Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Mo Chong, under Qiongqi’s influence, nearly strangles Yang Qing. The others restrain him and prepare to stab him in the back, but Yang Qing insists that Mo Chong is still alive inside the possessed body. They lower their weapons, and the brief hesitation lets them free Yang Qing.
• Yang Qing warns that Qiongqi is too dangerous to confront while it remains inside Mo Chong. They must draw it out before it kills Mo Chong and escapes.
• Jiangli returns after briefly darting away. It swiftly scratches the backs of Yang Qing and each of his companions, then strikes Mo Chong’s chest with a claw and unleashes a shrill cry that leaves the group reeling. Yang Qing’s ears bleed, and Bu Er and Mu Feng brace him against the force as Jiangli appears ready to cry out again.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing shows compassion and restraint under extreme pressure, insisting the group spare Mo Chong rather than treating him as Qiongqi’s disposable vessel. He remains focused on containing Qiongqi despite his injuries.
• Bu Er, Jiang Zhizhou, Mu Feng, and Ouyang Lin act quickly to rescue Yang Qing, but follow his lead and stop themselves from killing Mo Chong.
• Jiangli shifts from seemingly fleeing to taking decisive, mysterious action. Its speed and apparent ability to strike the others before they can react reveal that it may be far more capable than they assumed.
• Qiongqi proves cunning: rather than simply pursuing its own release, it tries to control Mo Chong as a puppet, making the threat harder to contain.

Significant themes

• Compassion amid danger: Yang Qing refuses to sacrifice Mo Chong, even when doing so might seem tactically easier.
• Restraint and teamwork: The group must coordinate carefully to save Yang Qing without harming the possessed man.
• Uncertainty and hidden power: Qiongqi’s strategy and Jiangli’s abrupt intervention both defy expectations, leaving the group unsure what will happen next.

Key plot points and events

• Jiangli scratches Yang Qing and the others, then leaves three bloody paw prints on Mo Chong’s chest. It retrieves Yang Qing’s bone-jade Signet Ring, now shrunk and mounted atop a slender shoot, and signals him to throw it toward Mo Chong.
• The shoot rapidly grows into a fruit-bearing tree. Its red and green fruits release an irresistible fragrance, but the group suspects they are dangerous and resists the urge to eat them.
• The Qiongqi possessing Mo Chong growls and then drives Mo Chong’s body into the tree, apparently drawn to—or opposed by—the fruit. Mo Chong collapses, and black mist streams from his back, coiling around the tree and its fruit.
• The mist drains the fruits until they are hollow skins. Jiangli prevents Ouyang Lin from approaching the unconscious Mo Chong.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing recognizes Jiangli’s actions as signs of danger and follows its directions, though he is increasingly baffled by the creature’s abilities.
• Jiangli shifts from its usual idle behavior to decisive action: it marks Mo Chong, retrieves the Signet Ring, transforms it into a tree, and keeps others from interfering.
• The group trusts Jiangli enough to endure its scratches and heed its warning, even when the fruit’s scent tempts them.
• Mo Chong and the Qiongqi appear to be in conflict: the possessing beast’s reaction to the tree culminates in a violent charge, after which the black mist is drawn out of Mo Chong and into the fruit.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and mystery: Jiangli’s strange abilities and the ring’s transformation suggest that the group does not yet understand the forces at work.
• Temptation versus caution: The fruit’s alluring scent tests the group, but their experience with Jiangli teaches them that apparent gifts may signal danger.
• Containment and extraction: The tree seems to draw something dangerous—the Qiongqi’s black mist—out of Mo Chong, though the consequences remain unclear.

Key events

• Jiangli feeds the unconscious Mo Chong a red fruit and a green fruit from the Strange Tree. Mo’s color and breathing return to normal, and he is carried to the Side Room to recover.
• As black mist consumes the tree’s remaining fruits, red flower buds and green shoots emerge. Yang Qing recognizes the tree as Rootless Wood and realizes this is what Jiangli had brought back.
• The Rootless Wood’s flowers begin consuming the black mist. The mist gathers around Yang Qing’s Bone Jade Thumb Ring, which changes shape repeatedly and absorbs the mist as it fades.
• After nearly two hours, the flowers and leaves wither and fall. The group fears the Rootless Wood—and possibly Qiongqi—has perished.
• The bare tree splits apart. A nearly transparent tiger-cub-like beast emerges, then transforms into a tiny infant. The group realizes this is Qiongqi.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiangli remains silent but acts decisively: it saves Mo Chong with the fruits and watches as the Rootless Wood counters the black mist. Yang Qing somehow understands Jiangli’s call for help.
• Yang Qing recognizes the Rootless Wood and the Bone Jade Thumb Ring’s role in absorbing the mist, but remains baffled by how Jiangli obtained both.
• Mo Chong survives the immediate crisis, though he remains unconscious.
• Bu Er and Ouyang Lin help move Mo Chong; Ouyang Lin and the old steward stay to watch over him.
• The group shifts from relief over Mo’s recovery to anxious awe as the tree changes, then shock at Qiongqi’s unexpected infant form.

Significant themes

• Transformation and hidden identity: The fruits become blossoms, the ring changes shape, and Qiongqi shifts from mist to beast to infant.
• Life and sacrifice: The Rootless Wood’s spectacular bloom defeats the mist, but the tree is left seemingly spent.
• Mystery and uncertainty: Jiangli’s actions, the ring’s connection to the tree, and Qiongqi’s nature remain unexplained.

Key plot points and events

• After being severely weakened by the Rootless Wood and Bone Jade Signet Ring, Qiongqi appears as a sleeping human infant.
• Mu Feng explains that the transformation signals Qiongqi has “returned to his true origin”: his human form is not a sign of lingering strength, but of his power being devastated. He says this is the best opportunity to prevent Qiongqi from becoming a threat again.
• Mo Chong proposes raising and teaching the child rather than killing him. The group agrees, believing a loving, virtuous upbringing can keep Qiongqi’s buried malice from growing.
• Mo Chong names the child Mo Yi and takes him into his care. His steward promises to help raise him and guard against even small traces of ill will in the household.
• As the crisis ends, the barren Rootless Wood begins to sprout leaves and flower buds, suggesting it is recovering.

Character developments and interactions

• Mu Feng reveals unusual knowledge about Qiongqi and a “vaster world,” speaking with an authority that makes Yang Qing wonder whether he is far older or more experienced than he appears.
• Mo Chong shows compassion and resolve, choosing rehabilitation over killing. He accepts responsibility for Mo Yi’s upbringing and emphasizes the importance of protecting the child from injustice and malice.
• Yang Qing and the others move from fear and uncertainty about Qiongqi’s return to childhood toward relief and trust in Mo Chong’s plan.
• The old steward responds emotionally and commits himself to helping raise Mo Yi.

Significant themes

• Compassion over vengeance: The group chooses to nurture a potential threat rather than destroy him.
• The roots of evil: Qiongqi’s monstrous nature is presented as the result of deep suffering and injustice, not an innate destiny.
• The power of upbringing: Kind guidance and a virtuous environment may prevent pain from becoming malice.
• Renewal and hope: Mo Yi’s new life and the Rootless Wood’s regrowth mark the possibility of recovery after destruction.

Key events

• The Rootless Wood revives, heals its split trunk, and settles into Yang Qing’s hair as a wooden hairpin.
• Yang Qing gives Mo Chong a crystal sphere containing a leaf, a flower, and the shrunken Bone Jade Signet Ring. He tells Mo Chong to keep it on Mo Yi at all times for protection.
• Mo Chong plans to have monks bless his son. Yang Qing and his companions praise his compassion and commitment to the wider good.
• After a night of exhaustion, the group rests. They later decide to leave Shaoyu City at dawn: although Qiongqi’s threat is over, an unknown force may still be lurking, and the group’s presence could endanger Mo Chong’s family and Mo Yi.
• Mo Chong equips them for the road with provisions, waterskins, money, and a heartfelt letter. The group is deeply moved by his generosity.
• Yang Qing and Mu Feng agree to resume their search for the remaining Twelve Holy Envoys, whose testimony may clarify the purpose of the Holy Envoy Token. With no leads, Yang Qing chooses to head south.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing acts protectively toward Mo Yi, entrusting Mo Chong with a safeguard and choosing to leave rather than risk drawing danger to the family.
• Mo Chong demonstrates generosity and a strong sense of public responsibility, accepting the group’s decision despite wishing they would stay.
• Yang Qing and his companions show sincere respect and gratitude toward Mo Chong; his farewell gift strengthens their bond and leaves them emotional.
• Mu Feng helps redirect the group toward its larger mission, while Yang Qing makes the practical decision to set out without a clear lead.

Significant themes

• Renewal and resilience: The Rootless Wood’s recovery mirrors the possibility of life after devastation.
• Protection and self-sacrifice: The group leaves loved ones behind to shield them from uncertain dangers.
• Compassion and duty: Mo Chong’s concern for his son and the wider community earns the group’s admiration.
• Friendship and gratitude: The farewell gifts and promise of reunion mark a meaningful bond formed through hardship.

Chapter summary: “Injustice along the Road”

• After realizing they had wandered far from their original destination while traveling through the unfamiliar Violet Luo Kingdom, Yang Qing and his companions reconsider their search for clues about the Twelve Holy Envoys. Mu Feng points out that, with the threat of the Fierce Beasts gone, they have no urgent duty or deadline.
• Yang Qing accepts that they have been carrying a sense of responsibility for everyone for years, often out of personal righteousness rather than obligation. He agrees that they should rest and travel for pleasure. Their shared laughter marks a rare moment of relief; even Jiangli briefly wakes, checks that nothing is wrong, and goes back to sleep.
• The group heads toward Heavenly Luo City, hoping to enjoy its food and wine. Along the way, Bu Er explains that the surrounding saline land was ruined by an old tidal flood, leaving local people struggling to grow crops. Yang Qing recalls that the city’s lord now operates saltworks there, an enormously profitable industry.
• Bu Er and Ouyang Lin become interested in visiting the saltworks, possibly hoping to find and address some injustice. Yang Qing warns them not to go seeking trouble, reminding them that they are supposed to be enjoying their newfound freedom. Bu Er backs down, and Ouyang Lin follows.
• As the carriage crosses the gray-white saline wasteland, the air grows salty and fishy. The travelers spot a line of shacks that appear to be the saltworks—but before they reach them, they hear a commotion ahead.

Character developments and interactions

Yang Qing begins to loosen his habitual sense of responsibility and embrace rest, while Mu Feng helps him recognize that they need not shoulder every cause. Bu Er and Ouyang Lin show how instinctively they still look for wrongs to right; Yang Qing’s warnings restrain them, at least for now. The chapter closes with their peaceful travel threatened by the noise near the saltworks.

Significant themes

The chapter contrasts duty with personal choice: the companions have spent years acting from righteousness, but are learning they can pause without abandoning their values. It also introduces social inequality and the possibility of injustice amid the wealth of the salt trade, setting up the disturbance at the saltworks.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Qing’s group travels along a narrow road near the saltworks, intending only to see the salt fields. Jiang Zhizhou drives the carriage aside to let an approaching crowd pass.
• Instead, twenty or thirty salt workers surround them and accuse them of working for the Cheng Household. They suspect the travelers because the carriage has repeatedly stopped and started.
• Jiang Zhizhou explains that they are outsiders who took the wrong road and offers to turn back. The workers refuse to let them leave, demanding the carriage’s food and supplies.
• Jiang Zhizhou suspects the workers have been put up to confronting them as part of a scheme tied to the saltworks’ rival interests, possibly meant to provoke a clash with the Cheng Household.
• Before Jiang Zhizhou can act, Yang Qing and Mu Feng step out. Mu Feng uses a wisp of smoke to put the workers to sleep, then helps move them off the road.
• As the group turns back, they find someone blocking the road ahead as well, suggesting the confrontation is not over.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Zhizhou stays composed while explaining the mistake, but becomes firm when the workers threaten them. He recognizes that the confrontation may be orchestrated rather than spontaneous.
• Yang Qing favors avoiding a prolonged confrontation and urges the group to leave quickly.
• Mu Feng resolves the immediate danger efficiently and nonlethally, putting the workers to sleep rather than fighting them.
• Bu Er and Ouyang Lin are eager to see what is happening, while Yang Qing is more cautious; the group ultimately becomes involved despite wanting to avoid trouble.
• The travelers initially try reason and retreat, but the workers’ refusal to let them pass forces the group to take action.

Significant themes

• Avoiding conflict is not always possible: the group is drawn into trouble simply because their route crosses someone else’s interests.
• Manipulation and hidden agendas: the workers may be pawns in a larger dispute over the profitable salt trade.
• Restraint and practicality: the travelers choose a quick, nonlethal solution and prioritize leaving rather than escalating the encounter.

Plot points

• After leaving the saltworks, Yang Qing’s party is stopped again—this time by armed enforcers bearing a shared family crest.
• Their leader says he wants to “make friends,” but makes clear that Yang Qing is his real interest and threatens to take the party to Heavenly Luo City.
• Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou suspect the interception is part of a planned scheme. Since they were already traveling to Heavenly Luo City and fighting could bring needless losses, they agree to go along and learn the group’s intentions.
• The enforcers withdraw with startling coordination. Their leader then demonstrates an unusual ability to control the carriage horse, revealing that he is far more capable than his appearance suggests.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing stays composed and confronts the leader directly, while carefully judging his motives and abilities. He concludes the man likely means them no immediate harm.
• Jiang Zhizhou initially refuses the invitation on the party’s behalf, then consults silently with Yang Qing. He recognizes the danger of underestimating their opponents and avoids a potentially costly fight.
• The bronze-skinned leader shifts from smiling politeness to intimidation when refused, but ultimately lets the party choose to comply rather than forcing them. His beast-taming skill leaves the group impressed and wary.
• The companions observe the encounter from the carriage and share their leaders’ surprise at the enforcers’ skill and the man’s abilities.

Significant themes

• Caution under uncertainty: The party avoids fighting opponents whose strength and intentions are unknown.
• Power and hidden motives: The leader’s friendly language masks a clear effort to control the party, especially Yang Qing.
• Unease and fate: The interception feels like a trap already laid along the party’s route, suggesting their journey is being watched or manipulated.

Plot points and events

• Yang Qing and his companions travel in a carriage, accompanied by several exceptionally skilled martial artists who keep pace effortlessly.
• The group notices they seem to be heading away from the Heavenly Luo City they can see. Yang Qing challenges their guide, a burly man, about the detour.
• The guide says their sense of being off course reflects their own suspicions and “distracting thoughts,” not necessarily the route itself.
• His words provoke Yang Qing, nearly driving him to attack. Yang Qing regains control at the last moment, helped by Jiangli, the Divine Beast hidden against his chest.
• Yang Qing senses that Jiangli’s intervention is weaker than before, as though restrained, and realizes their guide may pose a serious threat.
• The burly man explains that they are still heading to Heavenly Luo City—but not the city Yang Qing and the others expected. He reveals that there are two Heavenly Luo Cities.

Character developments

• Yang Qing’s confidence is shaken. He recognizes that suspicion and provocation nearly compromised his judgment, and that his usual hidden advantage may not protect him.
• Jiangli continues to aid Yang Qing but appears constrained, raising the stakes and leaving Yang Qing feeling unusually vulnerable.
• Yang Qing’s companions likewise gain a humbling reminder that mastery has no limit as they witness the travelers’ extraordinary skill.

Significant themes

• There is always someone stronger: The travelers’ effortless speed underscores the vastness of martial skill.
• Perception and suspicion: The guide suggests that the group’s hostile assumptions shape how they interpret events, and Yang Qing nearly lets those assumptions control him.
• Uncertainty and vulnerability: Jiangli’s apparent restraint shows that even a powerful secret ally may not be enough when facing an unknown opponent.

Character interactions

• The skilled travelers escort the carriage while displaying their superior abilities, impressing Yang Qing’s group.
• Yang Qing confronts the burly guide, who responds with philosophical remarks that expose—and intensify—Yang Qing’s suspicions.
• Jiangli silently intervenes to restore Yang Qing’s clarity, though its weakened response deepens his concern.
• The guide ends the exchange with the revelation that two cities share the name Heavenly Luo City.

Chapter summary

• The travelers encounter a powerful, ape-like man who says he is following orders to take them to Heavenly Luo City. He warns that there are two cities: they must not enter the one ahead, but the one “behind” it. Though Yang Qing asks whether they can change course, the man implies that, now they have met, they have no choice.
• Their carriage passes through the first city, but the journey feels uncanny: the road subtly shifts, and the scenery seems unreal even though the wind and its salty scent are tangible. After traveling into a wilderness, the group passes through sudden darkness and emerges before a second, far more imposing Heavenly Luo City.
• At the second city’s gate, guards inspect the travelers. The guard reacts noticeably to the escort’s identification plaque, suggesting his unseen master has considerable status. The guard also examines Yang Qing and his companions with a small wand, expressing brief surprise at what it detects before letting them pass.
• Inside, they find an eerily quiet Outer City filled with picturesque, freestanding buildings but no pedestrians. Their escort explains that residents live in the Inner City.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing remains observant and cautious. He questions the escort’s intentions, suspects that someone familiar with the group arranged their journey, and notices the guard’s reactions, which deepen his suspicion that they have been drawn into a larger plan.
• Ouyang Lin and Bu Er challenge the escort’s reasoning, asking why the group should follow a stranger’s directions. They recognize, however, that confronting the powerful men could be dangerous.
• The ape-like escort is controlled and cryptic. He insists he is only obeying orders and offers little explanation, while his confidence makes clear that the travelers are being deliberately guided.
• The gate guard speaks little, but his reactions to the escort’s token and the travelers’ inspection hint at hidden significance.

Significant themes

• Fate and manipulation: The group’s habitual caution may have led them into a trap, and someone seems to have anticipated or engineered their route.
• Illusion and reality: The first city, shifting road, and transition through darkness blur what is real, even as physical details—the breeze and the city itself—confirm that the world is not simply an illusion.
• Hidden hierarchy and power: The escort’s token commands a reaction, suggesting that status and unseen authority shape access to the second city.

Key plot points and events

• After passing through several city walls, Yang Qing’s group reaches a lively district, where pedestrians keep their distance from their carriage because of the burly escort accompanying it.
• The escort leaves them at a small, carefully maintained courtyard and says someone will take them to meet “the master” in an hour.
• The courtyard’s murals and furnishings clearly reflect the traditions of the Eastern Radiance Ancient Kingdom, confirming the group has again been drawn into matters involving its remnants.
• Yang Qing’s group waits cautiously, avoiding both the prepared chairs and the courtyard’s plants.
• A larger carriage arrives to collect them. Inside, beaded curtains conceal someone already waiting.
• The hidden figure remarks that the group knows his origins. Yang Qing immediately asks why they were brought there.

Character developments

• Yang Qing becomes more openly direct, choosing to ask the concealed figure’s purpose without small talk.
• He and his companions remain wary but calmer than before, carefully avoiding anything that might provoke trouble.
• Ouyang Lin voices concern about the group’s apparent connection to the search for the remaining Twelve Holy Envoys and suspects a larger, urgent plan may be unfolding.

Significant themes

• A hidden larger purpose: The group’s encounters with people and objects connected to the Twelve Holy Envoys seem coordinated, suggesting they are involved in events of unusual importance.
• Secrecy and control: The escort’s confidence, the empty courtyard, and the veiled passenger all emphasize that the group is being directed by people who hold the advantage.
• Caution in unfamiliar situations: Yang Qing’s group resists curiosity and avoids touching or using anything while they wait.

Character interactions

• The burly escort gives brief instructions, then leaves without explanation or threats, relying on his authority and confidence.
• Ouyang Lin raises questions to Yang Qing about the group’s mission and the urgency surrounding it.
• The concealed passenger opens the conversation by acknowledging the group’s knowledge of his background; Yang Qing responds by demanding the reason for their summons.

Key events

• Yang Qing and his companions recognize the unseen man behind the beaded curtain as the powerful manipulator who has repeatedly steered their fate and drawn them into the affairs of Eastern Radiance and the Twelve Holy Envoys.
• The man dismisses their desire to choose their own path and asserts that they cannot act independently until they surpass his strength.
• Jiangli suddenly darts behind the curtain. The man catches it and threatens to kill it, taunting the group that the creature is disposable to him.
• Yang Qing, overwhelmed by fear for Jiangli, charges the man despite knowing the attack is hopeless. Bu Er, Ouyang Lin, and the others follow.
• The man vanishes from behind the curtain and reappears behind them with effortless speed, leaving Jiangli gravely injured but alive. He orders them to keep searching for the other successors to the Twelve Holy Envoys, then disappears.
• Yang Qing asks Jiang Zhizhou and Mu Feng to try to save Jiangli, and Jiang Zhizhou brings out his medicines.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing’s usual composure gives way when Jiangli’s life is threatened. He chooses loyalty over caution, and the others immediately join him, showing that they regard Jiangli as family rather than a mere magical beast.
• The mysterious man reveals his ruthlessness and overwhelming power. He treats the group as tools to be directed and Jiangli as expendable, using the threat to expose their emotional attachments and remind them of their weakness.
• The group recognizes that Jiangli had been sent to assist them, but that knowledge does not lessen their concern for its survival.

Significant themes

• Control versus self-determination: The man claims authority over the group’s choices and assigns their next mission.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Yang Qing and the others risk their lives to save a beloved companion.
• Powerlessness and manipulation: The man’s effortless movements demonstrate how completely he outmatches them and controls the encounter.

Key plot points and events

• A mysterious, unseen man kills Jiangli with a casual squeeze, demonstrating how powerless Yang Qing’s group is beside him. Their medicines cannot save the little beast, and Jiangli dies in Yang Qing’s arms.
• The man leaves the group a superior carriage, weapons, and other supplies. The group refuses to use the weapons, deciding instead to bury Jiangli and eventually sell the carriage.
• Yang Qing realizes Heavenly Luo City never had separate inner and outer cities: the apparent division was an illusion set by the mysterious man. He also concludes the man needs the group to investigate the Twelve Holy Envoys and used Jiangli’s death to force them to continue.
• A box left in the carriage contains their next lead: Xiangyang City. Mu Feng reveals that it is his home, and that the lead lies within his Lineage.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing’s grief and fury over Jiangli’s death gradually give way to grim resolve. Though he knows the group cannot yet challenge the mysterious man, he vows to settle their debts with him one day.
• Yang Qing recognizes that Mu Feng is troubled and gently tells him the group will listen whenever he is ready. Mu Feng, usually solitary and reserved, finally shares that his Lineage is in Xiangyang City.
• The others respond with understanding when they learn the investigation will bring them to Mu Feng’s home and involve his Lineage.

Significant themes

• Powerlessness and coercion: The mysterious man uses overwhelming force—and Jiangli’s death—to control the group.
• Grief and loyalty: Yang Qing’s bond with Jiangli is profound, and the group’s refusal to value the man’s gifts reflects their priorities.
• Trust and belonging: Yang Qing’s concern helps create space for the isolated Mu Feng to share something personal.
• Deception and resolve: The false city layout reflects the man’s elaborate manipulation, while Yang Qing’s growing understanding strengthens his determination to resist.

Key plot points and events

• Mu Feng reveals that his birth surname was Chen, but he took his maternal grandparents’ surname, Mu, after being rejected and mistreated by the Chen Household.
• Yang Qing accepts Mu Feng’s decision and promises to accompany him to Xiangyang City after they bury Jiangli.
• The group lays Jiangli to rest on a hillside overlooking the sea. Yang Qing reflects on their bond and hopes they may travel together again someday.
• On the journey to Xiangyang, Mu Feng explains that the Chen Household believes its eldest young master, Chen Zhilan, is the Holy Envoy they are seeking. In fact, the token and status originally belonged to Mu Feng; Chen Zhilan stole them.
• Mu Feng intends to expose Chen Zhilan to the danger and consequences of being a Holy Envoy, potentially disrupting the plans of the mysterious man who is tracking the group.
• The group reaches Xiangyang City, where the Chen Household holds enormous influence through its control of much of the city’s commerce. Mu Feng expects the family may try to kill him, but Yang Qing and the others support confronting them.

Character developments

• Mu Feng moves from wavering over his past to firmly rejecting the Chen Household and embracing his identity as Mu. He no longer feels alone and is ready to confront those who wronged him.
• Yang Qing reassures Mu Feng through quiet support and openly stands beside him in the coming conflict.
• The group shows solidarity with Mu Feng and turns the search for the Holy Envoys into an opportunity to challenge the Chen Household and the mysterious figure’s plans.

Character interactions

• Yang Qing asks whether Mu Feng still feels attached to the Chen lineage; Mu Feng’s insistence that he is Mu, not Chen, settles the matter between them.
• Mu Feng shares the truth about his stolen token and Chen Zhilan’s favored position. Bu Er responds sympathetically, while Yang Qing agrees that the Chen Household should be made to face resistance.
• The group mourns Jiangli together before focusing on the danger ahead.

Significant themes

• Chosen identity and belonging: Mu Feng claims the name and family identity he chose rather than the lineage that rejected him.
• Loyalty and found family: Yang Qing and the others give Mu Feng the support he lacked from his birth household.
• Power, injustice, and retaliation: The Chen Household’s privilege and abuse of Mu Feng fuel his plan to make Chen Zhilan face the risks attached to his stolen status.
• Defiance against powerful forces: The group is willing to use the mysterious man’s own interests against him, embracing the resolve of those who have little left to lose.

Plot points and events

• Yang Qing and his companions reach Xiangyang City in a day, using an unusually luxurious carriage. They pawn it with the right to redeem it, effectively storing it, after checking that it contains nothing that could identify them.
• They learn that Mu Feng’s family, the powerful Chen Household, dominates the city. For two days they explore Xiangyang and gather news: Mu Feng’s father, the household head, is returning, as is the eldest young master, now connected by marriage to the wealthy Pang Estate.
• On the third morning, the group decides to visit the Chen Estate. At its gates, two guards insult them and refuse to let their carriage pass.
• Mu Feng produces an old jade pendant, explaining that it is the Chen Family Heirloom Jade, bestowed by the household’s former patriarch. Once the guards recognize its distinctive markings, they take it inside to show their master, though they still do not know who Mu Feng is.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing remains composed and amused by the Chen guards’ arrogance. He encourages Mu Feng to proceed with the visit rather than delay.
• Mu Feng reveals bitterness and cold amusement toward the family he has been away from for nearly ten years. He expects his identity may not be recognized and seems eager to see how the household reacts.
• The guards’ initial contempt turns to caution when they see the heirloom jade. Their behavior shifts from dismissive refusal to reluctant cooperation.

Significant themes

• Status and prejudice: The group is judged by appearances, while the Chen Household’s guards use their position to demean perceived social inferiors.
• Power and hypocrisy: Mu Feng suggests the household no longer needs to feign humility now that it has secured wealth and influence.
• Identity and recognition: Mu Feng’s return to a family that may have forgotten him—and the pendant’s role as proof of his connection—sets up the coming confrontation.
• Symbols of lineage: The heirloom jade carries authority and history that the guards must respect even when they do not recognize its bearer.

Key plot points and events

• Mu Feng’s group waits outside the Chen Estate while a guard takes Mu Feng’s heirloom Jade Pendant inside for verification. The estate recognizes it and admits them.
• A chubby young boy arrives carrying the pendant, which has been dragged along the ground and chipped. He insults Mu Feng and claims the jade as his own.
• Mu Feng takes the pendant back, then throws the boy aside when he calls Mu Feng a bastard.
• Mu Feng taunts the Chen family, asking whether its former patriarch, Chen Jing, has lost control of the estate.
• Madam Ji, the boy’s mother and the principal mistress, appears and threatens Mu Feng. The chapter ends with their confrontation beginning.

Character developments

• Mu Feng is cold, self-assured, and openly confrontational. The jade’s recognition gives him entry, but his arrival is clearly not a peaceful family reunion.
• Madam Ji is revealed as a central antagonist: she had a role in Mu Feng’s mother’s death and his expulsion, motivated by jealousy over his growing talent and threat to her children.
• The young boy is spoiled and cruel, accustomed to being favored and unchallenged in the estate.
• Ouyang Lin and the others remain loyal to Mu Feng, ready to defend him, and are impressed by his sharp tongue.

Significant themes

• Family betrayal and exclusion: Mu Feng was driven from the household despite being its descendant.
• Power, status, and inheritance: The Jade Pendant signals Mu Feng’s legitimate connection to the Chen family, while Madam Ji’s family has dominated the household.
• Arrogance and accountability: The boy’s entitlement meets immediate resistance, exposing how indulgence has shaped his behavior.
• Revenge and reckoning: Mu Feng’s return threatens to reopen old wrongs and challenge those who benefited from his exile.

Character interactions

• The guards shift from suspicion to wary respect after the jade is recognized.
• Mu Feng and the boy clash over ownership of the pendant; Mu Feng responds to the boy’s insults with physical force and pointed mockery.
• Ouyang Lin and the others are prepared to intervene but let Mu Feng handle the boy himself.
• Madam Ji confronts Mu Feng as soon as he humiliates her son, setting up a direct conflict rooted in their shared past.

Chapter Summary — “Here for Revenge”

Key plot points and events

• Mu Feng returns to the Chen Household with Yang Qing, Bu Er, and their companions. Madam Ji, his formidable stepmother, recognizes him and reminds him that she once persuaded Chen Dewang to spare his life.
• Mu Feng says he is only passing through and claims he has come to pay his respects because Chen Dewang and the eldest son, Chen Zhilan, have returned. Madam Ji refuses to let him see them and demands to know his real purpose.
• Mu Feng produces an unusual button-like object from the Qian Household’s treasury. It bears the Holy Envoy mark number nine, a rank the group has not encountered before. Madam Ji recognizes its significance and is visibly shaken.
• Mu Feng leaves without openly challenging her. Madam Ji warns him not to scheme against Zhilan, whom she regards as far above him.
• Once outside, Bu Er asks why Mu Feng left so easily if he came for revenge. Mu Feng confirms that revenge was indeed his reason, setting up a possible later move.

Character developments and interactions

• Mu Feng remains outwardly calm and courteous despite Madam Ji’s hostility. His smiles and carefully chosen words conceal his intentions, and revealing the number-nine token appears to be a deliberate provocation or signal.
• Madam Ji asserts her authority and tries to humiliate and dismiss Mu Feng. Her reaction to the token reveals that she understands its importance and may fear what Mu Feng’s possession of it implies.
• Bu Er and the others are surprised by Mu Feng’s unusually warm smile and recognize that he can be as calculating as they are. Bu Er’s final question highlights the gap between Mu Feng’s apparent retreat and his true purpose.

Significant themes

• Revenge and restraint: Mu Feng’s revenge does not take the form of an immediate confrontation; his calm departure suggests he may be acting according to a longer plan.
• Power hidden beneath appearances: The humble-looking token carries political and organizational significance, while Mu Feng’s polite manner masks his intent.
• Family hierarchy and contempt: Madam Ji uses her influence over the household to deny Mu Feng access and reinforce his supposedly inferior status.
• Unresolved mysteries: The number-nine Holy Envoy lineage—and its relationship to Mu Feng’s family—remains unclear.

Key plot points and events

• Mu Feng explains that Chen Zhilan’s rise depended on the Holy Envoy Token he took from Mu Feng. Mu Feng wants to use the token to draw Chen Zhilan out—not simply to kill him, but to make him watch the status and prestige he prizes unravel.
• The group plans to disrupt the powerful, hidden figure who is searching for the Twelve Holy Envoys and their tokens. Though they know opposing him may cost them their lives, they choose to resist.
• At an inn, Yang Qing suggests making the token seem uniquely valuable to tempt Chen Zhilan into pursuing it. Mu Feng recalls its unusual power: anything it touched could remain unchanged for years.
• Mu Feng’s memory reveals how he discovered this ability: the pendant fell onto his dead pet rabbit, preserving its body. Chen Zhilan later seized the pendant. Yang Qing identifies the power as “Time Imprisonment,” and Mu Feng offers to show them the rabbit the next day.

Character developments and interactions

• Mu Feng reveals both his understanding of Chen Zhilan’s vanity and the painful history behind the stolen token. He turns that history into a deliberate strategy.
• Yang Qing helps shape the plan and asks Mu Feng to explain the token’s distinctive power.
• Bu Er, Ouyang Lin, and the others accept the danger of resisting the hidden enemy, united by their resolve not to submit.
• Chen Zhilan, though absent, is presented as someone whose public success masks a different nature—and whose pride in his acquired status makes him vulnerable to losing it.

Significant themes

• Resistance and sacrifice: The group chooses defiance despite the likely cost.
• Power and identity: Chen Zhilan’s standing is tied to a token he took from Mu Feng.
• Psychological revenge: Mu Feng sees the loss of status and glory as more painful to Chen Zhilan than death.
• The value of uniqueness: A token’s rare power may be used to provoke greed and draw an enemy into a trap.

Plot points and events

• Yang Qing and his companions conclude that the Holy Envoy Token—also called the Jade Pendant—has unusual powers, including Time Imprisonment, and decide to investigate its limits.
• Ouyang Lin recalls a rumor that Chen Zhilan, the Chen Household’s heir, has no children. The group suspects this is a private concern he would be eager to resolve.
• They devise a plan to exploit that concern, hoping to help Mu Feng settle matters with his elder brother while gaining access to the Chen Household. After several days of preparation, Ouyang Lin enters the estate disguised as a renowned physician, leaving Chen Zhilan a prescription.
• The group’s true goal is to destroy, not recover, the token. They regard it as a tool used by powerful people to manipulate others and conceal questionable aims.
• Ouyang Lin finds the visit suspiciously easy and warns the others. Yang Qing suspects that a hidden “lord” may have deliberately steered them toward the Chen Household, intending to use them to eliminate its false Holy Envoys and then blame them for destroying the token.
• Recognizing the trap, the group decides not to act rashly. Mu Feng’s grievance still needs addressing, but they must find another approach.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Qing shows strategic flexibility: although Mu Feng thinks he once disdained such tactics, Yang Qing says effectiveness matters more than the method. He also quickly identifies the possible larger conspiracy.
• Ouyang Lin proves more than a playful trickster. His skill at disguise and reading people allows him to infiltrate the estate, and his caution helps the group recognize danger.
• Mu Feng remains focused on settling his affairs with the Chen Household, but is surprised by Yang Qing’s willingness to use indirect tactics.
• The group works closely and discreetly, dividing into teams and consulting before proceeding. Their shared suspicion prevents them from walking into a likely political trap.

Significant themes

• Power and manipulation: The token is presented as an instrument for controlling people and protecting the reputations of those in power.
• Schemes within schemes: An apparently helpful opportunity may be part of a larger plan to make the group do someone else’s dirty work.
• Prudence and restraint: The companions’ willingness to pause and reassess proves as important as their ability to act.
• Family, reputation, and private vulnerability: The rumor about Chen Zhilan’s childlessness may offer leverage, while the Chen Household’s public standing makes the rumor especially consequential.

Plot points and events

• Mu Feng and the others decide to encourage the Chen Household to act against the Holy Envoy Token, believing that what gave Chen Zhilan his status may ultimately bring about his downfall.
• Chen Zhilan, troubled by a longstanding problem and determined to protect his prospects, decides to follow a prescription’s advice: destroy one token and obtain another. He targets Mu Feng’s higher-ranking token.
• Since Madam Ji holds the Jade Pendant containing Chen Zhilan’s token, he asks her for it. She warns him that Mu Feng’s return and new token may be part of a trap, and refuses.
• Chen Zhilan pretends to accept her decision, then secretly takes the brocade box from her chamber and sets out to use its token to trick Mu Feng.
• An unfamiliar man intercepts him, takes the box, and warns him to stay in the manor if he values his life. Chen Zhilan is left unable to stop him.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Zhilan is ambitious, possessive, and impulsive. Though he recognizes his mother’s warning, his rivalry with Mu Feng and fear of being surpassed lead him to act recklessly.
• Madam Ji is cautious and perceptive. She suspects Mu Feng’s return may be deliberate and tries to prevent her son from taking the bait, but Chen Zhilan ignores her counsel.
• The unknown man confidently challenges Chen Zhilan, dismisses his claim to the token, and takes it by force.
• Mu Feng remains the focus of Chen Zhilan’s resentment: Chen sees Mu Feng’s return and new token as a threat to his own standing.

Significant themes

• The cost of ambition: Chen Zhilan’s pursuit of status and advantage may endanger both himself and his family.
• Caution versus impulsiveness: Madam Ji’s careful judgment clashes with her son’s urge to strike first.
• Cause and consequence: The token that helped elevate Chen Zhilan may also become the source of his troubles.
• Family legacy: The Chen Household’s power and concern about succession make Chen Zhilan’s personal problem a threat to the lineage.