Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Yang Qing refuses to reveal who he is to Pei Buji, keeping his answers guarded despite Pei’s sudden friendliness after trying to kill the group.
• Pei explains that the travelers caught his attention and produces a sack containing one of the covert attackers who had been following them since they left the Imperial City.
• Jiang Zhizhou recognizes the captive and kicks him for pursuing them.
• Pei demands to know what the man is carrying. The captive tries to crush a concealed pill, apparently intending to kill everyone, but Pei’s strange power turns his hand into jade-like stone and severs it without blood.
• When the captive resists again, Pei does the same to his other hand. Terrified, the man confesses that he serves Mo Feiyan, proprietor of the Heavenly Phoenix Tower.
• Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou are surprised: they had suspected the pursuer worked for Duan Ziqian or Duan Hongxing, and neither knows much about Mo Feiyan.
• Pei says Mo belongs to the long-quiet Mo Family and offers to explain further—but only on one condition.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing remains cautious and evasive with Pei, yet suspects the monk may not intend to harm them again and could even become an ally.
• Pei Buji shifts from apparent aggressor to curious, oddly sociable interrogator. His formidable, mysterious technique—and his willingness to use it—forces the captive to talk.
• Jiang Zhizhou recognizes and confronts the pursuer, while he and Yang Qing exchange their uncertainty about Mo Feiyan.
• The captive moves from attempted defiance and a plan to use a hidden poison pill to terrified cooperation after Pei mutilates both hands.

Significant themes

• Deception and concealed motives: Yang Qing hides his identity, the pursuer conceals a lethal pill, and Pei’s intentions remain uncertain.
• Power and coercion: Pei’s overwhelming martial skill dictates the encounter and compels the captive’s confession.
• Unexpected connections and shifting alliances: A man who seemed an enemy may offer help, while a seemingly minor pursuer reveals a new threat behind the scenes.

• Pei Buji’s condition: Pei Buji asks Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou to take him along when they leave. He gives no reason, but argues that they could not stop him if he intended them harm. They reluctantly agree, and he effortlessly joins them in their carriage.
• Mo Feiyan’s history: On the journey, Pei Buji tells them that Mo Feiyan, proprietor of the Heavenly Phoenix Tower, was a mysterious outsider who built the biggest restaurant business in Northern Liang. After a failed romance marked by deceit, the business declined and Mo disappeared from public view. He has been absent for about twenty years. Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou wonder why he has suddenly returned and sent people to watch them, especially since they have never met him. Yang Qing suspects Mo will not let the recent defeat of his men go unanswered, but decides their immediate priority is reaching North Mountain.
• Yang Qing’s worsening health: Exhausted from the perilous journey and the strain of their earlier visit to Spirit Mountain, Yang Qing’s strength gives way once he relaxes in the carriage. Jiang Zhizhou gives him a pill supplied by the Medicine Elder; it improves Yang Qing’s complexion, but he remains weak. They plan to rest properly in Qiri Town.
• Character developments and interactions: Jiang Zhizhou’s worry for Yang Qing is clear, though he accidentally speaks bluntly about Yang Qing’s limited time to live. Yang Qing responds calmly, urging him not to torment himself and holding on to the possibility of finding a cure. He jokes to ease Jiang Zhizhou’s anxiety, then asks Pei Buji for more information about Mo, sensing that the story is incomplete. Pei Buji remains secretive and self-assured, but agrees to continue explaining.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes uncertainty and trust: Pei Buji’s motives and Mo Feiyan’s sudden return remain unclear, so the group must proceed cautiously. It also explores mortality, hope, and the will to live, as Yang Qing accepts his condition while still entertaining the possibility of changing his fate.

Plot points and events

• Pei Buji tells Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou about Mo Feiyan, the reclusive proprietor of the Heavenly Phoenix Tower. Though Mo rarely appears, his business has become famous and expanded beyond Northern Liang.
• Pei reveals that the Heavenly Phoenix Tower is also known as the First Pavilion, a place Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou know from their time in Yan Prefecture. The connection raises questions: the tower supposedly disappeared years ago, yet the First Pavilion remained open.
• Pei correctly guesses that the group is heading to North Mountain, making Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou suspect he has been following them. They accept that he will accompany them, since they cannot easily stop him.
• As the group approaches Qiri Town, Pei proposes skipping it for a more interesting destination. He takes the reins from Bu Er and sets off to find food, promising that the young masters will not go hungry.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing remains outwardly calm but is alert to Pei’s knowledge and motives. He recognizes the significance of the First Pavilion and privately treats Pei with suspicion.
• Jiang Zhizhou shares Yang Qing’s surprise at the Pavilion’s connection to the tower and questions Pei about his proposed detour.
• Pei Buji is talkative, teasing, and self-assured. Though his motives remain unclear, he eases the carriage’s tense atmosphere and takes charge of the journey.
• Bu Er is wary of Pei’s whims but cooperates, handing over the whip to see what Pei has planned. Pei praises his obedience and offers to teach him some moves.

Significant themes

• Hidden identities and concealed connections: The First Pavilion’s link to the Heavenly Phoenix Tower challenges the claim that the tower has vanished.
• Trust and uncertainty: The travelers tolerate Pei despite suspecting he has been tracking them, because they lack the power to oppose him.
• Control and companionship on the road: Pei’s unexpected detour disrupts the group’s plans, but his humor and promise of food make the journey feel less tense.

Key plot points and events

• Pei Buji takes over driving and leads Yang Qing, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou off the main road along a hidden trail, without explaining where they are going.
• The three travelers fall asleep for half a day, waking after dark—an unexpectedly long rest that leaves them uneasy about how vulnerable they were.
• Pei offers them steamed buns from the renowned Heavenheart Restaurant and says he brought them somewhere for a special meal, though he will not explain what they are waiting for.
• After nearly two more hours, Pei decides the time is right. He throws a dagger into the seemingly empty grassland and strikes an unusual, round animal with a single horn.
• Pei identifies it as a Jiangli, a legendary creature associated with the Eastern Radiance Ancient Kingdom, said to taste delicious and prolong life. The others examine it with curiosity.

Character developments and interactions

• Pei Buji shifts from his usual talkative manner to quiet, deliberate driving. He remains secretive but hospitable, sharing food and guiding the group toward his unusual quarry.
• Yang Qing remains physically vulnerable and impatient to act, but persuades Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou to wait and see what Pei intends.
• Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou are cautious about Pei’s unexplained detour and their prolonged sleep. Jiang Zhizhou questions what they have come to find; Bu Er presses Pei about when they can proceed.
• The companions maintain a guarded formation when leaving the carriage, and Jiang Zhizhou keeps Yang Qing protected as they approach the animal. Despite their suspicion, they accept Pei’s food and follow his lead.

Significant themes

• Trust amid uncertainty: The group follows Pei despite not knowing his purpose, balancing caution with reluctant confidence in him.
• Patience and timing: Pei insists they must wait for the right moment, testing the others’ willingness to defer to his judgment.
• Wonder and the unknown: An ordinary-looking landscape conceals a supposedly legendary creature, hinting that the journey will lead into extraordinary territory.

Plot points and events

• In a barren land, Pei Buji identifies the small beast Jiangli as unusual. When Bu Er dismisses it, Jiangli suddenly lunges at him, nearly striking him before ending up by Yang Qing’s foot.
• Pei Buji explains a legend from the Eastern Radiance Ancient Kingdom: wondrous treasures appear on nights of the full moon, once every ten years. He says Jiangli’s presence has convinced him the legend is true.
• Jiangli evades Pei Buji when he tries to pick it up. Pei Buji then strikes at Yang Qing, prompting Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou to intervene—but an unseen force stops all three attacks at once.
• Pei Buji withdraws and invites the group back to the carriage. The others remain wary until he explains that he came seeking the legendary treasure, but believes it has chosen Yang Qing as its master.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing grows suspicious of Pei Buji’s story and motives, especially given the repeated connections to the mysterious Eastern Radiance Ancient Kingdom. Jiangli’s attachment to him also becomes more significant.
• Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou shift from cautious companions to fiercely protective defenders of Yang Qing when Pei Buji attacks. They refuse to trust Pei Buji afterward.
• Pei Buji presents himself as jovial and reassuring, but his sudden attack reveals that he is willing to test the situation—and the group’s trust. He claims it was prompted by Jiangli’s reaction and says the treasure has chosen Yang Qing.
• Jiangli appears small and harmless but demonstrates speed, evasiveness, and a powerful protective force that can halt several attacks at once.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus true power: Jiangli looks weak but displays extraordinary abilities.
• Trust and suspicion: Pei Buji’s unexplained attack strains the group’s confidence in him.
• Destiny and chosen ownership: The suggestion that the treasure has chosen Yang Qing raises questions about fate and Jiangli’s purpose.
• The past’s continuing influence: The Eastern Radiance Ancient Kingdom keeps resurfacing, suggesting its mysteries are still shaping present events.

Key plot points and events

• Pei Buji reveals that Jiangli is more extraordinary than it appears: it effortlessly intercepted his palm strike, and rumors credit it with another remarkable ability. Jiangli has already chosen Yang Qing as its master.
• Pei takes Yang Qing, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou to find “sky mushrooms,” which supposedly relieve fatigue and may strengthen the body or even help someone with a serious illness—though using them can be painful.
• Jiangli eagerly eats one mushroom, then repeatedly brings more to Yang Qing. Trusting Pei’s advice, Yang Qing eats four or five.
• Yang Qing is suddenly wracked with excruciating stomach pain. Pei warns the others not to interfere: Yang Qing must endure the mushrooms’ medicinal force himself if he is to improve his health and alter his fate.
• Bu Er restrains himself from helping, despite his fear for Yang Qing. As Yang Qing struggles through the ordeal, Jiang Zhizhou urgently tells Bu Er to help support him.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing stays composed despite uncertainty about Jiangli and the mushrooms. His decision to eat them shows his willingness to take a chance on improving his condition; even in severe pain, he tries to maintain his dignity.
• Jiangli shows both power and attachment: it stays close to Yang Qing, eats a mushroom, and offers him more, acting almost as his caretaker.
• Pei Buji moves from teasing host to guide, explaining the mushrooms’ potential and insisting that Yang Qing’s ordeal cannot be interrupted.
• Bu Er is fiercely protective and nearly confronts Pei, but ultimately obeys the warning that Yang Qing must endure the trial himself.
• Jiang Zhizhou shares the others’ concern and calls for practical help when Yang Qing begins suffering.

Significant themes

• Fate and the possibility of change: The mushrooms may give Yang Qing a chance to alter a life already nearing its end.
• Endurance and self-reliance: The promised benefit depends on Yang Qing surviving the ordeal without others taking it on for him.
• Unexpected bonds and providence: Jiangli’s apparent choice of Yang Qing suggests their meeting may be meaningful, though its true purpose remains uncertain.

Plot points and events

• Yang Qing recovers somewhat after eating the sky mushrooms, though he remains pale and dizzy. Their full effect is still unknown.
• He decides to keep Jiangli, the rare creature that has attached itself to him. Pei Buji warns him to protect it, since word of its existence may eventually spread.
• Pei Buji explains that he has brought the group onto a route that avoids Qiri Town and leads them close to North Mountain. He cautions that winter conditions make the mountain a difficult place to enter.
• As the carriage continues, Yang Qing realizes they are nearing their destination. He wonders whether Dai Sheng is still alive and fears what he may find, but hopes their reunion will be joyful.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing remains composed despite his weakened condition and the discovery of Jiangli. His calm demeanor impresses Pei Buji, but his restraint gives way to visible anxiety and anticipation when he learns they are near North Mountain.
• Pei Buji acts as guide and adviser, revealing his knowledge of Jiangli and the route. He is intrigued by Yang Qing’s composure and cautions him about both protecting the creature and entering the mountain.
• Bu Er remains attentive to Yang Qing’s health and offers reassurance about Dai Sheng’s likely happiness at seeing him.
• Jiangli stays close to Yang Qing, who accepts it as a companion and possible future asset.
• Yang Qing, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou listen closely to Pei Buji’s travel advice, while Yang Qing later draws the carriage curtain to avoid further probing.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty and hope: The mushrooms’ effects and Dai Sheng’s fate are both unknown.
• Composure amid danger: Yang Qing’s calmness contrasts with his physical weakness and growing emotional tension.
• The value and responsibility of rare gifts: Jiangli may be a treasure, but keeping it also brings the risk of unwanted attention.
• Anticipation of reunion: The approach to North Mountain turns the journey toward Dai Sheng into a source of both hope and fear.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Qing reaches the foot of North Mountain, hoping to find his old friend Dai Sheng, but feels uneasy about what their reunion may reveal.
• Pei Buji explains that North Mountain has become dangerous: since the previous year, poisonous fog has risen morning and evening, killing those exposed within forty-nine days. The fog can be avoided by entering at midnight with the protective herb midnight-noon grass, though Pei Buji does not know where it grows.
• Yang Qing is determined to find Dai Sheng. Pei Buji offers to climb the mountain himself and sets out at midnight.
• Pei Buji later returns with a tall, gaunt stranger. Despite his changed appearance, Yang Qing recognizes him as Dai Sheng.

Character developments

• Yang Qing is torn between longing to see Dai Sheng and fear that their reunion will not match his memories. He remains determined to learn why Dai Sheng left, while growing increasingly suspicious of Pei Buji.
• Pei Buji offers to risk the mountain for Yang Qing, but his motives remain unclear, deepening Yang Qing’s distrust.
• Dai Sheng appears profoundly changed—thin, tall, and almost unrecognizable—yet his greeting confirms his identity.
• Jiang Zhizhou and Bu Er show concern for Yang Qing, with Bu Er even suggesting they leave to spare him distress.

Significant themes

• Memory and change: Yang Qing’s remembered image of Dai Sheng clashes with the altered man who returns.
• Uncertainty and hidden motives: Both Dai Sheng’s past departure and Pei Buji’s reasons for joining the journey remain unresolved.
• Loyalty and risk: Yang Qing’s desire to reconnect drives the group toward a deadly mountain, while Pei Buji takes the danger upon himself.

Character interactions

• Bu Er tries to protect Yang Qing from the emotional strain of meeting Dai Sheng, but Yang Qing insists on continuing.
• Pei Buji explains the mountain’s dangers and volunteers to go in Yang Qing’s place; Yang Qing accepts while privately questioning him.
• Jiang Zhizhou reacts angrily to Pei Buji’s lack of practical guidance about the herb.
• When Dai Sheng appears, Yang Qing recognizes him, and Dai Sheng respectfully asks whether his lord has been well.

Key plot points

• Yang Qing reunites with Dai Sheng on North Mountain, where Dai has become thin and gaunt. His face no longer moves, though he can still smile; he calls it “a shell of flesh.”
• Dai welcomes Yang, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou into his home and gives them handkerchiefs soaked in an antidote to protect them from the mountain’s poisonous plants.
• The journey past Dai’s tea garden recalls Yang’s earlier visit to North Mountain and the tea used to expose Li Yi, head of the Li Household, for conspiring with foreign enemies.
• Yang presses Dai to explain what happened after the Battle of Yan Pass. Dai reveals that, while searching for the missing Yang, he met Chu Jinghui’s envoy and learned that Yang might descend from the Yang Family, once devoted to protecting the imperial household.
• The emperor viewed Yang’s supposed noble destiny as a threat and ordered Dai to act against him. The emperor initially wanted Yang killed, but an Imperial Preceptor persuaded him that keeping Yang alive would be more useful.
• The chapter ends with Yang asking Dai directly why he is there now.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing remains composed and warmly receptive to Dai at first, showing that their old bond still matters to him. But as Dai recounts his betrayal, Yang’s warmth gives way to cold, pointed questioning. He rejects the claim that he intended to seize the throne.
• Dai Sheng appears physically and emotionally altered, yet still cares for Yang and welcomes him. His account reveals a conflict between that affection and the task he accepted from the emperor; he struggles to speak of his actions and seems burdened by guilt.
• Bu Er initially doubts Dai’s identity because of his changed appearance, but recognizes him through his manner of addressing him.
• Yang and Dai revisit shared memories, but their reunion is strained by the unresolved betrayal. Dai explains the past; Yang insists on hearing it from him personally rather than relying on others’ accounts.

Significant themes

• Loyalty versus political duty: Dai’s affection for Yang conflicts with obedience to the emperor.
• Betrayal and accountability: Old friendship cannot erase Dai’s choices, and Yang demands a direct explanation.
• Power and suspicion: The emperor interprets Yang’s lineage and actions as threats, while an unnamed, trusted Imperial Preceptor influences the decision to keep him alive.
• The passage of time and changed appearances: Years have transformed Dai and separated the men, while shared memories—especially the tea—link them to their former relationship.

Key plot points and events

• Dai Sheng asks Yang Qing why he has come to North Mountain. Their strained conversation makes clear that Yang Qing has no wish to restore their former relationship.
• Dai admits that although he once deceived Yang Qing, his respect for him was genuine. He offers Yang Qing a Jade Cicada, a Dai family token that could secure help through the Tongyuan Bank. Yang refuses it, saying the past cannot be recovered, and leaves.
• In the carriage, Pei Buji reveals that Dai Sheng is suffering from a subtle, incurable poison called “Flower Loves Beauty” and likely has little time left. Yang orders Bu Er to turn back.
• They find Dai Sheng dying from a violent attack at the mountain’s foot. He again offers the Jade Cicada. To comfort him, Yang says he accepts his goodwill. Dai dies before he can finish explaining himself.
• Yang has Dai properly buried. Watching the grave being made, he imagines his own lonely grave and wonders who will bury him. He then collapses and remains unconscious for several days, leaving his companions deeply worried.

Character developments

• Yang Qing remains hurt by Dai’s betrayal, but grief and compassion overcome his resentment as Dai dies. His thoughts about his own grave reveal profound loneliness and a sense of vulnerability.
• Dai Sheng tries to make amends and preserve a final connection with Yang. His death leaves their relationship unresolved, though Yang’s acceptance of the Jade Cicada’s goodwill gives him a measure of peace.
• Pei Buji shows attentiveness and concern by identifying Dai’s poison and recognizing its likely consequences.
• Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou support Yang and carry out his request to bury Dai; both are alarmed when Yang collapses.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and forgiveness: Yang cannot undo the past, but he offers Dai a final gesture of acceptance.
• The irretrievability of the past: Their former partnership is gone, despite Dai’s attempts at reconciliation.
• Death and loneliness: Dai’s lonely end prompts Yang to imagine his own death and wonder whether anyone will remember or bury him.
• Goodwill and atonement: The Jade Cicada symbolizes Dai’s sincere, if belated, effort to make amends.

Character interactions

• Yang and Dai’s farewell moves from guarded confrontation to a last, fragile reconciliation.
• Pei Buji’s warning about Dai’s illness prompts Yang to turn back, though it is too late to save him.
• Yang comforts Dai at the moment of death, then entrusts Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou with his burial.
• After Yang collapses, Bu Er, Jiang, and Pei respond with anxious concern, uncertain whether he will wake.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Qing remains unconscious for two days after witnessing Dai Sheng’s death. Bu Er, Jiang Zhizhou, and Pei Buji stay at the foot of North Mountain, waiting for him to recover.
• On the third morning, Yang Qing wakes with no apparent physical ill effects. He learns that Dai Sheng has died and the group has not moved.
• Yang Qing abandons his earlier plan to continue searching for Northern Liang’s dragon vein. He asks Pei Buji for a way to bypass Yan Pass and reach Yan Prefecture, where he must return to his former home and retrieve an important object.
• Pei Buji agrees to guide them through a concealed mountain passage, though he warns that once they reach Yan Prefecture City, their survival will be their own concern.
• The group leaves the carriage and follows Pei Buji through North Mountain. He leads them to a ridge and announces that they must change routes.

Character developments

• Yang Qing recovers from his collapse and makes a determined, seemingly reckless choice to enter a place where he is in danger. His decision is driven by an urgent personal purpose and a new willingness to face whatever comes.
• Bu Er shows deep concern during Yang Qing’s unconsciousness, but accepts his master’s decision once he wakes.
• Pei Buji continues to conceal his motives. He admits that he needs the group’s help for something in the future, while agreeing to aid Yang Qing in return.
• Jiang Zhizhou assists with the practical preparations and follows Pei Buji’s lead.

Significant themes

• Facing danger and death: Yang Qing recognizes the risks of entering Yan Prefecture but chooses to proceed rather than retreat.
• Mutual need and hidden motives: Pei Buji’s help is not selfless; both sides expect to gain something from the arrangement.
• Secrecy and uncertainty: The route into Yan Prefecture is concealed, and the group must trust Pei Buji without knowing where the path lies.

Character interactions

• Bu Er tends to Yang Qing and reports the events of the past two days.
• Yang Qing directly questions Pei Buji about reaching Yan Prefecture; Pei Buji challenges his reasoning and warns him of the risks.
• Yang Qing recognizes that Pei Buji must have his own agenda, and Pei Buji confirms that their cooperation is transactional.
• Yang Qing, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou agree to follow Pei Buji’s instructions as they enter the hidden passage.

Key plot points and events

• Pei Buji guides Yang Qing, Bu Er, Jiang Zhizhou, and their companions out of the mountains to Massacre Slope, where Yang Qing recalls an earlier, happier chapter of his life.
• To help them enter Yan Prefecture unnoticed, Pei Buji gives them one-use travel documents made years ago by an old friend.
• The group reaches Yan Prefecture City and heads for the Yang family’s old house, intending to retrieve a hidden item and leave quickly.
• They discover Little Willow Lane has been sealed off. Jiang Zhizhou scouts ahead and reports that someone has searched the old house and turned it upside down.
• Yang Qing nevertheless knows where the sought item is hidden. He cuts his palm and presses his blood to a pillar, which opens to reveal a small silk roll. He takes it and leaves the house with Bu Er.

Character developments

• Yang Qing is deeply affected by returning to his homeland, though he masks his feelings with composure. Retrieving the silk roll completes a necessary task, but he leaves believing he may never return.
• Bu Er remains devoted and watchful, worrying over Yang Qing’s mood and following his instructions without hesitation.
• Pei Buji shows that old friendships still matter to him: he reluctantly parts with documents made by a deceased or absent old friend.
• Jiang Zhizhou acts cautiously, scouting the sealed lane before Yang Qing risks approaching the house.

Character interactions

• Bu Er’s concern draws Yang Qing out of his memories at Massacre Slope.
• Pei Buji provides the group with a practical way into the city and shares the personal significance of the documents.
• Jiang Zhizhou prevents Yang Qing from rushing into the blocked lane and investigates first.
• At the old house, Bu Er gives Yang Qing his dagger, then accompanies him as he retrieves the hidden item.

Significant themes

• Exile and lost homeland: Yang Qing returns to familiar places only to recognize how far he has been driven from his former life.
• Memory and farewell: Massacre Slope and the old house bring the past into sharp focus; leaving the house feels like a final departure.
• Loyalty and old bonds: Bu Er’s steadfastness and Pei Buji’s treasured documents show the enduring value of friendship.
• Secrecy and danger: The sealed lane and ransacked house suggest others are pursuing the hidden item, making a swift escape essential.

Key plot points

• After leaving Yan Prefecture City, Yang Qing and his companions return through the Secret Passage to the North Mountain side. Yang Qing decides to stop dwelling on the Yang Family’s old residence and focus on finding treasure and making their fortunes.
• Their search for Northern Liang’s dragon vein has come up empty: they have investigated North Mountain, Spirit Mountain, and many other notable ranges.
• Yang Qing proposes that the dragon vein may not be in a mountain at all. Since Nether Lake is the only major place they have not explored, he suspects it could lie beneath the lake.
• Nether Lake is famous for its clear but apparently lifeless water, occasional human bones, and a legend that a fairy maiden’s song lures listeners to their deaths. The lake itself is also said to appear and vanish, making its location hard to find.
• Jiang Zhizhou admits he does not know where the lake is, but suggests that an old, forgotten road may lead to it. The group decides they must search for that route.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing has begun to accept his break with the past, dismissing the people of Western Chu as no longer deserving of his loyalty. His companions notice his earlier silence, and Jiang Zhizhou offers sympathy before Yang Qing redirects the group toward a new goal.
• Yang Qing shows initiative and logical persistence by reconsidering where a dragon vein might be hidden.
• Bu Er responds enthusiastically to the prospect of adventure, while Jiang Zhizhou contributes local knowledge despite not knowing the lake’s location. Pei Buji remarks on the ingenuity of concealing a dragon vein underwater.

Significant themes

• Letting go and moving forward: Yang Qing turns away from old loyalties and chooses a new purpose.
• Persistence and unconventional thinking: The failed mountain search pushes the group to question their assumptions and consider the lake.
• Secrecy and misdirection: Nether Lake’s frightening legends may be natural phenomena—or deliberately spread stories meant to keep people away from something hidden.
• The limits of knowledge: Even a famous place can remain unreachable when its location and routes have been forgotten.

Plot points

• Yang Qing and his companions continue west toward the elusive Nether Lake, crossing increasingly desolate country on the edge of the desert.
• After more than half a month of travel, the weather turns colder. Yang Qing says his frail body seems more resistant to the cold than before, possibly after his unexplained fainting spell.
• A caravan from the Western Regions catches up with them. Its merchant, Fen Liyou, first approaches to make their acquaintance, but Jiang Zhizhou responds cautiously.
• Before the carriage can leave, Fen Liyou stops them and warns that Secluded Valley, a few dozen li farther west, is dangerous: Winter Spirit Bees are emerging from their nests and attack in vast, blood-feeding swarms.
• Fen’s caravan plans to camp for several days to avoid the bees, and he advises the travelers not to continue.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing remains composed despite the harsh journey and his poor health. His report of improved cold tolerance gives him and his companions hope.
• Bu Er is deeply relieved by Yang Qing’s apparent improvement, having feared his young master might die suddenly. Jiang Zhizhou shares that optimism and suggests Yang Qing’s fortunes may be changing.
• Jiang Zhizhou is wary of Fen’s unsolicited approach and considers the possibility that he may be connected to their enemies. His suspicion eases when Fen seems sincere and offers useful information.
• Fen Liyou presents himself as friendly and openhearted, but also demonstrates concern for strangers by risking their distrust to warn them about the danger ahead.
• Yang Qing endorses hearing Fen out, reinforcing the group’s cautious but practical approach to unfamiliar people.

Significant themes

• Hope amid hardship: Yang Qing’s possible improvement offers a small but meaningful promise of better days.
• Caution and trust: The travelers must balance suspicion with openness; Fen’s warning shows that accepting help can be essential on a dangerous road.
• Nature’s unpredictability: The worsening weather and deadly bees make the western route perilous in ways the travelers had not anticipated.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Qing, Jiang Zhizhou, and their companions rest with Fen Liyou’s caravan for several days to avoid the Winter Spirit Bees.
• When the bees are expected to return to their nest, Fen invites the group to cross the Secluded Valley alongside his caravan. They accept and travel together.
• Fen learns that Yang Qing’s party intends to explore the desert, not merely pass through it. He warns them that the Nether Lake’s supposed treasure is a deadly rumor: treasure seekers have died without finding it.
• Yang Qing confirms they are seeking the Nether Lake, though not for wealth, and keeps their deeper purpose private.
• Fen reveals that an incomplete book he found says the Nether Lake exists but shifts or “teleports” unpredictably. Its only known sign is red rain.
• Despite Fen’s warning, Yang Qing resolves to continue. Fen gives him the book and a horse loaded with food, shelter, clothing, and other supplies before the parties part on warm terms.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing remains courteous but steadfast. He values Fen’s advice and generosity while refusing to abandon the group’s mission; he accepts uncertainty as part of their fate.
• Fen Liyou proves generous, candid, and experienced. His initial concern turns into practical support: he shares rare information, lends his book, and equips the group for the desert.
• Jiang Zhizhou and the others appreciate Fen’s hospitality and share Yang Qing’s interest in the possibility that the Nether Lake is real.
• The travelers and merchants form a genuine friendship through their days together. Fen and Yang part with a promise to meet again in the Western Regions.

Significant themes

• Rumor versus truth: The Nether Lake is widely believed to be a treasure basin, but Fen’s account suggests it is real and dangerously elusive.
• Resolve in the face of uncertainty: Yang Qing continues despite the risk and lack of guarantees.
• Generosity and fellowship: Fen’s warnings and gifts show how trust and kindness can emerge among travelers.
• Duty over riches: Yang’s party seeks the lake for a purpose other than wealth, hinting at higher stakes behind their journey.

Key plot points and events

• After Fen Liyou’s caravan leaves, Yang Qing’s group follows a second route described in Fen’s incomplete book, hoping to reach an oasis and then Nether Lake.
• Small patches of greenery appear, but the promised oasis never does. At dusk, Jiang Zhizhou concludes they have taken the wrong road and orders the group to turn back.
• They discover their route has vanished, replaced by a strange, pitch-black river. A thrown stone floats on its surface, and skeletons begin emerging from the water.
• The group retreats to the carriage and waits through the night. By morning, the river has widened and crept closer, increasing the danger.
• Rather than press onward or flee, Yang Qing approaches the river to investigate. He notices that soil clinging to a skeleton remains fixed in place despite the current, suggesting it is unusual.

Character developments

• Yang Qing is cautious but increasingly curious: he questions the book’s reliability, senses something wrong before the river appears, and chooses investigation over simply moving forward.
• Jiang Zhizhou acts pragmatically, recognizing the route is wrong and urging retreat, then warns against going farther.
• Bu Er is protective of Yang Qing, shielding him when the first skeleton appears and later anxiously warning him away from the river.
• Pei Buji stays alert, checks the route behind them, and spots the first additional skeletons.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty and incomplete knowledge: The group must rely on a fragmentary guide whose directions may be outdated or incomplete.
• Curiosity versus caution: Yang Qing’s desire to uncover clues leads him toward a clearly dangerous phenomenon.
• Isolation and encroaching danger: The vanished road and expanding river leave the group increasingly trapped.
• The uncanny: The floating stone, sudden river, and soil-covered skeletons establish a supernatural mystery.

Character interactions

• The group shares hope that the greenery signals the oasis, but Jiang Zhizhou and Yang Qing later disagree with that optimism as the route proves suspicious.
• Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou protect Yang Qing when the skeletons emerge; Pei Buji contributes by scouting and warning them of what he sees.
• The others urge Yang Qing to stay away from the river, but he ignores their warnings and examines the bones, setting up the mystery of the soil.

Key plot points and events

• At the Ghost River, Yang Qing studies a floating skeleton and suspects it may be linked to the Nether Lake, possibly a mass burial ground described in legend. The foreign soil on the bones and the river’s connection to an oasis support his theory.
• Yang Qing chooses to follow the river downstream, reasoning that the skeletons’ skulls point against the current and that the river’s direction may defy ordinary logic. The group travels along it for several days as its water gradually narrows, then vanishes.
• With the desert restored, Yang Qing spots shallow ditches and recognizes their arrangement as a Hexagram Diagram. He believes the pattern may mark the Nether Lake’s location or conceal something significant, though the lake itself will appear only when red rain falls.
• Because the carriage cannot cross the ditches, the group plans to find an entrance and leave it in a safe place. Following Jiang Zhizhou’s sketch, they head one li east.
• Just as they are about to get down, a sudden crack overhead spooks the horse. The carriage bolts forward, and Bu Er cannot stop it.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing remains observant and decisive, interpreting the skeletons, river, and ditches as clues. He guides the group’s choices and urges them to investigate the diagram.
• Jiang Zhizhou questions Yang Qing’s decision to go downstream, then helps map the ditches and recognizes the diagram’s significance.
• Bu Er follows Yang Qing’s orders, notices the river shrinking, and later spots another ditch that prompts a closer examination. He becomes alarmed when the horse runs wild.
• Pei Buji voices the practical question of why the supposed Nether Lake area contains no water.
• The group cooperates in examining clues and planning their route, but the chapter ends with them thrown into danger.

Significant themes

• Trusting signs over convention: Yang Qing refuses to assume the river follows ordinary rules and reads its unusual details as evidence.
• Mystery and hidden knowledge: The Ghost River, skeletons, and Hexagram Diagram suggest a buried history and a concealed destination.
• Fortune and change: The diagram’s yin-yang pattern evokes continual cycles of decline and renewal.
• Uncertainty and peril: Each discovery offers a possible path forward, yet the unexplained crack abruptly disrupts the group’s plans.

Key plot points and events

• The horse pulling Yang Qing’s carriage bolts into the Desert. Pei Buji saves Yang Qing and their supplies, but the carriage is destroyed.
• The group finds itself inside a hexagram formation, where a vivid landscape of grass and flowers proves to be an illusion. Yang Qing sees through it first; Bu Er and the others later escape, shaken by visions that included a river of blood.
• Yang Qing suspects the strange phenomena are connected to the Nether Lake, as described in the Remnant Book.
• Clouds gather in a windless sky, turn fiery red, and bring the legendary red rain. The group rushes toward where it falls.
• The Nether Lake appears, vast and real. Since its depth makes direct exploration impractical, Yang Qing proposes finding the dragon vein by tracking the lake: the lake may move, but a dragon vein has no legs.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing remains observant and analytical, recognizing both the illusion and the significance of the clouds. Though physically weak, he guides the group’s decisions.
• Pei Buji acts quickly to rescue Yang Qing and the supplies when the horse runs wild.
• Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou are initially deceived by the formation but recover. Jiang Zhizhou carries Yang Qing as the group hurries toward the red rain.
• The companions rely on one another: Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou protect Yang Qing, while the group responds together to his warnings and theories.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The formation’s lifelike scenery conceals danger.
• Wonder and danger in the natural world: The red rain and sudden lake are extraordinary but potentially perilous.
• Reason and observation: Yang Qing uses clues from the Remnant Book and careful logic to interpret events and devise a way to locate the dragon vein.

Plot and events

• Yang Qing and his companions race toward the location marked by the fiery clouds, worried the Nether Lake may vanish when the clouds fade.
• They find the lake just before sunset ends. Its clear, tranquil water is unexpectedly beautiful, though its stillness feels ominous.
• Pei Buji warns that the lake may conceal something powerful or deadly.
• Eerie singing drifts from the lake’s center. Yang Qing recalls a damaged book’s account of a giant beast said to appear whenever the lake returns.
• The lake begins to churn, and a strange, square-bodied creature surfaces. Its blood-red mouth and poisonous-looking dripping liquid reveal its danger.
• The monster charges toward the group, raising wind and waves. They suspect it possesses demonic power.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing remains focused despite his discomfort and considers the legend’s possible connection to the singing.
• Pei Buji drops his usual flippancy to give a serious warning, heightening the group’s concern.
• Jiang Zhizhou identifies the creature’s eyes, while Bu Er spots its emergence and shields Yang Qing as they retreat.
• The group works together but has little time to respond as the creature attacks.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The lake looks peaceful but hides a lethal presence.
• Uncertainty and legend: The companions must act on fragmentary, unreliable records.
• Hidden dangers: The mysterious singing and sudden emergence of the beast turn curiosity into immediate peril.

Plot points and events

• The monster’s eerie song proves to be a Soul-Seizing Technique that suppresses the group’s internal energy, especially Pei Buji’s.
• Jiang Zhizhou orders the three fighters to flee in different directions, but an unseen force knocks them down and drags all four—including Yang Qing—into the Nether Lake.
• Underwater, Bu Er and Pei Buji try to propel Yang Qing toward the surface, but the water reflects their force and pushes them deeper. The monster disappears.
• Jiang Zhizhou suspects the answer may lie at the lake’s bottom, as described in the Remnant Book. The group eventually discovers they can breathe and speak underwater.
• Yang Qing awakens and identifies a nearly invisible, jade-like passage. He explains that spirit jade can repel water and fire, and that its presence may signal a great tomb—possibly the Duan Household’s dragon vein.
• A tremor interrupts their discussion: a water dragon is charging toward them.

Character developments and interactions

• Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou respond to the danger pragmatically, first urging Pei Buji to escort Yang Qing away, then attempting a coordinated escape.
• Pei Buji prioritizes Yang Qing’s safety and protects him underwater with Bu Er, despite being particularly weakened by the monster’s technique.
• Bu Er shows deep loyalty to Yang Qing, desperately lunging toward him as they fall into the lake.
• Jiang Zhizhou shifts from skepticism about the Nether Lake’s legends to relying on them as a possible path to survival.
• Yang Qing begins the sequence unconscious and helpless but later wakes, recognizes the passage, and contributes crucial knowledge.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and protection: Bu Er and Pei Buji risk themselves to safeguard Yang Qing.
• Knowledge versus uncertainty: The group uses old texts and Yang Qing’s learning to interpret a supernatural environment.
• Adaptation under pressure: Their escape plans fail, forcing them to investigate the lake instead.
• Hidden danger and discovery: The apparently ordinary lake conceals strange rules, a spirit-jade passage, and perhaps a great tomb.