Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Qinglan reflects on the possibility of humans and rivers protecting one another, imagining a small but meaningful improvement for the modern world.
• Xia Youyu officially pledges himself as He Qinglan’s assistant and believer. He boasts about his financial, organizational, and management skills and promises to create plans for river restoration and the spread of River God faith.
• Shui Wuyuan jokingly compares Xia Youyu to an ancient River God priest, while Black Carp humorously suggests he resembles a pyramid-scheme leader. He Qinglan realizes he needs to learn more about modern human society.
• On his way home, Xia Youyu encounters the Monster Bird that once terrorized him. Protected by the River God’s power, he causes it to flee. This convinces him even more strongly that He Qinglan is a powerful divine being, and he develops an excessively zealous, almost “chuunibyou” devotion.
• The next morning, Qi Xiaoyuan brings breakfast and reports that his grandfather has recovered, his corrupt relatives have been convicted, and the Qinglan River Restoration plan has resumed. Because the company is burdened by debt, large-scale work will take months, but cleanup efforts and government recommendations have begun.
• Qi Xiaoyuan says he will return to the company to learn from his grandfather but promises to work for one hour each night. He Qinglan reassures him that sincere dedication matters more than being physically present.
• The seven Liu brothers arrive after moving closer to Bicheng College of Arts. They report transporting six truckloads of household waste and selling recyclable materials for two hundred yuan.
• He Qinglan refuses their payment, telling them to use it for food and fuel. He plans to seek professional advice to help them make garbage collection financially sustainable.
• He Qinglan also recognizes that simply cleaning an area is not enough; lasting environmental improvement requires systems, rules, and better waste-disposal methods.
• At the end of the chapter, Xia Youyu arrives in an expensive car with a small convoy, clearly preparing to begin his ambitious plans.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan: Becomes more conscious of the need to understand the modern world and develops a broader vision for environmental restoration. He acts as a compassionate leader, supporting his believers while considering long-term solutions rather than temporary cleanup.
• Xia Youyu: Transforms from a frightened victim into an enthusiastic and highly devoted follower. His confidence and organizational skills emerge, but his faith becomes comically extreme and theatrical.
• Qi Xiaoyuan: Demonstrates growing responsibility and loyalty. He balances family obligations and company work with his commitment to the River God’s environmental mission.
• The Liu brothers: Show increasing dedication and practicality by relocating closer to the cleanup site and treating garbage collection as a serious occupation.
• Shui Wuyuan and Black Carp: Provide comic commentary, contrasting the supernatural characters’ seriousness with modern interpretations of human behavior.

Significant Themes

• Humanity and nature in cooperation: The chapter emphasizes the hope that people and rivers can protect and restore one another.
• Faith and devotion: Xia Youyu’s experience shows how supernatural protection can inspire intense belief, though the chapter humorously critiques excessive fanaticism.
• Long-term environmental responsibility: Cleanup alone is portrayed as insufficient; lasting change requires management systems, public rules, government involvement, and sustainable disposal methods.
• Community and collective action: Restoration depends on cooperation among the River God, individual believers, families, businesses, workers, and government.
• Adaptation to the modern world: He Qinglan and the other supernatural beings must learn contemporary human institutions, economics, and social attitudes.

Character Interactions

• He Qinglan encourages Xia Youyu to rest and return later, while Xia enthusiastically volunteers to become his assistant.
• Shui Wuyuan mocks Xia’s exaggerated devotion, and Black Carp compares him to a pyramid-scheme organizer, prompting He Qinglan’s confusion about modern terminology.
• Xia interprets the Monster Bird’s retreat as proof of the River God’s blessing, deepening his devotion.
• Qi Xiaoyuan reports the progress of the restoration effort and receives He Qinglan’s approval. He Qinglan tells him that sincere commitment matters even when he cannot always be present.
• He Qinglan supports the Liu brothers financially by allowing them to keep their earnings and promises to help them develop a viable waste-collection business.
• The chapter ends by setting up Xia Youyu’s arrival with a convoy, suggesting that his ambitious plans will significantly expand the River God’s influence and environmental campaign.

Chapter 23 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Youyu arrives at the Qinglan River with a construction crew and publicly demonstrates his devotion to the River God by organizing the construction of a riverside shed and altar.
• He gives detailed instructions about clearing weeds, leveling the land, using quality materials, protecting the offerings, and paying the workers immediately. The shed and altar are completed in roughly an hour.
• The sight quickly becomes a national online sensation, with trending topics focusing on the Immortal Pretty Boy’s decision to camp by the river, the River God altar, and whether the shed is illegal riverside construction.
• Viewers are struck by the contrast between the beautiful altar and the polluted, garbage-filled river, which creates an unexpectedly melancholy impression.
• Public opinion shifts: many people who previously assumed the Immortal Pretty Boy was merely performing now begin to believe that he is genuinely committed to cleaning the river.
• Online spectators notice Xia Youyu, the bespectacled young man responsible for the construction, and speculate about his relationship with the River God.
• News spreads that Bicheng’s famous “Husky” urban-management squad is heading toward the river, prompting viewers to anticipate a confrontation over the shed.
• The River God tells Xia Youyu that a shed and elaborate offerings are unnecessary because he has few worldly desires. Xia, however, interprets the River God’s acknowledgment of his sincerity as encouragement.
• Xia presents a “Clear River Plan” proposal, arguing that loyal believers should actively anticipate the River God’s needs and work on his behalf.
• Qi Xiaoyuan, already established as the River God’s foremost believer, becomes suspicious and jealous of Xia. He criticizes the shed as potentially illegal and warns that Xia could be fined or taken away for questioning.
• Xia realizes that his enthusiasm caused him to overlook the legal risks of building on state-owned riverside land.

Character Developments

• Xia Youyu: Reveals himself as an intensely devoted, proactive, and somewhat theatrical believer. His religious enthusiasm leads him to spend the night planning offerings and to organize a full construction project, but it also makes him impulsive and careless about practical consequences.
• He Qinglan / the River God: Remains restrained and detached, emphasizing that he has few material desires. He is quietly overwhelmed by Xia’s excessive devotion and struggles to respond to it.
• Qi Xiaoyuan: Becomes possessive and competitive as the River God’s original or “number-one” believer. He immediately judges Xia as a manipulative flatterer and searches for a way to undermine him while presenting himself as the more responsible believer.
• The public and online viewers: Their attitude toward the Immortal Pretty Boy changes from skepticism to admiration as they witness his apparent sincerity and commitment to the polluted river.

Significant Themes

• Sincere environmental activism versus public performance: The shed and river cleanup initially look like publicity stunts, but Xia’s continued effort persuades many observers that the commitment is genuine.
• Faith and fanaticism: Xia’s belief is earnest but exaggerated, showing how devotion can inspire impressive action while also leading to irrational or impractical behavior.
• Appearance versus reality: The elegant altar placed beside the filthy river highlights the gap between ideal beauty and environmental degradation.
• Competition within devotion: Qi Xiaoyuan and Xia Youyu represent rival forms of faith, with each trying to prove who is the more loyal and valuable believer.
• Law and idealism: Xia’s desire to serve the River God clashes with regulations concerning public land, setting up a likely conflict with urban-management officials.

Character Interactions

• Xia publicly takes charge of the workers and treats the construction as an act of religious service.
• He Qinglan gently rejects the need for a shed, but Xia interprets even mild acknowledgment as praise and becomes more enthusiastic.
• Qi Xiaoyuan challenges Xia’s approach by warning that the construction may be illegal, framing himself as a wiser and more responsible believer.
• The interaction between the two believers establishes immediate rivalry, while the River God is placed in the uncomfortable position of receiving excessive devotion from both sides.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Xia Youyu argues that the riverside structure is only a temporary shed rather than an unauthorized house, but the Bicheng Southwest District Urban Management Brigade arrives to inspect it.
• Captain Gou Qianli declares the structure illegal and orders it demolished. He insists that even environmental activism does not excuse breaking construction regulations.
• Gou’s bizarre threat to “kneel” if they refuse to cooperate leaves Xia Youyu speechless and becomes a source of comedic commentary in the livestream’s barrage.
• Xia Youyu apologizes to He Qinglan and offers to replace the shed with a legally permitted tent.
• Shui Wuyuan reveals that he has already made a phone call, alarming everyone familiar with his ability to solve problems through wealth and influence.
• Instead of a frightening show of force, Shui’s luxurious entourage arrives. Butler Fu presents an officially stamped document stating that He Qinglan may continue his environmental activities indefinitely and may construct a temporary residence, provided it does not obstruct the public or harm the environment.
• Butler Fu then unveils a “second, upgraded plan,” implying that Shui’s people intend to replace the crude shed with a much more impressive structure.

Character developments

• Xia Youyu remains rational and law-conscious, attempting to defend the shed but ultimately accepting the need to comply with regulations. He is also considerate toward He Qinglan, immediately proposing a legal alternative.
• He Qinglan continues to inspire others through his commitment to cleaning the riverbank. Though he is the ostensible reason for the dispute, he remains calm and largely uninvolved in the power struggle.
• Shui Wuyuan displays confidence, arrogance, and effortless influence. His single phone call is enough to make both competitors and officials nervous.
• Gou Qianli is introduced as a strict but comically unconventional urban-management captain. Despite his fierce appearance, he genuinely respects environmental efforts and would rather resolve the situation cooperatively.
• Butler Fu demonstrates the Shui family’s overwhelming resources and polished authority. He handles the matter diplomatically while subtly insulting the existing shed and asserting Shui Wuyuan’s superior standards.
• Qi Xiaoyuan and the Liu brothers are intimidated into silence once Shui’s intervention begins, recognizing that the situation has shifted decisively in He Qinglan’s favor.

Significant themes

• Law versus good intentions: The chapter acknowledges that environmental activism is admirable but does not automatically excuse violating regulations.
• Wealth and influence: Shui Wuyuan’s power allows a minor legal dispute to be resolved almost instantly through official authorization and political connections.
• Public spectacle and comedy: The livestream barrage turns the confrontation into entertainment, especially by celebrating the eccentric “Husky Brigade.”
• Environmental responsibility: He Qinglan’s trash-collecting efforts are treated as socially valuable and ultimately become the basis for official permission to remain by the river.
• Status and presentation: The shabby shed is contrasted with Shui’s luxurious vehicles, attendants, and planned replacement, emphasizing the gap between ordinary practicality and elite extravagance.

Character interactions

• Xia Youyu and the urban-management team clash over whether the structure qualifies as a shed or a house, but Gou Qianli’s strange, comedic negotiation prevents the encounter from becoming openly hostile.
• Xia Youyu speaks respectfully to He Qinglan and tries to protect him from blame by offering a compliant tent.
• Shui Wuyuan undercuts Xia Youyu’s efforts with his smug announcement that he has already intervened.
• The urban-management officers, Qi Xiaoyuan, and the Liu brothers react with fear and awe to Shui’s reputation.
• Butler Fu formally negotiates with Gou Qianli, using official documentation and courteous language while making it clear that Shui’s side has already won.
• The chapter ends with Butler Fu dismissing the homemade shed and preparing to introduce a grander replacement, setting up a likely escalation in luxury and absurdity.

Chapter 44 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shui Wuyuan arrives at the riverside garbage-collection site with an extravagant construction team to build He Qinglan a new home.
• The team consists of renowned architectural designers and assistants dressed more like elite professionals than laborers. They remove the tiny temporary shed and replace it with expensive, cutting-edge construction materials.
• Online viewers are stunned to learn that the materials alone may cost tens of millions. The lavish project quickly becomes a trending topic, with netizens interpreting it as proof of Shui Wuyuan’s romantic feelings for He Qinglan.
• Despite the spectacle, He Qinglan remains completely uninterested. He simply puts on his gloves, picks up his tongs, and continues collecting trash, even telling Shui Wuyuan to move away when he gets in the way.
• The other workers and office employees regain their composure after seeing He Qinglan’s calm attitude and resume cleaning. His natural comfort amid garbage makes the wealth and extravagance surrounding Shui Wuyuan seem less impressive.
• By sunset, the construction team finishes an elegant, high-tech triangular riverside house. Its blue crystal-like exterior resembles a fairytale cottage, with specially designed doors, windows, and refined furnishings.
• The team leader begins demonstrating the house’s special features, pressing a remote that causes the roof to unfold and reveal a square dark-gold alloy panel.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan: Remains detached from wealth, luxury, and public attention. His willingness to work in the garbage without embarrassment highlights his confidence, dignity, and practical nature. He also shows growing impatience with Shui Wuyuan’s disruptive presence.
• Shui Wuyuan: Displays his enormous wealth and influence by commissioning a lavish, technologically advanced house. He assumes He Qinglan is impressed by the difference in their status, but fails to realize that He Qinglan does not care about money or prestige. His smugness contrasts with He Qinglan’s indifference.
• The construction team: Their presence emphasizes Shui Wuyuan’s elite connections and extravagant standards. Their pride in the house reflects the project’s exceptional cost and innovation.
• The workers and viewers: Initially shocked and envious, they become calmer after observing He Qinglan. His attitude changes their perception of wealth and labor.

Significant Themes

• True nobility versus material wealth: The chapter stresses that dignity comes from character rather than clothing, money, or social status.
• Extravagance and unrequited attention: Shui Wuyuan’s expensive gift is intended to impress He Qinglan, but He Qinglan barely notices it, creating humorous irony.
• Humility and honest labor: He Qinglan’s calm participation in trash collection makes physical work appear honorable and exposes the emptiness of superficial status.
• Public spectacle and romance: The livestream audience interprets Shui Wuyuan’s actions as romantic devotion, turning the construction project into an internet sensation.
• Modern technology and luxury: The house combines mobility, advanced materials, environmental functions, and elaborate design, making it far more than an ordinary temporary shelter.

Character Interactions

• Shui Wuyuan stays close to He Qinglan, expecting his wealth and status to impress him, while He Qinglan ignores him and eventually asks him to keep his distance.
• He Qinglan’s indifference influences the workers and livestream viewers, who stop focusing on Shui Wuyuan’s extravagance and instead admire He Qinglan’s composure.
• The construction leader proudly presents the completed house and prepares to reveal its advanced features to Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan.

Chapter 24 Summary

Key plot points and events

• The completed Crystal Cottage is unveiled and demonstrated. Though it resembles a compact triangular tent, it can expand from a three-meter cube into an 8×5×3-meter portable home.
• Its dark-gold roof absorbs solar energy, producing a full day’s worth of household electricity from one hour of sunlight. The cottage contains foldable furniture, a table, stove, and washroom.
• The cottage can transform into a mobile vehicle. Six tires and support platforms emerge from underneath, allowing it to travel at up to 80 km/h. Its concealed steering area turns it into a sturdy, defensive RV.
• The designer gives the controller to Shui Wuyuan and asks whether he is satisfied. Shui instead asks He Qinglan whether he likes it. He Qinglan accepts the gift with a delighted smile, creating a romantic and highly publicized moment.
• The Crystal Cottage becomes an internet sensation, generating trending topics about high technology, architecture, Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan’s interaction, and their apparent “fairy-tale romance.”
• Netizens lament that He Qinglan does not have a Weibo account, unlike Shui Wuyuan, whose account is extremely popular despite his habit of mocking and insulting people.
• That evening, He Qinglan begins registering for Weibo with the help of Qi Xiaoyuan and Xia Youyu. His name is already taken, and the group debates possible usernames. Shui Wuyuan rejects several suggestions, including “Trash-Collecting He Qinglan” and “Most Beautiful River God,” ending the chapter by being asked what name he would recommend.

Character developments

• He Qinglan: Shows growing acceptance of human conveniences and social engagement. Although initially detached from worldly matters, he accepts the luxurious cottage and agrees to join Weibo, suggesting increased interest in modern society and public interaction.
• Shui Wuyuan: Displays generosity and clear favoritism toward He Qinglan. He presents the cottage as a gift and enjoys teasing others, while also revealing his overwhelming influence online and his ability to interfere with usernames associated with him.
• Qi Xiaoyuan and Xia Youyu: Act as He Qinglan’s practical guides to the internet. They offer naming suggestions but are repeatedly silenced or embarrassed by Shui Wuyuan’s criticism.
• The designer and livestream audience: Help establish the cottage as both an engineering marvel and a major public spectacle.

Significant themes

• Technology blended with fantasy: The cottage combines advanced solar power, transformable architecture, and vehicle functions with a beautiful crystal, fairy-tale appearance.
• Wealth and generosity: The contrast between the crude shack and the luxurious Crystal Cottage humorously emphasizes Shui Wuyuan’s immense resources and willingness to indulge He Qinglan.
• Public image and celebrity culture: The cottage’s unveiling immediately becomes a trending event, while the public eagerly seeks access to He Qinglan through social media.
• Changing relationship with the modern world: He Qinglan’s willingness to accept the cottage and create a Weibo account marks another step away from isolation and toward participation in contemporary human life.
• Romantic subtext and teasing: Shui Wuyuan’s gift and the meaningful exchange between the two are interpreted by the public—and mocked by the author—as evidence of a fairy-tale romance.

Character interactions

• Shui Wuyuan asks He Qinglan directly whether he is satisfied with the cottage, prompting He Qinglan’s pleased acceptance and a warm exchange between them.
• Shui Wuyuan mocks Qi Xiaoyuan and Xia Youyu’s username ideas, especially the suggestion that He Qinglan be named after his trash-collecting work.
• The group’s discussion reveals Shui Wuyuan’s possessive or protective attitude toward He Qinglan’s image, while Qi Xiaoyuan and Xia Youyu try to navigate his intimidating presence.

Chapter 46 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shui Wuyuan jokingly declares He Qinglan his “Second Brother,” implying that Qinglan will remain second-in-command of the water system for thousands of years.
• Irritated by Shui Wuyuan’s childish teasing, He Qinglan kicks him out of the house and locks the door. Shui Wuyuan protests that he paid for the house, but Qinglan refuses to let him back in.
• Shui Wuyuan retaliates by forcing Qinglan’s two followers, Qi Xiaoyuan and Xia Youyu—nicknamed “Potato One” and “Potato Two”—to leave as well. He also forbids them from sleeping inside or even on the floor.
• Xia Youyu and Qi Xiaoyuan reflect that Shui Wuyuan’s childish behavior around Qinglan may stem from old grievances and an important, possibly unhappy, childhood. Their shared realization helps the two former rivals temporarily set aside their own conflicts.
• Shui Wuyuan uses his Rain God powers to make it rain precisely over the two followers, reminding them of his frighteningly accurate “Rain God curse.”
• Unable to regain entry, Shui Wuyuan returns to his seaside mansion. There, he follows He Qinglan’s newly created social-media account, “River’s Clear Ripple,” and becomes the first person to like, comment on, and repost Qinglan’s message.
• Qinglan’s post expresses his determination to restore the polluted Qinglan River to its former grandeur. Shui Wuyuan’s unprecedented public support causes the post to go viral, attracting thousands of reposts, likes, and followers.
• Netizens interpret Shui Wuyuan’s behavior as proof of an unusually close relationship—some calling it friendship, others romantically labeling it love. Qinglan, however, remains focused on influencing humans and promoting the river’s restoration rather than fame.
• Thinking about what to post next, Qinglan notices the Black Carp in his fish tank and the offerings beside it, suggesting that his next social-media post may concern them.

Character Developments

• Shui Wuyuan: Reveals a childish, petty, and emotionally dependent side when interacting with He Qinglan, contrasting sharply with his normally dominant public persona. Despite their quarrels, he openly supports Qinglan’s environmental mission and becomes his first online promoter.
• He Qinglan: Demonstrates patience limits and independence by ejecting Shui Wuyuan from the house. He also begins engaging with modern human society by creating a social-media account to spread awareness of the Qinglan River’s restoration.
• Qi Xiaoyuan and Xia Youyu: Move from rivalry toward temporary solidarity after recognizing that both are victims of Shui Wuyuan’s temper. They also gain a more sympathetic understanding of the complicated history between Shui Wuyuan and Qinglan.

Significant Themes

• Hidden vulnerability beneath power: Shui Wuyuan’s childishness suggests unresolved emotions and a softer side concealed beneath his intimidating authority.
• Rivalry and reconciliation: The conflict between the followers mirrors the larger dynamic between Shui Wuyuan and Qinglan, while shared hardship encourages former enemies to cooperate.
• Environmental restoration: Qinglan’s social-media message frames the recovery of the polluted river as both a personal mission and a broader ecological cause.
• Modern technology and ancient beings: Social media becomes a bridge between supernatural figures and humanity, allowing Qinglan to influence people without seeking fame.
• Public image versus private relationships: Netizens see Shui Wuyuan as aloof and powerful, but his interactions with Qinglan reveal a humorous, possessive, and emotionally invested personality.

Important Character Interactions

• Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan bicker like long-time rivals, with Shui Wuyuan demanding recognition and Qinglan responding through blunt rejection.
• Qi Xiaoyuan and Xia Youyu bond over being expelled and targeted by the rain, developing a brief understanding despite their previous antagonism.
• Shui Wuyuan publicly supports Qinglan online, transforming a private relationship into a highly visible internet spectacle.
• Qinglan remains largely indifferent to the online attention, while Shui Wuyuan’s enthusiastic endorsement unintentionally makes him an overnight internet sensation.

Chapter 25 Summary

Key plot points and events

• He Qinglan places the cracked but restored Water Source Spirit Pearl on a small altar, creating a symbolic offering space.
• He posts another daily update as the River God, featuring a black carp and the altar while encouraging people to protect rivers and asking them to repost for a chance at his blessing. The post is mocked online, including by Shui Wuyuan, but He Qinglan remains unconcerned, believing that genuine deities cannot grant every prayer and should bless people only when circumstances warrant it.
• He notices that Xia Youyu’s Corrupting Miasma is rapidly returning despite Xia staying near him and avoiding heavily corrupted places. He concludes that Xia’s condition resembles a curse rather than Qi Xiaoyuan’s form of contamination.
• He realizes that curses rebound upon the caster if they fail, meaning the people responsible may soon come to them voluntarily. He expects to uncover both the curse and the mysterious bird within two days.
• Before sleeping, He Qinglan notices a new follower named Wushan Guardian. The name makes him suspect that the account belongs to Wu, the ancient Wushan Mountain God and one of his former companions.
• Wushan Guardian privately sends a code phrase—“cultivate, play, beat up Wuyuan”—which confirms that he is truly Wu. He Qinglan begins reminiscing about the ancient gods and their relationship with Shui Wuyuan.

Character developments

• He Qinglan continues adapting to modern life, using social media and appreciating the comforts of his new crystal cottage, while maintaining his detached, practical divine perspective. His memories of the ancient era also reveal his affection for and familiarity with the other gods.
• Xia Youyu’s mysterious condition becomes more clearly defined as a curse, raising the stakes and suggesting that its originators may soon expose themselves.
• Wu/Wushan Mountain God is reintroduced as an old friend who has survived into the present and quickly recognizes He Qinglan.
• Shui Wuyuan’s past is explored: he was the youngest deity, competitive and battle-obsessed, and frequently provoked the other gods into fighting him.

Significant themes

• True versus false divinity: He Qinglan rejects the idea that gods should grant every request, emphasizing that real blessings depend on circumstances and merit.
• Environmental responsibility: His altar and social-media post promote protecting rivers and living beings, blending divine authority with modern environmental messaging.
• The persistence of ancient bonds: Despite the passage of time, old gods can recognize one another through shared memories and private codes.
• Consequences and balance: The curse’s rebound effect reflects the broader idea that harmful actions carry consequences for those who initiate them.

Character interactions

• Online commenters mock He Qinglan’s unusual “repost to receive a blessing” message, while Shui Wuyuan openly rolls his eyes.
• He Qinglan mentally revisits the ancient gods’ interactions with Shui Wuyuan, recalling that they generally tolerated his challenges until his constant insistence on proving his strength became too much.
• Wushan Guardian directly contacts He Qinglan, using their shared history and a humorous code phrase to establish his identity. He then questions He Qinglan’s silence and points out that the modern Bicheng river is named Qinglan River, suggesting that He Qinglan has returned to his original domain.

Chapter 48 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Wushan Guardian praises the River God for once beating Shui Wuyuan severely, recalling that he and the Thunder God were the only gods cheering at the time.
• The River God rejects the idea that he was setting an example, explaining that he simply retaliated after Shui Wuyuan provoked him.
• The Wushan Guardian reveals that the gods later stopped holding back against Shui Wuyuan, but eventually encountered trouble. Their spiritual power became unstable, and they began avoiding the River God, suggesting Shui Wuyuan had harmed or intimidated them.
• Curious about this unexplained history, the River God invites the Wushan Guardian to meet at his new home beside the Qinglan River.
• The Wushan Guardian agrees, explaining that he has become a popular wilderness-adventure blogger with more than three million followers. He uses the Faith Power generated by his human fans to compensate for the declining condition of his mountain.
• He offers to teach the River God how to attract followers by displaying his physical strength and muscles.
• After learning that Shui Wuyuan built the River God’s house and has become involved in his life, the Wushan Guardian immediately assumes Shui Wuyuan is plotting something sinister. He fears the house may contain a curse or mind-controlling object and rushes to protect the River God.
• The River God calmly assesses the house and his own strength, deciding that if a fight occurs, he will likely heal the Wushan Guardian afterward.
• The River God follows the Wushan Guardian’s social-media account, prompting intense online speculation—especially because he does not follow Shui Wuyuan first.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan/River God: Remains calm, practical, and emotionally restrained. He is intrigued by the past conflict between Shui Wuyuan and the other gods, while also showing quiet loyalty toward the Wushan Guardian by inviting him to meet and planning to treat his injuries if necessary.
• Wushan Guardian/Mountain God: Is energetic, boastful, protective, and comically suspicious of Shui Wuyuan. He has adapted successfully to the modern world by becoming an internet celebrity and using fan-generated Faith Power to sustain himself.
• Shui Wuyuan: Does not appear directly, but his reputation as overbearing, manipulative, and dangerous dominates the conversation. His kindness toward the River God—building him a beautiful home—is interpreted by the Wushan Guardian as evidence of hidden ulterior motives.
• The human followers: Their admiration and online gossip demonstrate how divine beings now depend on social media and public attention for power and recognition.

Significant Themes

• Adaptation to modern society: Ancient gods survive by using social media, celebrity culture, and online followers to obtain Faith Power.
• Friendship and loyalty: The Wushan Guardian’s immediate willingness to defend the River God contrasts with the River God’s understated but genuine concern for his friend.
• Misunderstanding and suspicion: The Wushan Guardian views Shui Wuyuan’s actions as sinister, while the River God is more neutral and quietly accepts the house.
• Changing sources of divine power: Traditional worship has declined, forcing gods to find new ways to gather spiritual or Faith Power.
• Comedy through contrast: Ancient divine figures behave like modern influencers, while their old grudges and rivalries continue in exaggerated, humorous forms.

Character Interactions

• The River God and Wushan Guardian reconnect through online messages, reminiscing about their past and discussing Shui Wuyuan.
• The Wushan Guardian enthusiastically boasts about his popularity and tries to recruit the River God into influencer culture.
• His protective reaction to the River God’s relationship with Shui Wuyuan highlights his deep friendship and longstanding distrust of Shui Wuyuan.
• Online commenters add humorous commentary, teasing Shui Wuyuan over the River God’s first follow and connecting the River God’s online style to the Wushan Guardian’s earlier internet fame.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Online followers joke that Brother Shan and He Qinglan followed each other because both promote environmental protection—Brother Shan protects mountain wildlife, while He Qinglan advocates keeping rivers clean.
• Boss Water is humiliated after failing to become He Qinglan’s top follower. Angry and jealous, he unfollows He Qinglan and prepares an extravagant appearance, determined to confront his “rival.”
• Shui Wuyuan arrives at the Crystal House before Mountain Shaman and blocks his way inside. He taunts Mountain Shaman about an old promise to call him “boss” after losing a fight.
• Mountain Shaman refuses to acknowledge Shui Wuyuan despite being clearly outmatched. Shui Wuyuan punishes him by causing rain and hail to fall over his head.
• He Qinglan learns the truth about Shui Wuyuan’s past: after initially being defeated by the older gods, Shui Wuyuan trained relentlessly, challenged them repeatedly, and eventually surpassed them one by one.
• The other powerful gods had hidden the fact that Shui Wuyuan later defeated them and forced them to call him “boss,” fearing humiliation.
• He Qinglan asks Shui Wuyuan to stop tormenting Mountain Shaman. Shui Wuyuan reluctantly complies, but when Mountain Shaman immediately suspects another scheme and defends He Qinglan, Shui Wuyuan resumes the rain.

Character Developments

• Shui Wuyuan/Rain God: His jealousy and competitive pride become obvious. He is vindictive and childish toward Mountain Shaman, yet also extremely persistent, powerful, and proud of his hard-won status.
• Mountain Shaman: Despite being thousands of years older, he is stubbornly unwilling to submit to Shui Wuyuan. His wariness reveals that he remembers Shui Wuyuan’s strength and cruel sense of humor.
• He Qinglan: He discovers the hidden history behind the gods’ relationships and recognizes that Shui Wuyuan’s arrogance is rooted in years of struggle and victory. He attempts to mediate between the two.
• Boss Water: His elaborate preparation and reaction to losing followers reveal his vanity, jealousy, and determination to compete with He Qinglan.

Significant Themes

• Pride and rivalry: The gods’ ancient grudges continue into the present, with Shui Wuyuan using old victories to assert dominance.
• Persistence and self-improvement: Shui Wuyuan’s rise from repeated defeat to surpassing the strongest gods demonstrates his relentless determination.
• Humiliation and hidden history: The older gods concealed their defeats, but buried secrets eventually resurface.
• Power versus status: Mountain Shaman’s age and former superiority no longer matter against Shui Wuyuan’s current strength.
• Comedy through immortal conflicts: Ancient, powerful beings behave with petty jealousy, teasing, and childish stubbornness.

Character Interactions

• Shui Wuyuan openly taunts Mountain Shaman and demands that he honor his promise to call him “boss.”
• Mountain Shaman refuses, while He Qinglan watches and gradually realizes the extent of their shared history.
• He Qinglan tells Shui Wuyuan to stop bullying Mountain Shaman, briefly succeeding.
• Mountain Shaman immediately becomes suspicious and positions himself protectively beside He Qinglan, prompting Shui Wuyuan to restart the rain as a spiteful response.

Chapter 26 Summary

Key events

Shui Wuyuan and the Mountain God continue their childish feud, using petty divine powers against one another while pretending to remain civil in front of He Qinglan. Shui creates rain, while the Mountain God retaliates with a dark cloud, hail, and painful stones. Lord River God notices but chooses not to interfere.
The conversation then turns serious when He Qinglan asks the Mountain God how he awakened and why he believes the world is in danger.

World situation revealed

The Mountain God explains that he awakened two years earlier after humans hollowed out and removed the main spiritual pillar of Wushan. He survived only because he had previously planted a backup pillar in the mountain’s back area, following He Qinglan’s advice to leave a safeguard before entering slumber. After awakening weak and disoriented, he descended from the mountain and lived among humans for more than six months while recovering.
He learned that humanity has become the dominant force in the world, building civilization by consuming and damaging other forms of life—including the gods’ domains. Human exploitation has nearly exhausted the world, and widespread Corrupting Miasma already signals that disaster has begun.

Character developments

• Mountain God: Becomes more serious and reflective, revealing both the physical danger he faced and his growing concern for the world’s future. He is especially troubled by the theft of his Mountain Pillar’s core, which contains part of his divine origin and could cause immense harm if used by an evil person.
• He Qinglan: Acts as the mediator and focuses the discussion on the larger crisis. He correctly concludes that humanity will determine whether the world’s future is prosperous or disastrous.
• Shui Wuyuan: Though mostly silent during the explanation, he offers a cynical and forceful assessment of humanity, arguing that disaster is no longer merely a future possibility but an existing man-made reality.
• Lord River God: Remains powerless and detached from the gods’ petty conflict, functioning as an observer who keeps the discussion moving.

Major themes

The chapter contrasts childish divine rivalries with the far more serious destruction caused by humanity. It explores environmental exploitation, the decline and possible revival of spiritual energy, and the cyclical destruction and renewal of worlds. The world stands at a turning point: if humanity chooses goodness, spiritual power and life may flourish again; if greed and cruelty prevail, the world may collapse. The chapter also emphasizes the danger of divine artifacts being misused and the importance of preparing safeguards against catastrophe.

Character interactions

Shui Wuyuan and the Mountain God disguise their hostility beneath forced smiles, expressing their old resentment through covert attacks rather than open combat. He Qinglan serves as the calm mediator, questioning the Mountain God and guiding the discussion toward humanity’s responsibility. Shui’s blunt criticism reinforces the Mountain God’s unease, especially when both recognize that human-made destruction has already begun.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Mountain Shaman grows increasingly worried that the gods’ awakenings and declining powers may produce disastrous consequences. He Qinglan reveals that three of his Source Spring Spirit Pearls have shattered, two have vanished, and a corrupted Life Essence Spirit Branch was found among his followers. The branch had distorted its owner’s temperament and consumed his vitality, confirming the spread of the Corrupting Miasma.
The gods discuss whether Mu Sen, the Wood God, has awakened. He Qinglan believes he has not, since there have been no signs of sudden plant growth. Shui Wuyuan agrees to search all of Huazhou for evidence, but only after forcing He Qinglan to unfollow Mountain Shaman’s account, follow his own Weibo account, and like all his posts. Shui Wuyuan senses no signs of Mu Sen’s awakening, though he detects unusually chaotic spiritual energy and dense Corrupting Miasma in a barren northwestern region. The chapter ends with Shui Wuyuan demanding his “wages” and giving He Qinglan an apple he personally washed.

Character developments

• Mountain Shaman becomes more anxious and guilt-ridden, fearing that his powers or the gods’ condition could lead to harmful consequences. He is also frustrated by Shui Wuyuan’s bullying and obvious favoritism toward He Qinglan.
• He Qinglan remains calm, practical, and emotionally restrained. Although weakened after awakening, he handles Shui Wuyuan’s demands without losing his composure and quietly sacrifices his pride to obtain useful information. He also shows concern for Mu Sen despite believing he is safe.
• Shui Wuyuan displays his childish, arrogant, and possessive side. He exploits the others’ dependence on his abilities, turning a serious investigation into an opportunity for attention and control. At the same time, his willingness to help—and his small gesture of giving He Qinglan a washed apple—suggests affection beneath his selfish behavior.

Significant themes

• The cost of awakening and lost divine power: shattered spirit objects, corrupted branches, and weakened gods demonstrate that awakening carries serious physical and spiritual consequences.
• Corruption and instability: the Miasma damages both nature and individuals, threatening the balance of the divine world.
• Friendship and sacrifice: He Qinglan and Mountain Shaman endure humiliation and compromise because they need Shui Wuyuan’s help.
• Comedy amid danger: the tense supernatural situation is undercut by Shui Wuyuan’s social-media demands, creating humorous friction between the gods.
• Uneasy foreshadowing: the barren northwestern region filled with chaotic spiritual energy may become important, despite initially seeming unrelated to Mu Sen.

Character interactions

Mountain Shaman accidentally insults Shui Wuyuan by praising the Clear Ripple River, prompting the River God to defend his river’s beauty. He Qinglan negotiates with Shui Wuyuan without pleading, frustrating Shui Wuyuan until he invents increasingly unreasonable conditions. Mountain Shaman silently resents the Rain God’s double standard, observing that Shui Wuyuan mistreats him but behaves differently toward He Qinglan. He Qinglan, meanwhile, quietly comforts Mountain Shaman while complying with Shui Wuyuan’s demands, preserving the fragile cooperation among the three gods.

Chapter 27 Summary

Key events

He Qinglan casually eats an apple while ignoring the Rain God’s incessant teasing. The Mountain God notices that Shui Wuyuan’s behavior seems strangely inconsistent, especially after Shui Wuyuan smugly displays his new closeness with He Qinglan. Online fans further embarrass the Mountain God by pointing out that He Qinglan has unfollowed him, followed Shui Wuyuan, and liked all of Shui Wuyuan’s posts.
The mood changes when strange bird cries erupt outside the Crystal Cottage. Xia Youyu shouts, “River God, bless me!” while fleeing a flock of black Monster Birds.

Xia Youyu’s attack

Xia Youyu awakens in his tent to find the Monster Birds attacking him. Although he is badly clawed and bitten, the largest bird fails to pierce his chest, apparently repelled by some protective force. Believing his invocation has worked, Xia repeatedly calls for the River God’s protection and escapes toward the cottage. His cries also briefly stun the birds, allowing him to survive.

He Qinglan’s intervention

When Xia reaches the cottage, He Qinglan lightly waves his hand. What feels like a harmless breeze carrying droplets to Xia becomes a barrage of deadly projectiles against the pursuing birds, killing nearly the entire flock instantly. Xia is astonished by the River God’s overwhelming power.

The remaining Monster Bird

He Qinglan deliberately spares the leading black bird because it appears to possess a physical body and may be a living creature corrupted by Miasma rather than an ordinary Blightspawn. Before He Qinglan can capture it, Shui Wuyuan summons chains of water, binds the bird, and pulls it down for examination.

Character developments and interactions

• He Qinglan remains calm, powerful, and indifferent to the surrounding teasing and social drama. Despite his low current Spiritual Power, he easily destroys the lesser Monster Birds and shows careful judgment by investigating the unusual leader instead of killing it immediately.
• Shui Wuyuan acts smugly toward the Mountain God and demonstrates his superior control by restraining the surviving bird before He Qinglan can do so. His apparent favoritism toward He Qinglan continues to create suspicion.
• The Mountain God becomes increasingly confused by Shui Wuyuan’s behavior and irritated by the online reactions to He Qinglan’s change in allegiance.
• Xia Youyu grows even more dependent on and admiring of He Qinglan, treating him as an invincible protector and eagerly rushing to complain after being rescued.
• The Rain God continues mocking the Mountain God while showing Xia Youyu a gentler attitude, creating a contrast between his harsh words and unexpectedly kind actions.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes divine power and dependence, as Xia’s desperate faith in the River God appears to help him survive. It also develops the theme of hidden identities and corruption through the mysterious Monster Bird leader. Comic jealousy, social-media gossip, favoritism, and misunderstandings provide a lighthearted counterpoint to the danger of the attack.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Youyu identifies the bound black Monster Bird as the creature that tormented him for an entire year. It began with psychological harassment and escalated into physical attacks.
• Although Xia initially tried shouting, using sticks, and even shooting it with a pellet gun, the bird gradually became stronger and impossible for him to touch, seeming almost intangible.
• Shui Wuyuan tightens his rainwater chains around the creature. The bird releases foul black smoke and emits a sinister stench, revealing that it is not an ordinary bird but a corrupted crow with crimson eyes.
• Mountain Shaman recognizes the crow’s energy as dangerously filthy and comparable to that of a Demonic Beast. He is disturbed because ordinary creatures should not naturally gain such powerful demonic energy.
• He Qinglan concludes that the crow was artificially cultivated in an environment saturated with Corrupting Miasma, fed flesh and other filthy substances from before it hatched. However, he suspects that an additional, powerful source of energy was required to complete its transformation.
• He Qinglan connects this possibility to the Life Essence Spirit Branch worshipped by Qi Xiaoyuan’s second uncle and decides to investigate Linhe Village in Bishui County.
• He asks Xia Youyu to guide him there, intending to examine not only the Monster Bird’s origins but also the Qinglan River and a nearby paper mill.
• Meanwhile, He Qinglan’s public garbage cleanup around the Crystal Cottage has begun changing local behavior. With the Liu Family Seven Brothers and volunteers joining him, people have stopped openly littering in the area, and more residents are beginning to participate in cleanup efforts.

Character Developments

• Xia Youyu reveals the extent of his fear and resentment toward the Monster Bird, showing that its prolonged harassment left him helpless despite his repeated attempts to fight back.
• Shui Wuyuan demonstrates overwhelming spiritual power by effortlessly restraining and torturing the seemingly untouchable bird. His mocking attitude also shows his confidence and skepticism toward Mountain Shaman’s earlier views.
• Mountain Shaman shifts from criticizing Shui Wuyuan’s display of power to recognizing the crow as an unnatural and deeply dangerous creation. His reaction reflects growing alarm over humanity’s ability to create supernatural disasters.
• He Qinglan acts as the main investigator, using careful observation and reasoning to identify that the crow was artificially transformed. His suspicions broaden the incident into a potentially larger conspiracy involving corrupted spiritual objects and human experimentation.
• He Qinglan’s environmental efforts also reveal his persistence and influence. His actions inspire others and demonstrate that public example can alter collective behavior.

Significant Themes

• Humanity’s capacity to create disaster: The characters suggest that humans can produce supernatural horrors without waiting for natural calamities, using negative emotions, corruption, and spiritual resources.
• Corruption through human intervention: The crow did not become demonic naturally; it was deliberately raised and altered, emphasizing the dangers of exploiting living creatures and sacred power.
• Environmental influence and collective behavior: The cleaned riverbank becomes a symbol of how visible care can encourage further care, while neglect tends to invite more destruction.
• The relationship between good and evil: Small acts of restoration can counteract long-standing damage, just as accumulated negative emotions can create monstrous corruption.
• Uncovering hidden wrongdoing: The investigation into Linhe Village, the river, and the paper mill suggests that the Monster Bird is evidence of a broader mystery.

Character Interactions

• Xia Youyu explains his history with the Monster Bird to Shui Wuyuan, Mountain Shaman, and He Qinglan.
• Shui Wuyuan dismisses Xia’s account before proving the bird’s danger by tightening the rainwater chains around it.
• Mountain Shaman questions how a young crow could possess such immense corrupting energy, prompting Shui Wuyuan to remind him that humans can make the impossible possible.
• He Qinglan provides the most detailed explanation of the crow’s artificial cultivation and asks Xia Youyu to accompany him to Linhe Village.
• He Qinglan’s cleanup work brings him into cooperation with the Liu Family Seven Brothers, volunteers, and local passersby, creating a growing community effort to protect the Qinglan River.

Chapter 28 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Qinglan concludes that cleaning the garbage from the Qinglan River is no longer the primary issue. The river’s greatest problem is its drastically reduced flow, so his next priority is restoring the waterway.
• He decides to investigate the Paper Mill and nearby Linhe Village, suspecting that something upstream is obstructing the river.
• The river has nearly dried up: its current width is only about thirty centimeters, despite the riverbed being roughly thirty meters wide. This suggests the drought alone cannot explain the loss of water.
• Xia Youyu enthusiastically warns He Qinglan about Linhe Village and the Paper Mill. The Paper Mill is accused of illegally diverting river water and causing severe pollution, leaving the surrounding land discolored and barren.
• Xia prepares for the visit by purchasing defensive items such as wolf spray, chili powder, smoke bombs, and miniature cameras, fearing attacks, scams, and attempts by villagers to manufacture evidence against outsiders.
• Shui Wuyuan reinforces the group’s grim view of human greed by recounting how people have exploited him in the past. He declares that, because he has immense wealth, he can afford to respond to shameless behavior with even greater extravagance and ruthlessness.
• On the way to Linhe Village, the group encounters a woman who habitually blocks the only road to the highway, demands tolls, and threatens drivers with a brick.
• Rather than pay her the usual five to twenty yuan, Shui Wuyuan summons a convoy of eighteen heavily built men in suits and orders them to beat her badly enough to remain hospitalized for three months, though not to kill her.
• The woman’s usual strategy—damaging vehicles, provoking drivers, and relying on relatives to create legal and financial pressure—has made her effectively untouchable. Her earnings have already funded apartments for her sons.
• Xia Youyu takes great satisfaction in seeing her shocked reaction, viewing her as the first obstacle to entering Linhe Village.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan shifts his focus from visible pollution to the deeper ecological issue: the loss of the river’s water flow. His investigation becomes more deliberate and centered on uncovering the cause upstream.
• Xia Youyu shows strong enthusiasm and moral outrage toward the Paper Mill and Linhe Village. He is also extremely cautious, imagining possible traps and preparing extensively for confrontation, though his fears are exaggerated.
• Shui Wuyuan reveals his flamboyant, aggressive, and proudly unethical approach to conflict. He uses wealth and overwhelming force to punish people who exploit others, presenting himself as someone with “no bottom line.”
• The Mountain Shaman remains relatively inexperienced with human society and is forced to reconsider how extreme human deception and exploitation can be.
• The roadblocking woman is characterized as shameless, calculating, and financially motivated, exploiting legal loopholes and sympathy to extort passing drivers.

Significant Themes

• Environmental destruction and corruption: The Paper Mill’s pollution and illegal water diversion represent how profit-driven human activity damages both nature and local communities.
• Greed and moral decay: Linhe Village is portrayed as a place where people exploit loopholes, manipulate public sympathy, and disregard morality for money.
• Power versus helplessness: Ordinary drivers are trapped by the roadblocking woman’s tactics, while Shui Wuyuan’s wealth allows him to overwhelm her instantly.
• Naivety versus worldly experience: The supernatural characters struggle to understand the extent of human shamelessness, while Xia Youyu and Shui Wuyuan demonstrate different responses to it.
• Restoration beneath the surface: He Qinglan recognizes that solving the river’s problem requires addressing its hidden source, not merely cleaning up visible waste.

Character Interactions

• He Qinglan consults Xia Youyu about the Paper Mill and Linhe Village, while Xia urges him to act against their pollution and corruption.
• He Qinglan asks the Mountain Shaman whether people truly behave as badly as Xia claims, prompting the Shaman and Shui Wuyuan to share disturbing examples of human behavior.
• Shui Wuyuan’s boastful response leaves Xia Youyu and the Mountain Shaman speechless, while He Qinglan sarcastically criticizes his lack of restraint.
• During the roadside confrontation, Shui Wuyuan’s violent show of force astonishes the extortionist and her hidden accomplices, while Xia Youyu watches with intense satisfaction.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

Xia Youyu explains that the female roadblocker repeatedly extorts drivers heading to Linhe Village, demanding ten yuan and retaliating against anyone who refuses. Although she has been detained several times, her harassment is difficult to punish legally. When eighteen intimidating men in black arrive, Xia warns that the woman’s hidden accomplices may be recording the confrontation to frame them for assault. The woman calls out for help, and several accomplices emerge from the woods, filming while three men attack the newcomers with mud and a brick.

Confrontation

The men in black respond with overwhelming force. One strikes the scar-faced attacker with a single slap, while others kick down or disarm the remaining aggressors. A bodyguard reveals that his lapel pin contains a 24-hour panoramic recorder, allowing the group to claim self-defense because the scoundrels attacked first. When mud lands on a round-faced young man’s suit, he brutally beats the responsible thug for ten minutes while the other seventeen men prevent villagers from intervening.

Character developments

Xia Youyu demonstrates cleverness and caution, immediately recognizing the danger of staged recordings and online extortion. The men in black are revealed to be disciplined, technologically equipped, and physically formidable, but also terrifyingly ruthless when provoked. The female scoundrel, initially confident because of her accomplices and recordings, becomes frightened once the power balance shifts. The villagers’ fear exposes their awareness of the family’s brutality and influence.

Character interactions

Xia advises the group’s leader, “Boss Water,” about the legal and public-relations risks. The roadblockers attempt to provoke the men into attacking them, but the bodyguards turn the tactic against them by documenting the initial assault. The villagers try to mediate, yet the bodyguards block them, leaving the attackers helpless.

Significant themes

The chapter explores how shamelessness and disregard for consequences can enable petty tyranny, while wealth and power alone do not guarantee legal justice. It also highlights technology as a weapon against manipulation and false accusations. The villagers’ complicity—accepting tribute while tolerating land occupation and environmental pollution—reveals broader themes of corruption, moral compromise, and collective cowardice.

Chapter 29 Summary

• A woman who had filmed a group of black-suited bodyguards beating a roadblock thug confronts them, demanding compensation. She initially asks for 500,000, then raises the demand to one million, threatening to expose and sue Shui Wuyuan. The six members of the thug family support her, treating the incident as an opportunity to extort money.
• A crowd gathers, recognizing the luxury car and the black-suited group as connected to a powerful wealthy figure. Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan emerge from the car, immediately silencing the crowd and intensifying the spectacle. Dark clouds begin gathering, creating an ominous atmosphere.
• Shui Wuyuan acknowledges the demand but refuses to reward the extortionists. He removes a million-yuan sapphire cufflink and throws it into the filthy roadside river, then throws in his second cufflink as well. When he begins removing a watch worth 5.88 million, nearby onlookers prepare to dive into the sewage to retrieve it.
• The River God stops Shui Wuyuan from throwing the watch into the water, angrily objecting to having valuable objects—or “trash,” as he views the watch—dumped into his river. He takes the watch and throws it back to the round-faced bodyguard who had done the beating.
• Shui Wuyuan mocks the thugs, declaring that he has more money than he can spend but would rather throw it away than give any to them. He challenges them to attack him, confident that their extortion attempt will fail.
• The round-faced bodyguard enthusiastically justifies his actions, claiming the beating was an angry response to mud being splashed on his custom suit. He argues that the victim is only lightly injured and jokes that he can wait for the police, implying he may even receive a valuable watch for each day he spends in trouble.
• The thugs become frightened and humiliated as they realize they cannot intimidate Shui Wuyuan or compete with his wealth and influence. Xia Youyu, watching from inside the car, and the livestream audience react with delighted amazement at Shui Wuyuan’s dramatic show of power.
• When the police arrive, they expect another routine incident involving the notorious family that habitually blocks the road and demands tolls. However, they immediately see that this confrontation is far more unusual than the family’s previous offenses, setting up the next scene.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Shui Wuyuan displays extreme wealth, confidence, and a flair for humiliating opponents through theatrical generosity and calculated refusal. His interaction with the thugs transforms their extortion attempt into a public defeat.
• He Qinglan remains beside Shui Wuyuan as a powerful, silent presence, while his disgust toward the discarded luxury items is emphasized in the author’s note.
• The River God reveals his intense protectiveness of his river and his contempt for human concepts of wealth. Although irritated by Shui Wuyuan’s actions, his mood improves when Shui Wuyuan allows him to intervene.
• The round-faced bodyguard shows loyalty, aggression, and comic shamelessness. He accepts the watch with enthusiasm and confidently prepares to face the police.
• The thugs shift from greed and intimidation to embarrassment and fear once they realize their target is untouchably wealthy and well protected.
• The police are established as familiar with the family’s repeated road-blocking scams and are initially prepared for an ordinary intervention.

Significant Themes

• Wealth as power and spectacle: Shui Wuyuan uses money not to settle the dispute but to demonstrate that the extortionists cannot control or profit from him.
• Greed and humiliation: The thugs’ greed is exposed when they consider diving into a sewage river for the discarded valuables.
• Human wealth versus supernatural values: The River God considers priceless jewelry and watches meaningless compared with the sanctity of his river.
• Performance and public reputation: The crowd and livestream viewers turn the confrontation into entertainment, while Shui Wuyuan deliberately stages a public “face-slapping” victory.
• Corruption and social disorder: The thug family’s repeated road-blocking schemes show the persistence of petty criminality despite police intervention.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

Shui Wuyuan exposes and defeats the rogue family blocking the road and staging accidents. Rather than being intimidated or extorted, he photographs them, has the police take them for medical assessment, and orders his security team to install surveillance cameras along the road to prevent further scams and disorder. The local officers and passersby are delighted, since the family has terrorized the road for years. After the family is removed, Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan face the residents of Linhe Village, whose reactions reveal a mixture of fear, greed, resentment, and guilt. He Qinglan asks to inspect the village’s paper mill, but the villagers immediately reject him, fiercely claiming that the factory is their livelihood and privately controlled. The chapter ends with He Qinglan realizing that the corrupting force surrounding the villagers is not merely coming from an outside source: dark energy is emerging from within them.

Character development

• Shui Wuyuan is portrayed as experienced, fearless, and uncompromising when dealing with criminals and extortionists. His wealth and influence are used practically to protect ordinary travelers and improve public order, reinforcing his reputation as someone who “benefits the country and the people.”
• He Qinglan shifts from observing the road incident to investigating the deeper supernatural problem connected to Linhe Village. His ability to perceive the Corrupting Miasma allows him to recognize that the villagers themselves may be morally or spiritually contaminated.
• The villagers are revealed to be defensive and potentially complicit in the rogue family’s activities. Their hostility toward outsiders suggests that they have something to hide and may benefit from the paper mill’s questionable operations.
• The police and Shui Wuyuan’s security team cooperate effectively, with the police gaining confidence and satisfaction from finally removing the long-standing threat.

Significant themes

• Justice versus exploitation: Shui Wuyuan uses his resources to confront people who prey on travelers and vulnerable victims.
• Corruption within society: The villagers’ fear and hostility imply that wrongdoing is not limited to one rogue family but may be embedded in the broader community.
• Good and evil from within: The Corrupting Miasma symbolizes how greed, complicity, and malice can arise from the human heart rather than simply infecting people from outside.
• Power used responsibly: Shui Wuyuan’s wealth becomes a tool for protecting the public rather than merely enriching himself.

Character interactions

Shui Wuyuan humiliates and overcomes the rogue family while coordinating with the police and his security team. The officers admire him and willingly carry out his plan to install cameras. He Qinglan then confronts the villagers by requesting access to the paper mill, provoking immediate suspicion and hostility. His silent observation of their corruption contrasts with their defensive attempts to conceal the village’s secrets.

Chapter 30 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan arrive at Linhe Village, claiming to be interested in funding wastewater-treatment equipment for the village’s Paper Mill.
• The villagers initially become hostile, assuming the pair has come to inspect or interfere with the mill. Shui Wuyuan sarcastically presents himself as a wealthy investor who has come to “give them money,” immediately changing their attitude.
• The villagers become obsequious and eagerly lead the two men into the village, hoping the investment will improve the Paper Mill and their own livelihoods.
• Shui Wuyuan deliberately takes He Qinglan’s hand and leads him forward, both defusing the villagers’ attention and playfully becoming the more affectionate one in their interaction.
• As they approach the village, He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan see that it is almost completely covered by an enormous concentration of Corrupting Miasma—dark, negative energy associated with evil and corruption.
• He Qinglan is disturbed by the scale of the miasma, realizing that nearly the entire village may be morally or spiritually tainted. Shui Wuyuan estimates that the corruption is severe enough to kill each villager several times over.
• The villagers praise Xia Youyu, the person who built the Paper Mill, believing he has helped the community by providing employment. In reality, Xia Youyu apparently intends to expose or report the villagers’ wrongdoing.
• The village guide makes misogynistic comments about women demanding homes in the county or city, revealing the villagers’ prejudices and moral degradation.
• He Qinglan identifies the village chief’s house by the unusually dense miasma swirling around it. Before they reach it, he also notices that the village keeps an unusually large number of dogs, suggesting that further sinister details may be connected to the animals.

Character Developments

• Shui Wuyuan demonstrates his sharp wit and ability to manipulate people. His sarcasm both mocks the villagers and reassures them by giving them the impression that he is a powerful, wealthy investor.
• He also shows consideration toward He Qinglan, taking his hand and pulling him along when the villagers’ hostility threatens to embarrass or inconvenience him. This playful physical affection highlights their growing intimacy.
• He Qinglan remains calm and observant, using his ability to perceive Corrupting Miasma to assess the village. Although he expected corruption, the sheer scale of it unsettles him and deepens his suspicion of the village.
• The villagers reveal themselves to be opportunistic: they quickly shift from aggression to flattery once they believe money and investment are involved.

Significant Themes

• Hypocrisy and greed: The villagers’ hostility disappears as soon as they think Shui Wuyuan can enrich them, exposing their dependence on money and personal gain.
• Collective corruption: The miasma covering the entire village suggests that evil is not limited to a few individuals but has become embedded throughout the community.
• Appearance versus reality: The villagers praise the Paper Mill’s founder as benevolent, while the heroes understand that his motives and the village’s situation are far darker.
• Gender prejudice and social decay: The guide’s contemptuous remarks about women reflect the village’s broader moral corruption.
• Humor amid danger: Shui Wuyuan’s sarcasm and teasing relationship with He Qinglan provide comic relief while the pair moves toward a disturbing discovery.

Character Interactions

• Shui Wuyuan verbally overpowers the villagers, insulting them while making them believe he is offering valuable help.
• The villagers flatter and court him, trying to secure his investment.
• Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan share a subtle affectionate moment when Shui Wuyuan takes over holding He Qinglan’s hand; He Qinglan tolerates it rather than resisting.
• The heroes contrast the villagers’ naïve praise of the Paper Mill with their own awareness that the village and its leaders are deeply corrupted.

Chapter 59 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan pass through Linhe Village, where they notice unusually large guard dogs silently tracking them. The dogs’ eerie behavior, combined with the villagers’ forced friendliness, creates an ominous atmosphere.
• Xia Youyu and Mountain Shaman arrive separately and are met by villagers carrying leashed dogs, making it clear that the visitors are being monitored.
• Xia Youyu warns Mountain Shaman that the village dogs are exceptionally dangerous and have previously tried to attack him.
• Mountain Shaman senses that both the villagers and their dogs are surrounded by corruption, filth, and bad luck. He suggests that He Qinglan is likely overwhelmed by the village’s spiritual pollution.
• At the village chief’s home, He Qinglan is repulsed by the chief’s hideously corrupted soul and bluntly insults him before attempting to leave.
• The village chief signals two villagers to block the exit with four vicious dogs. The villagers expect He Qinglan to panic and beg for help.
• Instead, He Qinglan confronts the dogs, whose eyes reflect his supernatural power. He orders them to leave, and the dogs collapse helplessly under his spiritual pressure.
• Shui Wuyuan humorously explains He Qinglan’s reaction as a hatred of ugliness, implying that the villagers are repulsive both physically and spiritually.
• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan abandon negotiations and walk directly toward the Paper Mill at the back of the village.
• The villagers grow alarmed, unsure whether the pair is investigating the mill’s polluted wastewater or intends to interfere with the factory and its land.
• The village chief orders the others to follow and observe them. He also reveals that the village’s “Demon Crow,” apparently another supernatural weapon or guardian, was released the previous night and has not returned.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan: Displays intense sensitivity to spiritual corruption and an uncompromising, abrasive personality. His casual insult toward the chief masks his ability to perceive the man’s true nature. He also demonstrates overwhelming supernatural authority over the village’s attack dogs.
• Shui Wuyuan: Remains calm and amused in the face of danger. He supports He Qinglan’s actions and uses humor to defuse the villagers’ intimidation tactics. His decision to stay beside He Qinglan reinforces their cooperation.
• Xia Youyu: Shows prior knowledge of the village’s dangers and remains wary of its dogs. His concern suggests that he has experienced the village’s hostility before.
• Mountain Shaman: Quickly recognizes the spiritual corruption surrounding the villagers and animals. His practical suggestion that he and Xia Youyu remain together reveals his readiness for confrontation.
• Village Chief: Initially presents himself as welcoming and benevolent, but his inner corruption and hostility are exposed. He becomes cautious and threatened when He Qinglan resists the village’s control.
• The Villagers: Their confidence turns to fear when the dogs fail. They rely on the village’s supernatural protections and are unprepared for opponents who can resist them.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus true nature: The chief looks kind but possesses a filthy soul, while the dogs’ outward ferocity cannot withstand He Qinglan’s spiritual power.
• Corruption and pollution: The village is saturated with physical and supernatural filth, particularly around the dogs, villagers, and Paper Mill.
• Power and intimidation: The villagers attempt to control outsiders through surveillance, threatening animals, and supernatural guardians, but their methods fail against He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan.
• Moral ugliness: He Qinglan’s disgust with physical ugliness reflects a deeper rejection of spiritual evil and corruption.
• Hidden danger beneath ordinary life: The apparently peaceful village conceals hostile villagers, deadly dogs, a dangerous Paper Mill, and the mysterious Demon Crow.

Character Interactions

• Xia Youyu warns Mountain Shaman about the dogs, while Mountain Shaman senses the village’s pervasive corruption.
• He Qinglan openly insults the village chief and refuses to tolerate his presence, immediately destabilizing the meeting.
• The village chief uses the dogs to threaten He Qinglan, but He Qinglan defeats them without physical violence.
• Shui Wuyuan backs He Qinglan and mocks the villagers, strengthening their united front.
• The village chief and villagers discuss how to monitor or stop the pair, revealing their fear that the visitors may expose or threaten the village’s secrets.

Chapter 31 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The old village chief realizes that Shui Wuyuan’s arrival is probably not a sincere investment offer but part of a larger plan against the village. He orders people to follow Shui and He Qinglan while he seeks blessings from the village’s “divine spirits.”
• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan go directly to the polluted river rather than entering the paper mill. They find the factory dumping thick, gray-black wastewater into the Qinglan River.
• The pollution has devastated the river: the water is contaminated, the riverbed is coated with paper waste, and dead fish and shrimp line the banks. The factory is depicted as a monstrous machine destroying the surrounding environment.
• The villagers initially assume the visitors intend to investigate the paper mill’s illegal production practices. When they instead inspect the river, the villagers briefly believe they may be there to provide investment for a purification system.
• The old village chief arrives and attempts to justify the pollution, claiming that the village cannot afford proper purification equipment. He then pressures Shui Wuyuan to fund the necessary improvements, framing the investment as the only practical solution.
• He Qinglan finally turns around and declares that the paper mill’s pollution and accumulated “sins of slaughter” make its existence meaningless. He orders the villagers to tear it down.
• The chief angrily refuses and mocks He Qinglan’s warning about heavenly punishment. In response, He Qinglan summons ten bolts of blue-violet lightning, which strike and destroy the operating factory.
• The villagers panic, especially those with family members working inside the mill, and begin to fear that the destruction truly represents divine judgment.
• Despite witnessing the lightning, the old village chief refuses to accept that He Qinglan possesses divine power. He assumes He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan are using special abilities or treasures and decides that the village’s own sacred relic can ultimately defeat them.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan reveals a severe, uncompromising sense of justice. After witnessing the river’s destruction, he shows no interest in negotiation and gives the village only one chance to correct its wrongdoing. His power is confirmed when he destroys the paper mill with lightning.
• Shui Wuyuan remains largely silent but is established as an important participant in the confrontation. His presence is interpreted by the chief as financial and strategic support for He Qinglan.
• The old village chief becomes increasingly defensive and manipulative. He tries to disguise the village’s exploitation as economic necessity and attempts to shift responsibility onto outsiders by demanding investment. Even after the factory is destroyed, his pride, hostility, and faith in the village’s treasure prevent him from recognizing the danger.
• The villagers shift from confidence to anxiety and terror. They initially rely on the chief for protection, but He Qinglan’s judgment and the destruction of the mill shake their belief that the village can control the situation.

Significant Themes

• Environmental destruction and moral consequence: The factory’s pollution is presented not merely as a regulatory violation but as a grave moral crime that has caused widespread death.
• Justice versus self-interest: The villagers and chief prioritize economic survival and profit, while He Qinglan views the damage to the river as intolerable regardless of financial justification.
• Divine punishment and human denial: The lightning appears to fulfill He Qinglan’s warning, but the chief refuses to admit that justice—or divine power—has acted.
• Corruption and manipulation: The chief attempts to exploit Shui Wuyuan’s wealth, presenting investment as the solution while avoiding responsibility for the factory’s actions.
• Nature as a moral force: The polluted river and the supernatural thunder connect environmental wrongdoing with inevitable retribution.

Character Interactions

• The chief directs villagers to monitor He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan while he consults the village’s supernatural power.
• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan inspect the polluted river together, silently confronting the consequences of the village’s actions.
• The chief approaches them with a false mixture of guilt and practicality, arguing that the village needs outside funding rather than punishment.
• He Qinglan rejects the chief’s justification and orders the paper mill demolished.
• The chief openly challenges He Qinglan, leading to the lightning strike that destroys the factory and transforms the confrontation from a negotiation into a direct supernatural conflict.