Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “All Major Factions Made Their Preparations”

Key Plot Points and Events

Mountain Fate Sect reacts to Li Qingxian’s disappearance

Li Qingxian has vanished inside the Eerie Ground, apparently targeted by the Devil Sect and Heaven’s Mandate Sect through the Five Sons Delivering Devils. Mountain Fate Sect fears that his death would destroy its reputation and undermine its agreements with other sects.

Mountain Fate Sect considers Li Qingxian’s protection

Zhou Xuanshan prioritizes rescuing Li Qingxian and has contacted Li Xuzhong, who has already departed in search of him. If Li dies, the sect plans to compensate the sects it made promises to, seal its gates, and withdraw from the world. If he survives, they intend to protect him and possibly send him to Heaven Momentum Sect to study the Grand Momentum Configuration and safely cultivate for ten or twenty years.

Heaven’s Mandate Sect assesses the Eerie Ground’s outcome

Its elders discuss Ye Han’s fluctuating fortune and suspect that the Five Sons Delivering Devils may have encountered Ye Han, causing Heaven’s Mandate Sect to miscalculate. They acknowledge that the Eerie Ground is too mysterious to investigate directly, even for experienced figures such as Li Xuzhong.

Heaven’s Mandate Sect faces broader uncertainty

The elders comment on Old Immortal Fate’s astonishing longevity and the sect’s weakened ability to foresee events after Zhao Yishan seized the Eight Trigrams Starwatching Tower. They also order an investigation into someone misusing the Dao Transmission Disc and spreading Heaven’s Mandate Sect teachings without authorization.

Eerie Town’s hidden leaders form a plan

After the Mountain Banquet, Town Mayor Zhang Wentian seals the main hall and meets secretly with eight others. They conclude that Prince of Chu and the Five Sons Delivering Devils intend to eliminate them and seize another Ginseng Fruit, just as they allegedly did in the past.

The Eerie Town faction plans to manipulate alliances

Since directly attacking Prince of Chu could expose them to retaliation from powerful nobles and Old Immortal Fate, they consider exploiting the growing rift between Prince of Chu and Good Fortune Born. They also hope to draw Ye Han into an alliance against Prince of Chu.

The town’s leaders postpone attacking the Night Guard

They recognize that Ye Sizheng and the Night Guard may not support Prince of Chu. Because the Night Guard backs troublesome commoners in the Lower Mountain District, including the Filthy Beggar, the faction chooses not to provoke them immediately. They also fear that the Filthy Beggar may be connected to the powerful Ancient Profound Mountain.

Final objective

The nine leaders agree that Prince of Chu must not leave Eerie Town alive, and the great nobles must be prevented from obtaining another Ginseng Fruit.

Character Developments

• Zhou Xuanshan emerges as a cautious, strategic leader. Rather than seeking revenge, he focuses on preserving Li Qingxian’s life and Mountain Fate Sect’s future, even considering sending Li away for long-term training.
• Li Qingxian remains absent but central to the chapter. His dangerous reputation and extraordinary talent make him both an asset and a liability to Mountain Fate Sect.
• Li Xuzhong is portrayed as an experienced figure who has already entered the Eerie Ground’s affairs, though even he cannot reliably remember or understand what occurs there.
• Ye Han becomes more ambiguous. His fortune unexpectedly weakens and then recovers, suggesting that his destiny is unstable and difficult even for Heaven’s Mandate Sect to predict.
• Prince of Chu is established as a major and dangerous antagonist. He is politically protected, ambitious, and suspected of plotting to obtain another Ginseng Fruit.
• Good Fortune Born and Ye Han are identified as potential allies against Prince of Chu because of their strong fortunes and growing disagreements with him.
• Zhang Wentian and the other Eerie Town leaders reveal themselves to be calculating and defensive, preferring manipulation and coalition-building over a direct confrontation with powerful outsiders.
• The Filthy Beggar gains greater significance through the possibility of a connection to Ancient Profound Mountain, making him too dangerous to provoke casually.

Significant Themes

• Fate versus uncertainty: Even the Fate Sects cannot fully predict events in the Eerie Ground. Fortune can suddenly collapse or recover, undermining carefully planned strategies.
• Political maneuvering and indirect conflict: The factions avoid direct battles when possible, relying on alliances, deception, contracts, and manipulation.
• The fragility of power: Mountain Fate Sect’s survival depends heavily on Li Qingxian, while Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s prophetic authority has weakened after losing a major artifact.
• Protection versus exploitation: Li Qingxian is both valued as a powerful ally and treated as someone who must be controlled or relocated for his own safety.
• Legacy and declining institutions: Ancient Profound Mountain and Old Immortal Fate represent old powers surviving on past prestige, while newer factions compete to exploit their remaining influence and resources.
• The danger of greed: The Ginseng Fruit’s life-extending properties motivate repeated schemes, betrayals, and attempts to destroy entire factions.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhou Xuanshan and Mountain Fate Sect’s elders debate how to rescue and protect Li Qingxian while preserving the sect’s reputation.
• Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s elders argue over Ye Han’s fortune, the failure of Five Sons Delivering Devils, Old Immortal Fate, and the sect’s inability to interpret events in the Eerie Ground.
• Zhang Wentian and the eight hidden leaders discuss Prince of Chu’s threat, the Five Sons Delivering Devils, and possible alliances with Good Fortune Born and Ye Han.
• The Eerie Town faction distinguishes between Prince of Chu and his allies, viewing the prince and the Five Sons Delivering Devils as the true enemies while treating Good Fortune Born, Gai Fengyou, and Ye Han as potentially exploitable outsiders.
• The leaders discuss the Night Guard and Ye Sizheng, recognizing that their apparent opposition to Prince of Chu may be genuine and deciding to avoid provoking them for now.
• The Filthy Beggar and Ancient Profound Mountain become subjects of caution, reinforcing the chapter’s theme that hidden affiliations can make seemingly minor figures dangerous.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Rumors spread through Lower Mountain District that Ye Sizheng defied Mayor Zhang Wentian and returned directly from the mountain rather than accepting the mayor’s arrangements. The Filthy Beggar laughs at the news, seeing any challenge to the mayor’s authority as a possible source of hope for those trapped in Eerie Town.
• Back at the Night Guard, Li Qingxian organizes and tests the Divine Fate Sect disciples before personally guiding them.
• Li rewards Gai Fengyou for his recent assistance by giving him a Thunder Edict and an accompanying talisman connected to the Upper Realm. Though the crude appearance of the edict makes Gai suspicious, activating it transforms him into a Heavenly General.
• As a Heavenly General, Gai Fengyou’s lost cultivation is restored, and he becomes certain he will reach Second Rank within five years. He concludes that Li is an immensely powerful Emperor whose connection to the Thunder Division surpasses his understanding, then sends Li excessive praise and thanks.
• Li continues working on the Four Eerie Grounds Grand Momentum Configuration. Unlike the familiar Eighty-Eight-Tower Mountains and Rivers, this Weird Momentum Configuration is unfamiliar and difficult, forcing him to discard or dismantle many failed configuration blocks. He steadily refines its 3,724 blocks.
• Political and social tensions worsen in Blessing Town. The Night Guard and Welcoming Fortune Third Squad remain hostile, while the mayor increasingly favors Gai Fengyou and Good Fortune Born.
• Prince of Chu’s faction takes over Zhang Medical Hall. Their greed provokes public resentment, and townspeople eventually discover that many of the hall’s Fortune Mirrors are controllable and that physicians manipulated their verdicts about people’s Blessing. The townspeople attack the officials, driving them to the Upper Mountain District.
• Rumors then blame various parties: Prince of Chu, the mayor, or Good Fortune Born. These seemingly minor incidents create increasingly complicated hidden conflicts. Rat Strongmen multiply throughout the town, particularly around Prince of Chu, while the False Prince of Chu grows threefold in size.
• A new group of newcomers arrives and is processed by the Town Yamen. One ordinary middle-aged man escapes the yamen’s control and surveys the town. His green-glowing eyes compel everyone he meets to trust him and reveal information.
• The man is revealed to be the Toxic Devil Prince. Unable to find Li Qingxian—known in town under another identity—he decides to meet Mayor Zhang Wentian. Acting on Sect Master Zhang Wentong’s instructions and carrying the sect master’s token, he intends to clear up the mayor’s suspicions and cooperate against Ye Han. Using his supernatural influence, he convinces the gatekeeper that he is the mayor’s martial nephew and enters the Upper Mountain District.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian: Demonstrates growing authority and generosity by rewarding Gai Fengyou, while continuing to deepen his mastery of Fate Arts and the dangerous Weird Momentum Configuration. He remains willing to delegate social and political affairs while focusing on cultivation and strategic preparation.
• Gai Fengyou: Moves from uncertainty to overwhelming gratitude after the Thunder Edict truly transforms him into a Heavenly General. His restored strength and expected advancement greatly increase his loyalty to Li, though his ingratiating behavior exposes his opportunistic and socially adaptable nature.
• Filthy Beggar: His laughter reveals his hope that opposition to the mayor may create an opportunity for escape. He continues repeating his old stories despite the others’ irritation, preserving his role as an eccentric observer of town politics.
• Good Fortune Born and the Night Guard: Become increasingly involved in the town’s factional struggles, whether or not they are directly responsible for the medical-hall scandal.
• Prince of Chu and his faction: Their greed and poor management intensify public hostility. The False Prince of Chu’s grotesque physical growth reflects the expanding accumulation of Rat Strongmen and hidden resentment.
• Toxic Devil Prince: Uses supernatural charisma and deception to investigate the town. He follows Zhang Wentong’s plan but must adapt after realizing the mayor may have misunderstood the sect’s intentions.

Significant Themes

• Authority and defiance: Ye Sizheng’s alleged refusal to obey the mayor, Li’s influence over Gai, and the Toxic Devil Prince’s attempt to negotiate with Zhang Wentian all challenge the town’s rigid hierarchy.
• Manipulation and misinformation: The Fortune Mirrors, shifting rumors, and hidden factional actions show how truth is manufactured and weaponized.
• Hidden power beneath ordinary life: Calm mornings and routine administrative work conceal rapidly intensifying conflicts, while Rat Strongmen symbolize the unseen forces accumulating beneath the town.
• Trust and deception: Gai misinterprets Li’s crude Thunder Edict as evidence of otherworldly authority, while the Toxic Devil Prince gains information by magically creating trust.
• Accumulation and transformation: Li’s gradual refinement of thousands of configuration blocks parallels the slow buildup of political tension and the False Prince’s physical expansion.

Important Character Interactions

• Li rewards Gai Fengyou with the Thunder Edict, strengthening their alliance.
• Gai responds with lavish praise, while Li privately views his flattery with amusement and skepticism.
• The mayor’s repeated praise and consultations with Gai Fengyou and Good Fortune Born deepen factional divisions.
• Townspeople collectively confront Prince of Chu’s medical-hall representatives after discovering the Fortune Mirrors’ fraud.
• The Toxic Devil Prince manipulates townspeople for information, then deceives the Upper Mountain gatekeeper to gain access to Mayor Zhang Wentian.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Toxic Devil Prince, Lu Pingchuan, surveys the Upper District and reflects on the deaths of three Demon Princes. He believes Zhang Wentong’s “Five Sons Delivering Devils” plan was designed with him as the true final trump card.
• He notices that the townspeople refuse to explain why the mayor misunderstood the Devil Cultivators, suggesting that their memories or opinions may be influenced by an unseen power.
• Lu travels to the Zhang Estate to meet Zhang Wentian, the town mayor, on Zhang Wentong’s behalf. He formally apologizes for Wentong’s past actions by kneeling and striking his head three times.
• Lu explains that Ye Han, a Fate Arts Master and former Night Guard associate of Zhou Chunfeng, has repeatedly undermined the Devil Sect. Ye Han helped orchestrate attacks that resulted in major losses, including Weng’s death, the seizure of the Eight Trigrams Starwatching Tower, and the killing of the Ministry of Justice’s new Book of Documents.
• Zhang Wentong has therefore summoned the Five Sons Delivering Devils to kill Ye Han. Lu asks Zhang Wentian to cooperate with him when they enter Blessing Town.
• Lu presents three proposed rewards:
  1. Information about how Zhang Wentian previously escaped Eerie Town.
  2. Appointment as Book of Documents of the Ministry of Justice and an alliance to control a major Devil Sect faction.
  3. Support from a mysterious “great benefactor,” potentially including a share of the Ginseng Fruit and even the position of Devil-Transforming Mountain’s sect master.
• Zhang Wentian rejects the promise of becoming sect master as an implausible bait, but Lu argues that Wentong’s plan to form a unified “Devil Alliance” makes the offer credible. The alliance would reform and consolidate the Devil Sect against outside powers while protecting the emperor.
• To prove Wentong’s sincerity, Lu gives Zhang Wentian a valuable black-mist-wreathed book and a crystal cage containing rare poisonous insects. Zhang eagerly accepts both.
• Zhang Wentian agrees to cooperate, and Lu assures him that in Blessing Town he will follow his uncle’s instructions.

Character Developments

• Toxic Devil Prince Lu Pingchuan: Displays patience, political cunning, and careful manipulation. He withholds his trust, refuses to drink the tea, and uses both emotional appeals and valuable gifts to secure Zhang Wentian’s cooperation. He also reveals confidence in his unique defensive power, claiming that the Wisdom Devil God carved onto his back makes him exceptionally difficult to kill.
• Zhang Wentian: Initially hostile and suspicious toward Zhang Wentong, but his attitude softens after hearing about the Devil Alliance and receiving valuable gifts. He remains cynical, especially toward promises of restoring his former position, yet admits that Wentong has always been more capable and far-sighted than himself.
• Zhang Wentong: Though absent, he emerges as an ambitious reformer who has transformed his youthful dream of unifying the Devil Sect into a real political project. His willingness to sacrifice powerful treasures demonstrates both sincerity and strategic determination.
• Ye Han: Is framed as a highly dangerous political and mystical opponent whose alliances and Fate Arts have inflicted serious damage on the Devil Sect.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and political negotiation: Lu combines apology, kinship, threats, promises, and gifts to influence Zhang Wentian.
• Trust and betrayal: The strained relationship between the Zhang brothers remains central. Zhang Wentian doubts Wentong’s motives because of their past conflict, while Lu attempts to rebuild trust through tangible proof.
• Ambition and reform: Wentong’s proposed Devil Alliance represents an effort to unify a fractured sect and resist external powers.
• Hidden powers and uncertainty: The townspeople’s unexplained behavior and the mysterious benefactor suggest that unseen forces are shaping events in Eerie Town.
• Family loyalty versus factional interests: Lu appeals to Zhang Wentian as an uncle and relative, while also advancing the Devil Sect’s broader strategic goals.

Character Interactions

• Lu and Zhang Wentian engage in a tense but increasingly cooperative negotiation. Zhang tests Lu’s honesty, while Lu carefully flatters, apologizes to, and persuades him.
• Zhang Wentian repeatedly challenges the credibility of Wentong’s promises, especially the offer of sect leadership.
• Lu responds to Zhang’s anger by publicly humiliating himself and then reinforcing his argument with evidence: the valuable book and poisonous insects.
• By the end of the meeting, Zhang Wentian’s resentment has not disappeared, but his respect for Wentong’s ability—and his interest in the rewards—lead him toward an alliance with Lu against Ye Han.

Summary of “The Devil Alliance Stirs”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Wentian interrogates Toxic Devil Prince about the planned Devil Alliance. Toxic reveals that Zhang Wentong has been preparing the alliance for years and intends to unite the world’s Devil Sects within three to five years, with major powers attending the founding assembly.
• Zhang Wentong is expected to become alliance leader despite not reaching Beyond-Rank, since leadership depends more on influence and strategic ability than cultivation. Beyond-Rank Devil Cultivators could instead become supreme elders.
• Toxic explains that Zhang Wentong claims he could easily defeat Ye Han personally, although previous attempts by others—including the Five Sons Delivering Devils—have failed badly. Zhang Wentian’s help is therefore considered essential.
• Zhang Wentian asks Toxic to surrender the portrait of the Wisdom Devil God in exchange for dealing with Ye Han. Toxic refuses, insisting that his life is bound to the Devil God.
• Toxic admits that Zhang Wentong sent him because the Heaven’s Mandate Sect predicted Ye Han was in Eerie Town. Zhang Wentong supposedly wanted Toxic to cooperate with Zhang Wentian.
• Zhang Wentian exposes that Toxic has been implanted with a True Devil Seed or similar control mechanism. A Brain-Eating Centipede emerges from Toxic’s forehead, revealing that Zhang Wentong used Toxic as a concealed means of spying, coercion, and possibly transferring the Devil God’s power.
• Toxic realizes that the gifts and arrangements surrounding him—including the portrait, poison, and trip to Eerie Town—were part of Zhang Wentong’s larger scheme. Zhang Wentong may no longer primarily be pursuing Ye Han; after learning Ye Han was in Eerie Town, he likely shifted his focus to the Ginseng Fruit.
• Toxic is transformed into a puppet. Zhang Wentian concludes that Zhang Wentong may have killed his only son to weaken him and prevent him from preserving his legacy, using Toxic as a threat and bargaining tool.
• At the Night Guard’s residence, Li Qingxian senses that something is wrong. His Fate Disk reveals that a person entering Eerie Town has mysteriously vanished, with traces leading toward the Upper Mountain District.
• By deliberately invoking the Devil God’s Might, Li Qingxian detects a faint connection between the missing individual and the Devil God. He concludes that the “fourth Demon Prince” disappeared within the Upper Mountain District.
• Li Qingxian investigates Xu Changren, his registered disciple, who is secretly storing weapons in a cellar. Reviewing Xu’s history reveals repeated contact with the Filthy Beggar and possible connections to suspicious figures.
• Rather than confront Xu immediately, Li Qingxian orders Han Anbo to transfer him into the Night Guard as armory manager, where he can be watched more closely. Li also arranges for more weapons to be placed in storage.

Character Developments

• Zhang Wentian is revealed as highly perceptive and ruthless when necessary. He identifies Zhang Wentong’s manipulation, exposes the hidden insect within Toxic, and turns Toxic into a puppet, while also recognizing the political motives behind the Devil Alliance.
• Toxic Devil Prince shifts from a seemingly loyal informant to a manipulated pawn. He realizes too late that Zhang Wentong has used him as a disposable tool and that his mission may have been designed to deliver the Devil God and himself into Zhang Wentian’s control.
• Zhang Wentong emerges as calculating, ambitious, and increasingly ruthless. His plans involve forming the Devil Alliance, controlling or sacrificing allies, manipulating Zhang Wentian, and possibly targeting the Ginseng Fruit over Ye Han.
• Li Qingxian demonstrates increasingly sophisticated mastery of fate deduction and strategic caution. Instead of acting impulsively against Xu Changren, he places him in a position where he can monitor his movements and limit potential danger.
• Xu Changren becomes suspicious by association. His history appears outwardly loyal and promising, but his contacts with the Filthy Beggar and his hidden weapons cache make his true allegiance uncertain.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and betrayal: Nearly every major figure is using another—Zhang Wentong manipulates Toxic and Zhang Wentian, while Zhang Wentian exploits Toxic’s vulnerability.
• Power through strategy rather than cultivation: The Devil Alliance’s leadership reflects the importance of influence, organization, and political control over sheer personal strength.
• Hidden surveillance and indirect warfare: Poison, insects, Fate Arts, Devil God’s Might, and secret contacts allow characters to attack or observe one another without open confrontation.
• The limits of fate and deduction: Li Qingxian’s inability to directly perceive Upper Rank figures becomes meaningful evidence rather than a failure, forcing him to interpret absence and distortion as clues.
• Trust and uncertainty: Loyal disciples, allies, and informants may all be compromised. The chapter emphasizes that apparent cooperation can conceal coercion or betrayal.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Wentian questions Toxic Devil Prince about the Devil Alliance, Zhang Wentong’s ambitions, and the failed attempts against Ye Han.
• Toxic tries to maintain the appearance of loyalty to Zhang Wentong, but Zhang Wentian exposes the hidden control mechanism inside him.
• Zhang Wentian and Zhang Wentong engage in an indirect power struggle, with Toxic serving as the instrument through which Zhang Wentong attempts to influence or threaten Zhang Wentian.
• Li Qingxian uses his deductions to connect the disappearance of a Demon Prince with the Devil God’s power and then examines Xu Changren’s relationships and history.
• Li Qingxian consults Han Anbo and responds to the potential threat by placing Xu under closer Night Guard supervision rather than accusing him openly.

Chapter Summary: Good Fortune Born Seeks Treatment

Key Plot Points and Events

• Good Fortune Born meets with the Prince of Chu to discuss the conflict between the Welcoming Fortune Third Squad and the Night Guards. Their repeated clashes have resulted in losses on both sides, though neither group has gained a decisive advantage.
• The Prince of Chu questions Good Fortune Born about Ye Han’s newly established Divine Fate Sect. Good Fortune Born dismisses it as insignificant, but the Prince warns him not to underestimate Ye Han and orders him to investigate carefully while avoiding Ye Han’s Fate Arts.
• During the conversation, Good Fortune Born suddenly perceives the Prince of Chu attacking him. He instinctively responds with the True Fire Divine Fist and retreats. The Prince easily absorbs the attack and reveals that he never attacked at all.
• The Prince concludes that the eerie corruption and Devil God Curse within Good Fortune Born are worsening. After Good Fortune Born leaves, the Prince secretly orders a white-masked subordinate to investigate him.
• Good Fortune Born, shaken and drenched in sweat, realizes he may be suffering increasingly severe hallucinations. He fears that the Prince may have been testing him, but cannot determine what was real.
• Seeking treatment, he visits Zhang Medical Hall. There, he observes several patients suffering strange physical and mental symptoms after receiving “Blessings.” The official physician publicly denies that Blessings cause illness, but privately admits that they are dangerous and essentially incurable.
• The physician can only prescribe restorative medicine and advise Good Fortune Born to rest, cultivate moderately, and maintain his composure.
• Good Fortune Born then visits the Night Guard headquarters and demands to see Ye Han. He is told that Ye Han is cultivating and unavailable.
• As he leaves, he encounters Xu Changren, now a Ninth Rank cultivator and a Night Guard. Good Fortune Born sarcastically accuses him of abandoning his former companions after joining a more powerful faction.

Character Developments

• Good Fortune Born: His mental and physical condition is deteriorating under the influence of the eerie corruption and Devil God Curse. He becomes increasingly paranoid and uncertain of his own perceptions, yet tries to conceal his weakness through arrogance and hostility. His visit to the medical hall shows that he recognizes his condition but has no effective means of treating it.
• Prince of Chu: He remains outwardly calm and concerned about Good Fortune Born, acknowledging their close relationship. However, his suspicion leads him to secretly investigate Good Fortune Born, suggesting that their trust has begun to weaken.
• Ye Han: Though he does not appear directly, he is presented as a potentially dangerous and strategic figure. The Prince of Chu believes the Divine Fate Sect must serve a larger purpose than Good Fortune Born realizes.
• Xu Changren: He has advanced rapidly from a low-level member of the Blessing-Welcoming Team to a Ninth Rank cultivator and Night Guard, demonstrating the remarkable benefits or hidden power of the Divine Fate Sect.
• Medical practitioners and townspeople: Their dialogue reveals that many people understand the dangers of Blessings, but fear official retaliation for speaking openly about them.

Significant Themes

• Unreliable perception and madness: Good Fortune Born can no longer trust his senses, raising uncertainty about whether his experiences are hallucinations, supernatural corruption, or deliberate manipulation.
• The hidden cost of power: Blessings appear beneficial publicly but cause severe, possibly irreversible consequences. The town’s official narrative conceals this truth.
• Political suspicion and fragile loyalty: The Prince of Chu and Good Fortune Born are close allies, yet both the Prince’s warning and secret investigation show that their relationship is becoming strained by mistrust.
• Suppression of truth: Zhang Medical Hall’s physicians know that Blessings cause illness but are forced to deny it, illustrating the town authorities’ control over information.
• Underestimation and hidden strength: Good Fortune Born dismisses the Divine Fate Sect, while the Prince recognizes that Ye Han’s actions likely conceal a larger plan.

Character Interactions

• The Prince of Chu warns Good Fortune Born against underestimating Ye Han and advises him to seek medical treatment.
• A misunderstanding between the Prince and Good Fortune Born nearly becomes a fight when Good Fortune Born mistakes the Prince’s movement for an attack.
• At Zhang Medical Hall, Good Fortune Born hears patients challenge the physician’s official claims about Blessings, exposing the conflict between public propaganda and private knowledge.
• The Night Guard refuses Good Fortune Born’s request to meet Ye Han.
• Good Fortune Born then confronts Xu Changren, using sarcasm to challenge his former ally’s loyalty and new status.

Chapter Summary: “Demons Surge from Underground”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Changren encounters Good Fortune Born, who notices that Xu carries a Luck Silver-Fish Pouch associated with Great Sir. Good Fortune Born assumes Xu has powerful backing but dismisses him after learning that Xu is only a nominal Ninth-Rank Night Guard quartermaster.
• In the Night Guard storeroom, Xu is ordered to dispose of old weapons. Instead, he secretly stores usable spears in the Luck Silver-Fish Pouch.
• That evening, Xu brings the stolen weapons to a courtyard, where twelve others gather. The group studies military formations and spear techniques, suggesting Xu is secretly building and training a small force.
• A black crow spies on the gathering and reports what it sees to Town Magistrate Zhang Wentian through the crow’s connection to him.
• Zhang asks Mr. Fu about Xu’s background. Mr. Fu explains Xu’s long-standing resentment toward the Xue Family, the death of Xu’s daughter, his mother’s death during Fortune Mist, and his past contact with the Filthy Beggar.
• Zhang and Mr. Fu conclude that Xu is probably trying to establish an independent faction and create trouble in the Lower District, though they do not consider him a serious threat. They decide merely to monitor him unless he crosses a major line.
• Their greater concerns are the Fifth Devil Child, Ye Han, Prince of Chu, and the Night Guard. Zhang’s faction intends to let the Night Guard and Prince of Chu weaken each other before eventually dealing with the Night Guard.
• The next day, Mr. Fu faces a sudden outbreak of disorder: violent fighting in the yamen, prisoners behaving irrationally and damaging the prison, and a mob besieging Zhang Medical Hall.
• Unknown to the town’s officials, black mist is spreading underground through the waterways and Rat Strongmen beneath Blessing Town. The mist enters the bodies of ordinary townspeople, apparently causing the disturbances.
• Meanwhile, Li Qingxian continues refining Momentum Configuration blocks. He notices that his Devil God’s Might has briefly stirred but cannot identify the reason, so he resumes his work.

Character Developments

• Xu Changren is revealed to be more ambitious and rebellious than he appears. His resentment has developed into organized action, as he secretly gathers weapons and trains followers. He seems determined to form his own power base rather than remain a powerless victim.
• Good Fortune Born remains arrogant and status-conscious, quickly losing interest in Xu once he learns Xu’s official rank, though he notices the significance of Xu’s Luck Silver-Fish Pouch.
• Zhang Wentian is calculating and politically cautious. He recognizes the potential usefulness of allowing conflicts between rival factions to unfold while reserving his strength for larger threats.
• Mr. Fu is shown as competent and forceful in maintaining order, but the escalating chaos begins to frustrate and overwhelm him. He also appears envious of Zhang Wentian’s authority and position.
• Li Qingxian remains focused on his cultivation and technical work, unaware that a supernatural disturbance is spreading around him. His reaction to the stirring of his Devil God’s Might hints at a connection between him and the emerging demonic threat.

Significant Themes

• Hidden rebellion and political maneuvering: Xu’s secret militia reflects the unrest beneath the town’s official order, while Zhang and Mr. Fu manipulate rival factions for their own advantage.
• Class and power hierarchy: Good Fortune Born judges Xu primarily by rank and backing, demonstrating how status determines treatment in Blessing Town.
• Superficial order versus underlying chaos: The officials focus on visible conflicts and factional disputes, while the true danger—black demonic mist spreading underground—remains hidden.
• Resentment leading to radicalization: Xu’s accumulated grief and perceived injustice motivate him to seek power and possibly revenge.
• Demonic corruption: The black mist represents an unseen force infecting ordinary people, transforming social disorder into a supernatural crisis.

Important Character Interactions

• Xu Changren and Good Fortune Born: Their brief exchange emphasizes Xu’s low official status and hidden connection to greater powers.
• Xu Changren and his followers: Xu supplies weapons and helps train a small underground group, positioning himself as a possible faction leader.
• Zhang Wentian and Mr. Fu: They discuss Xu, the Night Guard, the Devil Children, and Prince of Chu, revealing the town’s political calculations and future plans.
• Mr. Fu and the yamen officials: Mr. Fu attempts to suppress multiple outbreaks of violence, demonstrating his authority while exposing the scale of the growing crisis.
• Li Qingxian and the emerging demonic influence: Though he has no direct interaction with the black mist, his Devil God’s Might reacts to it, suggesting an impending connection.

Summary: “Chaotic-Era Flying Clouds”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian temporarily stops refining the Eerie Village and focuses on the more difficult Eerie Imperial Palace. He struggles because the Weird Momentum Configuration is new, incomplete, and contains possible errors in its foundational texts.
• While refining, mysterious demonic qi rises from underground and enters Li Qingxian’s body. The Thunder Dragon Fire Seal purifies most of it, while a bald, powerful figure within the Divine Pool absorbs the remainder.
• Han Anbo reports that:
  • Xu Changren is secretly training soldiers.
  • Filthy Beggar is publicly cursing but privately persuading and inciting townspeople.
  • Conflicts have erupted throughout Blessing Town among the yamen, medical hall, Blessing-Welcoming Team, Ascension Sect, Night Guard, and other groups.
  • The Southern and Northern Xue Families, normally allies, have also come into conflict.
• Li Qingxian suspects that the widespread disorder is not merely caused by Eerie Mist but by an external power, possibly a Devil God. He also learns that someone has disappeared and that a new puppet has appeared in the town mayor’s residence, perhaps connected to the Fourth Devil Son.
• Using the Fate Disk, Li Qingxian examines Blessing Town’s increasingly complex waterways and underground network. His divination yields no clear result, suggesting that the town’s Fortune and Momentum Configuration has surpassed provincial scale or is being affected by a transcendent force.
• From a rooftop, Li Qingxian observes that the town’s Momentum Configuration Cloud has shattered into drifting fragments. He identifies the phenomenon as the “Chaotic-Era Flying-Cloud Configuration.”
• General Huang Tiantao visits the Night Guard, while Han Anbo continues investigating the unrest.
• Filthy Beggar subtly probes Han Anbo about whether the Night Guard serves the entire nation or merely Ye Sizheng. Han Anbo gives a cautious, noncommittal answer, while Filthy Beggar urges the Night Guard to act according to its conscience.
• Filthy Beggar then secretly meets Xu Changren. They discuss training armed groups, exploiting public fear, provoking more incidents, and preventing the town mayor from completing preparations for the Ginseng Fruit Tree’s worship ceremony.
• Xu Changren leaves to visit the Night Guard but encounters Mr. Fu, who greets him warmly, suggesting that Xu may have connections or an uncertain relationship with the town’s other factions.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian remains patient and methodical despite the flaws in the Weird Momentum Configuration. His growing awareness of the town’s abnormal configuration shows his increasing mastery of fortune and momentum techniques.
• Han Anbo acts as a careful investigator and intermediary. He avoids committing the Night Guard to a political position, though he appears loyal to Ye Sizheng and wary of Filthy Beggar’s provocations.
• Filthy Beggar is revealed to be far more deliberate than his crude public behavior suggests. His insults and apparent madness conceal organized agitation and resistance against the town mayor.
• Xu Changren is actively preparing for conflict by secretly training soldiers and coordinating with Filthy Beggar. He believes in taking action before the Ginseng Fruit Tree ceremony allows the opposing forces to consolidate power.
• Mr. Fu appears outwardly cordial toward Xu Changren, raising questions about his true loyalties and Xu’s relationship with him.

Significant Themes

• Hidden manipulation and political disorder: The sudden conflicts across Blessing Town may be deliberately engineered by supernatural or political forces.
• Appearance versus reality: Filthy Beggar’s vulgarity masks strategic intelligence, while seemingly ordinary events—such as family disputes or a new puppet—may conceal larger schemes.
• Institutional loyalty and conscience: The exchange between Han Anbo and Filthy Beggar questions whether officials should obey individual leaders or uphold a broader duty to the people.
• Incomplete knowledge and dangerous systems: Li Qingxian’s flawed texts and uncertain divination emphasize the limits of human understanding when dealing with newly formed or transcendent configurations.
• Approaching catastrophe: The “Chaotic-Era Flying-Cloud Configuration,” underground demonic qi, secret troop training, and the approaching Ginseng Fruit Tree ceremony all signal that Blessing Town is nearing a major crisis.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian and Han Anbo: Han Anbo reports the town’s unrest, while Li Qingxian interprets it as evidence of a larger supernatural influence.
• Han Anbo and Filthy Beggar: Their guarded conversation tests the Night Guard’s loyalties and exposes Filthy Beggar’s attempt to influence its actions.
• Filthy Beggar and Xu Changren: They coordinate resistance, discussing soldiers, public agitation, and the need to disrupt the town mayor’s plans.
• Xu Changren and Mr. Fu: Their unexpected encounter at the end introduces uncertainty about Xu’s affiliations and foreshadows possible conflict or alliance.

Chapter Summary: “Seeking Help Everywhere”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Changren confirms to Mr. Fu that he has joined the Divine Fate Sect as its second disciple and that his work with the Night Guard is progressing smoothly.
• Mr. Fu is immediately called back to the yamen when it catches fire. Afterward, unrest erupts at the market, where farmers protest their poverty and the heavy demands imposed by the Upper District.
• He spends the entire day suppressing crises throughout Blessing Town. Unlike the previous day, he relies less on intimidation and more on patient reasoning, suggesting that he recognizes the unrest as broader and more serious than ordinary rebellion.
• Mr. Fu reports the situation to Town Mayor Zhang Wentian. He describes the town as collapsing from all directions and worries that a new Eerie Mist, a Devil God, or another outside force may be responsible.
• Zhang summons the Fate Arts Master Gai Fengyou to investigate whether someone has manipulated Blessing Town’s fate and Momentum Configuration.
• Gai’s calculations reveal that the town’s previously traceable configuration has become chaotic and disordered. He concludes that an immensely powerful and mysterious expert has interfered, though even he cannot determine the cause or predict what will happen next. He firmly rules out Ye Sizheng as the culprit.
• Good Fortune Born visits Zhang Wentian to request ten Ginseng Fruits for his wife, who has been afflicted by an eerie curse. Zhang notes that the illness has affected Good Fortune Born strangely as well, causing him to see things others cannot.
• Because Zhang’s supply of Ginseng Fruits is limited, he offers Good Fortune Born a place in his service—and even proposes taking him as a nominal disciple in exchange for access to his inheritances and more fruits.
• Good Fortune Born hesitates because he is loyal to the Prince of Chu and fears conflict with his father and sect if he begins studying demonic arts. Zhang agrees to first test the Prince of Chu’s willingness to release him.
• Zhang gives Good Fortune Born three Ginseng Fruits to temporarily suppress the curse while the matter is negotiated.

2. Character Developments

• Mr. Fu: Shows a shift from harsh suppression to patient mediation. His exhausted response to the town’s crises reveals both his sense of responsibility and his growing fear that the unrest reflects a much larger supernatural disturbance.
• Zhang Wentian: Becomes increasingly anxious and proactive. Rather than merely investigating the crisis, he attempts to recruit Good Fortune Born, recognizing his unusual potential and value.
• Gai Fengyou: Demonstrates his formidable Fate Arts abilities, but also acknowledges the limits of his understanding. His cultivation appears to have advanced significantly, and Zhang suspects he may soon become a Second Rank Grand Fate Arts Master.
• Good Fortune Born: Remains loyal and cautious. He seeks help desperately for his wife but refuses to abandon his existing allegiance without permission. His strange visions or perceptions make him both vulnerable and mysterious.
• Xu Changren: Is briefly shown as someone whose status is rising through his connections to the Divine Fate Sect and the Night Guard.

3. Significant Themes

• Social unrest and systemic collapse: The farmers’ protests suggest that Blessing Town’s disorder is rooted not only in supernatural forces but also in exploitation and inequality.
• The limits of authority: Mr. Fu can contain individual disturbances, but neither he nor Zhang can identify the force destabilizing the entire town.
• Fate and hidden manipulation: The ruined Momentum Configuration implies that powerful unseen forces are altering the town’s destiny.
• Loyalty versus survival: Good Fortune Born must weigh loyalty to the Prince of Chu against the urgent need to save his wife.
• Political opportunism and recruitment: Zhang uses the crisis to seek out talented allies, offering protection and resources in exchange for allegiance.
• Uncertainty before catastrophe: The approaching sacrifice to the Ginseng Fruit Tree adds urgency, while Gai’s inability to predict the future emphasizes the scale of the looming danger.

4. Character Interactions

• Mr. Fu and Xu Changren: Their brief exchange establishes Xu’s advancement and Mr. Fu’s pride in him as someone from Blessing Town.
• Mr. Fu and Zhang Wentian: Mr. Fu reports the unrest and shares his suspicions, while Zhang directs him to seek Gai Fengyou’s expertise.
• Zhang Wentian and Gai Fengyou: Their conversation is polite but tense, as Zhang probes Gai’s knowledge and carefully observes his improved cultivation. Gai confirms that the town’s fate has been disrupted by an overwhelming power.
• Zhang Wentian and Good Fortune Born: Zhang offers aid but also attempts to draw Good Fortune Born into his own faction. Good Fortune Born respectfully resists, and Zhang compromises by offering to negotiate with the Prince of Chu and provide limited immediate assistance.

Chapter Summary: Fighting Over the Heavenly Baleful Lone Star

Key Plot Points and Events

• Good Fortune Born thanks Town Mayor Zhang Wentian for treating him like a parent and bows respectfully before leaving.
• Zhang Wentian summons the Prince of Chu and openly asks to “borrow” Good Fortune Born for Eerie Town’s growing troubles.
• The town is suffering from the Eerie Mist, repeated Devil God disturbances, renewed chaos, a depleted population, and a shortage of capable personnel. Zhang Wentian claims that only the Prince of Chu and Good Fortune Born are strong enough to help.
• The Prince initially resists, suggesting that Zhang Wentian simply pass orders through him rather than take Good Fortune Born directly. Zhang insists that he wants Good Fortune Born himself and invites the Prince to name his price.
• Zhang offers a Ginseng Fruit to cure Good Fortune Born’s mysterious illness if he joins Eerie Town, revealing that Good Fortune Born has sought treatment elsewhere without success.
• The Prince agrees to consider the proposal but insists that Good Fortune Born will remain affiliated with the Prince’s residence even if he works in Eerie Town.
• Afterward, the Prince questions his guard about Good Fortune Born’s loyalty and behavior, then visits Gai Fengyou for advice.
• Gai explains that Zhang Wentian likely genuinely wants Good Fortune Born because of his exceptional combat ability, rather than merely trying to drive a wedge between him and the Prince.
• Their discussion touches on rumors that Good Fortune Born possesses a dangerous fate—variously called a “Dilu Fate” or, more accurately in Fate Arts, the “Heavenly Baleful Lone Star”—and may bring misfortune to his master.
• Gai confirms that Good Fortune Born sought help from both him and Ye Sizheng to cure his illness, but insists these efforts were not signs of betrayal.
• The chapter ends with the Prince admitting that he has recently become unusually restless and emotionally uncontrolled, suggesting that Good Fortune Born’s situation is affecting him deeply.

Character Developments

• Good Fortune Born: Gains further importance as both a powerful fighter and a valuable political asset. His desperation to cure his illness becomes clearer, but he is still portrayed as loyal and respectful toward the Prince.
• Zhang Wentian: Shows strategic determination and a willingness to negotiate aggressively. He values Good Fortune Born’s abilities enough to challenge the Prince directly and offers a Ginseng Fruit as an incentive.
• Prince of Chu: Reveals strong possessiveness toward Good Fortune Born, viewing him as more than a servant. Although outwardly calm, he becomes suspicious, irritable, and internally hostile toward Zhang Wentian. His loss of emotional control hints at growing anxiety or hidden pressure.
• Gai Fengyou: Acts as a calm, analytical adviser. He assesses Zhang Wentian’s motives and defends Good Fortune Born’s loyalty while acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding his fate and illness.
• Good Fortune Born’s old attendant: Remains silent and fiercely loyal, contributing to the mystery surrounding Good Fortune Born’s background.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus ownership: The Prince regards Good Fortune Born as a trusted companion rather than a simple servant, but Zhang Wentian’s request exposes the tension between personal loyalty and political possession.
• Power and political bargaining: Good Fortune Born becomes the subject of negotiation between influential figures, demonstrating how capable individuals are treated as strategic resources.
• Fate and superstition: The debate over the “Heavenly Baleful Lone Star” raises questions about whether misfortune is truly determined by fate or merely imposed through rumor and interpretation.
• Desperation and vulnerability: Good Fortune Born’s illness motivates him to seek help from multiple people, while the Prince’s unusual restlessness suggests that even powerful figures are vulnerable to fear and uncertainty.
• Hidden motives and mistrust: Characters repeatedly question whether Zhang Wentian’s request is genuine or part of a larger scheme, emphasizing the political atmosphere of suspicion.

Important Character Interactions

• Good Fortune Born and Zhang Wentian: Their respectful exchange establishes a relationship of gratitude and trust. Zhang’s promise to cure Good Fortune Born creates a strong incentive for him to change allegiance.
• Zhang Wentian and the Prince of Chu: Their conversation is a tense negotiation. Zhang is direct and forceful, while the Prince remains formally polite but internally offended by the attempt to take Good Fortune Born.
• The Prince and his guard: The Prince investigates whether Good Fortune Born has shown signs of disloyalty, but learns that he has remained consistently respectful.
• The Prince and Gai Fengyou: The Prince seeks an objective interpretation of Zhang Wentian’s intentions and Good Fortune Born’s behavior. Gai reassures him that Good Fortune Born’s search for medical help does not imply betrayal.
• The Prince and his own emotions: In the final exchange, the Prince confesses his growing unease, revealing an internal conflict that he cannot fully explain or control.

Chapter Summary: “Sacrificing to the Ginseng Fruit Tree”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Prince of Chu asks Gai Fengyou to use Qi-Gazing and Fortune-Observing to determine why his emotions have become unstable. Gai warns that examining an imperial relative could provoke backlash from the royal family’s fortune, but the Prince grants permission.
• Gai’s divination reveals two influences affecting the Prince:
  1. An immensely powerful force, likely originating from an Eerie Ground.
  2. A second force within Eerie Town, probably connected to the town mayor and the faction surrounding him.
• The Prince explains that Gai’s Momentum Configuration has been suppressing the influence, preventing his condition from worsening.
• They discuss Good Fortune Born, who appears to be siding with the town mayor because the mayor controls the Ginseng Fruit Tree. The Prince decides not to force him to stay, accepting that they may have to part peacefully.
• The Upper Mountain District has been preparing a sacrifice to the Ginseng Fruit Tree. The Prince suspects that the ritual will require many deaths.
• The Prince reveals that Zhang Wentian once offered him a quota to leave Eerie Town. Zhang Wentian and other long-time residents have accumulated a large number of Ginseng Fruits, which can supposedly be sacrificed during “Full Moon Illuminating the Well” to escape the town.
• The previous escape involved only the Great Noble and Zhang Wentong, who allegedly deceived the Eerie Town. This time, Zhang Wentian hopes to take more people away and may possess enough Ginseng Fruits to reach the peak of First Rank or even attempt to become Beyond-Rank.
• After Prince of Chu leaves, Gai secretly reports everything to Li Qingxian.
• Li and Gai question whether collecting Ginseng Fruits through mass slaughter and sacrificing them is truly the proper way to resolve an Eerie Ground. Their past experiences suggest that Eerie Grounds demand cooperation and impose danger, but do not normally reward brute-force extermination.
• They infer that the Great Noble and Zhang Wentong may have killed thousands—or even more than ten thousand—people to gather enough Ginseng Fruits before escaping. This raises further doubts about what actually happened and whether their “escape” truly resolved the Eerie.
• The chapter ends with Li recalling the principle that Eerie Grounds “eat people, but do not take pleasure in eating people.” The town mayor’s and Great Noble’s methods feel like forcibly breaking through the Eerie rather than resolving it correctly.

Character Developments

• Prince of Chu: Becomes increasingly restless and emotionally unstable, suggesting that the Eerie influence is growing. He also reveals more of his hidden investigations and information to Gai, showing increased trust in him. Although suspicious and politically calculating, he displays concern for Good Fortune Born’s safety.
• Gai Fengyou: Gains the Prince’s trust and becomes an intermediary between him and Li Qingxian. He remains cautious about his divination and privately recognizes the difficulty of dealing with Li, whose apparent ignorance may conceal much greater knowledge.
• Li Qingxian: Demonstrates strong analytical judgment by recognizing that the supposed method of escaping Eerie Town contradicts his understanding of Eerie Grounds. He increasingly suspects that the town’s established practices conceal a serious truth.
• Good Fortune Born: Although he does not appear directly, he is positioned as someone caught between the Prince and the town mayor. His allegiance appears motivated by the mayor’s control of the Ginseng Fruit Tree.
• Zhang Wentian and the Great Noble: Their past and present plans are recast as potentially ruthless schemes based on mass sacrifice rather than legitimate resolution of the Eerie.

Significant Themes

• Trust and concealed information: The Prince gradually reveals secrets to Gai, while Gai must conceal his communications with Li. Nearly every faction appears to be withholding crucial facts.
• The true nature of Eerie Grounds: The chapter challenges the assumption that survival through mass killing equals resolving an Eerie. It suggests that Eerie Grounds have rules and purposes beyond simple strength or accumulation of resources.
• Moral corruption and expediency: The Ginseng Fruit system turns human deaths into a commodity. Those seeking escape may justify slaughter as necessary, raising questions about whether freedom obtained through mass sacrifice is truly victory.
• Cooperation versus brute force: Li’s memories of other Eerie Grounds emphasize that cooperation reduces casualties and enables genuine progress, contrasting sharply with Eerie Town’s apparent reward for murder.
• Uncertainty and hidden consequences: Even if people escape the town, their fate afterward remains unclear. The failures or mysterious endings of those who previously left imply that “escaping” may carry a delayed price.

Character Interactions

• Prince of Chu and Gai Fengyou discuss the Prince’s condition, the forces influencing him, Good Fortune Born’s loyalty, and the planned sacrifice.
• The Prince questions whether the town mayor has offered Gai a way out, revealing his suspicion and testing Gai’s honesty.
• Before leaving, the Prince asks Gai to inform him if anything happens to Good Fortune Born, showing concern despite their political conflict.
• Gai then secretly relays the Prince’s revelations to Li Qingxian.
• Li and Gai jointly analyze the Ginseng Fruit sacrifice and compare Eerie Town with other Eerie Grounds. Their conversation exposes their shared suspicion that the accepted method of escape is fundamentally wrong.

Summary of "Li Qingxian Looks at the Tree"

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Discussion on "Weirdness" (奇病): Li Qingxian and Gai Fengyou debate potential methods to cure the strange affliction (likely a form of petrification or supernatural corruption) plaguing the town. Gai admits he’s unsure if any remedies exist beyond what they’ve tried.
• Urgent Mission: Li Qingxian decides to visit the Ginseng Fruit Tree, a legendary tree tied to the town’s strange occurrences, to seek answers and meet General Huang Tiantao (黄天陶), a high-ranking military figure.

Chaotic Town Encounters

• A burning house is observed, hinting at escalating violence.
• A group of severely afflicted townspeople attacks a man with mild symptoms, forcing Li Qingxian to intervene. He sentences them to prison, showing his authority as the "Night Guard" (夜守).
• A Ninth Rank Martial Cultivator (a high-level practitioner) is brutally murdered by a Seventh Rank assailant for stealing treasure, with the victim’s soul (or essence) seemingly absorbed by the Ginseng Fruit Tree. A faint white light (likely the victim’s spirit or energy) ascends toward the tree.
• Travel to the Upper Mountain District: The group passes through increasingly lawless areas, witnessing extreme violence and corruption. Huang Tiantao warns that "when the world falls into chaos, no one’s heart can be at peace."
• Arrival at the Ginseng Fruit Tree: The tree is a grotesque, otherworldly entity—its trunk black and red, branches white like bones, leaves green, and flowers that transform into Ginseng Fruits upon death. A white flower (from the murdered servant) drifts into the ancient well before the tree, where it swells into a new fruit.

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2. Character Developments

Li Qingxian (李清仙)

• Authority & Leadership: Asserts control by intervening in the alley fight and imposing punishment, establishing his role as a protector (or enforcer) in the town.
• Determination: Prioritizes visiting the Ginseng Fruit Tree, suggesting he believes it holds the key to solving the town’s crisis.
• Observant & Analytical: Notices the white light from the murder, linking it to the tree’s behavior.
• Ambiguous Morality: While he punishes the afflicted townspeople, he doesn’t directly help the victim, showing a pragmatic or detached approach.

Gai Fengyou (盖风友)

• Physical Decline: His left wrist and leg are turning woody (petrifying), but he downplays it, focusing on cultivating his skills to prepare for an impending attack.
• Supportive Role: Accompanies Li Qingxian but remains in the background, emphasizing his secondary status.

Huang Tiantao (黄天陶)

• Military Expertise: Offers Li Qingxian a position in the River Guard Army, detailing its factions (e.g., Grand General King’s guard, Treading White Cavalry, Barbarian Army). This hints at his ambition and knowledge of large-scale power structures.
• Observant of Chaos: Notes the town’s descent into lawlessness, contrasting it with Far-Reaching City’s stability under authority.
• Recruitment Tactics: Positions the River Guard Army as a viable (or even appealing) path for Li Qingxian, suggesting he sees potential in him.

Zhou Hen (周恨) & Liu Yitian (刘一天)

• Supportive of Li Qingxian: Zhou Hen warns against the "fiery pit" of the Old Royal Army, showing loyalty.
• Nostalgic Reflections: Liu Yitian recalls Far-Reaching City’s past chaos, contrasting it with its current stability under order.

Xu Fang (徐芳)

• Pragmatic View: Argues that cities like Far-Reaching City can recover from disasters with strong leadership, implying she values structure and authority.

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3. Significant Themes

Corruption & Chaos

• The town is descending into violence, with afflicted individuals turning violent and authorities (or factions) enforcing brutal justice. The murder of the Ninth Rank cultivator underscores the escalating lawlessness.
• Contrast with Order: Far-Reaching City’s ability to recover from disasters under strong leadership (e.g., River Guard Army) is highlighted as a counterpoint

Summary of “Good Fortune Born’s Ordeal”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian and Huang Tiantao approach a strange black-and-red tree. When Li touches it, he is overwhelmed by a torrent of wails, curses, sobs, screams, and roars. He takes a branch and leaves to perform a divination.
• Li’s deduction leaves him visibly weakened, though he refuses to explain what he discovered. The timing proves significant: while he is performing the ritual, Good Fortune Born suddenly loses control and attacks his own squad.
• Good Fortune Born kills the members of the Welcoming Fortune Third Squad and injures his longtime guard, Uncle Sheng. He then binds himself and voluntarily enters prison.
• In prison, Good Fortune Born has transformed into a grotesque bear-like creature, apparently because of the Devil God Curse. He explains that his companions appeared to him as monstrous masses of heads that attacked while cursing, crying, and begging for help. He eventually fought back, nearly killing Uncle Sheng as well.
• Li gives him three Ginseng Fruits. The medicine reduces Good Fortune Born’s monstrous transformation, shrinking his tumors and fur, though it does not cure the curse.
• Good Fortune Born promises to help Li gather the materials needed to remove the curse and offers his own treasures as possible substitutes.
• Uncle Sheng begs Li to save Good Fortune Born, emphasizing the young master’s remorse and attempts to make amends. Li agrees to help but admits that the necessary treasures are difficult to obtain.
• Later, the town magistrate and the Prince of Chu publicly punish Good Fortune Born with eighty paddle strokes. They explain the incident as the work of Devil Cultivators and claim that Good Fortune Born acted under an illusion, allowing him to atone through future service.
• That night, the Lower Mountain District erupts in anger. Residents curse the authorities, demand that Good Fortune Born pay with his life, and set numerous houses on fire.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian: Becomes increasingly concerned about the connection between the strange tree, his divination, and Good Fortune Born’s outbreak. He shows compassion by visiting Good Fortune Born, giving him precious Ginseng Fruits, and committing to finding a cure despite limited resources.
• Good Fortune Born: Suffers a severe relapse of his curse and loses control, killing his squad. However, he immediately accepts responsibility by binding himself and entering prison. His remorse and willingness to help gather cure materials reinforce his desire to atone for his past.
• Uncle Sheng: Demonstrates deep loyalty and affection for Good Fortune Born. Though powerless to save him, he openly pleads with Li and emphasizes the young master’s changed character.
• Huang Tiantao and the Night Guards: Support Li during the investigation and recognize that the incident may be connected to a larger supernatural force. Their speculation reflects uncertainty about the source of Good Fortune Born’s misfortune.
• The town magistrate and Prince of Chu: Present a controlled public explanation and punishment, framing the incident as an illusion caused by Devil Cultivators. Their response appears intended to contain unrest, but it fails to satisfy the public.

Significant Themes

• Fate and the burden of fortune: The characters question how someone blessed with extraordinary Fortune can repeatedly suffer disastrous outcomes. They speculate that great Fortune may invite trials or that Good Fortune Born’s fate is connected to the Prince of Chu.
• Redemption and atonement: Good Fortune Born accepts punishment and seeks to repair the harm caused by his past, while Li recognizes his efforts and chooses to help him.
• Compassion amid suspicion: Although Good Fortune Born is responsible for multiple deaths, Li treats him as a cursed and suffering person rather than merely a criminal.
• Supernatural corruption: The tree, the overwhelming voices, the Devil God Curse, and the monstrous transformation suggest a deeper force influencing minds and fate.
• Public justice versus official control: The authorities offer an official explanation and punishment, but the townspeople reject it, demanding harsher justice and expressing their anger through violence.

Important Character Interactions

• Li and Huang Tiantao investigate the mysterious tree together, with Huang protecting Li’s access to it.
• Li and Good Fortune Born have a sincere prison conversation in which Good Fortune Born reveals his suffering and asks for help. Li responds with medicine and reassurance.
• Uncle Sheng appeals emotionally to Li, asking him to save Good Fortune Born and expressing gratitude for Li’s mercy.
• The Night Guards debate whether Good Fortune Born’s misfortune comes from the Eerie Ground, the Prince of Chu, or the strange workings of Fortune.
• The authorities publicly punish Good Fortune Born, while the enraged citizens condemn both him and the official handling of the incident.

Chapter Summary: “The Old Beggar Reappeared”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the devastating fire, Welcoming Fortune Town begins clearing the ruins. Survivors whisper that the town chief is preparing another sacrifice to the Ginseng Fruit Tree, which requires killing large numbers of people.
• The townspeople suspect that Good Fortune Born and the various squads have become tools of the town chief’s killings. They also believe the town chief intends to gather enough Ginseng Fruits and flee Eerie Town with his trusted followers, possibly abandoning everyone else.
• A member of the Welcoming Fortune Second Squad overhears these rumors and heads toward the yamen, suggesting that the information may soon reach Li Qingxian’s faction.
• Rumors spread throughout Eerie Town. Li Qingxian receives Han Anbo’s report:
  • The town’s Fate Arts Masters have been identified, numbering only seven.
  • The Divine Bow Sect’s Eerie Town branch has been founded and recruited twenty disciples, including ten Night Guards.
  • Mr. Fu has repeatedly visited the town chief’s residence.
  • The rumors likely originated with the Filthy Beggar, who appears to know secrets about the town chief.
• Li Qingxian decides to arrange a direct conversation with the Filthy Beggar. Before this can happen, a powerful newcomer named Zuo Zhiyin arrives, claiming Fourth Rank strength and wishing to join Li’s side. Li recognizes the importance of the visitor and orders preparations.
• Elsewhere, near the ruined town of Depu outside Divine Capital, a mysterious old beggar appears sitting in the snow and humming about the Golden Throne Hall. He is revealed to be the same strange beggar previously encountered in Far-Reaching City.
• A caravan attempts to rescue the beggar from the cold, but even several strong men and Ninth Rank cultivators cannot move him. They discover that his body is unusually warm despite the freezing weather, confirming that he is an extraordinary expert.
• In the Qi court, officials learn from Old Immortal Fate that the Prince of Chu’s Fortune is weakening and that a major calamity threatens him. The Cabinet debates whether to strengthen the prince’s Fortune or diminish that of his rival.
• The officials blame the Heaven’s Mandate Sect because its actions apparently caused the crisis. They decide to seek help from Old Immortal Fate and pressure the sect to intervene.
• Within the Heaven’s Mandate Sect, the Great Elder angrily condemns internal leaks and incompetence, warning that the sect’s foundations are being threatened by rival powers. However, he emphasizes that Ye Han remains the immediate priority.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian continues consolidating power in Eerie Town. He is actively cultivating, producing Momentum Configuration blocks, organizing the Divine Bow Sect, and investigating the town chief’s secrets.
• Han Anbo functions as Li’s reliable intelligence officer, providing updates on personnel, rumors, and political developments.
• The Filthy Beggar becomes increasingly important as a source of hidden information. His knowledge may expose the town chief’s plans.
• Zuo Zhiyin is introduced as a powerful potential ally whose Fourth Rank strength makes his arrival strategically significant.
• The old beggar from Far-Reaching City is revealed to possess profound, concealed abilities. His apparent madness contrasts with his supernatural physical strength and mysterious connection to Divine Capital.
• The town chief is portrayed as ruthless and calculating, willing to sacrifice his own people to grow the Ginseng Fruit Tree and secure his escape.
• The Great Elder of the Heaven’s Mandate Sect appears stern and deeply concerned about the sect’s decline, internal betrayal, and loss of control.

Significant Themes

• Exploitation and betrayal: The town chief sacrifices the very people who serve him, revealing the cruelty of power structures built on obedience.
• Rumor as resistance: Information spreads secretly among the townspeople, giving them a way to understand and perhaps oppose the town chief’s schemes.
• Hidden identities and concealed power: Both the Filthy Beggar and the old beggar appear insignificant but possess unusual knowledge or strength.
• Political manipulation of Fortune: The Qi court treats Fortune as a force that can be strengthened, weakened, or weaponized in political struggles.
• Institutional decay: The Heaven’s Mandate Sect faces leaks, incompetent successors, rival pressure, and threats to its inheritance.
• Fate versus human intervention: Prophecies about the Prince of Chu’s calamity force political powers and sects to decide whether destiny can—or should—be altered.

Important Character Interactions

• Townspeople secretly discuss the town chief’s sacrifices, Good Fortune Born, the Ginseng Fruit Tree, and his possible escape.
• Li Qingxian and Han Anbo discuss the Filthy Beggar, the rumors in Eerie Town, and the arrival of Zuo Zhiyin.
• The caravan members attempt to help the old beggar, then recognize that he is an immensely powerful expert.
• Qi officials debate how to save the Prince of Chu and whether responsibility lies with the Heaven’s Mandate Sect.
• The Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s elders confront the crisis of internal leaks while prioritizing Ye Han’s situation.

Summary: “Heaven’s Mandate Sect Makes Its Move”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The elders of the Heaven’s Mandate Sect worry that the theft or exposure of their inheritance—especially the Heaven’s Mandate Orthodox Canon—could threaten the sect’s survival. They decide to use the powerful Great Fate Arts to resolve the matter.
• The Seventh Elder activates the Great Fate Arts, but the technique is blocked by an even stronger force. This shocks the elders and suggests that the culprit or opposing power is extraordinarily formidable.
• The Cabinet then orders the sect to rescue the Prince of Chu, whose danger is connected to the Heaven’s Mandate Sect. Although the elders initially consider doing only the minimum, they eventually agree to provide substantial assistance while secretly helping Ye Han as well.
• The elders debate how to divide their resources between the Prince of Chu and Ye Han, considering options such as a powerful dharma artifact or the Heaven’s Mandate True Body.
• At the Night Guard Yamen in Eerie Town, Li Qingxian, acting as Chief Ye, meets Honest Devil Prince Zuo Zhiyin.
• Zuo Zhiyin offers a Devil God Portrait, swears loyalty before three Devil Gods, and explains that he used a puppet to replace him during the Five Sons Delivering Devils ritual. This allowed him to control the portrait without technically violating his oath.
• Zuo Zhiyin reveals his divine ability, the Fortune and Misfortune Gate, which allows him to foresee whether a decision will bring disaster or blessings. Repeated visions of calamity convinced him to abandon the Devil Sect’s plan to kill Li Qingxian and cooperate with him instead.
• Li Qingxian accepts Zuo Zhiyin’s cooperation but orders him to conceal the Devil God Portrait’s presence. Zuo Zhiyin uses a wooden puppet to disguise and transport it.
• The chapter ends with Li Qingxian asking Zuo Zhiyin for his thoughts on resolving the eerie crisis in the town.

Character Developments

• Heaven’s Mandate Sect elders: They shift from confidence to alarm after the Great Fate Arts fail. Their willingness to assist both the Prince of Chu and Ye Han demonstrates their political calculation and concern for preserving the sect’s influence.
• Seventh Elder: His blank, shaken reaction after the failed technique emphasizes the unprecedented strength of the force that obstructed it.
• First Elder: He acts as the sect’s strategist, balancing the Cabinet’s demands with the sect’s private interests.
• Li Qingxian: He remains outwardly calm and authoritative while carefully testing Zuo Zhiyin’s sincerity. Rather than accepting the Devil Prince’s claims immediately, he demands an oath before multiple Devil Gods.
• Honest Devil Prince Zuo Zhiyin: He changes from a possible enemy into a cautious ally. His survival instinct and prophetic ability lead him to betray the Devil Sect’s intended plan. However, his refusal to explain the deeper secret behind the name “Zuo Zhiyin” preserves an element of mystery.

Significant Themes

• Power beyond prediction: The failure of the Great Fate Arts shows that even the Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s control over fate has limits.
• Political maneuvering and divided loyalties: The sect outwardly obeys the Cabinet while planning to benefit Ye Han, illustrating the conflict between official duty and factional interests.
• Survival through pragmatism: Zuo Zhiyin chooses cooperation after foreseeing disaster, showing that allegiance in this world is often determined by self-preservation rather than morality.
• The limits of oaths and technical loopholes: Zuo Zhiyin exploits the distinction between himself and his puppet to fulfill his oath while still controlling the Devil God Portrait.
• Hidden identities and uncertain truth: The repeated use of the name Zuo Zhiyin, the puppet disguise, and the unexplained cultivation secret reinforce the chapter’s atmosphere of deception and concealed power.

Character Interactions

• The Heaven’s Mandate elders debate among themselves, revealing both their fear of external threats and their willingness to manipulate official orders for sectarian advantage.
• The elders’ discussion of aiding Ye Han shows their coordinated strategy and mutual understanding.
• Li Qingxian and Zuo Zhiyin engage in a cautious negotiation: Li Qingxian demands proof of loyalty, while Zuo Zhiyin repeatedly flatters him and emphasizes his submission.
• Zuo Zhiyin’s respectful behavior contrasts with his hidden motives and mysterious origins, creating tension beneath the apparent alliance.
• The final exchange positions Zuo Zhiyin as a potential adviser to Li Qingxian in dealing with the eerie crisis.

Chapter Summary: “Stealing Secrets from the Devil Sect”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian asks Honest Devil Prince to test the town mayor’s method for resolving Eerie Town’s supernatural strangeness. Honest Devil Prince walks through the town gates using his Fortune and Misfortune Gate ability.
• His divination produces an unusual result: neither clear blessing nor misfortune. Based on past experience, this suggests that the method may cause misfortune to someone else while leaving him unharmed.
• Li Qingxian and Honest Devil Prince discuss the limits of the Fortune and Misfortune Gate. Although it is powerful, it can be vague, inaccurate, or interfered with, and relying on it too heavily can lead to arrogance and neglect of personal cultivation.
• Honest Devil Prince explains that his current body is not his true body and that he avoids unnecessary risks. He values survival above loyalty, honor, or rewards, criticizing Zhang Wentong for sending others into danger while remaining safe himself.
• The conversation broadens into a discussion of the Devil Sect. Honest Devil Prince describes its factions, extremists, and horrifying practices, including Many-Children King’s enormous family-based sect and Devil-Transforming Mountain’s goal of turning the world into a Devil Realm.
• He also condemns the Evil Sects and hints that even the imperial clan may conceal disturbing secrets, though he quickly retracts the remark.
• Li Qingxian asks whether Honest Devil Prince can evade the oath binding him. Honest Devil Prince admits that he cannot—or at least does not dare to try—because he fears death.
• Li Qingxian then demands a pledge of allegiance and reveals his objective: manipulating Good Fortune Born into killing the Prince of Chu.
• Honest Devil Prince offers a strategy. Rather than directly targeting Good Fortune Born, Li Qingxian should make the Prince of Chu believe that Good Fortune Born has betrayed him. This would pressure Good Fortune Born into rebellion, as many historical “rebels” were forced into defiance rather than choosing it freely.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian demonstrates caution, strategic intelligence, and growing willingness to exploit political and psychological weaknesses. He listens carefully to Honest Devil Prince’s revelations and quickly grasps the value of his advice.
• Honest Devil Prince is established as pragmatic, self-preserving, and morally flexible, yet unusually candid. He does not pretend to be heroic and openly admits to having harmed others to survive. Despite his cynicism, he possesses considerable political insight and interpersonal expertise.
• Honest Devil Prince also shows fear beneath his confidence. Though he claims he cannot truly die because his current body is expendable, he still refuses to waste his strength or risk destruction.
• Li Qingxian’s view of Honest Devil Prince becomes more nuanced: he recognizes that the Devil Sect member is not merely selfish or corrupt, but a clever survivor with valuable knowledge and practical wisdom.

Significant Themes

• Survival versus loyalty: Honest Devil Prince rejects ideological loyalty when it conflicts with self-preservation, contrasting his pragmatism with Li Qingxian’s broader sense of responsibility.
• The danger of relying on power: The Fortune and Misfortune Gate provides guidance but can create overconfidence and dependency. True judgment remains necessary.
• Moral diversity within institutions: The Devil Sect, imperial court, and other organizations contain fools, geniuses, extremists, and ordinary self-interested people rather than being morally uniform.
• Manipulation and political rebellion: Rebellion is portrayed not always as a voluntary act. Leaders can create the appearance of betrayal and force others into revolt.
• Hidden corruption and extremism: Honest Devil Prince’s stories expose the grotesque beliefs and practices concealed within supposedly powerful sects, challenging Li Qingxian’s understanding of the world.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian questions Honest Devil Prince’s divination and tests the reliability of his abilities.
• Their debate over risk, loyalty, and responsibility highlights their opposing philosophies: Li Qingxian looks toward larger worldly consequences, while Honest Devil Prince focuses on staying alive.
• Honest Devil Prince speaks openly about the Devil Sect, treating Li Qingxian as someone who may eventually join or cooperate with it.
• Li Qingxian turns the conversation toward securing Honest Devil Prince’s allegiance. Though frightened of violating his oath, Honest Devil Prince agrees to help through strategy.
• Their final exchange establishes a cooperative relationship based on Li Qingxian’s goals and Honest Devil Prince’s expertise in deception, factional conflict, and turning allies against one another.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian asks the Honest Devil Prince for guidance on dealing with powerful opponents, using Zhang Wentong as an example. The prince explains that minor conflicts may be won through schemes, but major undertakings require open strategies and overwhelming strength.
• Li recruits the Honest Devil Prince to help destabilize the Upper Mountain District. The prince agrees, bringing the Blood Devil God and tens of thousands of Rat Strongmen under his command.
• To preserve their alliance after leaving Eerie Town, Li asks for proof of their cooperation. The Honest Devil Prince gives him a unique beast-fang token that can serve as evidence of their partnership.
• Li orders Han Anbo and the Honest Devil Prince—under the alias Zuo Zhiyin—to stir up the Upper District and buy him time. He then returns to cultivating Thunder Arts and refining Weird Momentum Configurations.
• Rumors from the Lower Mountain District spread upward, dividing the Upper District’s lower- and middle-rank cultivators. Some support Town Mayor Zhang Wentian, while others believe he intends to kill or abandon them. Arguments escalate into violence, conspiracies, and underhanded attacks.
• Du Baishan’s disciple is killed during a confrontation involving disciples of the Xue Family. Du publicly asks Zhang Wentian to investigate and uphold justice, intensifying the pressure on the town mayor.
• Zhang learns that the death was likely accidental: the attackers did not intend to kill the disciple, but the victim’s preexisting condition and the effects of Blessing caused a fatal injury.
• Mr. Fu reports that Xu Changren has allied with Filthy Beggar, recruited Night Guard members, acquired weapons, and begun training forces with cultivation methods.
• Zhang and Mr. Fu discuss Ye Sizheng, who spends nearly all his time cultivating and studying the Eerie. Zhang concludes that Ye is not the mastermind, though he may have indirectly fueled the unrest.
• Zhang orders Mr. Fu to offer Ye Sizheng a place to leave Blessing Town, revealing that Zhang has accumulated enough escape opportunities for himself and his followers.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian becomes increasingly strategic and politically minded. Rather than relying solely on personal strength, he forms alliances, manipulates factional tensions, and uses the Honest Devil Prince as an instrument to create chaos.
• Honest Devil Prince demonstrates both practical intelligence and survival instincts. Though he claims to live only to survive, he recognizes Li’s larger ambitions and openly pledges loyalty within Eerie Town. His control over the Rat Strongmen reveals that his influence is far greater than Li initially assumed.
• Han Anbo remains calm and obedient, accepting the role of cooperating with the Honest Devil Prince in the Upper District.
• Zhang Wentian appears composed and authoritative while facing mounting disorder. He understands that the conflict has spread faster than expected and begins considering escape plans for his disciples and trusted followers.
• Mr. Fu acts as Zhang’s investigator and adviser. He is initially suspicious of Ye Sizheng but gradually accepts that Ye’s obsession with cultivation makes him unlikely to be the central conspirator.
• Ye Sizheng is characterized as a genuine “cultivation maniac,” so absorbed in martial advancement and researching the Eerie that he appears detached from ordinary political struggles.
• Du Baishan is shown as powerful, grieving, and restrained. Although ruthless by reputation, he chooses to appeal to Zhang Wentian rather than immediately retaliate, suggesting that he still places some trust in Zhang’s authority.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus schemes: The Honest Devil Prince distinguishes between petty intrigue and grand struggles, arguing that major conflicts ultimately depend on open power rather than clever tricks.
• Survival and cooperation: The prince’s willingness to serve Li is rooted in survival, while Li builds alliances by offering protection and future mutual benefit.
• Political destabilization: Rumors, factional distrust, and isolated acts of violence can transform social disagreement into widespread unrest.
• Authority under pressure: Zhang Wentian’s ability to maintain order is tested as violence spreads beyond his control and even ordinary disputes become political crises.
• Obsession and purpose: Ye Sizheng’s relentless cultivation contrasts with the scheming of others, raising the question of whether pursuing strength is more meaningful—or more dangerous—than pursuing power through politics.
• Escape and contingency: Zhang’s secret preparations to evacuate his followers suggest that even leaders who appear confident may already be planning for defeat.

Character Interactions

• Li and the Honest Devil Prince establish a pragmatic alliance based on mutual usefulness and survival.
• Li introduces Han Anbo and the prince, assigning them the joint task of disrupting the Upper Mountain District.
• The Honest Devil Prince and Han Anbo cooperate despite their different personalities and backgrounds.
• Du Baishan confronts Zhang Wentian over his disciple’s death, but their exchange remains outwardly respectful.
• Zhang and Mr. Fu investigate the murder, discuss the growing rebellion, and reassess Ye Sizheng’s role.
• Zhang ultimately directs Mr. Fu to approach Ye with an offer of escape, showing that he is attempting to preserve key people rather than simply suppress the unrest.

Chapter Summary: “Time Set”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Wentian realizes that Zhang Wentong has laid multiple traps involving the Toxic Devil Prince, the Wisdom Devil God, and the Blood Devil God. Accepting the puppet could unleash chaos in Eerie Town, while refusing it might cause the puppet to be detonated.
• Blood-red power associated with the Blood Devil God spreads into Blessing Town and enters Li Qingxian’s body. His thunder and fire refine most of it, allowing the bald figure in his Divine Pool Golden Liquid to consume the remainder.
• Li Qingxian continues constructing the Four-Eerie Terrain Configuration. The final and most difficult component is the Golden Throne Hall, whose completion will connect the entire Momentum Configuration and may produce unforeseen effects.
• Han Anbo reports that both Upper and Lower Mountain Districts are collapsing:
  • Upper Mountain factions are turning against one another as deaths increase.
  • Lower Mountain residents are either despairing or organizing under Filthy Beggar and Xu Changren.
  • Xu Changren has become revered as “Xu Immortal” because of his Fate Arts.
  • The Honest Devil Prince has helped spread disorder, though his brutality makes him dangerous.
• The town mayor is preparing a ritual sacrifice to the Ginseng Fruit Tree. Li Qingxian plans to use the ritual as an opportunity to eliminate Prince of Chu, when the mayor will be unable to protect him.
• Filthy Beggar and Xu Changren intend to attack the Upper Mountain District during the ritual, choosing rebellion over passively awaiting death. Li Qingxian’s “sowing discord” plan will begin the day before.
• Li Qingxian examines the Devil God powers within his Spirit Platform. Five kinds of Devil God’s Might are now mixed together, while a golden figure continues to consume them. Li hopes this process will complete the formation of his Ascending Five Qi.
• Good Fortune Born’s Devil God Curse is worsening despite the Ginseng Fruit. He suspects Prince of Chu is responsible and plans to ask him one final time for treasures to aid an exorcism. If Prince of Chu refuses, he will seek help from Ye Han by offering his blood and Fate Mold.

2. Character Developments

• Zhang Wentian becomes increasingly wary and perceptive, recognizing that Zhang Wentong has prepared several hidden contingencies rather than relying on a single scheme.
• Li Qingxian demonstrates strategic patience and growing ambition. He is simultaneously completing a massive Momentum Configuration, exploiting the town’s internal divisions, cultivating Devil God powers, and planning Prince of Chu’s destruction.
• Han Anbo functions as Li’s trusted intelligence officer, gathering information, managing visitors, and coordinating with potential allies such as the Tomb Commandants.
• Xu Changren rises from a minor organizer to a quasi-religious figure among desperate Lower Mountain residents, earning the title “Xu Immortal.”
• The Honest Devil Prince proves genuinely useful to Li’s faction, but his excessive ruthlessness makes him someone they must also monitor.
• Good Fortune Born grows increasingly desperate and distrustful. His illness and curse are driving him toward drastic measures, while his resentment toward Prince of Chu intensifies.
• Prince of Chu becomes the central suspected enemy behind Good Fortune Born’s worsening curse and is identified by Li as a greater long-term threat than Good Fortune Born himself.

3. Significant Themes

• Scheming and counter-scheming: Nearly every faction is concealing plans and backup methods, especially Zhang Wentong, Li Qingxian, and Prince of Chu.
• Chaos as a weapon: Li Qingxian deliberately encourages factional conflict and despair so that the town will fracture before the decisive confrontation.
• Desperation and rebellion: The people of Lower Mountain District choose to resist because they believe death is inevitable, transforming helplessness into defiance.
• Power through danger: Li Qingxian uses hostile Devil God forces as nourishment for his cultivation, turning curses and threats into sources of advancement.
• Distrust and political isolation: Alliances are unstable, and characters increasingly interpret inaction or secrecy as evidence of betrayal.
• Time and preparation: The approaching Ginseng Fruit Tree ritual establishes a fixed deadline around which every faction organizes its plans.

4. Character Interactions

• Zhang Wentian analyzes Zhang Wentong’s manipulation of the Toxic Devil Prince and the Devil Gods.
• Han Anbo briefs Li Qingxian on the town’s political collapse, allies, enemies, and Good Fortune Born’s condition. Together, they finalize the timing of the attack on Prince of Chu and the sowing-discord operation.
• Li Qingxian and Han Anbo agree that the ritual is the ideal moment to strike because the town mayor will be occupied and unable to defend Prince of Chu.
• Filthy Beggar and Xu Changren coordinate a mass assault against the Upper Mountain District, indirectly supporting Li’s broader strategy.
• Good Fortune Born consults Uncle Sheng about Ye Sizheng’s delay and shares his suspicion that Prince of Chu is behind his curses. He resolves to confront Prince of Chu once more before seeking aid elsewhere.

Chapter Summary: “Heavenly Mandate True Fortune”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Good Fortune Born reassures Uncle Sheng that the death of the eldest miss was not his fault. She blames herself for choosing the wrong path in the past but vows to leave Eerie Town and begin anew.
• Heaven’s Mandate Sect decides to support Ye Han and the Prince of Chu. As compensation for its earlier mistake involving the leaked Dao lineage, the sect offers the extremely valuable Heavenly Mandate True Fortune, then withdraws from the matter.
• Officials explain that Heavenly Mandate True Fortune is drawn from Mandate’s Children during dynastic upheaval. Unlike ordinary Fortune, it dramatically increases a person’s destiny and power—equivalent to gaining a century of inner force.
• The offer alarms the court. Officials fear that granting this treasure to the Prince of Chu could effectively decide the succession and allow Heaven’s Mandate Sect to manipulate the choice of crown prince.
• The Mountain Fate Sect suspects that the Prince of Chu is merely a public pretext. It believes Heaven’s Mandate Sect truly intends to empower Ye Han, whom it identifies as the likely Mandate’s Child. Mountain Fate Sect decides to oppose Heaven’s Mandate Sect by reinforcing its own grand momentum configuration rather than directly entering the Eerie Ground.
• In Eerie Town, the Lower Mountain District collapses socially and economically. The Night Guard distributes porridge, while the Upper Mountain District’s elites panic after the laborers stop supplying food. Mr. Fu struggles unsuccessfully to manage both groups.
• The Town Yamen loses control: coercion fails, people flee into Night Guard territory, and the prison is raided repeatedly without the culprit being identified. The town’s population has effectively lost faith in its authorities.
• The three major Momentum Configurations intensify the town’s transformation. Underground waterways spread, rats become rampant, and Rat Strongmen are corrupted by the Blood Devil God and Wisdom Devil God. Their influence and the two Devil Gods’ auras spread throughout the population.
• Li Qingxian completes the Golden Throne Hall Momentum Configuration and inserts it into his larger Four-Eerie Terrain Configuration. The configuration reacts violently, drawing in his mana, Eerie Qi, and Devil God’s Might.
• Four eerie entities are summoned into the Four Eerie Grounds: the Weird Mother, a young red-braided girl, a pale eunuch, and the Severed-Arm Blue-Clad Man.
• The chapter ends with the sky splitting open above Eerie Town. A massive black vortex forms, and a yellow tornado of Eerie Qi descends into Li Qingxian’s configuration, signaling a major supernatural development.

Character Developments

• Good Fortune Born accepts responsibility for past mistakes and shows determination to change her life rather than remain trapped in guilt.
• Uncle Sheng remains loyal and remorseful, but Good Fortune Born helps relieve his burden by telling him he is not to blame.
• Heaven’s Mandate Sect reveals itself to be willing to sacrifice a portion of its deepest foundation to influence the struggle surrounding Ye Han and the Prince of Chu.
• Zhao Yishan adopts a cautious, observant position. Although others fear the political consequences of Heavenly Mandate True Fortune, he does not immediately reveal his judgment.
• Mr. Fu is increasingly powerless as the old system collapses. His attempts to negotiate with the townspeople cannot overcome the loss of authority.
• Li Qingxian demonstrates growing mastery over Momentum Configurations, successfully completing and activating an immense supernatural formation.

Significant Themes

• Fate and political legitimacy: Heavenly Mandate True Fortune blurs the boundary between genuine destiny and manufactured political power. Its gift may determine the next ruler before the formal succession struggle is over.
• Sect rivalry and hidden agendas: Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s public actions conceal possible plans to empower Ye Han, while Mountain Fate Sect prepares a countermeasure.
• Collapse of authority: Eerie Town’s rulers lose control when food, labor, and public trust disappear. The chapter portrays social order as dependent on cooperation rather than force alone.
• Transformation through corruption: The Devil Gods’ influence spreads through rats, strongmen, and ordinary people, suggesting that the town itself is becoming spiritually contaminated.
• Construction and creation: Li Qingxian’s formation-building contrasts with the town’s physical and political ruin. As he assembles a new supernatural structure, the old Eerie Town destabilizes around him.

Important Character Interactions

• Good Fortune Born comforts Uncle Sheng and promises that they will abandon their former path together.
• Heaven’s Mandate Sect members agree to support Ye Han and the Prince of Chu while using Heavenly Mandate True Fortune as atonement.
• Court officials debate whether the treasure would effectively make the Prince of Chu crown prince and whether the sect is interfering in imperial succession.
• Mountain Fate Sect elders analyze Heaven’s Mandate Sect’s motives, conclude that Ye Han is likely the true beneficiary, and agree to strengthen their own formation against him.
• Mr. Fu repeatedly moves between the Upper and Lower Mountain Districts, trying to preserve order but failing to reconcile the two sides.
• Li Qingxian interacts primarily with the Momentum Configurations and the summoned eerie entities, activating a formation whose effects culminate in the descent of a vast vortex of Eerie Qi.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• An enormous black vortex releases vast amounts of Eerie Qi into Li Qingxian’s Weird Momentum Configuration in Lower Mountain District. The phenomenon blankets Four-Eerie Terrain Configuration City in dusky yellow light and attracts attention throughout Eerie Town.
• Xu Changren and other rebels interpret the omen as a sign of divine support and renew their vow to overthrow the town mayor.
• The town mayor and Mr. Fu suspect that Ye Sizheng—Li Qingxian’s assumed identity—is refining an evil technique. They remain cautious but acknowledge that his status in the Night Guard may make him useful after leaving Eerie Town.
• At Prince of Chu’s Residence, Gai Fengyou uses his Fate Disk to predict that Ye Han has suffered the erosion of the Eerie Ground. He believes Ye Han may either ascend to immortality or be dying from Eerie Qi entering his body.
• Prince of Chu is pleased by this apparent misfortune, but Gai Fengyou warns him not to act rashly. Rumors already accuse the prince of conspiring with the Five Sons Delivering Devils and causing Good Fortune Born’s Devil God Curse.
• Good Fortune Born realizes the phenomenon is connected to Ye Sizheng. He regrets his former decision to support a plot against Ye Han and now intends to seek Ye Han’s help in lifting his curse before the town mayor sacrifices to the Ginseng Fruit Tree.
• As the vortex continues, vague voices from the Eerie Realm discuss Li Qingxian’s theft or consumption of Eerie Qi. They mention his identity as the Eerie Top Scholar, the Heaven’s Mandate Sect, and the value of his Heavenly Mandate True Fortune. Although irritated, they decide to let him take the energy because they want him to leave Eerie Town sooner.
• Li Qingxian stabilizes the Momentum Configuration while observing the Eerie Qi’s effects. He discovers new principles governing both the Eerie Qi Mechanism and the Weird Momentum Configuration.
• When the vortex disappears, a dusky setting sun appears at the center of the configuration. Li realizes it is the Eerie Qi Spirit Source, the core necessary for transforming the configuration into a true Grand Momentum Configuration.
• His understanding rapidly surpasses the existing theories recorded by Heaven Marrow Academy. This is revealed to be the first genuine Weird Momentum Configuration of the current era.
• The chapter ends with Li experiencing a mysterious vision: he stands on a high mountain facing the sea, surrounded by countless statues and towering figures whose faces he cannot see.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian: Demonstrates exceptional control and adaptability while absorbing Eerie Qi. Rather than being harmed, he gains profound insight into the Eerie Qi Mechanism and advances beyond the accumulated knowledge of contemporary Fate Arts Masters. His connection to the Eerie Realm and his mysterious status as the Eerie Top Scholar becomes more significant.
• Good Fortune Born: Becomes increasingly desperate because of his Devil God Curse and the approaching sacrifice. He admits past mistakes concerning Ye Han and shows a willingness to surrender hidden resources and treasures to obtain Li’s assistance.
• Prince of Chu: Reveals his ambition and relief at the possibility of Ye Han’s downfall. However, he is also concerned about rumors damaging his relationship with Good Fortune Born.
• Gai Fengyou: Acts as a cautious adviser. His deductions are useful but incomplete, showing that even his powerful Fate Arts cannot accurately understand Li Qingxian’s true situation.
• The town mayor and Mr. Fu: Remain suspicious of Li’s actions and continue preparing for the Ginseng Fruit Tree sacrifice.
• Uncle Sheng: Accepts responsibility for past misjudgments but remains loyal to Good Fortune Born.
• Xu Changren and the rebels: Gain renewed confidence from the supernatural event and interpret it as support for their rebellion.

Significant Themes

• Misinterpretation and hidden truth: Nearly everyone assumes Li Qingxian is being corrupted or harmed, while he is actually gaining power and knowledge.
• Power through danger: The Eerie Qi, normally viewed as deadly, becomes a source of advancement for Li because of his unusual identity and abilities.
• Fate and uncertainty: Gai Fengyou’s predictions, the rumors surrounding the major figures, and the mysterious Eerie voices all show how difficult it is to perceive the true course of events.
• Political maneuvering and shifting alliances: The approaching sacrifice forces characters to reconsider former enemies and seek cooperation, especially Good Fortune Born’s attempt to obtain Li’s help.
• The unknown and the sublime: The final vision of the mountain, sea, statues, and giant figures introduces a larger mystery connected to ancient powers or cosmic forces.

Character Interactions

• Xu Changren rallies the rebels after they interpret the omen as divine approval.
• The town mayor and Mr. Fu discuss whether Ye Sizheng’s actions threaten their plans and whether he should be preserved as a useful ally.
• Prince of Chu questions Gai Fengyou about Ye Han’s condition and the rumors surrounding his own ambitions; Gai advises restraint.
• Good Fortune Born and Uncle Sheng reflect on their past betrayal of Ye Han and plan to negotiate with him for help.
• Li Qingxian interacts primarily with the Momentum Configuration and the unseen Eerie powers, whose reluctant comments reveal that his actions are affecting forces far beyond Eerie Town.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qingxian completes his World Momentum Configuration, forming a brilliant silver star above his Fate Mansion. This marks his advancement to the status of a feudal lord, giving him the power to compete for regional and imperial authority.
• He observes that his main star resonates with the World Momentum Configuration Stars of the Mountain Fate Sect, the Qi royal family, Literary Cultivation, Great Qi, and humanity as a whole.
• Li Qingxian strengthens his Great Principle-Slaying Sword by melting the An Kingdom Jade Imperial Seal into it. The sword transforms into a jade-like weapon with pale-purple lightning patterns, greatly increasing its power.
• Using the Star Chess Momentum-Setting Arts, he places the sword within the Four-Eerie Terrain Configuration City and combines that configuration with his other three Grand Momentum Configurations.
• The resulting four-layered Grand Momentum Configuration spreads throughout Eerie Town. Its rivers and Rat Strongmen become more powerful, and even Upper Rank experts are largely restricted to defending themselves.
• Through his enhanced divine sense, Li Qingxian discovers that the Ginseng Fruit Tree has transformed into a tree of white light. Its roots extend underground and connect to every person in Eerie Town, including himself. He also sees varying concentrations of Eerie Qi and white light within the townspeople.
• From these observations, he begins to understand the true nature of Eerie Town and realizes that there may be another way to resolve the eerie phenomenon.
• Li Qingxian summons the Filthy Beggar and demands a complete account of Eerie Town’s secrets before the town chief’s coming sacrifice to the Ginseng Fruit Tree.
• The Filthy Beggar recounts the town’s history: its founders once pursued many methods of resolving the eerie, but after the Great Noble and Zhang Wentong stole the town’s Ginseng Fruit, Zhang Wentian gained control and monopolized the collection of Ginseng Fruit.
• Dissatisfaction led to unrest and deaths. The Filthy Beggar eventually joined Xu Changren and others in planning to act during the upcoming sacrifice, while also inciting rebellion in the Lower Mountain District. However, he claims not to know who caused the recent disturbance in the Upper Mountain District.

Character Developments

• Li Qingxian reaches a major cultivation milestone by completing his World Momentum Configuration and becoming a feudal lord.
• He demonstrates growing mastery over momentum formations, successfully integrating four Grand Momentum Configurations and substantially increasing their strength.
• His investigation into the Ginseng Fruit Tree and the spread of Eerie Qi shows that his understanding of Eerie Town is deepening. He appears close to discovering a new method of resolving the eerie.
• The Great Principle-Slaying Sword evolves into a stronger and more formidable weapon after absorbing the An Kingdom Jade Imperial Seal.
• The Filthy Beggar is revealed to be an informed participant in Eerie Town’s political struggle. Though physically diminished, his eyes and demeanor suggest increased strength or insight.
• The Filthy Beggar’s account establishes him as both a long-term observer of Eerie Town’s tragedies and an active conspirator against Zhang Wentian’s authority.

Significant Themes

• Power and political legitimacy: Li Qingxian’s completed star symbolizes his rise toward rulership, while Zhang Wentian’s monopoly demonstrates how power in Eerie Town has become concentrated and contested.
• Knowledge and hidden truth: Li Qingxian’s observations reveal that surface rumors conceal a deeper structure connecting the town, its people, the Ginseng Fruit Tree, and Eerie Qi.
• Sacrifice and exploitation: The Ginseng Fruit collection appears to have become a system that consumes or endangers the inhabitants, while powerful figures control its benefits.
• Resistance and rebellion: The Lower Mountain District’s agitation and the planned action during the sacrifice reflect growing opposition to Zhang Wentian’s rule.
• Integration and interconnectedness: The roots of the Ginseng Fruit Tree linking every resident suggest that the town’s fate, the eerie, and its people are inseparably connected.
• Transformation through power: Both Li Qingxian’s sword and Eerie Town itself undergo major transformations as different forces are merged and refined.

Character Interactions

• Li Qingxian first interacts with the forces and formations under his control, arranging the sword and momentum configurations to reshape Eerie Town’s power structure.
• He then summons Han Anbo to locate the Filthy Beggar.
• In their conversation, Li Qingxian insists that the Filthy Beggar reveal all of Eerie Town’s secrets, while the elder initially invokes the need for payment. Li Qingxian counters that the price was already paid, forcing the Filthy Beggar to acknowledge his obligation.
• The Filthy Beggar recounts the conflict among the town founders, the rise of Zhang Wentian, and the planned rebellion involving Xu Changren and others.
• Their exchange ends with the Filthy Beggar looking directly at Li Qingxian, suggesting that further revelations—or a test of trust—are about to follow.