Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Even Thieves Have It Tough”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen concludes his latest scheme involving Ksitigarbha, Black Mountain, and the Western Sea Dragon King. Although his original plan to profit from red envelopes fails, the situation unexpectedly benefits him and brings him closer to achieving his goal of upgrading WeChat.
• Security guards begin searching the area after someone reports suspicious activity. Qin Fen initially assumes the disturbance may have been caused by the soda can he carelessly threw away.
• Two thieves are hiding in Qin Fen’s garden. They had planned to burglarize the residence but were startled when a discarded object hit one of them, causing dogs and security guards to raise the alarm.
• The thieves are antique dealers and cousins. The thinner cousin previously sold Qin Fen an apparently fake antique wine pot for one million, only to discover that it was genuine and potentially worth eight million. Their burglary is connected to trying to recover or profit from the valuable artifact.
• Qin Fen remains inside, calmly eating, watching television, and playing a mobile game while the thieves hide outside. He is unaware—or appears unaware—of their presence.
• The thieves endure mosquitoes and insects while waiting for Qin Fen to go to sleep. When they consider escaping, Qin Fen comes outside with a knife and peels a pear with frightening precision, throwing the knife into a tree without breaking the long strip of peel.
• Terrified by Qin Fen’s apparent skill and composure, the thieves abandon their plan to rush him. The chapter ends humorously as one thief urgently needs to use the bathroom after drinking beer.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen is shown as relaxed, resourceful, and increasingly confident after gaining benefits from the supernatural conflict. His casual behavior contrasts sharply with the danger surrounding him. His exceptional knife skills unintentionally—or possibly deliberately—intimidate the thieves.
• The fat thief acts as the more cautious and analytical member of the pair. He repeatedly restrains his foolish cousin, recognizes Qin Fen as dangerous, and tries to preserve their escape plan.
• The thin thief is impulsive and unlucky. His earlier mistake in selling a genuine antique, his loud complaints, and his inability to tolerate the mosquitoes repeatedly worsen the situation.
• Their cousin relationship is emphasized through their constant bickering: the fat thief behaves like the practical leader, while the thin thief functions as a reckless, muscle-bound follower.

Significant Themes

• Unexpected consequences: Qin Fen’s failed supernatural scheme still advances his larger goals, while the thieves’ burglary is derailed by an unrelated piece of litter.
• Irony and reversal: The thieves expect to prey on an unsuspecting household but become trapped, frightened, and tormented by insects in the garden.
• Appearances versus reality: Qin Fen appears to be merely relaxing, yet his knife work makes him seem like a highly dangerous martial artist. Similarly, the “fake” antique turns out to be genuine.
• Humorous misfortune: The chapter turns a potentially serious burglary into a farcical waiting game involving mosquitoes, nerves, littering, and an urgent bathroom crisis.
• Human schemes versus uncontrollable events: Both Qin Fen and the thieves attempt carefully planned actions, but chance and unforeseen complications determine the outcome.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen briefly interacts with the security guards and Big Chef, giving them little information while trying to avoid attention.
• The two thieves constantly argue in whispers, with the fat cousin criticizing the thin one for causing the disturbance and the thin one defending himself.
• The thieves observe Qin Fen from the garden and speculate about whether he knows they are there.
• Qin Fen’s calm knife demonstration creates a one-sided psychological confrontation: without directly addressing them, he convinces the thieves that attacking him would be suicidal.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Two thieves hide outside Qin Fen’s villa, intending to steal something, but Qin Fen notices them immediately through his Thousand-Mile Eye.
• Rather than confronting them directly, Qin Fen deliberately prolongs the situation. He sits nearby playing games, eating and drinking tea, while the thieves remain concealed and increasingly uncomfortable.
• The thieves suffer through the entire night: they are cold, hungry, bitten by mosquitoes, and forced to hold in their urine. The skinny thief eventually loses control and urinates on himself, soaking the fat thief as well.
• Qin Fen chats casually with Female Hooligan on WeChat. She says she wants to train in yoga and Taekwondo after seeing Qin Fen fight Zhang Jiang, the soldier king, and announces that she intends to challenge him. Qin Fen confidently agrees to give her one hand.
• The thieves become increasingly frightened after hearing Qin Fen’s reputation and seeing the knife beside him. They decide that fighting him is impossible and wait for dawn.
• At daybreak, Qin Fen goes inside, allowing the thieves to think they can escape. He then deliberately opens the door and shouts “Thieves!” as they climb over the wall.
• Security guards rush in and pursue the exhausted thieves. Qin Fen reveals that he had recognized them from the beginning and intentionally weakened them before alerting anyone.
• Qin Fen concludes that the men are probably amateurs rather than professional criminals: they are poorly equipped, slow, and lack the desperation or skill of experienced thieves.
• At the end, Bayonet, Qin Fen’s neighbor, notices that Qin Fen possesses a vessel identical to one he owns. Bayonet had believed his own object was a valuable Song Dynasty antique, but discovers that Qin Fen uses an identical bottle as an ordinary liquor container. He begins suspecting that his supposed antique may be fake.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen / Big Chef: Demonstrates his sharp observation, patience, physical stamina, and manipulative intelligence. Rather than taking unnecessary risks, he carefully studies the thieves, exhausts them, and uses the security guards to handle the arrest. His humor and confidence also appear in his flirtatious exchange with Female Hooligan.
• The Fat Thief: Becomes increasingly fearful and frustrated. Although he is nominally the leader, he is unable to decide on a safe way to confront Qin Fen and ultimately resigns himself to waiting.
• The Skinny Thief: Suffers the most physically and emotionally. He desperately holds in his urine, eventually wets himself, and becomes convinced that the night is hopeless.
• Female Hooligan: Shows determination to improve her fighting ability after witnessing Qin Fen’s strength. Her desire to challenge him reveals both competitiveness and admiration.
• Bayonet: Experiences a sudden crisis of confidence regarding his antique expertise. Seeing Qin Fen use an identical vessel as a cheap liquor bottle makes him question whether he has been deceived.

Significant Themes

• Humor through reversal: The supposed predators—the thieves—become helpless victims of Qin Fen’s strategy.
• Patience and psychological warfare: Qin Fen wins without directly fighting by allowing fear, discomfort, and exhaustion to defeat his opponents.
• Competence hidden beneath ordinary behavior: Qin Fen appears to be casually gaming and drinking, but he is constantly observing and controlling the situation.
• Pride and self-improvement: Female Hooligan’s reaction to Qin Fen’s combat ability highlights how strength can inspire rivalry and personal growth.
• Uncertainty and mistaken judgment: Bayonet’s antique doubts reflect the broader theme of appearances being unreliable; objects and people may not be what they seem.
• Avoiding unnecessary danger: Qin Fen chooses not to attack the thieves immediately because he does not know whether they are armed or connected to a larger criminal group.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Female Hooligan: Exchange playful, competitive messages. She vows to train and challenge him, while Qin Fen teases her and confidently offers to fight one-handed.
• The Two Thieves: Communicate mostly through whispered remarks and glances. Their shared misery creates reluctant solidarity, especially after the skinny thief’s accident affects both of them.
• Qin Fen and the Thieves: Qin Fen silently observes and psychologically torments them throughout the night, then exposes them at the moment they believe they have escaped.
• Qin Fen and Security Guards: Qin Fen summons the guards only after weakening the thieves, allowing them to pursue and capture the men safely.
• Bayonet and Qin Fen: Their brief encounter centers on the identical vessels. Bayonet is shocked that Qin Fen owns one and uses it for cheap liquor, planting the suspicion that his treasured antique is counterfeit.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bayonet visits Chef Qin early in the morning and notices that Qin’s wine flask is virtually identical to his own expensive flask.
• Curious, Bayonet examines Qin’s flask and becomes convinced that the two are matching antiques or products from the same batch.
• Qin casually invites Bayonet to drink from the flask while he prepares noodles. Bayonet tastes the wine and is overwhelmed by its quality, rapidly drinking several cups.
• When Bayonet stands up while intoxicated, he loses his balance and accidentally smashes Qin’s flask. The flask cracks badly and its spout breaks off.
• Afraid of being exposed as a black-hat hacker and unwilling to compensate Qin with his own flask, Bayonet asks how much Qin’s wine costs. Qin answers “one million,” meaning the wine itself, but Bayonet mistakenly assumes he is pricing the flask.
• Bayonet immediately leaves a bank card containing one million and flees with the broken flask, believing he has purchased a valuable antique.
• Qin returns with another flask, only to discover that Bayonet has already left. He assumes Bayonet paid one million for half a flask of wine and laughs at the rich man’s extravagance.
• Qin remains unaware that Bayonet wanted the flask rather than the wine and that he possesses several more empty flasks upstairs.
• After Bayonet drives away, a skinny man and an associate secretly follow him, convinced he has taken “their” wine flask.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen/Chef Qin: Remains casual, straightforward, and oblivious to the true value of the flask. His literal honesty and lack of interest in antiques create the central misunderstanding. He also unintentionally profits enormously from the sale.
• Bayonet: Reveals himself as a passionate wine and antique enthusiast. His greed and excitement override his usual caution, causing him to drink too much, destroy the flask, overpay, and flee before Qin can clarify the deal. His fear of exposing his identity also makes him act impulsively.
• The skinny man and his companion: Are introduced as observers pursuing Bayonet, suggesting that the flask may be connected to a larger conflict or theft.

Significant Themes

• Misunderstanding and dramatic irony: Qin and Bayonet interpret the “one million” price differently, while the reader understands the mistake.
• Value versus perception: Qin sees the flasks as ordinary containers, whereas Bayonet considers one potentially priceless. The wine itself is also valued very differently by the two men.
• Greed and impulsiveness: Bayonet’s desire to secure the flask quickly leads him to drink excessively, overpay, and escape.
• Luck and accidental fortune: Qin’s supposed bad luck turns into an effortless million-yuan windfall, while Bayonet’s attempt to obtain a treasure leaves him with a broken item and possible pursuers.
• Hidden identities and danger: Bayonet’s black-hat background and the men following him hint at criminal or secret dealings surrounding the flask.

Character Interactions

• Qin politely invites Bayonet inside but remains emotionally distant because of his dislike of hackers and account thieves.
• Bayonet inspects Qin’s flask, drinks his wine, and attempts to negotiate after breaking it.
• Qin unknowingly sells the wine while Bayonet believes he is buying the flask, producing the chapter’s main comic exchange.
• The chapter ends by shifting from comedy to suspense as Bayonet is followed by men claiming the flask belongs to them.

Chapter Summary: “Luban the Craftsman God, Little White Dragon’s Swimming Card”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After eating noodles, Qin Fen checks the Heavenly Court’s news and receives a message from Little White Dragon.
• Little White Dragon sends him a “swimming card,” represented by a humorous swimsuit photograph. For 500 merit points, Qin gains the Dragon Tribe’s swimming knowledge.
• The skill gives Qin more than ordinary swimming ability: he learns Water Tribe breathing methods, senses water currents, understands aquatic creatures, and gains basic knowledge of the seafloor. Although somewhat disappointed by the cost, he admits the knowledge may be useful.
• A news report reveals that the Heavenly Court’s Manufacturing Department is overwhelmed with orders. Luban, the Craftsman God, is transferred to Weaver Girl’s women’s production division.
• Luban mistakenly enters the women’s channel, encounters products such as qipaos and stockings, and becomes so shocked that he falls ill and takes sick leave.
• Qin realizes that Luban’s mechanical inventions, once remarkable in the mortal world, are largely unnecessary in Heaven, where immortals can accomplish most tasks through magic. As a result, Luban’s talents have become underused.
• Seeing an opportunity, Qin contacts Luban. He jokingly asks whether Luban can manufacture sanitary pads, leading to a comic misunderstanding about “aunt scarves.”
• Qin then reveals his real request: he wants Luban to build an excavator.
• Qin hopes to use the excavator in the Earthly Immortal Realm to improve construction, expand cities, create jobs, and increase the productivity of lesser demons. He believes this could become a profitable and strategically important project.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Continues exploiting Heavenly Court resources while presenting himself as a practical businessman. He gains specialized knowledge through the swimming card and begins planning larger industrial projects. His attention shifts from small products to technological development and economic expansion.
• Little White Dragon: Is shown as physically impressive and deeply connected to water through his Dragon Tribe abilities. His swimming knowledge proves far more advanced than ordinary human swimming skills.
• Luban: Is introduced as an extraordinarily talented but frustrated craftsman. His inventions are undervalued in Heaven because immortals have little need for mechanical conveniences. His accidental assignment to women’s manufacturing highlights both his lack of suitable work and his social awkwardness.
• Qin Fen and Luban’s relationship: Qin sees Luban as someone whose talents can be redirected toward useful projects in the Earthly Immortal Realm. Rather than merely mocking him, Qin begins deliberately cultivating him as a future business partner.

Significant Themes

• Misplaced talent: Luban’s genius has little practical value in Heaven, showing how abilities depend on the society and environment in which they are used.
• Technology versus magic: Mechanical inventions that were revolutionary in the mortal world seem redundant among immortals, but Qin recognizes that technology can still transform less-developed regions.
• Commerce and innovation: Qin repeatedly turns Heavenly Court goods, skills, and talents into potential business opportunities. His proposed excavator represents a move toward industrialization rather than simple trade.
• Humor through cultural misunderstanding: The exchange over sanitary pads and “aunt scarves” creates comedy by combining modern products with Luban’s ancient understanding of clothing and craftsmanship.
• Practical modernization: Qin’s plan suggests that economic growth, employment, construction, and population management can be achieved through appropriate technology.

Character Interactions

• Qin receives Little White Dragon’s swimming knowledge while privately ridiculing the dragon’s swimsuit image.
• Qin reads the report about Luban and infers the Craftsman God’s current predicament.
• During their chat, Qin teases Luban about making sanitary pads. Luban responds sincerely, misunderstanding the product and assuming it is a special item for older female immortals.
• Qin quickly abandons the joke and asks Luban to build an excavator, positioning himself as the person who can give Luban’s neglected craftsmanship a meaningful purpose.

Chapter Summary: “Luban Was in Great Form, and the Chef Wanted to Practice Yoga”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen considers Haitian’s future population growth and realizes that expanding towns and cities will require more land and greater productivity.
• He decides to develop practical tools for ordinary demons, particularly an excavator that can be used and repaired by people without specialized knowledge.
• Qin Fen approaches the craftsman immortal Luban for help. Luban initially misunderstands “excavator” as a kind of animal, then reveals that he already possesses an advanced excavation device.
• Qin rejects Luban’s overly sophisticated machine because it is unsuitable for ordinary workers. He instead sketches a simpler design for Luban to develop.
• Luban becomes enthusiastic after being reminded of his former dedication to creating tools for common people.
• Qin receives a message from Sun Yating, the “female hoodlum,” inviting him to the golf club at a hotel to practice yoga and fighting. He abandons the patiently waiting Luban and heads there.
• At the club, Qin encounters Bayonet, who is carrying a wine flask that has been repaired and appraised. Bayonet realizes Qin’s flask and his own may be matching antiques, potentially increasing their value.
• Before Bayonet can leave, several men ambush him and steal the flask, apparently taking it to someone who is waiting to receive it.
• Qin enters the fitness area and becomes distracted by the women practicing yoga. He is impressed—and increasingly flustered—by the revealing outfits and difficult poses.
• Two women approach him, suggesting couples’ yoga and then joking about three-person yoga. Qin is tempted but surprised by their boldness.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen shows his characteristic ambition and unconventional thinking. His plan begins as a seemingly practical effort to improve construction efficiency but may ultimately be intended to gain recognition from the Heavenly Dao and earn Merit.
• He also demonstrates a preference for accessible, ordinary technology rather than elite or overly complicated inventions.
• Luban is reawakened to his old passion for serving ordinary people through craftsmanship. Qin’s request restores his enthusiasm and gives him a renewed sense of purpose.
• Bayonet becomes optimistic about the value of his wine flask after discovering its possible connection to Qin’s. His excitement makes him vulnerable to the ambush and theft.
• Qin’s behavior at the gym reveals his immature, lustful, and easily distracted side, contrasting with his more serious plans in the Heavenly Court.

Significant Themes

• Innovation and productivity: Qin recognizes that population growth requires tools and infrastructure, making technological development essential.
• Technology for ordinary people: The chapter emphasizes that useful inventions should be simple, practical, and repairable rather than merely advanced.
• The conflict between practicality and ambition: Qin presents the excavator as a construction tool, but his deeper goal may be to influence the Heavenly Dao and gain Merit.
• Reconnecting with one’s original purpose: Luban’s excitement suggests that immortality and status have distanced him from his former mission of helping common people.
• Humor through cultural misunderstanding: Luban interprets “excavator” literally as an animal, while Qin struggles to explain a modern machine in an ancient setting.
• Modern-life comedy and temptation: The gym sequence provides a deliberately light, exaggerated contrast to the Heavenly Court plot, portraying Qin as both fascinated and overwhelmed by contemporary fitness culture.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Luban: Qin asks Luban to design a simple excavator, while Luban offers an overly advanced mechanism. Their exchange highlights Qin’s practical concerns and Luban’s renewed enthusiasm.
• Qin Fen and Sun Yating: Though Sun Yating does not appear directly, her message pulls Qin away from his work and into the modern-world storyline.
• Qin Fen and Bayonet: They briefly see each other at the club, but Bayonet avoids Qin because of the wine-flask situation.
• Bayonet and the attackers: Bayonet is ambushed by several men, who steal his flask and flee with it.
• Qin Fen and the gym women: Qin watches the yoga participants with comic fascination before being directly invited to join couples’ and three-person yoga, leaving him shocked and tempted.

Chapter Summary: Theft! Chef Qin’s Yoga Journey

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Fatty and Skinny Man deliver a supposedly valuable wine jug to Lan Yifeng’s seaside villa, where Yan Bing is present.
• The jug’s spout immediately breaks off, revealing that it is a newly made replica rather than the authentic antique. Lan Yifeng realizes the two men have tried to deceive him.
• Yan Bing intimidates them by having his men force their heads underwater. He demands that they produce the genuine wine jug within three days, threatening them with even harsher treatment if they fail.
• Yan Bing leaves for Los Angeles, while Lan Yifeng eagerly anticipates gaining his support and connections.
• Meanwhile, Qin Fen is enjoying an indulgent yoga session involving two women. His amusement is interrupted when property management informs him that the residence next door has been burglarized.
• Qin Fen suspects Bayonet’s home has once again been targeted because Bayonet possesses something valuable and has likely angered a powerful private individual.
• The Female Hooligan arrives late after taking time to apply makeup. Qin Fen also encounters Li Wei, who is investigating an attack on antique smugglers involving a priceless Luminous Pearl.
• Bayonet checks his storage and discovers that the authentic wine jug he bought from Qin Fen is still safe. However, before he can report the burglary, the Fatty and Skinny Man ambush him.
• They demand the genuine million-yuan wine jug, mistakenly assuming Bayonet has it. Bayonet realizes that the jug they want is the one he purchased from Qin Fen, while Qin Fen’s copy or original has already been stolen.

Character Developments

• Yan Bing is established as confident, wealthy, and ruthless. He casually uses violence and intimidation to enforce his demands, while remaining composed throughout.
• Lan Yifeng appears ambitious and opportunistic. He hopes Yan Bing’s backing will elevate his business and status.
• The Fatty and Skinny Man are revealed as incompetent con artists. Their fake antique is exposed, and their fear leads them to blame others while desperately trying to recover the real item.
• Qin Fen remains carefree, humorous, and easily distracted by pleasure, particularly during the yoga scene. Despite his apparent indifference, he quickly understands that Bayonet’s repeated burglaries are connected to a larger scheme.
• Bayonet becomes an unlucky victim caught between thieves, antique dealers, and more powerful figures. He is particularly distressed because he paid a million yuan for the valuable jug.
• Li Wei is introduced as a police officer or investigator handling the antique-smuggling case connected to the Luminous Pearl.

Significant Themes

• Deception and counterfeit goods: The broken wine jug exposes a larger world of antique fraud and unreliable transactions.
• Power and intimidation: Yan Bing’s influence allows him to control others through fear rather than negotiation.
• Greed and ambition: Lan Yifeng, the counterfeit dealers, and the smugglers are all motivated by wealth or advancement.
• Comic contrast: Qin Fen’s playful yoga experience contrasts sharply with the dangerous thefts and criminal dealings happening around him.
• Misfortune and mistaken identity: Bayonet is repeatedly victimized because criminals believe he possesses the valuable object, even though the situation is more complicated than they realize.
• Hidden connections: The burglaries, the wine jug, the antique smugglers, and the Luminous Pearl suggest that several apparently separate incidents are linked.

Character Interactions

• Yan Bing and Lan Yifeng discuss Yan Bing’s martial-arts trip and birthday plans before inspecting the wine jug.
• Yan Bing confronts and punishes the Fatty and Skinny Man, forcing them to promise delivery of the genuine jug.
• Qin Fen interacts briefly with property management, the Female Hooligan, and Li Wei while learning about the burglary and the Luminous Pearl case.
• The Fatty and Skinny Man ambush Bayonet and interrogate him about the million-yuan jug, setting up further conflict over who possesses the authentic artifact.

Chapter Summary: “Qin Fen, You Damn Cesspit”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bayonet is being held hostage by a fat man and his skinny accomplice, who are trying to force him to reveal the location of another valuable wine jug. Bayonet insists that he only has one.
• The skinny man threatens Bayonet with a weapon, while both men prepare to beat him.
• Qin Fen unexpectedly arrives after hearing that Bayonet’s home was robbed. Bayonet hopes Qin Fen will realize he is in danger and intervene.
• To conceal the hostage situation, the fat man claims that the three men lost money gambling and are fleeing to escape their debts. Bayonet reluctantly supports the lie because of the weapon pointed at him.
• Qin Fen notices that the situation is suspicious, particularly the men’s nervous behavior and the skinny man’s threatening posture, but he avoids acting rashly.
• Bayonet gives Qin Fen a key, pretending it opens a locker containing wine. Qin Fen accepts it while continuing to play along.
• The kidnappers try to leave quickly, claiming they are catching a boat to Xiguan. Qin Fen gives Bayonet a bank card, supposedly to help him escape.
• The fat man and his accomplice believe Qin Fen has been fooled and eagerly take the card. After they drive away with Bayonet, they realize Qin Fen never gave them the PIN.
• Bayonet explains that Qin Fen deliberately used the card as a “financial offensive” to calm the kidnappers without provoking them. Qin Fen can also report the card as lost, making it useless.
• The kidnappers recognize that Qin Fen had seen through much of the situation and had stalled them with calculated nonsense, leaving them frustrated and humiliated.

Character Developments

• Bayonet: Shows resourcefulness and caution under threat. He tries to signal Qin Fen indirectly, hands over the locker key to protect himself, and later exposes Qin Fen’s trick to the kidnappers. Although he is a scammer himself, he clearly understands that Qin Fen is far more calculating.
• Qin Fen: Appears careless and foolish on the surface, but demonstrates sharp instincts and psychological manipulation. Rather than directly confronting armed kidnappers, he uses conversation, delay, and a useless bank card to defuse the situation and protect himself.
• The fat man and skinny man: Their confidence shifts into panic and embarrassment. They initially believe they have successfully deceived Qin Fen, but their greed and impatience prevent them from recognizing the missing PIN. Their arrogance makes them easy targets for Qin Fen’s deception.

Significant Themes

• Deception and counter-deception: Nearly every character lies, but Qin Fen proves superior because he recognizes the false story and responds with a more subtle trap.
• Appearances versus reality: Qin Fen’s seemingly foolish behavior masks careful judgment, while the kidnappers’ apparent control of the situation collapses once the details are examined.
• Greed and overconfidence: The kidnappers become careless because they are excited by the prospect of obtaining the wine jug and unexpected money.
• Indirect survival: The chapter emphasizes avoiding unnecessary confrontation. Qin Fen protects Bayonet through manipulation rather than violence, while Bayonet cooperates outwardly to preserve his own life.

Character Interactions

• Bayonet attempts to communicate his danger through eye movements, but Qin Fen initially misunderstands or pretends not to understand him.
• The fat man and skinny man threaten and physically intimidate Bayonet while maintaining a false story in Qin Fen’s presence.
• Qin Fen questions the kidnappers in a casual manner, subtly testing their story and observing their reactions.
• Bayonet and Qin Fen engage in a quiet, indirect exchange: Bayonet offers the key as a plea for help, while Qin Fen responds by giving him the bank card.
• Afterward, Bayonet explains Qin Fen’s strategy, causing the kidnappers to realize that they were the ones deceived.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen realizes that Bayonet’s two companions are the same thieves who previously hid in his house. He deduces that they broke into Bayonet’s home to steal something important, though he does not know what.
• Suspecting that the skinny thief may be carrying a gun, Qin avoids direct confrontation. Instead, he manipulates the thieves by alternating threats and reassurance, giving them money to lower their guard while trying to determine whether their target is more valuable than cash.
• Qin calls the police to report the suspected crime, but the police dismiss his account because he has no direct proof of a weapon, coercion, or kidnapping. Frustrated, Qin concludes that he tried to help but was not taken seriously.
• Bayonet’s key leads Qin to a storage cabinet, where he finds an empty wine flask—the same Clear Spring Dew Qin sold Bayonet earlier. Qin cannot understand why anyone would steal an apparently ordinary, recently purchased flask and eventually stops investigating.
• Meanwhile, Li Wei and his soldiers establish a roadblock to search for antiques reportedly being transported out of Sanya. The thieves’ Mercedes is stopped, placing the fat man, skinny man, and Bayonet under military scrutiny.
• Bayonet hopes the soldiers will rescue him, but his hopes collapse when Li Sanpao recognizes him as Qin Fen’s neighbor and friend. Rather than freeing him, Li Sanpao casually allows the vehicle to pass, unintentionally leaving Bayonet trapped with the criminals.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen demonstrates caution, intelligence, and a strong sense of responsibility. Although he is curious about the thieves’ motive, he prioritizes avoiding unnecessary danger, especially because he suspects a gun is involved. His “righteous” desire to help Bayonet is repeatedly undermined by his lack of evidence and by Bayonet’s own suspicious circumstances.
• Bayonet is portrayed as frightened, helpless, and increasingly resentful. He sees Qin as his only source of hope, yet Qin’s actions and reputation repeatedly complicate his attempts to escape. Bayonet’s inner thoughts reveal both desperation and comic frustration.
• The fat man and skinny man remain threatening but nervous. Their confidence weakens when confronted by armed soldiers, and they become terrified that Bayonet will expose them. They rely on intimidation to keep him silent.
• Li Sanpao and Li Wei represent institutional authority, but their intervention is accidental rather than genuinely helpful. Li Sanpao’s friendly connection to Qin causes him to overlook the danger Bayonet is in.

Significant Themes

• Miscommunication and mistaken assumptions: Qin, Bayonet, the police, and the soldiers all interpret the situation incorrectly. Every attempt to help Bayonet produces the opposite result.
• The limits of good intentions: Qin sincerely tries to protect Bayonet, but his lack of proof prevents the police from acting, while his connection to Bayonet unintentionally strengthens the thieves’ trust in the situation.
• Danger versus caution: Qin refuses to act recklessly against a possible armed criminal, showing practical judgment, whereas Bayonet is forced to endure danger without any control over events.
• Irony and helplessness: Bayonet repeatedly encounters opportunities for rescue—Qin’s intervention, the police call, and the military roadblock—but each opportunity fails because others misunderstand what is happening.
• The hidden value of ordinary objects: The wine flask appears insignificant to Qin, yet the thieves’ interest suggests it may have an importance he has completely overlooked.

Character Interactions

• Qin manipulates and questions the thieves while pretending to cooperate, attempting to protect Bayonet without provoking an attack.
• Qin contacts the police, but the officer challenges his assumptions and dismisses the report.
• Qin discovers the flask after interpreting Bayonet’s key as a possible clue, though he fails to understand its significance.
• At the roadblock, the thieves threaten Bayonet to prevent him from speaking.
• Li Sanpao recognizes Bayonet through his connection to Qin and assumes the group is harmless, mistakenly helping the criminals escape inspection.
• Bayonet internally blames Qin for repeatedly making his situation worse, despite considering Qin a friend.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen gives up on persuading Bayonet about the wine jug and focuses on Luban, whom he considers essential to his larger plan.
• He challenges Luban’s obsession with creating powerful immortal mechanisms, arguing that inventions should be simple, practical, and usable by ordinary mortals.
• Qin Fen emphasizes that true merit comes from leaving behind knowledge and methods that others can learn and spread, comparing Luban’s potential contribution to the achievements of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
• Luban initially defends his advanced mechanisms but gradually realizes that immortal-level inventions are unsuitable for mortals because they require immortal qi and specialized techniques.
• Convinced by Qin Fen, Luban decides to return to the principles of his mortal craftsmanship: creating accessible tools that improve production and benefit society.
• Qin Fen prepares to reward Luban with a hundred-yuan red packet, believing that encouragement will strengthen Luban’s trust and motivation.
• Before Qin Fen can send the reward, the Heavenly Dao suddenly manifests over the Heavenly Court. Dark clouds, yin-yang imagery, enormous eyes, and terrifying divine pressure cause every immortal to panic.
• The immortals assume another disaster is imminent because the Heavenly Dao’s recent appearances have consistently brought misfortune to someone, including Taibai, Li Jing, Ksitigarbha, and others.
• The Jade Emperor, Lord Lao, Buddhist figures, and demon kings all become anxious, unsure who will be punished next. Tathagata even retreats into seclusion to avoid attracting attention.
• Qin Fen is especially irritated because the Heavenly Dao’s appearance blocks the connection, preventing him from sending Luban’s reward.
• Instead of the expected Purple Firmament Divine Thunder, a magnificent golden beam surrounds Luban, accompanied by celestial music and falling golden flowers, leaving everyone confused about the Heavenly Dao’s intentions.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen demonstrates a more refined method of persuasion. Rather than relying on deception, he guides Luban toward a conclusion and plans to reinforce the lesson with a reward.
• Luban undergoes a major change in perspective. He moves from pride in his powerful immortal mechanisms to understanding that useful, reproducible technology is more valuable than complex creations only he can operate.
• The Heavenly Court’s immortals become increasingly fearful and cautious because the Heavenly Dao has become unpredictable. Even powerful figures such as Lord Lao and Tathagata feel unable to protect themselves from it.
• Ksitigarbha continues to suffer from his recent failures and fears being targeted by the Heavenly Dao again.
• The Jade Emperor, Li Jing, and Taibai react with nervousness and helplessness, revealing that even senior officials are powerless before heavenly judgment.

Significant Themes

• Teaching versus merely providing results: Qin Fen argues that helping people develop skills and methods is more meaningful than solving every problem for them.
• Practical knowledge and mass benefit: Technology is valuable when ordinary people can understand, use, and pass it on.
• The true meaning of merit: Great accomplishments come not only from achieving results but from leaving behind systems of knowledge that benefit future generations.
• Persuasion and motivation: Qin Fen uses reason, trust, and material encouragement to influence Luban, showing his growing skill at managing powerful figures.
• Fear of unpredictable authority: The immortals’ terror of the Heavenly Dao reflects their lack of control in the face of an unknowable higher power.
• Humor amid divine danger: Qin Fen’s irritation over a blocked red-packet transfer contrasts comically with the Heavenly Court’s apocalyptic panic.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Luban engage in a philosophical debate about the purpose of craftsmanship and immortality. Qin Fen pushes Luban to think about ordinary people and the long-term spread of his inventions.
• Qin Fen’s planned reward reflects his attempt to build a cooperative relationship with Luban rather than manipulate him through tricks.
• The Jade Emperor questions his ministers about the Heavenly Dao’s arrival, but Li Jing and the others can offer no explanation.
• The wider Heavenly Court reacts collectively to the crisis, with officials, Buddhists, and demon kings sharing the same fear despite their rivalries.
• Luban becomes the unexpected focus of the Heavenly Dao’s golden manifestation, transforming his breakthrough into a mysterious heavenly event.

Chapter Summary: “Heaven-Bestowed Dao Fruit, Boundless Merit!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Heavenly Dao responds to Luban’s achievement, but instead of striking him with Purple Firmament Divine Thunder, it sends down an enormous pillar of golden Merit accompanied by celestial music and golden flowers.
• The amount of Merit vastly exceeds anything Ksitigarbha or Guanyin have ever received, leaving them furious and envious.
• Luban is confused but realizes the reward is connected to the guidance he received from Qin Fen, whom he calls the “Natural Immortal.”
• The immortals and powerful figures of the Heavenly Court are shocked because nobody can determine who caused Luban’s sudden reward.
• Qin Fen’s connection to the Heavenly Court cuts out at the worst possible moment, preventing him from continuing to influence or “guide” Luban.
• Qin Fen reflects on his ambition: he wants to prove that a mortal can approach or even attain the Dao through mastery of skills, without spiritual energy, cultivation resources, or conventional techniques. He sees Luban and the Food God as examples that crafts can lead to immortality.
• When the connection returns, a Heavenly Dao announcement reveals that Luban experienced an epiphany and was specially granted a Heavenly Immortal Dao Fruit along with boundless Merit.
• Luban’s transformation causes auspicious signs: three flowers gather above his head and five energies return to their source, confirming his advancement to Heavenly Immortalhood.
• The Heavenly Court erupts in chaos. Even the Jade Emperor and other immortals are stunned, while Li Jing bitterly compares Luban’s reward to his own recent punishment by lightning.
• Luban immediately credits Qin Fen’s guidance and declares him his great teacher.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: His ambitions become clearer. He intends to pursue the Dao through culinary and other mortal skills, challenging the assumption that immortals are inherently superior to mortals. He is frustrated by the unreliable communication network but recognizes that his influence over Luban may have produced an extraordinary result.
• Luban: He rises from an ordinary, lower-ranking immortal to a Heavenly Immortal through his craftsmanship and contribution to the people. His gratitude toward Qin Fen deepens into outright reverence, as he regards Qin Fen as his teacher.
• Ksitigarbha and Guanyin: Their envy intensifies when they compare their meager Merit rewards with Luban’s overwhelming blessing.
• The Jade Emperor and Heavenly Court immortals: They are shaken by Luban’s unprecedented advancement, especially because epiphanies among already-established immortals are extraordinarily rare.
• Li Jing: He is resentful and bewildered that Luban receives a Dao Fruit while he was punished by heavenly lightning, though Matchmaker Yue implies that Li Jing’s own boastful behavior caused his punishment.
• The Food God: He becomes jealous and suspicious of Luban’s sudden rise, wondering whether Qin Fen or some hidden force is responsible.

Significant Themes

• Mortals challenging immortals: Qin Fen rejects the idea that mortals are naturally inferior and believes mastery of a craft can rival or surpass orthodox immortal cultivation.
• Skill as a path to the Dao: The chapter suggests that perfecting a profession—whether carpentry, cooking, or another craft—may ultimately lead to enlightenment and true Dao attainment.
• Heavenly recognition and merit: The Heavenly Dao rewards actions that benefit the world, presenting Merit as a cosmic confirmation of virtue, achievement, and useful contribution.
• Luck, opportunity, and hidden influence: Luban’s breakthrough appears spontaneous to the Heavenly Court, but Qin Fen’s guidance may have played a decisive role. The event raises questions about the true purpose of the mysterious communication system.
• Envy and social hierarchy: Luban’s promotion disrupts the existing order among immortals, provoking jealousy from those who have worked for ages without receiving comparable recognition.

Character Interactions

• Luban and Qin Fen: Luban repeatedly seeks Qin Fen’s guidance and ultimately bows to him as a teacher, crediting him for the epiphany and heavenly reward.
• Ksitigarbha and Guanyin: Their silent comparison of their own small Merit rewards with Luban’s massive blessing highlights their frustration and jealousy.
• Li Jing and Matchmaker Yue: Li Jing complains about the unfairness of his punishment compared with Luban’s reward, while Matchmaker Yue subtly reminds him that his own arrogance brought the lightning upon him.
• The Food God and Luban: Although they do not directly confront each other, the Food God’s jealous reaction establishes tension between the two skill-based immortals.
• Qin Fen and the Heavenly Court: Qin Fen’s indirect influence causes widespread upheaval, even though the immortals remain unaware of his true identity and role.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen’s casual attempt to impersonate the Heavenly Dao and encourage Luban unexpectedly produces a genuine miracle: Luban attains enlightenment, receives a large amount of Heavenly Dao Merit, and becomes a Heavenly Immortal.
• Qin is stunned and frustrated that, despite prompting Luban, he receives no Merit or tangible reward. He insists that Luban succeeded through his own foundation and insight.
• Luban explains that Qin’s guidance helped him realize that immortals should focus on benefiting ordinary people, improving daily life, and advancing civilization through practical skills and craftsmanship.
• Luban becomes convinced that Qin is his Dao teacher and benefactor. He vows to worship him and obey his warning not to reveal their connection.
• Luban’s status rises dramatically in his own mind and, by extension, in the eyes of others. He now regards Qin as a figure capable of understanding and influencing the Heavenly Dao, comparable to the highest divine beings.
• Luban’s neighbor and fellow skill-based immortal, Zhang Mingfeng, visits after witnessing Luban’s transformation. Envious but hopeful, he asks about Luban’s breakthrough.
• Luban shares his insight and eventually admits that a mysterious senior guided him. He secretly reveals Qin’s identity as “Natural Daoist” to Zhang Mingfeng.
• Zhang Mingfeng immediately begins begging Qin for guidance, while Qin panics because his success was accidental and he has no real ability to reproduce it.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Fen: His confidence in bluffing is shaken. He realizes that his improvised schemes can have enormous and unpredictable consequences. Although he wants to deny responsibility, he is increasingly elevated by others into a near-sage-like figure.
• Luban: He undergoes the most significant transformation, advancing from a struggling grassroots immortal to a Heavenly Immortal. His faith in Qin becomes fanatical, and he treats Qin as his teacher and spiritual benefactor.
• Zhang Mingfeng: Initially consumed by envy and disappointment, he regains hope after learning that Luban’s breakthrough came through external guidance. Qin becomes his potential lifeline and source of advancement.

3. Significant Themes

• Accidental greatness and unintended consequences: Qin’s deception unexpectedly aligns with the Heavenly Dao, demonstrating how small actions can trigger immense results.
• Practical skills as a path to enlightenment: The chapter emphasizes that craftsmanship, invention, and technological progress can produce Merit and advance civilization.
• Civilization versus traditional cultivation: Skill-based immortals are presented as uniquely capable of spreading knowledge and changing society, unlike figures who mainly relieve suffering or perform good deeds.
• Faith and reputation: Qin’s fabricated identity gains power because others sincerely believe in it. His reputation grows beyond his control.
• Hope among the lower immortals: Luban’s success gives other overlooked immortals the belief that enlightenment and advancement are still possible.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Luban: Qin tries to minimize his role, but Luban repeatedly praises him, calls him a teacher, and attributes his enlightenment to Qin’s guidance. Their exchange highlights the contrast between Qin’s panic and Luban’s absolute devotion.
• Luban and Zhang Mingfeng: Their friendship is mixed with envy, loyalty, and mutual dependence. Zhang Mingfeng envies Luban’s success, while Luban sympathizes with him and shares the secret of Qin’s guidance.
• Zhang Mingfeng and Qin Fen: Though they barely interact directly, Zhang’s desperate plea for guidance places Qin under immediate pressure and sets up further comedic complications.

Chapter Summary: “The Chef’s Might; the Heavenly Dao Appears Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen is distressed when Zhang Mingfeng, another immortal seeking enlightenment, approaches him after witnessing Luban’s breakthrough. Qin fears that he will be forced to provide more Merit or divine guidance despite having no real cultivation or knowledge to offer.
• Qin attempts to dismiss Zhang Mingfeng with vague sayings about fate, preparation, and Heaven’s will, but Zhang interprets his words sincerely and insists that Qin guide him.
• Upon learning that Zhang Mingfeng is an accomplished blacksmith, Qin struggles to think of useful advice. He eventually recalls Luban’s plans for large-scale construction and proposes that Zhang broaden his perspective beyond weapons and magical artifacts.
• Qin suggests using metal according to its natural properties for practical civilian applications: stronger building frames, taller structures, lightning protection, electrical conduction, and possibly power generation.
• Zhang is deeply inspired. He realizes that he has spent his immortal life pursuing powerful artifacts while neglecting simple, practical inventions that could improve ordinary people’s lives.
• Zhang suddenly announces that he has attained enlightenment. Qin is horrified and blames the bizarre coincidence on WeChat, insisting that he had merely been bluffing.
• The Heavenly Dao manifests once again, covering the Heavenly Court in golden clouds and shocking the immortals, demons, and Buddhas who have already witnessed repeated supernatural events.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Becomes increasingly anxious about maintaining his false image as an omniscient senior. His insecurity, limited education, and lack of genuine cultivation contrast humorously with the profound influence his modern knowledge has on immortals. Despite improvising, he demonstrates creativity and an ability to apply modern concepts to ancient problems.
• Zhang Mingfeng: Develops from a confident but directionless blacksmith into an enlightened thinker. He learns to view his craft through the lens of public welfare rather than solely through weapons and magical tools.
• Luban: Though not physically present, his earlier enlightenment serves as the catalyst for Zhang Mingfeng’s expectations and Qin Fen’s attempt to explain how breakthroughs can arise from practical innovation.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge depends on perspective: Qin’s basic modern ideas appear revolutionary because the immortals have never applied their understanding of materials to ordinary life.
• Practical innovation versus personal power: The chapter contrasts the pursuit of powerful artifacts with inventions that improve housing, infrastructure, and everyday living.
• Accidental wisdom: Qin’s empty platitudes and improvised suggestions produce genuine enlightenment, emphasizing the comedic gap between intention and result.
• The limitations of appearances: Qin appears to be a mysterious, powerful senior, but he is actually a mortal improvising under pressure.
• Bridging eras and civilizations: Modern concepts such as vertical construction, electricity, and metal frameworks offer new possibilities within the ancient immortal world.

Character Interactions

• Qin and Zhang’s exchange is driven by misunderstanding: Qin tries to evade responsibility, while Zhang treats every vague statement as profound instruction.
• Qin’s reluctant guidance leads Zhang to reconsider the purpose of blacksmithing and the role of technology in society.
• The repeated appearance of the Heavenly Dao reinforces Qin’s accidental authority and causes widespread astonishment throughout the Immortal Realm.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After Qin Fen’s earlier assistance causes Luban to receive Heaven-bestowed Merit and advance to the Heavenly Immortal Dao Fruit, Qin is frustrated that he gains no reward despite doing the work.
• A news alert announces that craftsman Zhang Mingfeng has also received Heaven-bestowed Merit and achieved the Heavenly Immortal Dao Fruit.
• The Heavenly Dao appears for a second time in one day, shocking the entire Heavenly Court. The immortals initially fear that the appearance signals punishment through Purple Firmament Divine Thunder.
• Instead, another golden light descends, and the Heavenly Dao declares that Zhang Mingfeng’s diligence, enlightenment, concern for the people, and vow to use his knowledge for all living beings merit the reward.
• The Heavenly Court is left stunned by the unprecedented event: two people attaining enlightenment on the same day.
• The Buddhist School, including Ksitigarbha, Guanyin, Manjushri, Maitreya, and Tathagata, reacts with frustration and envy because the rewards continue going to members of the Heavenly Court.
• Qin privately realizes that both breakthroughs resulted from his guidance, although he had not intended or expected such dramatic consequences. He jokingly decides to buy a lottery ticket, believing his luck has become extraordinary.
• Luban and Zhang Mingfeng conclude that Qin is an all-powerful “Patriarch” capable of causing enlightenment at will. Their worshipful interpretation greatly exaggerates Qin’s actual abilities.
• Qin becomes anxious that the immortals’ expectations are rising beyond what he can fulfill. He insists internally that the events were coincidences and worries that his luck—and his bluffing—may eventually run out.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Becomes increasingly important despite remaining weak and ordinary in reality. He feels cheated because he receives no direct benefit, while others profit from his advice. His accidental success also creates anxiety, as he fears being exposed when he cannot repeat the miracle.
• Luban: Gains the Heavenly Immortal Dao Fruit and develops even greater faith in Qin, viewing him as a supreme figure whose wisdom can guarantee enlightenment.
• Zhang Mingfeng: Achieves the same advancement as Luban and becomes excited and deeply devoted to Qin. His confidence in Qin is absolute.
• The Jade Emperor: Is pleased that the Heavenly Court has gained another powerful artisan, but remains internally bewildered and troubled by the absurdity of the situation.
• The Food God: Grows jealous and resentful. Because he knows Luban and Zhang Mingfeng personally, their sudden success makes him feel increasingly left behind.
• The Buddhist School: Becomes increasingly bitter over the Heavenly Court’s repeated good fortune, especially because its members receive none of the benefits.

3. Significant Themes

• Unintended consequences: Qin’s casual words produce enormous supernatural effects far beyond what he intended.
• Appearance versus reality: Everyone sees Qin as a mysterious, omnipotent Patriarch, while he is actually an ordinary mortal relying on luck and improvisation.
• Luck and coincidence: The chapter repeatedly treats enlightenment as an unbelievable chain of coincidences, with Qin himself unable to understand why his advice works.
• Jealousy and unequal fortune: The success of Luban and Zhang Mingfeng intensifies envy among the immortals, particularly the Food God and Buddhist figures.
• Rising expectations and pressure: Qin’s reputation grows faster than his abilities, creating the danger that future failures will expose him.
• Heavenly Court politics: The repeated rewards strengthen the Heavenly Court while provoking resentment from rival groups such as Buddhism.

4. Character Interactions

• The Jade Emperor and the immortals collectively react with shock and disbelief as the Heavenly Dao appears repeatedly.
• Li Jing and Taibai exchange a pained glance, sharing their frustration at the unfairness of two consecutive breakthroughs.
• The Buddhist powers react bitterly to the Heavenly Court’s apparent favoritism.
• Luban reassures Zhang Mingfeng that Qin’s promise could not fail, while Zhang passionately defends Qin’s wisdom and claims that the Patriarch can make anyone attain enlightenment.
• Qin, overhearing or receiving their praise, internally panics. Rather than enjoying his elevated status, he feels trapped by the unrealistic image they have created of him.
• The chapter ends humorously with Qin lamenting that he has received no material reward while becoming, in everyone else’s eyes, the mysterious force behind two miracles.

Chapter Summary: “Mechanism Arts, an Undercurrent from the Heavenly Court”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen realizes that the Heavenly Dao has reversed the usual power dynamic. Instead of bargaining with others by offering benefits in exchange for cooperation, he has already given the artisans substantial rewards and now has to ask them for something.
• Seeking to expand his knowledge, Qin Fen contacts Luban and requests instruction in Mechanism Arts. Luban willingly provides two resources:
  • Mechanism Arts Fundamentals, containing his foundational knowledge of materials and design.
  • Complete Compendium of Mechanism Arts, his comprehensive life’s work.
• Qin Fen is shocked by the high price of the first text, which costs him over a thousand units of his remaining balance. Nevertheless, he recognizes that Mechanism Arts will complement his existing abilities and may allow him to construct models directly instead of relying on comic drawings.
• After receiving the knowledge, Qin Fen ends his conversation with Luban and Zhang Mingfeng, reminding them to keep the matter secret. He regrets failing to mention his cultivation-related excuse before leaving.
• Meanwhile, Luban’s promotion to Heavenly Immortal causes a major celebration in the Heavenly Court, attracting many low-level immortals and several Heavenly Immortals.
• Two members of the Demon Tribe—the Gold-Bearded Daoist and a snake-like scholar—secretly discuss the Heavenly Court’s rapid development. They identify population growth, education, the Manufacturing Department, and Luban’s advancement as parts of a larger, mysterious plan.
• The Demon Tribe decides to monitor the Heavenly Court and the Western Sea. The Great Sage orders them to interfere whenever the Heavenly Court makes a major move.
• Qin Fen’s schemes attract attention from the Demon, Daoist, and Buddhist factions, but the Heavenly Dao conceals his activities, suppressing attempts to observe, calculate, or trace his connections.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Becomes more conscious of how much his plans have altered the balance of power. Despite his annoyance at the Heavenly Dao and the high cost of Mechanism Arts, he remains ambitious and committed to broadening his knowledge. He sees Mechanism Arts as another step toward mastering the underlying principles shared by all skills.
• Luban: Demonstrates loyalty, gratitude, and eagerness to serve Qin Fen. He readily offers his lifetime knowledge and views Qin Fen as an immensely respected ancestor.
• Zhang Mingfeng: Shows anxiety about maintaining a good relationship with Qin Fen and securing his future through that connection, though Qin Fen currently has little use for his forging abilities.
• Gold-Bearded Daoist: Emerges as a cautious strategist who suspects the Heavenly Court’s policies are being guided by an unseen force. He is protective of his younger brother and distrustful of the scholar.
• The Scholar: Remains playful and provocative but is also committed to advancing the Demon Tribe’s broader interests. He helps coordinate resistance to the Heavenly Court.
• The Heavenly Dao: Continues to act as a powerful, unpredictable force that both rewards Qin Fen’s allies and shields his plans from outside investigation.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as power: Qin Fen values accumulating many disciplines because understanding different principles helps him perceive deeper truths and eventually approach the Dao.
• Reversal of power dynamics: Qin Fen’s usual strategy of controlling others through rewards is disrupted when the Heavenly Dao gives them benefits first, forcing him to negotiate from a weaker position.
• Industrial and institutional development: Education, population management, manufacturing, and technical advancement are portrayed as tools that can transform the Heavenly Court into a self-sustaining power.
• Hidden manipulation and strategic paranoia: Other factions recognize that the Heavenly Court’s progress is too coordinated to be accidental, creating an atmosphere of suspicion and covert conflict.
• Protection through obscured heavenly secrets: Qin Fen’s actions remain hidden not through personal strength alone, but because the Heavenly Dao disrupts karma and prevents powerful observers from tracing the truth.
• Humor amid grand schemes: Qin Fen’s irritation at the Heavenly Dao’s crude “humanized” system messages and expensive rewards contrasts with the chapter’s increasingly serious political tensions.

Important Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Luban: Qin Fen requests Mechanism Arts, while Luban responds with complete willingness and reverence, sending both foundational and advanced texts.
• Qin Fen and Zhang Mingfeng: Qin Fen dismisses Zhang’s blacksmithing knowledge for the moment, while Zhang remains eager to strengthen his bond with Qin Fen.
• Gold-Bearded Daoist and the Scholar: They debate the Heavenly Court’s development, warn each other about past betrayals, and divide surveillance responsibilities between the Heavenly Court and Western Sea.
• The Demon Tribe and the Heavenly Court: The Demon Tribe views Qin Fen’s reforms and Luban’s advancement as evidence of a dangerous long-term plan and prepares to obstruct future Heavenly Court initiatives.
• Qin Fen and the wider factions: Although Daoist and Buddhist forces observe from the sidelines, none can uncover Qin Fen’s role because the Heavenly Dao conceals his identity and actions.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen waits impatiently for the female delinquent, but she delays her arrival until lunchtime. While waiting, he studies a photograph of the Sea-Calming Divine Pearl, an innate treasure he hopes will become a powerful finishing move.
• The system unexpectedly detects another damaged Sea-Calming Divine Pearl in the Mortal Realm. It explains that the Immortal-Mortal Separation destroyed or concealed the spiritual aura of certain treasures, allowing this pearl to pass unnoticed into the mortal world.
• To complete the download, Qin Fen must obtain and upload a photograph of the second pearl, but the system refuses to provide its location. Qin Fen angrily curses the “customer service,” only to receive a meaningless automated farewell.
• The second pearl is revealed to be a Luminous Pearl possessed by Lan Yifeng. Fearing that authorities and rival forces are closing in, Lan separates himself from his men and transports the pearl alone.
• Lan hides the pearl in locker 140 at a golf club. He then swaps the number plates on lockers 139 and 140, hoping anyone searching for the item will open the wrong locker. Locker 139 belongs to Qin Fen, who has Bayonet’s key.
• Meanwhile, Lan orders the fat and skinny men to retrieve a valuable wine pot. They interrogate Bayonet, who insists that the pot he bought from Qin Fen is genuinely worth a million.
• The kidnappers refuse to believe him and demand the original wine pot. Under pressure, Bayonet reveals that it is in locker 139 at the golf club—and that he gave the key to Qin Fen.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen becomes increasingly frustrated with the system’s arbitrary rules, but he also learns that another potentially powerful treasure exists nearby. His interest in the pearl shifts from curiosity to urgency because acquiring a photograph is necessary to finish downloading it.
• Lan Yifeng proves cautious and resourceful. He abandons his associates, changes direction repeatedly to evade checkpoints, chooses a crowded luxury hotel as cover, and cleverly switches locker numbers to mislead pursuers.
• Bayonet is portrayed as unlucky and easily exploited. He realizes that Qin Fen sold him what he thought was an expensive heirloom, while the real valuable wine pot was apparently passed back into Qin Fen’s hands. His attempt to save himself ultimately exposes the location of the real item.
• The fat man and skinny man remain aggressive and incompetent interrogators. They rely on threats and violence, but their misunderstanding of the wine pots causes them to waste time and endanger themselves.

Significant Themes

• Treasure and deception: The chapter revolves around counterfeit and genuine artifacts, hidden identities, swapped locker numbers, and misleading information.
• Luck and unintended consequences: Lan’s locker trick places the pearl beside Qin Fen’s key, while Bayonet’s confession may lead everyone directly to the treasure.
• The collision of mystical and modern worlds: Ancient divine treasures are tracked through phones, lockers, GPS requests, checkpoints, and automated “customer service.”
• Comedy amid danger: Qin Fen’s rage at the emotionless system and Bayonet’s realization that he has effectively bought a fake while returning the real treasure create humor within the criminal conflict.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen argues with the system, demanding the location of the second pearl and mocking its impersonal responses.
• Lan acts independently from his criminal associates, sending them orders while secretly protecting the Luminous Pearl.
• Lan’s locker deception directly connects his treasure to Qin Fen’s locker and key.
• The fat man and skinny man intimidate Bayonet, who finally gives up the location of the real wine pot. His revelation places Qin Fen, Bayonet, Lan, and the rival criminals on a collision course at the golf-club lockers.

Chapter Summary: “Europe’s Top Chef Knelt”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen, nicknamed “Big Chef,” arrives early at a restaurant to meet Female Hooligan. Instead of waiting outside, he sits down, orders food, and casually plays with his phone.
• He receives an inappropriate message from a stranger offering paid companionship, leading to a humorous exchange and Qin Fen’s exaggerated claim that he is helping with “poverty alleviation.”
• Female Hooligan arrives in revealing clothing and teases Qin Fen about his apparent familiarity with such services and his lack of romantic experience.
• While waiting for the food, Qin Fen begins absentmindedly manipulating toothpicks. His movements gradually become faster and more precise as he focuses on the task.
• He constructs an intricate toothpick excavator, attracting the attention of the restaurant’s customers.
• A young boy asks Qin Fen to make several Transformers-related vehicles, including a crane and dump truck. Qin Fen promises to complete them in half an hour.
• Qin Fen takes the promise seriously because the boy’s hopeful expression reminds him of his own childhood longing for toys.
• Combining his enhanced abilities—Dynamic Vision, Fine Manipulation, Dual-Mindedness, instinctive intuition, and knowledge from Foundations of Mechanism Arts—Qin Fen enters an extraordinary state of concentration and begins building at astonishing speed.
• The crowd is amazed by his seemingly inhuman craftsmanship. Rogers, a chef who regards Qin Fen as his master, sees the spectacle and immediately kneels in shock.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Revealed to possess extraordinary mechanical and artistic ability in addition to his culinary talents. His crude humor and apparent awkwardness with women contrast with his seriousness, compassion, and strong sense of personal honor. He refuses to disappoint the child and treats his promise as binding.
• Female Hooligan: Continues to tease and provoke Qin Fen, especially about his virginity and awkwardness around women. However, she also recognizes that his strange behavior reflects genuine skill and dedication.
• The young boy: Enthusiastic and trusting, he becomes emotionally important to Qin Fen by awakening memories of Qin Fen’s own childhood.
• Rogers: His admiration for Qin Fen deepens into near-total disbelief. Seeing Qin Fen master yet another field leaves him helpless and astonished.

Significant Themes

• Hidden mastery: Qin Fen’s abilities extend far beyond cooking, suggesting that he is becoming a polymath whose skills approach the supernatural.
• Skill approaching the Dao: The fusion of perception, dexterity, intuition, and knowledge demonstrates the chapter’s recurring idea that mastery can transcend ordinary technique and become instinctive or almost magical.
• Keeping one’s word: Qin Fen’s determination to fulfill a child’s request emphasizes his personal code of honor.
• Childhood empathy: His response to the boy is shaped by memories of being unable to afford or obtain desired toys, revealing a softer and more compassionate side.
• Comedy through contrast: Qin Fen’s vulgar jokes, social awkwardness, and casual behavior are juxtaposed with his astonishingly refined craftsmanship.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Female Hooligan exchange provocative jokes and insults, establishing their flirtatious but combative dynamic.
• Female Hooligan watches Qin Fen’s transformation from bored diner to focused craftsman, becoming increasingly baffled by his unpredictable talents.
• Qin Fen forms a warm, unexpected connection with the young boy by agreeing to make the requested models.
• The restaurant patrons collectively react with disbelief and admiration, turning Qin Fen’s private activity into a public spectacle.
• Rogers’ interaction with Qin Fen ends in exaggerated reverence: overwhelmed by his teacher’s latest achievement, he literally kneels.

Chapter Summary

• Qin Fen’s toothpick demonstration: While waiting for the meal at Lotus Pavilion, Qin Fen rapidly creates three intricate toothpick models. His movements are so fast and natural that the crowd falls silent, sensing his extraordinary mastery and concentration. Rogers, the foreign master chef, interprets Qin’s actions as an example of reaching a mysterious professional “realm,” while others jokingly note that Qin is once again “neglecting his proper work.”
• The crowd’s reaction: Qin’s seriousness and determination gradually win everyone over. What began as spectators waiting to watch him show off turns into wholehearted encouragement, including support from children and elderly guests. His actions demonstrate how genuine effort and reliability can inspire respect and unite people.
• The child’s gift: Qin gives the three toothpick creations to a young boy. Rogers places them in a transparent cake box so they will not fall apart, allowing the child to take them home. Afterward, the guests return to their seats, only to find that the meal is already prepared.
• Qin’s continued absurdity: When Rogers asks what he was doing, Qin casually claims he was merely passing the time. Before eating, he takes a large number of toothpicks into the restroom and makes another three models in under five minutes. He photographs them and sends them to Luban, once again revealing his astonishing hand speed and unconventional methods.
• Luban’s realization: Luban studies the models and recognizes them as simple mechanical devices for lifting, digging, and transporting materials. Their value lies not in complexity but in practicality and ease of mass production. He realizes that Qin’s guidance about staying close to everyday life and developing things that can be widely adopted is the key to earning Heavenly Dao rewards. Inspired, Luban vows to perfect the mechanisms and improve life for ordinary people.
• Qin’s next plan: Qin contacts the Third Prince, who wants to develop Haitian, and requests authorization to establish a school. He proposes a vocational technical college to train the Little Demons and provide practical skills: Lanxiang Technical College.

Character Development and Interactions

• Qin Fen: Shows exceptional concentration, creativity, and technical dexterity. His promise to the child and desire to help others drive him to work seriously, even when his methods appear ridiculous. He also continues guiding immortals through practical, modern ideas.
• Rogers: Moves from confusion and disbelief to admiration. He begins to understand that Qin’s seriousness and natural mastery may be connected to becoming a top chef, though Qin’s behavior still leaves his worldview shaken.
• The Female Hooligan: Remains accustomed to Qin’s bizarre habits and reacts with resigned helplessness, highlighting how unusual he has become even to those close to him.
• Luban: Develops a deeper understanding of Qin’s philosophy. He recognizes the importance of practical, accessible inventions and becomes determined to advance his own cultivation and technical achievements.
• The Third Prince: Is surprised but excited by Qin’s proposal, seeing the opportunity to develop Haitian through education and practical training.

Significant Themes

• Seriousness earns respect: Qin’s sincere effort transforms mockery into admiration, showing that dedication can influence people more powerfully than words.
• Practicality and popularization: Useful inventions do not need to be sophisticated or rare; their greatest value comes from being simple, affordable, and widely applicable.
• Bridging the ordinary and the extraordinary: Qin introduces modern vocational education and mechanical ideas into the immortal world, demonstrating how everyday human knowledge can produce profound results.
• Mentorship and innovation: Qin guides Luban and the Third Prince toward broader development by encouraging technology, education, and service to ordinary people.

Summary

Plot and events

Qin Fen proposes establishing a “technical college” in Haitian City, confusing the Third Prince with the unfamiliar idea of Lanxiang Technical College and excavator training. Qin’s immediate plan is to teach construction-related skills—especially excavator operation—to create a workforce capable of accelerating Haitian’s development. The Third Prince, impressed but bewildered, considers how such an institution might fit within the Heavenly Court’s laws and even imagines creating schools in the Crystal Palace.
Haitian City has already begun thriving through Qin’s Great Sage Skewers business, attracting more demons with its jobs, safety, and improved living conditions. During the discussion, Daoist Sea Cloud suddenly appears after sensing the Primordial Spirit fluctuations connected to Qin’s WeChat communication. He recognizes the importance of Qin’s proposal and expands on its potential: a technical college could provide the Demon Tribe with practical skills, stable employment, and a path toward peaceful integration into urban society.
Qin explains that education could guide demons—who are like blank slates after taking human form—toward constructive lives rather than crime or violence. By increasing employment and attracting more residents, Haitian could enter a virtuous cycle of growth, with greater demand improving commerce, housing, transportation, and other aspects of city life. The Third Prince offers Sea Clan craftsmen to help implement the construction program. Qin confidently claims to have a plan, though the chapter reveals that his actual intention is much less grand: he mainly wants to sell excavators through the Third Prince.

Character development

• Qin Fen demonstrates his ability to improvise and turn a simple commercial idea into an apparently profound plan for social reform and urban development. He remains calm and self-assured, though internally he is amused and tired by the increasingly lofty interpretation of his words.
• The Third Prince shifts from confusion to excitement. He gradually understands that technical training can help develop Haitian City, create jobs, and improve the lives of the Demon Tribe, even though he still cannot comprehend what excavator skills actually involve.
• Daoist Sea Cloud is established as highly perceptive and powerful, capable of detecting Qin’s unusual spiritual communication. He quickly grasps the broader social and political implications of the technical college and begins treating Qin as an intellectual equal.
• Little White Dragon remains astonished by Qin’s unpredictable thinking but enthusiastically supports the proposal once its benefits become clear.

Significant themes

• Education as social reform: Practical training can transform marginalized demons into productive members of society.
• Economic development and urbanization: Employment, consumption, population growth, and infrastructure reinforce one another in a “virtuous cycle.”
• Nature versus nurture: Qin argues that demons are shaped by their surroundings, comparing them to blank sheets of paper who can become good if guided properly.
• Misunderstanding and unintended influence: Qin’s mundane commercial motives are mistaken for profound strategic insight, showing how his offhand remarks acquire larger significance in the Immortal Realm.
• Modern ideas entering a traditional world: Concepts such as vocational education, workforce development, and domestic demand are introduced into a setting governed by cultivation and Heavenly Laws.

Character interactions

Qin and the Third Prince discuss what kind of institution Haitian needs, with Qin introducing excavator training and the Prince struggling to understand it. Daoist Sea Cloud interrupts after sensing Qin’s spiritual presence, then engages Qin through Little White Dragon as interpreter. Sea Cloud and Qin repeatedly praise one another while presenting similar visions for Haitian’s development, impressing the Third Prince and Little White Dragon. Sea Cloud sees deeper strategic intentions in Qin’s plan than Qin actually possesses, elevating a simple attempt to sell excavators into a seemingly visionary program for educating and reforming the Demon Tribe.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Daoist Sea Cloud suggests that Qin Fen’s plan for developing Haitian City involves Mechanism Arts, using simple machines that little demons can operate and maintain. This would allow rapid training and population development without requiring extensive education.
• Qin Fen privately dismisses the others’ elaborate interpretation of his plan, revealing that he mainly wants an efficient, controllable workforce rather than highly educated demons.
• Turtle Chancellor raises a serious objection: teaching Mechanism Arts to the Demon Tribe may violate the Heavenly Laws, especially because Mechanism Arts is considered a forbidden or nearly lost discipline.
• He warns that empowering the Demon Tribe could accelerate its development, threaten the balance of power, and provoke conflict with the Heavenly Court. Little White Dragon begins to recognize that the issue affects not only Haitian City but the entire Western Sea Water Tribe.
• Qin Fen becomes increasingly angry at the Chancellor’s opposition. He challenges Little White Dragon with a series of questions, arguing that:
  • Haitian’s prosperity could serve as a model for the Water Tribe.
  • Teaching demons useful skills could reduce disorder and poverty.
  • The Water Tribe could learn the same skills.
  • Harmony and equal treatment among all living beings would bring immense Merit.
• Little White Dragon is persuaded by Qin Fen’s argument and declares that he has no selfish motives.
• Just as Turtle Chancellor tries to stop him, a terrifying, supreme presence descends over the Western Sea, causing the entire region to tremble and leaving powerful figures shocked.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Becomes increasingly impatient and explosive when his good—or at least profitable—intentions are questioned. His argument shifts from practical development to grand ideals of equality and universal benefit, though his private thoughts reveal that gaining Merit and advancing his own plans are also major motivations.
• Little White Dragon: Initially hesitates because of the potential consequences for the Western Sea and the Water Tribe. Through Qin Fen’s questioning, he broadens his perspective and begins to see cooperation, education, and shared development as beneficial to both tribes.
• Turtle Chancellor: Acts as a cautious, conservative protector of the Water Tribe. He remains firm despite Qin Fen’s intimidating status, prioritizing long-term political stability and the safety of millions of aquatic beings.
• Daoist Sea Cloud: Perceptive and composed, he quickly recognizes the strategic value of Mechanism Arts and later appreciates Qin Fen’s appeal to equality and Merit, even while finding Qin Fen’s final outburst embarrassing.
• Third Prince/Little White Dragon: His dual identity as both a member of the Demon Tribe and the Water Tribe becomes central to the debate, placing him between Qin Fen’s idealistic proposal and the Chancellor’s caution.

Significant Themes

• Progress versus political control: Technological and economic development could improve lives, but those in power fear that it may also strengthen a potentially dangerous group.
• Knowledge as power: The chapter questions whether knowledge and skills can truly be restricted by law, territory, or species.
• Short-term safety versus long-term benefit: Turtle Chancellor focuses on immediate political risks, while Qin Fen emphasizes broad social improvement and future prosperity.
• Equality and shared development: Qin Fen frames cooperation between the Demon Tribe and Water Tribe as morally justified because all are living beings deserving of stability and opportunity.
• Ideals versus hidden motives: Qin Fen speaks of equality and Merit, but his internal thoughts reveal that self-interest and practical ambition remain closely intertwined with his public arguments.

Important Character Interactions

• Daoist Sea Cloud and the Third Prince discuss the likely purpose of Qin Fen’s plan before Turtle Chancellor challenges it.
• Turtle Chancellor directly debates the legality and danger of teaching Mechanism Arts to demons.
• Qin Fen forcefully interrogates Little White Dragon, leading him step by step toward supporting the proposal.
• Little White Dragon attempts to mediate between Qin Fen and the Chancellor but ultimately sides with Qin Fen.
• Turtle Chancellor desperately tries to stop Little White Dragon from committing himself just as a mysterious, overwhelming power arrives above the Western Sea, setting up the next confrontation.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Heavenly Dao manifests as a massive eye in the sky for the third time in one day, startling powerful figures throughout the Three Realms. The Jade Emperor, Tathagata, Laozi, and the Primordial Heavenly Venerable are all unable to determine why it has appeared so often.
• The Heavenly Dao suddenly descends over the Western Sea, creating immense pressure and briefly disrupting the surrounding environment.
• Five shares of Merit Golden Light are distributed:
  • The Third Prince receives the greatest share.
  • Daoist Sea Cloud receives another.
  • The Heavenly Court receives one, likely because Luban contributed to the project.
  • The remaining shares go to other participants, though one recipient is unknown.
• Daoist Sea Cloud explains that the Merit is connected to the plan to develop Haitian and create a safe, prosperous habitat for the Water Tribe. The Third Prince’s vow to improve the Water Tribe’s future and promote harmony between tribes was also crucial.
• The Heavenly Dao publicly confirms that the Third Prince’s plan is benevolent and feasible, declaring that he seeks equality and harmony between the Water Tribe and other peoples.
• As an additional reward, the Heavenly Dao lowers the Dragon Gate by three inches. This will make it easier for carp to pass through, greatly increasing the number of dragons and helping solve the Dragon Tribe’s long-standing reproductive decline.
• The declaration completely refutes the old turtle’s opposition to the plan. His claim that Daoist Nature’s proposal would harm the Western Sea is effectively disproven and publicly humiliated.
• The Third Prince thanks “Senior Natural Daoist” for guiding him, while Qin Fen—whose identity is connected to Daoist Nature—privately feels embarrassed and frustrated that Daoist Sea Cloud has attributed too much credit to him.

2. Character Developments

• The Jade Emperor becomes increasingly bewildered and cautious. He wants to investigate but avoids using divination after suffering a previous backlash from calculating heavenly secrets.
• Tathagata and the Bodhisattvas are confused and uneasy because even they cannot understand the Heavenly Dao’s unusual behavior. Tathagata recognizes that the Heavenly Court’s reward gives it considerable prestige.
• Daoist Sea Cloud demonstrates insight by correctly interpreting the Merit distribution and identifying the contributions of the different participants. He also exposes the significance of the Third Prince’s vow.
• The Third Prince gains confidence and validation. His determination to improve the Water Tribe is recognized by Heaven, and he receives both Merit and a practical blessing for his people.
• The old turtle suffers a dramatic reversal. Initially confident in his criticism, he becomes terrified and powerless once the Heavenly Dao endorses the opposing plan. His pride gives way to despair and resignation.
• Qin Fen is both pleased to receive Merit and distressed by the attention. He does not want the Third Prince or others to exaggerate his role, but he is unable to prevent himself from being praised and credited.

3. Significant Themes

• Heavenly justice and equality: The Heavenly Dao is portrayed as impartial, rewarding contributions according to their value rather than status or species.
• Benevolent development: Efforts to improve living conditions and create harmony among different groups are recognized as morally significant.
• The power of vows and sincere intent: The Third Prince’s Great Vow gives spiritual weight to his political and developmental ambitions.
• Humiliation through divine judgment: The old turtle’s arguments are not defeated through debate but through an unmistakable heavenly endorsement, emphasizing the overwhelming authority of the Heavenly Dao.
• Merit and recognition: The chapter explores how credit is distributed among those who conceive, organize, engineer, and personally commit to a major undertaking.
• Unintended consequences of fame: Qin Fen’s growing reputation brings him recognition but also embarrassment, unwanted attention, and loss of control over how others interpret his actions.

4. Character Interactions

• The Jade Emperor and his officials speculate about the Heavenly Dao’s repeated appearances, while Tathagata and the Bodhisattvas similarly fail to find an explanation.
• Tathagata observes that the Heavenly Court’s Merit reward connects it to the Western Sea project and restores some of its prestige.
• The Third Prince questions Daoist Sea Cloud about the Merit, prompting the explanation of everyone’s contributions.
• Daoist Sea Cloud indirectly confronts the old turtle’s criticism by presenting the project as an effort rooted in benevolence and shared prosperity.
• The Heavenly Dao’s proclamation directly overturns the old turtle’s position, leaving him unable to argue without appearing to oppose Heaven itself.
• The Third Prince thanks Qin Fen’s Daoist identity for his supposed guidance, while Qin Fen internally protests that he is being unfairly praised and “dragged through the mud” by the situation.