Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “She and I, Nine-to-One”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu visits the quiet courtyard of the Heaven Division with Li Qingyuan and meets two of its members: the imposing Shi Chongyue and the frail Zhao Yi.
• Shi Chongyue is visibly flustered by Jiang Yuechu’s presence. After learning that she has already reached Core Formation at a young age, he awkwardly boasts that he is at the Half-Step Core Formation stage and will break through within six months.
• The group learns from Shi Chongyue that unusual demonic activity has reappeared in the Black River. Demon qi has surfaced in its upper reaches, suggesting that something may be emerging.
• Jiang Yuechu reveals that she previously investigated the Black River and killed the Black-Scaled Water Monster inhabiting it. Because of her familiarity with the area, Li Qingyuan invites her to join the investigation as her first assignment in the Heaven Division.
• Jiang Yuechu eagerly agrees, pleased by the opportunity to fight another demon.
• Shi Chongyue reacts reluctantly, but Zhao Yi tactfully arranges for him and himself to prepare horses while Li Qingyuan and Jiang Yuechu go ahead.
• After leaving the courtyard, Zhao Yi confronts Shi Chongyue about his apparent prejudice toward Jiang Yuechu. Shi denies being narrow-minded and claims that, in a real fight, the odds between them would be “nine-to-one.”
• Zhao Yi exposes the absurdity of this claim by reminding him that Jiang Yuechu once killed the powerful Core-Formation Great Demon Heaven-Flattening True Lord alone. He jokes that the “nine-to-one” odds would actually mean Jiang Yuechu defeating Shi with one punch.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Demonstrates confidence, decisiveness, and enthusiasm for her new role. Her prior victory over the Black-Scaled Water Monster and the Heaven-Flattening True Lord establishes her as exceptionally powerful despite her relative lack of experience.
• Li Qingyuan: Acts as a considerate guide and mediator. He recognizes Shi Chongyue’s embarrassment but avoids humiliating him, and he welcomes Jiang Yuechu into the Heaven Division’s operations.
• Shi Chongyue: Reveals insecurity and wounded pride in response to Jiang Yuechu’s superior cultivation and reputation. His bluster about breaking through soon and defeating her nine-to-one masks his fear and embarrassment.
• Zhao Yi: Emerges as perceptive, rational, and sharp-tongued. Though physically frail, he sees through Shi Chongyue’s excuses and firmly challenges his gender-based unease and exaggerated confidence.

Significant Themes

• Strength transcends gender: Zhao Yi emphasizes that martial achievement, not whether someone is male or female, determines respect and status.
• Humility before the accomplished: Li Qingyuan reflects that one should remain humble and respectful toward those stronger or more accomplished, suggesting that Shi Chongyue’s pride is a serious limitation.
• Insecurity hidden by bravado: Shi Chongyue’s exaggerated claims show how pride can be used to conceal fear and inferiority.
• Reputation versus actual ability: Jiang Yuechu’s proven victories contrast sharply with Shi’s empty predictions and boasts, reinforcing that genuine accomplishments matter more than declarations.
• A new beginning: The investigation of the Black River serves as Jiang Yuechu’s first assignment in the Heaven Division and signals her transition into a new stage of work and responsibility.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu’s calm presence unsettles Shi Chongyue, while Li Qingyuan smoothly introduces her and tries to preserve Shi’s dignity.
• Jiang Yuechu and Li Qingyuan quickly agree to investigate the Black River together, showing their developing professional cooperation.
• Zhao Yi diplomatically removes Shi Chongyue from the initial conversation, then privately confronts him about his attitude toward Jiang Yuechu.
• The chapter ends with Zhao Yi humorously dismantling Shi Chongyue’s boast, highlighting the gap between Shi’s self-image and Jiang Yuechu’s demonstrated power.

Chapter Summary: “Return to the Black River”

Plot Points and Events

• After heavy rain, the party—Shi Chongyue, Zhao Yi, Li Qingyuan, and Jiang Yuechu—travels slowly through the muddy roads of western Gan Prefecture toward the Black River.
• To prepare for the investigation, Jiang Yuechu recounts the earlier Black River incident:
  • The river had developed a foul stench.
  • An old man revealed troubling information about the Dragon King Temple and the village.
  • A woman named A Shui and the villagers of Blackwater Village were involved in sacrificing Xing’er, who carried a Demon Embryo.
  • Jiang Yuechu ultimately killed the Black-Scaled Water Monster at Returnwater Bend.
• The group debates the morality of the villagers’ actions. Li Qingyuan condemns their private execution of Xing’er, while Shi Chongyue argues that the village chief acted decisively to protect the village. Zhao Yi takes a detached, pragmatic view, claiming that demons, villagers, and demon slayers all act according to their own interests.
• The group speculates about the new demonic presence at the Black River. Possible explanations include:
  • A mate or family member of the slain monster seeking revenge.
  • A new demon taking over the territory.
  • A contingency or remnant left behind by the previous demon.
• Li Qingyuan asks what happened to Xing’er’s corpse. Jiang Yuechu admits she did not handle it, though she trusts the former squad leader, Liu Chen, to have dealt with it properly.
• The scene shifts to the Dragon King Temple upstream. A young woman with faint dragon scales reveals herself as a powerful aquatic demon. After seducing and overpowering a man, she tears off and eats his arm.
• The demon explains that her Dragon Pearl has only recently formed and that she needs nourishment while recovering. She plans to travel to the Central Plains, expecting its large population and powerful martial artists to provide richer prey.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Remains calm and emotionally restrained while recounting the traumatic Black River incident. Her failure to remember what happened to Xing’er’s corpse introduces a potentially important gap in the past.
• Shi Chongyue: Displays impatience and a blunt, practical attitude. He views the village chief’s sacrifice of Xing’er as justified rather than ignorant. He also accidentally calls Jiang Yuechu “Mother,” hinting at his private dependence, admiration, or unusual relationship with her.
• Zhao Yi: Shows a cynical and pragmatic worldview, treating morality as secondary to survival and official merit. He also makes a pointed argument that the villagers’ actions ultimately failed to solve the problem.
• Li Qingyuan: Acts as the group’s moral and legal voice, insisting that the Demon Suppression Office must uphold imperial law and protect civilians rather than excuse criminal acts.
• The new dragon-like demon: Is established as cruel, predatory, ambitious, and intelligent. She is recovering from the formation of her Dragon Pearl and intends to leave the frontier for the more prosperous Central Plains.

Significant Themes

• Law versus survival: The debate over Xing’er’s sacrifice questions whether desperate circumstances justify violating the law.
• Moral ambiguity: The chapter presents no simple distinction between good and evil. Villagers act to survive, demon slayers pursue duty and merit, and demons follow their own needs.
• Consequences of the past: The return to the Black River suggests that earlier events may not have been fully resolved, especially because Xing’er’s corpse and the former demon’s remains may hold unexplained significance.
• Predation and exploitation: The villagers sacrificed one person to save many, while the new demon treats humans as food. Both actions reflect a brutal struggle for survival.
• Expansion of danger: The demon’s plan to travel to the Central Plains foreshadows a threat that may spread far beyond the Black River.

Character Interactions

• Shi Chongyue and Zhao Yi exchange teasing remarks over the slow journey, establishing a casual but argumentative dynamic.
• Shi and Li clash over whether the village chief was justified in killing Xing’er.
• Zhao Yi challenges both positions with a detached view of competing interests.
• Shi’s accidental use of “Mother” embarrasses him and draws Jiang Yuechu’s suspicion, adding humor and suggesting hidden personal feelings or history.
• Li’s question about Xing’er’s corpse shifts the discussion from philosophical debate to a potentially crucial mystery connected to the current demon.

Chapter Summary: “Dragon King Temple”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The four Demon Suppression Office agents—Li Qingyuan, Shi Chongyue, Jiang Yuechu, and Zhao Yi—reach the Black River during a violent rainstorm.
• They sense an overwhelming demonic aura coming from upstream, powerful enough to suggest a Core-Formation Great Demon, possibly stronger than the White Ape Jiang Yuechu previously encountered.
• Despite the danger, Li Qingyuan insists they investigate before reporting the situation to the prefecture commander. The others reluctantly follow.
• Upstream, they discover the dilapidated Dragon King Temple engulfed in visible black demonic clouds.
• Just as Li Qingyuan is about to enter, the demonic aura abruptly disappears. A frightened barefoot girl appears at the temple entrance.
• The girl introduces herself as A Shui and recognizes Jiang Yuechu. Her words imply that Jiang Yuechu previously killed the temple’s “Dragon King.”
• Zhao Yi searches the temple and finds no demon or suspicious presence. The others conduct a thorough search with the same result.
• Shi Chongyue suspects A Shui is connected to the demon and deliberately threatens her, even swinging his saber toward her face. She displays no supernatural reaction and appears genuinely terrified.
• Shi Chongyue argues that they should kill her to eliminate any possible threat, but Li Qingyuan refuses, insisting that the Demon Suppression Office cannot harm an unarmed child without certainty.
• Although Zhao Yi and Shi Chongyue remain convinced that A Shui is hiding something, Li Qingyuan is torn between suspicion and his moral principles.
• The chapter ends when Jiang Yuechu, who has been silent throughout, approaches A Shui and crouches beside her, surprising the others.

Character Developments

• Li Qingyuan: Demonstrates courage by leading the investigation despite recognizing the danger. He remains cautious but prioritizes justice and procedural morality, refusing to kill A Shui without proof.
• Shi Chongyue: His usual irreverence gives way to fear and aggression in the face of the immense demonic aura. His suspicion leads him to threaten A Shui, revealing a ruthless “better safe than sorry” attitude.
• Jiang Yuechu: Struggles intensely to suppress an unexplained yearning triggered by the demonic presence, stronger than anything she felt near the White Ape’s corpse. Her recognition by A Shui suggests a prior connection, and her decision to approach the girl hints at personal involvement.
• Zhao Yi: Acts pragmatically by searching the temple and reporting that nothing is wrong. He remains skeptical of A Shui but is less openly aggressive than Shi Chongyue.
• A Shui: Appears as a terrified, ordinary child, yet her survival within the demonic aura and knowledge of Jiang Yuechu create strong suspicion. Her reference to the slain Dragon King suggests she knows more about the temple’s history than she reveals.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus suspicion: The agents must decide whether circumstantial evidence justifies harming an apparently innocent child.
• Moral restraint: Li Qingyuan represents the importance of rules and righteousness even when danger seems likely.
• Hidden identities and supernatural ambiguity: The vanished demonic aura and A Shui’s unexplained survival suggest that appearances may be deceptive.
• Repressed memory or connection: Jiang Yuechu’s unusual reaction and A Shui’s recognition of her hint at a deeper unresolved relationship.
• Fear and the unknown: The oppressive atmosphere, violent weather, and invisible demon heighten the uncertainty surrounding the temple.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Qingyuan and Shi Chongyue disagree over how to handle A Shui: Li advocates caution and lawful conduct, while Shi favors eliminating a possible threat.
• A Shui reacts fearfully to Jiang Yuechu but does not respond with hostility, implying familiarity or fear rooted in the past.
• Shi Chongyue’s attempted attack tests whether A Shui is a demon; her lack of reaction makes her nature even more uncertain.
• Jiang Yuechu’s final decision to approach A Shui shifts the focus toward their apparent personal connection and sets up the next chapter’s revelation.

Chapter Summary: “She... Wants to Eat Me?!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu approaches the seemingly helpless young girl, Jiao Xu, and gently strokes her head to calm her.
• Instead of relaxing, Jiao Xu trembles more intensely. Jiang Yuechu’s tender expression reminds her of the predatory gaze she herself wears when hunting humans, leading Jiao Xu to suspect that Jiang Yuechu wants to eat her.
• Enraged, Jiao Xu reveals her true form: a horned, scale-covered demon possessing an immense aura and dragon-like power. Her strength is identified as that of a Core-Formation Great Demon.
• Li Qingyuan, Zhao Yi, and Shi Chongyue draw their weapons, but Jiang Yuechu remains completely unfazed. She effortlessly slams Jiao Xu’s head into the ground with one hand.
• Jiang Yuechu orders the three men to retreat to a village near the Black River. Though initially reluctant, they recognize that they would only hinder her in a battle of this level and obey.
• Left alone, Jiao Xu becomes consumed by rage and attacks Jiang Yuechu, aiming for her throat.
• Jiang Yuechu manifests a grotesque Flesh Demon Armament over her right arm, blocking Jiao Xu’s claws and seizing her wrist.
• She then smashes Jiao Xu into the ground a second time, demonstrating that the supposedly powerful demon is still completely outmatched.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Reveals overwhelming physical strength and an eerie, possibly predatory nature beneath her calm and gentle exterior. Her Flesh Demon Armament suggests she possesses unusual, nonhuman or demonic abilities. She remains composed and authoritative even when facing a Core-Formation Great Demon.
• Jiao Xu: Transforms from a frightened-looking village girl into a powerful horned demon. Her initial confusion and fear turn into humiliation, fury, and a murderous obsession with killing Jiang Yuechu. Despite her formidable cultivation, she is repeatedly dominated in close combat.
• Li Qingyuan, Zhao Yi, and Shi Chongyue: Realize the vast gap between their own abilities and those of true Core-Formation experts. Their confidence gives way to helplessness and caution, prompting them to withdraw rather than interfere.
• Li Qingyuan: Takes the lead in acknowledging Jiang Yuechu’s authority and respectfully follows her order to leave.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Jiao Xu’s innocent disguise conceals a dangerous demon, while Jiang Yuechu’s gentle demeanor hides an even more terrifying level of power.
• Predator and prey reversal: Jiao Xu is accustomed to viewing humans as food, but Jiang Yuechu’s gaze makes her feel like the hunted creature instead.
• Overwhelming power and helplessness: The three men are competent fighters in their region, yet become irrelevant when confronted with a battle at Core-Formation level.
• Control beneath gentleness: Jiang Yuechu’s soft words and calm manner contrast sharply with her brutal actions, suggesting that her kindness may also carry an intimidating, commanding force.
• Human and demon boundaries: Jiang Yuechu’s Flesh Demon Armament blurs the distinction between human cultivator and monster, making Jiao Xu question what Jiang Yuechu truly is.

Important Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu attempts to comfort Jiao Xu, but her touch and expression instead frighten the demon.
• Jiao Xu accuses Jiang Yuechu of wanting to eat her, then attacks her in outrage.
• Jiang Yuechu dismisses the three male cultivators from the battlefield, and they reluctantly accept that they cannot contribute.
• Jiao Xu repeatedly attacks Jiang Yuechu, but Jiang Yuechu counters each move with overwhelming physical strength, ending the chapter with Jiao Xu being slammed into the earth once again.

Chapter Summary: “Subduing the White Flood Dragon Barehanded”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the midst of a cold rainstorm, Jiao Xu, princess of the White Flood Dragon Clan, is defeated and repeatedly smashed into the mud by Jiang Yuechu.
• Jiao Xu is shocked that a human martial artist in the initial Core Formation stage possesses strength far beyond what her cultivation should allow. She is especially disturbed by Jiang Yuechu’s strange scarlet flesh armor and her obvious hunger.
• Facing death, Jiao Xu decides to forcibly activate her incompletely nurtured Dragon Pearl, despite the danger it poses to her.
• She transforms from a beautiful woman into a massive, snow-white Flood Dragon. Her Dragon Pearl grants her control over water, allowing her to manipulate the Black River, summon torrential rain, and create a gigantic water dragon.
• Jiao Xu attacks Jiang Yuechu with the water dragon, believing that no cultivator could withstand the power of her divine ability directly.
• Jiang Yuechu instead covers her body in scarlet flesh and charges straight through the water dragon. The attack cannot slow her, and she continues advancing despite the overwhelming pressure.
• Jiao Xu then launches countless water arrows, but they are equally ineffective. Jiang Yuechu emerges from the attack and rushes toward her at terrifying speed.
• Jiao Xu manages to pierce Jiang Yuechu’s shoulder with a foreclaw. Rather than retreating, Jiang Yuechu uses the embedded claw to pull herself closer.
• Jiang Yuechu strikes the Flood Dragon with a devastating punch, cracking and tearing through her scales and flesh. Jiao Xu becomes trapped, with her claw lodged in Jiang Yuechu’s shoulder and Jiang Yuechu’s fist buried in her body.
• The chapter ends mid-confrontation, with Jiao Xu unable to advance or retreat.

Character Developments

• Jiao Xu: Her initial pride and confidence as a noble dragon princess collapse into fear and disbelief. Although she possesses a powerful bloodline and Dragon Pearl, she is forced to use her unfinished divine ability prematurely. Her transformation reveals considerable power, but her attacks fail against Jiang Yuechu, leaving her desperate and physically trapped.
• Jiang Yuechu: She is portrayed as almost monstrously powerful, calmly overpowering a dragon far above ordinary opponents. Her scarlet flesh armor grants immense durability and strength, while her willingness to endure injury and attack directly demonstrates her brutal, fearless fighting style. Her hunger and emotionless demeanor make her appear more like a predator than a conventional human martial artist.

Significant Themes

• Power beyond appearances: Jiao Xu’s noble bloodline and Core Formation cultivation cannot compete with Jiang Yuechu’s abnormal physical strength.
• Predator and prey: The chapter reverses expectations: the dragon, normally the superior creature, becomes hunted and terrified, while the human behaves like the true monster.
• Pride versus terror: Jiao Xu’s confidence in her lineage and divine ability gives way to panic when conventional measures prove useless.
• Physical dominance and endurance: Jiang Yuechu’s victory depends not on refined techniques but on overwhelming bodily strength, resilience, and a willingness to absorb attacks.
• The unnatural and unknown: Jiang Yuechu’s scarlet flesh is repeatedly emphasized as something beyond normal human abilities, leaving Jiao Xu unable to understand what she is fighting.

Character Interactions

• Jiao Xu repeatedly questions Jiang Yuechu’s identity, but Jiang Yuechu dismisses her as “food” rather than treating her as an equal opponent.
• Jiang Yuechu physically dominates Jiao Xu by lifting and smashing her into the ground.
• Jiao Xu attempts to regain control through her Flood Dragon transformation and water-based divine ability.
• Jiang Yuechu responds by confronting every attack head-on, intensifying Jiao Xu’s fear.
• Their close-quarters struggle culminates in Jiao Xu injuring Jiang Yuechu’s shoulder, only for Jiang Yuechu to exploit the wound and trap Jiao Xu before delivering a crushing punch.

Chapter Summary: “Water Manipulation Divine Ability”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu brutally overpowers Jiao Xu, the White Flood Dragon princess, by deliberately allowing Jiao Xu’s claw to pierce her shoulder so she can maintain her grip.
• She repeatedly punches Jiao Xu’s wound until the flood dragon is incapacitated. Jiao Xu attempts to save herself by revealing her identity as the daughter of the Western Regions’ Demon King, but Jiang Yuechu remains unmoved.
• Jiang Yuechu kills Jiao Xu by transforming her blood-colored demonic armor into a blade and decapitating her.
• The system rewards her with 645 years of Dao Cultivation, but recording Jiao Xu’s unknown demon species costs 1,100 years of cultivation. The high cost suggests that Jiao Xu’s powerful Flood Dragon bloodline has unusual potential.
• Through the system’s “Shadow Tracing,” Jiang Yuechu acquires the divine ability Water Manipulation, allowing her to control nearby moisture and shape water into weapons.
• She experiments with the ability by forming water balls, firing water arrows, and manipulating the Black River into pillars and a partially formed water dragon.
• Jiang Yuechu discovers that she can effectively control water within roughly one hundred meters. Attempting to create a full water dragon causes severe mental pain, indicating that the ability consumes spiritual or soul power rather than physical vitality.
• She cuts off Jiao Xu’s head to fulfill her mission, then uses the Blood Sustenance Art to drain the entire dragon corpse.
• The absorbed vitality causes her Golden Core to grow, advancing her from the early to the mid Core Formation Realm.
• She also discovers that her physical strength has increased by approximately thirty percent, likely due to the Flood Dragon’s unusual flesh and blood or a new effect of the Blood Sustenance Art.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu becomes increasingly ruthless and confident. She endures serious injury without hesitation and uses it strategically to guarantee victory.
• Her combat instincts and willingness to exploit an opponent’s fear are emphasized, especially when she ignores Jiao Xu’s royal status.
• She gains a powerful new ability and begins actively testing its range, versatility, and limitations.
• Jiang Yuechu shows growing awareness of the relationship between different powers: the divine ability relies on mental or soul strength, while the Blood Sustenance Art enhances both cultivation and physical strength.
• Jiao Xu shifts from an arrogant and dangerous opponent to a helpless, terrified victim. Her attempt to rely on her imperial lineage fails, underscoring the irrelevance of status in the face of Jiang Yuechu’s overwhelming power.

Significant Themes

• Power over status: Jiao Xu’s identity as a demon princess cannot protect her once she is defeated.
• Adaptation and experimentation: Jiang Yuechu immediately tests her new ability, learning its range and cost through practical use.
• Strength gained through danger: Her willingness to suffer injury allows her to secure victory, reinforcing the theme that resolve and tactical brutality can overcome superior opponents.
• Unknown costs of power: The ability’s soul-related burden and the unusually high recording cost hint that stronger techniques may carry hidden risks.
• Transformation and advancement: By consuming Jiao Xu’s body, Jiang Yuechu converts an enemy’s power into her own cultivation and physical growth.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu and Jiao Xu’s confrontation is entirely one-sided by the end. Jiao Xu pleads for mercy and invokes her royal lineage, while Jiang Yuechu responds with silence and continued violence.
• Their interaction highlights the contrast between Jiao Xu’s reliance on identity and Jiang Yuechu’s reliance on direct strength, endurance, and strategy.
• Jiang Yuechu’s relationship with the system is also important: she questions its costly recording process but ultimately accepts the reward because the new divine ability significantly strengthens her.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

In the scorching aftermath of several days of rain, a procession enters Liangzhou Prefecture carrying the enormous head of a slain flood dragon. The group consists of four Demon Suppression Office officials, including the young Jiang Yuechu, who personally killed the Core Formation Realm demon. The sight draws an enormous crowd, and the dragon’s corpse causes widespread excitement throughout the city.

Character developments

Jiang Yuechu becomes publicly famous almost immediately. Despite being only seventeen or eighteen, she is revealed to be a powerful Core Formation cultivator and a sixth-rank official, marked by the Golden Suanni insignia of a Langjiang. She appears tense under the attention but insists that she is merely “aloof.” When teased about the crowd’s fascination with her, she confidently declares, “Because I am the most beautiful,” displaying her blunt self-assurance and vanity.
Li Qingyuan reflects on how naturally her strength now seems to him, recognizing that killing a flood dragon is unsurprising given her ability to defeat the Heaven-Flattening True Lord. Shi Chongyue enjoys the prestige of accompanying her, even though he did not kill the dragon himself. Zhao Yi teases Jiang Yuechu about her popularity. Chen Tong and a bald monk later react humorously to the exaggerated stories being told about her.

Character interactions

The officials banter while entering the city. Li Qingyuan gently reassures Jiang Yuechu that the crowd means no harm, while Shi Chongyue mocks her stiff expression and Zhao Yi jokes about the attention she receives. At the Demon Suppression Office gates, two guards discuss the procession, initially dismissing the importance of the Langjiang officials before being stunned by the dragon’s head.

Themes

The chapter emphasizes reputation, public spectacle, and the gap between truth and legend. Jiang Yuechu’s achievement is quickly transformed into a citywide myth: storytellers embellish the battle into a dramatic tale in which she becomes an immortal maiden descending from the heavens with a divine dragon-slaying sword. The exaggerated storytelling highlights how heroic fame distorts reality, while the chapter also contrasts Jiang Yuechu’s extraordinary power with her youth and striking beauty.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu has become unexpectedly famous after slaying the White Flood Dragon and earning the reputation of a “flood-dragon-slaying fairy.”
• The gates of the Demon Suppression Office are now crowded daily by admirers, including scholars, wealthy young masters, and even burly men, all hoping to see her or win her favor.
• When Jiang leaves the office, the crowd surrounds her with gifts, portraits, declarations of affection, and boastful claims. The Demon-Suppression Guards struggle to control them because they have committed no serious crimes.
• Jiang is tempted to kill the entire crowd, but remembers Wei He’s warning not to act rashly. She suppresses her killing intent and simply tells everyone to “scram,” which the admirers absurdly interpret as a personal declaration of interest.
• Back in her courtyard, Jiang reviews her Hundred Demons Register and reflects on how to use her accumulated Dao Cultivation.
• She debates whether to spend her reserves on increasing her strength or preserve them for the chance to record powerful demons in the future.
• Jiang recognizes that the Register’s greatest value lies in demons’ innate abilities and divine talents, but she cannot openly use many of them because of the public scrutiny surrounding her.
• She concludes that her current martial arts and cultivation techniques are inadequate for facing Core Formation opponents and decides that she must acquire stronger techniques.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Her fame has made her increasingly frustrated and irritable, revealing how poorly suited she is to public attention. Despite her violent impulses, she demonstrates restraint by following Wei He’s advice. She also shows growing strategic awareness, carefully weighing the use of her Dao Cultivation and recognizing weaknesses in her current arsenal.
• Wei He: Though absent, he influences Jiang’s actions through his warning that she must tolerate the attention until public interest fades.
• Demon-Suppression Guards: They are shown as powerless and exasperated, unable to disperse the admirers without justification despite their anger.
• The admirers: Their exaggerated infatuation provides comic relief and shows how Jiang’s legend has transformed her into an object of public fascination.

Significant Themes

• The burden of fame: Jiang’s heroic reputation attracts unwanted attention and turns a dangerous government office into a spectacle.
• Restraint versus violence: Jiang must suppress her instinct to eliminate those irritating her, emphasizing the tension between her lethal abilities and the need to behave publicly.
• Resource management and preparation: Her deliberation over Dao Cultivation reflects the importance of saving power for future enemies while still improving her current strength.
• Public image versus true power: Although Jiang is celebrated as a fairy, she remains conscious of her technical shortcomings and the limitations of her visible martial arts.
• Growth and inadequacy: Despite possessing a powerful collection of abilities, Jiang realizes that her cultivation techniques are not yet suitable for her rising level of strength.

Character Interactions

• Jiang confronts a crowd of admirers who compete through poetry, gifts, family wealth, and crude boasts.
• The guards attempt to protect order and threaten punishment, but admit they cannot lawfully use extreme force.
• Jiang’s single-word dismissal silences the crowd temporarily, though the admirers immediately misunderstand it as romantic attention.
• Wei He’s off-screen warning restrains Jiang from attacking the crowd.
• Jiang internally consults and evaluates her Hundred Demons Register, ultimately deciding to seek more advanced cultivation techniques.

Chapter Summary: “Asking for Martial Arts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The day after reaching the Core Formation Realm, Jiang Yuechu heads toward the Demon Suppression Office while eating several meat-filled flatbreads. Her increased appetite reflects her newly enhanced cultivation.
• She encounters Liu Chen, an old acquaintance from the Black River. Although he is intimidated by her rapid rise to the Sixth-Rank Langjiang level and rumors of her killing a Core Formation flood dragon demon, Jiang Yuechu casually shares food with him, easing the awkward distance between them.
• Liu Chen explains the Demon Suppression Office’s system for obtaining martial arts manuals:
  • Ordinary manuals can be purchased with silver.
  • Bone-Chiming Realm techniques require merit.
  • Core Formation Realm techniques are personally controlled by Wei He and require his approval.
• Jiang Yuechu decides to request higher-level martial arts from Wei He. She also considers visiting Wei Qing, whom she has not seen recently.
• At the office, Jiang Yuechu ignores the guards’ exaggerated flirtatious remarks and separates from Liu Chen. She tells him to seek her out if he needs help, prompting him to consider asking her assistance with a serious matter.
• Jiang Yuechu meets Wei He and directly requests several martial arts manuals. Wei He is amused that she waited so long to make the request, then praises her enormous achievements, particularly her solo victories over the Heaven-Flattening True Lord and the white flood dragon.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Her Core Formation breakthrough has greatly increased both her appetite and reputation. She remains casual, practical, and unconcerned with public praise, but now possesses enough merit and authority to request the Demon Suppression Office’s highest-level resources.
• Liu Chen: He feels a mixture of admiration, inferiority, and emotional distance toward Jiang Yuechu because of the vast gap between their cultivation levels. Her simple gesture of giving him food restores some of their former familiarity. He also begins considering whether to ask her for help.
• Wei He: He recognizes Jiang Yuechu as an exceptionally valuable and powerful member of the office. His attitude shifts from routine authority to genuine respect, emphasizing that her merits could justify rewards far greater than a few martial arts manuals.

Significant Themes

• Rapid growth and changing relationships: Jiang Yuechu’s advancement has transformed how former acquaintances perceive her, creating distance even where friendship once existed.
• Humility versus reputation: Despite her legendary accomplishments, Jiang Yuechu remains indifferent to fame and public opinion, contrasting with the office workers and common people who eagerly discuss her achievements.
• Merit and institutional recognition: The chapter highlights the Demon Suppression Office’s hierarchy, where cultivation resources and martial arts are distributed according to rank, merit, and official approval.
• Kindness bridging social gaps: Jiang Yuechu’s unceremonious sharing of food helps Liu Chen overcome his feelings of inferiority and reconnect with her.
• Power creating responsibility: Liu Chen’s thought that Jiang Yuechu might resolve his problem suggests that her growing strength may lead her to become a source of protection or assistance for others.

Important Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu and Liu Chen: Their walk to the office reveals Liu Chen’s awe and discomfort, while Jiang Yuechu treats him as she always has. Sharing flatbread restores their old camaraderie.
• Jiang Yuechu and the office guards: The guards make exaggerated remarks about her, but she ignores them, showing her lack of interest in attention or flirtation.
• Jiang Yuechu and Wei He: She respectfully but directly asks for martial arts manuals. Wei He responds with humor and then acknowledges the extraordinary value of her accomplishments, implying that she can request significant rewards.

Chapter Summary: “Ink-Point? Gacha!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wei He explains the Ink-Point Realm, the stage above Core Formation and the first step beyond the “Three Mortal Realms” of String-Hearing, Bone-Resonance, and Core Formation.
• Unlike the earlier realms, which temper the physical body, Ink-Point requires a martial artist to use divine intent as a brush and true qi as ink to sense and imprint one of the spirits of heaven and earth.
• These Spirit Imprints can come from mountains, rivers, beasts, plants, ancient creatures, and other entities, with each granting a different foundation:
  • Mountain spirits provide immense durability.
  • River spirits grant enduring blood and qi.
  • Fierce-beast spirits enhance killing power.
• Great Tang has established eight Martial Temples containing 180 Spirit Imprints gathered by past sages. However, entering a temple does not guarantee success, and the imprint that responds—or whether any responds—is uncertain.
• Jiang Yuechu privately compares the process to a gacha system, where one might receive an exceptional, mediocre, or worthless result. Her past-life trauma with unlucky gacha pulls makes her resent the idea.
• She asks whether she can obtain an imprint independently. Wei He confirms that it is possible but extraordinarily rare, emphasizing that Martial Temples exist to help martial artists avoid unnecessary difficulty.
• Jiang Yuechu decides not to worry yet, wondering whether the Hundred Demons Register might eventually provide another solution, as it has already granted her cultivation arts and the White Flood Dragon’s divine ability.
• She then asks Wei He for martial techniques: preferably a saber art, otherwise a fist art, and ideally a movement technique.
• The chapter ends with Jiang Yuechu explaining that saber techniques suit her existing style and the divine ability Yin Law Granted by Heaven, while a movement art would help compensate for her lack of maneuverability.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu gains a clearer understanding of the higher martial realms and the importance of Spirit Imprints.
• Her humorous, modern perspective is revealed through the gacha comparison, showing how she interprets unfamiliar cultivation concepts using memories from her previous life.
• She remains cautious about relying on luck but maintains hope that the Hundred Demons Register may provide an alternative path.
• Her combat preferences become more defined: she favors saber techniques, sees fist arts as a backup, and recognizes movement as her greatest weakness.
• Wei He acts as a knowledgeable guide, carefully explaining both the theory and practical limitations of the Ink-Point Realm. He also treats Jiang Yuechu’s potential seriously while warning her not to underestimate the difficulty of advancing.

Significant Themes

• The divide between mortal and higher cultivation: Ink-Point marks a fundamental transition from refining the body to borrowing and embodying principles from heaven and earth.
• Luck versus personal effort: Success depends partly on which Spirit Imprint responds, creating an element of uncertainty, though extraordinary individuals may succeed through their own ability.
• Humanity’s attempt to harness nature: Martial artists do not create these powers themselves; they seek to understand and borrow the innate principles contained within all living and spiritual things.
• Institutional support versus individual genius: The Martial Temples represent accumulated wisdom and collective human effort, contrasting with the rare genius who can find and awaken a Spirit Imprint independently.
• Humor amid serious cultivation: Jiang Yuechu’s gacha analogy lightens the discussion while also highlighting her anxiety about leaving an important part of her future to chance.

Character Interactions

• Wei He patiently explains the Ink-Point Realm after Jiang Yuechu admits she does not understand his more abstract description.
• Jiang Yuechu’s sudden emotional reaction confuses Wei He, who assumes she may have misunderstood the explanation.
• Their conversation shows a comfortable dynamic: Wei He provides guidance, while Jiang Yuechu asks direct questions without embarrassment.
• Wei He encourages her not to overestimate her ability to advance alone, though he acknowledges her exceptional talent.
• Jiang Yuechu confidently states her preferences for future martial arts, signaling trust in Wei He and a practical awareness of her own strengths and weaknesses.

Chapter Summary: “Wei Qing Wants to Return to Chang’an?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu consults Wei He about suitable Core Formation Realm martial arts, including blade, fist, and movement techniques.
• Wei He agrees to compile several techniques from the Demon Suppression Office’s armory into a booklet for her, warning that sharing them would constitute betrayal of the Office.
• He tells Jiang Yuechu that Wei Qing may soon leave Liangzhou and return to Chang’an, where her family has arranged a future for her.
• Jiang Yuechu visits Wei Qing at the Wei residence. They joke, eat together, and reconnect.
• During their conversation, Wei Qing confirms that she will return to Chang’an because she has failed to progress far in martial arts and has accepted a quieter life arranged by her family.
• Jiang Yuechu responds by asking whether the food in Chang’an is good, lifting the melancholy mood. Wei Qing promises to show her all the city’s best food if Jiang Yuechu ever visits.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu continues advancing in martial arts and is now renowned as the “Jiao-Slaying Fairy,” capable of impressive sword techniques. Despite her growing fame, she remains quiet, practical, and primarily motivated by food and her relationships.
• Wei He acts as both an authority figure and a protective brother. He supports Jiang Yuechu’s cultivation while emphasizing discipline and loyalty to the Demon Suppression Office.
• Wei Qing reveals her insecurity and disappointment regarding martial arts. Once inspired by stories of heroic female warriors, she now believes she lacks the talent to reach even the String-Hearing Realm and has chosen to return to Chang’an for a stable life.
• The friendship between Jiang Yuechu and Wei Qing is shown to be warm and familiar, with teasing, shared meals, and emotional support beneath their casual conversation.

Significant Themes

• Ambition versus acceptance: Wei Qing once dreamed of becoming a heroic martial artist but ultimately accepts that her abilities may not allow her to achieve that dream.
• Gender and inequality: Wei Qing reflects that women face greater obstacles in martial cultivation and must possess extraordinary talent to surpass the limitations imposed by society and nature.
• Friendship and emotional comfort: Jiang Yuechu’s simple, food-centered response helps Wei Qing move past her sadness, showing how companionship can ease painful partings.
• Duty and responsibility: Wei He’s warning about protecting the Office’s martial arts highlights the importance of loyalty, secrecy, and institutional obligations.
• Different paths in life: Jiang Yuechu represents continued advancement and possibility, while Wei Qing chooses security and peace in Chang’an.

Character Interactions

• Wei He and Jiang Yuechu discuss her cultivation needs, with Wei He balancing generosity and strict authority.
• Jiang Yuechu and Wei Qing exchange playful teasing about Jiang’s growing reputation before sharing a meal.
• Their conversation shifts into a serious discussion about Wei Qing’s return to Chang’an and her abandoned martial ambitions.
• Jiang Yuechu listens without judgment and comforts Wei Qing indirectly through her sincere question about Chang’an’s food, allowing their friendship to end the scene on a hopeful, affectionate note.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wei He sends Jiang Yuechu three advanced martial arts manuals:

Golden Suanni Tyrant Blade

Yin-Yang Crisscross Hand

Ground-Shortening Flick Kick

• Unable to understand the manuals through ordinary reading, Jiang uses her [Yin Law Granted by Heaven] ability to directly infuse them with Dao Cultivation.
• She spends:
  • 35 years to reach Beginner with the Golden Suanni Tyrant Blade
  • 80 years to reach Beginner with Yin-Yang Crisscross Hand
  • 160 years to reach Beginner with Ground-Shortening Flick Kick
• Jiang tests the techniques and recognizes that they greatly expand her combat abilities:
  • The blade art provides overwhelming close-range power.
  • The palm technique allows her to manipulate force, making light attacks feel heavy.
  • The movement technique lets her cross distances almost instantly and move silently.
• She then improves the Golden Suanni Tyrant Blade to Major Success, spending nearly all her remaining Dao Cultivation. She is left with only two years.
• Jiang reflects bitterly on her lack of resources and jokingly wishes for someone foolish enough to provoke her so she can replenish her cultivation.
• Meanwhile, at the wealthy Qian Family, Qian Shaoyou throws a tantrum because his attempts to pursue Jiang have failed. His gifts were returned, and his people could not enter the Demon Suppression Office.
• Qian Shaoyou’s older brother, Qian Boyong, learns that the woman causing the trouble is Jiang Yuechu. His expression changes sharply upon hearing her identity, creating a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu becomes significantly more versatile and powerful. She now possesses strong close combat, palm, movement, and ranged abilities through her existing Water Manipulation technique.
• Her confidence grows as she realizes she is becoming a well-rounded fighter, though her near-total depletion of Dao Cultivation leaves her frustrated and financially strained.
• Qian Shaoyou is shown as spoiled, impulsive, and obsessed with Jiang despite being unable to approach her. His anger exposes both his entitlement and his helplessness before her official status.
• Qian Boyong appears more composed and calculating. He views his younger brother with contempt and seems to regard Shaoyou’s incompetence as beneficial to his own interests.

Significant Themes

• Power comes at a cost: Jiang’s rapid advancement consumes enormous amounts of Dao Cultivation, emphasizing the limits and sacrifices behind her strength.
• Resource scarcity: Even with status, wealth, and powerful techniques, Jiang remains troubled by the need to conserve cultivation and support the demons under her care.
• Transformation through cultivation: The three techniques complete major gaps in Jiang’s fighting style, symbolizing her development from a specialist into a balanced combatant.
• Status and power dynamics: Qian Shaoyou’s wealth is useless against Jiang’s authority as a Demon Suppression Office Langjiang, showing the difference between family influence and institutional power.
• Family hierarchy and ambition: Qian Boyong’s disdain for his brother hints at internal family rivalry and possible political or personal motives.

Character Interactions

• Wei He’s guard delivers the manuals to Jiang respectfully, reinforcing Wei He’s support and Jiang’s rising position.
• Jiang interacts mainly with the techniques themselves, testing their effects and evaluating how they complement her abilities.
• Qian Shaoyou berates his servants and steward for failing to deliver gifts or gain access to Jiang.
• Qian Boyong confronts Shaoyou’s behavior, criticizes his obsession indirectly, and questions which woman has caused the disturbance.
• The chapter ends when Boyong realizes the woman is Jiang Yuechu, suggesting that her identity has immediate significance to him or the Qian Family.

Chapter Summary: “People from Baosha”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qian Boyong learns that his younger brother, Qian Shaoyou, has taken an interest in Jiang Yuechu, the Langjiang who recently beheaded a Flood Dragon.
• Furious and alarmed, Qian Boyong strikes and kicks Shaoyou, warning him that Jiang Yuechu is far beyond the Qian family’s reach because of her position in the Demon Suppression Office. He orders Shaoyou never to pursue her or even mention her again.
• Jiang Yuechu continues visiting the Wei Residence, mainly to enjoy Wei Qing’s cooking and spend peaceful time away from the violence of the outside world.
• Wei Qing teaches Jiang Yuechu to play the zither. Jiang initially struggles, but memories from the body’s former owner surface, allowing her to play a beautiful melody with surprising skill. Wei Qing is astonished and frustrated by Jiang’s seemingly limitless talents.
• Jiang is summoned to the Regional Commander’s Office by Wei He, ending the pleasant interlude with Wei Qing.
• Wei He reveals that Baosha Temple has sent Wangchen, the head of its Discipline Hall, to Liangzhou. Wangchen is a powerful Core Formation cultivator whose disciple was one of the two Baosha monks Jiang Yuechu previously killed.
• Although Baosha would not openly attack a Sixth-Rank Langjiang of the Demon Suppression Office, Wei He warns Jiang that they operate covertly and may be plotting against her. Jiang accepts the warning but shows no fear, while Wei He assures her that the Office will defend her if Baosha acts recklessly.

Character Developments

• Qian Boyong: Reveals practical judgment and concern for the Qian family’s survival. His violent reaction shows how seriously he fears the authority of the Demon Suppression Office and Jiang Yuechu’s status.
• Qian Shaoyou: Demonstrates arrogance, recklessness, and ignorance of the danger involved in pursuing Jiang. He believes wealth can excuse his behavior, but Boyong forces him to recognize that some powers cannot be bought off.
• Jiang Yuechu: Shows a quieter, more reflective side while thinking about separation and her former life. She also discovers that the previous owner’s memories allow her to play the zither. Despite Wei He’s warning, she remains calm and confident regarding Baosha’s threat.
• Wei Qing: Acts as Jiang’s friend and emotional refuge. Her affection is evident through her hospitality and patient zither lesson, while her astonishment at Jiang’s talent adds warmth and humor to their relationship.
• Wei He: Acts protectively and responsibly, warning Jiang not to provoke Baosha while making clear that the Demon Suppression Office will support her if necessary.
• Wangchen: Though he does not appear directly, he is established as a formidable and dangerous antagonist with a personal motive for confronting Jiang.

Significant Themes

• Power and social hierarchy: Jiang’s official status places her beyond the reach of ordinary aristocratic influence, forcing the Qian family to fear the consequences of offending her.
• Recklessness versus restraint: Qian Shaoyou’s impulsiveness contrasts with Boyong and Wei He’s caution, emphasizing the danger of underestimating political and martial power.
• Peace amid violence: Jiang and Wei Qing’s meals and music provide a temporary sanctuary from the conflicts surrounding them.
• Identity and inherited memory: Jiang’s sudden ability to play the zither suggests that remnants of the previous owner’s skills and memories remain within her.
• Hidden enemies and looming conflict: Baosha’s arrival introduces a more serious threat. Their covert methods and Wangchen’s connection to the slain monks foreshadow a confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Qian Boyong violently reprimands Qian Shaoyou, establishing the gulf between Shaoyou’s foolish desires and the real danger posed by Jiang Yuechu.
• Wei Qing and Jiang Yuechu share an intimate, playful lesson in zither playing, strengthening their bond and revealing Jiang’s unexpected artistic ability.
• Wei He and Jiang Yuechu discuss Baosha’s arrival in a serious briefing. Wei He urges caution, while Jiang responds with controlled confidence and an implied willingness to face her enemies.

Chapter Summary: “Farewell”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens by explaining the long-standing conflict between the imperial court, the Daoist Order, and the powerful Buddhist Order, which has remained deeply entrenched despite the Great Tang court’s efforts to suppress it.
• Two monks arrive in Liangzhou: an imposing elderly monk identified as the Buddhist Head Seat and a younger, more vicious-looking monk who treats him with great respect.
• They meet a plump monk at a hidden temple and ask about “that woman”—Jiang Yuechu. The Head Seat orders an investigation into her origins, residence, and movements.
• The monks learn that Jiang Yuechu spends most of her time at the Demon-Calming Ward and frequently visits the Wei Residence, where she is close to Wei Qing. The Head Seat reacts coldly upon hearing this, suggesting that Jiang Yuechu and possibly the Wei family have drawn Buddhist attention.
• Meanwhile, Jiang Yuechu finishes an afternoon of blade training. A servant from the Wei Residence arrives to tell her that Wei Qing is leaving for Chang’an and has asked Jiang Yuechu not to see her off.
• Jiang Yuechu initially stays behind but changes her clothes and goes to the west city gate anyway.
• At the gate, Wei Qing waits with her father, Wei He, and several carriages. She is clearly hoping Jiang Yuechu will come.
• Jiang Yuechu and Wei Qing exchange farewells. Wei Qing gives Jiang Yuechu a medicinal sachet intended to calm her mind and ease her heavy killing intent. She also asks Jiang Yuechu to visit her in Chang’an once she reaches the city.
• Wei Qing’s carriage departs. Jiang Yuechu watches until it disappears, reflecting on how unusual and meaningful their friendship has become.
• Wei He offers Jiang Yuechu a philosophical comfort about the sorrow of parting. Jiang Yuechu stores the sachet against her body and regains her customary calm, though the farewell has clearly affected her.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Her normally detached and solitary nature is softened by her friendship with Wei Qing. She realizes that, despite disliking relationships and living constantly in danger, being with Wei Qing feels uncomplicated and comfortable. Although she does not openly express grief, keeping the sachet close shows that the farewell matters deeply to her.
• Wei Qing: She displays genuine affection and concern for Jiang Yuechu. Her gift reflects her awareness of Jiang Yuechu’s violent lifestyle and emotional burdens. Though she tries to act casual, her reddened eyes and repeated glances reveal how reluctant she is to leave.
• Wei He: He acts as a protective father, cautioning Wei Qing against recklessness and restrainting her impulsive attempt to jump from the carriage. He also shows compassion toward Jiang Yuechu, recognizing her sorrow and offering mature advice about separation.
• The Buddhist Head Seat: He is introduced as a powerful, intimidating figure whose calm investigation of Jiang Yuechu hints at a developing threat. His hostile reaction to her connection with the Wei family suggests that the Buddhist Order may soon move against them.

Significant Themes

• Farewell and separation: The chapter centers on the emotional pain of parting, portraying it as an ordinary but deeply affecting experience.
• Friendship and emotional vulnerability: Jiang Yuechu’s relationship with Wei Qing challenges her belief that human connections are troublesome and dangerous.
• Duty versus personal attachment: Wei Qing must leave for Chang’an, while Jiang Yuechu remains tied to her duties and dangerous path in Liangzhou.
• Hidden political and religious conflict: The Buddhist Order’s investigation introduces a larger threat beneath the personal farewell, linking Jiang Yuechu’s private life to the struggle between Buddhism, Daoism, and imperial authority.
• Emotional restraint: Jiang Yuechu suppresses her feelings and returns to her usual composure, suggesting that her growing attachments remain difficult for her to acknowledge.

Character Interactions

• The Buddhist monks and the plump temple monk establish an investigative alliance focused on Jiang Yuechu and her association with Wei Qing.
• The servant’s hurried message prompts Jiang Yuechu to confront her feelings about Wei Qing’s departure.
• Jiang Yuechu and Wei Qing share a warm, teasing, and emotionally sincere farewell. Wei Qing expresses concern for Jiang Yuechu’s well-being, while Jiang Yuechu responds with restrained but meaningful care.
• Wei He observes their closeness without interrupting and later offers Jiang Yuechu advice, acting as both Wei Qing’s father and a sympathetic elder.

Chapter Summary: Baosha Temple’s Discipline Hall Chief, Master Wangchen

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qian Shaoyou wakes with a badly swollen face after being struck and reprimanded by his elder brother, Qian Boyong, for antagonizing Jiang Yuechu, a Langjiang of the Demon Suppression Office.
• Rather than feeling remorse, Shaoyou’s initial attraction to Jiang has transformed into resentment and obsessive determination to force her submission.
• Seeking an outlet for his anger, he visits a secluded Buddhist temple where he regularly consults the abbot, the fat monk Huiyuan.
• Huiyuan notices Shaoyou’s injury and encourages him to complain. Shaoyou angrily recounts his conflict with Jiang Yuechu and his brother, declaring that he will eventually make Jiang kneel and beg.
• Huiyuan flatters Shaoyou by praising Jiang’s beauty and power while suggesting that Shaoyou is worthy of a woman like her. This temporarily calms Shaoyou.
• After Shaoyou leaves to use the latrine, the temple’s mysterious “honored guest” appears: the emaciated Master Wangchen, chief of Baosha Temple’s Discipline Hall and a powerful Core Formation cultivator.
• Huiyuan nervously explains Shaoyou’s situation. Wangchen interprets Shaoyou’s fixation on Jiang as a karmic connection and decides that intervening in the matter will be a compassionate, meritorious act.
• Shaoyou returns and is introduced to Master Wangchen, unaware of the chief’s interest in his affairs.

2. Character Developments

• Qian Shaoyou: His wounded pride deepens into spiteful obsession. He refuses to accept Jiang’s rejection or his brother’s warning, revealing arrogance, entitlement, and emotional immaturity. His attraction to Jiang has been corrupted by humiliation and resentment.
• Qian Boyong: Though absent from the scene, he is established as protective and stern. His willingness to strike and lecture Shaoyou suggests concern about the consequences of provoking Jiang and the Demon Suppression Office.
• Huiyuan: He acts as a smooth, opportunistic mediator. He placates Shaoyou through calculated flattery while concealing his fear of Wangchen and the larger significance of the situation.
• Master Wangchen: He is introduced as an intimidating and highly powerful monk. Despite his exalted status, he takes an unusual personal interest in Shaoyou’s romantic grievance, framing intervention as Buddhist compassion and karmic guidance.

3. Significant Themes

• Obsession distorted by wounded pride: Shaoyou’s original attraction becomes hostility when Jiang refuses him, showing how entitlement can transform affection into vindictiveness.
• Power and social hierarchy: Shaoyou’s wealth and family status make him accustomed to getting his way, but Jiang’s position and Wangchen’s authority place him in a more dangerous power structure.
• Karma and manipulation: Wangchen interprets the coincidence between Shaoyou, Jiang, and the temple as karmic fate, though his decision to interfere may also serve hidden motives.
• Religious language masking worldly schemes: Huiyuan and Wangchen use Buddhist concepts such as fate, compassion, merit, and karmic ties to justify involvement in a personal and potentially coercive conflict.
• Foreshadowing: Wangchen’s sudden interest suggests that Shaoyou’s resentment may become connected to a much larger confrontation involving Jiang Yuechu and the Buddhist sect.

4. Character Interactions

• Shaoyou and Qian Boyong: Their off-page confrontation establishes familial conflict. Boyong condemns Shaoyou’s behavior and warns him not to pursue Jiang, while Shaoyou responds with defiance.
• Shaoyou and Huiyuan: Huiyuan plays the role of confidant, allowing Shaoyou to vent before soothing his anger with exaggerated praise.
• Huiyuan and Master Wangchen: Their interaction reveals Huiyuan’s fear and Wangchen’s dominance. Huiyuan carefully reports Shaoyou’s words, while Wangchen immediately decides to interfere.
• Shaoyou and Master Wangchen: Their first meeting occurs at the chapter’s end. Shaoyou sees only an unfamiliar old monk, while Wangchen already views him as someone connected to Jiang through karma and potential usefulness.

Chapter Summary: “My Buddha Is Willing to Help You”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qian Shaoyou meets Huiyuan and an eminent monk from Baosha Temple, seeking help in pursuing Jiang, a proud and powerful Langjiang of the Demon Suppression Office.
• The monk claims Qian and Jiang share a fated connection and offers him a secret Buddhist substance called Blissful Bodhi Dew. Mixed into wine, it supposedly influences even the soul and makes the drinker fall deeply in love with the person who administers it.
• Qian immediately recognizes the substance as a form of aphrodisiac or love drug, but his skepticism disappears when he learns that even a Core Formation expert would supposedly be unable to resist it.
• He pays 188,000 affinities—negotiating it down to 180,000 silver’s worth—for the vial. However, he then realizes he cannot get close enough to Jiang to use it.
• The old monk promises to help him carry out the plan, leaving Qian satisfied and hopeful.
• After Qian leaves, the monk reveals that Baosha Temple is deliberately using him to destroy Jiang’s reputation rather than killing her outright.
• The monk explains that Jiang’s position in the imperial Demon Suppression Office makes directly killing her in Liangzhou politically dangerous. Baosha will instead wait until she leaves the city, where an “accident” could be arranged, while Qian’s scheme provides a safer way to ruin her.
• Huiyuan is ordered to visit the city’s wealthy merchants and gentry and announce that the chief seat of Baosha Temple is currently present, implying that the temple is mobilizing its influence and supporters.

Character Developments

• Qian Shaoyou is shown as lustful, gullible, and morally corrupt. He treats the proposed drug as a practical tool for possessing Jiang and is willing to pay an enormous sum for it. His eagerness and lack of judgment make him an ideal pawn for Baosha Temple.
• The old monk is revealed to be calculating and politically cautious. Though he presents his actions as compassionate Buddhist assistance, he is actually orchestrating a campaign of revenge and character assassination against Jiang.
• Huiyuan acts as an obsequious intermediary, constantly flattering Qian and handling the payment. His greed and servility become obvious when he eagerly pockets the silver.
• The young monk initially favors direct violence and views Jiang only as an enemy to be eliminated. Through the old monk’s explanation, he comes to understand the political risks and accepts the more devious strategy.
• Jiang does not appear directly, but her reputation, official rank, cultivation, and independence make her the central target of Baosha’s hostility and the object of Qian’s obsession.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation disguised as compassion: Baosha Temple frames its scheme as “forging a good affinity,” masking coercion, revenge, and exploitation beneath religious language.
• Political power versus martial power: Although Baosha is one of Longyou’s great factions, it must restrain itself because Jiang serves the imperial court. Her official identity gives her protection that personal strength alone might not provide.
• Reputation as a weapon: The monks recognize that humiliating and disgracing Jiang may be more effective—and safer—than killing her.
• Corruption and hypocrisy: The temple preaches Buddhist compassion while selling a mind-altering substance and plotting sexual coercion and character assassination.
• Predatory desire: Qian’s obsession reduces Jiang to an object of possession, while Baosha exploits that desire for its own revenge.
• Indirect violence and plausible deniability: The temple prefers schemes that leave no clear evidence, allowing it to avoid retaliation from the imperial authorities.

Character Interactions

• Qian treats the old monk with superficial respect but remains openly skeptical until he hears the drug’s supposed power.
• Huiyuan mediates between Qian and the monk, using flattery to secure the sale and encouraging Qian’s confidence.
• The old monk calms Qian’s doubts and deliberately feeds his lust, promising assistance beyond merely providing the vial.
• After Qian’s departure, the young monk challenges the old monk’s methods, arguing for direct revenge. The old monk persuades him that political caution and reputational destruction are more advantageous.
• The final order to Huiyuan expands the temple’s conspiracy beyond Qian, suggesting that Baosha intends to mobilize Liangzhou’s wealthy elite in support of its broader plans.

Chapter Summary: “Fantasy Hour”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Heng tells Qian Boyong that Master Wangchen, head of Baosha Temple’s Discipline Hall, has arrived in Liangzhou Prefecture. The major families are jointly hosting a welcoming banquet at Fortune Tower.
• Qian Boyong informs his father, Qian Hong, and grandmother. The family becomes extremely excited, viewing Wangchen’s visit as a rare opportunity to gain favor with Baosha Temple. They prepare valuable Buddhist treasures, including an antique jade Buddha.
• Jiang Yuechu is invited to the banquet by the Zhang Family’s servant. The invitation specifically mentions that Master Wangchen praised her for killing a flood dragon and wishes to meet her. Suspicious because Baosha Temple has become hostile toward her, Jiang suspects a possible trap but accepts.
• Qian Shaoyou secretly treasures a porcelain bottle containing “Blissful Bodhi Dew,” apparently given to him by a mysterious master to assist with his schemes involving Jiang Yuechu.
• Qian Boyong orders Qian Shaoyou to attend the banquet and warns him not to disgrace the family. He also reveals that Jiang Yuechu will be present.
• Qian Shaoyou fantasizes about using the Blissful Bodhi Dew to seduce Jiang Yuechu and imagines himself becoming the envy of every man in Liangzhou.

Character Developments

• Qian Boyong remains cautious, composed, and socially aware. He recognizes the importance of Wangchen’s visit but is increasingly disgusted and frustrated by his younger brother’s recklessness.
• Qian Hong shows his shrewd merchant nature. His initial surprise quickly turns into strategic excitement as he realizes the potential benefits of cultivating a relationship with Baosha Temple.
• Qian Family’s old madam displays sincere—or at least fervent—devotion to Buddhism and an intense desire to prove the family’s piety through lavish gifts.
• Jiang Yuechu remains wary and independent. She distrusts Baosha Temple’s motives but accepts the invitation, suggesting she is prepared to face whatever confrontation may come.
• Qian Shaoyou is revealed as vain, lustful, delusional, and dangerously overconfident. He interprets the mysterious bottle as a tool for possessing Jiang Yuechu and imagines himself as a heroic romantic figure, despite lacking self-awareness.

Significant Themes

• Power and influence: Baosha Temple’s prestige is so great that wealthy families eagerly compete for a monk’s attention.
• Social climbing and political maneuvering: The banquet is not merely ceremonial; the families see it as a chance to secure powerful connections.
• Religious devotion versus opportunism: The Qian family’s Buddhist reverence is mixed with hopes for status, protection, and advantage.
• Delusion and reality: Qian Shaoyou’s extravagant fantasies contrast sharply with how others view him, especially Qian Boyong’s contempt and concern.
• Suspicion and hidden motives: Wangchen’s invitation to Jiang Yuechu raises the possibility of a trap, while the Blissful Bodhi Dew introduces an unknown and potentially dangerous scheme.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Heng and Qian Boyong: Zhang brings the news of Wangchen’s arrival, urging the Qian Family not to miss the opportunity.
• Qian Boyong, Qian Hong, and the old madam: Their discussion reveals the family’s differing reactions—caution, strategic calculation, and religious excitement.
• Jiang Yuechu and Zhang’s servant: The servant nervously persuades her to accept the invitation by emphasizing Wangchen’s praise of her.
• Qian Boyong and Qian Shaoyou: Boyong warns his brother to behave at the banquet, but Shaoyou ignores him and focuses on Jiang Yuechu.
• Qian Shaoyou and Jiang Yuechu: Their anticipated encounter forms the chapter’s central tension. Shaoyou imagines effortlessly seducing her with the mysterious substance, while Jiang remains unaware of his intentions and suspicious of the larger situation.

Chapter Summary: “I Want to Borrow Some Men”

Plot Points and Events

• At dawn, Jiang Yuechu trains with her blade to prevent herself from becoming complacent after several days without an assignment.
• While eating breakfast, she reflects on Baosha Temple’s invitation to a banquet. She suspects the invitation conceals another motive and decides to attend, viewing it as a possible opportunity to gain Dao Cultivation.
• Because she may need to kill someone publicly in Liangzhou Prefecture’s capital, Jiang Yuechu realizes she must prepare carefully. She needs a legitimate justification so that Wei He and the Demon Suppression Office cannot use the incident against her, and so Baosha Temple cannot retain the moral advantage.
• She visits the Xuan Camp and finds Chen Tong, Bujie, and Liu Ke gambling. She brings them breakfast and asks them to accompany her to a dinner gathering that evening.
• The three men are surprised that a powerful Core Formation Realm cultivator would need their help. Bujie agrees enthusiastically after learning there may be free wine and meat, while privately assuming the event may involve visiting a pleasure district.
• Jiang Yuechu then visits Xu Changfeng. He reminds her that, as a Sixth-Rank Langjiang of Heaven Division, she is now of equal standing with him and should no longer address him as her superior.
• After teasing Xu Changfeng about his heavy workload and reviewing reports on demons and monsters, Jiang Yuechu finally reveals the purpose of her visit: she wants to “borrow some men.”

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Demonstrates disciplined training, growing confidence, and strategic thinking. She is now powerful enough to act independently but understands the political and legal consequences of public violence. Her mischievous side also appears in her playful needling of Xu Changfeng.
• Chen Tong, Bujie, and Liu Ke: Remain a close but comical group. Chen is blunt and confused, Bujie is opportunistic and eager for free food and drink, while Liu Ke is more cautious and self-conscious about serving someone of Jiang Yuechu’s rank.
• Bujie: Shows his characteristic shamelessness by turning Jiang Yuechu’s vague invitation into an opportunity for free entertainment, quickly agreeing despite his earlier plans.
• Xu Changfeng: Struggles with Jiang Yuechu’s rapid advancement and her increasingly irreverent attitude toward him. Though irritated, he remains patient and professional until her teasing pushes him to demand an explanation.

Significant Themes

• Power and advancement: Jiang Yuechu’s promotion to Langjiang marks her rapid rise and changes her relationships with former superiors and comrades.
• Political maneuvering and legitimacy: The chapter emphasizes that strength alone is insufficient; Jiang Yuechu must create a defensible reason before acting against Baosha Temple or its people.
• Camaraderie and comic relief: Her interactions with the Xuan Camp members balance the chapter’s underlying tension with banter, gambling, and misunderstandings.
• Changing relationships: Jiang Yuechu’s new status alters how others view her, while she deliberately maintains familiar, informal behavior.
• Preparation before confrontation: The chapter sets up an impending conflict at Baosha Temple’s banquet and shows Jiang Yuechu assembling allies in advance.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu teases and reassures the Xuan Camp men by bringing them breakfast, then recruits them with a deliberately vague explanation.
• Bujie’s eagerness and suspicious assumptions contrast with Chen Tong’s confusion and Liu Ke’s discomfort.
• Jiang Yuechu and Xu Changfeng engage in a tense but familiar exchange: she deliberately provokes him, while he attempts to maintain authority and composure.
• The chapter ends with Jiang Yuechu turning her playful conversation with Xu Changfeng into a serious request for additional personnel, foreshadowing a larger operation that night.

Chapter Summary: “I’m Not Easy to Mess With Either”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu asks Xu Changfeng to lend her soldiers from the Xuan Camp, clearly intending to confront Baosha Temple.
• Xu warns her against acting rashly. Baosha Temple has existed for centuries, possesses numerous Bone-Chiming Realm experts and Core Formation cultivators, and is deeply entrenched in Longyou Commandery. Any conflict could endanger Lord Wei and further weaken the Demon Suppression Office’s position.
• Jiang rejects his caution, asserting that Baosha Temple’s power does not make her someone who can be bullied.
• That night, wealthy merchants and influential families gather at Fortune Tower to welcome Master Wangchen of Baosha Temple.
• The guests lavish Wangchen with gifts—including a priceless Hetian jade Buddha, thousand-year-old ginseng, gold, jewels, and antiques—in hopes of winning Baosha Temple’s favor.
• Wangchen pretends to reject worldly wealth, but his behavior reveals that he is pleased by the offerings. His young disciple openly rationalizes accepting the treasures for the temple.
• Wangchen confirms that he specifically requested a meeting with Jiang Yuechu, claiming admiration for her reputation as the “Jiao-Slaying Fairy” and saying he wishes to form a favorable connection with her.
• The gathered nobles flatter Wangchen by belittling Jiang, portraying her as an arrogant junior who needs the monk’s guidance.
• Jiang does not appear on time, causing the guests to mock the Demon Suppression Office. Wangchen outwardly excuses her absence, subtly encouraging the impression that he has been insulted.
• Jiang finally arrives at the end of the chapter, accompanied by a large monk and two intimidating men. Her dramatic entrance immediately silences the room.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Displays confidence, defiance, and willingness to confront powerful institutions. Her statement that she is “not easy to mess with either” establishes her determination and pride.
• Xu Changfeng: Acts as a cautious, politically aware counterweight to Jiang. He understands the danger posed by Baosha Temple and worries that her actions will place Lord Wei and the Demon Suppression Office in jeopardy.
• Master Wangchen: Presents himself as detached, humble, and compassionate, but his enjoyment of the gifts and manipulation of the banquet reveal hypocrisy and concealed ambition.
• Wangchen’s young disciple: Shows greed and arrogance beneath a religious façade. He eagerly finds religious justifications for accepting valuable offerings.
• Qian Hong and the wealthy families: Reveal their eagerness to curry favor with Baosha Temple through gifts and exaggerated praise.
• Qian Boyong and Qian Shaoyou: Qian Boyong acts as his family’s respectful representative, while Qian Shaoyou remains hostile toward Jiang and takes pleasure in the nobles’ criticism of her.

Significant Themes

• Power versus authority: Baosha Temple’s deep roots and cultivation strength challenge the official power of the imperial Demon Suppression Office.
• Defiance against intimidation: Jiang’s attitude emphasizes that overwhelming influence does not guarantee control over everyone.
• Religious hypocrisy: Wangchen and his disciple claim to reject worldly desires while accepting wealth and exploiting the reverence of others.
• Political maneuvering and public reputation: The banquet functions as a display of influence, with the nobles using flattery and Jiang’s absence to elevate Baosha Temple while undermining the court.
• Appearance versus reality: Wangchen’s saintly image contrasts sharply with his satisfaction at receiving gifts and his possible intention to manipulate Jiang.

Character Interactions

• Jiang and Xu clash over whether Baosha Temple should be confronted, with Xu urging restraint and Jiang refusing to be intimidated.
• Wangchen interacts with the merchants through restrained blessings and apparent humility, encouraging them to continue offering treasures.
• The wealthy families compete to impress Wangchen, using gifts and praise to secure Baosha Temple’s favor.
• The nobles collectively demean Jiang in Wangchen’s presence, while Wangchen’s carefully composed responses allow the criticism to continue without openly supporting it.
• Jiang’s final entrance directly challenges the banquet’s atmosphere of reverence and mockery, setting up a confrontation between her and Baosha Temple.

Chapter Summary: I’ll Feed You Myself

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu arrives late at the banquet in the Demon Suppression Office’s black-and-gold uniform, accompanied by Chen Tong, Monk Bujie, and Liu Ke. Her intimidating presence immediately silences the hall.
• A drunken salt merchant criticizes her for disrespecting Old Monk Wangchen by arriving late. Chen Tong threatens him, while Monk Bujie and Liu Ke each verbally dismantle his argument and remind him of Jiang Yuechu’s official status.
• Qian Hong intervenes to prevent the conflict from escalating and seats Jiang Yuechu directly opposite Wangchen.
• Wangchen acknowledges Jiang Yuechu’s reputation but criticizes the strong Killing Intent he senses within her. Jiang Yuechu counters that killing demons is necessary to protect the people, then pointedly suggests that Wangchen’s understanding of slaughter may be deeper than expected.
• Wangchen’s young disciple attempts to defend his master but is sharply silenced by Jiang Yuechu and restrained by Wangchen.
• The banquet resumes, though the guests avoid Jiang Yuechu and focus their attention on Wangchen.
• Qian Shaoyou boldly approaches Jiang Yuechu to offer her a toast, believing himself charming and confident. She dismisses him with the cutting question, “Are you worthy?”
• Qian Hong apologizes for his son and asks Jiang Yuechu to show the Qian Family some consideration. Jianguechu appears to relent, but then reveals that she does not drink alcohol.
• Instead, she teasingly offers to “feed” Qian Shaoyou the drink herself, ending the chapter on a provocative and ominous note.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu is established as powerful, fearless, and highly conscious of her authority. She remains calm under pressure, openly challenges Wangchen, and humiliates Qian Shaoyou without concern for the Qian Family’s influence. Her final remark reveals a playful yet potentially dangerous side.
• Chen Tong demonstrates fierce loyalty and an immediate readiness to use force in defense of Jiang Yuechu.
• Monk Bujie shows his wit and rhetorical skill, defusing the salt merchant’s challenge while mocking his pretended concern for Wangchen.
• Liu Ke emphasizes Jiang Yuechu’s legal authority and reinforces the intimidating unity of her entourage.
• Old Monk Wangchen appears perceptive and self-controlled. He recognizes Jiang Yuechu’s murderous aura and keeps his disciple restrained, suggesting considerable authority.
• Wangchen’s young disciple is impulsive and protective of his master but lacks the composure to match Jiang Yuechu.
• Qian Hong is placed in an increasingly desperate position as host. He must suppress his anger and repeatedly apologize to protect his family from Jiang Yuechu.
• Qian Shaoyou is arrogant, naïve, and oblivious to the danger surrounding him. His attempt to impress Jiang Yuechu instead leaves him publicly humiliated.

Significant Themes

• Power and authority: Jiang Yuechu’s official rank and personal strength outweigh the social status of merchants and local elites.
• Fear versus composure: The guests are terrified, while Jiang Yuechu and her subordinates remain calm and in control.
• Religious ideals versus violence: Wangchen’s Buddhist image contrasts with Jiang Yuechu’s necessary use of killing force, raising questions about whether spiritual purity can coexist with violence.
• Pride and humiliation: Qian Shaoyou’s arrogance leads directly to his embarrassment, while Qian Hong must swallow his family’s pride to avoid disaster.
• Hidden danger beneath civility: Although the banquet resumes peacefully, the tension remains, and Jiang Yuechu’s final “offer” suggests that politeness may conceal a threat.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu and Wangchen engage in a restrained but pointed exchange over killing, morality, and insight.
• Jiang Yuechu’s subordinates collectively intimidate the salt merchant, demonstrating their loyalty and the authority of the Demon Suppression Office.
• Jiang Yuechu sharply rebukes Wangchen’s disciple, while Wangchen silently disciplines him.
• Qian Hong repeatedly attempts to mediate between Jiang Yuechu and the banquet guests.
• Qian Shaoyou tries to court Jiang Yuechu’s favor but is rejected. Qian Hong then apologizes for him, only for Jiang Yuechu to turn the situation into an even more unsettling personal challenge.