and evasive answers suggest that the town’s rules are enforced through fear rather than genuine consent.
• Li Qingxian uses a Soundproofing Talisman so the group can privately analyze the town. They conclude that the eerie influence may only become active during the full moon and that ordinary speech is probably safe at other times.
• Han Anbo recalls having encountered a similar phenomenon in South Blessing Town during the Taikang Era, possibly near Depu. He remembers that a powerful “great distinguished person” once led people out safely, though the memory causes him intense pain.
• The group decides that resolving the eerie influence and escaping West Blessing Town is their primary objective. They will spend two days investigating the lower district before entering Upper Mountain District.
• At the end, Li Qingxian looks at his waist token and experiences a mental disturbance, suddenly accepting that “Li Qingxian” is his official or childhood name while “Ye Han” is his given name, suggesting continued manipulation or instability in his identity and memories.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian becomes increasingly skeptical of Blessing Town’s social order and refuses to accept the claim that ordinary people are barred from Upper Mountain District for their own good. He takes command of the investigation and prioritizes escaping the eerie influence.
• Xu Changren shifts from a cheerful guide to a frightened, conditioned resident. He benefits from the visitors’ generosity but refuses extra payment, perhaps out of gratitude or fear. His repeated defense of the authorities reveals how deeply the town’s ideology has shaped him.
• Han Anbo uncovers a possible connection between West Blessing Town and a past eerie incident in South Blessing Town. His physical and emotional reaction to the “great distinguished person” implies buried memories and a significant personal connection to the phenomenon.
• Yu Ping remains observant and lightens the tense discussion with humor, but also recognizes the contradictions in the town’s beliefs.
• Zhou Hen is mostly quiet but supports Li Qingxian’s conclusions and follows his leadership.
• Li Qingxian’s thoughts about his deceased father reveal regret over his life and political conflicts, while Han Anbo’s response emphasizes the possibility that Li’s family could have achieved greatness together.

Significant Themes

• False promises and social control: “Ascending to immortality” is presented as a universal hope, but the wealthy manipulate access to safety and preserve their own lineages.
• Class division: Upper Mountain District protects elites from the Fortune Mist while ordinary people remain exposed, reinforcing the town’s rigid hierarchy.
• Blind obedience: Residents accept the authorities’ claims despite clear evidence that the ruling class does not genuinely protect them.
• Memory and identity: Han Anbo’s fragmented recollections and Li Qingxian’s altered understanding of his own name suggest that the eerie influence affects memory, identity, and perception.
• Freedom versus imposed rules: Li questions whether the town’s restrictions have any legitimate basis, contrasting natural law with rules sustained only by authority and fear.
• Family and legacy: The upper-class desire to ascend as an entire lineage highlights the importance of descendants, inheritance, and eternal family power.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian repeatedly questions Xu Changren, exposing contradictions in the town’s beliefs about fortune and immortality.
• Han Anbo probes Xu about the physical pain caused by receiving fortune, forcing Xu to hide his discomfort behind official explanations.
• Yu Ping challenges Xu’s claim that the authorities act for the townspeople’s benefit, causing Xu to become visibly frightened.
• Li Qingxian, Han Anbo, Yu Ping, and Zhou Hen privately compare their observations, strengthening their cooperation and establishing Li as their leader.
• Han Anbo’s discussion of South Blessing Town gives the group hope that the eerie influence can be overcome, while his reaction to the “great distinguished person” introduces a mysterious connection to the town’s past.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian asks Xu Changren whether his companions have entered Blessing Town. Xu explains that time behaves differently inside the eerie realm, causing people who entered together to arrive at different times.
• Xu reveals that Meng Huaichuan and Good Fortune Born arrived days earlier and were taken to the Upper Mountain District. Prince of Chu, Tang Enqing, entered the previous day and received an extravagant welcome from both districts and the town mayor.
• Li, Zhou Hen, and Han Anbo realize that Tang Enqing’s presence is highly significant. Since the Grim-Faced Spider King usually draws in people with deep karmic ties to Li, Tang must have a direct and unusually strong connection to him.
• Li reasons that Good Fortune Born was likely the masked person who threw the Grim-Faced Spider King. Although Good Fortune Born had warned him of an impending plot, he may have been coerced into acting. Li suspects Prince of Chu was one of the masterminds behind the scheme.
• Han Anbo proposes another possibility: someone may have hidden the spider king’s true power, accidentally dragging Prince of Chu into the eerie realm. Either way, Tang’s disappearance is likely causing chaos in the capital and benefiting the Eastern Ding Kingdom.
• The narrative shifts to the Night Guard’s Directors’ Hall in Divine Capital. Officials explain that the incident has enraged the emperor, harmed the Inner Factory’s standing, and even caused His Majesty to fall ill.
• Guo Xiang reports that the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s Fat and Thin Envoys first targeted Shen Xiaoyi and Li Qingxian, then manipulated Ye Han into releasing the Grim-Faced Spider King near Prince of Chu. Because the royal family’s Fortune is extremely powerful, Tang’s capture proves he was likely involved in the conspiracy.
• Guo explains the hierarchy of Eerie Grounds: Unending Strange Lands, Mass-Death Strange Lands, Heaven-Burial Strange Lands, and the nearly mythical Godfall Strange Lands.
• The realm containing Li and the others is judged to be at least a Heaven-Burial Strange Land, possibly a Godfall Strange Land, because the spider king drew in thousands of people and even overcame Prince of Chu’s royal Fortune.
• Rescue is considered virtually impossible. Only rare individuals—such as Grand Fate Arts Masters or people with extraordinary luck or Fate Molds—have historically survived Heaven-Burial Strange Lands.
• Back in Eerie Town, Li’s group enters a disturbing main street populated by people suffering grotesque supernatural illnesses. They encounter a large crowd blocking the entrance to a shop, setting up the next conflict.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian becomes increasingly analytical and suspicious. He connects Good Fortune Born, Prince of Chu, Ye Han, and the Heaven’s Mandate Sect into a possible conspiracy against him.
• Good Fortune Born is portrayed as morally ambiguous. He may have participated in the attack, but Li believes he was forced to do so rather than acting out of genuine hostility.
• Prince of Chu, Tang Enqing, is revealed to be far more deeply involved in the crisis than previously known. His royal status and powerful Fortune could not protect him, suggesting his karmic connection to Li or his role in the conspiracy is extraordinary.
• Han Anbo and Zhou Hen demonstrate their understanding of Li’s unusual connection with the Grim-Faced Spider King and help him interpret the implications of Tang’s arrival.
• Guo Xiang acts as the principal authority on Eerie Grounds, providing crucial information about their classifications, dangers, and the impossibility of conventional rescue.
• Yan Shixiao reveals anxiety and frustration over the political consequences of the disaster, recognizing that the Inner Factory may be blamed despite lacking control over the situation.

Significant Themes

• Karma and causality: The Grim-Faced Spider King does not draw people in randomly; deep karmic connections determine who becomes trapped. This makes Tang’s involvement especially ominous.
• Hidden conspiracies and coercion: Apparent villains may be acting under pressure, while larger forces manipulate events from behind the scenes.
• The limits of power: Even imperial authority, royal Fortune, and high cultivation may be insufficient against a Heaven-Burial Strange Land.
• Political repercussions: A supernatural disaster involving an imperial prince threatens the stability and reputation of the Great Qi court.
• Fate versus personal agency: Characters’ survival depends not only on strength but also on Fate Molds, Fortune, luck, and unseen karmic ties.
• Escalating danger: The classification of the eerie realm suggests that the group is trapped in an environment potentially beyond rescue, with survival itself uncertain.

Character Interactions

• Li and Xu Changren discuss the whereabouts of Li’s companions and the strange flow of time in Blessing Town.
• Li, Zhou Hen, and Han Anbo privately analyze Good Fortune Born’s role and Prince of Chu’s connection to the Grim-Faced Spider King.
• In the capital, Guo Xiang explains the situation to senior Night Guard and Inner Factory officials, while Yan Shixiao pressures him to reveal the full truth.
• The officials debate whether Prince of Chu’s Fate Mold might allow him to survive, but Guo Xiang’s silence implies that even Tang’s exceptional status may not be enough.
• Li’s group arrives at a diseased and grotesque district of Eerie Town, where a crowd gathered outside a shop signals an imminent confrontation or investigation.

Summary of Chapter: "Beyond the Medical Hall, Demonic Rumors Mislead the People"

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Zhang Medical Hall’s Exploitation: A crowd of poor, sickly residents from Blessing Town’s lower district protests outside Zhang Medical Hall, demanding cheaper medical care. The chief manager, He Zitu, dismisses their complaints, blaming their poverty on laziness and accusing them of spreading "demonic rumors."
• He Zitu’s Defiance: He mocks the crowd, claiming Zhang Medical Hall is lawful and prosperous, while most businesses in town are failing. He accuses them of exaggerating their suffering and warns them not to waste time with "useless questions."

Revelations About Blessing Town

• The town was founded decades ago with a shared vision of unity, but now the Upper Mountain District (wealthy elite) and lower district (poor masses) are deeply divided.
• Zhang Medical Hall’s business is booming, while other industries struggle—suggesting corruption or exploitation.
• Blessed Affliction (a mysterious illness) has no known cure, and many residents either ascend to immortality (a euphemism for death) or suffer permanently.
• Medicinal herbs are artificially scarce, forcing patients to rely on Zhang Medical Hall—likely at inflated prices.
• Li Qingxian’s Group Observes: The Night Guard members (Li Qingxian, Xu Changren, Zhou Hen, Han Anbo, Yu Ping) witness the scene, noting He Zitu’s demonic energy and the town’s hypocrisy. Xu Changren, suffering from Blessed Affliction, remains silent but visibly distressed.

2. Character Developments

He Zitu

• Arrogant & Hypocritical: Claims moral superiority while exploiting the poor.
• Cultivates Dark Arts: His demonic energy is noticeable, hinting at unethical or forbidden practices (possibly linked to Blessed Affliction).
• Defensive & Paranoid: Accuses protesters of spreading "rumors," revealing his fear of exposure.

Xu Changren

• Struggling with Blessed Affliction: His physical discomfort (rubbing his stomach) and bitter tone show his suffering.
• Disillusioned with Blessing Town: His sigh about the town’s decline suggests he once believed in its ideals but now sees its corruption.
• Cold & Authoritarian: Shuts down Yu Ping’s questions, emphasizing loyalty to the Town Governor over truth.

Yu Ping

• Sarcastic & Defiant: Mocks the idea of starvation, hinting at his desperation and cynicism.
• Curious About the Truth: Asks about Blessing pills and Zhang Medical Hall’s profits, showing his suspicion of the system.

Li Qingxian

• Observant & Analytical: Notices He Zitu’s demonic aura and questions the town’s prosperity.
• Detached but Concerned: Watches the scene with frowning skepticism, setting up future investigations.

3. Significant Themes

Class Divide & Exploitation

• The Upper Mountain District (rich elite) vs. lower district (poor masses) reflects systemic inequality.
• Zhang Medical Hall profits from suffering, while other businesses fail—suggesting corruption or forced dependence.

Corruption & Hypocrisy

• He Zitu denies wrongdoing while engaging in unethical practices (possibly medical fraud, herb hoarding, or dark rituals).
• The Town Governor’s praise for Zhang Medical Hall implies official complicity.

Mystery of Blessed Affliction

• No one dies from it—only ascends to immortality (a euphemism for death) or suffers permanently.
• Blessing pills (mentioned earlier) may be fake, addictive, or harmful, contributing to the town’s suffering.

Power & Control

• The elite suppress dissent, calling protests "demonic rumors" to maintain order.
• Xu Changren’s authority suggests he enforces this control, reinforcing the oppressive system.

4. Character Interactions

He Zitu vs. the Protesters

• Hostile & Dismissive: He mockingly questions their poverty, calling them "lazy" and "unreasonable."
• **

Chapter Summary: “White Light Rises in the West, Fortune Mist Approaches”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Changren guides Li Qingxian, Zhou Hen, Han Anbo, Yu Ping, and the merchant through Blessing Town, praising the mayor, Zhang Wentian, for keeping food and necessities affordable.
• The group passes a market filled with impoverished farmers whose bodies and fortunes have been warped. They then witness a public execution: four corpses, including three Night Guards and one Tenth-Rank officer, are nailed to a cart and paraded through the streets.
• Xu Changren explains that the Night Guards were killed for resisting the yamen’s seizure of their lodgings and valuables. The killings serve as a warning that Blessing Town recognizes neither Great Qi’s laws nor outside authority.
• Han Anbo recalls that Zhang Wentian was once connected to Zhang Wentong, the powerful sect master of Devil-Transforming Mountain. He suspects both men may have emerged from the same Eerie Town together.
• Li Qingxian declares that Blessing Town is still under the authority of the Qi court and resolves to uphold the Emperor’s power as Director of the Patrol Bureau. He plans to gather the Night Guards in town after registering at the yamen.
• Xu Changren warns Li that Zhang Wentian represents a greater power and that acting recklessly may violate hidden taboos. He explains that those with powerful backing wear “Blessing Hats,” actually Mist-Driving Hats, which are especially important in the Upper Mountain District.
• Li recruits Xu Changren as a Dark Guard. Xu eagerly accepts, seeing a chance to escape his miserable position.
• A strange white light appears in the western sky, possibly signaling the arrival of the Fortune Mist and a full moon—an ominous event that may bring danger. The group hurries toward the yamen to register and obtain Mist-Driving Hats.
• They encounter the fanatical Ascension Sect, whose members chant that fortune is a miraculous pill that can prolong life and lead to immortality. Xu warns the group not to criticize the sect or its beliefs.
• The chapter ends as the group reaches the town yamen and sees several Night Guards and other people leaving it.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian becomes more openly assertive and politically decisive. After seeing Qi Night Guards executed, he commits himself to defending imperial authority, despite the danger.
• Han Anbo begins recovering fragments of his past, recognizing a possible connection between his time in the Eerie Town and Zhang Wentong’s rise. His loyalty to Li is reinforced as he prepares to organize the Night Guards.
• Xu Changren reveals himself to be cautious, knowledgeable, and deeply aware of Blessing Town’s hidden power structure. His willingness to join Li as a Dark Guard marks a major shift from frightened guide to potential ally.
• Zhou Hen remains suspicious and ready for violence, but follows Li’s instruction to wait rather than act impulsively.
• Yu Ping provides confidence and humor, repeatedly trusting in Li’s supposed good fortune.
• Zhang Wentian is established as a ruthless and influential authority who maintains order through fear and may have powerful connections beyond the town.

Significant Themes

• Authority versus local power: The execution of Night Guards demonstrates the conflict between imperial law and the independent authority of Blessing Town.
• Control through fear: Public punishment, economic regulation, and hidden taboos allow the town’s rulers to dominate ordinary people and outsiders alike.
• Fortune as both currency and danger: Fortune is treated as wealth, medicine, power, and a path to immortality, but pursuing it forces people to risk their lives.
• Hidden identities and buried histories: Han Anbo’s forgotten connection to Zhang Wentian and Zhang Wentong suggests that the town contains unresolved secrets tied to the characters’ pasts.
• Survival and adaptation: Xu Changren and the Ascension Sect members show how desperate people reshape their beliefs and loyalties in order to survive.

Character Interactions

• Li and Zhou disagree with the town’s atmosphere, but Li restrains Zhou from acting rashly.
• Xu attempts to praise the mayor, while Li remains deliberately noncommittal and observant.
• Han Anbo and Li privately discuss Zhang Wentian’s history and plan a future investigation.
• Xu warns Li that challenging the town mayor directly could be dangerous, revealing both concern and practical knowledge.
• Li offers Xu a place among the Dark Guards, creating a new alliance based on mutual need.
• The group reacts together to the white light and the Ascension Sect, with Xu acting as their guide to the town’s customs and dangers.

Summary of Mr. Fu, Chief Steward of the Lower District

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Arrival at Blessing Town: Li Qingxian (Director of the Night Guard Patrol Bureau) and his group—including Han Anbo, Zhou Hen (Upper Rank), and Night Guards—arrive at Blessing Town, where they must register to become residents.
• Registration Struggles: The town demands 20% of valuables as a residency fee. Refusal means execution via a "notice" (a legal document that can be used to kill without consequences).
• Recent Changes: Four Night Guards were killed by the town, breaking a precedent where officials were rarely executed. This suggests a shift in power, possibly influenced by a Prince of Chu who entered the day before.
• Blessing & Notices: Some Night Guards were "blessed" (likely cursed or transformed), but those with Li Qingxian were spared. Notices are controlled by the town mayor and Upper Mountain District Lineages, with private possession considered rebellion.
• Meeting Mr. Fu: Li Qingxian, Zhou Hen, and Xu Changren (a guide) seek out Mr. Fu, the Chief Steward of the Lower District, to negotiate residency without surrendering valuables.

2. Character Developments

Li Qingxian

• Demonstrates strategic thinking by assessing risks (e.g., refusing to surrender valuables outright) and leveraging his status (Upper Rank presence).
• Shows charisma in rallying Night Guards to join him, suggesting loyalty and leadership.
• Uncertainty about the town’s new rules, but remains composed.

Han Anbo & Zhou Hen

• Han Anbo offers a gold ingot as a bribe, showing pragmatism.
• Zhou Hen’s Upper Rank status is a key bargaining chip to avoid heavy penalties.

Xu Changren

• Acts as an intermediary, providing crucial information about Blessing Town’s rules and Mr. Fu’s role.
• Warns of risks but remains loyal to Li Qingxian, offering guidance.

Night Guards

• Initially frightened by Blessing Town’s reputation but rally to Li Qingxian, showing trust in his leadership.
• He Lei (their superior) is helpless but supportive, reflecting their shared predicament.

Hu Jizu

• A former acquaintance of Li Qingxian who joins them, hinting at deeper connections and potential alliances.

3. Significant Themes

Power & Corruption

• The town’s rules (notices, valuables, blessings) reflect arbitrary authority. The Prince of Chu’s influence suggests hidden power struggles.
• Mr. Fu’s role as a bureaucratic enforcer highlights how officials manipulate systems for personal gain.

Survival & Strategy

• Li Qingxian’s group must negotiate rather than submit, showing adaptability in a hostile environment.
• The cost of compliance (surrendering valuables) vs. risk of rebellion (keeping them) is a central dilemma.

Loyalty & Alliances

• Night Guards choose Li Qingxian over their original group, reinforcing themes of loyalty to a leader in crisis.
• Hu Jizu’s arrival suggests karmic or fate-driven connections that may aid them later.

Mystery of Blessing Town

• The nature of "blessings" (curses?) and notices (legalized murder) remain unclear, setting up future intrigue.
• The Prince of Chu’s role hints at external forces influencing the town’s governance.

4. Character Interactions

Li Qingxian & Xu Changren

• A trusting yet cautious dynamic—Xu provides info, Li Qingxian tests his loyalty and uses his knowledge strategically.

Li Qingxian & Night Guards

• Charismatic leadership—Li Qingxian unites them by offering protection, earning their allegiance.

Li Qingxian & Han Anbo/Zhou Hen

• Teamwork in negotiation—Han Anbo offers bribes, Zhou Hen’s status is the leverage point.

Li Qingxian & Hu Jizu

• Unexpected reunion—Hu Jizu’s presence suggests shared fate, possibly foreshadowing future cooperation.

Night Guards & Original Group

• Betrayal/abandonment—

Summary of Li Qingxian, the Emperor’s Blade (Excerpt)

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Arrival in Blessing Town: Li Qingxian, Zhou Hen, and Xu Changren enter the Upper Mountain District’s yamen to secure residency permits.
• Bargaining with Mr. Fu: The steward (Mr. Fu) demands wealth in exchange for permits, citing recent "fierce dragons" (powerful outsiders) causing trouble.
• Li Qingxian’s Challenge: He refuses to pay unless Mr. Fu swears an oath to the Yellow Springs Emperor, Fifth Lady, and the Great Emperor of Eerie City—names that imply supernatural or divine authority.
• Mr. Fu’s Rules: He explains Blessing Town’s strict hierarchy, where the town chief’s notices (a mysterious, rule-enforcing system) hold ultimate power—even over high-ranking outsiders.
• Negotiation & Bribery: Li Qingxian offers artifacts (including a Spring Jar, a rare Middle Rank water-producing artifact) and cash in exchange for leniency, but Mr. Fu counters with a proposal to "temporarily" confiscate wealth, then burn the evidence.
• Li’s Final Demand: He insists on publicly donating 20% of his wealth to the townspeople over a year, supervised by the yamen but not interfered with otherwise.
• Mr. Fu’s Defiance: He refuses, insisting only the town chief can distribute blessings.

2. Character Developments

Li Qingxian

• Demonstrates unshakable loyalty to the Emperor and Qi Kingdom’s laws, refusing to bend to Blessing Town’s arbitrary rules.
• Shows strategic cunning—using supernatural oaths and artifacts as leverage.
• Asserts his moral high ground, framing his donation as a public service rather than a bribe.
• His confidence and authority clash with Blessing Town’s corrupt system.

Mr. Fu

• Represents Blessing Town’s bureaucratic corruption—he obeys the town chief’s rules but secretly covets power and wealth.
• His desperation to keep the Spring Jar (a life-sustaining artifact) shows the town’s desperation for resources.
• His defiance of Li highlights the town’s hypocrisy—claiming to serve the people while enforcing extortion.

Zhou Hen & Xu Changren

• Zhou Hen remains stoic and observant, likely assessing the situation for his own ends.
• Xu Changren is shocked by Li’s boldness, realizing Blessing Town operates under supernatural or divine enforcement (not just human power).

3. Significant Themes

Power & Corruption

• Blessing Town’s system is built on extortion, where outsiders must pay to survive, regardless of rank or strength.
• The town chief’s notices symbolize absolute, unquestionable authority, even over gods or emperors.

Loyalty vs. Survival

• Li Qingxian prioritizes Qi Kingdom’s laws over personal convenience, setting him apart from others who might bend to Blessing Town’s rules.
• The town’s people (represented by Mr. Fu) exploit the system while claiming to serve them.

Supernatural vs. Human Law

• The oaths to divine figures suggest Blessing Town operates under higher, unseen powers—not just human governance.
• Li’s refusal to acknowledge this positions him as a humanist, while the town’s rules are arbitrary and divine.

Wealth & Blessing

• The Spring Jar represents sustainable power—one that ensures a lineage’s survival.
• Li’s willing donation contrasts with the town’s greed, framing him as a benevolent figure despite his outsider status.

4. Character Interactions

Li Qingxian & Mr. Fu

• A clash of ideologies—Li’s legalistic, imperial authority vs. Mr. Fu’s pragmatic, corrupt power play.
• Li exposes the town’s hypocrisy by demanding transparency, while Mr. Fu clings to secrecy and control.

Li Qingxian & Zhou Hen

• Zhou remains silent but watchful, possibly testing Li’s resolve or planning his own move.

Chapter Summary: “Five Devil Gods”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At Devil-Transforming Mountain, the sect learns that the Thin Envoy and the Grim-Faced Spider successfully lured Li Qingxian into an unknown eerie ground.
• The Moon Devil Sect had considered sending five Demon Sons to invite the five great Devil Gods and transform the eerie ground into a death trap for Li Qingxian. Although the plan was abandoned because of its cost, Devil-Transforming Mountain now views eliminating Li Qingxian as important enough to justify extreme sacrifices.
• Jiang Youfei, enraged by Li Qingxian’s predicament, travels to the Divine Capital and challenges Prince of Chu’s Residence. She destroys the gates, cripples or kills numerous cultivators, and defeats and kills the residence’s powerful Second Rank retainer.
• She then attacks the Tao Residence, challenging Tao Linan, an elder of Devil-Transforming Mountain and an official in the Ministry of Justice. After a fierce battle, Jiang Youfei defeats him, leaving him mortally wounded. His death intensifies Devil-Transforming Mountain’s anger.
• Sect Master Zhang Wentong orders the Devil Sects to gather five Demon Sons, obtain a Grim-Faced Spider and a Heaven’s Mandate technique, and enter Li Qingxian’s eerie ground to destroy him.
• In Blessing Town, Li Qingxian confronts Mr. Fu, whom he suspects of collaborating with Prince of Chu against him. Using Thousand-Mountain Fate Suppression, Li seals Mr. Fu’s Fate Mansion and Fortune.
• While Mr. Fu is helpless, Zhou Hen destroys his magical artifact, cripples his limbs, seals his meridians, and destroys all three of his dantians.
• Li explains that Mr. Fu’s arrogance and greed exposed his alliance. Mr. Fu assumed that, because Blessing Town was an eerie town under his control, even a powerful outsider like Li would be unable to resist him.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian: Demonstrates increasing confidence, strategic insight, and ruthlessness. He has correctly perceived the political conspiracy surrounding his entry into the eerie ground and responds decisively once Mr. Fu reveals his betrayal.
• Jiang Youfei: Becomes a forceful protector and avenger. Her attacks on Prince of Chu’s Residence and Tao Linan show both her loyalty to Li Qingxian and her willingness to challenge powerful political and demonic factions.
• Zhou Hen: Acts with swift and overwhelming precision, proving his effectiveness as Li’s enforcer. His attack leaves Mr. Fu completely incapacitated.
• Mr. Fu: Is exposed as arrogant, opportunistic, and likely complicit with Prince of Chu. His confidence in Blessing Town’s rules and authority blinds him to Li’s true power.
• Devil-Transforming Mountain: Shifts from cautious observation to open retaliation, treating Li Qingxian as a major long-term threat rather than merely a Fifth Rank Fate Arts Master.
• Tao Linan: His defeat and death reveal the vulnerability of Devil-Transforming Mountain’s agents and provoke the sect into escalating the conflict.

Significant Themes

• The danger of underestimating an enemy: Mr. Fu and the Devil Sects mistake Li’s apparent rank or isolated position for weakness, while Li and Jiang Youfei repeatedly overturn those assumptions.
• Political conspiracy and retaliation: The chapter shows how Li’s enemies coordinate through Prince of Chu, Heaven’s Mandate Sect, Ye Han, and the Devil Sects, while Jiang Youfei answers conspiracy with direct violence.
• Power versus rules: Characters invoke martial-world rules, eerie-town regulations, and factional boundaries, but the strongest figures manipulate or ignore these rules when necessary.
• Strategic sacrifice: The Devil Sects consider sacrificing five or even ten Demon Sons to eliminate Li, emphasizing how seriously they regard his future potential.
• Arrogance and misjudgment: Mr. Fu’s belief that local authority makes him invulnerable mirrors the Devil Sects’ initial failure to recognize Li as a growing existential threat.

Important Character Interactions

• Devil-Transforming Mountain officials debate whether Li’s elimination justifies sacrificing multiple Demon Sons.
• Jiang Youfei directly challenges Prince of Chu’s faction, killing its strongest retainer, then defeats Tao Linan despite his higher rank.
• Li confronts Mr. Fu over his suspected alliance with Prince of Chu and explains how Mr. Fu’s greed and misplaced confidence exposed him.
• Zhou Hen carries out Li’s judgment, turning the confrontation with Mr. Fu into a decisive defeat.

Chapter Summary: “Ginseng Fruit Tree”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Hen removes Mr. Fu’s Blessing Hat and mask, revealing his true appearance. Mr. Fu begs for the hat to be restored, fearing that further exposure to the town’s “blessing” will harm him.
• Li Qingxian interrogates Mr. Fu about the cooperation between Blessing Town’s chief and the Prince of Chu. Mr. Fu reveals that:
  • The Prince of Chu asked the town chief to kill Li Qingxian.
  • The Nanxiang Marquis and others intended to protect Li Qingxian, believing he was essential to resolving the eerie.
  • The town chief favored the Prince of Chu and had held several private discussions with him.
  • Mr. Fu attacked Li Qingxian mainly out of greed, hoping to steal his treasures.
• Li orders Xu Changren to search the office and collect official seals, documents, and good-citizen certificates. He also takes Mr. Fu’s blank “Notice,” recognizing it as a powerful eerie artifact.
• Zhou Hen gives Li Mr. Fu’s Luck Silver-Fish Pouch. Inside, Li discovers a sealed sandalwood box containing a Ginseng Fruit.
• Xu Changren explains that Ginseng Fruit can repel or dispel Blessing, making it extremely valuable to the nobles of the Upper Mountain District. Mr. Fu admits it was his reward for serving the town chief.
• Li pressures Mr. Fu to explain why the town chief seems uninterested in escaping the Eerie Ground or resolving the eerie, despite the value of Fate Arts Masters.
• When Mr. Fu gives evasive answers, Li has Zhou Hen mutilate him, cutting off one ear and destroying one eye.
• Under torture, Mr. Fu reveals that he suspects the town chief knows how to resolve the eerie but deliberately refuses to do so. The secret is likely connected to the Ginseng Fruit Tree and the ancient well in the Upper Mountain District.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates increasing authority, confidence, and ruthlessness. He combines interrogation, psychological pressure, and force to extract information while carefully collecting valuable artifacts and official resources.
• Mr. Fu shifts from arrogant enforcer to frightened informant. His greed and dependence on the town chief are exposed, as is his limited but important knowledge of the town’s hidden secrets.
• Xu Changren reveals deep resentment toward the Upper Mountain District, whose inhabitants treat Blessing as a privilege while people in the Lower District suffer from it. His knowledge of Ginseng Fruit and the town’s class divisions becomes important.
• Zhou Hen remains Li’s unwavering enforcer, carrying out brutal punishments without hesitation.
• The town chief emerges as a more mysterious and potentially dangerous figure. He may possess the means to resolve the eerie but deliberately chooses to remain in power within Blessing Town.

Significant Themes

• Power and hierarchy: The contrast between the Upper Mountain and Lower Districts shows how Blessing and survival are distributed according to social status.
• Corruption and exploitation: Mr. Fu serves the town chief for rewards, while political figures attempt to manipulate the town’s dangers for their own interests.
• Knowledge as power: Li’s interrogation shows that hidden information about the town’s rules, artifacts, and leaders is as valuable as physical treasures.
• Control versus escape: The town chief’s refusal to leave suggests that authority within the eerie may be more valuable to him than freedom outside it.
• Moral ambiguity: Li follows the town’s rules against indiscriminate killing but still uses severe violence and threats to achieve his goals.

Character Interactions

• Li and Mr. Fu: Li dominates the interrogation, exploiting Mr. Fu’s fear of Blessing and desire to survive. He alternates between promises of mercy and brutal threats.
• Li and Xu Changren: Li relies on Xu to search the office and interpret the significance of the Ginseng Fruit. Their exchange also highlights Xu’s bitterness toward the privileged Upper Mountain residents.
• Li and Zhou Hen: Zhou acts directly on Li’s commands, restoring Mr. Fu’s hat and later carrying out the punishments that force him to confess.
• Mr. Fu and the town chief: Mr. Fu describes himself as the town chief’s “dog,” revealing a relationship built on subservience, rewards, and fear.
• Political factions and the town chief: The Prince of Chu seeks Li’s death, while the Nanxiang Marquis and others see Li as vital to solving the eerie. The town chief’s apparent alliance with the Prince remains suspicious and may conceal a deeper plan involving the Ginseng Fruit Tree and ancient well.

Chapter Summary: “Method of Breaking the Eerie”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian interrogates Mr. Fu about the method for breaking Blessing Town’s eerie. Mr. Fu admits he does not know it, but says the Xue Family and several powerful factions likely do.
• Mr. Fu reveals that the Xue Family supported the town mayor’s rise to power. Other factions, including the River Guard Army, Southern Kingdoms, and Eastern Ding Kingdom, are also involved in Blessing Town’s affairs. The Eastern Ding Kingdom was recently ambushed by the Devil Sect and mysteriously fell under the eerie.
• Li Qingxian argues that the town mayor cannot truly be trying to break the eerie, since the town’s internal disorder, oppression, and growing resentment make unity impossible.
• He concludes that the mayor and his allies must be preserving the eerie for some hidden benefit rather than pursuing the welfare of the people or the Human Race.
• Xu Changren proposes that the secret may involve the Ginseng Fruit Tree, also called the Ascension Tree. A legend claims that a noble of South Blessing Town rose from Middle Rank to Beyond-Rank while breaking the eerie, suggesting that the town contains a powerful method of advancement.
• Mr. Fu confirms that the town mayor greatly values the Ginseng Fruits and has refused to reward even loyal servants with them unless absolutely necessary.
• The Ginseng Fruit Tree grows in Upper Mountain District above an ancient well. Its white, infant-shaped fruits can remove Blessed Affliction and slightly strengthen the body. People who ascend to immortality reportedly transform into light and enter the well, after which Ginseng Fruits appear.
• Li Qingxian spares Mr. Fu after obtaining the information. Mr. Fu warns him that opposing the town mayor is hopeless and urges him to surrender.
• Mr. Fu also explains that Blessing Town is divided into eastern, southern, western, and northern districts or towns, but he does not know how to travel between them. Li asks about Shen Xiaoyi, but Mr. Fu has not heard of her.
• As Li leaves, he manifests a translucent mountain in his palm. Its pressure overwhelms the Night Guards and others nearby, signaling his growing power and imposing presence.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian becomes increasingly suspicious and analytical. He rejects the idea that the town mayor’s neglect is merely a necessary sacrifice for a greater goal, arguing that genuine progress cannot be built on sacrificing others.
• Li’s reflections reveal a stronger moral and historical perspective: he believes oppression disguised as public service ultimately destroys the rulers and the state itself.
• He also becomes more determined to uncover the true purpose of Blessing Town and the town mayor’s obsession with the Ginseng Fruit Tree.
• Mr. Fu is portrayed as a compromised but knowledgeable subordinate. He admits he has served the town mayor for years without receiving a Ginseng Fruit and recognizes that his loyalty was valued only when he remained useful.
• Mr. Fu remains fearful of the town mayor and believes resistance is futile, but he cooperates enough to preserve his life.
• Xu Changren contributes a crucial theory connecting the town’s advancement legend to the Ginseng Fruit Tree, helping redirect Li’s investigation.

Significant Themes

• Power versus public welfare: The chapter questions whether leaders who sacrifice ordinary people can genuinely claim to serve a nation or civilization.
• The corruption of progress: Li argues that lasting progress comes either through harmless innovation or self-sacrifice—not through exploiting others. Apparent short-term gains achieved through oppression ultimately create broader disasters.
• Hidden motives behind authority: The town mayor’s refusal to break the eerie suggests that power, advancement, or immortality may matter more to him than freeing the town.
• Knowledge as leverage: Information about the Xue Family, the factions, the Ginseng Fruits, and the Ascension Tree becomes a form of power that allows Li to challenge the existing order.
• Immortality and transformation: The connection between ascension, the ancient well, and the birth of Ginseng Fruits hints at a mysterious cycle involving death, enlightenment, and supernatural advancement.

Character Interactions

• Li and Mr. Fu engage in a tense interrogation, with Li threatening him but ultimately honoring his promise to spare him.
• Li challenges Mr. Fu’s attempts to rationalize the town mayor’s actions, forcing him to confront the possibility that the mayor is acting out of selfish ambition.
• Xu Changren’s interruption introduces the legend of South Blessing Town and the possible significance of the Ginseng Fruit Tree.
• Mr. Fu’s warning that the town mayor’s forces are approaching heightens the danger surrounding Li and his companions.
• The final manifestation of Li’s mountain silently intimidates the Night Guards, demonstrating a shift in the balance of power.