Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Dragon Gate Escort Agency mobilizes its people as Lu Changsheng appears close to death. Lu Zongyuan fears the Lu family’s collateral branches are already maneuvering to claim the estate.
• Lu Changsheng suddenly wakes, revealing his apparent frailty was a deception. He rebukes Lu Zongyuan for being timid, then sends him away.
• Alone, Lu Changsheng kneels before a headless portrait and addresses its unseen master. He reports a lead on the Demon Head Icon and says a century-old treasure-map scheme has finally drawn people toward Blackwater Pool.
• The portrait’s master warns that Blackwater Pool connects to the dead Fortune True Dragon beneath it. Lu Changsheng must not fully open the passage or release the Ghost Clan.
• As the master’s presence withdraws, masked enemies ambush Lu Changsheng. Four Grandmasters and ten peak-level Masters attack, citing old grievances and Lu’s exploitation of their livelihoods.
• Lu reveals he has returned to his peak after eating an Immortal Peach Fruit. His Outer Astral Force withstands the assault, and he kills one Master with a single punch. He then charges into the attackers, still holding the advantage.
• At Shocking Heron Martial Hall, Hong Tianbao and his students observe the battle from afar. Hong explains how Grandmasters fuse secondary Professions into their primary Profession to forge a powerful Dao Foundation.
• Li Xiang realizes that his Book of a Hundred Trades could let him level many Professions and potentially create an exceptionally powerful foundation.
• A giant, winged serpent rises above the Dragon Gate Escort Agency. Li Xiang’s divination levels his Fortune Teller Profession to Lv10 and unlocks Coin Toss for Guidance.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Changsheng is revealed as both a formidable, calculating survivor and a subordinate of the mysterious figure in the portrait. He has planned around Blackwater Pool for more than a century, but the warning suggests his schemes risk consequences beyond his control.
• Lu Zongyuan is shown to be fearful and deferential toward his ancestor. Lu Changsheng’s rebuke exposes his lack of ruthlessness, even as the family branches threaten to exploit the apparent succession crisis.
• Hong Tianbao shifts from observing the fight to teaching Li Xiang and Qin Zhong about high-level cultivation, urging them to develop complementary Professions.
• Li Xiang connects Hong’s lesson to his own unique advantage, becoming excited by the prospect of using the Book of a Hundred Trades to surpass ordinary cultivators.
• The attackers temporarily unite out of shared grievances and fear of Lu’s retaliation. Shen Wangcai identifies himself and promises to take responsibility, encouraging the others to commit to the assault.
• Qin Zhong listens to Hong’s explanation and reacts with respect to the Grandmasters’ power.

Significant themes

• Power and ambition: The chapter contrasts Lu Zongyuan’s timid obedience with Lu Changsheng’s ruthless ambition and refusal to pursue the conventional path to Sagehood.
• The cost of strength: Lu’s extreme accumulation and fusion of Professions make him nearly unstoppable among Grandmasters, but also make advancing further much harder.
• Old powers and hidden dangers: The portrait, the Fortune True Dragons, Blackwater Pool, and the Ghost Clan connect local conflict to a larger supernatural upheaval.
• Opportunity through knowledge: Hong’s explanation reframes secondary Professions as resources for future advancement, while Li Xiang’s special system gives him an unusually broad path to exploit them.
• Unstable order: Family infighting, old vendettas, commercial rivalries, and rising monsters reflect a world where former rules have collapsed and competing forces seek power.

Plot points and events

• Li Xiang’s Fortune Teller profession reaches level 10, unlocking Coin Toss for Guidance, a once-daily divination ability that can predict fortune or disaster. Its warnings include severe risks from overuse, meddling with great secrets, and readings becoming unreliable if circumstances change.
• He uses it to ask whether he should pursue the Feng Shui Master path and seek a dangerous yin-heavy site. The result is Great Misfortune, so he postpones the attempt.
• Li Xiang reviews three other Fortune Teller branches—Prophecy Teller, Diviner, and Curse Master—but decides not to pursue them yet, preferring to develop his existing professions, especially Boxer.
• He asks Hong Tianbao about the winged serpent circling overhead. Hong explains that it is not a living demon beast but Inner Astral Force, the manifestation of Grandmaster Lu Changsheng’s martial cultivation.
• Hong describes the Path of Dragon Transformation, a difficult martial path rooted in Dragon Force. Practitioners undergo eighteen life-or-death tribulations, transforming their nature at each stage; completing them can lead to becoming a True Dragon, whose form reflects the practitioner’s inner ideal.
• Hong reveals that Qin Zhong has already chosen this path and survived two tribulations. Li Xiang also commits to it, inspired by its promise of transformation and greater control over his fate.
• To help him prepare, Hong gives Li Xiang the advancement ritual for the Boxer Upper-Rank profession. He then sends Li Xiang and Qin Zhong to Qingyao to learn about Ye Wanshan.
• After they leave, Hong reflects sadly on Lu Changsheng, another practitioner of the Dragon Transformation path who has become something “neither human nor ghost.” Meanwhile, Lu continues battling at the escort agency and challenges the assembled heroes.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiang shows growing caution and maturity: he heeds the divination’s warning rather than rushing toward danger. He also gains a larger ambition—not merely to become stronger, but to transform and shape his own destiny.
• Hong Tianbao acts as a generous, knowledgeable mentor, explaining the deeper meaning of martial cultivation and entrusting Li Xiang with a valuable advancement ritual. His joking warning not to use his name reveals a troublesome, rebellious past, while his private regret over Lu Changsheng exposes a more sorrowful side.
• Qin Zhong is revealed to be further along the Dragon Transformation path than Li Xiang knew. He supports Li Xiang’s decision, and the two share an encouraging, brotherly exchange.
• Lu Changsheng is portrayed as both formidable and tragic: his Inner Astral Force takes the form of a winged serpent, and Hong believes his pursuit of the path has led him astray.
• Li Xiang and Hong discuss the path’s history and principles; Li Xiang’s questions show his eagerness to understand. Hong’s blunt teasing and the students’ awkward reaction create comic relief before his reflective farewell to Lu.

Significant themes

• Caution and fate: Divination offers guidance, not certainty; outcomes can change, and seeking knowledge carries a cost.
• Transformation and self-determination: The Dragon Transformation path presents martial cultivation as an evolution of life itself, with each trial demanding the risk of losing everything.
• Inheritance and innovation: Earlier masters lay foundations, but later practitioners must extend the path through their own trials.
• Ambition and its dangers: The same pursuit that promises extraordinary power can distort a person, as Hong’s judgment of Lu suggests.
• Mentorship and trust: Hong’s teaching and gift help Li Xiang prepare for a perilous path, while Qin Zhong’s support strengthens his resolve.

Key events

• Lu Changsheng’s apparently desperate stand against a coalition of Grandmasters becomes a stunning display of borrowed power. He kills a Martial Cultivator Grandmaster and drives most of the attackers into retreat. Shen Wangcai, the Commerce Cultivator Grandmaster, escapes by sacrificing much of his fortune through the life-saving technique Life-Buying Money.
• Lu later reveals that the siege was largely staged. He and Kong Changkong—whom everyone believed Lu had killed—are allies, and the confrontation was meant to purge threats and demonstrate the Lu family’s strength. A mysterious fugitive remains unidentified.
• The headless portrait of a Demon Sage reacts to an attack by a hidden “False Sage” and orders Lu to begin a resurrection plan: using blood and vital energy to restore its Demon Head Icon.
• The False Sage, who can write stories that shape events, realizes Lu survived an ending in which he was supposed to die. The Sage crosses out the failed plot and turns attention back to advancing the Ye family toward Sagehood.
• Yagyu Murakumo returns wounded from the battle. He suspects Lu temporarily borrowed power from the Demon Sage’s Snake-Head Icon rather than achieving a true breakthrough. Yagyu Qiushui sees this as an exploitable weakness and sends ninjas to investigate Demon City and Blackwater Pool.
• At Shocking Heron Martial Hall, Ye Qingyao makes Li Xiang and Qin Zhong spar while she talks. She reveals that Ye Wanshan is her biological father.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Changsheng proves both formidable and calculating: his battle is a planned show of force, but using the Demon Sage’s power leaves him injured. He remains intent on killing Shen Wangcai and eliminating future threats.
• Kong Changkong is revealed as Lu’s trusted collaborator. His Confucian ability to read Qi cannot uncover the mysterious Grandmaster’s identity.
• The Demon Sage remains a powerful, dangerous presence despite being reduced to a soul within a portrait. His followers obey him with fanatical devotion.
• The False Sage is introduced as a covert author of fate, frustrated that Lu has escaped the role written for him.
• Yagyu Qiushui shifts from concern about Lu’s strength to strategic optimism once he learns it was borrowed; he directs Murakumo and the ninjas to investigate.
• Ye Qingyao takes charge of training Li Xiang and Qin Zhong, using their sparring as the setting for her personal revelation about her father.

Significant themes

• Power and its price: Lu can reach extraordinary strength, but only by borrowing it, and the effort wounds him.
• Fate versus free will: The False Sage’s scripted story fails when Lu refuses his assigned ending.
• Deception and hidden alliances: The apparent battle conceals a coordinated purge, while identities and motives remain obscured.
• Ambition and opportunity: The Yagyu family sees Lu’s dependence on the Demon Head Icon as a weakness, while the Ye family’s path to Sagehood remains central to the False Sage’s plans.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qingyao explains that Ye Wanqing and Hong Tianbao are her aunt and uncle, though she now calls them Mother and Father. Her biological father was Ye Wanshan, also known as Yagyu Kanjō.
• She recounts the true story of Gan Jiang, Mo Ye, and Three Kings’ Tomb. The legendary romance between the swords’ supposed later owners was fabricated by Mount Hua to glorify its founders; the real tragedy involved Human King Chu, who died in remorse after his friends Gan Jiang and Mo Ye were killed by Heavenly Punishment for forging him sacred swords.
• Ye Qingyao reveals that her mother’s family were hereditary Gravekeepers of the tomb. Twenty years ago, Yagyu Kanjō deceived her mother, learned how to open the tomb, stole the swords with help from Eastern Seas Demon Blade users, then murdered more than three hundred members of her family to cover up the crime and prove his loyalty. Ye Qingyao survived as a five-year-old and was reunited with her aunt at ten.
• Ye Qingyao says this trauma explains why she lost her match. Li Xiang and Qin Zhong react with horror and anger; Qin Zhong vows revenge on the Eastern Seas attackers. Li Xiang then continues sparring, gaining experience.
• The next morning, the newspaper reports that Lu Changsheng claims to have found an Immortal Peach Fruit at Blackwater Pool, healed himself, and reached Grandmaster rank. Li Xiang suspects the story mixes truth and deception, possibly luring people toward danger.
• The paper announces that the World Martial Arts Tournament will be held in Tianjin the following October. Riverside is expected to become a busy crossroads for international visitors.
• A Western archaeological expedition condemns the Great Xin Sage Patriarchs over the disappearance of its Ironclad and threatens to pursue the alleged thief. Qin Zhong mocks their “archaeology” as grave robbing.
• As Li Xiang and Qin Zhong leave the martial hall, John—recovering at the Yagyu Dojo and acting as a liaison for the Eastern Seas—tries to hail a rickshaw. The driver ignores him and eagerly offers a ride to Li Xiang and Qin Zhong.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qingyao reveals the source of her hatred for Yagyu Kanjō: he is not merely a criminal but her father and the destroyer of her maternal family. Her usually controlled manner gives way to visible grief and murderous anger, though she regains her composure.
• Li Xiang connects her account to Lu Changsheng’s earlier revelations, shows sympathy, and remains alert to the political implications of the Blackwater Pool rumors and the coming tournament.
• Qin Zhong provides occasional comic relief but responds sincerely to Ye Qingyao’s story, condemning the killers and expressing a desire for revenge.
• John’s appearance highlights the growing Western–Eastern Seas presence in Riverside and the social contrast between foreign visitors and respected martial artists.

Significant themes

• History and deception: Public legends and political narratives can be altered to glorify institutions or conceal the truth.
• Betrayal and inherited grief: Ye Qingyao’s trauma stems from her father’s betrayal and the massacre of her family.
• Ambition and sacrifice: Gan Jiang, Mo Ye, and Human King Chu are linked by friendship, guilt, and the terrible cost of pursuing power.
• Propaganda and danger: Lu Changsheng’s dramatic newspaper story may attract people to Blackwater Pool, while the Western expedition’s language disguises its own actions.
• Changing power dynamics: The approaching tournament and international investigations foreshadow growing tensions in Riverside.

Plot points and events

• In the aftermath of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency’s bloody battle with Lu Changsheng, the agency tightens security around Dragon Gate Road. It has also lost at least 200,000 Silver Dollars’ worth of goods, and rumors conveniently blame the escaped Shen Wangcai. Qin Zhong explains that the escort agency’s recent losses total roughly 300,000 Silver Dollars, but Li Xiang argues that Lu Changsheng’s strength and reputation matter more than its wealth.
• Li Xiang and Qin Zhong pass the guards and arrive at the Wanqing Tailor Shop. The Shocking Heron Martial Hall’s recent victories have boosted the shop’s popularity, and the remaining Male Models treat the two warmly after seeing what happened to Jack, who was fired for disrespecting Li Xiang and Qin Zhong.
• The shop’s Models discuss whether to pursue the two newly prominent fighters. Zhang Xiaoman advises them to act honestly rather than mock choices they might make themselves. She says Li Xiang and Qin Zhong have promising potential, but she will invest in a partner only when she is ready to commit fully and stand beside him.
• Zhang Xiaoman passes the men, and Qin Zhong makes a crude remark about her suitability as a wife. Li Xiang rebukes him and privately confirms through his Fortune Teller ability that Xiaoman could be a capable, supportive partner—but only if genuinely won over.
• Li Xiang and Qin Zhong model clothes for a busy crowd. The customers’ approval rapidly raises Li Xiang’s Model experience, bringing him to Level 5.
• Li Xiang unlocks The Emperor’s New Clothes, which makes any clothing he wears weigh nothing and imposes no restriction on his movement. He realizes the ability could let him wear extremely heavy armor without sacrificing speed or agility.
• At closing time, the two meet Ye Wanqing, who has changed into casual clothes. Qin Zhong and Li Xiang address her as “Master’s wife,” and Ye Wanqing is visibly pleased.

Character developments

• Li Xiang shows confidence in the power of individual strength, gains a major new ability, and immediately recognizes its martial applications. He also displays perceptiveness and restraint in contrast to Qin Zhong’s blunt matchmaking.
• Qin Zhong remains streetwise and loyal but is socially crude, openly judging Zhang Xiaoman as a potential wife and suggesting she become Li Xiang’s lesser wife.
• Zhang Xiaoman emerges as discerning, ambitious, and self-reliant. She wants a true partnership rather than dependence, and believes she should choose carefully before committing.
• Ye Wanqing shows pleasure at being acknowledged as the men’s master’s wife.

Significant themes

• Strength over wealth: The Dragon Gate Escort Agency’s losses are severe, but Lu Changsheng’s power and reputation still command the county’s respect.
• Reputation and opportunity: The martial hall’s victories elevate Li Xiang and Qin Zhong’s standing, drawing attention from customers and the Models.
• Agency and partnership: Zhang Xiaoman rejects both cynical dependence and empty pride, imagining marriage as a mutual effort in which both partners contribute.
• Profession abilities and adaptability: Li Xiang’s new ability illustrates how skills from one profession can create unexpected advantages in another.

Character interactions

• Qin Zhong and Li Xiang discuss the escort agency’s losses and Lu Changsheng’s influence as they walk to the shop.
• The Male Models eagerly welcome the two men, while two female Models flirt with them; Zhang Xiaoman challenges her companions’ hypocrisy and explains her own standards for choosing a partner.
• Qin Zhong’s remark about Zhang Xiaoman embarrasses her, while Li Xiang criticizes his lack of tact and reflects on her potential.
• At the end of the day, both men respectfully greet Ye Wanqing as “Master’s wife,” pleasing her.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Ye Wanqing accepts Li Xiang’s proposal to organize a large-scale Enchanted Garment Show, partnering with other Garment Cultivators. She hopes it will promote her work and help her meet the demanding advancement requirement for Grandmaster: creating a garment that earns the heartfelt approval of ten million people.
• As Li Xiang and Qin Zhong part ways, Qin reveals that his great-grandmother will die in four days. He plans to spend the remaining time with her, and Li Xiang offers his quiet support.
• Li Xiang works at the port to raise his Rickshaw Driver level, hoping to improve his strength before his next fight with Chu Tian. He reaches Level 8, while reflecting on how ordinary Professions offer limited advancement compared with prestigious, well-established traditions.
• Jiang Youcai, the merchant Li Xiang previously warned about danger at home, finds him and credits the warning with saving his life. Jiang discovered that his wife and steward plotted to murder him and seize his property. He rewards Li Xiang with 100 Silver Dollars before departing for the South.
• Li Xiang uses divination on Jiang and sees that the man’s former bad omen has vanished, replaced by exceptionally strong fortune. But while doing so, Li Xiang senses a hidden, hostile presence connected to Jiang that seems to watch him.
• Back at the martial hall, Li Xiang learns that Hong Tianbao is leaving for Blackwater Ancient Town, a dangerous area. Hong gives no explanation beyond saying the trip is necessary and leaves Li Xiang to look after the hall.
• Offshore, a British reconnaissance team confirms that the energy traces left by the vanished super-ironclad are at Grandmaster level. Captain Loris rejects the finding, insisting British technology should be invulnerable below the Divine Practitioner level.
• The British scholar Schrödinger, appearing as a black cat, confirms that the evidence is both consistent and not entirely what it seems. He begins revealing the energy patterns through a strange display of microscopic waves, setting up further investigation.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiang shows practical ambition by pursuing experience to strengthen himself, generosity toward Ye Wanqing, and compassion toward Qin Zhong. His growing divination ability also exposes him to an unknown danger.
• Ye Wanqing moves from considering Li Xiang’s idea to actively organizing the show. Her ambitions are artistic and professional, but also tied to her advancement as a Garment Cultivator.
• Qin Zhong reveals his grief and vulnerability over his great-grandmother’s impending death. Li Xiang responds with empathy rather than empty reassurance.
• Jiang Youcai is grateful and generous, treating Li Xiang as his benefactor. His escape from the plot against him appears to transform his fortune.
• Hong Tianbao departs abruptly for a perilous destination, suggesting that the Blackwater crisis is serious and that he feels compelled to act.
• Loris reacts to evidence that challenges his confidence in Western technology, while Schrödinger remains composed and analytical, taking charge of the investigation.

Significant themes

• Advancement and ambition: Professionals’ lives are shaped by the pursuit of higher ranks, though opportunity varies greatly between professions.
• Innovation and public recognition: Ye Wanqing’s show represents a new way to build a reputation and overcome a difficult advancement barrier.
• Mortality and personal bonds: Qin Zhong’s limited time with his great-grandmother gives urgency and tenderness to the chapter.
• Fortune, fate, and hidden danger: Li Xiang’s divination reveals both Jiang’s improved prospects and an ominous presence beyond ordinary human perception.
• Clashing worldviews: Loris’s faith in Western science is shaken by evidence of power beyond its assumed limits, while Schrödinger approaches the mystery through careful observation.

Plot points and events

• In the West, the black cat calling itself Schrödinger detects unusual particle waves around the Great Xin Dynasty and identifies them as Divinity Factors. It warns Loris against dismissing them, then departs to investigate new “variables.” The chapter explains that Schrödinger’s Cat and other Western “divine beasts” are beings who have abandoned human bodies after touching the universe’s underlying code.
• At Shocking Heron Martial Hall, Ye Qingyao learns her father, Hong Tianbao, has gone to Blackwater Ancient Town. Rather than voice her worry, she channels it into training with Li Xiang.
• After a sparring session, Ye Qingyao declares Li Xiang has completed his hundred days of Foundation Establishment and is ready for true combat arts. She chooses Wing Chun Fist and Form-Intent Fist for him, then teaches him the history and principles of Form-Intent Fist.
• Ye Qingyao urges Li Xiang to carry on and improve inherited martial arts rather than merely preserve old teachings. He accepts the challenge and begins training in the Three Powers Stake, enduring her strict corrections as his Boxer experience grows.
• An extraordinary November snowfall blankets Linjiang County. Ye Qingyao warns that the coming cold and blocked roads will bring hunger and death to poor inland communities.
• Qin Zhong reports that nearly all the Grandmasters who entered Blackwater Pool have been killed. Lu Changsheng allegedly lured them there with false claims of a hidden paradise, using them for a blood sacrifice. A breach has opened into a Ghost Domain, with something threatening to emerge.
• Great scholar Kong Changkong, despite being gravely wounded, stays behind to seal the breach with Righteous Qi and protect the evacuation. Moved by his courage, Li Xiang asks Ye Qingyao what they should do.

Character development and interactions

• Ye Qingyao conceals her fear for her father behind discipline, then becomes a demanding but encouraging teacher. Her compassion is also evident in her concern for those who will suffer through winter.
• Li Xiang advances from foundational training toward serious martial arts. Ye Qingyao’s lesson inspires him to become an innovator, not just a follower of tradition; the unfolding disaster also stirs his sense of responsibility.
• Qin Zhong brings urgent news and admires Kong Changkong’s selflessness.
• Schrödinger asserts immense authority over Loris, dismisses his assumption that Britain should claim the Divinity Factor talent, and cautions that artificial intelligence is dangerous. Loris remains deferential and eager to see Britain’s AI project succeed.
• Kong Changkong emerges as a moral counterpoint to Lu Changsheng’s apparent treachery, risking his life for people he does not know.

Significant themes

• Power, knowledge, and danger: Divinity Factors and artificial intelligence suggest that attempts to reach or reproduce ultimate power carry grave risks.
• Inheritance and progress: Martial traditions endure through generations of refinement, not blind imitation.
• Discipline as a response to fear: Ye Qingyao turns anxiety into training, while Li Xiang turns instruction into resolve.
• Moral choices amid chaos: Lu Changsheng’s alleged sacrifice of others contrasts with Kong Changkong’s self-sacrifice.
• Social suffering: The beautiful snow signals practical catastrophe—scarcity, isolation, and death for the poor—underscoring the human cost of the Age of Chaos.

Summary

• Plot and events: This is an author’s bonus chapter announcing the book’s release at 00:00 on February 1. The author thanks readers for helping “Qiqi” reach Three Rivers and fulfill a dream, then lays out an ambitious update schedule: 15 chapters on launch day, followed by at least 10,000 words daily. Monthly votes will earn bonus chapters at a rate of one per 400 votes, with no cap that month; a League Leader-level tip earns three bonus chapters. The author promises updates even on Lunar New Year’s Eve and advises readers to refresh if chapters appear late.
• Character development: No story characters develop in this chapter. The author presents themself as grateful, enthusiastic, and committed to readers and the update schedule.
• Themes: Reader support and creator gratitude; community participation; persistence and dedication to regular updates; celebration of a shared milestone.
• Interactions: The author directly addresses readers, explains how votes and tips affect bonus releases, and thanks seven named readers for their Qidian coin contributions.

Key plot points and events

• The Ghost Calamity erupts from Blackwater Pool, swallowing Blackwater Ancient Town and nearby settlements. Kong Changkong, badly wounded, leads refugees in retreat after failing to stop the Ghost Tide. Displaced monsters also flee, creating a wider monster tide and further devastation.
• Worried about Hong Tianbao’s disappearance, Ye Qingyao and Li Xiang learn that he has returned to Linjiang Port with dozens of boats. Rather than seeking treasure, Hong organized a mass evacuation of Blackwater’s residents.
• Local groups join the relief effort, providing guards, food, and supplies. Hong directs the rescue while Ye and Li help, and Li later cooks porridge for the refugees.
• Huang Shendu learns that his father and uncle are dead. Hong publicly tells him they died protecting civilians, sparing him disgrace; privately, he reveals they were killed by their own gang’s dogs after Ghost Qi drove the animals mad. Shaken, Huang Shendu asks his uncle to train him.
• Hong describes Blackwater as “hell on earth” but says help from Tianjin is coming, including the Marshal’s Noble Daughter, who possesses a Zombie Heart.
• Cooking for refugees raises Li Xiang’s Cook skill to level 10, triggering the “Taste of Happiness” advancement ritual: he must earn heartfelt gratitude from 100 diners. The first recognition comes from an old woman comforted by his porridge.
• Elsewhere, a mysterious Divine Brush is frustrated that Hong and another supposed protagonist escaped their intended deaths, and marks Lü Huanzhen for a new plot. In a separate scene, a headless portrait reprimands Lu Changsheng and Kong Changkong for accidentally unleashing the Ghost Realm fully, orders them to hide, and warns of the incoming Tianjin forces.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qingyao and Li Xiang respond to the crisis by committing to train and protect others. Ye praises Li’s increasingly refined footwork, while he credits her instruction.
• Hong Tianbao is revealed as compassionate and resourceful: he risks himself to evacuate civilians, coordinates aid, and preserves Huang Shendu’s dignity despite past rivalry between their martial halls.
• Huang Shendu is humbled by his family’s death and Hong’s kindness; he resolves to become stronger, and Huang Silang promises to teach him.
• Li Xiang turns his cooking ability toward humanitarian work, discovering that the next stage of his profession depends not merely on feeding people but on emotionally meaningful care.
• Kong Changkong remains committed to protecting civilians despite defeat, while Lu Changsheng and Kong are shown as fearful subordinates to the force behind the Ghost Realm’s release.

Significant themes

• Compassion amid chaos: Hong’s evacuation and Li’s cooking offer practical kindness in a world overwhelmed by violence.
• Humanity and moral complexity: The crisis exposes both monsters’ opportunism and unexpected decency among people with flawed pasts.
• Consequences and retribution: The Huang brothers die through the very dogs they used, though Hong’s public account gives their son a chance to retain his dignity.
• Growth through service: Li’s professional advancement requires genuine gratitude and emotional connection, not just technical skill.
• Fate versus agency: Hong’s survival disrupts the Divine Brush’s planned story, suggesting that characters can resist imposed destinies.
• Escalating danger: The full release of the Ghost Realm and the arrival of powerful outsiders set up a broader confrontation.

Plot and events

• Li Xiang checks his Cook profession’s advancement ritual, Taste of Happiness, and finds his progress stuck at 8/100. He decides that ordinary customers’ gratitude may not be enough and considers cooking for prestigious restaurants. He thinks of Tang Youwei, owner of Heavenly Fragrance Tower, who previously invited him to model for her; he intends to offer his talent, not himself.
• At Heavenly Fragrance Tower, military general Wang Lin convenes trade leaders and orders all nearby professionals of Expert rank or higher to help defend against the Ghost Calamity threatening Linjiang County.
• Food Cultivator Tang Youwei objects that her people are cooks, not battlefield fighters. Wang Lin counters that they have combat abilities and invokes her grandfather’s legendary courage, silencing her and the other dissenters.
• Xin Tianya challenges the order as exploitation of the lower trades, arguing that officials ignore them in peacetime but demand their lives in crisis. Wang uses his Military Might ability to overwhelm Xin, but Hong Tianbao steps in and neutralizes the pressure.
• Hong argues that compulsory service must be fair. He points out that the Western Archaeological Expedition caused the Blackwater disaster and demands that the Foreign Concession also contribute. Wang says the Commander-in-Chief has already warned them to assist or face consequences.
• Hong then reveals that a surviving Demon City is hidden in Linjiang County and accuses the Former Dynasty’s remnants of changing between “human” and “demon” identities whenever convenient. He dubs this hypocrisy “Demon-Human Inequality.” The crowd laughs at the phrase but grows alarmed at the alleged local threat and suspects the Lu family knows about it.
• Lu Zongyuan angrily denies Hong’s accusations and claims the true mastermind has already been caught. He orders guards to bring in Shopkeeper Sun from Ink Fragrance Studio.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiang shows a more pragmatic, self-protective way of interpreting his stalled progress and is considering new avenues to complete his ritual.
• Tang Youwei speaks for the noncombat trades, but Wang’s appeal to her family legacy leaves her unable to press her objection.
• Xin Tianya openly voices the resentment of the Lower Nine Classes, risking Wang’s wrath. Hong Tianbao protects him and earns goodwill from the lower trades.
• Hong Tianbao proves politically astute as well as powerful: he deflects Wang’s intimidation, invokes his connection to the Ye family to command respect, and redirects the debate toward equal responsibility for the foreigners and suspected Demonkin.
• Wang Lin uses military authority and threats to enforce conscription, but recognizes that fairness and cooperation are necessary to keep the assembled factions united.
• Lu Zongyuan remains silent during the initial confrontation, then reacts defensively once Hong implicates the Lu family and its long-standing influence.

Significant themes

• Class inequality and exploitation: The Lower Nine Classes resent being treated as expendable in emergencies after being disdained in ordinary life.
• Fairness and shared responsibility: Hong argues that everyone—including foreign powers and hidden local factions—must bear the consequences of the crisis.
• Power and coercion: Wang’s Military Might embodies the imbalance between military elites and ordinary tradespeople.
• Identity and hypocrisy: “Demon-Human Inequality” mocks those who claim whichever identity best serves their interests.
• Suspicion and concealed complicity: Hong’s revelation that a Demon City may exist in Linjiang turns the meeting from a conscription dispute into a confrontation over who truly caused the calamity.

Key plot points and events

• Shopkeeper Sun, an experienced tomb robber, admits to spreading the Blackwater Ancient Town treasure map and its rumors, but refuses to name anyone else. He insists the Dragon Gate Escort Agency and Demon City are uninvolved.
• Sun suddenly dies from poison concealed in a tooth. His apparent suicide makes Lu Zongyuan and the Dragon Gate Escort Agency look responsible, though Lu protests that killing Sun publicly makes no sense.
• Detective John Smith presents evidence traced through a British intelligence network, linking the map’s origins to the Dragon Gate Escort Agency. Under pressure, Lu says his son bought the map from a poor nobleman and gave it to the agency’s Old Ancestor—but the assembled leaders dismiss this as another excuse.
• Wang Lin orders Lu detained and launches a three-day investigation. Hong Tianbao and the other leaders leave, each prepared to pursue the matter independently.
• At the Shocking Heron Martial Hall, Qin Zhong asks Li Xiang to paint his portrait for his elderly great-grandmother. She hopes to take it with her after death, both as a keepsake and as protection for Qin.
• Li Xiang paints with unusual care and emotion. The portrait earns him ten experience points, raises his Painter profession to level 10, and unlocks Soul Painting, which gives paintings spirit and lets portraits potentially shelter the souls of the dead.
• Li Xiang examines three profession paths: Boundary Painter, which requires a horrific sacrifice; Skin Painter, which involves wearing another person’s skin; and Paper Effigy Maker, which he intends to pursue.
• The next morning, Qin arrives at the martial hall in mourning clothes and tells his master, Hong Tianbao, that his great-grandmother has died.

Character developments

• Lu Zongyuan loses control of the situation. Though he insists he and his agency are being framed, the evidence and Sun’s death leave him politically isolated.
• John Smith establishes himself as a confident investigator, using evidence and criminal reasoning to challenge the local powers.
• Li Xiang advances as a Painter and discovers that his art can affect souls, not merely create images. His reaction to the darker profession routes also reveals a firm moral boundary.
• Qin Zhong shows deep affection for his great-grandmother. Despite his fate as the “Heavenly Baleful Lone Star,” he remains resilient and warm, while her fear for his safety hints at the gravity of his destiny.
• Great-grandmother faces death calmly but is fiercely concerned for Qin’s future, hoping the portrait will protect him.

Significant themes

• Suspicion and political blame: Sun’s death turns an apparent defense into evidence against the Dragon Gate Escort Agency, showing how suspicion can overwhelm straightforward logic.
• Truth versus appearances: Lu’s explanation sounds implausible despite potentially being true, while John insists on documentary evidence.
• Art, spirit, and mortality: Li Xiang’s portrait becomes more than a likeness, raising the possibility that art can preserve or shelter a soul.
• Love and protection across death: Great-grandmother’s request expresses both her attachment to Qin and her wish to continue protecting him after she is gone.
• Ethical limits: Li Xiang is tempted by powerful abilities but rejects routes that require sacrificing lives or violating another person’s body.

Character interactions

• Wang Lin interrogates Sun, then confronts Lu and assumes authority over the investigation.
• Sun’s final words implicate Lu by denying any connection to him, while his poisoned death intensifies the accusation.
• John challenges Lu’s defense and gives Wang Lin evidence, shifting the gathering against the escort agency.
• Qin asks Li Xiang to paint his portrait for his great-grandmother; Li Xiang responds with unusual emotional investment.
• Great-grandmother blesses Qin and urges him to live, while Qin tries to answer her concern lightly.
• After her death, Qin kneels before Hong Tianbao to report the loss.

Summary

• Qin Zhong’s great-grandmother dies, and he rushes to tell his master, Hong Tianbao, before going to Xin Tianya. Both men comfort him and rally their people to support him. Xin Tianya brings his six adopted sons—the Horizon Six Tigers—who treat Qin Zhong as their own younger brother.
• The funeral is deliberately humble, in accordance with the old woman’s unusual wishes. She believed her family’s misfortune had brought death to everyone around her and hoped that a simple, immediate burial would end the killing intent threatening Qin Zhong. She also chose an ill-omened hillside and ordered that her coffin be buried exactly as it landed, “following Heaven’s will, defying human custom.”
• Qin Zhong asks Li Xiang to take responsibility for the embalming. Li Xiang carefully restores the old woman’s appearance, then places on her chest a painting of Qin Zhong, turned face-down—a taboo gesture that expresses her wish to carry his image in her heart and protect him from beyond the grave. The coffin is sealed, and the family and friends escort it to burial.
• On the way, the funeral procession meets a heavily guarded carriage from the Tianjin Marshal’s household. Though an officer suggests driving the mourners aside, the carriage’s occupant orders the soldiers to yield because the dead take precedence. Li Xiang glimpses the occupant: the marshal’s beautiful young daughter.
• The sight awakens the Golden Cicada inside Li Xiang. He realizes it is reacting to the woman because she has received the heart of a zombie—the same corpse, he suspects, that the Golden Cicada is connected to. The woman, too, feels her transplanted heart beat wildly when she sees him, though she dismisses the feeling as hunger rather than love.
• After the burial, Li Xiang’s embalming ritual is recognized as complete. The Book of a Hundred Trades announces that he has broken through his mortal bottleneck, advanced to Rank 1, and unlocked the profession trait “Revolving Lantern.”

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Zhong grieves deeply but accepts support from Hong Tianbao, Xin Tianya, Li Xiang, and the Horizon Six Tigers. His great-grandmother’s final act underscores the love and protection she devoted to him.
• Hong Tianbao and Xin Tianya put aside pride and act as father figures, coordinating support and ensuring Qin Zhong does not face the funeral alone.
• Li Xiang responds to the family’s trust through painstaking, compassionate work. His divination yields an auspicious sign—a flying dragon and a meeting with a benefactor—before the encounter with the marshal’s daughter hints at a consequential connection.
• The marshal’s daughter is introduced as both powerful and vulnerable: she commands an elite escort, yet lives with a transplanted heart that feels foreign and cold. Her strange response to Li Xiang mirrors the Golden Cicada’s reaction.

Significant themes

The chapter centers on grief, loyalty, and chosen family, as Qin Zhong is surrounded by people who stand with him. The great-grandmother’s burial instructions express self-sacrifice and love shaped by superstition and fate, while the unusual meeting on the road brings together death and new possibility. The awakened heart and Golden Cicada also suggest a mysterious bond between bodily transformation, desire, and the forces surrounding Blackwater Pool.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• After advancing to Apprentice, Li Xiang unlocks Revolving Lantern, an ability that lets him witness a deceased person’s deeply imprinted memory by touching and comforting them.
• At Qin Zhong’s great-grandmother’s grave, Li Xiang sees her memory: an enormous field of graves and blank, blood-red Soul-Guiding Banners. Her chant causes countless beams of life essence to converge into a glowing cocoon, from which a baby cries. The cry summons the phantom of the Southern Heavenly Gate, but the vision ends before it opens.
• Li Xiang questions Qin Zhong about his family. Qin says he was raised only by his great-grandmother, who told him he was the last of their Lineage and its hope. He knows nothing of the larger mystery.
• A gray-robed man later identifies the grave’s feng-shui arrangement as a Lineage-Extinguishing Scheme and Dragon-Binding Lock: Qin’s great-grandmother used her own burial place to gather baleful energy and bind his Fortune, apparently placing him in mortal danger.
• A young Daoist arrives too late to see Qin’s great-grandmother, pays respects at her grave, and then heads toward Blackwater Ancient Town, where a powerful evil presence is gathering.
• At a second regional meeting, Tianjin’s marshal’s daughter takes charge and secures agreement from the Foreign Concession, Demon City, the Eastern Seas’ Yagyu family, and others to confront the Ghost Calamity. The Marshal’s Mansion will offer treasures from the Former Dynasty Treasury as rewards.
• Hong Tianbao and Ye Wanqing leave to prepare defenses at Blackwater Ancient Town. Hong entrusts the Shocking Heron Martial Hall to Li Xiang, Qin Zhong, and Ye Qingyao. Lesser Ghosts may later be left to young fighters as “training,” offering combat experience and Yin Virtue.
• The next day, a young Daoist in an Azure robe arrives at the martial hall, greeting Li Xiang and Qin Zhong as old acquaintances.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiang gains a new soul-related ability and glimpses evidence of a vast hidden plan connected to Qin’s Lineage. He remains cautious, comforts Qin, and accepts responsibility for helping lead the martial hall.
• Qin Zhong learns little about his own past, but his status as the Lineage’s surviving hope becomes more ominous. He remains devoted to his great-grandmother and readily accepts Hong’s charge to deal firmly with trouble.
• Hong Tianbao shows trust in his students, assigning Ye Qingyao overall oversight, Qin Zhong external affairs, and Li Xiang strategic support. He and Ye Wanqing depart for the front line.
• Ye Qingyao is entrusted with leadership because of her composure under pressure.
• The young Daoist demonstrates respect for Qin’s great-grandmother and urgency about the looming threat, then reconnects with Li Xiang and Qin Zhong.
• The gray-robed man’s interpretation reframes the grave as a deliberate supernatural trap, while the public meeting shows rival factions temporarily cooperating against a greater danger.

Significant themes

• Inheritance and sacrifice: Qin Zhong may be the culmination of his Lineage’s sacrifice, though the purpose and cost remain unclear.
• Death, memory, and the supernatural: Li Xiang’s new ability reveals that the dead can preserve truths hidden from the living.
• Fate versus agency: The Dragon-Binding Lock appears designed to constrain Qin’s Fortune, yet he has survived it.
• Cooperation under crisis: Political and supernatural factions set aside divisions when the Ghost Calamity threatens a wider region.
• Preparation through danger: The coming fight is both an emergency and a proving ground for the younger generation.

Plot and events

• Lin Xuanshu reunites with Li Xiang and Qin Zhong at Shocking Heron Martial Hall. He explains that his master, Lin Shouzhen, must remain in Tianjin as a judge for the upcoming World Martial Arts Tournament, while Xuan Guang has left Daoism to become a Military Cultivator.
• Li Xiang encourages Lin Xuanshu to respect Xuan Guang’s choice rather than fear that he has chosen the wrong path. Lin Xuanshu accepts the advice.
• Qin Zhong reveals that Lin Xuanshu arranged for Li Xiang to be brought to the martial hall, repaying Li Xiang’s earlier interest in training. Li Xiang recognizes and appreciates the favor.
• Lin Xuanshu says he has come to Riverside to visit, protect a young woman from Tianjin, and answer an unexplained invitation promising a great opportunity. Li Xiang suspects the young woman is the recipient of the heart transplant connected to the Female Jiangshi. Lin Xuanshu also reports that three grandmasters are on their way to help contain the Ghost Calamity.
• Ye Qingyao arrives and reveals that she once defeated Lin Xuanshu. He is so wary of her that he flees when she suggests sparring.
• Ye Qingyao puts Li Xiang and Qin Zhong through training. Li Xiang’s swordsmanship reaches level five, unlocking Blade Language, which lets him sense forces and vibrations through a blade.
• By combining Blade Language with his Tiger-Leopard Thunderclap vibration technique, Li Xiang invents Vibration Blade, a move that disrupts an opponent’s weapon and can disarm them. Ye Qingyao and Qin Zhong recognize its potential.
• In return for sharing the technique, Ye Qingyao teaches Li Xiang Eight Steps Chasing the Cicada, a burst-speed footwork art, while Qin Zhong offers his self-developed leg technique, Iron Ox Plowing the Field. The three exchange skills and continue training together.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiang shows empathy toward Xuan Guang’s independent choice, gratitude toward Lin Xuanshu, and growing martial ingenuity. He turns newly gained abilities into an original technique and shares it freely.
• Lin Xuanshu worries about Xuan Guang’s departure from Daoism but learns to respect his choice. His gratitude toward Li Xiang and his humility are evident, though he remains guarded about events in Tianjin.
• Xuan Guang, though absent, marks a major change: he has rejected the Daoist path in favor of military service, believing guns can better protect people in the Age of Chaos.
• Ye Qingyao emerges as both an intimidating fighter and generous teacher. She tests Li Xiang’s technique, quickly grasps its principles, and responds to his openness with an equal exchange of knowledge.
• Qin Zhong supports Li Xiang’s training and joins the reciprocal teaching, while Lin Xuanshu’s sudden flight leaves both men newly cautious of Ye Qingyao.

Significant themes

• Choosing one’s own path: Xuan Guang’s decision challenges Lin Xuanshu’s assumptions about what is best for him.
• Knowledge shared, not hoarded: The three martial artists trade techniques, strengthening one another and their school.
• Ingenuity and growth: Li Xiang’s breakthrough comes from combining skills creatively, not merely accumulating strength.
• Unseen ties and consequences: The Tianjin woman’s identity and Lin Xuanshu’s unexplained invitation hint that past events continue to bind characters together.
• Collective struggle: The worsening Ghost Calamity and arrival of grandmasters emphasize the need for cooperation against a threat no single fighter can easily overcome.

Key plot points and events

• Near midnight, Qin Zhong slips into Li Xiang’s room to bring him to an urgent gathering. A major opportunity has arisen after the Ghost Calamity in Blackwater Ancient Town, and the group’s meeting has been moved up.
• Li Xiang cautiously uses coin divination and Ironclad Divination to assess the journey. Both suggest good fortune and wealth, so he agrees to go.
• Qin leads Li Xiang through the dark streets to a decrepit residence. Its courtyard is crowded with powerful zombies, led by Shopkeeper Sun, whom Li Xiang recognizes as the man who apparently died by suicide at the Heavenly Fragrance Tower.
• Shopkeeper Sun initially threatens Li Xiang for being an outsider, but Qin claims Haitang approved his presence. The zombies stand down.
• John, a flamboyant British Westerner who says he is sworn to bring Britain down, joins them. Inside, they meet Haitang, the alluring Courtesan Cultivator who appears to lead the group.
• Haitang says one more person is expected. Daoist Lin Xuanshu arrives with an unidentified familiar companion, leaving Qin and Li Xiang stunned; the chapter ends before the newcomer is revealed.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiang shows heightened vigilance and combat skill, reacting instantly to Qin’s break-in with a newly learned leg technique. Though wary of the dangerous gathering, he relies on divination and accepts the risk when it indicates good fortune.
• Qin Zhong reveals himself as a trusted link to the secret crew. He protects Li Xiang from Shopkeeper Sun and insists he has Haitang’s permission, though his confidence and familiarity with the group contrast with Li Xiang’s unease.
• Shopkeeper Sun is revealed to have survived—or been restored after—his apparent death and now commands a horde of refined zombies. His menace gives way to obedience when Haitang’s authority is invoked.
• John is introduced as an elegant, theatrical, and potentially dangerous member of the crew. His playful banter with Qin contrasts with Li Xiang’s suspicion.
• Haitang exerts influence without leaving the sitting room: her voice affects Li Xiang strongly, and even the zombie-filled courtyard responds to her permission.
• Lin Xuanshu’s unexpected arrival confirms his connection to the group, though his purpose and the identity of his companion remain unknown.

Significant themes

• Trust, secrecy, and risk: Li Xiang weighs Qin’s invitation against the danger of joining a clandestine group whose members conceal their identities and pasts.
• Hidden identities and survival: Shopkeeper Sun’s apparent death, the zombies, and the gathering’s unlikely members blur the line between life, death, and deception.
• Power and influence: Haitang’s authority is felt through both her command over the group and her almost supernatural effect on those who hear her.
• Unexpected alliances: Courtesans, tomb raiders, martial artists, Daoists, and a Westerner form a bizarre coalition, suggesting a larger scheme still to be revealed.

Chapter Summary: “The Seven Sages Meet for the First Time! (Eighth Update)”

Key events

• Lin Xuanshu arrives with Chu Tian, who appears corpse-like under a talisman. Chu Tian is only pretending to be lifeless to tease the others; Lin threatens to break his talisman before he gives up the act.
• Chu Tian explains that someone tried to seize his body, badly damaging his souls and spirits. His Double Pupils give him six souls and fourteen spirits, and despite losing one soul and five spirits, he survived. Their damage causes his usual confused, instinct-driven behavior. Haitang’s Spirit-Settling Soul-Calming Talisman lets him remain lucid for short periods.
• Haitang orders nondisclosure agreements for the newcomers. Li Xiang spots potentially ambiguous wording in the Great Xin contract and asks John for a Western-language version. After Li checks it and signs, Lin and Chu Tian request the same version. All three contracts take effect through supernatural rules.
• Haitang explains that the organization exists for mutual aid and information exchange, then asks everyone to state their purpose. Her aim is to destroy the Eastern Seas devils; John wants to bring down Great Britain; Qin Zhong and Li Xiang want to make money; Shopkeeper Sun wants to excavate Demon Dynasty tombs; and Chu Tian wants to nurture souls. Lin reveals that he joined to prepare to kill his own master.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Tian is revealed to be lucid beneath his apparently foolish behavior, though his damaged spirits limit his awareness. He expresses gratitude to Haitang for saving him, while she says she helped because he is valuable.
• Li Xiang shows caution and expertise by carefully scrutinizing the contract and identifying the risks of ambiguous language. His knowledge of Western languages earns John’s respect and surprises the group.
• John’s Lawyer Profession gives contracts supernatural binding force. Shopkeeper Sun becomes angry when he realizes John had never offered him a Western-language version; Haitang ends the argument and directs John to prepare the new documents.
• Qin Zhong and Li Xiang share a blunt, money-focused outlook, while Lin’s stated intention to kill his master ends the introductions on a startling note.

Significant themes

• Trust and self-protection: The members’ cooperation begins with legally enforced secrecy, while Li’s insistence on understanding every clause reflects the need to guard against hidden risks.
• Power and vulnerability: Chu Tian’s extraordinary Double Pupils cannot prevent severe spiritual injury; Haitang’s talisman provides the help he cannot secure on his own.
• Diverse motives within an alliance: The group shares an organization but not a single goal, bringing together political resistance, profit, excavation, spiritual cultivation, and personal conflict.

Key events

• Lin Xuanshu reveals that he intends to kill his master, Lin Shouzhen, but only after he obtains conclusive proof that the man is an impostor. He believes the real Lin Shouzhen died before Xuanshu left the mountain and that a monster now wears his face.
• John shares intelligence that the force behind the super-ironclad’s disappearance was likely a Grandmaster near Sage level—not a Sage. He also warns that the Western Truth Beast Schrödinger’s Cat has arrived in the Great Xin Dynasty, though it is generally an observer rather than a warmonger.
• Haitang reports that Eastern visitors are secretly searching for the Former Dynasty’s Demon Head Icon. Shopkeeper Sun proposes raiding a newly unearthed tomb containing a Demon Dynasty prince who may become a Zombie King. The group plans to act on the fifth of next month, during a moon-worship ritual.
• John, Lin Xuanshu, and Qin Zhong agree to join. Chu Tian declines because of his unstable condition; Li Xiang says he will decide later, after he can assess the danger.
• After the gathering, Li Xiang recognizes that his knowledge of Profession advancement rituals could be valuable leverage among the group.
• The next morning, he trains until his Boxer Profession reaches level 6, then cooks breakfast for the martial hall. His food earns him another recognition for “Taste of Happiness.”
• A Dragon Gate Escort Agency messenger arrives with an invitation: a Tianjin noblewoman has invited Li Xiang, Ye, and Qin Zhong to a banquet.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xuanshu reveals a fierce and conflicted loyalty to his master: he is willing to kill the apparent impostor, but refuses to act unless certain, both to protect the world and preserve his master’s name. He asks the gathering for help; Haitang leaves the door open to supporting him.
• Li Xiang listens cautiously, weighing danger and opportunity. He sees the gathering as politically valuable but realizes he needs something of his own to contribute. His Profession knowledge may become his bargaining chip.
• Haitang keeps the meeting focused, demands evidence before considering Lin Xuanshu’s request, and assigns the group to investigate the Eastern visitors.
• John acts as an intelligence source and strategist, openly suggesting that Britain blame Lu Changsheng for the ship incident. He volunteers to monitor the Eastern visitors from the Yagyu Dojo.
• Shopkeeper Sun warns of the consequences of killing Lin Shouzhen, then proposes the tomb raid as both a profitable venture and a blow against Demon City.
• Qin Zhong is eager to join the raid but jokes that the meeting was more exhausting than fighting. Chu Tian remains withdrawn and declines the dangerous mission.

Significant themes

• Loyalty versus righteousness: Lin Xuanshu’s dilemma tests the sacred bond between master and disciple against the duty to stop a possible monster.
• Trust, identity, and proof: Lin Shouzhen’s apparent replacement raises doubts about whether familiar memories and behavior can establish someone’s true identity.
• Power politics and uneasy alliances: The gathering’s members cooperate despite different motives, trading intelligence and weighing risk, profit, and influence.
• Knowledge as power: Li Xiang realizes that secret Profession rituals could give him standing among stronger, more connected allies.
• Growth through discipline: Li Xiang’s steady training and cooking show his practical progress amid larger supernatural and political threats.

Plot points and events

• Li Xiang receives an invitation to a banquet hosted by Zhang Yunshang, a noblewoman from Tianjin who has recovered from a lifelong heart ailment. The gathering will coordinate post-crisis work: clearing remaining lesser ghosts and delivering supplies to snowbound villages.
• Ye Qingyao approves of Zhang’s charitable efforts, and she, Li Xiang, and Qin Zhong decide to attend. They dress formally, with Ye Qingyao’s qipao drawing particular attention.
• At Heavenly Fragrance Tower, they encounter Ma Teng and the Eight Gates Martial Hall. Qin Zhong needles Ma Teng about a past humiliation; Ma Teng leaves in anger, while Lü Baichuan quietly apologizes.
• Inside, Li Xiang hears a gifted storyteller perform Journey to the West: Scripture of Enlightenment. Ye Qingyao warns that powerful storytellers can make fiction seem real, trapping listeners and damaging their souls.
• At the entrance to the banquet hall, Zhao Long treats the trio deferentially, recognizing their standing as Hong Tianbao’s daughter and disciples.
• The lavish, Western-style banquet contrasts with Zhang Yunshang’s simple blue-and-white qipao. Li Xiang murmurs lyrics inspired by it, prompting Ye Qingyao and Qin Zhong to assume he has become romantically distracted. He clarifies to himself that the outfit merely reminds him of his former life, then approaches Zhang’s gathering.

Character developments

• Li Xiang recognizes Zhang Yunshang as the beautiful woman he once saw, but remains focused and composed. His reaction to her qipao reveals a personal connection to memories of his past life.
• Ye Qingyao shows compassion by praising Zhang’s aid to ordinary people. She also remains a strict mentor, warning Li Xiang against letting romance distract him from martial progress.
• Qin Zhong continues to be blunt and teasing, especially toward Ma Teng, while expressing admiration for Hong Tianbao’s egalitarian teaching.
• Ma Teng remains bitter and humiliated after his defeat by Ye Qingyao.
• Zhang Yunshang is presented as elegant, influential, and apparently considerate toward common people, though her motives are not explored.

Significant themes

• Power and social hierarchy: Zhang’s invitation draws the county’s young elites, while family connections and bloodlines restrict who can gain authority and knowledge.
• Compassion amid hardship: The banquet’s practical agenda includes helping isolated villagers, making public service a measure of goodness.
• Fiction, perception, and danger: The storyteller’s craft can blur the line between story and reality, making imagination powerful—and perilous.
• Discipline versus desire: Ye Qingyao stresses that martial artists must stay focused, even as Li Xiang’s harmless nostalgia is mistaken for infatuation.
• Class and access to learning: Qin Zhong contrasts entrenched barriers in other trades with Hong Tianbao’s willingness to teach students regardless of background.

Character interactions

• Ye Qingyao and Li Xiang discuss the purpose of Zhang’s banquet; she offers rare praise for Zhang’s concern for civilians.
• Qin Zhong provokes Ma Teng, who refuses to engage and retreats; Lü Baichuan apologizes to the trio in passing.
• Ye Qingyao cautions Li Xiang and Qin Zhong about the storyteller’s supernatural influence.
• Qin Zhong praises Hong Tianbao’s openness, and Li Xiang jokes that Qin should build their master a shrine.
• Ye Qingyao and Qin Zhong misread Li Xiang’s lyrics as evidence of romantic longing for Zhang, while Li Xiang privately understands them as nostalgia.

Plot points and events

• Zhang Yunshang watches Li Xiang arrive at her banquet, having arranged the gathering partly to test her suspicion about him. The unusual heart she carries does not react to him this time, leaving her puzzled. She quietly learns his name from Lu Jin.
• Lu Jin dismisses Li Xiang, Qin Zhong, and Ye Qingyao as low-status outsiders. Zhang finds his manner intrusive and keeps her distance.
• Tianjin fighter Liu Yuan approaches Li and Qin, abruptly testing them with lightning-fast Through-Arm Fist strikes that stop just short of their temples. They remain calm and ready to retaliate, impressing him. He declares them too weak to interest him yet, but invites them to challenge his martial hall in three years.
• Lin Xuanshu explains Liu’s fighting style and his diluted Long-Armed Ape Demonkin ancestry, then warns Li and Qin that some Tianjin visitors may be less straightforward than Liu. He is in Riverside chiefly to protect Zhang.
• Ye Qingyao reports that Tianjin has sent many talented young elites, including the “Four Gentlemen” of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She also points out a solitary Gu Cultivator whom others avoid.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Yunshang remains guarded and observant. Her heart’s earlier agitation around Li has vanished, but she remembers his name and appears concerned about attracting unwanted attention to him.
• Lu Jin masks resentment and insecurity with a gentlemanly façade, belittling the Riverside group while seeking Zhang’s approval. His nickname, “Lu Ten Thousand,” continues to irritate him.
• Li Xiang reads Liu’s movements and intent, responds calmly to the test, and shows quiet confidence. He accepts Qin’s wish to face Liu later.
• Qin Zhong combines humor and bravado with combat readiness; he eagerly claims Liu as a future challenge.
• Liu Yuan is revealed as an earnest battle fanatic rather than a schemer: bluntly critical of weaker fighters, but respectful when they show courage.
• Lin Xuanshu acts as a cautious adviser, balancing his duty to Zhang with willingness to help against the Ghost Calamity.
• Ye Qingyao gathers intelligence and identifies the strength and variety of the Tianjin delegation.

Significant themes

• Strength, merit, and martial growth: Liu judges Li and Qin by their current level but encourages them to grow and meet him again.
• Appearances versus character: Lu’s polished manners conceal condescension, while Liu’s alarming attack proves straightforward rather than malicious.
• Hidden identity and inherited power: Liu’s subtle Demonkin ancestry illustrates how bloodlines can persist without obvious traits.
• Caution amid cooperation: The gathering unites fighters against the Ghost Calamity, but Lin warns that not everyone present can be trusted.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qingyao explains the Miao Frontier’s unusual paths: Gu Cultivators use life-bound insects, Shamans commune with spirits and cast curses, and Poison Cultivators wield devastating toxins. She warns Li Xiang and Qin Zhong to beware of Gu being planted in them.
• The group spots a Body Cultivator and discusses the history shared by Body and Martial Cultivators. Martial Cultivators eventually advanced by developing Martial Force, while Body Cultivators remained committed to physical purity and declined.
• At a banquet, Zhang Yunshang announces that the Ghost Domain’s spread in Blackwater Ancient Town is contained, but escaped Ghost Creatures remain, and snow has isolated villages from supplies.
• Ruhua, representing Zither Strings House, volunteers her community to help with supplies, deliveries, and care for the wounded. Zhang uses her appeal—and the shared economic stakes—to rally the trades. She promises the Tianjin Warlord will cover expenses and casualty compensation, prompting broad support.
• After the banquet, leaders meet to divide areas for ghost-clearing and supply routes. Li Xiang and Qin Zhong return to their martial hall.
• Li Xiang realizes he has only three days before the Yin Year, Yin Month, Yin Day—his required date for unlocking the Paper Effigy Maker Profession. He needs a secluded place for the ritual.
• With Qin Zhong’s help, Li Xiang finds and rents a quiet courtyard in North City’s Old District. Its neighbor is the reclusive, celebrated novelist Teacher Cao. Li Xiang consults his copper coins; all three land faceup, indicating great fortune.
• The chapter ends as Li Xiang arrives at the martial hall, where Ye Qingyao tells him and Qin Zhong to study the map of the territory their hall must manage.

Character developments

• Zhang Yunshang demonstrates political skill: she recognizes that moral appeals alone may not move the trades, so she frames cooperation as necessary for both public safety and their livelihoods, then removes financial objections by securing military funding.
• Ruhua steps forward with dignity, plainly explaining her community’s economic interest while offering practical aid despite its limited ability to fight.
• Li Xiang remains cautious and focused on his coming profession ritual. He avoids praising Zhang to escape his companions’ teasing, then takes deliberate steps to secure a suitable location.
• Ye Qingyao serves as a knowledgeable guide to unfamiliar professions and later admires Zhang’s effective leadership.
• Qin Zhong remains teasing and boisterous, but helps Li Xiang locate a property.

Significant themes

• Pragmatism and self-interest in public service: Zhang builds unity by showing that containing the Ghost Calamity benefits everyone, not just those directly in danger.
• Social respect and economic interdependence: Ruhua’s contribution challenges the stigma attached to her profession and emphasizes that every trade depends on the region’s recovery.
• Tradition and change: The account of Body and Martial Cultivators contrasts strict adherence to tradition with innovation and adaptation.
• Preparation amid danger: Li Xiang’s ritual plans show how personal advancement must be balanced with caution and careful timing.

Character interactions

• Ye Qingyao educates Li Xiang and Qin Zhong about Gu, Shaman, Poison, and Body Cultivators; Qin Zhong reacts with distaste toward indirect fighting.
• Zhang treats Ruhua respectfully, and their exchange helps prompt other representatives to volunteer.
• Qin Zhong and Ye Qingyao tease Li Xiang about his supposed interest in Zhang, leaving him embarrassed and silent.
• Qin Zhong helps Li Xiang search for a secluded courtyard, while the broker Wang Yazi tries to sell him on the property’s supposed good fortune and famous neighbor.