Recaps

Zhang Siyu defended the monsters she had met on Black Wind Mountain when her father and master, Zhang Xuanqing, demanded she repent for sparing them. She revealed that his hatred stemmed from her mother's death, but he still ordered her to keep kneeling, and Zhang Siyu resolved not to give up.

• Zhang Xuanqing questioned Zhang Siyu about what she had done wrong and condemned her for sparing the monsters she had encountered.
• Zhang Siyu defended Carp, Xiong Batian, Stone Spirit, and Wen Ning, but Zhang Xuanqing insisted that monsters and those who associated with them were evil.
• Zhang Siyu called Zhang Xuanqing Dad and told him that not all monsters were evil, but he disowned her for treating them as friends.
• Zhang Siyu reminded Zhang Xuanqing that a monster had killed her mother and argued that her mother had protected vulnerable beings, including monsters.
• Zhang Xuanqing ordered Zhang Siyu to keep kneeling and left the Ancestral Hall, while she resolved to wait for him to change his mind.

Zhang Qingxuan remembered how A Ning saved him, became his wife, and was killed by a Weasel Spirit while he was away. The memory explained why he had come to believe all monsters were evil, and he ended the chapter alone, unsure whether he could believe his daughter’s words that not all monsters were bad.

• Zhang Qingxuan recalled how A Ning had found him wounded after his battle with a Fox Demon and nursed him back to health.
• Zhang Qingxuan married A Ning, left Dragon-Tiger Mountain, and raised their daughter, Zhang Siyu, with her.
• After Zhang Qingxuan left to answer a report of a monster, he discovered that A Ning had been killed and that the report was a trap.
• Zhang Qingxuan pursued the Weasel Spirit, which took on A Ning’s appearance, but it escaped after he struck it with his sword.
• Zhang Qingxuan found six-year-old Zhang Siyu hiding in a wardrobe and held her as she cried for her mother.
• Zhang Qingxuan moved back to Dragon-Tiger Mountain and rejected anything connected to monsters, but later wondered whether he could believe Zhang Siyu’s claim that not all monsters were bad.

Zhang Siyu left home to work at Wen Ning’s shop after deciding to protect harmless monsters, while Wen Ning prepared for the Peach Banquet and made room for her arrival. He also learned that his godfather had signed him up to attend the banquet, where the Queen Mother would be present.

• Zhang Siyu left a letter for Zhang Qingxuan explaining that she was going down the mountain to protect monsters and had left the Ancestral Hall.
• Zhang Xuanqing found Zhang Siyu’s letter and read it before offering incense at the ancestral tablets.
• Zhang Siyu messaged Wen Ning that she had run away from home and asked to work at his shop, and he agreed to take her in the next morning.
• Lu Ming and Meng Jiang told Wen Ning that his name was on the Peach Banquet guest list, and Meng Jiang said she had applied for him to attend in ordinary clothes.
• Wen Ning bought a dark gray suit for the banquet, told his godfather he would dress properly, and prepared a place for Zhang Siyu to sleep.

Wen Ning hired Zhang Siyu as the Bathhouse’s new attendant, where she met the spirit-monster customers and grew comfortable among them. As Zhang Siyu settled in with Big Yellow, Big White, and Xiao Bai, Wen Ning kept thinking about the Peach Banquet.

• Zhang Siyu arrived at Wen Ning’s shop and agreed to work there after he explained that she would help bathe monsters, boil water, and hand out towels.
• The Weasel Old Man recognized something familiar in Zhang Siyu but could not recall what it was, and he entered the tub without explaining further.
• Wen Ning assigned Zhang Siyu her duties and told her to leave ordinary customers to him.
• Big Yellow brought Big White and Xiao Bai to the shop, and Zhang Siyu picked up and played with the puppy.
• Zhang Siyu said she still planned to slay monsters and demons but needed to learn how to tell them apart, while Wen Ning thought about the Peach Banquet.

Zhang Siyu settled into her new job at Wen Ning’s bathhouse, learning the customers’ preferences and keeping detailed profiles of the spirits. Wen Ning arranged a gift for the Peach Banquet and prepared to leave her in charge of the shop while he attended.

• Wen Ning gave Zhang Siyu an old peanut oil apron to wear as the bathhouse uniform, and Sparrow Spirit and Hedgehog Spirit encountered her at work.
• Xiong Batian arrived, mistook Zhang Siyu’s apron for something alarming, and learned she would be serving the monsters from Black Wind Mountain.
• Over the next few days, Zhang Siyu learned the bathhouse routines, remembered each customer’s preferences, and turned her notebook into a collection of customer profiles.
• Wen Ning told Zhang Siyu he would be away soon and asked her to run the shop while he finalized a gift for the Peach Banquet.
• Wen Ning asked the Heavenly Court Work Group for gift suggestions, and Meng Jiang ordered him a box of Underworld Black Sesame Cake to bring to the banquet.
• Wen Ning told the divine statue that his gift was settled and planned to attend the Peach Banquet the next day.

Wen Ning joined Wen Zhong and the Thunder Department officials on their way to the Peach Banquet, where he met several famous gods and immortals. He narrowly avoided being pulled into a chess match with the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning before the banquet began.

• Wen Ning dressed in his new suit, left Zhang Siyu to look after the shop, and flew to the Thunder Department office.
• Wen Ning arrived at the office, where Lu Ming showed off his Golden Silkworm Silk robe and Bai Lu and Meng Jiang commented on the outfits.
• Wen Zhong led Wen Ning, Lu Ming, Bai Lu, and Meng Jiang toward the Peach Banquet, introducing them to Yang Jian, Nezha, and the Elder of the South Pole along the way.
• Wen Ning hid behind Wen Zhong when they encountered the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning, who challenged him to another chess game after the banquet.
• Wen Zhong persuaded the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning to put away his chess pieces, and the group continued toward the banquet.

Wen Ning attended the Peach Banquet with the Thunder Department and watched the Queen Mother praise Wen Zhong for his service and his care for his godson. The Queen Mother toasted Wen Zhong, who returned to his seat and asked Wen Ning whether he liked the Jade Nectar.

• Wen Zhong led Wen Ning, Lu Ming, and Bai Lu to the Thunder Department's seats at the Jade Pool, while Meng Jiang went to the Underworld's seats.
• Wen Ning observed the assembled immortals as Nezha argued with Yang Jian and Lu Ming revealed that he had failed a Thunder Department exam.
• The Queen Mother arrived without the Jade Emperor, and fairy maidens distributed immortal peaches while Wen Ning sampled the Jade Nectar.
• The Queen Mother summoned Wen Zhong and praised the Thunder Department's work and Wen Ning's effect on the old gentleman.
• The Queen Mother toasted Wen Zhong for being a good godfather, and Wen Zhong returned to Wen Ning and asked if his Jade Nectar tasted good.

At the Peach Banquet, Wen Ning watched Nezha defeat Lu Ming in another drinking contest and received Yang Jian’s notes on the second level of the Eight-Nine Mysteries. The gathering ended with Wen Ning recording Lu Ming’s drunken defeat for Nezha.

• Nezha challenged Lu Ming to a drinking contest, and Bai Lu explained that Nezha had beaten him before.
• Yang Jian privately asked Wen Ning about his progress with the Eight-Nine Mysteries and gave him a jade slip of notes for its second level.
• Wen Ning returned to find Lu Ming passed out after Nezha drank two pots of wine and continued poking his antlers.
• Wen Ning warned Nezha that Lu Ming could complain about him, then filmed Lu Ming so he could see the defeat after sobering up.
• Nezha rewarded Wen Ning with an immortal fruit and asked him to call whenever Lu Ming bragged about drinking.

At the Peach Banquet, Wen Ning played chess against the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and learned that he carried a great responsibility, though neither he nor the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning explained what it was. The Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning recounted how he had let go of his hatred after the Investiture of the Gods War, and Wen Ning promised to help him win a game next year.

• The Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning took Wen Ning from the banquet to play chess beneath a pine tree with the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.
• Wen Ning lost to the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, who praised his composure and told him to keep up the good work because he bore a great responsibility.
• The Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning refused to explain Wen Ning's responsibility, saying that it could not be spoken of and that Wen Ning would learn in time.
• The Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning described how his teacher had made him reconsider his hatred of Chanjiao after the Investiture of the Gods War.
• Wen Ning told the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning that he would return to next year's Peach Banquet and help him win a game.

After the Queen Mother asked Wen Ning to find her missing swallow You Yan near Mount Tai within three days, Wen Ning enlisted Lu Ming to help. They set off for Mount Tai, planning to ask its birds for clues.

• Wen Zhong warned Wen Ning to watch over the mortal world, and the Queen Mother summoned Wen Ning to find her missing swallow, You Yan, near Mount Tai.
• The Queen Mother gave Wen Ning three days to find You Yan, whose distinguishing feature was a beautiful golden tail feather.
• Wen Ning returned to Lu Ming's office, woke him with a trick, and told him about the search.
• Lu Ming suggested asking the Titmouse Spirits on Mount Tai, especially their leader Little Gray, for help finding You Yan.
• Wen Ning and Lu Ming agreed to visit the Mount Tai Mountain God Office and flew toward Mount Tai.

Wen Ning and Lu Ming sought help from the Lord of Mount Tai to find the Queen Mother's missing Spirit Swallow. The mountain's best-informed bird had not seen it, so Wen Ning planned to keep searching around Mount Tai while Little Gray's flock watched for news.

• Lu Ming and Wen Ning repeated their cover story before entering the Mount Tai Mountain God Office, where the Lord of Mount Tai let Lu Ming's Peach Banquet boast pass without challenging him.
• Wen Ning explained that the Queen Mother had given him three days to find her white Spirit Swallow with gold tail feathers, and the Lord of Mount Tai agreed to help.
• The Lord of Mount Tai summoned Little Gray, who reported that no unfamiliar white swallow had appeared near Mount Tai.
• Wen Ning asked Little Gray to keep watch and report any news, while the bird promised to have the titmice under it search for clues.
• Lu Ming worried the swallow might not be on the mountain, but Wen Ning said they would continue searching nearby.

Wen Ning and Lu Ming learned from Mount Tai’s Land God about a suspicious artist with a faint Yao Qi, leading them to suspect You Yan had taken human form. They hurried toward the artist’s guesthouse, while Lu Ming speculated about why You Yan had left the Heavenly Court.

• After Little Gray failed to find any sign of You Yan, Wen Ning suggested asking Mount Tai’s land gods, and Lu Ming agreed.
• At a temple below the mountain, Lu Ming introduced Wen Ning to Uncle Li, a former Red Army soldier appointed Land God of Mount Tai.
• Uncle Li said he had not seen a white swallow but mentioned a demonic stranger who had recently arrived in the village to sketch.
• Wen Ning realized You Yan might have taken human form and could be the artist, so he thanked Uncle Li and headed down the mountain with Lu Ming.
• As they walked toward Old Liu’s Place, Lu Ming suggested several reasons You Yan might have run away, including falling in love with a mortal swallow.

Wen Ning and Lu Ming tracked down You Yan, who had left the Heavenly Court to paint swallows on Mount Tai. You Yan questioned whether his painted swallows could truly fly, and Wen Ning replied that they were only paintings.

• Wen Ning and Lu Ming reached the Mount Tai Liu Family Guesthouse and asked its owner about the painter with a drawing board.
• Lu Ming offered dried Lingzhi, but the owner dismissed it as rotten wood, so Wen Ning paid him two hundred yuan for information.
• The owner said You Yan had stayed there for several days and had gone to the wild lake east of the mountain that morning.
• Wen Ning and Lu Ming found You Yan painting swallows beside the lake and asked why he had come down from the Heavenly Court.
• You Yan asked whether the swallows he painted could fly high, and Wen Ning said they were still only painted on paper.

You Yan explained that he had been an ordinary swallow taken to the Heavenly Court because of his golden feather, where he was kept as a prized ornament without freedom. After pulling out the feather, he became an ordinary mortal swallow and asked Wen Ning to take him back to the Heavenly Court.

• You Yan tore up his painting of swallows, and Lu Ming gathered the scraps while reminding him not to litter.
• You Yan told Wen Ning that he had come to the mortal world because he longed for freedom from his restricted life at the Jade Pool.
• You Yan revealed that he had originally been an ordinary swallow with a golden tail feather, captured by an immortal and presented to the Queen Mother.
• You Yan pulled out his golden feather and transformed into a gray-brown swallow that could fly wherever he wished.
• You Yan landed in Wen Ning's palm and asked him to take him back to the Heavenly Court, so Wen Ning and Lu Ming set off with him.

Wen Ning brought You Yan before the Queen Mother, who stripped him of his cultivation but granted his wish to live as an ordinary swallow. Wen Ning released You Yan by a lake at Mount Tai, where he flew freely into the sky.

• Wen Ning entered the Queen Mother's hall with You Yan and explained that You Yan had descended to the mortal world.
• You Yan told the Queen Mother he wanted the freedom to live and fly like an ordinary swallow, not immortality or luxury.
• The Queen Mother removed You Yan's cultivation and Law Powers, making him mortal, then rewarded Wen Ning with a Peach of Immortality.
• Wen Ning and Lu Ming returned to Mount Tai, where Wen Ning released You Yan beside a lake.
• You Yan flew toward Mount Tai, and Wen Ning told Lu Ming he believed You Yan would not regret choosing freedom.
• Lu Ming gave Wen Ning Dried Lingzhi for Big Yellow, then returned to the Mount Tai Mountain God Office while Wen Ning headed back.

Wen Ning returned from the Heavenly Court to find Zhang Siyu running a thriving bathhouse with three tubs and a long line of monster customers. He rewarded her with a piece of the Peach of Immortality, revealed his new status as an official immortal, and left her resting as she absorbed the peach’s effects.

• Wen Ning returned to his bathhouse and was stopped from cutting in line because Zhang Siyu’s rules applied even to the owner.
• Zhang Siyu told Wen Ning that business had grown and that she had become the monsters’ preferred back scrubber while managing three tubs by herself.
• Wen Ning gave the exhausted Zhang Siyu a piece of the Peach of Immortality as thanks for her work.
• Zhang Siyu felt her cultivation improve after eating the peach, and Wen Ning explained that he had received it from the Queen Mother at the Peach Banquet.
• Wen Ning told Zhang Siyu that he was an official immortal, described meeting her ancestor Zhang Daoling, and explained that eating a peach could not grant someone an official position.
• Zhang Siyu ate the rest of her piece and went to rest while Wen Ning prepared to do the same.

Wen Ning’s shop settled into its routine as Gong Kai shared the tragic death of Chen Yang, who drowned saving a little girl. That evening, Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu invited Wen Ning to help them, while Zhang Siyu sensed their powerful yin energy and asked who was outside.

• Wen Ning watched Zhang Siyu manage the bathers while the Weasel Old Man criticized him for leaving her to do all the work.
• Gong Kai visited and announced that he and Hu Jiumei would marry on National Day, asking Wen Ning to officiate and Zhang Siyu to be a bridesmaid.
• Gong Kai told Wen Ning that Chen Yang had died saving a little girl and that her family had refused to show gratitude.
• Wen Ning explained that the family was avoiding the responsibility of feeling indebted, and Zhang Siyu later said someone should remember Chen Yang’s sacrifice for him.
• Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu arrived that evening to ask Wen Ning for help, and Zhang Siyu sensed their dense yin energy from inside the shop.

Xie Bi'an brought Wen Ning to the Underworld to serve as an interviewer for the City God Selection Examination. Wen Ning met fellow examiners Meng Po and the King of Hell as the examination preparations began.

• Zhang Siyu sensed the Underworld officials in Wen Ning's shop and warned him to be careful before returning upstairs.
• Xie Bi'an led Wen Ning into the Underworld and explained that Wen Ning had been chosen as an interviewer for the City God Selection Examination.
• Fan Wujiu said Wen Ning qualified as an officially appointed Heavenly Official and had proven his abilities through past cases.
• Xie Bi'an introduced Meng Po, who teased Wen Ning about his back-scrubbing skills and asked him to scrub her back.
• The King of Hell stopped Meng Po from teasing Wen Ning, and Meng Po said she would visit Wen Ning's shop another day.

Wen Ning learned that the City God candidates would be judged on their views about Zilu accepting a reward after saving a drowning man. Chen Yang, the young man who had died saving someone, made the top ten, and the interviews began, leaving Wen Ning to weigh the candidates’ character and suitability.

• Judge Lu explained that the ten highest-scoring candidates would answer the same interview question about Zilu saving a drowning man and accepting an ox.
• Xie Bi'an brought the written exam results, and Wen Ning spotted Chen Yang among the ten candidates after learning the Underworld had made an exception for him.
• The first candidates struggled to explain the story, and one elderly woman mistook Zilu for Xi Shi before arguing that rescuers should refuse rewards.
• A retired teacher argued that rewards could make good deeds transactional, then said a City God should foster kindness that came from the heart; Wen Ning gave him a decent score.
• A young soldier described accepting eggs from elderly villagers and sharing them with his comrades, earning a high score from Wen Ning, who still judged him too simplehearted for the City God role.

Chen Yang explained that he had rescued the drowning girl without expecting to die, and argued that good deeds mattered even when done for rewards. The examiners could not agree on the best City God candidate, so they chose Chen Yang and two others to serve as acting City Gods and be judged on real cases.

• Judge Lu questioned Chen Yang about Zilu and the girl he had saved, and Chen Yang admitted he had acted without thinking he would die.
• Wen Ning praised Chen Yang's rescue as an act of kindness and asked what he thought of the family who had failed to thank him; Chen Yang said they should be punished severely.
• Chen Yang told Judge Lu that people who saved others for rewards still did good through their actions.
• Meng Po favored the retired schoolteacher, the King of Hell favored the young soldier, and Wen Ning recommended Chen Yang because his experience of injustice made him value justice.
• Wen Ning proposed that the three candidates serve as acting City Gods and hear separate cases, and Judge Lu and the other examiners agreed.
• Wen Ning returned to the Bathhouse, told Zhang Siyu that the matter was nearly settled, and she went to bed.

Zhang Qingxuan visited the bathhouse and discovered that Wen Ning was an officially appointed Heavenly Court Thunder Department immortal. After learning about Wen Ning’s role and his connection to Dragon-Tiger Mountain, Zhang Qingxuan relaxed enough to let the Squirrel Spirit continue its bath.

• Zhang Qingxuan arrived at the bathhouse and was surprised to find Zhang Siyu washing the Squirrel Spirit among monster customers.
• Zhang Qingxuan recognized Wen Ning’s immortal energy, and Wen Ning confirmed he was a Heavenly Official of the Heavenly Court’s Thunder Department.
• Zhang Qingxuan apologized for his earlier discourtesy and asked Wen Ning whether he had met Dragon-Tiger Mountain’s predecessors.
• Wen Ning said he had met Zhang Daoling, while Zhang Siyu laughed at how formally her father behaved around Wen Ning.
• Wen Ning told Zhang Qingxuan that his intimidating presence was frightening the Squirrel Spirit, and Zhang Qingxuan allowed it to enjoy its bath.

Weasel Old Man revealed to Zhang Qingxuan and Zhang Siyu what happened when Zhang Qingxuan's wife, A Ning, died. Zhang Qingxuan learned that A Ning had taken her own life to save him and had asked Weasel Old Man to let him believe she was murdered; he was left weeping as Zhang Siyu sobbed.

• Weasel Old Man entered the shop and recognized Zhang Qingxuan, who said he had searched for him for over twenty years.
• Zhang Qingxuan accused Weasel Old Man of killing his wife, and Weasel Old Man admitted it was true.
• Weasel Old Man explained that Zhang Qingxuan's wife had once saved him when he was injured, and that he later sought revenge because Zhang Qingxuan had killed his fox-demon wife.
• Weasel Old Man recounted how A Ning offered her life for Zhang Qingxuan, then seized his blade and killed herself to save her husband.
• Weasel Old Man said A Ning had asked him to let Zhang Qingxuan believe she had been murdered, and reminded him that Zhang Siyu had survived because she was hiding in a wardrobe.
• Zhang Siyu sobbed on the floor while Zhang Qingxuan, overwhelmed by the truth, silently wept.

After Zhang Qingxuan learned that A Ning had died by suicide rather than being killed by monsters, he left the shop while Zhang Siyu and the Weasel Old Man struggled with the truth. Wen Ning discovered that A Ning’s soul had waited beside the Bridge of Helplessness for over twenty years, and learned he could take Zhang Qingxuan to see her.

• Zhang Qingxuan left the shop after realizing A Ning had protected him and he had blamed and killed the wrong monsters.
• Wen Ning gave Zhang Siyu the day off, and she promised the Squirrel Spirit she would return tomorrow.
• The Weasel Old Man told Wen Ning he was leaving because he did not know how to face Zhang Siyu after she learned the truth.
• Wen Ning told Wen Zhong what had happened, and Wen Zhong said Zhang Qingxuan’s pain might allow him to begin anew.
• Wen Ning asked Meng Jiang about A Ning and learned that her soul had refused reincarnation while waiting beside the Bridge of Helplessness.
• Meng Jiang told Wen Ning that he could take Zhang Qingxuan to see A Ning.

Wen Ning arranged for Zhang Qingxuan and Zhang Siyu to visit A Ning in the Underworld, where the family reunited after more than twenty years apart. After the meeting, Meng Jiang reminded Wen Ning that the assessment for Acting City God was about to begin.

• Wen Ning told Zhang Siyu that her mother, A Ning, was still waiting in the Underworld and offered to take her to see her.
• Zhang Siyu called Zhang Qingxuan, who turned back and hurried to the Bathhouse to join her.
• Wen Ning brought Zhang Qingxuan and Zhang Siyu to the Underworld with Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu, where Meng Po allowed the visit.
• Zhang Qingxuan and Zhang Siyu reunited with A Ning near the Bridge of Helplessness, and Zhang Qingxuan apologized for his past guilt and mistakes.
• Meng Jiang told Wen Ning that the assessment for Acting City God was about to begin.

After Zhang Qingxuan returned to Dragon-Tiger Mountain, Wen Ning examined the retired teacher’s first City God case, challenging his lenient verdict for a desperate robber. The retired teacher acknowledged that he was unsuited to the role and withdrew from the assessment.

• Zhang Qingxuan thanked Wen Ning for helping him reunite with A Ning, then returned to Dragon-Tiger Mountain after saying goodbye to Zhang Siyu.
• Xie Bi'an summoned Wen Ning to serve as an examiner in the City God assessment, where the retired teacher presided over Fang Zheng’s case.
• The retired teacher sentenced Fang Zheng to three months of labor at the City God Temple for robbing someone while desperate and poor.
• Wen Ning argued that excusing Fang Zheng’s crime out of sympathy would be unfair to the person he robbed and to law-abiding people facing poverty.
• The retired teacher admitted that moral guidance could not resolve every case and withdrew from the City God assessment.