Chapter Summaries

Chapter 32 Summary

Key plot points and events

• After the Paper Mill is struck repeatedly by lightning, villagers and workers rush outside. The old village chief curses He Qinglan with a pitch-black branch, invoking the gods and claiming that refusing to worship them will bring disaster.
• The branch appears to channel or direct the Corrupting Miasma surrounding Linhe Village. Although ordinary villagers are vulnerable to the corruption, it cannot harm He Qinglan.
• He Qinglan reclaims control of the polluted Qinglan River. With a single gesture, he draws the Corrupting Miasma out of the village and into the river, turning the water black and causing it to surge violently.
• The Paper Mill simultaneously explodes, destroying its machinery, tools, worktables, and paper pulp. The destruction suggests that He Qinglan’s power is striking back at the source of the village’s corruption.
• He Qinglan seizes the black branch from the village chief and demands to know where it came from. When the chief invokes his position as an “Attendant of the gods,” He Qinglan throws him into the river.
• Although the river is shallow, the village chief cannot escape the churning black water and begins drowning. He Qinglan then turns his attention to another villager, revealing that his anger is far from over.

Character developments

• He Qinglan: His restrained and gentle demeanor disappears. He becomes cold, furious, sarcastic, and openly punitive, asserting his authority as the River God and defending the Qinglan River as his domain. Despite having lost most of his Divine Power and facing a polluted river, he demonstrates overwhelming control over the Corrupting Miasma.
• Shui Wuyuan: He remains wary of He Qinglan’s condition and tries to protect him from the corrupt black branch, even physically restraining him. However, he ultimately recognizes that He Qinglan is determined to act and supports him rather than stopping him. His concern is mixed with teasing and affection.
• The old village chief: His confidence in the gods collapses as He Qinglan effortlessly neutralizes his curse, destroys the mill, takes the branch, and throws him into the river. He shifts from threatening authority figure to terrified victim.
• The villagers: They are forced to confront the failure of their religious authority and the terrifying consequences of the corruption surrounding their village.

Character interactions

• The village chief attempts to intimidate and curse He Qinglan, but He Qinglan turns the threat back on him.
• Shui Wuyuan grabs He Qinglan around the waist and shields him from the branch’s corruption, leading to a sharp, flirtatious argument. He Qinglan dismisses his concern and pushes him aside.
• He Qinglan interrogates and humiliates the village chief, challenging both his handling of the river and his claimed authority as a divine servant.
• The author’s aside emphasizes the romantic dynamic: Shui Wuyuan cannot prevent He Qinglan from “going wild,” so he chooses to accompany and support him.

Significant themes

• Reclaiming power and authority: He Qinglan reasserts ownership of the Qinglan River and refuses to let corrupt human or divine forces control it.
• The hypocrisy of religious authority: The village chief uses fear of the gods to dominate others, but his supposed divine protection proves useless when confronted by the actual River God.
• Corruption and environmental destruction: The polluted river and ruined Paper Mill reflect the consequences of exploiting nature and treating sacred forces as disposable.
• Justice and retribution: He Qinglan’s destruction of the mill and punishment of the chief suggest that those responsible for the village’s corruption will face consequences.
• Protective affection: Shui Wuyuan’s attempts to restrain and shield He Qinglan reveal his concern, while their sarcastic exchanges highlight their growing intimacy and mutual trust.

Chapter 62 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Qinglan intimidates a Linhe villager into revealing the origins of the Wood Spirit Branch and the village’s supposed “Wood God.”
• The villager explains that three years earlier, after many villagers were arrested for running telecom scams and the village fell into poverty, a powerful master brought them the branch. The master promised prosperity if they worshipped it.
• After the villagers began worshipping the branch, the village received a lucrative lease for nearby wasteland, convincing them that the branch truly granted wishes.
• Their offerings gradually became more cruel: first livestock, then stolen cats and dogs, and eventually human sacrifices.
• A timid villager named Laihou reveals that the village chief and others use a ritual involving a victim’s photograph, birth details, and blood. A frightening crow, raised through a method taught by the mysterious master, then attacks and kills the targeted person.
• The village chief and several hostile villagers attempt to resist, but He Qinglan’s supernatural control over the rain, mud, and surrounding environment leaves them helpless. Dogs refuse to attack, villagers are injured or immobilized, and multiple men are thrown into the polluted Qinglan River.
• The chapter ends with the revelation that the village’s “good fortune” has been sustained through murder and occult sacrifice.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan is shown to be calm, ruthless, and overwhelmingly powerful. He uses fear and supernatural force to extract the truth, showing no hesitation in punishing those who conceal the village’s crimes.
• The first villager questioned quickly collapses under pressure and reveals the branch’s history, though he initially tries to conceal the nature of the offerings.
• The village chief emerges as a central conspirator who attempts to stop the villagers from exposing the branch and its rituals, but is repeatedly humiliated and subdued.
• Laihou is portrayed as morally weak but unwilling to participate in murder. Terrified for his own safety, he betrays the others and exposes the human-sacrifice ritual.
• The villagers are revealed to be corrupt and opportunistic, becoming increasingly dependent on the branch’s supernatural benefits despite the escalating violence required.

Significant Themes

• Greed and moral corruption: The villagers justify fraud, theft, and murder as necessary for prosperity.
• The escalating cost of power: What begins with harmless-seeming worship and animal offerings develops into systematic human sacrifice.
• Fear as a tool of control: The villagers obey the mysterious master and the Wood Spirit Branch because their desire for wealth overcomes their morality.
• Justice and punishment: He Qinglan’s supernatural authority counters the villagers’ hidden violence, forcing their crimes into the open.
• False divinity and manipulation: The “Wood God” may be less a benevolent deity than a mechanism or entity exploited by the mysterious master to control the village.

Character Interactions

• He Qinglan interrogates the villagers while physically controlling them through the rain, mud, and river.
• The frightened villagers turn on one another, with Laihou denouncing the village chief and other murderers to save himself.
• The village chief attempts to silence the testimony but is prevented from doing so and is thrown into the river.
• The villagers’ inability to control their dogs or attack He Qinglan emphasizes the power imbalance between them and their supernatural opponents.

Chapter 33 Summary

• He Qinglan interrogates the villagers about the mysterious “master” behind Linhe Village’s evil-god worship. The villagers reveal that the master periodically contacts them and inspects the branches of their god, with the last visit occurring six months earlier. He is expected to return in roughly another half month.
• He Qinglan appears to leave without punishing the village, frustrating Xia Youyu, who believes the villagers, the Paper Mill’s pollution, and the evil god should all be dealt with immediately. Mountain Shaman sarcastically explains that they are not going to remain there and wait for trouble.
• He Qinglan secretly delivers his own punishment. With a casual wave, he summons a violent wind that drags every villager and all the vicious dogs into the polluted river. Rather than killing them, he forces them to swallow the contaminated water they helped create until the police arrive. Xia Youyu interprets the scene as a form of Nether River Hell.
• The police mobilize in force. The Bishui County Police Bureau has long considered Linhe Village a notorious “rogue village,” whose residents repeatedly commit offenses, resist authority, and exploit others for profit. After receiving a report about an evil cult and ritual murders, Chief Zhao sends nearly the entire bureau to investigate.
• The police expect resistance, imagining barricades, guard dogs, and violent villagers. Instead, they find the village eerily silent and undefended. At the Paper Mill, Chief Zhao and the officers discover the entire village population—237 adults from all 64 households—rolling and struggling in the polluted Qinglan River.

Character Developments and Interactions

• He Qinglan remains calm and controlled during the interrogation, but his restraint hides intense anger toward the villagers. His punishment is deliberate: he ensures they experience the consequences of their pollution without allowing them to escape through death.
• Xia Youyu shows compassion and a strong sense of justice, questioning why He Qinglan leaves the villagers and their crimes unresolved. His reaction to the river punishment reveals both shock and an emerging understanding of He Qinglan’s harsher methods.
• Mountain Shaman remains cynical and pragmatic, dismissing Xia Youyu’s concerns with sarcasm.
• Shui Wuyuan follows He Qinglan and reacts with amusement and approval to the punishment, suggesting a shared appreciation for He Qinglan’s ruthless temperament.
• Chief Zhao and the police officers begin cautiously, expecting a dangerous confrontation, but are stunned by the bizarre sight awaiting them.

Significant Themes

• Consequences and retribution: The villagers are forced to suffer through the polluted river they created, symbolizing the “bitter fruit” of their own actions.
• Corruption and moral decay: Linhe Village is described as rotten from its roots, with selfishness and lawlessness embedded throughout the community rather than limited to a few individuals.
• Justice beyond the law: He Qinglan’s supernatural punishment contrasts with the police’s slower, institutional approach to dealing with the village.
• Environmental abuse: The poisoned river and Paper Mill pollution serve as both a literal disaster and a symbol of the villagers’ disregard for others.
• Mystery and impending danger: The unidentified master is expected to return soon, leaving open the question of the evil god’s origins and the larger threat behind the village’s crimes.
  The chapter ends on a dramatic cliffhanger as the police arrive and find the entire village immersed in the contaminated river.

Chapter Summary — Page 64

Key Plot Points and Events

• More than two hundred villagers are found thrashing dramatically in the Qinglan River, pretending to drown despite the water being only about 1.5 meters deep.
• Police initially suspect the behavior is part of a bizarre cult ritual, especially because the villagers repeatedly gulp down polluted river water and seem unable to climb out.
• Nearby, the Paper Mill has mysteriously exploded from within: its machinery and circuitry are destroyed, and its wastewater outlets have stopped operating.
• Chief Zhao orders the police to rescue the villagers. The villagers cannot escape on their own, but immediately stand up once a police officer grabs them. After reaching shore, however, they collapse from exhaustion and lie gasping on the riverbank.
• The villagers appear completely defeated and drained, with none of the aggression the police had previously witnessed.
• Xia Youyu explains the group’s presence to the police, claiming that He Qinglan, Shui Wuyuan, and their companions came to investigate and address the Paper Mill’s pollution.
• He falsely portrays the villagers as members of a violent cult who tried to force the group to join, threaten them with attack dogs, and allegedly kill homeless people.
• Xia claims that he invoked the River God, causing the dogs to collapse and the villagers to be swept into the river by a supernatural downpour.
• After being corrected by a threatening cough, Xia amends his story to credit both the River God and the Rain God. He concludes that the group called the police because the villagers could not escape.

Character Developments

• Xia Youyu proves himself an enthusiastic and shameless improviser, inventing an elaborate heroic narrative to protect the group and glorify the River God. His story becomes increasingly passionate and absurd until the River God’s warning forces him to modify it.
• He Qinglan is publicly presented as a famous environmentalist committed to restoring the polluted Qinglan River, reinforcing his respectable public image.
• Shui Wuyuan and the supernatural beings accompanying the group remain mostly silent, but their power is evident through the destroyed Paper Mill, the villagers’ punishment, and Xia’s fear of contradicting them.
• Chief Zhao and the police move from suspicion and confusion to actively rescuing the villagers, while struggling to interpret the supernatural events through either rational or superstitious explanations.
• The villagers lose their former menace and are reduced to helpless, exhausted victims after suffering supernatural punishment.

Significant Themes

• Supernatural justice: The polluted river and exploitative Paper Mill are punished through apparently divine intervention.
• Environmental destruction: The Qinglan River’s severe pollution motivates He Qinglan’s actions and becomes central to the conflict.
• Appearance versus reality: The villagers fake drowning, while Xia disguises a supernatural confrontation as a plausible police report.
• Faith and propaganda: Xia’s exaggerated praise of the River God turns a dangerous event into a dramatic religious victory.
• Conflict between human industry and nature/divinity: The Paper Mill’s destruction and the river’s “punishment” suggest that environmental crimes provoke consequences beyond ordinary law.

Character Interactions

• The police question and rescue the villagers, with Chief Zhao taking practical control of the situation.
• Junior officers express disbelief at the villagers’ behavior, while a more superstitious officer interprets the events as heavenly punishment.
• Xia Youyu addresses Chief Zhao and the other officers directly, presenting himself and the group as victims and the River God as their protector.
• Xia’s narration is interrupted by the River God’s threatening cough, forcing him to include the Rain God in his account and demonstrating the supernatural figure’s control over him.

Chapter 34 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Director Zhao and the police uncover the truth behind Linhe Village’s “River God” and “Rain God” beliefs: the villagers were members of a cult centered around the village chief and the Paper Mill’s corrupt activities.
• Investigators discover more than a dozen bodies hidden in the village, their remains bearing vicious-dog bite marks. Villagers who helped release the dogs to kill people are arrested and face legal punishment.
• Although many villagers did not directly participate in the murders, they supported or tolerated the cult and still hoped to obtain a “Wood Spirit Branch” and revive their fortunes.
• He Qinglan declares that the remaining villagers have not escaped punishment because the “River God” is cursing them. Three days later, news reports that the entire village has been hospitalized with severe chronic poisoning and multiple-organ failure.
• The poisoning is traced to the Paper Mill’s illegal dumping of toxic wastewater into the Qinglan River. Heavy metals contaminated the river, soil, and groundwater, ultimately harming the villagers who had profited from the mill’s negligence.
• The Xia Family finally regains ownership of the land near the Paper Mill after it had been withheld for three years. However, the land is polluted across a radius of more than ten kilometers, forcing the relocation of Linhe Village and making Xia Youyu’s planned resort impossible for now.
• Xia Youyu suggests building a luxury villa or temple for He Qinglan, but He Qinglan dismisses the idea and sends him to collect trash. Xia instead decides to plant vegetation to help restore the environment.
• He Qinglan examines the corrupted Life Essence Spirit Branch, realizing it is close to transforming into a Demonic Beast capable of polluting an entire region. This makes him question whether the Wood God is still alive or has awakened.
• He Qinglan considers contacting the Rain God for information about the Wood God.

Character Development

• Director Zhao and the police move from skepticism toward Xia Youyu’s supernatural explanations to recognizing the villagers’ cult activity and criminal responsibility.
• Xia Youyu remains an enthusiastic but misguided believer in He Qinglan’s divine identity. He is relieved that his family’s land has been restored, but also saddened by its ruined condition. His response gradually shifts from pursuing profit through a resort to considering environmental restoration.
• He Qinglan continues acting as an aloof but forceful supernatural judge. He sees the villagers’ poisoning as a form of natural punishment, while also becoming increasingly concerned about the corrupted Wood Spirit Branch and the possible fate of the Wood God.
• The villagers are portrayed as morally compromised: even after the cult collapses and others are arrested, many still hope to regain power through the supernatural object they worship.
• The Wood God becomes a more significant mystery, with his possible disappearance or death raising broader questions about the stability of the divine world.

Significant Themes

• Environmental consequences: The villagers’ poisoning is a direct result of the Paper Mill’s illegal pollution, reinforcing the message that humanity’s treatment of nature eventually returns to affect humanity.
• Justice and retribution: Those who committed murder face legal punishment, while the broader community suffers consequences through the poisoned environment they helped create or tolerated.
• Cult mentality and complicity: The chapter distinguishes between direct perpetrators and passive supporters, emphasizing that silence and opportunism can also enable evil.
• Nature as divine judgment: He Qinglan frames environmental disaster as the River God’s curse, blending supernatural justice with realistic ecological consequences.
• Corruption and desecration: The corrupted Life Essence Spirit Branch symbolizes the abuse of sacred natural power and the insult done to the absent Wood God.
• Restoration and responsibility: Xia Youyu’s decision to plant trees and improve the land reflects a tentative movement from exploitation toward environmental stewardship.

Character Interactions

• Director Zhao and the police silently react with disbelief to Xia Youyu’s claims about gods, highlighting the contrast between rational investigation and supernatural interpretation.
• Xia Youyu indignantly condemns the villagers for escaping punishment, prompting He Qinglan to reveal that their fate is already sealed.
• Xia Youyu proposes extravagant projects for He Qinglan, including a villa and River God temple; He Qinglan responds by wordlessly ordering him to pick up trash.
• He Qinglan studies the Life Essence Spirit Branch alone and reflects on the Wood God’s possible fate before turning his attention toward the Rain God’s contact account.

Chapter Summary — Page 66

Key Plot Points and Events

• After thousands of years asleep, He Qinglan considers contacting Shui Wuyuan but stubbornly refuses to make the first move. Instead, he travels to Linhe Village to collect trash and lie in wait for the mysterious “master” connected to the Life Essence Spirit Branch.
• The Liu Family Seven Brothers notice He Qinglan’s intimidating change in temperament since he began wearing dark clothing. Xia Youyu warns them not to interfere, recalling the terrifying incident in which hundreds of Linhe villagers were dragged into the river.
• Shui Wuyuan repeatedly checks his phone, expecting He Qinglan to contact him after Shui offered to purify the Corrupting Power in his body. Angered by He Qinglan’s refusal—and especially his curt response of “Get lost”—Shui deliberately waits three days without visiting.
• Eventually, Shui abandons his business obligations and heads to Linhe Village, claiming he wants to watch He Qinglan suffer rather than admit he is concerned.
• He Qinglan spends several days cleaning the polluted riverbank with the Corrupting Power inside him. Because this power cannot purify the river like Origin Power, he can only remove physical waste. The expected “master” does not appear until the night of July fifteenth.
• In the desolate village, He Qinglan is suddenly ambushed. Demonized vines, leaves, grass, and trees attack him from every direction, while water from the river forces the hidden attacker into the open.
• The attacker is a tall, heavily built figure cloaked in Corrupting Miasma. He carries a completely demonized Life Essence Spirit Branch—now a Demonic Beast capable of contaminating a Divine Soul.
• The stranger identifies himself as an enemy of He Qinglan’s efforts, accusing him of ruining the “good work” of the Human-Deity Group. He launches a full-scale attack, turning the surrounding vegetation into a destructive tide.
• He Qinglan counters with a dark gray ice blade. The demonized plants pass through his body harmlessly, while his blade nearly strikes the attacker. However, the attacker refuses to evade and drives the demonic branch toward He Qinglan’s heart, beginning a mutually destructive clash.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan becomes more aggressive and intimidating under the influence of the Corrupting Power, but remains determined and disciplined. He refuses to rely on Shui Wuyuan, choosing instead to investigate the Life Essence Spirit Branch himself.
• Shui Wuyuan reveals growing concern and attachment beneath his anger and pride. His insistence on waiting for He Qinglan to apologize or ask for help shows their mutual stubbornness and emotional tension.
• Xia Youyu and the Liu Brothers become increasingly wary of He Qinglan’s altered temperament, recognizing the danger posed by his current state.
• The mysterious master is revealed as a powerful agent of the Human-Deity Group, willing to sacrifice himself in a reckless attack to protect the demonic branch and oppose He Qinglan.

Significant Themes

• Pride and stubbornness: Both He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan refuse to initiate reconciliation, allowing resentment and concern to build.
• Corruption and transformation: The Corrupting Power affects He Qinglan’s mood and behavior, while the Life Essence Spirit Branch has been completely demonized into a dangerous supernatural creature.
• Duty versus personal reliance: He Qinglan insists on solving the crisis independently, even though Shui Wuyuan may be the only person capable of purifying him.
• Destruction of nature and society: Linhe Village’s poisoned environment and demonized vegetation reflect the destructive consequences of the Human-Deity Group’s actions.
• Mutual-risk conflict: The attacker’s decision to exchange injury for injury creates a battle driven by sacrifice, desperation, and opposing convictions.

Character Interactions

• Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan remain locked in a silent emotional standoff, each waiting for the other to make the first move.
• Xia Youyu advises the Liu Brothers to avoid interfering with He Qinglan, showing their fear and respect for his authority.
• He Qinglan confronts the hidden master directly, with the master accusing him of obstructing the Human-Deity Group. Their battle centers on the demonic Life Essence Spirit Branch and the unresolved threat of Corrupting Power.

Chapter 35 Summary

Plot and events

He Qinglan is ambushed by two Corrupting Miasma-corrupted enemies. One uses a demonized Life Essence Spirit Branch while the other, Feng Er, traps him with the corrupted Wind God’s Wind Feather. He Qinglan realizes the attack is a carefully prepared trap involving corrupted divine artifacts and his shattered Source Spring Spirit Pearl. Just as he is about to be killed, he calls out Shui Wuyuan, revealing that the Rain God has secretly been watching over him for three days. Shui arrives with thunder and rain, breaks the wind prison, and catches the demon branch before it can pierce He Qinglan. He then forces it into the attacker, Mu San’s, heart.
The branch causes Mu San to mutate into a gigantic, irrational Human Demon. Shui rescues He Qinglan in the rain, while Mu San turns on Feng Er. Feng Er attempts to kill his transformed companion with the corrupted Wind Feather, but Shui’s rain prevents him from escaping. Both men severely injure each other: Feng Er nearly kills Mu San, but Mu San’s black branch-like claws also leave Feng Er gravely wounded.

Character development

• He Qinglan remains calm and perceptive under pressure, quickly identifying the ambush and cleverly summoning Shui Wuyuan. His sarcasm also exposes that he knew Shui had been secretly observing him.
• Shui Wuyuan finally intervenes openly, demonstrating overwhelming control over rain and thunder. His protective declaration—“No one can lay a hand on him”—reveals his strong concern for He Qinglan, despite his earlier covert “watching.”
• Mu San is transformed by the demon branch, losing his reason and becoming a rampaging Human Demon.
• Feng Er’s fear and selfishness become clear when he abandons Mu San and attacks him to preserve his own life and pursue greater power.

Themes

The chapter emphasizes hidden protection, loyalty versus self-preservation, and the corrupting effects of power. The villains’ reliance on demonized artifacts ultimately turns against them, while their lack of trust causes them to attack one another. The contrast between Shui’s protective intervention and the villains’ betrayal highlights the importance of genuine companionship.

Character interactions

He Qinglan taunts the attackers by revealing Shui’s presence, while Shui responds with a dramatic rescue and protective warning. After Mu San’s transformation, Feng Er desperately tries to reason with him but ultimately chooses to kill his companion. Their mutual attacks leave both badly injured, reinforcing the collapse of the villain pair’s alliance.

Chapter 68 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The confrontation at the river ends with both sides injured, but Feng Er realizes that He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan are still present and fears for his life.
• Feng Er attempts to deceive them by claiming he was merely Mu San’s assistant, sent by the Human-Deity Group to capture an evil “Otherworlder.” He describes Otherworlders as people who gain supernatural abilities through fortunate encounters, unlike cultivators who require years of training.
• He identifies himself and Mu San as numbered members with wind- and wood-based abilities, claiming that the branch and feather fan are ordinary tools.
• He Qinglan uses an unknown power to force Feng Er to speak the truth. Feng Er reveals that the branch and feather fan are divine artifacts stolen from the gods, and that the Human-Deity Group seeks to help humanity become divine.
• Under further questioning, Feng Er admits that the group believes divine treasures can be found in sacred mountains, rivers, and nature by seeking “resonance.”
• Feng Er begins to identify He Qinglan’s true nature, realizing that he is not an Otherworlder but a river capable of controlling water. Before he can finish, Mu San suddenly tears out his heart, killing him.
• Mu San, severely weakened, attacks He Qinglan and steals the Life Essence Spirit Branch hidden in his sleeve. Shui Wuyuan instantly kills Mu San by piercing him with raindrops, but Mu San’s body disintegrates into ash and the branch disappears with him.
• Afterward, He Qinglan concludes that the Human-Deity Group must be investigated and that the surviving gods should be awakened before they are targeted.

Character Developments

• Feng Er: Reveals himself as calculating and willing to lie to survive. Despite his efforts, He Qinglan’s power forces him to expose the Human-Deity Group’s deepest secrets. His fear confirms the importance of He Qinglan’s identity and the group’s connection to divine artifacts.
• He Qinglan: Demonstrates a terrifying ability to compel truth and becomes increasingly aware that the Human-Deity Group is part of a larger conspiracy against the gods. His identity as a river god is nearly exposed.
• Shui Wuyuan: Protectively watches over He Qinglan and reacts angrily when Mu San gets close to him. His concern suggests a strong bond and familiarity dating back thousands of years.
• Mu San: Appears exhausted and near death but remains dangerous and resourceful. His final betrayal of Feng Er and successful theft of the branch raise questions about his true motives and loyalties.

Significant Themes

• Truth versus deception: Feng Er’s lies are forcibly stripped away, showing the limits of manipulation when faced with supernatural authority.
• Human ambition and ascension: The Human-Deity Group seeks to transform humans into gods, suggesting a dangerous challenge to the natural order.
• The persecution of the gods: Divine artifacts are being stolen, and traps are being laid to sever or destroy existing gods.
• Hidden identities and awakening: He Qinglan’s nature is gradually revealed, while the surviving gods must awaken before the enemy’s plans advance.
• Trust and betrayal: Mu San’s sudden murder of Feng Er and theft of the branch demonstrate how unstable alliances have become.

Character Interactions

• Feng Er tries to bargain with He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan, presenting himself as innocent and cooperative.
• He Qinglan coldly interrogates Feng Er and uses supernatural coercion to extract the truth.
• Shui Wuyuan repeatedly checks on He Qinglan and scolds him for allowing Mu San to approach, highlighting his protectiveness.
• Mu San betrays Feng Er, then attacks He Qinglan in a final attempt to seize the divine artifact, forcing Shui Wuyuan to intervene.

Chapter 36 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The River God, He Qinglan, reflects on the events in the village and realizes they were more significant than expected. The village was not merely the result of human greed and environmental pollution; it was connected to an organized human group—the Human-Deity Group—that sought to create artificial gods by taking divine treasures.
• He Qinglan connects the group’s actions to the disappearance and destruction of his Source Spring Spirit Pearls. Of his six pearls, only one remains intact; three were shattered, one was contaminated, and two have disappeared. He suspects the missing pearls may have been acquired by the Human-Deity Group and used to create the powerful Otherworlders known as River One and River Two.
• He also speculates that the Mountain line may have created only one artificial being because the Mountain Shaman possessed only one Mountain Pillar Core.
• He Qinglan asks Shui Wuyuan, the Rain God, whether his power is at its peak. Shui proudly confirms that all his Origin Power remains within his body, meaning humans cannot seize it or use it to create “Rain One” or “Rain Two.”
• Shui boasts that he is now stronger than the other gods and could flood the entire world. He Qinglan responds by easily countering him in combat, revealing that Shui’s apparent advantage does not make him unbeatable.
• The two gods’ joking fight ends with He Qinglan reminding Shui that the gods’ flattering reputations—such as being gentle, noble, or invincible—can be misleading. He may be kind and noble, but he is also extremely skilled at fighting.
• The conversation turns serious when He Qinglan asks whether Shui noticed humans stealing divine treasures during his thousands of years awake. Shui explains that ancient humans used faith, spells, sacrifices, spiritual creatures, and other supernatural methods to gain power, but none had previously attempted to seize divine power directly.
• Shui concludes that the Human-Deity Group is unprecedentedly reckless, though he accepts that after living for thousands of years, one eventually witnesses every kind of foolishness.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan becomes more aware of the broader threat posed by the Human-Deity Group. He begins forming a connection between the organization, the missing Source Spring Spirit Pearls, and the emergence of artificial divine beings.
• He also demonstrates that beneath his gentle and refined image lies considerable combat ability and tactical cunning. He deliberately uses the gods’ reputations to deceive opponents and refuses to let Shui’s boasting intimidate him.
• Shui Wuyuan is shown to be arrogant, boastful, and proud of his unique advantage: unlike the other gods, he retained all his Origin Power within himself. However, he is also easily tricked by He Qinglan’s seemingly harmless appearance and is forced to recognize that He Qinglan is far more dangerous in a fight than expected.
• Shui’s historical knowledge provides important context about humanity’s past interactions with spiritual power and highlights how abnormal the Human-Deity Group’s actions are.

Significant Themes

• Human ambition and the violation of natural boundaries: Humans have progressed from borrowing spiritual power to attempting to steal divine treasures and manufacture gods.
• The consequences of divine absence: The gods’ long slumber left their treasures vulnerable and allowed humans to exploit remnants of divine power.
• Appearance versus reality: He Qinglan’s gentle reputation conceals his strength and combat instincts, while Shui’s overwhelming confidence proves misleading.
• Power, pride, and vulnerability: Shui’s retained power gives him a genuine advantage, but his arrogance makes him vulnerable to He Qinglan’s manipulation.
• Historical change: Spiritual practices that were once relatively limited have declined over time, while modern humans have developed a far more dangerous and unnatural method of pursuing power.

Character Interactions

• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan engage in playful but physically serious sparring. Shui initially believes his superior power makes him unbeatable, but He Qinglan quickly turns the encounter around.
• Their exchange reveals a teasing, antagonistic relationship: Shui boasts relentlessly, while He Qinglan undercuts his pride with sarcasm and practical demonstrations.
• After their fight, He Qinglan shifts the conversation from humor to the Human-Deity Group. Shui responds seriously, offering historical knowledge that helps He Qinglan understand the organization’s unprecedented threat.

Chapter 70 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shui Wuyuan, the Rain God, conducts another search for humans contaminated by Corrupting Power. His initial search finds nothing, so he prepares to act recklessly and provoke a reaction.
• He Qinglan stops him and persuades him to try again. Together, they use their combined power to perceive the condition of the entire world.
• The vision reveals a devastated, deteriorating world: spiritual energy is scarce, Corrupting Miasma is widespread, living creatures are disappearing, and the powers of revival and destruction are barely maintaining balance.
• They identify two locations completely overwhelmed by Corrupting Miasma and five spiritual-energy sources close to being consumed. One of the five is Qinglan River.
• The vision collapses, consuming some of He Qinglan’s Origin Power and leaving both gods weakened. Shui Wuyuan recognizes that He Qinglan is concealing the severity of his injuries.
• He Qinglan abruptly claims he is hungry and asks Shui Wuyuan to buy him dinner. Shui Wuyuan reluctantly agrees and takes him to an all-night hotpot restaurant.
• On the way, He Qinglan sees the badly polluted lower reaches of Qinglan River, filled with garbage, food waste, dirty water, and vermin. The sight leaves him cold and deeply disturbed.
• Shui Wuyuan orders expensive food and personally cooks for He Qinglan, encouraging him to eat so he will have the strength to confront enemies.
• A group of customers behind them begins abusing a young waiter over a minor accident. When one arrogant customer knocks away the replacement sauce dish, some sauce splashes onto He Qinglan’s sleeve.
• The chapter ends as the customer demands compensation for his expensive shirt, creating an opportunity for He Qinglan to intervene.

Character Developments

• Shui Wuyuan: Though impatient and aggressive, he listens to He Qinglan and cooperates in the second search. He also shows concern for He Qinglan’s condition, silently recognizing that He Qinglan is minimizing his injuries. His reluctant decision to feed and care for He Qinglan reveals a protective, if gruff, side.
• He Qinglan: Demonstrates persistence and strength despite damage to his Origin Power. His joking request for dinner lightens the mood, but his reaction to the polluted Qinglan River shows how deeply he cares for the river and the natural world. His anger begins to surface when an innocent waiter is mistreated.
• Their relationship: Their banter becomes increasingly familiar and domestic. He Qinglan casually relies on Shui Wuyuan, while Shui Wuyuan complains but consistently accommodates him.

Significant Themes

• Environmental destruction: The polluted Qinglan River symbolizes the larger collapse of the world and humanity’s destructive behavior.
• The fragile balance of life and destruction: The world is portrayed as wounded and nearing collapse, with spiritual energy losing ground to Corrupting Miasma.
• Responsibility and consequences: Human pollution and cruelty contribute to the supernatural devastation affecting the world.
• Care beneath hostility: Shui Wuyuan’s sarcasm masks concern, while He Qinglan’s humor helps maintain their bond despite their injuries and the growing crisis.
• Justice against casual cruelty: The rude diner’s treatment of the waiter foreshadows He Qinglan’s likely intervention.

Character Interactions

• He Qinglan physically restrains Shui Wuyuan and persuades him to repeat the search.
• They share concern over their injuries, though both downplay their own condition.
• He Qinglan jokingly asks Shui Wuyuan to pay for dinner, and Shui Wuyuan responds with irritated but genuine generosity.
• During the meal, Shui Wuyuan patiently cooks and recommends food while He Qinglan complains about certain dishes.
• Their quiet meal is interrupted when a customer bullies the waiter and splashes sauce onto He Qinglan, setting up the next confrontation.

Chapter 71 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• An arrogant young man berates a waiter after accidentally spilling beer on himself. He demands compensation for his expensive clothes and emotional distress.
• He Qinglan counters that the young man damaged his sleeve with sesame paste and jokingly demands 100,000 yuan for his “globally limited-edition” outfit.
• The young man boasts about his wealthy family and powerful godfather, but suddenly begins choking, vomiting, and suffering severe stomach pain.
• His condition rapidly worsens as he vomits food residue and then large amounts of black blood. He collapses and is rushed to a hospital.
• Shortly afterward, another diner begins vomiting violently, followed by numerous people throughout the surrounding food street. Many are vomiting blood, collapsing, or experiencing dizziness and nausea.
• The street erupts into panic. Ambulances and police arrive, victims are transported to hospitals, and the entire food street is shut down.
• Urban management officers, led by Gou Qianli, investigate the incident, initially treating it as another possible mass food-poisoning case.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan remains calm and witty during the confrontation, using the young man’s own unreasonable logic against him. However, his attitude turns serious once he notices the strange nature of the illness.
• Shui Wuyuan shows his protective side by shielding the River God from the unpleasant sight, while also quickly identifying the victims’ weakening vitality.
• The River God reacts with confusion and discomfort to the sudden vomiting and chaos, relying on Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan for interpretation.
• The arrogant young master shifts from domineering and entitled to helpless and critically ill, emphasizing the unpredictability and severity of the supernatural crisis.
• Gou Qianli and the urban management team are shown trying to respond practically, though they are confused because the incident appears to fall outside their normal responsibilities.

Significant Themes

• Hidden supernatural danger: What first resembles ordinary food poisoning is revealed to involve the mysterious draining of human vitality.
• Appearance versus reality: The young man’s arrogance and claims of social power become meaningless when faced with sudden illness and death.
• Escalating public crisis: The incident expands from one restaurant to an entire food street, suggesting a large-scale or spreading threat.
• Uncertainty and investigation: The victims do not share consistent auras, making it unclear whether Corrupting Miasma is responsible.
• Powerlessness before unseen forces: Emergency services can evacuate victims and control the crowd, but they do not understand the true cause of the disaster.

Character Interactions

• The young man aggressively confronts the waiter, while He Qinglan responds with sarcasm and turns the compensation demand back on him.
• Shui Wuyuan pulls the River God away from the vomiting young man and warns him not to look, while He Qinglan continues observing from behind him.
• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan discuss the victims’ abnormal condition, particularly the loss of vitality.
• Gou Qianli’s team discusses the recurring food-poisoning-like incidents, highlighting the authorities’ confusion and lack of awareness of the supernatural cause.

Chapter 37 Summary

Plot points and events

During a late-night operation, urban management captain Gou Qianli and several of his team members suddenly become violently nauseated. At the same time, Liu Dalong calls He Qinglan to report that three of his seven brothers have fallen ill and gone to Bicheng No. 2 Hospital. The hospital is overwhelmed by a large-scale suspected food-poisoning incident, with patients vomiting, losing consciousness, suffering internal bleeding, and requiring emergency treatment.
The situation reminds He Qinglan of the Life Essence Spirit Branch incident in Linhe Village, making him suspect that something supernatural may be involved. He and Shui Wuyuan go to the hospital to investigate. They find Liu Dalong’s group and observe that three brothers are seriously nauseated while four remain completely healthy. Gou Qianli and his team are also present in poor condition.

Character developments

He Qinglan becomes increasingly alert to the possibility that the outbreak is connected to a supernatural force that consumes human vitality. Although he and Shui Wuyuan have the power to calm the hospital’s negative atmosphere, they deliberately refrain from intervening because gods are not supposed to interfere in human affairs.
Liu Dalong demonstrates practical intelligence and survival instincts. He recognizes He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan as powerful figures worth relying on and urges them to leave before the overcrowded hospital descends into violence or becomes dangerous. His concern also reveals his growing dependence and loyalty toward them. Gou Qianli, normally aggressive and commanding, is reduced to helplessly suppressing nausea.

Significant themes

• Supernatural danger hidden within ordinary disasters: The food-poisoning outbreak may be more than a medical incident, recalling earlier cases involving stolen or consumed life essence.
• The consequences of collective negative emotion: Fear, panic, and despair fill the hospital, worsening its “qi” and potentially creating ghosts or triggering further chaos.
• The gods’ detachment from humanity: He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan possess the ability to help but choose observation over intervention, emphasizing the boundary between divine beings and human affairs.
• Dependence and survival: Liu Dalong’s pragmatic desire to “cling” to powerful protectors highlights how vulnerable ordinary people become in the face of unexplained disasters.

Character interactions

He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan cooperate easily, with Shui Wuyuan agreeing to accompany him to the hospital. He Qinglan checks on Liu Dalong’s group and notices the differing severity of their symptoms. Liu Dalong respectfully addresses He Qinglan as “Sir,” expresses gratitude for his visit, and warns both men to leave the dangerous hospital and stay together at Shui Wuyuan’s residence. Meanwhile, the urban management team’s panic contrasts with Liu Dalong’s composed, streetwise assessment of the crisis. The chapter ends with Liu Dalong openly treating He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan as powerful protectors whose help may be essential for survival.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Dalong asks He Qinglan to help his three brothers—Liu Xiaomao, Liu Dong, and Liu Zhang—who are suffering from unexplained vitality loss.
• He Qinglan uses a small amount of Divine Power to examine and relieve Liu Xiaomao’s internal pain. The power eases his stomach agony without causing harm, encouraging the Liu family.
• Shui Wuyuan stops He Qinglan, worried that he is exhausting himself after their earlier intimate encounter and after using up some of his Origin Power.
• Shui’s ambiguous warning shocks the Liu brothers and the Urban Management Team, who wildly assume that Shui has a possessive romantic relationship with He Qinglan.
• He Qinglan explains that he is not using his own Origin Power but Divine Power generated from the faith of believers. Shui remains displeased by He Qinglan touching others and forces him to wear a silicone finger cot while continuing the examination.
• He Qinglan inspects Liu Xiaomao, Liu Dong, and Liu Zhang. He finds no obvious illness, injury, or divine mark that explains their weakening vitality. Their life force appears to be dissipating throughout their bodies without a discernible source.
• He suspects that some hidden medium or mechanism must be responsible, since many people are suffering from the same condition.
• Police arrive at the emergency room to control disputes among patients’ families and restore order.
• Gou Tianze, a criminal investigator and cousin of Urban Management Team captain Gou Qianli, questions Qianli about his activities and possible shared experiences with the victims.
• Qianli reports that he ate fried noodles at a food street before falling ill, but rejects the theory that contaminated food is responsible because multiple food streets were involved and others who ate the same food remained healthy.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan demonstrates both compassion and growing confidence in his divine abilities. He is willing to expend power to help strangers, while insisting that his current weakened state is temporary.
• Shui Wuyuan reveals strong concern and possessiveness toward He Qinglan. His intervention shows that he prioritizes He Qinglan’s health and resents his physical contact with others, even though he reluctantly accepts the use of Divine Power.
• The Liu brothers become more hopeful after He Qinglan’s intervention. Their awe toward him reinforces their development as potential believers.
• The Urban Management Team and Liu family misunderstand Shui and He Qinglan’s relationship, treating Shui’s behavior as evidence of an intense romance between a powerful wealthy man and a supposedly helpless immortal.
• Gou Tianze is introduced as a capable, observant investigator who immediately attempts to identify a common factor among the victims.
• Gou Qianli remains sarcastic and skeptical of his cousin’s investigative ability, but still provides useful information.

Significant Themes

• Faith as power: He Qinglan’s Divine Power is generated from belief, establishing a connection between spiritual devotion and practical healing.
• Care versus possessiveness: Shui’s concern for He Qinglan is genuine, but it is expressed through controlling and jealous behavior.
• Mystery and hidden causation: The unexplained loss of vitality suggests a supernatural or concealed force operating behind the apparent medical crisis.
• Limits of knowledge: Although He Qinglan possesses divine insight, even he cannot immediately identify the cause, emphasizing that the phenomenon is unusual and potentially dangerous.
• Rumor and misinterpretation: The surrounding characters repeatedly misread Shui and He Qinglan’s interactions, creating comic relief amid the serious investigation.
• Patterns behind widespread illness: The discussion of fried noodles and multiple food streets shifts the story toward finding a common exposure or medium rather than blaming a single contaminated meal.

Important Character Interactions

• He Qinglan comforts Liu Xiaomao through direct contact and divine healing.
• Shui Wuyuan interrupts him, reprimanding him for spending energy while weakened.
• He Qinglan lightly teases Shui and justifies his actions, while Shui responds by imposing the finger cot as a possessive compromise.
• The Liu family and Urban Management Team silently speculate about the pair’s intimate relationship.
• Gou Tianze questions Gou Qianli about his activities and food intake, beginning a more systematic investigation into the victims’ shared circumstances.

Chapter 38 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gou Tianze and the others investigate why some people who ate at the same food street became seriously ill while others remained unharmed.
• Liu Xiaomao, Liu Dong, and Liu Zhang eventually realize that the three affected men had all swatted tiny black flying insects while eating.
• Gou Qianli identifies the insects as resembling tiny dragonflies rather than ordinary mosquitoes.
• He Qinglan produces a glowing pale-blue insect and reveals that it is a river mayfly, though the patients insist the harmful insects were black and unpleasant-looking.
• The chapter explains that river mayflies are fragile, short-lived creatures that require clean, oxygen-rich water. They once flourished throughout the Qinglan River before its destruction.
• Their seemingly insignificant nature hides considerable power. After their habitat was destroyed, they began retaliating, causing people who encountered them to vomit blood.
• Gou Tianze returns after questioning patients and confirms that more than half remembered the tiny black insects. He concludes that these insects are likely responsible for the citywide illness and orders further investigation around the food streets.
• He worries that the insects may have reproduced or spread throughout the city. His comment that such harmful creatures can never be completely eradicated provokes a terrifying reaction from an unseen or powerful presence, leaving him frozen.

Character Developments

• Gou Tianze demonstrates careful investigative reasoning and recognizes the seriousness of what initially appears to be an ordinary food-poisoning case. He becomes increasingly troubled by the possibility of a citywide biological threat.
• Liu Xiaomao, Liu Dong, and Liu Zhang move from confusion to cooperation, eventually recalling the shared detail that distinguishes them from those who remained healthy.
• Gou Qianli contributes crucial knowledge by correctly identifying the insects’ appearance.
• He Qinglan reveals his connection to supernatural creatures and displays a darker, more intimidating side when Gou Tianze suggests that the insects should be eliminated.
• The chapter’s humorous author’s notes contrast with He Qinglan’s ominous reaction, emphasizing that the mayflies are not merely pests to him.

Significant Themes

• The power of the small and overlooked: The tiny mayflies, dismissed as mosquitoes, become the cause of a major public-health crisis.
• Nature’s retaliation: The insects’ attack is presented as revenge for the destruction of their river habitat.
• Ecological balance: The mayflies symbolize the consequences of damaging a living ecosystem.
• Investigation and overlooked details: A seemingly insignificant action—swatting an insect—becomes the key to solving the mystery.
• Fragility and resilience: Although mayflies live only briefly, their continued existence across millennia illustrates the strength of small creatures.

Character Interactions

• Liu Dalong pressures the affected men to recall what they did differently while eating.
• The three patients offer increasingly absurd explanations until Liu Xiaomao identifies the shared mosquito-swatting incident.
• He Qinglan questions Liu Xiaomao and shows him a blue river mayfly, prompting the distinction between the beautiful harmless-looking specimen and the ugly black insects involved in the attacks.
• Gou Tianze shares his findings with the group and discusses the next investigative steps.
• His final remark about eradicating the insects triggers an intense, threatening gaze from He Qinglan or another powerful entity, ending the chapter on an ominous note.

Chapter 75 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gou Tianze encounters He Qinglan, who is far more composed and striking than the dangerous criminal he expected. He realizes He Qinglan is connected to the seven Liu brothers and may also be linked to the investigation into the strange illness.
• He Qinglan argues that the victims’ suffering is the result of their own harmful actions, telling Gou Tianze, “Without an evil cause, how could there be today’s evil fruit?” Gou Tianze rejects this as cruel and excessive, but He Qinglan ignores him.
• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan leave to investigate the River Mayflies’ condition. Before departing, He Qinglan advises the seven brothers to drink clean water, pray to the River God, and pick up trash, suggesting these actions may help them survive.
• The brothers follow his instructions. Liu Xiaomao and others pray fervently while drinking water, and their symptoms appear to ease.
• As the hospital situation worsens, Gou Qianli and other patients begin vomiting blood and collapsing. A lackey forces water down Gou Qianli’s throat and urges him to pray to the River God and promise to clean the river.
• Gou Qianli’s condition improves slightly after drinking water. Though initially skeptical, he silently prays and begins to understand that the people of Bicheng have harmed the river and are now suffering the consequences.
• Gou Qianli resolves to help protect the river in the future, recognizing that the city owes it a debt.
• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan arrive at a severely polluted section of the Qingyuan River, where accumulated food and household waste have bred insects and vermin. He Qinglan summons mist and draws out a small, glittering black insect, apparently connected to the spreading illness.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan: Remains calm, detached, and morally uncompromising. Although he blames humans for polluting the river, he still takes responsibility for the River Mayflies and offers the victims a chance to survive. His actions reveal both stern judgment and reluctant compassion.
• Gou Tianze: Initially dismisses He Qinglan as an antisocial ordinary citizen, but He Qinglan’s words continue to trouble him during the investigation.
• Gou Qianli: Changes more significantly. His fear and physical suffering force him to abandon his skepticism. He begins praying to the River God and accepts personal responsibility for the polluted river, resolving to help clean and protect it.
• The Liu brothers: Shift from frightened, self-interested hooligans to devoted believers in He Qinglan’s advice, eagerly praying and cleaning up trash in hopes of recovery.
• The lackey: Shows strong loyalty to Gou Qianli by caring for him and encouraging him to try any possible means of survival.

Significant Themes

• Cause and effect: The illness is portrayed as the “evil fruit” of human pollution and mistreatment of nature.
• Environmental responsibility: The polluted river is not merely scenery but a harmed living power whose suffering affects the people around it.
• Repentance and redemption: Genuine concern for the river, prayer, and acts of cleaning may provide both psychological and spiritual relief.
• Belief and psychological power: Even when people regard the River God’s blessing as superstition, faith and ritual appear to give them strength.
• Judgment balanced by compassion: He Qinglan condemns humanity’s actions but does not abandon those suffering from the consequences.

Character Interactions

• He Qinglan confronts Gou Tianze over his assumption that the victims are innocent, creating tension between He Qinglan’s supernatural moral perspective and Gou Tianze’s practical investigative outlook.
• He Qinglan gives the Liu brothers direct survival advice, which they follow with intense devotion.
• Gou Qianli’s lackey supports him physically and emotionally, persuading him to drink water and pray.
• Gou Qianli’s encounter with He Qinglan’s words and the brothers’ apparent improvement leads him to reconsider his attitude toward the river and accept responsibility for its destruction.
• At the chapter’s end, He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan begin investigating the polluted river directly, with the emergence of the strange black insect signaling a deeper supernatural cause behind the outbreak.

Chapter 39 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The corrupted mayflies released from Qinglan River ignore He Qinglan’s summons. Driven by ancient hatred of humanity and tainted by Corrupting Power, they swarm toward Bicheng with destructive intent.
• He Qinglan explains that he could destroy the insects but cannot control them. Although he believes all creatures have the right to exist, he refuses to allow anyone else to exploit his river, his power, or his creatures.
• Claiming Qinglan River and everything connected to it as his domain, He Qinglan forcefully activates the river’s currents throughout Bicheng. His action affects a woman in a VIP hospital ward: her pearl necklace, apparently connected to the stolen divine power, violently throws her against the ceiling.
• The woman, identified as Miaoyu, realizes that the River God has appeared. Despite her fear, she also becomes excited, believing his arrival may give her an opportunity to gain wealth or power.
• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan return to Bicheng Second Hospital because He Qinglan senses that the person who stole his power is there.
• On the sixteenth floor, patients suffering from unexplained vomiting blood desperately drink water and pray to various gods, especially Qinglan River’s River God. He Qinglan disperses the Faith Power they generate, sending it as protection to unconscious patients.
• His protection is selective: he favors those with attractive appearances and pure souls, reluctantly helping unattractive but virtuous people while excluding those heavily stained by evil and Corrupting Miasma.
• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan proceed to the VIP wards on the twentieth floor, where He Qinglan senses his Source Spring Spirit Pearl and the stolen power.
• Shui Wuyuan mocks the thief for remaining in place, suggesting that the thief sees He Qinglan as weakened and vulnerable after losing his pearl and much of his authority. Shui Wuyuan responds angrily, threatening anyone who attempts to exploit He Qinglan.
• In the locked VIP ward, they find a beautiful young woman waiting for them with reverence and expectation.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan: Demonstrates both restraint and possessiveness. He respects the mayflies’ right to exist but becomes furious when others use his power and territory for evil. He also shows his characteristic vanity and judgmental nature when distributing divine protection according to appearance and moral purity.
• Shui Wuyuan: Remains sarcastic and provocative, but his anger reveals strong loyalty and protectiveness toward He Qinglan. He is far less forgiving of humanity and openly supports destroying those who exploit the River God.
• Miaoyu/the thief: Revealed as someone connected to the stolen Source Spring Spirit Pearl. She is frightened by He Qinglan’s arrival but also greedy and ambitious, hoping to benefit from the divine encounter rather than simply escape.
• The patients: Their fear drives them toward desperate religious devotion, transforming them into temporary believers of the River God.

Significant Themes

• Ancient hatred and uncontrollable corruption: The mayflies’ hostility toward humanity is portrayed as deeply rooted, showing that corruption awakens long-standing resentment rather than creating hatred from nothing.
• Ownership and divine authority: He Qinglan insists that his river, creatures, and territory cannot be exploited by humans without consequence.
• Faith as power: The patients’ prayers generate Faith Power, which He Qinglan can redistribute as protection, demonstrating the practical relationship between belief and divine strength.
• Moral judgment and divine favoritism: He Qinglan’s selective protection reflects his belief that purity matters, but also exposes his superficial obsession with physical beauty.
• Greed in the face of danger: Miaoyu’s reaction contrasts fear with opportunism, suggesting that human desire for wealth or power can overcome self-preservation.

Character Interactions

• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan debate whether the corrupted mayflies should be controlled or destroyed, with Shui Wuyuan teasing He Qinglan about his inability to command them.
• Their exchange also highlights the difference between them: He Qinglan values the right of all beings to exist, while Shui Wuyuan is more willing to advocate violence.
• Shui Wuyuan defends He Qinglan’s dignity and condemns the thief for taking advantage of his weakened state.
• The praying patients unknowingly interact with He Qinglan through their faith, while He Qinglan responds by granting selective protection.
• The chapter ends with He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan confronting the beautiful woman linked to the stolen divine power, setting up a direct conflict.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan unexpectedly arrive at He Miaoyu’s hospital room, where she appears to have been waiting for them.
• He Qinglan recognizes the black, water-like bead around her neck as one of the two Source Spring Spirit Pearls he lost. Its corruption has given He Miaoyu supernatural abilities.
• He asks whether she is “River One” or “River Two,” and He Miaoyu identifies herself as River One, explaining that she received the pearl first.
• He Miaoyu attempts to flatter and approach He Qinglan devotionally, expressing admiration for him as the Qinglan River God. Shui Wuyuan intervenes, shoving her back and insulting her, making clear that he distrusts her.
• He Miaoyu reveals that she knows Shui Wuyuan’s identity as the Rain God. She recognizes that her organization has long considered him dangerous and usually avoids provoking him.
• Despite the tense situation, He Miaoyu launches into a defense of the Human-Deity Group, claiming that it seeks peaceful cooperation between humans and gods and aims to cleanse the polluted, sinful world.
• She argues that humanity’s environmental destruction makes many people deserving of punishment, and that the organization merely borrowed He Qinglan’s pearl to punish them.
• Using her brother and the He family’s influence as an example, she claims ordinary justice cannot restrain powerful, corrupt humans.
• He Miaoyu specifically justifies the disaster affecting Bicheng’s residents, arguing that their pollution of the Qinglan River caused their own suffering.
• She asks He Qinglan to forgive the organization and invites him to join the Human-Deity Group.

Character developments

• He Qinglan: Becomes more aware of the identity and motives of the person using one of his stolen spirit pearls. His direct questioning shows his determination to recover the pearls and expose the organization.
• He Miaoyu: Reveals herself as River One and demonstrates both supernatural abilities and sophisticated manipulation. She presents herself as a devout admirer while attempting to morally justify the organization’s actions and recruit He Qinglan.
• Shui Wuyuan: Acts aggressively and protectively toward He Qinglan, immediately rejecting He Miaoyu’s seduction and ideological argument. His hostility suggests intense distrust and possibly jealousy toward her attention to He Qinglan.

Significant themes

• Moral justification and extremism: He Miaoyu frames mass punishment and environmental destruction as necessary “cleansing,” showing how the Human-Deity Group uses righteous ideals to justify violent actions.
• Environmental destruction: Pollution, waste, and the destruction of nature are central to the organization’s beliefs and to its justification for punishing humanity.
• Power and accountability: The chapter questions whether divine power should be used to punish humans, especially when ordinary systems fail to restrain wealthy and influential people.
• Manipulation versus genuine devotion: He Miaoyu’s worshipful behavior masks an attempt to influence and recruit He Qinglan, blurring the line between faith, admiration, and exploitation.
• Human-divine relations: The Human-Deity Group claims to seek cooperation between humans and gods, but its theft and misuse of divine artifacts reveal a desire to control divine power.

Character interactions

• He Qinglan confronts He Miaoyu about the stolen spirit pearl and her role in the organization.
• He Miaoyu attempts to charm and spiritually flatter He Qinglan, positioning herself as a devoted follower.
• Shui Wuyuan interrupts and humiliates her, openly defending He Qinglan and condemning her as unworthy of divine favor.
• He Miaoyu acknowledges Shui Wuyuan’s identity and danger but continues pursuing her goal, shifting from seduction to ideological persuasion.
• The chapter ends with He Miaoyu appealing directly to He Qinglan for forgiveness and alliance, setting up a conflict between his divine authority and the organization’s extremist worldview.

Chapter 40 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Miaoyu attempts to return the black, corrupted spirit pearl to He Qinglan while disguising her greed and exploitation of humanity’s life force as a desire to “purify” the world.
• He Qinglan exposes her hypocrisy, accusing her of stealing human life force to sustain herself. He slaps her across the face and condemns her for trying to instruct or manipulate a god.
• Enraged, He Miaoyu releases the spirit pearl’s power, filling the room with black water vapor that immobilizes everyone. She tries to force the pearl into He Qinglan’s chest, intending to corrupt and control him.
• Shui Wuyuan intervenes, slaps He Miaoyu, and binds her with water chains. He angrily tells her not to interfere in a god’s affairs.
• He Miaoyu realizes that her power cannot restrain either deity. He Qinglan easily moves through the supposedly immobilizing moisture and magically takes the spirit pearl from her hand.
• He Qinglan correctly identifies her plan: to use the pearl’s demonic energy and Corrupting Miasma to contaminate his mind and control him.
• Instead of being corrupted, He Qinglan absorbs the spirit pearl into his body. He Miaoyu immediately loses her connection to it, and the power she gained from it begins flowing back into He Qinglan.
• The chapter ends with He Miaoyu panicking and demanding that he stop, while He Qinglan mockingly prepares to explain why her plan failed.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan: Reveals overwhelming strength, confidence, and resistance to corruption. He remains calm and elegant while humiliating He Miaoyu, demonstrating that her schemes cannot affect him.
• He Miaoyu: Her false righteousness is exposed as greed and a desire for power. Her confidence collapses into shock and terror once both gods overpower her and she loses control of the spirit pearl.
• Shui Wuyuan: Shows that he is far more powerful and dangerous than He Miaoyu expected. His disgust toward her manipulation leads him to intervene directly.
• He Miaoyu’s organization: Its warning not to provoke the Rain God is retrospectively justified, as He Miaoyu recognizes Shui Wuyuan’s extraordinary strength.

Significant Themes

• Hypocrisy and self-justification: He Miaoyu presents her actions as serving the world, but He Qinglan exposes her selfish exploitation of human life force.
• The limits of human ambition: He Miaoyu believes sufficient power could allow a human to become a god, but her attempt to challenge divine beings fails instantly.
• Corruption and control: The spirit pearl represents the dangers of demonic power and the desire to dominate others. He Miaoyu’s intended method of corruption is turned against her.
• Divine superiority and punishment: Both gods effortlessly punish He Miaoyu, emphasizing the vast gap between divine power and her manipulated strength.

Character Interactions

• He Qinglan and He Miaoyu clash verbally and physically, with He Qinglan rejecting her invitation and condemning her greed.
• He Miaoyu attempts to overpower and control He Qinglan through the corrupted pearl, but he remains unaffected and takes the artifact from her.
• Shui Wuyuan joins the confrontation by striking and restraining He Miaoyu, reinforcing the gods’ united opposition to her actions.
• The chapter’s final exchange shifts the power dynamic completely: He Miaoyu begs and panics, while He Qinglan calmly mocks her and prepares to reveal the truth behind his immunity.

Chapter 41 Summary

• He Qinglan defeats He Miaoyu’s attempt at control. He reveals that he can freely create and separate two Source Spring Spirit Pearls—one pure azure pearl and one polluted black pearl—proving that He Miaoyu’s corrupted pearl never had the power to control him. He mocks her arrogance and explains that gods embody absolute power, making her attempt to manipulate one suicidal.
• He Miaoyu suffers the consequences. The power and life force she had gained are stripped away. Her hair turns white, her body rapidly ages, and she becomes too weak to move. Though she refuses to accept defeat and convinces herself that obtaining more Spirit Pearls might let her control a god, her delusion collapses as everything she seized is returned.
• A hidden defense protects the Human-Deity Group. When He Qinglan attempts to search He Miaoyu’s memories for the organization’s location and information, a black spiritual force emerges from her forehead and clashes with his probing light. He Miaoyu screams, bleeds from all seven orifices, and loses consciousness. Shui Wuyuan identifies the technique as a modified form of the Spirit-Sealing Art, a spell originally known only to gods. This suggests that the Human-Deity Group may possess stolen or adapted divine techniques.
• Questions arise about captured gods. He Qinglan asks Shui Wuyuan whether humans can truly capture and control gods. Shui Wuyuan speculates that ancient gods may have become abnormally weak after sleeping for thousands of years, but emphasizes that He Qinglan is different: even after decline, he remains extraordinarily powerful.
• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan’s relationship develops. Shui Wuyuan insists that He Qinglan is still himself—“You are He Qinglan”—and praises him as the most dazzling god from the ancient past. He Qinglan unexpectedly returns the compliment, telling Shui Wuyuan that he is “not bad either.” Shui Wuyuan becomes comically overjoyed and boasts that he alone can suppress several other gods and is a worthy match for He Qinglan.
• Their banter highlights their contrasting personalities. Shui Wuyuan theatrically summons thunder to accompany his boasts, while He Qinglan responds with dry sarcasm, pointing out that Shui Wuyuan has become so inflated with pride that the water level beneath Bicheng has risen. Shui Wuyuan’s arrogance, admiration, and obvious affection contrast with He Qinglan’s calm indifference and sharp wit.
• Broader consequences emerge. The chapter identifies the locations or status of several other gods—Deep Earth, the Wind God, the Thunder God, and the Fire God—as an unresolved concern. Meanwhile, the mass blood-vomiting incident in Bicheng becomes a trending topic on Weibo, showing that the supernatural conflict is beginning to attract public attention.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Videos spread online showing people across Bicheng vomiting blood, including tourists on multiple food streets and patients at Second Hospital. Netizens speculate about food poisoning, a new virus, or pollution-related biological contamination. A data analysis reveals that most victims had visited one of Bicheng’s three night markets, all located near the Qinglan River, which is heavily polluted with household garbage.
The Bicheng Police Bureau officially announces that the outbreak was caused by an insect-borne disease linked to environmental pollution, not deliberate harm. Authorities advise residents to avoid the Qinglan River, wear protective clothing and mosquito repellent, and maintain hygiene while experts investigate the disease.
Public attention then turns to He Qinglan, who regularly collects trash along the Qinglan River and has not posted his usual environmental messages for two days. Fans fear he may have been exposed and flood his Weibo with worried mentions and messages. He Qinglan, having recently dealt with He Yi Heyu and recovered a Source Spring Spirit Pearl, returns to his routine and discovers over 999 mentions and hundreds of private messages. He reads the public concern and the official notice.

Character developments

He Qinglan’s reputation and popularity continue to grow, gaining two million followers in only a few days. His environmental work has made him beloved online, but it also places him directly in danger when the river becomes identified as the outbreak’s likely source. His calm, responsible nature is emphasized by his return to trash collection despite the risks.
Shui Wuyuan remains observant and somewhat teasing, commenting on He Qinglan’s overflowing notifications and advising him not to engage with intrusive fans. His concern for He Qinglan is implied beneath his sarcastic remarks.

Significant themes

• Environmental consequences: Pollution and careless littering are presented as causes of ecological imbalance and human illness.
• Humanity’s relationship with nature: Online commenters interpret the outbreak as nature “retaliating” against environmental destruction.
• Public fear and misinformation: The internet quickly spreads theories about viruses, poisoned insects, and the apocalypse before official information is released.
• Fame and responsibility: He Qinglan’s growing online influence connects his personal safety with the concerns of a large public audience.
• Community concern: Fans’ frantic messages show both genuine affection and the powerful, sometimes invasive nature of online celebrity culture.

Character interactions

Netizens debate the outbreak and collectively identify the Qinglan River as a possible source. Fans then direct their anxiety toward He Qinglan, repeatedly urging him to leave the dangerous area and asking Shui Wuyuan to intervene. Shui Wuyuan jokes about his “domineering CEO” image while clearly monitoring He Qinglan’s situation. He Qinglan quietly evaluates the messages and official announcement, setting up his response to the crisis.