Summary of the Chapter

Key Plot Points & Events

• Zhao Ranran, having skipped the farewell banquet, is surprised when Li Xian personally brings her a wine gourd of “Winter Jade Crisp.” She reflects on his apparent magnanimity and drinks for the first time, then departs with 39 martial wanderers to slay dragons.
• Li Xian finishes hosting the multi-day farewell banquet. He practices martial arts, gaining proficiency in Profound Flame Palm and other techniques.
• Zhao Yingqiong visits and praises his work, then reveals she has purchased the banquet grounds to build a Dragon-Slaying Tower (20–30 zhang tall) with a stele listing the dragon-slaying warriors. She grants Li Xian a 5% share in the business.
• While talking, Zhao Yingqiong accidentally exposes a glimpse of her undergarments while sitting cross-legged on horseback; Li Xian notices. She is embarrassed and secretly angry, but unable to call it out, she later vents by beating her subordinate Liu Longhai on a flimsy pretext.
• Li Xian soaks in a medicinal bath, refines his techniques, and reviews his finances: monthly income is 4,800 taels total (Dew Cicada Shop 2,700; medical shop 1,400; salary 700), netting about 3,000 taels. He remembers his 30,000-tael debt to Commandery Princess Anyang, seeing it as a political vulnerability.
• He goes boating in Water-Weave Ward, paints three pictures: one for Wen Caishang (Madam), one for Sister Liuli, and one for Tao Xiangrong—the “Child Holding Peaches Painting.”
• He gives the painting to Tao Xiangrong, who is overjoyed; they spend the night together. He asks her help to find a teacher for Heavenly Crafted Wonders.
• Tao Xiangrong shares news about Human Yellow Essence Treasures: she has identified three leads—Auspicious Fruit, Golden Bamboo Core, and Golden Scale—and explains the complex game of exchanging Essence Treasures. She offers to accompany him the next day to pursue them.

Character Developments

• Li Xian: Continues to balance martial cultivation, business ventures, and romantic entanglements. He is shrewd, opportunistic, and observant, but also deeply conscious of his political debts and dangers. His gift-giving shows his skill at managing relationships and winning hearts.
• Zhao Yingqiong: Appreciates Li Xian’s competence and gives him a business stake, but is also flustered when he catches sight of her undergarments. Her violent response—beating Liu Longhai—shows her pride and need to save face.
• Zhao Ranran: Begins to reconsider her impression of Li Xian, seeing him as possibly more magnanimous than she thought.
• Tao Xiangrong: Deeply infatuated, she happily grants Li Xian’s requests and provides crucial information about rare essence treasures. Her affection is mutual but also indulgent.

Significant Themes

• Political and financial maneuvering: Building Dragon-Slaying Tower, profit-sharing, and the hidden dangers of debt.
• Romance and gifts as strategy: Paintings are used to secure emotional bonds with women who can support Li Xian.
• Cultivation and rare treasures: The search for Human Yellow and Earthly Radiance treasures tied to the mysterious “Art Path: Dry Thunder.”
• Power dynamics and embarrassment: Even a powerful general like Zhao Yingqiong is vulnerable to social awkwardness and uses subordinates to vent frustration.

Character Interactions

• Li Xian ↔ Zhao Ranran: He offers wine as a gesture; she drinks and softens her view of him.
• Li Xian ↔ Zhao Yingqiong: Mutual respect mixed with playful tension, ending with him cautiously fleeing after seeing too much.
• Zhao Yingqiong ↔ Liu Longhai: She invents an excuse to beat him, using him as an outlet for her suppressed embarrassment.
• Li Xian ↔ Tao Xiangrong: Emotional and physical intimacy; he gifts her painting, and she provides information about essence treasures and offers practical help.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Morning with Tao Xiangrong: After carousing, Li Xian stays at Peach Residence. Tao personally cooks “Peach Crisp Porridge” and plays the flirtatious hostess, hand-feeding him a pastry called “Pluck as You Please.” She tells him to return in the evening to exchange Essence Treasures.
• Weapon preparations: Li Xian reports to Marquis Wu Station. On the way, he leaves his horizontal saber at Artifact Cauldron Pavilion to be reforged heavier and sharper. He also commissions 40 hidden “Jujube Swords”—silver, jujube-pit-shaped dart-like weapons with a hollow core and silver bead—from Master Fang Bo.
• Trade with Yan Gaosong: At a secluded barren mountain, Li Xian and Tao meet the wary trader Yan Gaosong. He tests Li Xian with a palm strike. Li Xian deliberately appears barely able to block it, playing the role of a reckless younger brother. Tao negotiates shrewdly, revealing Li Xian already knows “Technique Dao Light” (Golden Light), which destroys Yan’s bargaining position. He unwillingly agrees to exchange 7 Golden Scale scales + 1 tail for 5 Yellow Nine Ginseng whiskers—far above market value. The next day, the trade is completed.
• Tao’s long con: She baits Yan by hinting she knows someone with Dawn Yellow Dew, ensuring he will return and be fleeced again later.
• Trade with Hao Hong: Li Xian next meets a tough female trader, Hao Hong, over Golden Bamboo Core. After intense haggling, she trades 1 inch of Golden Bamboo Core for 4 Golden Scales.
• Final treasure inventory: Li Xian now possesses 1 inch Golden Bamboo Core (Human Yellow #82), half a tael Dawn Yellow Dew (#172), and 3 Golden Scale scales + 1 tail (#108). He hides them in his Fish-Belly Treasure Pouch with mist concealment. Though combining the three Human Yellow treasures could theoretically form an “unknown Art Path,” he has already consumed Dawn Yellow Dew and Golden Scale, so they can no longer grant new Art Paths—only additional essence.

2. Character Developments

• Li Xian: Shows growing strategic thinking—using disguise, feigned weakness, and information management. He is careful to scout the area, uses hair-trigger detection, and plays his “reckless little brother” role convincingly. He also begins building personal weapons and planning future hidden-art versatility.
• Tao Xiangrong: Displays sharp negotiation skills, emotional insight, and long-term manipulation. She is genuinely affectionate toward Li Xian, but also deeply lonely and increasingly emotionally invested. Her goal is to help him and stay by his side; she declines learning Technique Dao Light herself, saying she fears wasting the treasure and shortening her life.
• Yan Gaosong / Hao Hong: Both are wary, self-interested traders. Yan is emotional but ultimately forced to yield; Hao Hong is stubborn and nearly stalemates the deal before a compromise is reached.

3. Significant Themes

• Information is power: Knowing the other party’s recipe or needs lets one control negotiations. Tao defeats Yan precisely by revealing he has no leverage and by later dangling Dawn Yellow Dew as bait.
• Disguise and performance: Li Xian’s fake persona, Tao’s beauty, and even the Bronze Face mask all signal that appearances and roleplay are weapons.
• Opportunity and choice: “To choose is to give up.” Tao’s negotiation forces Yan to accept an unfair trade because missing the chance costs more.
• Value asymmetry: Essence Treasures have no fixed absolute price; their worth depends on need, scarcity, and what the opponent knows.

4. Character Interactions

• Tao and Li Xian: Playful flirtation underlaid with genuine warmth. Tao hand-feeds him, praises his appearance, teases him, and later says she only wants to “serve” him—moved, Li Xian promises to protect her lifespan.
• Li Xian and Yan: Li Xian pretends to be angry and hot-headed while actually monitoring Yan’s every move; he uses Golden Light to intimidate rather than fight.
• Tao and Yan: Tao dominates the conversation with psychological pressure, flattery, and subtle threats, leaving Yan feeling “completely grasped” even as she congratulates him.
• Li Xian/Tao and Hao Hong: A tense, mutual standoff with no trust; both sides observe, probe, and voice inflated demands before settling on a fair midpoint.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Major Events

• Li Xian and Tao Xiangrong travel to Heartblessing Ward after securing Human Yellow and Golden Bamboo Core, intent on obtaining the far more important Auspicious Fruit.
• They enter the dark and secluded Ancient Banyan Garden for a scheduled meeting. Suspecting an ambush, Li Xian urges Tao Xiangrong to wait behind, but she insists on accompanying him.
• Their supposed trading partner attacks from within the dense banyan tendrils, using the terrain and a pliant palm technique to conceal his movements and launch surprise attacks.
• Li Xian and Tao Xiangrong defend themselves. Tao uses Cloud-Coiling Sleeves to deflect the tendrils, while Li Xian relies on his sharp perception, powerful palm arts, and knowledge of the garden’s layout to track the hidden enemy.
• Li Xian summons the Tiger Spear through Calamity Crow and uses the Demon Specters Spear technique to distort the enemy’s sense of direction. He eventually locates and overwhelms the ambusher.
• Combining the Tiger Spear and Wishful Treasure Sword, Li Xian pierces the man’s chest, pins him to the banyan tree, and disables his hands and feet.
• The defeated man, Guan Zhanyuan, admits that he does not possess the Auspicious Fruit. He claims to know that it is held by an elder of the Fan-Blade Sect and offers to serve as an intermediary in exchange for his life.
• Distrusting Guan Zhanyuan’s story, Li Xian imprisons him rather than accepting the proposed trade. He seals Guan’s mouth with mud, obstructs his senses with mist, binds him, and takes him back for interrogation.
• Back at Sun-Hiding Residence, Li Xian reflects on his progress in martial arts and commerce. He plans to establish a winery and investigate the failing Boat Guild formerly supported by Pei Estate.
• The chapter then shifts to the larger dragon-slaying campaign. On the second day of the second month, storytellers report that the heroes have lured an evil dragon from Bottle-Winding Mountain into Dream River.
• The dragon was ambushed while it emerged from the river and cried at the mountain. Cui Xin severed one of its feet, Gu Jia repeatedly forced it back into the water, and other heroes joined the attack. Though the dragon wounded Li Buwen and fought fiercely, it eventually fled into the heroes’ prepared trap along Dream River.
• As the dragon approaches the next stage of the trap, Zhao Ranran receives a signal and prepares to confront it, declaring, “It’s here.”

Character Developments

• Li Xian demonstrates increasing confidence, tactical awareness, and mastery of multiple martial techniques. He remains calm under ambush, adapts quickly to unfamiliar terrain, and defeats an opponent who possessed both superior positioning and a specialized environmental advantage.
• His control over his strength is emphasized: despite impaling Guan Zhanyuan, he deliberately avoids the heart and keeps him alive for interrogation.
• Li Xian becomes more cautious regarding treasures and unreliable informants. Rather than rushing after the Auspicious Fruit, he decides to proceed patiently and let opportunities develop.
• He also shows growing ambition and organization in his civilian affairs, balancing martial cultivation with plans for expanding his businesses.
• Tao Xiangrong displays loyalty and courage by refusing to remain behind during the dangerous meeting. Though she is not primarily offensive, her defensive martial ability proves dependable, and she remains attentive to Li Xian’s safety.
• Guan Zhanyuan is revealed as a treacherous opportunist. His attempted robbery collapses when Li Xian defeats him, forcing him to bargain, plead for mercy, and reveal what information he claims to possess.
• Zhao Ranran appears poised for action as the dragon-slaying plan reaches its decisive phase.

Character Interactions

• Li Xian and Tao Xiangrong speak as trusted partners, combining affection and light flirtation with practical caution. Tao worries about his safety, while Li Xian respects her abilities despite initially trying to protect her from danger.
• Li Xian and Guan Zhanyuan engage in a battle of intimidation and deception. Li Xian repeatedly warns him, then uses physical force, psychological pressure, and Heart Resonance to break his resistance.
• Guan attempts to restore the original trade after being defeated, but Li Xian rejects the bargain, making clear that an attempted betrayal has destroyed the conditions for negotiation.
• The storytellers at Rivers-and-Lakes Listening-to-Rain Tower provide indirect commentary on the dragon-slaying operation, blending fact and embellishment and showing how major events become public rumors.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus haste: Li Xian recognizes that pursuing rare treasures too aggressively can lead to ambushes and ruin, while excessive caution may allow others to seize the opportunity first.
• Trust and deception: Guan Zhanyuan’s false trade and shifting claims highlight the danger of relying on information from untrustworthy people.
• Adaptation and mastery: Li Xian wins not through brute force alone, but by combining perception, terrain awareness, spiritual techniques, weapons, and psychological tactics.
• Balance between martial and worldly advancement: Li Xian’s plans reveal that building a stable business foundation is as important to him as acquiring martial strength.
• Fate and strategic preparation: The dragon’s habit of crying at Bottle-Winding Mountain creates the opening for the heroes’ ambush, while their layered trap along Dream River demonstrates the importance of planning ahead.
• Public legend versus reality: The storyteller’s account is partly true and partly embellished, suggesting that the truth of the dragon-slaying campaign will become distorted as it spreads through the martial world.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After hearing the legend of the dragon that caused Crying Mountain to weep, Li Xian wonders whether the creature’s disasters had a deeper cause.
• During a cold rainstorm, he visits a Book Tower in Jade City and buys six books, including A Chilly Journey of Ten Thousand Miles by Zhang Hanbing.
• While reading, Li Xian discovers historical records about Great Yu’s attempted river diversion in Weishui Prefecture. He speculates that the project may have disrupted dragonkind’s habitats and contributed to the floods and the evil dragon’s resentment.
• He ultimately decides not to interfere in the dragon-slaying operation, reasoning that the heroes involved will determine the dragon’s fate.
• Li Xian spends the rest of the day reading, practicing the Garment-Brushing Rain-Flicking Technique and Profound Flame Palm, and improving his Heavenly Crafted Wonders proficiency.
• The next morning, Zhao Yingqiong summons him to Yingqiong Mountain with a single commanding word: “Come.”
• Zhao informs him that the evil dragon has entered Dragon-Trapping Lake, bringing the dragon-slaying campaign to its final stage. They also discuss the formidable Jade Maiden of Profound Dao Mountain and Zhao’s distant connection to that clan.
• Zhao rewards Li Xian with one thousand military merits and three thousand taels of silver, but then provokes him into accepting a wager.
• Their wager is a rematch under the same basic restriction as before: Zhao will bind her hands and feet while Li Xian attempts to defeat her.
• Li Xian binds her even more thoroughly than expected, suppressing nearly eighty percent of her strength and leaving even her fingers immobile.
• Despite her embarrassment, Zhao Yingqiong eagerly enters the rain-soaked Jade Arena. Li Xian voluntarily limits himself as well, using only ten percent of his strength, his right leg, and his left hand being excluded, while avoiding vital attacks.
• After a fierce and highly enjoyable exchange, Li Xian defeats Zhao with a bear-hug throw and pins her down.
• When he demands her submission, Zhao angrily refuses and insists on a best-of-three rematch.

2. Character Developments

• Li Xian: Becomes more reflective and intellectually curious, investigating the possible historical reasons behind the evil dragon’s actions. He enjoys a period of peaceful study and self-cultivation, balancing reading with martial training. His confidence and playfulness also increase, especially in his exchanges with Zhao Yingqiong. He demonstrates restraint and fairness by limiting his strength during their rematch.
• Zhao Yingqiong: Reveals a highly competitive, proud, and battle-hungry nature. Although she wants to restore her reputation after her previous defeat, she also genuinely enjoys placing herself in difficult situations and testing her abilities. Her teasing, embarrassment, attraction, and eagerness to fight create a more emotionally complex portrait of her.
• Zhang Hanbing: Through his travelogue, he is presented as a remarkable figure who overcame severe illness and physical weakness to travel across Great Yu, embodying courage, Fortune, and determination.
• Zhao Yingqiong’s lineage: Zhao hints that she is distantly related to Zhao Ranran of Profound Dao Mountain, suggesting a broader and more prestigious Zhao Clan connection than Li Xian expected.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden causes behind calamity: The chapter questions whether the evil dragon is purely wicked or whether human actions—particularly the attempted river diversion—provoked its destruction and flooding.
• Humanity’s relationship with nature: Rivers are compared to a nation’s blood vessels and a person’s meridians, emphasizing the danger of altering natural systems without understanding their consequences.
• Knowledge and lived experience: Li Xian favors travelogues, strange tales, and records of ordinary life over formal classics, valuing sincere descriptions of the mortal world and firsthand experience.
• Self-cultivation and balance: His quiet reading, martial practice, and technical experimentation show him combining intellectual leisure with continuous improvement.
• Pride, competition, and mutual respect: Zhao and Li’s battle is driven by pride and the desire to overcome one another, but their restrictions also demonstrate respect and a shared love of martial challenge.
• Playful intimacy: Their insults, teasing, embarrassment, and private sparring create a flirtatious tension beneath their military hierarchy.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Xian and the bookseller: The bookseller kindly warns him about the rain and offers wrapping or shelter; Li Xian buys protective wrapping and later returns home with books and snacks.
• Li Xian and Zhang Hanbing: Though they never meet, Li Xian feels as if he has encountered an old friend and becomes deeply absorbed in Zhang’s journeys and discoveries.
• Li Xian and Zhao Yingqiong: Their meeting shifts rapidly from formal military matters to teasing, reward negotiations, provocation, and a competitive martial wager. Zhao tries to pressure him into revealing greater ambition, while Li Xian counters with witty remarks and deliberately manipulates her pride into agreeing to the rematch.
• During the duel: Zhao fights while almost completely restrained, relying on technique, surprise, and determination. Li Xian matches her enthusiasm while imposing restrictions on himself, turning the bout into a genuine test rather than an easy victory. His final pin leaves Zhao humiliated but unwilling to concede, ending the chapter on a comic, confrontational note.

Summary

1. Key Plot Points / Events

• In icy rain, Li Xian and General Zhao Yingqiong duel on the Jade Arena.
• Zhao voluntarily binds her own hands and feet as a handicap, but Li Xian defeats her repeatedly. He humiliates her by pulling her ponytail, gagging her with her own hair, spanking her, and pinning her down, demanding submission.
• Zhao finally cries "I submit," then immediately attacks again. Li Xian overpowers her, removes her boot to disarm a hidden blade, and forces another surrender. He leaves laughing.
• Back at her residence, Zhao seethes, bathes, and reflects. She realizes she has a hidden, unconscious desire to be conquered—her competitiveness is partly a "seeking defeat."
• Li Xian returns home and uses his Calamity Crow to intercept a Mud Sparrow carrying a letter from Commandery Princess Anyang Wei Qinghuang to her nephew Wei Chu.
• He delicately opens the Red Lotus-Root Clay seal, reads the letter, and preserves its appearance. The letter is affectionate and personal at first—advice about keeping warm, scolding about the "wicked dragon" affair, encouragement about joining the Sea-Calming Guard, and fondness for rouge—then reaches a more important matter, which the chapter does not reveal.

2. Character Developments

• Li Xian: Shows pride, vindictiveness, and tactical cunning. He enjoys humiliating Zhao, but also demonstrates strategic growth by planning to intercept Wei Qinghuang's correspondence to counter her control over him.
• Zhao Yingqiong: Despite her fierce, proud exterior, her defeat stirs hidden vulnerability. The chapter reveals her inner desire to be dominated/conquered, which she has never admitted to herself.
• Wei Qinghuang: Her private letter reveals a warm, maternal side toward her nephew, contrasting with her manipulative control over Li Xian. Her "secret" is hinted to be in the letter's later, undisclosed content.

3. Significant Themes

• Pride and humiliation: Li Xian's "man's pride" vs. Zhao's stubborn martial pride.
• Dominance and submission, especially gendered power dynamics.
• Hidden desires and self-deception.
• Espionage, secrecy, and control through intercepted information.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Xian and Zhao Yingqiong: A long, physically intense duel marked by mutual cursing, humiliation, forced submission, and Zhao’s failed ambush afterward. Their interaction shifts from rivalry to something disturbingly intimate.
• Li Xian and the Calamity Crow: He uses his trained crow to intercept the messenger bird, showing his growing network of surveillance.
• Wei Qinghuang and Wei Chu: Their aunt-nephew relationship is revealed through the letter, with Li Xian as the hidden third-party reader.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Xian intercepts a secret letter from Wei Qinghuang to her nephew, Wei Chu, by using a Calamity Crow feather to transform the Mud Sparrow into a bird servant. All future correspondence between Wei Qinghuang and Wei Chu will pass through Li Xian’s residence first.
• Wei Qinghuang’s letter orders Wei Chu, who serves in the Sea-Calming Guard, to help arrange the seizure of a Zhang Clan merchant ship by sea bandits near Crow-Distant Island Strait. The coded message—“How is that treasure doing?”—suggests the pirate attack is meant to conceal the transfer of something valuable rather than obtain ordinary loot.
• From Wei Chu’s reply, Li Xian learns that the Zhang Clan fleet belongs to Wei Qinghuang and usually transports jewelry, artifacts, and porcelain. He concludes that Wei Qinghuang has deep connections with Jade City’s pirates and may be attempting to undermine and eventually control Jade City from within.
• Meanwhile, Jade City suffers several days of cold rain, ice, and worsening travel conditions. Li Xian worries that the outer city may face serious hardship and injury.
• At Tailstreet Marquis Wu Station, Li Xian finds Bai Qinghao badly beaten by Great General Zhao Yingqiong. She has ordered the Gold-Seeking Guards to strip, carry millstones, and stand in the freezing rain as punishment for supposedly lax discipline.
• Li Xian opposes Zhao Yingqiong’s order, arguing that forcing the soldiers to stand in icy rain will cause illness rather than improve military discipline. Zhao Yingqiong instead challenges him to receive three of her palms.
• Li Xian accepts and withstands all three attacks:
  1. Zhao’s Mountain-Covering Thousand-Extinctions Palm severely injures his hands and internal organs.
  2. Her Golden Stormy Seas palm forces him back and worsens his injuries, but Li Xian gains valuable martial insight.
  3. Her Roc Strikes Ten Thousand Miles palm clashes with Li Xian’s Peak Mastery Stone-Pushing Palm Method. He is badly injured but survives and preserves Zhao’s authority.
• Impressed and remorseful, Zhao Yingqiong personally brings Li Xian to Martial-Settling Tower and bandages his wounds. Their interaction reveals a softer, more tender side of her beneath her harsh military exterior.
• While treating him, Zhao reveals a new crisis: although an evil dragon was slain in Dragon-Trapping Lake, its corpse disappeared after sinking into the water. The unexplained disappearance becomes the chapter’s final mystery.

Character Developments

• Li Xian: Becomes more calculating and proactive, exploiting the bird-message network to investigate Wei Qinghuang’s plans. He demonstrates strategic insight by realizing the pirate attack is likely a covert operation. In combat, he shows courage, endurance, tactical judgment, and concern for his soldiers. His willingness to receive Zhao’s attacks also reflects political awareness: he protects military authority and prevents the soldiers from doubting their commander.
• Wei Qinghuang: Is portrayed as an ambitious, manipulative power broker. She treats Li Xian as a useful pawn while openly favoring Wei Chu, and her secret links to pirates suggest a larger plan to destabilize Jade City.
• Wei Chu: Reveals strong loyalty and affection toward his aunt, but his letters also suggest he has romantic feelings for her. He remains unaware that Li Xian is intercepting their correspondence.
• Zhao Yingqiong: Initially acts out of anger and embarrassment after her humiliating defeat by Li Xian. Her harsh punishment is really an indirect attempt to provoke him into another confrontation. However, witnessing his resolve awakens respect, admiration, guilt, and unexpected tenderness. Her proud, intimidating persona gives way to shyness and concern while she treats his injuries.
• Bai Qinghao and the Gold-Seeking Guards: Serve as witnesses to the tension between Li Xian and Zhao Yingqiong. Their fear of Zhao and astonishment at her concern for Li Xian emphasize how unusual her gentleness is.

Significant Themes

• Political intrigue and covert power: The intercepted letters expose Wei Qinghuang’s intricate network and her possible plan to fracture Jade City internally.
• Loyalty versus manipulation: Wei Chu trusts his aunt completely, while she views both him and Li Xian in terms of usefulness and control.
• Military authority and responsibility: Li Xian challenges Zhao’s harmful order but still accepts punishment to preserve her legitimacy and prevent disorder among the troops.
• Strength forged through danger: Li Xian uses Zhao’s overwhelming attacks to test himself, gain martial insight, and advance his abilities.
• Pride, humiliation, and hidden desire: Zhao’s anger stems from her defeat and embarrassment, but those feelings are mixed with attraction and fascination that she struggles to acknowledge.
• Tenderness beneath a hardened exterior: Zhao’s careful treatment of Li Xian reveals that compassion and vulnerability exist beneath her severe identity as a warrior and general.
• Mystery and supernatural danger: The vanished dragon corpse suggests that the dragon’s death may not have ended the threat and introduces a larger unanswered plotline.

Character Interactions

• Li Xian and Wei Qinghuang/Wei Chu: Though Wei Qinghuang never appears directly, her letters create a strategic contest with Li Xian, who secretly turns her communication network against her. Wei Chu’s trusting replies provide Li Xian with clues about his aunt’s fleet and hidden operations.
• Li Xian and Zhao Yingqiong: Their relationship shifts from antagonistic rivalry to mutual respect and emerging intimacy. Zhao seeks revenge for her earlier humiliation, while Li Xian refuses to back down. His endurance changes her anger into admiration and guilt, and her bandaging of his wounds reveals growing emotional attachment.
• Li Xian and the soldiers: Li Xian risks injury to shield them from Zhao’s dangerous punishment, strengthening his image as a responsible commander.
• Zhao Yingqiong and Bai Qinghao: Her unexplained assault on Bai demonstrates her volatile temper and serves as a public expression of the frustration she cannot directly resolve with Li Xian.

Summary of Chapter

Key Plot Points

• Li Xian and Zhao Yingqiong investigate the disappearance of the dragon corpse from Dragon-Trapping Lake and strange flooding in Jade City.
• Li Xian questions Water-Control Tower master Fang Shenghou about unusual fish appearances and rising river levels, suspecting the water anomaly comes from beyond the city.
• Li Xian fishes in the Chu River, catches multiple fish species, and cooks them into an elaborate fish feast.
• Using the flavors and textures of different fish dishes, Li Xian deduces that a yellow-eyed fish originated from the Foothill River in Guanlong Circuit.
• Fang Shenghou’s follow-up investigation confirms severe flooding around the Foothill River.
• Li Xian reveals that the Chu, Foothill, Forbidden, and Dream Rivers are all connected, linking Jade City to the distant dragon-slaying incident.
• Li Xian suggests Jade City send aid to the flooded outlying counties—winning goodwill and gaining strategic influence.

Character Developments

• Li Xian demonstrates exceptional investigative skill, blending practical knowledge of rivers, fish, and regional customs to trace the source of the water anomaly.
• Zhao Yingqiong grows increasingly impressed by Li Xian’s intelligence and resilience, though she is reluctant to praise him openly. She also shows a rare flustered, embarrassed side, especially when he whispers closely to her.

Character Interactions

• Playful tension continues between the two: Zhao Yingqiong orders Li Xian not to blame her for striking him, and he teasingly says he hates her for it.
• Zhao Yingqiong’s ears turn red when Li Xian leans in to whisper his plan, showing her growing attraction and discomfort with closeness.
• Their banter mixes mutual respect with rivalry, as Zhao tries to maintain military authority while being won over by Li Xian’s competence.

Significant Themes

• Interconnectedness of nature and human affairs—rivers, fish, and distant events all link together.
• Deduction through everyday observation and experience.
• Intelligence and patience as complementary to martial strength.
• Emerging romantic tension beneath military and professional collaboration.

Chapter Summary: The General Admired Herself, Her Stifled Restlessness Hard to Vent; Li Xian Left the City to Fight the Cold Floods

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Flood Prevention Strategy Discussed: Li Xian proposes a multi-pronged plan for handling the impending cold floods: (1) send warnings to surrounding counties bearing Jade City's seal; (2) focus resources on the most affected counties (Luxi, Pingnan, Kushan) by aiding local heads in digging channels, providing clothing/food, and relocating civilians; (3) dispatch scouts to monitor river conditions. Zhao Yingqiong refines and approves the plan.
• Rewards Granted: Zhao Yingqiong pays Li Xian the promised 600 taels of gold and deposits 2,000 military merit points to his account. She commands him to report for duty daily and remain on standby.
• Li Xian's Recovery & Training: Returning to Sun-Hiding Residence, Li Xian heals his wounds from the arena fight using his cultivation arts. He practises Five Organs Purge-Turbidity Revive-Yang Scripture and Sole-Self Heart Technique, gaining proficiency but not major breakthroughs.
• Zhao Yingqiong's Enforcement: She goes to the residence of Wu Mo (the Foreign Affairs Marquis), interrupts his wedding night with a male lover, and orders him to negotiate with out-of-city county heads on flood matters, threatening him by slicing his house plaque to powder.
• Mobilization of Jade City: Zhao Yingqiong assembles over ten Silver-Faced Lang and twenty-three Copper-Faced Gentlemen, turning Li Xian's ideas into concrete assignments. Rumors spread across the city regarding the floods, some questioning her motives—noting the deep political rivalry between Jade City's Azure and Red factions.
• Implementation of Flood Prevention: From the 9th to the 15th day of the second month, she successfully aids surrounding counties. Floods are mitigated, channels dug, civilians relocated, and casualties kept low.
• Li Xian Dispatched Out of the City: On the 15th day, Zhao Yingqiong—seeing her efforts successful—sends Li Xian and ~150 soldiers out of the city to handle disaster relief, aid refugees, and investigate conditions, with Li Xian requisitioning the Life-Saving Umbrella Crafted Wonder for himself.

2. Character Developments

• Li Xian: Demonstrates strategic intelligence and practical wisdom (his crop of advice impresses Zhao Yingqiong despite his modest "clumsy opinion" framing). Shows humility but also growing confidence, proven by his cunning handling of Zhao's teasing and his swift, calm recovery from injury. He remains pragmatic—warning his troops about the cold—and uses this expedition to study the mechanisms of the Life-Saving Umbrella.
• Zhao Yingqiong: Reveals a political mind beneath her "fierce horse" exterior. She willingly adopts a subordinate's plan, turning it into an effective strategy, showing she values competence over pride. Her ruthless side is displayed in her intimidation of Wu Mo. She exhibits a subtle physical attraction to Li Xian (blushing, spitting, random thoughts about her own legs), yet masks it behind a stern, domineering facade. Her private musings reveal ambition—surrounding the "Jade City Kingdom" with benevolence.

3. Significant Themes

• Strategy and Humility: Great leaders listen to good advice. Li Xian gives credit to Zhao, and Zhao in return acknowledges his talent. The idea: "if you establish a city, bring benefit; if you establish a nation, practice benevolence."
• Propaganda and Political Manipulation: The cold flood becomes an opportunity for Zhao Yingqiong to strengthen Jade City's influence over surrounding territories, winning loyalty through aid. Rumors are weaponized by rival factions, reflecting political instability under the surface.
• Benevolent Governance vs. Empty Prestige: The plan emphasizes protecting lives over building walls. By helping the smaller counties, Jade City earns their gratitude and obedience without overt force.
• Mortal Strength vs. Natural Calamity: The contrast between personal martial power and the relentless, chilling flood highlights the limits of brute force—preparation and cooperation are what save lives.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Xian & Zhao Yingqiong: A scene of layered teasing. Zhao blushes at Li Xian's whisper, tries to pretend he hasn't affected her, then demands his schemes under the guise of "testing" him. Li Xian flatters her by attributing success to her ability. The dynamic is playful and laced with mutual admiration—he proves his value, she proves she isn't too proud to use it.
• Zhao Yingqiong & Wu Mo: An intimidating—almost comical—encounter. Zhao bursts in, kicks him for his flattery, interrupts his affair with a cross-dressing lover, and threatens him with demolition of his home if he fails his new duties. She uses terror to enforce loyalty.
• Li Xian & His Soldiers: A brief but caring interaction as he warns them of the cold's dangers, reminding them not to rely solely on martial arts in the face of nature.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Xian leads a group of Gold-Seeking Guards through severe cold rain and freezing mountain mist using multifunctional “gun umbrellas.” Recognizing that low ground and dense forests trap cold air, he changes their route to higher terrain and orders rest stops, hot food, fires, and drying of their clothes.
• At Encircling Valley Pass, Li Xian studies the mechanisms of the Life-Saving Umbrella while his soldiers recover. Chang Ziqiang and the others question why Jade City sent them beyond the city. Li Xian explains that their mission is to anticipate disasters, support surrounding counties, and gain experience before calamity reaches Jade City.
• Reaching the flooded countryside, Li Xian surveys several counties and villages affected by the cold rain and rising waters. He organizes relief efforts, sends warmth supplies to freezing residents, relocates people whose homes have collapsed, and coordinates boats, food, charcoal, clothing, and manpower between counties.
• Li Xian persuades Near-Jade County, Peaceful Mountain Town, Wonderful Homeland County, Northern Dipper County, Forest Science County, and Pan-Study Village to cooperate under Jade City’s leadership. By combining their resources, he turns a small relief force into an organized network of thousands and strengthens Jade City’s political influence.
• After receiving a report from Sixin County, Li Xian learns that Barrier-Distant Village and Wang Family Village have disappeared beneath the floodwaters and cannot be reached. Several rescue parties have already vanished after encountering ice spikes and dangerous waterways.
• Despite Magistrate Sun Lishen’s warning, Li Xian decides to investigate personally. He places Iron Fu in charge of the broader relief operation, has a boat reinforced with red copper, and travels through the flooded region toward Sixin County and the two missing villages.
• Near Sixin County, Li Xian encounters the corpses of three martial artists who froze to death after exhausting their internal energy while battling a supernatural creature. He discovers and kills a River-Turning Ghost, a physical wild spirit born from a child sacrificed to a river.
• The River-Turning Ghost’s essence strengthens Li Xian’s Demon Specters Spear, granting it “River-Turning” intent and the ability to raise waves. He later kills a Rock-Carrying Ghost as well, gaining “Rock-Lifter” intent.
• Li Xian senses that the region contains a deeper, sinister power capable of gathering ghosts and spirits. Though he initially considers retreat, he chooses to continue, viewing the danger as an opportunity to temper his martial arts.
• He finally reaches Barrier-Distant Village. The village appears silent and completely dark, though it sits above the floodline. Drag marks and numerous footprints indicate that the villagers hauled a massive creature up the mountain—something resembling a giant, four-legged python.

Character Developments

• Li Xian demonstrates practical leadership and compassion. He protects his exhausted soldiers, adapts his route according to the terrain, and focuses on prevention, logistics, and cooperation rather than merely fighting disasters.
• He becomes increasingly capable as a regional leader, using Jade City’s resources and reputation to unite multiple communities. His actions begin transforming Jade City into the central authority and hub of the surrounding counties.
• Li Xian also shows growing confidence and boldness as a martial artist. Although he recognizes the danger of the supernatural region, he refuses to be ruled by fear and deliberately tests himself against spirits.
• His martial abilities advance significantly through combat. The Demon Specters Spear gains new spiritual properties from the River-Turning Ghost and Rock-Carrying Ghost, while his understanding of his own techniques deepens.
• Chang Ziqiang, Su Kuo, and Iron Fu grow more respectful of Li Xian and reinforce his authority among the soldiers. Chang initially doubts the purpose of the mission but accepts Li Xian’s explanation.
• Magistrate Sun Lishen becomes a cooperative ally who trusts Li Xian’s judgment, though he worries that Li Xian’s personal investigation could endanger the entire relief effort.
• Zhao Yingqiong remains offstage but repeatedly approves of Li Xian’s decisions, showing that she trusts his administrative judgment and sees the strategic value of his actions.

Significant Themes

• Leadership through foresight: True protection means preparing for disaster before it reaches the city, not merely responding after destruction occurs.
• Cooperation and mutual dependence: Different counties possess different resources, and survival depends on exchanging what each lacks.
• Political influence through relief: Jade City expands its authority not through conquest but by providing aid, coordination, and protection during crisis.
• Compassion and responsibility: Li Xian treats ordinary civilians as the central concern of disaster response, arranging shelter, warmth, food, and transportation.
• Courage versus recklessness: Li Xian understands the danger of the spirit-infested floodwaters but decides that martial artists must sometimes confront uncertainty to grow stronger.
• The supernatural consequences of human cruelty: The River-Turning Ghost originates from the practice of sacrificing children, suggesting that disasters and monsters may be rooted in past human wrongdoing.
• Adaptation to hostile nature: Li Xian repeatedly uses knowledge of terrain, weather, waterways, and his own physical abilities to survive conditions that overwhelm ordinary people.

Character Interactions

• Li Xian reassures the soldiers at the mountain pass and gives them a strategic explanation for their deployment, earning their renewed confidence.
• He exchanges banter with Chang Ziqiang, Su Kuo, and Iron Fu, while warning them not to speak too casually about Zhao Yingqiong.
• His discussions with the county magistrates are both diplomatic and political: he offers practical aid while presenting Jade City as the natural leader of regional relief.
• Li Xian and Zhao Yingqiong communicate through letters, with Zhao approving his efforts to integrate the counties and organize resources.
• Magistrate Sun Lishen seeks Li Xian’s decision regarding the missing villages and attempts to dissuade him from personally entering the dangerous region.
• Li Xian confronts and defeats the River-Turning Ghost, transforming the encounter into both a rescue investigation and an opportunity to improve his spear technique.
• The chapter ends with Li Xian approaching the apparently abandoned Barrier-Distant Village and discovering evidence that its inhabitants encountered and transported a mysterious, enormous creature.

Chapter Summary: Double Pupils Open, Malevolent Garment Donned, Vengeful Dragon Slain, Summoning Wind and Rain

Key Plot Points

1. Li Xian tracks a dragon corpse (slain by heroes at Dragon-Trapping Lake and washed here by floods) into Barrier-Distant Village, a mountain village founded by bandits.
2. He discovers the entire village has been annihilated — villagers killed each other in escalating, savage violence (barehanded brawls to armed slaughter).
3. Following drag marks, he finds a pitch-black cave. Using a strand of hair tied to a rat infused with his inner strength, he remotely observes two men inside — the tall, fat man (deep voice) and short, thin man (shrill voice), former retainers of the Iron Boat Gang.
4. Their conversation reveals: they survived a shipwreck when the dragon corpse capsized their boat, drifted with the corpse to the village, and secretly poisoned the dragon soup the villagers cooked, causing the entire village to slaughter itself. They planned to hide the corpse in Coldwater Pool and sell dragon parts for riches.
5. The short, thin man betrays the tall, fat man, luring him onto a boat and striking him into the freezing water. The boat breaks, and the short, thin man also falls in. They fight to the death in the icy lake, both perishing.
6. Li Xian dives into Coldwater Pool, examines the dragon corpse (a female dragon, wounds matching the famous dragon-slayer tale), then is attacked — the corpse was animated by a Dragon Ghost (vengeful spirit formed from resentment).
7. Li Xian's Double-Pupil Strange Eyes scare the ghost; he wraps his spear in the Divine-Ghost Malevolent Garment, impales the intangible ghost, and slays it.
8. He gains comprehension of a new spear form — the Vengeful Dragon Form — which can summon wind and rain, adding to his Demon Specters Spear arts (now having Meizhao, River-Turning, Rock-Lifting, and Vengeful Dragon forms).
9. Li Xian contemplates what to do with the dragon corpse — hesitant to report it to General Zhao (would mean sharing and letting Wei Qinghuang find out) but unwilling to hand it freely to Wei Qinghuang after how she wronged him.

Character Developments

• Li Xian: Demonstrates caution (sensing the village was wrong, guarding his mind), resourcefulness (hair-tied rat as a remote scout), and mastery of his unique powers (Double Pupils for seeing/suppressing ghosts, Divine-Ghost Malevolent Garment for attacking spirits). His spear arts evolve with dragon-slaying intent.
• The two retainers: Greedy, scheming, and ultimately self-destructive — their betrayal of each other mirrors the villagers' fate; all were manipulated by the Dragon Ghost's influence over hearts.

Significant Themes

• Greed and betrayal: The dragon corpse is described as a "heaven-sent opportunity," yet it drives everyone — villagers, retainers — to mutual slaughter.
• Supernatural vengeance: The Dragon Ghost is the true mastermind behind the village's and the retainers' deaths; its resentment is so powerful it can influence human hearts.
• Martial evolution through adversity: Li Xian's style is to "subdue and slay" monsters, then use their intent — his Demon Specters Spear grows by absorbing the ghosts he defeats.
• Dependence and self-reliance: The Jade-Water Pearl (which previously protected him in water) fails, forcing Li Xian to face the crisis with his own strength.

Character Interactions

• The retainers' dialogue reveals their plot, backstory, and internal conflict.
• The short, thin man's betrayal of the tall, fat man — a cold-blooded ambush on the water.
• Li Xian's confrontation with the Dragon Ghost — a battle of will, divine vision, and ghost-slaying spearwork.
• Li Xian's internal deliberations about how to handle the dragon corpse and whether to trust/report to General Zhao or Wei Qinghuang.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points & Events

• Li Xian kills the Dragon Ghost, retrieves the Jade-Water Pearl, and returns to the submerged dragon corpse in the cold pool.
• He harvests treasure from the corpse: 37 scales, 2 dragon claws, 144 dragon whiskers, dragon blood, and dragon meat. He hides the rest of the corpse in the pool, using the Calamity Crow and the Heaven-Hiding Casket / Fish-Belly Treasure Pouch to conceal evidence.
• Li Xian decides to deny ever visiting Barrier-Distant Village, reasoning that doing nothing is safer than doing too much.
• He checks Wang Family Village but finds it destroyed by the flood with no survivors, then reports misleadingly to the county magistrates.
• The cold rain stops and the flood recedes. The disaster ends, and Li Xian is ordered back to Jade City.
• He is given a grand farewell by the people and, upon returning to Jade City, receives widespread praise and admiration.
• Li Xian reports to Zhao Yingqiong, earns 1,000 military merits, and deflects questions about the missing dragon corpse, suggesting someone secretly moved it.
• Back at Sun-Hiding Residence, he resupplies the innkeeper Wang Kuquan with wine and questions prisoner Guan Zhanyuan about the Auspicious Fruit.
• He trains the Demon Specters Spear and nears a breakthrough.
• Via the Blue-Heavens Long Dream Tower, he visits Tao Xiangrong in Rosy Cloud Heaven, spending playful, intimate time with her.
• He studies Heavenly Crafted Wonders under Xia Rufeng.
• In March, after consuming “essence meat,” Li Xian breaks through to the Fifth Advance of the Second Martial Realm, strengthening all his martial arts.
• He receives the new Black-Frost Python Saber and the hidden weapon Jujube Sword.
• The chapter ends with Deng Fan’s urgent warning: Central Lang General Xu wants to take back control of Marquis Wu Station and has gone to see the Grand General.

Character Developments

• Li Xian: Becomes more cautious and calculating — he takes moderate spoils from the dragon, hides the corpse, and carefully builds a deniable story. He also shows integrity by advising Li Kuo not to wrong a woman he is courting. His power grows significantly with the new realm, and his fame in Jade City reaches new heights.
• Li Kuo: Is revealed to be romantically involved with a girl from the Su family; he is ambitious about marrying into a wealthy household but is warned by Li Xian to act honorably.
• Tao Xiangrong: Shows deep love and admiration for Li Xian, calling him a true hero and spending multiple days with him.
• Zhao Yingqiong: Is pleased with Li Xian’s disaster-relief work and rewards him, but remains unaware of his secret regarding the dragon corpse.

Significant Themes

• Greed vs. Restraint: Li Xian takes only part of the dragon treasure and deliberately avoids greed, knowing a fortune can become a fatal liability.
• Fame and Public Recognition: His flood-relief efforts win him the love of the people and elevate the reputation of the Gold-Seeking Guard.
• Deception and Loyalty: Li Xian outwardly serves Zhao Yingqiong loyally while secretly concealing the dragon corpse and his true gains.
• Martial Advancement: The chapter emphasizes steady cultivation, with Li Xian entering the Fifth Advance and all his techniques improving.
• Political Intrigue: The closing warning about Xu trying to seize control of Marquis Wu Station foreshadows power struggles.

Character Interactions

• Li Xian & Zhao Yingqiong: Formal military report; she rewards him but he carefully hides the truth about the dragon.
• Li Xian & Li Kuo / Su Kuo: Lighthearted teasing about Li Kuo’s romance, followed by sincere brotherly advice.
• Li Xian & Tao Xiangrong: Flirtatious, affectionate, and intimate; she idolizes him as a hero.
• Li Xian & Xia Rufeng: Teacher-student dynamic in Heavenly Crafted Wonders.
• Li Xian & Deng Fan: Ends with Deng Fan delivering alarming news about a political challenge.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Shaoqian attempts to reclaim command of Marquis Wu Station. He arrives in armor, injures Lang General Bai, and tries to command the troops, but the officers ignore him because the station’s military formation has changed significantly under Li Xian’s leadership.
• Li Xian refuses to interfere, telling Deng Fan that everyone should cooperate with whoever Zhao Yingqiong appoints.
• Jealous of Li Xian’s fame after the cold-flood disaster, Xu Shaoqian visits Tao Xiangrong. He hopes she will dismiss Li Xian’s achievement, but she openly praises Li Xian as a genuine hero.
• Convinced that restoring his authority is necessary to regain Tao Xiangrong’s admiration, Xu Shaoqian asks Zhao Yingqiong to return him to Marquis Wu Station.
• Zhao Yingqiong rejects his request and becomes furious when Xu Shaoqian suggests that she is having an affair with Li Xian. She offers him one chance: defeat her in the arena and reclaim his position.
• Even with her hands and feet bound and the arena suppressing martial evolution and inner force, Zhao Yingqiong defeats Xu Shaoqian effortlessly. She declares that he is inferior to Li Xian in nearly every meaningful respect.
• Humiliated, Xu Shaoqian goes to Li Xian’s residence and attacks him. Li Xian calmly counters his techniques, defeats him decisively, and leaves him bloodied but alive.
• Li Xian explains that possessing many techniques does not matter once a battle’s outcome has already been determined. His superior perception, timing, and adaptability make Xu Shaoqian’s remaining abilities irrelevant.
• After his defeat, Xu Shaoqian is mocked by Hong Luo, who secretly provokes him into considering a transfer to another military faction, particularly the Azure-Robed Faction.
• Hong Luo reports to Commandery Princess Anyang, Wei Qinghuang, revealing that she intentionally manipulated Xu Shaoqian’s resentment.
• The Princess views Xu Shaoqian as a potential tool against Li Xian. Although Li Xian is poisoned and depends on her antidotes, she acknowledges that he may possess hidden abilities. Nevertheless, she remains supremely confident that he is still under her control.

2. Character Developments

• Li Xian: Demonstrates humility, composure, and confidence. He refuses to compete for authority and focuses on training. In battle, he reveals exceptional observation, precision, and mastery of advanced techniques, completely overwhelming Xu Shaoqian without losing his temper.
• Xu Shaoqian: His jealousy, insecurity, and dependence on Tao Xiangrong’s approval become increasingly obvious. His wounded pride drives him to reckless decisions, including accusing Zhao Yingqiong of infidelity and attacking Li Xian. His successive humiliations leave him vulnerable to manipulation and push him toward abandoning his current faction.
• Zhao Yingqiong: Shows strong contempt for Xu Shaoqian’s weakness and vanity, while holding genuine admiration for Li Xian’s abilities and character. Her anger at the affair accusation reveals both personal embarrassment and concern over rumors involving Li Xian.
• Tao Xiangrong: Understands Xu Shaoqian’s desire for reassurance but refuses to belittle Li Xian’s heroic actions. Her sincere praise of Li Xian unintentionally worsens Xu Shaoqian’s insecurity.
• Commandery Princess Anyang / Wei Qinghuang: Emerges as a calculating and confident strategist. She manipulates Xu Shaoqian through Hong Luo and intends to use him as a counterweight to Li Xian. Despite recognizing Li Xian’s potential, she believes her poison and influence keep him under control.
• Hong Luo: Reveals herself as a capable, loyal agent who skillfully exploits Xu Shaoqian’s wounded pride on the Princess’s orders.

3. Significant Themes

• Merit versus entitlement: Xu Shaoqian believes his former position and past service entitle him to authority, while Li Xian earns influence through actual achievements and ability.
• Jealousy and insecurity: Xu Shaoqian’s need for Tao Xiangrong’s admiration causes him to interpret Li Xian’s success as a personal threat.
• True heroism: Li Xian’s reputation comes from saving people during the cold flood, whereas Xu Shaoqian wants heroic status primarily to restore his prestige.
• Ability versus appearance: Zhao Yingqiong emphasizes that Xu Shaoqian’s handsome appearance is nearly all he has left, while Li Xian possesses superior judgment, strength, and character.
• Manipulation and political strategy: The Princess exploits personal resentment to influence military alliances and create a rival capable of restraining Li Xian.
• Control and hidden danger: Although the Princess believes Li Xian is “dancing in her palm,” her acknowledgment of his unknown abilities suggests that her control may not be as secure as she assumes.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Xian and Deng Fan: Li Xian reassures Deng Fan that the soldiers must cooperate with any appointed commander, revealing his calm and non possessive attitude toward power.
• Xu Shaoqian and Tao Xiangrong: Xu seeks validation, but Tao’s honest admiration for Li Xian instead intensifies his feelings of inadequacy.
• Xu Shaoqian and Zhao Yingqiong: Their confrontation exposes Xu’s entitlement and paranoia. Zhao’s arena challenge and blunt criticism destroy his remaining confidence.
• Xu Shaoqian and Li Xian: Their fight contrasts Xu’s emotional recklessness with Li Xian’s controlled, analytical combat style. Li Xian defeats him while still acknowledging that Xu possesses a substantial martial foundation.
• Hong Luo and Xu Shaoqian: Hong Luo deliberately taunts him, transforming his humiliation into a desire to seek power elsewhere.
• Hong Luo and Commandery Princess Anyang: Their exchange confirms that Xu’s crisis was engineered and that the Princess is orchestrating events to contain Li Xian’s growing influence.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Xu Shaoqian, stung by earlier events, leaves the Gold-Seeking Guard for the Black-Armored Guard in the north. Li Xian, meanwhile, spends the first part of March organizing flood recovery: clearing ice, adjusting patrols, strengthening the station’s auxiliary force, and founding the secretive Dark Camp to gather intelligence.
• Li Xian checks his businesses. His medical shop expands and earns about two thousand taels monthly, while his inn prospers from steady food and wine sales. To support the inn’s growth, he buys Severed Tiger Mountain in Northern Dipper County for a Wine Estate, planning orchards, buildings, and eventually a larger operation. He hires Wang Kuquan to help manage it and personally trains him, bringing the otherwise untalented Wang close to Initiation in Four Directions Fist.
• Li Xian quietly monitors the search for the missing dragon corpse. Investigators examine Barrier-Distant Village but find no clear explanation for its vanished residents. Li Xian lies about not reaching the village, then secretly returns to the mountain cave and confirms that the dragon corpse is still hidden in its cold pool.
• The chapter reveals the corpse’s history: the dragon, Ao Yue, was a blind, violent Dragon Ghost driven by a longing to return to the sea. After her death, she drifted through the waterways and ultimately reached the area near Jade City, where villagers found and concealed her body. Li Xian does not know this full explanation.
• The Wine Estate takes shape, with a waterwheel, brewers, and an agreement with local jujube growers.
• Li Xian leads Tailstreet Marquis Wu Station to victory in a three-station polo match. He excels individually and uses formation principles to make his team work in concert. At Zhao Yingqiong’s command, he humiliates the defeated commanders by stripping, binding, and hanging them for three days. He later hosts them at Long Dream Tower, easing tensions and strengthening their friendships.
• Near the end of March, Li Xian’s training yields major gains. He reaches Peak Mastery in Flicked-Finger Golden Light and discovers its “Stone-to-Gold” property: solid, nonliving objects can become golden light, pass through gaps, and revert to physical objects. The technique has many combat and transport uses but consumes inner breath and cannot affect living things.
• After repeatedly carrying fragrant wine between taverns in hopes of finding the Wine Elder, Li Xian finally encounters the old man again.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xian proves an increasingly capable administrator, entrepreneur, martial artist, and strategist. He uses official authority to strengthen the station and build intelligence networks, while directing his private ventures with practical ambition. Despite his growing wealth, he remains committed to honest medicine and avoids turning the hidden dragon corpse into a public commodity.
• Wang Kuquan becomes Li Xian’s trusted assistant for the Wine Estate. Though poorly suited to martial arts, he begins to make real progress under Li Xian’s patient instruction.
• Zhao Yingqiong trusts Li Xian’s account of the village and encourages the polo match. His performance impresses her and stirs her competitive spirit, though she restrains herself from challenging him. Her stern handling of the defeated commanders shows both her authority and her love of competition.
• Bai Suocheng and Liu Longhai are first Li Xian’s rivals on the polo field, then become friendlier after he treats them to a feast. Their jokes about Zhao Yingqiong reveal their wariness of her.
• Tao Xiangrong secretly plays for the gathering at Long Dream Tower. Li Xian recognizes her music and slips away to meet her privately.
• Xu Shaoqian’s departure marks a shift in the Guard’s personnel and reflects the lingering consequences of earlier conflict.

Significant themes

• Power used for public and private purposes: Li Xian turns his position into practical benefits for the city and the station while also building his businesses and influence.
• Ambition tempered by principle: He seeks growth and profit but insists on honest medical practice and treats the dragon corpse cautiously.
• Knowledge and ignorance: Li Xian and the martial-world factions understand part of the mystery, while ordinary officials explain the village’s disappearance as a consequence of disaster. The truth remains hidden beneath plausible assumptions.
• Mastery through sustained effort: Li Xian’s daily training produces increasingly versatile abilities, while Wang’s slower progress shows that guidance can help even a limited student.
• Teamwork and rivalry: The polo match celebrates tactical coordination and competitive spirit, while its aftermath turns defeated rivals into friends.

Chapter Summary: "Madam's Sword, Fragrance Drifting, Fighting with Swords Over Wine, Learning and Realization!"

Key Plot Points & Events

1. Li Xian's Search and Encounter: On March 30th, Li Xian finishes his martial training and visits the Hanging Bell Tavern in Zhengping Ward, deliberately using palm force to spread wine fragrance in hopes of attracting the old Wine Elder.
2. The Wine Elder's Antics: The Wine Elder repeatedly steals Li Xian's wine using clever tricks—hanging upside down from rafters, flicking a booger at a waiter to cause a distraction, and drinking Li Xian's wine while he's distracted. Li Xian pretends not to notice, then when the Wine Elder tries to steal his second unopened jar, Li Xian uses the Stone-to-Gold technique to transform it into a tiny golden light, foiling the theft.
3. The Exchange of Favors: The Wine Elder, impressed and embarrassed, proposes a deal—he'll ask Li Xian for a favor first, and then Li Xian can ask him one, keeping them "even." He sniffs Li Xian's constitution and identifies him as having the Perfect Aspect and Pure Astral Swallow Garment. He offers to help Li Xian's friend in exchange for a future unspecified favor.
4. The Sword Qi Removal: Li Xian brings the Wine Elder to Sun-Hiding Residence and introduces him to Li Bohou. The Wine Elder identifies the sword technique as the lost Earth-Covering Sword Art, noting the sword Qi carries a "fragrance" indicating a skilled female swordsman. He places Li Bohou in a tub of wine and uses a unique martial art—merging the sword transformations into the wine—to fight the embedded sword Qi directly through wine as a medium.
5. The Duel in Wine: The Wine Elder engages the residual sword Qi in a fierce sword duel within the wine tub, exchanging over a hundred strikes. When the wine runs low, Li Xian braves the sword momentum to pour more jars in, saving the procedure.

Character Developments

• Li Xian: Demonstrates patience, generosity, and strategic thinking. He orchestrates a "coincidental" meeting with the Wine Elder, shows remarkable composure when his wine is stolen, and impresses the elder with his cultivation techniques. His decision to accept the open-ended favor deal shows both pragmatism and trust.
• The Wine Elder: Revealed to be a highly skilled martial artist with remarkable senses and knowledge. He's eccentric, wine-obsessed, dislikes being asked for favors, but is bound by a sense of fairness. His character is developed through his impressive swordsmanship, his unique constitution-sniffing ability, and his grudging respect for Li Xian.
• Li Bohou: His injury is fully diagnosed for the first time—the sword severed his legs' meridians and seized over a hundred acupoints, with the sword art essentially "replacing" his severed meridians. His witty observation about the "fragrance" in sword momentum impresses even the Wine Elder.

Significant Themes

• The Value of Patience and Strategy: Li Xian's indirect approach to winning the Wine Elder's favor succeeds where direct appeals failed.
• Wine as a Metaphor and Medium: Wine serves as both social lubricant and a martial medium, representing the fusion of pleasure and cultivation.
• The Interconnectedness of Favors and Debts: The exchange of favors creates social bonds and obligations, a recurring theme in the story.
• Recognition of Hidden Depths: The Wine Elder's analysis reveals layers of meaning in swordsmanship—fragrance, youth, and spirit embedded within martial arts.
• Martial Arts as Art Appreciation: Li Bohou's calligraphy analogy highlights how martial arts can be appreciated like fine art, with "sharpness" and "fragrance" as aesthetic qualities.

Character Interactions

• Li Xian & The Wine Elder: A playful cat-and-mouse dynamic evolves into mutual respect. The Wine Elder moves from stealing wine to offering genuine assistance, while Li Xian demonstrates that he cannot be easily outwitted.
• Li Xian & Li Haitang: Brief but tender—Li Xian comforts her and takes charge, showing care for the family.
• The Wine Elder & Li Bohou: The elder initially dismisses him, then grows curious about his clever tongue. Their exchange about the "fragrance" in sword momentum shows a meeting of minds.
• The Wine Elder & Li Haitang: She repeatedly pleads for help ("begging"), which annoys him, though he ultimately assists.

Key plot points and events

• The Old Wine Elder works to remove the sword force Madam planted in Li Bohou. He uses a wooden basin filled with wine as the arena, while Li Xian keeps the wine flowing and repairs the basin with his martial arts when it cracks.
• Madam’s sword force unfolds in layers: the Earth-Covering Sword Art conceals a sand-based sword art; the mire it creates produces razor-edged flowers, which wither, release poison, and finally give way to a green lotus with a red fruit. The Wine Elder counters each transformation until he grows the lotus and feeds its fruit to Li Bohou, freeing him from the sword force.
• The Elder explains that Madam combined five sword arts and a Buddhist meditation into a single, interconnected strike. Its transformations reveal extraordinary skill, but the final lotus also provides a way to break the technique—evidence that Madam left Li Bohou a narrow chance of recovery.
• Grateful, Li Xian offers the Elder wine and asks about the martial principles he witnessed. The Elder praises Li Xian’s help and explains the duel. He then leaves, while Li Xian escorts Li Bohou and Li Haitang home.
• Back at Sun-Hiding Residence, Li Xian reflects on martial arts, his businesses, finances, and future plans. He hopes to find medicine that can restore Li Bohou’s severed limbs, considers how to advance without attracting unwanted attention in Jade City, and practices Flicked-Finger Golden Light.
• Late at night, he studies Yi Jiufan’s book on Heavenly Crafted Wonders. He makes the mask-like device Smiling Face Like a Flower and begins work on another invention, Lovesick Bean.

Character developments

• Li Xian shows resourcefulness by preserving the basin, humility by crediting his help to duty, and growing martial insight from watching the duel. He remains ambitious but becomes more deliberate about balancing martial progress, business, and political risk.
• The Old Wine Elder is revealed as both a formidable practitioner and an enthusiastic teacher—though his explanations and generosity are strongly encouraged by good wine.
• Li Bohou is freed from Madam’s sword force, though his injuries remain; Li Xian promises to search for limb-restoring medicine.
• Li Haitang moves from anxious waiting to joyful relief and gratitude after her father is saved.

Significant themes

• Layered mastery and transformation: The sword duel shows how arts can build upon one another, turning simple materials and movements into complex changes modeled on nature.
• Ruthlessness tempered by mercy: Madam’s technique nearly destroys Li Bohou, yet its final stage leaves a path to undo it.
• Learning through observation: Watching masters gives Li Xian insights that formal instruction has not provided.
• Practical ambition: Li Xian weighs martial advancement against money, business, family obligations, and the dangers of factional conflict.
• Ingenuity and irreverence: The chapter shifts from lofty martial philosophy to Li Xian’s humorous fascination with Yi Jiufan’s risqué inventions.

Character interactions

• Li Xian supports the Wine Elder throughout the sword-breaking and then earns an explanation of Madam’s technique by asking thoughtful questions and sharing wine.
• The Elder’s praise of Madam and acknowledgment of Li Xian’s help deepen the contrast between her immense skill and Li Xian’s developing abilities.
• Li Haitang thanks Li Xian for helping save her father; Li Bohou accepts his promise to seek restorative medicine.
• Alone afterward, Li Xian turns the lessons of the duel into reflection, then resumes studying and crafting.

Chapter Summary: "What the Madam Taught: The Student Surpasses the Master, Profit Without Capital, Wealth Rolling In!"

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Crafting the Lovesick Bean: Li Xian spends half an hour crafting the "Lovesick Bean," a delicate two-core mechanism from Yi Jiufan's designs containing a Fire Core and Water Core. He finds it small, charming, and surprisingly lethal as a hidden weapon. He continues studying Yi Jiufan's diagrams late into the night.
• Treating Li Bohou: The next morning, Li Xian visits Li Bohou, whose injury worsened after the madam's sword force dissipated. Li Xian stabilizes him, prescribes a medicinal bath, and gives Li Haitang detailed care instructions (hanging upside down, massage, ointment application).
• Wandering Jade City: Li Xian rides through the streets, observing everyday life—children playing at martial arts, an old fisherman losing a catch, students, poets, drunken men. This observation grants him insight, increasing his Bone-Sculpting Embryo to 71/100. He then drills his cavalry in the Drumbeat God-Slaying Formation, raising its proficiency to 91/100.
• Dragon-Slaying Tower Inspection: Li Xian accompanies Zhao Yingqiong to inspect the construction site. He advises on feng shui: a landscape garden with a lake pool and white jade bridge to the east, a theater to the west, tiered private rooms (one-claw through five-claw), a stone stele and white jade path leading to the tower, and a pool before the entrance to soften the tower's killing intent. Zhao Yingqiong approves and feasts the workers to win their loyalty.
• The Xinfeng Shipping Guild Scheme: Li Xian receives intelligence and heads to Xu Zhijie's estate in Broad Court Ward. He finds Ji Clan Money House's Manager Ji violently collecting a 100,000-tael debt from Du Ping and Xu Zhijie, former partners of the executed Pei Xin. Xinfeng Shipping Guild is on the verge of collapse; the two merchants have spent 40,000 taels, mortgaged their properties, and even offered their concubines and (shamelessly) their mothers to delay collection.
• Li Xian's Intervention: He flicks a silver token that transforms into golden light, striking Manager Ji, then reveals his identity as a Gold-Seeking Guard Central Lang General. He proposes a three-party arrangement: he will act as guarantor for the loan, giving Ji Clan Money House confidence to extend the deadline, but the 100,000 taels will count as his capital investment—securing him a major share of Xinfeng Shipping Guild with zero upfront cost. When Du Ping and Xu Zhijie hesitate, he threatens to withdraw his guarantee. They are forced to agree.

2. Character Developments

• Li Xian: Demonstrates his growing craftsmanship (Skillful Hands trait, deep understanding of Heavenly Crafted Wonders), proven medical skill, feng shui expertise, and garrison leadership. His ruthlessly pragmatic business move—profiting without capital by exploiting desperate partners—shows he has fully absorbed Wen Caishang's methods, "faintly showing signs of surpassing the blue from which he came." He also reflects on his life philosophy: enjoying the world's sights and experiences over mere rank and authority.
• Li Haitang: Has matured through hunting murderers and arresting thieves; she is grateful to Li Xian and diligent in caring for her father.
• Li Bohou: Notes Li Xian's bearing of a great physician; his injury has reverted to its original severed-leg condition.
• Zhao Yingqiong: Displays her ambition and vanity regarding Dragon-Slaying Tower, but also practical generosity (feasting workers) and appreciation for Li Xian's advice.
• Du Ping & Xu Zhijie: Reduced to desperate, shameless begging—offering their own wives, concubines, and even mothers to stave off debt collectors. They accept Li Xian's terms out of helplessness.

3. Significant Themes

• Profit Without Capital: Li Xian leverages his status and another's crisis to acquire a substantial stake in Xinfeng Shipping Guild with no money down—a pure exercise in financial predation.
• The Student Surpasses the Master: The chapter explicitly ties Li Xian's scheme to Wen Caishang's methods, suggesting he now exceeds her ruthlessness and sophistication in business machinations.
• Desperation and Degradation: Du Ping and Xu Zhijie's decline illustrates how financial ruin strips away dignity and moral scruples.
• Observing Life / Clinical Appreciation of the World: Li Xian's ride through Jade City underscores his philosophy: the world's vibrancy is his true treasure, and he gains martial insight simply from witnessing daily existence.
• "A debt must be repaid": Li Xian upholds this principle even while exploiting it, positioning himself as both judge and beneficiary.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Xian ↔ Li Haitang / Li Bohou: Warm, professional gratitude; Li Haitang thanks him for his care of her father.
• Li Xian ↔ Zhao Yingqiong: Cooperative partnership; she values his counsel and he invests effort in the project.
• Li Xian ↔ Manager Ji: Intimidation through display of status and force; Manager Ji is cowed and deferential.
• Li Xian ↔ Du Ping & Xu Zhijie: Pseudo-benevolent coercion—he presents himself as a savior while delivering an ultimatum. His internal disdain for their shamelessness is explicit, but he proceeds for profit's sake.

Summary

1. Key Plot Points

• After the Ji Clan Money House leaves, Li Xian reassures Xu Zhijie and Du Ping by agreeing to invest 100,000 taels of silver into the failing Xinfeng Shipping Guild.
• A profit-sharing contract is signed: Li Xian receives 13 shares, then an extra 6 shares (3 from each man) as payment for his “standing and reputation.” Final shares: Li Xian 19, Du Ping 34, Xu Zhijie 43.
• Li Xian returns to Sun-Hiding Residence, spending days practicing martial arts, including the Profound Flame Palm and the Garment-Brushing Dust-Flicking Technique.
• He visits Tao Xiangrong at Peach Residence. They flirt, roleplay a “case investigation,” and spend an intimate night together.
• Li Xian gives Tao Xiangrong a clever artifact mask called “Two Hearts Creation; Smiling Face Like a Flower.” It secretly contains Saliva Jade that seals her mouth, trapping her in playful helplessness.
• The next morning, Du Ping’s letter is delivered by a Calamity Crow to Peach Residence because Li Xian stayed overnight.
• Li Xian meets Du Ping and Xu Zhijie to inspect the Boat Guild. They are also waiting for Zhang Chengshan, shopkeeper of Silkworm Dream Tower, whom Li Xian meets for the first time. Both exchange polite “long admired you” greetings.

2. Character Developments

• Li Xian: Shows business savvy and restraint—he chooses long-term profit over forcing the merchants into total submission. He remains ambitious, playful, and control-oriented in romantic matters, while also being diligent in martial arts.
• Xu Zhijie and Du Ping: Initially worried and defensive, they grow relieved and hopeful after Li Xian’s investment. Still shrewd merchants, they also secure another backer in Zhang Chengshan.
• Tao Xiangrong: Deeply devoted to Li Xian, affectionate and coquettish. She also hints at a private agenda involving Xu Shaoqian’s transfer and the “blue faction,” suggesting she is more politically aware than she appears.
• Zhang Chengshan: Introduced as a wealthy, low-key silk-tower owner; his exact motives are not yet clear.

3. Significant Themes

• Profit and long-term strategy: Li Xian understands that sustainable gain is better than seizing everything by force.
• Power and control: The artifact mask symbolizes playful domination and hidden mechanisms; Li Xian enjoys controlling situations and people.
• Romance and intimacy: Li Xian and Tao Xiangrong’s relationship blends tenderness, flirtation, and dominance.
• Reputation as currency: Li Xian’s title and influence are treated as tangible assets worth “shares.”
• Hidden motives: Tao Xiangrong’s private thoughts hint at deeper political schemes.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Xian with Xu/Du: Negotiation, alliance-building, and contract signing; both sides remain alert but satisfied.
• Li Xian with Tao Xiangrong: Playful roleplay, intimate encounter, gift of the mask; she cooperates willingly and even seems to enjoy his mischief.
• Li Xian with Calamity Crow: Affectionate rapport; the crow acts as a clever messenger.
• Li Xian with Zhang Chengshan: Formal first meeting, cordial and full of mutual praise, signaling a potential new connection.

Summary: Madam's Subordinate Forgot His Place

Key Plot Points

• Li Xian meets Zhang Chengshan, shopkeeper of Silkworm Dream Tower, who wishes to invest in Xinfeng Shipping Guild (the Boat Guild that Xu Zhijie and Du Ping founded).
• Li Xian deduces that Zhang Chengshan had secretly manipulated Ji Clan Money House to force repayment, intending to swallow the Boat Guild whole—only to have Li Xian's intervention thwart his plan.
• The four men inspect the Boat Guild's ships: eighteen small, ten medium, and three large vessels, all meticulously built.
• Zhang Chengshan boasts about his Silk-Tether Ship and famous ships of other guilds, revealing pride that borders on presumption regarding Silkworm Dream Tower's ownership.
• In negotiations, Zhang demands to become majority owner, rename the guild "Chengshan Boat Guild," and control all operations. Li Xian opposes him, using diplomatic but firm rhetoric.
• Final agreement: Zhang Chengshan 17 shares, Li Xian 19, Xu Zhijie 39, Du Ping 25. Xu Zhijie retains daily authority; major matters are decided jointly.
• The chapter ends with Tao Xiangrong waking to discover Li Xian left the mask on her—she cannot speak due to the Saliva Jade, and has an Incense Gathering that evening.

Character Developments

• Li Xian: Displays exceptional patience and strategic acumen. He deliberately withstands Zhang Chengshan's time-wasting test during the meal, sees through Zhang's schemes, and firmly protects his own position without overt conflict. His goal: use the guild to retrieve treasure from Yi Jiufan's tomb.
• Zhang Chengshan: Revealed as cunning and long-scheming, but also arrogant after years of unchecked power. He tests Li Xian, fails, and grudgingly retreats—but intends to "slowly nibble away" later.
• Tao Xiangrong: Left helpless, embarrassed, and voiceless by Li Xian's deliberate neglect. Her inner turmoil mixes anger, shyness, and helplessness, deepening the power dynamic between them.

Significant Themes

• Power and control in business: The chapter explores how ownership, authority, and manipulation function—both in commerce and between people.
• The mantis stalks the cicada: Zhang Chengshan's scheme backfires; Li Xian becomes the unexpected beneficiary, then must fend off Zhang's counter-move.
• Concealment and masks: Literal (Tao Xiangrong's mask) and figurative (Zhang Chengshan's polite facade, Li Xian's humble front) masking of true intentions.
• Patience as strategy: Li Xian's calm endurance of Zhang's provocations directly mirrors his dominance over Tao Xiangrong—both involve self-control used as leverage.

Character Interactions

• Li Xian vs. Zhang Chengshan: A verbal duel—Zhang tries to belittle Li ("Little Brother Li"), test his temperament, and pressure him; Li deflects with humility, counters with logic, and asserts his position indirectly.
• Zhang Chengshan's unspoken schemes: His thoughts reveal he orchestrated Ji Clan's early debt collection, intended to force the guild into his hands, and resents Li Xian for ruining it.
• Xu Zhijie & Du Ping: Caught in the middle, they defer to both parties, ultimately siding with Li Xian's proposal.
• Li Xian & Tao Xiangrong (indirect): Li Xian knowingly leaves her masked and speechless, then teases himself that "her body always tells the truth," treating her as both beloved and plaything. Tao Xiangrong's dawning helplessness sets up the next conflict.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Tao Xiangrong wakes up unable to remove a mask stuck to her face and cannot speak—a prank pulled by Li Xian using Saliva Jade. She conceals this from her maids, claiming she caught a chill.
• The mask nearly gets discovered when Xiao He spots lewd books (sent by Li Xian) scattered on the floor, but Tao Xiangrong deflects suspicion by writing down explanations.
• Tao Xiangrong attends the Incense Gathering (a grand social event at Blue-Heavens Long Dream Tower) wearing the mask and maintaining complete silence throughout. She plays the zither beautifully, entertaining guests while internally suffering—starving, sweating, and terrified of exposure.
• Unable to find Li Xian all day, she grows increasingly resentful, suspecting he is secretly watching her make a fool of herself.
• After the event, Li Xian reveals himself. She briefly chases him through the gardens before he catches her; the chapter ends with them together while Xiao He (hidden with sealed acupoints) realizes the truth of their relationship.
• Subplot: Wei Qinghuang's nephew Wei Chu successfully completes a task—escorting the Zhang Clan Merchant Ship near Crow-Distant Island Strait so pirates can seize it. The pirate chief tells him a mysterious treasure has "an unexpected delight" that "can be accomplished on another day."

2. Character Developments

• Tao Xiangrong: Demonstrates remarkable composure and quick thinking under extreme duress. Her internal suffering contrasts sharply with her flawless public poise. She uses her intelligence (having Xiao He relay messages, writing in palms) to survive the day. Her relationship with Li Xian deepens—she moves from anger to playful submission, revealing vulnerability and affection despite her frustrations.
• Li Xian: Shown as mischievous and teasing, but also capable—he returns to find her, having attended to Boat Guild matters. His control over the situation is clear; he reveals his handsome true face, having previously hidden it.
• Xiao He: The comedic foil—oblivious, gullible, and easily flustered. She initially suspects Tao Xiangrong was "replaced," then unknowingly witnesses things she shouldn't. She finally recognizes Li Xian as the Central Lang General and realizes the true nature of his relationship with her sister.
• Xu Shaoqian: Shows continued pursuit of Tao Xiangrong despite becoming a Silver-Armored General in the north. He remains oblivious to her disinterest.
• Wei Chu: Establishes himself as competent in executing Wei Qinghuang's schemes.

3. Significant Themes

• Public Image vs. Private Suffering: The vast gap between Tao Xiangrong's immaculate public persona and her internal panic, hunger, and embarrassment.
• Power Dynamics in Courtship: Li Xian orchestrates the entire situation—he holds the ability to release her from the mask, giving him control. The chase scene represents both playfulness and the shift in their relationship balance.
• Secrecy and Hidden Identities: Masks, hidden faces, silent communication, and concealed relationships permeate the chapter—both literal (the Saliva Jade mask) and figurative (Li Xian's hidden handsome appearance, Tao Xiangrong's hidden feelings, Wei Qinghuang's hidden schemes).
• Manners and Propriety: The Incense Gathering highlights the extreme social expectations placed on courtesans and officials alike; every action is scrutinized.

4. Character Interactions

• Tao Xiangrong & Xiao He: Mistress-maid dynamic—Tao Xiangrong writes in palms, raps Xiao He's head, and relies on her despite Xiao He's constant wrong guesses and nosy speculation.
• Tao Xiangrong & Xu Shaoqian: Awkward pursuit—she merely nods, writes messages through Xiao He, and offers a zither piece to make him sit quietly and stop pestering her.
• Tao Xiangrong & Li Xian: Their core dynamic shifts from frustration to flirtation. She stomps, pinches, "scolds" through Xiao He, and attempts to flee; he catches her, teases her, and holds her. The "chase" is both literal and metaphorical—she wants to be caught.
• Wei Chu & the Pirate Chief: Businesslike cooperation between Wei Qinghuang's network and the pirates, setting up future plot threads regarding a mysterious treasure.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wei Chu is brought to the sea bandits’ hidden island base by their chief, Liang Kaifeng. The elegant, prosperous-looking stronghold surprises him.
• Liang Kaifeng lavishly entertains Wei Chu, presenting him with three rare treasures and promising to assist with matters concerning the County Princess. He repeatedly praises Wei Chu’s aunt, Wei Qinghuang, calling her a “heroine among women,” while flattering Wei Chu by claiming he possesses even greater heroic bearing.
• Wei Chu, pleased by the bandits’ deference and convinced that they fear his aunt’s power, abandons his hostility and enjoys an evening of banquets, music, and dancing.
• Xiao He awakens after recovering from her mysterious condition and discovers that Tao Xiangrong can speak again. Xiao He teases her about the previous night and reveals that she has deduced the identity of Tao Xiangrong’s “younger brother”—Li Xian, who had disguised himself as Handsome Sideburns, Ugly Face.
• Tao Xiangrong makes Xiao He promise not to reveal the secret. Though embarrassed by the events of the previous night, Tao Xiangrong privately admits that Li Xian’s boldness, ingenuity, and playful nature have left a powerful impression on her.
• Li Xian resumes his duties at the Tailstreet Marquis Wu Station. Tao Xiangrong’s mask, Smiling Face Like a Flower, has become an overnight sensation, with workshops mass-producing copies and even young nobles wearing them for amusement.
• Jade City continues to prosper under Li Xian’s administration. Crime decreases, the people admire him, and his winery successfully produces and sells three kinds of wine through the Comings-and-Goings Inn.
• Li Xian secretly travels to Barrier-Distant Village to harvest treasure from the hidden dragon corpse. He removes thirty dragon scales, then notices that unusually large numbers of snakes have gathered around the mountain, likely attracted by the dragon’s presence.
• To prevent outsiders from discovering the dragon corpse, Li Xian prepares Snake-Repelling Soup from snake blood, gallbladders, and herbs. He disperses it throughout the mountain, driving away the snakes, while planting strands of hair at key locations to monitor possible intruders.
• He drags the seventeen-zhang dragon corpse from the underground pool, pins its head with transformed boulders, and successfully extracts the entire dragon sinew. The sinew is extraordinarily valuable but carries a powerful fishy odor.
• Li Xian conceals the sinew in dried mud, purges the mountain of his traces with Xun Wind Breath, and later hides the sinew inside a wine jar to suppress its smell. He transports it into Jade City without arousing suspicion.
• At the city gates, Li Xian encounters Zhao Yingqiong. He distracts her with sweet jujube wine, but she insists that he accompany her to oversee construction of Dragon-Slaying Tower. The dragon sinew is safely delivered to Sun-Hiding Residence while Li Xian is away.
• Back home, Li Xian retrieves and secures the sinew, dragon scales, whiskers, and other materials. He resolves to seek methods for refining dragon treasures, possibly through the Black Market or by subtly questioning Zhao Yingqiong.
• He ends the chapter practicing martial arts. His various techniques improve, and his Bone-Sculpting Embryo proficiency rises to 72/100.

Character Developments

• Wei Chu becomes increasingly arrogant and self-satisfied. Liang Kaifeng’s flattery convinces him that Wei Qinghuang’s reputation grants him automatic authority and protection.
• Liang Kaifeng reveals himself as a polished, calculating leader. Rather than behaving like a crude bandit, he uses luxury, courtesy, gifts, and praise to win Wei Chu’s cooperation.
• Tao Xiangrong recovers physically and emotionally from her encounter with Li Xian. Although embarrassed, she is fascinated by his mischievous and unconventional personality and develops a warmer, more intimate view of him.
• Xiao He proves observant despite her playful foolishness. She correctly identifies Li Xian beneath his disguise and uses teasing to expose Tao Xiangrong’s embarrassment.
• Li Xian demonstrates increasing resourcefulness, caution, and confidence. He balances public duties, commercial ventures, secret treasure hunting, concealment, and martial training with remarkable efficiency.
• Zhao Yingqiong remains direct, suspicious, and forceful. She easily notices Li Xian’s evasiveness but is also willing to engage with and enjoy his wine.

Significant Themes

• Power and reputation: Wei Chu benefits from Wei Qinghuang’s fame without possessing her actual ability, while Liang Kaifeng manipulates him through exaggerated respect.
• Flattery and manipulation: The bandit chief’s gifts and praise are clearly strategic, showing how courtesy can conceal ulterior motives.
• Secrecy and concealment: Li Xian repeatedly hides his identity, his movements, the dragon corpse, and the dragon sinew, carefully erasing physical and scent-based evidence.
• Resourcefulness and practical ingenuity: Li Xian turns ordinary materials—snake blood, herbs, wine, mud, hair, and boulders—into tools for solving extraordinary problems.
• Treasure and knowledge: Possessing rare materials is not enough; Li Xian must learn how to refine and use them properly. His lack of specialized knowledge becomes the next obstacle.
• Intimacy and playful romance: Tao Xiangrong’s private reflections reveal that her relationship with Li Xian is becoming more emotionally charged, mixing embarrassment, attraction, trust, and amusement.
• Public prosperity versus hidden danger: Jade City is peaceful and flourishing on the surface, while secret conflicts, criminal schemes, and powerful treasures develop beneath it.

Important Character Interactions

• Wei Chu and Liang Kaifeng: Liang flatters and gifts Wei Chu until the young man willingly accepts the bandits’ cooperation.
• Tao Xiangrong and Xiao He: Xiao He teases Tao about Li Xian, while Tao threatens her into keeping the secret. Their exchange shows both sisterly affection and Tao’s embarrassment.
• Li Xian and Zhao Yingqiong: Their conversation combines suspicion, teasing, and reluctant companionship. Zhao notices his suspicious behavior but is distracted by his wine and later recruits him to assist with Dragon-Slaying Tower.
• Li Xian and the dragon corpse: Li Xian treats the corpse as a valuable resource, carefully extracting its scales and sinew while respecting the danger of discovery.
• Li Xian and his martial arts: His growing mastery and cultivation progress reinforce his steady advancement in strength and versatility.