Chapter Summaries

Yang Wenqing negotiated a port partnership with Ao Yuan and joined a third-realm gathering where the cultivators planned an expedition to Zhu Sheng’s Treasure Vault and discussed supporting Yang Wenqing’s rise and cultivation. The gathering ended with plans to seek Yellow-Swan Creation Pill ingredients and build political support through a western saltworks.

• Ao Yuan proposed jointly developing a port, and Yang Wenqing offered the Dragon Palace thirty percent ownership and a veto over transactions that harmed its interests.
• Yang Wenqing told Yang Wen Jian to move core lineage members to the Jade Whale Sect and give talented relatives Astral Deity Cores and demon armaments.
• At the third-realm gathering, the cultivators agreed to send entry-realm disciples into Zhu Sheng’s Treasure Vault and have a New Continent third-realm cultivator protect them.
• The group discussed Azure Wave Manor’s efforts to control Jade Whale Island’s supplies and agreed to support Yang Wenqing’s appointment while seeking ingredients for his Yellow-Swan Creation Pill.
• Master Xuandu offered ingredients for two pills in exchange for Yang Wenqing’s help obtaining a Life-Extending Pill, and the group proposed a western saltworks to build political support.

Yang Wenqing backed plans to strengthen his faction and settle Jade Whale Island’s postwar authority while signing an agreement over the banyan tree’s treasures. After receiving intelligence about Master Chong Yi’s northern smuggling route, he arranged to pass it to Jiang Zhixing and was summoned to the Second Seat Council.

• Master Xuandu offered intelligence about Master Chong Yi’s shipment of Divine Arts artifacts and northern goods, and the group arranged for northern allies to intercept it through the Jiang Family.
• Qian Xin and Tian Man raised the stalled withdrawal of Lower River and Peace Sea Provinces’ armies from Jade Whale Island, and Yang Wenqing agreed that a temporary deal over Azure Wave Manor’s deputy bureau director post was worth considering.
• Yang Wenqing cultivated and swallowed a Yellow-Swan Creation Pill before Ding Mu summoned him to sign an agreement allocating shares of the banyan tree’s treasures.
• Yang Wenqing signed the allocation agreement, received Storage Bags representing his ten-percent share, and returned to Celestial Pivot City as the other cultivators departed with the tree trunk.
• Qian Xin passed Master Xuandu’s information to Yang Wenqing, who relayed it to Jiang Zhixing; Jiang offered him a share of any spoils, and Yang Wenqing asked him to keep the source secret.
• The rotating secretary-general of the Second Seat Council called Yang Wenqing and required him to attend that afternoon’s meeting.

Yang Wenqing faced a Second Seat Council hearing about his administration of Jade Whale Island, answering questions on governance, security, welfare, economics, and appointments. As the questioning turned to reconstruction jobs for several prominent families, the hearing ended on a charge of possible nepotism.

• Qian Xin advised Yang Wenqing that the hearing was routine and likely meant his official standing would soon be settled.
• Yang Wenqing joined the hearing, where Jiang Yi questioned him on Jade Whale Island’s administration, security, public welfare, and economy.
• Yang Wenqing defended his cooperation with the Dragon Palace on port development while leaving the project open to other investors.
• Jiang Yi questioned Yang Wenqing about his authority, the appointment of the Materials Allocation Center director, Dragon Palace land purchases, and reconstruction accounts.
• Jiang Yi asked whether employing members of the Yang, Sun, Jiang, and Wang Families in reconstruction work suggested nepotism.