Chapter Summaries

Lu Ao and Qi Yan told Lin Gongshang that they were both gay and single, and Lin agreed to share the news with their acquaintances. After returning home alone, Lu Ao fed the geese and swam in his Dragon Form, noticing that he had grown again.

• Lu Ao told Lin Gongshang that he liked men and would not seek a girlfriend or marry, and Qi Yan revealed that he liked men too.
• Lin Gongshang asked if Lu Ao and Qi Yan were together, and Lu Ao clarified that they were both single and did not want to be set up on dates.
• Lin Gongshang said he was not homophobic and agreed to privately tell Zhang Ge and the others about Lu Ao and Qi Yan.
• Qi Yan told Lu Ao that his college roommates had treated him badly after learning he was gay, and that he had later quit a job after others found out.
• Lu Ao returned to an empty house, fed the geese a mixture of minced fish and sweet potato vines, then went to the shore and swam in his Dragon Form.
• Lu Ao noticed that his Dragon Form seemed larger and its horns longer, then churned the water as he rolled around beneath the starry sky.

After playing in the rain, Lu Ao warned Lai Zhixin that his family’s large Leopard Coral Grouper might have contained Ciguatoxin, and the hospital confirmed the poisoning. The family received emergency treatment, Lai Zhixin refunded the group’s orders, and the next morning Lin Manzhang asked Lu Ao whether he was still setting Sea Bass Rigs.

• Lu Ao used the Dragon Claw to stir up rain over the seawater, then returned home and saw Lai Zhixin’s post about eating Leopard Coral Grouper.
• Lu Ao questioned Lai Zhixin about his family’s symptoms and warned him that the fish might contain Ciguatoxin.
• Lai Zhixin took his family to the hospital, where tests confirmed Ciguatoxin poisoning and doctors treated them.
• Lai Zhixin thanked Lu Ao and refunded the group’s orders, while the group members acknowledged Lu Ao’s warning.
• Lu Ao went fishing the next morning, and Lin Manzhang asked whether he was still setting Sea Bass Rigs.

The fishermen discussed organizing an offshore fishing trip, while Lu Ao worked in his fields and tested whether his geese could spend the night by the river. The flock reluctantly obeyed his instructions, and Lu Ao left them there to see if they could adapt to living outdoors.

• Lin Guixiao, Lin Gongshang, Lin Manzhang, Tan Junhao, and Lu Ao discussed going offshore and agreed to prepare for a trip if the weather forecast was favorable.
• Lin Manzhang offered to rent a boat, while Lin Guixiao said he would check the forecast for the next half month.
• Lu Ao harvested vegetables and planned to replace aging vines and crops with varieties better suited to the hot weather.
• Lu Ao discovered that Sesame Ball could fly and saw that the geese had grown their waterproof feathers and become plump.
• Lu Ao used his will to tell all fifty-one geese to spend the night by the river and gave them instructions for finding food and avoiding goose thieves.

Lu Ao discovered that his geese could find enough food on their own, then prepared to join Lin Man Zhang and the others on a sea-fishing trip. Before the group headed out, Lin Dawu offered him mountain land in Tanwu Village for thirty-eight yuan per mu.

• Lu Ao found that several geese had full crops and realized they could forage without his help.
• Lu Ao prepared food and fishing rods for the trip and asked Song Zhou to watch the geese while he was away.
• Song Zhou explained that Monsters were more active in summer and autumn, making his work busier.
• Lin Dawu drove Lu Ao toward Long Township Wharf and told him Lin Guanchen and the girl he had rescued were recovering well and planned to marry after graduation.
• Lin Dawu offered Lu Ao the Tanwu Village mountain land for thirty-eight yuan per mu after bargaining down the price.

Lu Ao and the others set out from Long Township Wharf for a weeklong fishing trip, hoping to catch enough to cover their expenses. After mediocre fishing on the way out, they stopped at a sea-crossing bridge, where Lu Ao gathered oysters and mussels for lunch.

• Lu Ao told the village mediator to wait until he returned from sea before discussing the mountain lease, while the mediator offered to negotiate the price down.
• Lin Dawu drove Lu Ao, Lin Qi Yan, and the others from Lin Family Village to Long Township Wharf, where Niu Deyu treated them to breakfast and wished them a big catch.
• Lin Man Zhang checked the boat's supplies and set sail, while the group considered the costs of the trip and watched the boat head into open water.
• Lu Ao drift-fished as Lin Qi Yan filmed, but the boat's speed left him with only a few small fish by lunchtime.
• Lin Man Zhang stopped beneath the sea-crossing bridge so everyone could dive for shellfish, and Lu Ao quickly filled more than half a net bag with oysters and mussels.
• After returning aboard, Lu Ao used his mysterious power to draw water from his clothes and body before rinsing off and washing his hair.

Lu Ao and the others reached a clear, deep reef fishing ground and spent the afternoon spearfishing. As the tide turned, the group returned to the boat while Lu Ao stayed underwater to pursue several Money Grouper.

• Lin Gongshang and the others returned to the boat with half a bag of oysters, and Lu Ao teased Lin Gongshang into helping scrub them.
• Lu Ao and the group arrived at their destination after three in the afternoon and went diving with safety lines, though Lu Ao refused one.
• Lin Man Zhang called out when Lu Ao swam away from the group, and Lu Ao explained that he had spotted fish and would fish nearby.
• Lu Ao caught an Ironclad Giant Pomfret, while Lin Guixiao surfaced with a Flower Sweetlips and heard Lu Ao warn him about its venomous spines.
• Lu Ao caught a Green Grouper and two Black Seabream before Lin Man Zhang called everyone back as the tide changed.
• Lu Ao told the group he was chasing Money Grouper and continued underwater while the others returned to the boat.

Lu Ao caught a large Money Grouper, then summoned clouds to bring rain so he and the others could wash off the seawater and salt. The rain stopped just after Lu Ao finished bathing, and Lin Gongshang guessed that Lu Ao had made it happen.

• Lu Ao speared a Money Grouper and returned to the boat, where Qi Yan helped him aboard and Lin Gongshang weighed the fish.
• Lin Gongshang described the group's catches, and Qi Yan brought Lu Ao snacks while Lin Gongshang put the fish away to freeze.
• After dinner, Lu Ao could not sleep because the dried seawater made him uncomfortable, so he summoned clouds and moisture from the sea.
• Qi Yan noticed the dark clouds and rising wind, and everyone moved their sleeping bags as rain began to fall.
• Lu Ao bathed carefully in the rain, followed by Qi Yan and the others, and Lin Gongshang teased him for making the rain seem like his personal shower.

Song Zhou watched over Lu Ao from afar, checked on his geese, and returned home to find Lu Ao was his only contact. At sea, Lu Ao woke, ate breakfast, and went fishing, while arranging to help Qi Yan film underwater footage later.

• Song Zhou spoke with a handsome young man, warned him not to disturb Lu Ao, and told him to remind Youze and the others not to pry.
• Song Zhou checked that Lu Ao's geese were safe, then returned to his home in New Luzhou and looked through his chat history with Lu Ao.
• Lu Ao slept through the night at sea and woke to find Qi Yan preparing breakfast while Man Zhang and the others were fishing.
• Lu Ao agreed to accompany Qi Yan on an underwater filming trip in the afternoon after his fishing and nap.
• Lu Ao went fishing near an underwater cliff more than two hundred meters from the ship, while Lin Guixiao and Tan Junhao explored yesterday's fishing spot.

Lu Ao led the boat southeast to find better fishing and caught a mackerel, then continued hauling in fish while the others prepared lunch. The group shared their catches and cooked a variety of fish dishes aboard the boat.

• After catching twenty-three fish while spearfishing, Lu Ao returned to the boat and suggested sailing southeast to find more fish.
• Man Zhang steered the boat southeast, and Lu Ao told him to stop when he sensed fish nearby.
• Qi Yan eagerly helped Lu Ao with his fishing gear because Lu Ao had promised to take him underwater that afternoon.
• Lu Ao caught a mackerel, and Qi Yan took it to prepare for lunch.
• The others offered fish from their stores, while Lu Ao caught several more and Lin Qi Yan cooked a variety of dishes.
• Man Zhang suggested resting once they had enough fish, but Lu Ao continued fishing in case they wanted food later.

After lunch, Lu Ao took Lin Qi Yan diving for the first time and taught him how to stay safe underwater. They spotted sea snails on the seafloor, and Lu Ao prepared to collect them while Lin Qi Yan waited nearby.

• Lu Ao kept fishing as he ate, while Lin Qi Yan stayed with him and helped clean the fish.
• Lu Ao warned Lin Qi Yan to descend slowly, equalize his ears, and warm up before diving.
• Lu Ao took Lin Qi Yan into the sea with a safety rope tied around his waist, and Lin Qi Yan filmed the fish and seafloor.
• Lu Ao spotted sea snails, brought Lin Qi Yan back to the surface for air, and told him to stay in shallow water while he fetched a net bag.
• Lu Ao led Lin Qi Yan back into the water to collect the sea snails.

Lu Ao harvested a large haul of resonant whelks while diving with Lin Qiyan, then rested as the others went fishing around the area. With the group still at sea for several days, Lu Ao thought about keeping the snails alive and noticed he still had no way to contact Song Zhou.

• Lu Ao helped Lin Qiyan secure his safety rope, then dived to the seafloor and collected many snails, including a large cluster of resonant whelks.
• Lin Qiyan became worried when Lu Ao stayed underwater, so Lu Ao surfaced and reassured him before they dove again.
• Lu Ao collected more than twenty resonant whelks, hid several smaller ones among the rocks, and eventually returned to the boat with a full mesh bag.
• Lin Manzhang's group saw Lu Ao's haul, and Lin Guixiao and Lin Gongshang hurried to get their diving gear while the others went fishing.
• Lin Qiyan continued diving to film, while Lu Ao rested under the rain canopy and kept watch over the group.
• Lu Ao considered how to keep the snails alive and checked his phone, but he still had no signal or new messages from Song Zhou.

Lu Ao’s soul separated from his body while he slept, allowing him to visit Song Zhou at the Anomalous Personnel Affairs Regulatory Agency. After Song Zhou showed him the historic courtyard and served him tea, he sent Lu Ao back as he grew drowsy.

• Lu Ao dreamed he found Song Zhou working in a courtyard and learned that his soul had separated from his body.
• Song Zhou took Lu Ao on a tour of the agency’s five-hundred-year-old courtyard, including its spirit tree and nested gardens.
• Song Zhou asked what had caused the separation, and Lu Ao said he might have been thinking about sharing Resonant Whelks with him.
• Song Zhou brewed Ru Tree tea for Lu Ao and told him he was glad Lu Ao wanted to share food with him.
• As Lu Ao grew sleepy from the tea, Song Zhou touched his forehead and offered to send him back to his body.

Lu Ao and the others returned to Long Township Wharf after a week at sea, bringing in valuable fish and preparing to sell their catches. As Niu Deyu helped them unload, Shen Mingquan arrived and asked about the group.

• After waking from a pleasant dream, Lu Ao went night diving alone and spent the following days energetically catching fish.
• A week later, the group set out for Long Township Wharf, and Lu Ao admitted he missed Song Zhou.
• They arrived after five in the morning and contacted Niu Deyu, who brought workers and a truck to collect their fish.
• Lu Ao’s catch totaled fifteen baskets and two mesh bags, while Lin Qi Yan had caught only one and a half baskets.
• Niu Deyu praised the group’s valuable fish and began loading them into his truck.
• Shen Mingquan arrived at the wharf, and Lin Man Zhang told him they had just returned from fishing at sea.

Shen Mingquan bought most of Lu Ao's rare seafood haul, but Lu Ao refused to sell the Resonant Whelk. He gave one to each crewmate to take home, leaving them pleased to share the delicacy with their families.

• Shen Mingquan inspected Lu Ao's catch and found Mouse Grouper, large wild abalone, Ornate Spiny Lobster, and seventeen Resonant Whelk.
• Shen Mingquan offered Lu Ao three hundred and twenty yuan per jin for the Resonant Whelk, but Lu Ao refused to sell any of them.
• Shen Mingquan bought the rest of the seafood, and Lu Ao earned more than thirty thousand yuan after costs and taxes.
• Lu Ao told his crewmates to take a Resonant Whelk home each, and they accepted one to share with their families.

After returning from his sea trip, Lu Ao rested at home and spent the evening with Song Zhou, who explained that people could sense the unusual aura of Lu Ao’s Dragon Form. They found the Lionhead Geese thriving by the river and discussed letting them forage freely, leaving Lu Ao to see whether they would return to the pen at night.

• Lu Ao returned home with Resonant Whelks and vegetables, invited Song Zhou to dinner, and slept until late afternoon.
• Song Zhou told Lu Ao that the geese and vegetable patch were doing well and that the geese had stayed outside while Lu Ao was away.
• As they walked to the fields, Song Zhou explained that sensitive people, especially children, could sense something nonhuman about Lu Ao and that his Dragon Form might take a long time to mature.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou found the Lionhead Geese by the river, where Lu Ao noticed they had grown much fatter over the week.
• Song Zhou suggested letting the geese forage during the day and return to the pen at night, and Lu Ao agreed to try it.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou harvested vegetables and delivered them to elderly villagers, who returned the kindness with gifts. Back home, they prepared to cook twelve Resonant Whelks, and Song Zhou lit the charcoal while Lu Ao made the grilling sauce.

• Lu Ao checked the village geese and vegetable garden, then decided to share the abundant harvest with elderly villagers.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou picked vegetables and loaded seven baskets onto a tricycle.
• Lu Ao delivered vegetables to villagers, who gave him various gifts, including ham from Wang Huaiying.
• Lu Ao decided to use the ham to make Charcoal-Grilled Whelk and planned to grill seven Resonant Whelks, stir-fry three, and blanch two.
• Lu Ao prepared a sauce with chicken stock, diced meat, ham, and yellow wine while Song Zhou lit the charcoal and called to ask what to do next.

After Lu Ao and Song Zhou enjoyed a meal of Resonant Whelks, Lu Ao relaxed in Dragon Form and invited Song Zhou to dinner the next day. The following morning, Lu Ao agreed to go razor-clam digging with Lin Gongshang after his Certificate of Competency exam.

• Lu Ao prepared several Resonant Whelk dishes while Song Zhou tended and sliced the Charcoal-Roasted Whelks.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou ate together, and Lu Ao was delighted by the poached and charcoal-roasted whelks.
• Lu Ao transformed into Dragon Form to rest, then changed back and went to bed after Song Zhou left.
• Lu Ao woke early and saw Lin Gongshang's invitation to dig for razor clams, but first noted that he had a certification exam that day.
• Lin Gongshang suggested digging after four near his girlfriend's home in Luowu Village, and Lu Ao agreed.

Lu Ao traveled to Luowu Village after passing his Certificate of Competency exam and met Lin Gongshang's girlfriend, Luo Xiaohui. Lin Gongshang taught him how to dig razor clams, but Lu Ao quickly caught five and proved more skilled than his teacher.

• Lu Ao passed the written and simulated practical assessments for his Certificate of Competency with high marks.
• Lu Ao traveled by bus to Yuqing Town and then Luowu Village, where Lin Gongshang came to meet him after working in the razor clam fields.
• Lin Gongshang introduced Lu Ao to his girlfriend, Luo Xiaohui, and showed him how to use salt to make razor clams emerge from the sand.
• Lu Ao used his ability to spot living creatures beneath the sand and caught five razor clams in less than a minute.
• Lin Gongshang praised Lu Ao's skill and suggested that he, Luo Xiaohui, and Lu Ao split into two groups to compete over who caught more.

Lu Ao caught razor clams with Lin Gongshang and Luo Xiaohui, then dug for seafood with Song Zhou and arranged to go out to sea with Lin Manzhang and Lin Qiyan. After fishing, the three men loaded their gear onto Lin Manzhang’s boat and headed out to practice net fishing.

• Lu Ao quickly caught more than half a bucket of razor clams while Lin Gongshang and Luo Xiaohui spent their time talking.
• Lu Ao cooked lamb with Song Zhou, then took him to dig up razor clams and Sand Clams at their village beach.
• Lu Ao asked Lin Manzhang to borrow a boat, and Lin Manzhang invited him to go out to sea with Lin Qiyan the next day.
• Lu Ao joined Lin Manzhang and Lin Qiyan for morning fishing, while Lin Gongshang went to help his future mother-in-law dig razor clams.
• After Lin Guixiao volunteered to sell their fish, Lu Ao, Lin Manzhang, and Lin Qiyan gathered their gear and set out to sea on Lin Manzhang’s boat.

Lin Qi Yan and Lu Ao went fishing with Lin Man Zhang, who taught them how to choose fishing grounds, set nets, and handle their catch. They began hauling in fish near Oxhead Island, and Lin Man Zhang explained which catches could be kept and which had to be released.

• Lin Man Zhang explained how tides, wind, water conditions, and fish habitats affected where and how they set their nets near Oxhead Island.
• Lin Man Zhang spread floating nets across the sea, then showed Lu Ao how to knock on the boat and startle fish toward them.
• Lin Man Zhang hauled in the first net and taught Lu Ao to free the fish safely, releasing a juvenile Yellowfin Seabream back into the sea.
• Lin Qi Yan filmed as Lu Ao and Lin Man Zhang pulled several Black Seabream and White Sea Shrimp from the net.
• Lu Ao found a pufferfish, and Lin Man Zhang showed how it puffed up and explained its poisonous nature and restrictions on trading it.