Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• During a sword competition on Pill Peak, Tang Yan’s unspoken thoughts reveal that Xu Zhenzhen is secretly involved with an elderly Divine Incarnation cultivator who once protected her.
• The other disciples overhear Tang Yan’s thoughts and are horrified by his claim that the man has not bathed in three hundred years. The rumor makes everyone recoil, including Xu You, who recently met with the cultivator.
• Tang Yan learns that Xu Zhenzhen is using the relationship to escape the Shadow Prison. Her mother has been captured, and her powerful outside support has disappeared.
• Tang Yan then senses—through information from his system—that a Demon Clan traitor is waiting near the Shadow Prison to rescue Xu Zhenzhen. Xu You, Fu Shouci, and several Peak Masters leave to investigate a demonic presence and an attack on the prison’s protective formation.
• Tang Yan regrets that he cannot go watch what is happening between Xu Zhenzhen and the old cultivator. The other disciples secretly share his curiosity.

Character developments

• Tang Yan shifts from amused gossip to serious concern when he learns of the Demon Clan threat, then returns to his curious, irreverent nature.
• Xu Zhenzhen appears driven by desperation rather than affection: she is seeking a way out of prison after losing her mother and her strongest support.
• Gu Qingling, Xu Zhenzhen’s former lover, is embarrassed by the gossip and physically nauseated. His admirers’ affection quickly turns to disgust.
• Xu You and Fu Shouci respond swiftly to the threat, prioritizing the prison’s defenses and the demonic presence.

Significant themes

• Comedy through overheard thoughts: Tang Yan’s blunt inner commentary exposes secrets and spreads panic while he remains unaware of its effect.
• Appearance, age, and disgust: The old cultivator’s age and alleged lack of bathing become a running source of revulsion and humor.
• Desperation and survival: Xu Zhenzhen’s choices are presented as a consequence of her increasingly bleak circumstances.
• Hidden danger beneath public spectacle: The disciples focus on scandal, while a genuine Demon Clan threat develops nearby.

Character interactions

• Tang Yan’s thoughts about Xu Zhenzhen and the old cultivator unsettle the crowd, especially her admirers Qiu Ziyuan and Gu Qingling.
• Gu Qingling’s discomfort is intensified by his friends’ teasing and by the sudden disgust of female disciples who admire him.
• Xiao Jixue explains why the leaders leave, connecting Tang Yan’s revelation to the sect’s investigation.
• The gathered disciples collectively hope to witness the scandal, even as the Peak Masters rush to deal with the real danger.

Plot points and events

• Xiao Jixue tells Tang Yan that their master has summoned him to Pill Peak. Tang Yan eagerly agrees, hoping to see the dramatic events he has heard about.
• Tang Yan grabs Xiao Jixue’s hand. Xiao is unexpectedly affected by the touch and, despite trying to calm himself, squeezes it back. His affection for Tang Yan rises by 20, reaching 50.
• Feng Sheng, Li Mo, and Cui Yishu join them after hearing that a demonic aura has appeared at Pill Peak. Their departure sparks a rush: disciples abandon the tournament matches, and even elders and competitors hurry off to see the commotion.
• At Pill Peak’s Shadow Prison, Fu Shouci and the other Peak Masters spot and immobilize a middle-aged inner sect elder whom they suspect is a Demon Clan double agent. Repeated examinations reveal nothing unusual about her, leaving them unsure whether her concealment is exceptionally good or they have seized the wrong person.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Jixue is increasingly affected by Tang Yan’s touch and appearance, though he tries to explain away his attraction and remains confused by his own reactions.
• Tang Yan interprets their charged handclasp as ordinary brotherly affection and is eager to witness the unfolding “drama.” He encourages Xiao to hurry.
• Feng Sheng, Li Mo, and Cui Yishu join the expedition, sharing the group’s curiosity and concern.
• Fu Shouci, Xu You, and the Peak Masters act quickly on suspicion but are unsettled when their target shows no detectable demonic traits.
• The wider sect becomes comically caught up in the prospect of spectacle, abandoning formal duties and matches to follow the commotion.

Significant themes

• Romantic tension and dramatic irony: Xiao’s feelings deepen while Tang Yan mistakes his response for simple friendship.
• Curiosity and spectacle: The sect’s disciples—and even elders—prioritize the promised drama over the tournament.
• Suspicion and uncertainty: The suspected spy’s flawless concealment raises doubts about the group’s ability to identify the Demon Clan threat.

Plot points and events

• Xiao Jixue and other disciples arrive to see what is happening. They identify the bound Elder Sun as a suspected Demon Clan spy and quietly gather around Tang Yan to protect him.
• Tang Yan’s thoughts reveal that Elder Sun was possessed by a Demon Clan departed soul more than a decade ago. She exposed herself by intervening to save Xu Zhenzhen.
• The revelation alarms Fu Shouci and Liang Qiu: even dead Demon Clan members may be able to possess cultivators without detection, potentially putting many survivors of the ancient war at risk.
• Tang Yan reveals that Xu Zhenzhen is the Demon Saint: a male soul inhabits her female body alongside her own soul, with each able to control it at different times.
• More gossip clarifies that the Demon Saint—not Xu Zhenzhen’s female soul—is romantically interested in Nangong Lin and has targeted both men and women around him. This devastates Gu Qingling, who fears the Demon Saint may have controlled Xu Zhenzhen during their relationship.
• Fu Shouci orders Elder Sun kept securely imprisoned and insists the information remain secret. He then enters the Shadow Prison to inspect Xu Zhenzhen, with the curious disciples following.
• As they approach Xu Zhenzhen’s cell, the group hears an increasingly clear, “unmentionable” sound; the chapter ends there.

Character developments and interactions

• Fu Shouci shifts from investigating one spy to recognizing a potentially widespread possession threat. He also suspects spies cannot hear Tang Yan’s revealing inner thoughts, which could give the sect an advantage.
• Tang Yan unintentionally exposes crucial secrets through his inner monologue, while Xiao Jixue and the others protect him.
• Gu Qingling is shaken by the possibility that the Demon Saint, rather than Xu Zhenzhen, controlled her during their past relationship. Qiu Ziyuan, who also loves Xu Zhenzhen, is similarly rattled.
• The disciples and Pill Peak members balance security concerns with intense curiosity, reacting to the revelations with shock, embarrassment, and teasing.

Significant themes

• Hidden identities and divided selves: Xu Zhenzhen’s body houses two souls with different identities and feelings.
• Possession and infiltration: The Demon Clan’s departed souls may pose a threat even after death.
• Knowledge as both danger and advantage: Tang Yan’s private revelations expose secrets, but may also help the sect identify enemies.
• Gossip and comedy amid danger: The group’s scandalized reactions contrast with the serious threat facing the sect.

Key plot points and events

• In the Shadow Prison, Xu Zhenzhen and the Demon Saint attempt to possess a weakened Divine Incarnation cultivator. The Demon Saint blames Xu for their predicament, but the possession is interrupted when Fu Shouci and the others arrive.
• Fu Shouci restrains the old man. Xiao Jixue shields Tang Yan from the disturbing sight, while the rest of the group gets an unobstructed—and unpleasant—look.
• The Demon Saint retreats inside Xu Zhenzhen, allowing her to regain control. She tearfully begs her father, Xu You, to release her, claims she won’t trouble her younger sister Wei Lianyi, and apologizes. She also tries to enlist the Pill Peak disciples’ sympathy.
• Xu You and the disciples see through her performance and refuse to help. Xu tells her she must remain imprisoned until he investigates. Xu’s attempt to lunge after him fails when the closing cell door knocks her back.
• Outside the prison, Xu You reports the red glow in the old man’s eyes and suspects demonic possession. Tang Yan’s thoughts reveal that Xu Zhenzhen’s future crimes could include mass murder, draining the sect’s Spirit Vein, and nearly killing her father. Fu Shouci and Xu You are horrified by these revelations.

Character developments

• Xu Zhenzhen shifts from an attempted accomplice in possession to a practiced, tearful victim when discovered. Her hatred of Wei Lianyi remains beneath the act.
• The Demon Saint is impatient and contemptuous of Xu, but cautious enough to conceal himself when powerful cultivators arrive.
• Xu You recognizes that he once allowed Xu Zhenzhen to deceive him; he now distrusts her and keeps her imprisoned.
• Tang Yan remains the group’s sharp-eyed, irreverent commentator, whose knowledge of the future exposes the scale of the danger.
• Xiao Jixue shows protective concern for Tang Yan by preventing him from looking into the cell.

Significant themes

• Deception and belated recognition: Xu Zhenzhen’s victim act no longer works because those around her have learned to question her.
• Hidden danger and foreknowledge: Tang Yan’s knowledge reveals threats far beyond the immediate possession attempt.
• Trust, guilt, and accountability: Xu You confronts his past credulity, while the group chooses investigation and caution over sentiment.

Character interactions

• The Demon Saint and Xu trade blame and insults while cooperating in the possession attempt.
• Xu Zhenzhen appeals to Xu You, Wei Lianyi, and the Pill Peak disciples, but receives no sympathy.
• Xiao Jixue gently but firmly shields Tang Yan; Tang Yan’s silent thoughts provide comic relief amid the tense discovery.
• Xu You steadies the shaken Fu Shouci after Tang Yan’s revelations, as the leaders grasp the possible threat Xu Zhenzhen poses to the sect.

Key plot points and events

• The Peak Masters react with fury to the revelations about Xu Zhenzhen: she drained the sect’s spirit vein and had considered killing her father, Xu You. They leave to deal with the immediate crisis, taking the Divine Incarnation and the injured woman with them.
• Tang Yan reflects on his own grim fate in the book: he was to be mutilated, exploited for his blood and spiritual power, and ultimately annihilated. He is relieved Xiao Jixue saved him before Xu Zhenzhen could ensnare him.
• Tang Yan recognizes Pill Peak prodigy Gu Qingling and reveals, through his thoughts, that Gu and Qiu Ziyuan—both devoted to Xu Zhenzhen—will later be manipulated and abused by her and the Demon Saint. Qiu is eventually killed alongside the Demon Saint.
• The disciples and cultivators overhear Tang Yan’s supposedly private thoughts. Gu and Qiu are horrified and mortified, while the crowd treats the revelations as irresistible gossip.
• The system adds that Xu Zhenzhen and the Demon Saint once coveted Tang Yan too, but the author abandoned that storyline. Tang Yan’s relief at having escaped their attention quickly disappears.
• Tang Yan leaves with Xiao Jixue, while Gu and Qiu are left devastated by their exposed futures. An alluring Artifact Peak cultivator teases them on his way past, making their distress worse.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Yan remains oblivious to the audience for his inner thoughts. His relief at being saved turns into shock when the system reveals he too had attracted dangerous attention.
• Xiao Jixue feels deeply relieved that he rescued Tang Yan, and stays close as they depart.
• Li Mo, Feng Sheng, Cui Yishu, and Wei Lianyi grow protective of Tang Yan, resolving to provide medicine, talismans, formations, or other lifesaving resources.
• Gu Qingling and Qiu Ziyuan shift from uneasy curiosity to panic and humiliation as their futures are exposed. They comfort one another, but the crowd’s laughter and the Artifact Peak cultivator’s flirtation leave them more alarmed.
• The Peak Masters share a cold, vengeful view of Xu Zhenzhen, though they postpone acting against her while she may still be useful.

Significant themes

• Fate and foreknowledge: Knowledge of the characters’ future suffering changes how others view and protect them.
• The danger of devotion to Xu Zhenzhen: Her admirers are portrayed as vulnerable to manipulation, exploitation, and ruin.
• Privacy and unintended exposure: Tang Yan’s inner monologue becomes public gossip, turning private fears into humiliating spectacle.
• Dark comedy: Grim prophecies are undercut by the crowd’s delighted reactions and the increasingly miserable responses of Gu and Qiu.

Key plot points and events

• After capturing a Demon Clan spy near Pill Peak’s Shadow Prison, Sect Leader Fu Shouci orders a discreet investigation across the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. The inquiry will focus on peak administrators and Golden Core disciples, review suspicious incidents from the past decade, and strengthen the prison’s formations.
• Fu agrees that Tang Yan can visit the peaks to help uncover information about the demons, assigning the task to Ji Xue.
• Because Tang Yan has lost his cultivation, Fu decides he needs a personal bodyguard. The Peak Masters eagerly volunteer, but Fu assigns them to guard Tang in seven-day shifts, beginning with Ten Thousand Swords Peak. Fei Zhong will cover for Nangong, who is in seclusion. Tang must not realize he is being protected.
• The leaders also devise a plan to use Xu Zhenzhen and Jiang Liu’er to draw out the hidden spies.
• Liang Qiu asks to take Tang Yan to the Divine Medicine Sect. Fu declines for now, but agrees they may bring him to the Two-Sect Grand Competition there in a month.
• Fu urges Liang Qiu to launch an internal investigation at his own sect and notify the Human Region’s other major sects and organizations. They also consider alerting other regions, though relations with the Demon Region are too hostile for easy cooperation.

Character developments and interactions

• Fu Shouci takes decisive steps to protect the sect and prepare for the Demon Clan’s return. Though stern about the investigation, he is clearly anxious about Tang Yan’s safety.
• The Peak Masters reveal an unexpectedly competitive, gossip-driven enthusiasm for guarding Tang Yan. Their childish bickering prompts Fu to scold them and impose an orderly rotation.
• Liang Qiu shares Fu’s concern about the spies and offers to protect Tang Yan, then agrees to begin an investigation at the Divine Medicine Sect.
• Fu and Liang Qiu work as allies, coordinating security across sects while recognizing the limits imposed by worsening human-demon relations.

Significant themes

• Unity and vigilance: The threat requires coordinated investigations within and between sects.
• Protective care: Tang Yan’s vulnerability brings out the leaders’ concern, even as they try to conceal it from him.
• Political mistrust: Once-friendly relations between humans and demons have deteriorated, complicating preparations for a renewed invasion.

Plot points and events

• After returning to Purple Dawn Peak, Tang Yan goes to his room while Xiao Jixue brews the Enlightenment Tea for Li Mo, Feng Sheng, and Cui Yishu.
• Xiao Jixue warns the disciples about a Demon Clan spy in the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and urges those with families in the Cultivation World to alert them. He then orders all three to attend daily cultivation practice at Purple Dawn Peak, worried that they are neglecting their training.
• Tang Yan presents Xiao Jixue with a belated birthday gift: a jade hairpin he carved himself, decorated with a dragon and a Silver-Ink Crystal.
• Xiao Jixue treasures the simple gift, and Tang Yan’s system reports that Xiao Jixue’s affection for him has risen by 50 points, reaching 100.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Jixue becomes more protective and strict, driven by his concern about the looming danger and his belief that the disciples face a grim future. The gift clearly touches him, and his usually cool manner softens toward Tang Yan.
• Tang Yan is pleased that Xiao Jixue likes his handmade present, but finds himself unsettled by how strongly he reacts to Xiao Jixue’s smile.
• Feng Sheng eagerly interprets Xiao Jixue’s tenderness and attachment to Tang Yan as romantic, but Li Mo and Cui Yishu miss her hints entirely. Their concern that she may have something wrong with her eyes leaves her exasperated.
• Li Mo and Feng Sheng agree to warn their families. Cui Yishu, a princess of the Mortal World, has no comparable danger to relay: the Demon Clan has little reason to target the spiritually barren Mortal Region.

Significant themes

• Approaching danger and responsibility: The Demon Clan threat makes cultivation and preparedness urgent.
• Affection expressed through ordinary gestures: Tang Yan’s handmade, seemingly modest gift means more to Xiao Jixue than grand spiritual treasures.
• Romantic possibility and comic misunderstanding: Xiao Jixue’s softened attention and Tang Yan’s unexplained flutter of feeling fuel Feng Sheng’s matchmaking fantasies, while the others remain oblivious.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Jixue asks Tang Yan what he wants for dinner. Since Tang Yan dislikes Fasting Pills, Xiao has learned to cook and now prepares all three meals for him.
• Tang Yan casually orders several dishes, astonishing their fellow disciples, who had assumed Xiao disliked domestic chores. Feng Sheng suspects the pair are romantically involved and invites herself—and the others—to dinner.
• Over the meal, Feng Sheng watches Xiao and Tang Yan closely, becoming increasingly convinced of her theory. Cui Yishu mistakes Feng Sheng’s expressive twitches for a medical problem and plans to secretly make her medicine.
• Back in his room, Tang Yan learns he can unlock the system’s points shop by exchanging affection points earned from Xiao. He agrees; the exchange reduces Xiao’s affection to zero, but opens the shop.
• Tang Yan hopes the shop might sell a phone, but it only offers stocked items, mostly cultivation resources. He asks about the Life-Bone Divine Lotus, which could restore his spiritual root and grant exceptional talent. It costs one million points—requiring 500,000 of Xiao’s affection points.
• The system reminds him that the lotus may still be obtainable through a Lesser Secret Realm in the Eastern Region, as in the original plot. Tang Yan regains hope.

Character development

• Xiao Jixue shows care through practical devotion: he learns to cook for Tang Yan and finds genuine satisfaction in doing so.
• Tang Yan remains restless and frustrated by his inability to cultivate, but quickly moves past disappointment and focuses on the possibility of finding the lotus through the original storyline.
• Feng Sheng becomes more certain that Xiao and Tang Yan share a romantic connection.
• Cui Yishu shows concern for Feng Sheng, though she misreads her behavior as a health issue.

Significant themes

• Affection and care expressed through everyday acts: Xiao’s cooking reveals more than grand declarations would.
• Comedy from misunderstandings: Feng Sheng’s matchmaking suspicions and Cui Yishu’s mistaken diagnosis add humor.
• Hope amid uncertainty: The shop’s steep price threatens Tang Yan’s plans, but the possibility of a secret-realm opportunity gives him another path.
• System-driven ambition: Tang Yan’s recovery and future cultivation are tied to both affection points and the unfolding plot.

Character interactions

• Xiao thoughtfully cooks the dishes Tang Yan requests, while their ease together draws the others’ attention.
• Feng Sheng teases herself over the pair’s apparent closeness and persuades the group to stay for dinner.
• Tang Yan exchanges Xiao’s affection for points, then consults the system about the lotus and learns of a possible alternative route to obtaining it.

• Tang Yan accompanies Xiao Jixue to Talisman Peak, admitting he would be bored without him. Xiao is pleased, and his affection for Tang rises by three points. Feng Sheng and the other disciples, having overheard Tang’s thoughts, beg to come along for the gossip; Xiao lets them attend after making them continue training in the afternoon.
• As they travel, Xiao detects a hidden presence and realizes a senior martial uncle is secretly guarding Tang on the sect leader’s orders. Fei Zhong, the concealed protector, is startled to discover that Xiao has already advanced from mid to late Nascent Soul. After confirming the progress is stable, Fei takes pride in Xiao’s talent.
• Talisman Peak’s competition draws a large crowd, including disciples and secretly watching elders and peak masters. Deputy Peak Master Li Rong presides because the peak master is away. Tang spots Pill Peak disciples Gu Qingling and Qiu Ziyuan among the contestants. They fear he will expose more gossip, but he says nothing; the spectators who missed the previous day’s revelations regret being out of the loop.
• Artifact Peak’s Master Ye Sheng arrives to watch the competition. Just as he sits beside Li Rong, Tang’s inner voice hints that Ye has juicy gossip. The bored crowd immediately becomes excited, and Li Rong eagerly turns toward his friend, setting up the next revelation.
  Character developments and interactions: Xiao’s feelings for Tang deepen slightly, while his rapid cultivation impresses Fei Zhong and reinforces the sect’s view of him as an exceptional prodigy. Tang’s knack for drawing people together through his unfiltered inner thoughts turns even a routine competition into a gossip event. Gu and Qiu remain anxious around him, while the disciples and elders alike eagerly await what he might reveal.
  Themes: The chapter uses comedic dramatic irony—Tang’s private thoughts are effectively public—to drive suspense and humor. It also highlights Xiao’s growing strength, the sect’s protective concern for Tang, and the community’s shared appetite for gossip.

Key plot points and events

• Tang Yan’s system exposes Martial Uncle Ye Sheng’s private habit of wearing women’s enchanted robes and applying makeup. Ye Sheng is mortified, while Xi Tong’s warning prevents him from stopping Tang Yan from revealing it.
• The gossip draws teasing from Ye Sheng’s peers, including Li Rong, Jiang Mei, and Xu You, and attracts the attention of the disciples watching below.
• Tang Yan reveals that three years earlier Ye Sheng, dressed as a woman, encountered his eldest disciple, Dong Yi, while out admiring the moon. Dong Yi fell in love with him at first sight and has spent the years searching for the woman.
• Dong Yi realizes that the woman he fell for was his own master. Though he briefly shows a dark, determined side, he quickly resumes his innocent, obedient manner in front of Ye Sheng.
• Yuan Bao recognizes Dong Yi’s intentions and worries for Ye Sheng. The chapter ends as Tang Yan uncovers more of Ye Sheng’s backstory, just as Ye Sheng insists inwardly that the habit had a reason.

Character developments

• Ye Sheng is embarrassed by the public exposure and frustrated that his reputation as a dignified cultivator and strict master is being undermined. He also resents the assumption that the habit was simply a fetish.
• Dong Yi reveals a hidden, possessive streak beneath his harmless appearance and now knows his beloved woman was Ye Sheng.
• Yuan Bao shows that he understands his senior brother’s true nature and is wary of Dong Yi’s interest in their master.
• Tang Yan takes gleeful delight in broadcasting the gossip, while the system Xi Tong supplies the revelations.

Significant themes

• Public image versus private identity: Ye Sheng’s noble reputation clashes with his concealed hobby.
• Gossip and unintended consequences: A private secret becomes public entertainment, affecting how friends and disciples see him.
• Appearance versus reality: Dong Yi’s innocent demeanor masks a more calculating side.
• Misunderstood motives: Ye Sheng hints that his cross-dressing had a reason beyond personal preference.

Character interactions

• Ye Sheng silently glares at Tang Yan but cannot stop the revelations because of Xi Tong’s warning.
• His peers tease him and offer women’s robes, prompting his flustered denials.
• Dong Yi presents a meek face to Ye Sheng despite his private resolve, while Yuan Bao watches with alarm.
• The other cultivators and disciples react with shock, curiosity, and amusement as Ye Sheng’s secret unfolds.

Plot points and events

• Gossip reveals that Ye Sheng’s long-standing habit of wearing women’s clothes and applying makeup is tied to his deceased lover, Su Ningzhen. The robes were chosen in styles and colors she liked.
• The revelation reminds the other Peak Masters that Ye once returned from his travels devastated and nearly took his own life. Their sect leader stopped him, though they had not known Su Ningzhen was the reason.
• Dong Yi reacts with intense jealousy, crushing his teacup and privately resenting Ye’s devotion to a woman. He takes comfort in the fact that Su Ningzhen is dead and thinks Ye can now belong only to him.
• The disciples’ competition continues. Xiao Jixue enters, aiming for the prize, and Tang Yan enthusiastically predicts he will win.
• Tang Yan asks the system about his mission to win Xiao Jixue over. The system explains that completion depends on Xiao’s importance score for him, currently 300—still short of the required threshold. When they communicate, the system’s voice becomes unintelligible buzzing to everyone else.
• Xiao Jixue works on a talisman at his station. Tang Yan admires his looks, and Xiao gains affection for him—first 5 points, then 20 more—because he is pleased that Tang Yan is the one praising and watching him.

Character developments

• Ye Sheng: His feminine dress and makeup are revealed as an expression of grief and remembrance, adding a tragic history to his character.
• Dong Yi: His possessiveness and jealousy become more overt, contrasting sharply with Ye’s enduring devotion to his late lover.
• Tang Yan: He remains focused on his mission but also openly admires Xiao Jixue, seemingly without realizing how much his attention affects him.
• Xiao Jixue: Though usually uncomfortable with attention to his appearance, he finds Tang Yan’s admiration gratifying and grows warmer toward him.
• Feng Sheng: She is delighted by both the gossip and the apparent romantic tension between Tang Yan and Xiao.

Significant themes

• Love, grief, and remembrance: Ye’s clothing preserves the memory of Su Ningzhen and hints at the depth of his loss.
• Jealousy and possessiveness: Dong Yi’s response turns another person’s past love into a source of resentment and control.
• Affection and hidden feelings: Xiao’s increasing attachment is sparked by Tang Yan’s sincere admiration, while Tang Yan remains uncertain about the system’s measures of progress.
• Gossip and private thoughts: Characters’ unspoken reactions shape the scene as much as the events they witness.

Character interactions

• The Peak Masters and others react with surprise to Ye’s history, while Dong Yi silently seethes.
• Tang Yan encourages Xiao before his match and later admires him from the sidelines; Xiao responds with increased affection.
• Yuan Bao notices Dong Yi’s crushed teacup and cautiously moves away.
• Feng Sheng interprets Tang Yan’s admiration as romantic and excitedly shares the audience’s fascination with the pair.

Plot points and events

• Tang Yan’s system reveals that Ye Sheng’s first love, whom he believed dead, was Su Ningzhen. The gossip claims Ye Sheng mourned him so deeply that he dressed in women’s clothes and wore the makeup Su Ningzhen liked.
• The gathering reacts with barely suppressed laughter and curiosity. Ye Sheng is mortified, while his disciple Dong Yi privately imagines dressing up to win his master’s affection.
• Tang Yan then discovers a startling twist: Su Ningzhen is alive—and is actually Su Ning, the celebrated Holy Son of the Greenwood Sect in the Northern Domain.
• The revelation stuns Ye Sheng and everyone listening. Before Tang Yan can learn how Su Ningzhen became Su Ning, Ye Sheng abruptly leaves, claiming the sect leader summoned him.
• Those present suspect Ye Sheng is heading north to confront Su Ning. Dong Yi crushes another teacup, and Yuan Bao anticipates more trouble on Artifact Peak.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Sheng shifts from embarrassed restraint to shock, then hastily departs upon learning his first love is alive.
• Tang Yan remains absorbed in the system’s gossip, first laughing at Ye Sheng’s supposed mourning ritual, then voicing everyone’s astonishment at Su Ningzhen’s identity.
• Dong Yi grows jealous at the prospect of Su Ning reclaiming Ye Sheng’s attention and fantasizes about becoming Ye Sheng’s preferred partner. Yuan Bao keeps his distance, wary of Dong Yi’s behavior.
• The onlookers share reactions through concealed laughter, intense curiosity, and jokes about handsome men choosing other men as partners.

Significant themes

• Rumor and misunderstanding: The group treats private grief as gossip, and the revelation overturns what Ye Sheng believed about his first love.
• Jealousy and romantic competition: Dong Yi’s possessiveness surfaces as he imagines competing with Su Ning for Ye Sheng.
• Comedy through contrast: Ye Sheng’s dignified image clashes with the ridiculous, intimate story circulating about him, while the crowd’s reactions heighten the farce.

Key plot points and events

• After learning that Su Ning is alive, Ye Sheng abruptly leaves Talisman Peak to seek him in the Northern Domain. He hopes for an explanation after fifty years apart, but fears Su Ning may reject him or have found someone else.
• Dong Yi vows not to give up on Ye Sheng and privately resolves to take him from Su Ning, buoyed by his powerful family and the expert assigned to protect him.
• Meanwhile, Tang Yan’s system reveals the history of Ye Sheng and Su Ning’s relationship. The gathered cultivators eagerly listen, turning the gossip into a lively drinking-and-snacking session.
• The story recounts several chance meetings between the pair: Ye Sheng develops feelings for Su Ning whether Su Ning is disguised as a man or a woman; after a painful rejection and separation, their paths cross repeatedly. On their fourth encounter, they become a couple. Su Ning then falls into an evil cultivator’s scheme and agrees to let Ye Sheng save him.
• The crowd is thrilled by the revelations, but the excerpt ends just as Tang Yan’s next thought leaves them staring in shock.

Character developments

• Ye Sheng moves from uncertainty and fear to determined hope, deciding that he must see Su Ning and hear the truth.
• Dong Yi reveals intense possessiveness and jealousy. His devotion to Ye Sheng is genuine, but he treats Su Ning as a rival to be removed.
• Tang Yan reacts to the system’s account with amused commentary, while unintentionally entertaining everyone else.
• The listeners become increasingly invested: Jiang Mei, Xu You, and others settle in for the gossip; Feng Sheng is especially excited by the romance.

Significant themes

• Love and identity: Ye Sheng falls for Su Ning in different appearances, suggesting his feelings transcend gender presentation.
• Fate and repeated encounters: The pair keep meeting despite separations and disguises, making their relationship seem destined.
• Longing, jealousy, and rivalry: Ye Sheng fears losing Su Ning, while Dong Yi’s jealousy turns his affection into possessiveness.
• Gossip as communal entertainment: Private romantic history becomes a spectacle that draws the group together—and embarrasses those involved.

Character interactions

• Ye Sheng’s remembered relationship with Su Ning contrasts with Dong Yi’s fantasy of marrying Ye Sheng himself.
• The gathered disciples tease Ye Sheng’s hidden romantic past and enthusiastically root for the couple.
• Jiang Mei and the others share wine and snacks while listening; Li Rong even abandons his duties to join them.
• Dong Yi silently rejects the group’s hopes for Ye Sheng and Su Ning to reunite, setting up a potential conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Sheng’s scandalous past is revealed: he fell deeply in love with Su Ning, only to discover that his beloved was a man. The revelation shocked him into silence.
• Despite learning the truth, Ye Sheng eventually cured Su Ning’s poison. Su Ning then used the Greenwood Sect’s Memory-Sealing Mirror to erase Ye Sheng’s memories of that period and fled.
• The disciples realize Su Ning was also responsible for later trying to make Ye Sheng give up by arranging a crowd of attractive men, women, and even merfolk to confess to him.
• While the senior disciples discuss the story in an isolated area, Tang Yan and the assembled disciples struggle to suppress their laughter. Gu Qingling is especially embarrassed when he laughs so hard that a snot bubble appears.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Sheng is portrayed as devoted and forgiving: even after the shock of discovering Su Ning’s identity, he still helped him.
• Su Ning remains ambiguous. His time with Ye Sheng suggests affection, but his flight and elaborate attempts to discourage Ye Sheng make his feelings unclear.
• Jiang Mei and Xu You enjoy teasingly speculating about Ye Sheng’s past.
• Dong Yi condemns Su Ning for accepting Ye Sheng’s care and then running away.
• Yuan Bao, watching the increasingly tense Eldest Senior Brother, imagines a romantic rivalry involving the Master, the Holy Son, and the senior brother. He wonders whether the senior brother truly likes the Master or the Holy Son.
• Gu Qingling and Qiu Ziyuan, already targets of gossip, are embarrassed when the disciples’ thoughts turn back to them.

Significant themes

• Love, identity, and memory: Ye Sheng’s affection survives a startling revelation, while Su Ning’s decision to erase his memories complicates the meaning of their relationship.
• Uncertainty in romance: Su Ning’s mixed signals and the disciples’ speculation leave his true feelings unresolved.
• Gossip and embarrassment: The chapter uses the contrast between solemn faces and barely suppressed laughter for comic effect.
• Self-protection: The disciples jokingly conclude that, given the number of people supposedly pursuing members of their sect, they must protect their chastity while traveling.

Plot points

• Tang Yan watches Wei Lianyi enter a talisman-making competition and is surprised by her skill, reflecting that she will become a renowned master of alchemy, arrays, talismans, and even artifact refinement.
• The spectators are amazed and proud of Wei. Her future accomplishments attract intense admiration, while she feels awkward under everyone’s attention.
• Xiao Jixue sees Tang Yan gazing at Wei and, jealous without understanding why, asks whether Tang likes her. Tang denies it, and Xiao’s favorability toward him rises sharply.
• Tang’s private thought reveals that Wei’s destined partner is Nangong Lin. Xu You overhears this and rushes off in fury to confront Nangong, while the others react with alarm.
• Tang then wonders whether Xiao likes Wei and asks him directly. Xiao says no; Tang is visibly relieved, and Xiao’s favorability rises again.

Character developments and interactions

• Wei Lianyi is portrayed as an exceptionally gifted future heroine, though she remains modestly bewildered by Tang’s predictions. Curious about her future romance, she pauses her talisman work to listen.
• Xiao Jixue displays clear jealousy over Tang’s attention to Wei, then relaxes when Tang denies liking her. His shifting favorability scores underscore how strongly Tang’s reactions affect him.
• Tang Yan admires Wei’s talent but insists he has no romantic interest in her. His relief at Xiao’s denial hints at feelings he does not yet recognize.
• Xu You reacts protectively and furiously upon learning that Nangong Lin is Wei’s destined partner.
• Feng Sheng excitedly interprets Xiao’s behavior as unmistakable jealousy.

Significant themes

• Unrecognized romantic feelings: Xiao’s jealousy and Tang’s unexplained relief suggest mutual attachment neither has fully acknowledged.
• Fate and foreknowledge: Tang’s knowledge of Wei’s future achievements and romance shapes the reactions of those around him.
• Admiration over envy: The sect’s disciples respond to Wei’s extraordinary potential with pride and eagerness to befriend her rather than resentment.

Plot points

• Xiao Jixue confirms that the sect has set traps around Pill Peak’s Shadow Prison to catch Demon Clan spies. He and the others discuss the investigation in Tang Yan’s presence, hoping his thoughts will reveal useful clues.
• Tang Yan unknowingly identifies three future traitors among the supervising elders: Ding Liyun of Pill Peak, Chai Rong of Talisman Peak, and Lin Feng of Artifact Peak. He recalls that they will later harm talented disciples and help Xu Zhenzhen plot against the sect.
• Tang Yan advises Xiao Jixue to investigate influential, talented members—including those in the outer sect. Xiao agrees to report this to their master.
• Tang Yan then thinks that Wei Lianyi, the female lead, can sense demons and evil people through an instinctive feeling of revulsion. The group realizes this could provide an effective way to identify spies.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Jixue remains composed but becomes quietly determined after learning the elders’ names; the other disciples are shocked because those men seem kind and trustworthy.
• Tang Yan appears calm and offers sensible advice, unaware that his private thoughts are giving the others crucial intelligence.
• Wei Lianyi is initially bewildered by everyone staring at her, then remembers feeling repulsed by a woman who had been waiting near the Shadow Prison—confirming Tang Yan’s claim about her ability.
• Xiao Jixue and the other disciples conceal that they can hear Tang Yan’s thoughts, using their conversation to draw information from him.

Significant themes

• Hidden corruption: Demonic spies can disguise themselves as respected, capable members of the sect.
• Trust and appearances: The elders’ gentle reputations conceal future betrayal.
• Destiny and justice: Wei Lianyi’s role as the world’s embodiment of justice gives her an extraordinary instinct for detecting evil.
• Dramatic irony: Tang Yan’s private recollections guide the investigation, while he believes his unusual theory would sound unbelievable if spoken aloud.

Key events

• Xiao Jixue wins the minor competition with a twelfth-tier spirit talisman and claims the Clearlight Stone. He plans to make Tang Yan a hairpin in return for one Tang gave him.
• Tang Yan reflects that Xiao is extraordinarily talented and recalls that, in the original story, he eventually became a villain—but ultimately sacrificed himself to defeat the Demon Clan’s leader and save the continent. Xiao hears Tang call him a “villain” again, though he still does not know what it means.
• Acting on Tang Yan’s warning, the sect arrests several suspected Demon Clan agents, including Chai Rong, Lin Feng, Ding Liyun, and their disciples. Fu Shouci strengthens security at the Shadow Prison and brings Grand Elder Xu Yi out of seclusion.
• Xu Yi promptly beats his son, Xu You, for having lost his real daughter and cherished an impostor for decades. The sect’s leaders and disciples find the normally imposing Xu You’s punishment hilarious.
• Wei Lianyi joins the Law Enforcement Hall and receives secret protection. Tests confirm she reacts with revulsion to the Shadow Prison’s prisoners, but not to other people.
• Meanwhile, sect disciples invent and privately sell bizarre protective talismans and formations—including devices for guarding their backsides and other body parts. Fu Shouci orders the Law Enforcement Hall to crack down on the fad.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Jixue shows his affection for Tang Yan through his plan to make him a hairpin, while becoming increasingly curious about the future in which Tang supposedly turns evil.
• Tang Yan continues to guide the sect through what he knows, though he is baffled by the disciples’ strange new hobby.
• Fu Shouci and the sect leaders respond decisively to the spy threat, while Wei Lianyi takes on an active role in hunting it.
• Xu Yi and Xu You provide comic relief: Xu Yi’s fury over his son’s past mistakes erupts in a very public beating.

Significant themes

• Foreknowledge and prevention: Tang Yan’s knowledge helps expose infiltrators and protect the sect.
• Contradiction between reputation and fate: Xiao’s exceptional character is destined for villainy, yet his remembered final act is heroic.
• Vigilance amid outward calm: The sect’s leaders face a growing internal threat even as ordinary disciples see harmony.
• Comedy and absurdity: Serious security measures sit alongside the disciples’ ridiculous protective-gadget craze, undercutting the sect’s dignity.

Chapter summary

Three days after the Talisman Peak competition, Tang Yan, Feng Sheng, and Li Mo relax at Purple Dawn Peak. Feng Sheng receives a message from her mother: her brother, Feng Chen, has brought home Lü Rongrong, who is pregnant with his child, and their Dao Companion Ceremony will take place in a month. The ceremony conflicts with the Two-Sect Grand Competition, leaving Feng Sheng unsure which event to attend.
Tang Yan’s thoughts reveal that Feng Chen and the entire Feng Family are destined for a horrific end. Feng Sheng overhears him and is shaken, though she hides her distress by going to the kitchen. As Tang Yan questions his system, he learns that Lü Rongrong is the Immortal Silence Tower’s holy maiden, and that the tower is secretly colluding with remnants of the Demon Clan. Feng Sheng tells Eldest Senior Brother Xiao Jixue, who recognizes the danger; both are relieved that Tang Yan’s knowledge could help avert disaster.
Tang Yan then learns more about Lü Rongrong: she allegedly injured herself to lure Feng Chen into rescuing her, tried repeatedly to seduce him, and eventually won him through a scheme. The chapter ends as the system reveals another startling detail.

Character developments and interactions

• Feng Sheng shifts from weighing a family celebration against a sect competition to fearing for her family’s survival. She conceals her reaction but seeks help once she learns of the Immortal Silence Tower’s betrayal.
• Tang Yan remains focused on uncovering the story behind the events, unaware at first that Feng Sheng can hear his thoughts. His revelations make him a crucial source of advance warning.
• Li Mo notices Feng Sheng’s distress and reacts with concern; he is also unsettled by the revelations.
• Xiao Jixue takes the danger seriously and credits Tang Yan with exposing it before it becomes a crisis.
• Feng Sheng and Xiao Jixue share their alarm over the Tower’s alleged alliance with demonic forces.

Significant themes

• Fate and foreknowledge: Tang Yan’s knowledge of future tragedies may allow the characters to change them.
• Betrayal beneath respectability: A prestigious righteous sect may secretly serve evil forces.
• Family loyalty and impending danger: Feng Sheng’s personal plans are overshadowed by the threat to her family.
• Hidden intentions and manipulation: Lü Rongrong’s reported tactics suggest that appearances and romantic choices may conceal a larger scheme.

Key plot points and events

• Through Tang Yan’s internal narration and system-fed gossip, Feng Sheng and others learn that Lü Rongrong’s unborn child is not Feng Chen’s. Feng Chen married her out of responsibility, only to be poisoned by her and Feng Han for years; their betrayal drove him mad and helped lead to the Feng Family’s destruction.
• Lü Rongrong’s pattern extends well beyond Feng Chen: she allegedly deceived and ruined thirteen prominent heirs and young leaders across several regions.
• During breakfast, Tang Yan discovers that Lü Rongrong’s supposed “unattainable true love” is Li Mo. The revelation stirs up Li Mo’s buried memory of being abducted by her when he was fifteen and narrowly rescued by righteous cultivators.

Character developments

• Feng Sheng is furious on her brother’s behalf. She briefly tries to calm herself, then smashes the kitchen door in anger, but waits to hear more before acting against Lü Rongrong and Feng Han.
• Tang Yan remains absorbed in the scandalous revelations, casually sharing shocking details while eating, unaware of their effect on his companions.
• Li Mo recalls a traumatic incident he had suppressed for years. Thinking of Feng Sheng as the person who helped him recover, he renews his resolve to protect her at any cost.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and manipulation: Lü Rongrong and Feng Han exploit trust, harming Feng Chen and numerous others.
• The lasting effects of trauma—and the comfort and recovery that can come through close relationships.
• Dark events are played for comic effect through Tang Yan’s blunt, irreverent inner commentary and the group’s reactions.

Character interactions

• Feng Sheng and the others silently react to Tang Yan’s revelations, while his oblivious breakfast-table gossip disrupts the peaceful meal.
• Tang Yan’s sudden focus on Li Mo exposes Li Mo’s past, though Li Mo keeps his reaction outwardly restrained.
• Li Mo’s affectionate glance at Feng Sheng turns the revelation into a personal vow: he will not let her suffer as he once did.

Key plot points and events

• Before leaving Purple Dawn Peak, Tang Yan warns Feng Sheng that her brother’s lover, Lü Rongrong, may be untrustworthy. He recalls seeing her with the young pavilion master of Xiaoxiang Pavilion and cautions that greed for the Feng Family’s wealth and spirit-stone mines could put the family at risk. Xiao Jixue and Li Mo agree that one person can bring down an entire household.
• Feng Sheng takes the warning seriously and says she will investigate Lü Rongrong when she returns.
• Once she and Li Mo are alone in the air, Feng Sheng eagerly presses him to explain the embarrassing incident from ten years earlier that Tang Yan had mentioned. Li Mo refuses, fearing it will damage her impression of him.
• Feng Sheng guesses aloud that he once had a relationship with a “three-hundred-year-old hag.” Nearby disciples overhear and pursue the pair, hoping to learn the story.
• One gossip-hungry disciple flies too fast and crashes into the crowd, sending three disciples tumbling to the ground. They suffer an assortment of comic mishaps—including one being covered in liquid manure—but soon fly back up so they can keep listening.
• Li Mo finally stops and warns the gathered disciples not to repeat the “three-hundred-year-old hag” story, especially around his youngest junior brother. The disciples agree, partly because they fear the supernatural punishment that follows attempts to leak gossip.

Character developments and interactions

• Feng Sheng is curious, playful, and persistent with Li Mo, but also shows maturity by taking Tang Yan’s warning seriously.
• Tang Yan demonstrates concern for Feng Sheng and her family, carefully offering a potentially important warning despite uncertainty about how she will react.
• Li Mo is protective of his reputation and his secret, resisting Feng Sheng’s coaxing and later threatening the disciples into silence.
• Xiao Jixue and Li Mo support Tang Yan’s warning with examples of how a single person can endanger a family.
• The disciples’ eagerness to hear the rumor turns them into a literal flying crowd, creating a comic contrast between their appetite for gossip and their awkward attempts to conceal it from the youngest junior brother.

Significant themes

• Gossip and consequences: A rumor draws a crowd, causes a dangerous midair collision, and leaves everyone scrambling to hear more.
• Family vulnerability and greed: The warning about Lü Rongrong frames marriage and wealth as potential threats to the Feng Family.
• Reputation and secrecy: Li Mo would rather conceal an embarrassing past than risk losing his junior sister’s admiration.
• Comic irony: The disciples treat gossip as urgent business, while their efforts to hide it are governed by fear of supernatural punishment.