Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• After the Feng Main Branch’s alchemy competition, Feng Fu, Feng Xuan, and Jun Wangchen receive their prizes. Jun, the overall champion, attracts wealthy recruiters but sends them to Feng Mei, calling her his boss.
• Jun’s success helps elevate Feng Mei: she is named an honored guest and becomes deputy head of the Feng Collateral Branch—the first woman to hold the post.
• Jun plans to eat at the Feng banquet, but Zi Hanyan calls to say she has mostly recovered and invites him shopping. He hurries to meet her at U Fun Street.
• Jun greets Zi with teasing compliments and jokes. Their banter turns into a public spectacle when he makes suggestive remarks, and Zi storms off, falls into a construction pit, and bites him after he helps her out.
• Jun keeps provoking her, then apologizes and tries to earn her forgiveness with jokes. Zi responds with eye-rolls and indifference, leaving him baffled when neither joke makes her laugh.

Character developments

• Jun Wangchen uses his competition victory to promote Feng Mei rather than pursue his own offers. With Zi, he is playful, boastful, and flirtatious, but he knows when to apologize as her irritation grows.
• Feng Mei gains status and authority in the family, largely through her own strong performance and Jun’s deliberate public support.
• Zi Hanyan, mostly recovered, is affectionate and pleased by Jun’s attention, though she quickly becomes embarrassed and exasperated by his crude teasing. She expresses her annoyance with mock anger, punches, and a bite.

Significant themes

• Recognition and advancement: Competition success and strategic support improve Feng Mei’s standing.
• Flirtation and comic misunderstandings: Jun and Zi’s relationship is expressed through teasing, embarrassment, and playful physical conflict.
• Public image versus private affection: Zi scolds Jun in public, yet tolerates and even enjoys his attention more than she would from anyone else.

Character interactions

• Jun deflects recruiters toward Feng Mei, reinforcing her authority and showing trust in her.
• With Zi, he mixes sincere admiration with outrageous jokes; she alternates between blushing, scolding, and striking him.
• When Zi falls, Jun helps her up, but his continued teasing reignites their quarrel. His failed jokes leave their exchange unresolved, with Zi unimpressed and Jun confused.

Plot points and events

• Jun Wangchen and Zi Hanyan spend an hour and a half exploring U Fun Street, sampling treats and collecting shopping bags. Jun repeatedly hopes their outing might turn romantic, but Zi is focused on having fun.
• Zi persuades Jun to try a can-knocking game. He agrees despite wishing they were doing something more intimate.
• A punk-looking player repeatedly misses the final row of cans, which offers the most valuable prize. Jun suspects the stall has been rigged and studies the setup with his Soul Power.
• Zi takes the racket first but misses all five shots. The male spectators make lewd comments about her appearance; Jun quietly explains what they mean, and she blushes, covers her neckline, and gives up.
• Jun takes the racket, apparently ready to show off with a carefully planned shot. Instead, he misses the ball entirely, and it hits him on the head.

Character developments

• Jun Wangchen remains boastful, lecherous, and easily distracted by Zi’s appearance, but he also gives in to her wishes and tries to protect her from the spectators’ vulgar remarks. His confidence collapses in the chapter’s comic final mishap.
• Zi Hanyan is cheerful and energetic, enjoying the outing and enthusiastically choosing the game. Her innocence leaves her unaware of the spectators’ innuendo until Jun explains it; she then reacts with embarrassment and indignation.

Character interactions

• Zi laughs at Jun’s despairing expression and tries to reassure him, teasing that his facial expressions are funnier than his jokes.
• She repeatedly draws him into activities, while Jun privately misreads her enthusiasm as a possible sign of romantic interest.
• When the crowd objectifies Zi, Jun explains their comments discreetly. She responds by covering herself and handing him the racket.
• Jun and Zi’s playful banter continues throughout, with Jun’s teasing confidence sharply undercut by his failed opening shot.

Significant themes and tone

• The chapter uses slapstick and bawdy humor to contrast Jun’s sexual fantasies with Zi’s innocent, uncomplicated desire for amusement.
• It pokes fun at male spectators’ objectification of Zi and at Jun’s self-importance: despite suspecting the game is rigged and preparing a dramatic shot, he cannot even hit the ball.

Key plot points and events

• After two comic failures—missing the ball, then accidentally hitting himself with the racket—Jun Wangchen blames the equipment and asks for another racket.
• Using the replacement, he makes a stylish shot that smashes a jar in the farthest row, astonishing the crowd and the stall owner. The owner had secretly rigged the balls and jars with magnets to prevent anyone from hitting that row.
• Jun wins Jar No. 60’s prize: a realistic doll. He eagerly admires it and asks whether it is lifelike, revealing his interest and embarrassing Zi Hanyan.
• Zi refuses to let him take the prize, and Jun gives it up to prove he is innocent—though privately he regrets the loss.
• Seeing his disappointment, Zi offers him another chance: if he knocks down another back-row jar, he may keep whatever prize it contains. Jun accepts and targets Jar No. 59, whose prize is a photo book of beach beauties.

Character developments and interactions

• Jun Wangchen shifts from clownish incompetence to startling skill, then acts boastful about his success. His eagerness for the doll exposes a lecherous, playful side, though he reluctantly yields to Zi’s disapproval.
• Zi Hanyan first laughs at Jun’s mishaps, then celebrates his successful shot. She is embarrassed and scolds him over the doll, but ultimately shows sympathy by giving him another chance.
• The stall owner goes from amused confidence to shock when Jun defeats his rigged game, then is delighted when Jun returns the prize.
• The spectators move from ridicule to astonishment, while some experienced onlookers share knowing remarks about the doll.

Significant themes

• Comic reversals: Jun’s repeated failures make his sudden triumph especially surprising.
• Cheating versus skill: The stall owner’s rigged game is exposed when Jun hits a supposedly unreachable target.
• Embarrassment and propriety: Jun’s enthusiasm for the prize clashes with Zi’s sense of decency, creating playful tension.
• Bargaining and temptation: Zi’s new condition gives Jun another opportunity—and a prize he finds appealing—to prove himself.

Plot points

• Jun Wangchen, now much more skilled at the can-knocking game, takes another shot at the stall. Though the ball appears to veer away from can 59, it strikes can 58 and rebounds through four more cans, knocking down five back-row cans in a row.
• The crowd assumes he has extraordinary luck, unaware that the stall owner secretly rigged the back-row cans to repel nearby balls.
• Zi Hanyan celebrates and thanks Jun. Jun flirts with her, saying that her happiness makes him happy.
• They go to claim the prizes. Zi Hanyan recognizes that the prizes are embarrassing and hides the first one, then stops Jun from taking the others. When he protests, she offers to make it up to him.
• Jun asks whether she would give herself to him. Zi Hanyan takes the question seriously at first, but Jun quickly says he was joking. She hides her disappointment and says someone as exceptional as Jun must have many admirers, so she will remain at a distance.
• Feeling unsettled by her words, Jun invites her for a walk by the sea. She agrees, and they leave together—while the stall owner silently mourns the photo album Jun has apparently taken.

Character development and interactions

• Jun Wangchen shows confidence and skill, while using playful, romantic remarks to draw closer to Zi Hanyan. Her response reveals that he may be less sure of their relationship than his teasing suggests.
• Zi Hanyan is delighted by Jun’s success and clearly attracted to him, but she feels inferior to his looks, ability, and status. Her brief hope that his proposal is sincere gives way to self-consciousness and disappointment.
• Their teasing shifts into a vulnerable moment: Jun’s joking advances meet Zi’s belief that he is beyond her reach, leaving both aware of an emotional distance.
• The stall owner is frustrated by Jun’s win and by the couple’s affection, then dismayed that Jun leaves with the most provocative prize.

Significant themes

• Luck, skill, and hidden manipulation: The crowd credits chance, but the owner’s rigged game makes Jun’s improbable win especially remarkable.
• Romance and insecurity: Jun and Zi care for each other, yet her sense that she cannot measure up complicates their growing closeness.
• Humor and contrast: Jun’s bawdy inner thoughts and the owner’s comic frustration offset the sincere emotional tension between the couple.

Key plot points and events

• Jun Wangchen and Zi Hanyan leave the crowded beach for a quiet spot among the coastal rocks.
• When Zi slips on a wet rock, Jun pulls her into his arms. Their close, lingering moment leaves them both flustered.
• Zi reflects on how repetitive and difficult life can feel, and asks what people live for. She describes the routine of a working friend and admits she, too, feels trapped in repetition.
• Jun says that human bonds—people and attachments that give us reason to care, worry, and grieve—help give life meaning.
• Zi asks why Jun hid his abilities. He explains that he once feared the cruelty that can follow public failure, but believes success can help a person protect what they value.
• When Zi catches a chill, Jun draws her close and tells her that being with her will keep his heart warm for a lifetime. They sit together quietly, smiling, though they expect to return to separate lives.

Character developments

• Jun reveals a more vulnerable, reflective side. He explains that his new abilities came from an unusual source and that he is driven to build lasting strength rather than rely on uncertain advantages. His words show both ambition and a desire to protect others.
• Zi moves from existential uncertainty toward a tentative understanding of Jun’s idea of bonds. Hearing about his difficult upbringing deepens her sympathy and affection for him.
• Their accidental embrace becomes a moment of mutual emotional closeness, culminating in Jun’s romantic declaration and Zi’s radiant smile.

Significant themes

• Meaning through connection: Relationships and attachments make life feel meaningful, even when they bring pain and constrain freedom.
• Routine and uncertainty: Zi questions a life of repeated days and worries about an unpredictable future.
• Ambition and protection: Jun sees achievement not simply as a pursuit of glory, but as a means to protect loved ones and pursue what matters.
• Intimacy and impermanence: Their peaceful afternoon feels precious partly because it may be only a brief encounter before they return to very different lives.

Character interactions

• Jun helps Zi climb the rock, then catches her when she slips; their physical closeness sparks mutual embarrassment and attraction.
• Zi invites a philosophical conversation, and Jun responds with his belief that bonds give life purpose.
• Zi asks about Jun’s past and hidden talent; his answer helps her understand his hardships and strengthens her compassion for him.
• When Zi feels cold, Jun embraces her and offers a tender, openly romantic reassurance.

Plot points and events

• After returning Zi Hanyan home, Jun Wangchen notices Xu Youyue has been unreachable. He learns from her friend Li Luo that she is flying home, but wonders why she left without telling him and what has changed in her family.
• Jun discovers that rescuing the people on the morning bus earned him 900 merit points, bringing his total to 1,900—just 100 short of the 2,000 needed for next month’s group fee.
• He checks the second death location sent by King Qin Guang: Central Hospital, at 4:10 p.m. With only ten minutes left, he rushes there. The hospital is nearby, though a taxi driver cheekily charges him 100 yuan for the trip and disappears before returning the change.
• Without a Disguise Pill, Jun buys a white, sword-bearing Li Bai cosplay outfit so he can enter the scene without drawing suspicion. Passersby photograph him, and he hastens away from their bizarre conversation.
• Outside the hospital, Jun finds Tang Lin on the roof, preparing to jump after suddenly developing leukemia and believing his family cannot afford treatment. His mother and wife, Xiao Mu, plead with him to come down; the crowd offers encouragement and help, but Tang Lin remains convinced that staying alive would burden them.
• Tang Lin says farewell and steps off the roof. The rescue cushion is out of position, and it seems he cannot be saved—until one foot is mysteriously held back. A white-clad figure appears, reciting lines from Xu Zhimo’s poem “Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again.”

Character developments and interactions

• Jun Wangchen shifts from worrying about Xu Youyue to acting urgently on the hospital warning. He improvises a disguise and risks public attention to reach Tang Lin in time. His frustration at the taxi driver contrasts with his determination to help.
• Tang Lin is overwhelmed by his diagnosis and financial fears, but remains deeply considerate of his family: he urges them not to sacrifice their future for him and delivers emotional farewells to his mother and Xiao Mu.
• Tang Lin’s mother and Xiao Mu show their devotion through desperate pleas and promises to raise money. Their distress, alongside the crowd’s support, underscores how loved Tang Lin is despite his despair.
• Xu Youyue’s sudden trip raises questions for Jun and establishes an unresolved personal concern.

Significant themes

• Life, fate, and intervention: Jun’s merit-point system and the death warning frame his attempt to change a seemingly destined outcome.
• Despair versus hope: Tang Lin sees death as a way to spare his family, while his loved ones and strangers try to show that his life is worth saving.
• Family sacrifice and financial hardship: The cost of treatment makes Tang Lin feel like a burden, highlighting the devastating pressure illness places on ordinary families.
• Compassion and improvisation: Jun acts quickly despite lacking the proper disguise, while the crowd offers help even when it cannot guarantee a solution.

Key plot points and events

• Jun Wangchen appears on the hospital roof behind Tang Lin, who is preparing to jump because he believes his family cannot afford leukemia treatment.
• Rather than comfort him conventionally, Jun challenges Tang Lin’s despair, pointing to his mother and wife’s determination and arguing that hope is worth fighting for.
• Jun then tells Tang Lin to jump, apparently callously. When Tang Lin begins to accept the crowd’s offers of help, Jun abruptly kicks him off the roof.
• As Tang Lin falls outside the rescue cushion’s reach, Jun’s sword flies beneath him and stops his descent. Jun catches him, brings him safely to the ground, and gives him a one-million-unit bearer check for treatment before disappearing.
• Tang Lin reunites with his mother and wife and promises to keep living. The chapter reveals that the money will help him overcome leukemia and eventually become a hugely successful internet entrepreneur.

Character developments

• Tang Lin moves from despair and suicidal intent to terror at the reality of falling, then to gratitude and renewed determination to live.
• Jun Wangchen comes across as irreverent and provocative, using harsh humor and a shocking act to jolt Tang Lin out of passivity. His supernatural abilities and hidden generosity emerge beneath his apparent coldness.
• Tang Lin’s mother and wife, Xiaomu, remain devoted and frightened throughout, then share in his relief and renewed hope.

Significant themes

• Hope and perseverance: A crisis can make life seem hopeless, but circumstances may change; giving up can mean missing an unexpected chance.
• Family and community support: Tang Lin’s loved ones and the bystanders show that he is not alone.
• Action behind provocation: Jun’s cruel-sounding words and sudden kick conceal an effort to save Tang Lin and help him face his will to live.
• Chance and transformation: One act of intervention changes Tang Lin’s future, turning a moment of despair into the beginning of success.

Character interactions

• Jun confronts Tang Lin with arguments about courage, survival, and the commitment of his family.
• Bystanders urge Tang Lin to come down and offer to raise money; their concern moves him.
• After the rescue, Tang Lin embraces his mother and wife, apologizes, and vows to keep fighting.
• Tang Lin expresses his gratitude to Jun, who watches unseen before leaving.

Plot points and events

• After rescuing Tang Lin, Jun Wangchen reports success to King Qin Guang and earns 300 merit points, bringing his total to 2,200—enough to meet his next group-fee requirement.
• Huang Junhao calls him to Yanhua Xueyue Manor to help Wang Baiwan, a wealthy power-plant owner whose enemy allegedly uses a Divination Spell to command ghosts. The enemy has challenged Wang to meet beside Weiming Lake at five o’clock.
• Wang Baiwan mocks Jun Wangchen’s youth and appearance, doubts his abilities, and reveals that he has already hired another ghost hunter. He tells Huang to pay Jun Wangchen and send him away.
• Offended, Jun Wangchen starts to leave. Huang apologizes and urges him to stay, offering to pay his full fee. Jun relents and waits with him.
• As Wang Baiwan prepares to insult Jun again, a middle-aged man in Taoist robes arrives carrying a battered backpack.

Character development and interactions

• Jun Wangchen is relieved by his recent success and mindful of the practical value of his merit points. He agrees to help Huang partly because Huang may be useful to his entertainment-industry ambitions. Although insulted by Wang Baiwan, he stays after Huang sincerely apologizes.
• Huang Junhao trusts Jun Wangchen because he witnessed his ghost-catching ability firsthand. He tries to defend Jun against Wang Baiwan and takes responsibility for the slight.
• Wang Baiwan is arrogant and dismissive, judging Jun by his age and appearance rather than his abilities. His decision to hire another hunter undermines Huang’s arrangement.
• The central interaction is a clash between Jun’s restrained confidence, Huang’s loyalty and diplomacy, and Wang’s skepticism and contempt. The arriving Taoist appears poised to become a rival or alternative to Jun.

Significant themes

• Appearances versus ability: Wang Baiwan assumes Jun is a fraud based on his youth and casual appearance.
• Trust and credibility: Huang’s firsthand experience leads him to trust Jun, while Wang demands conventional signs of expertise.
• Respect and reputation: Wang’s public dismissal threatens Jun’s dignity and Huang’s credibility, while Huang’s apology helps repair the situation.
• Practical ambition: Jun’s willingness to help is also shaped by the potential value of Huang’s connections.

Plot points and events

• Master Luo arrives at Wang Baiwan’s villa and is introduced to Huang Junhao and Jun Wangchen. Wang Baiwan and Luo both dismiss Jun as too young and inexperienced to face the Ghost Tamer threatening Wang.
• Luo explains that Ghost Tamers can control ghosts to attack people, while Ghost Catchers can both exorcise and command them. To demonstrate, he performs a ritual that summons a ghost, which snaps a tree in two before disappearing.
• Impressed by the display, Wang grows confident that Luo can defeat his enemy. He leads the group toward Weiming Lake, where the confrontation is due to take place.
• Luo continues taunting Jun, who remains calm and implies that Luo’s confidence exceeds his true ability. Wang rebukes Jun and escorts Luo ahead. Huang apologizes to Jun for how he has been treated, but Jun reassures him.

Character developments

• Jun Wangchen stays composed amid repeated insults. He recognizes that Luo’s demonstration is limited—his summoned ghost lasts only briefly—and privately contrasts it with what he considers genuine mastery of ghost-commanding.
• Huang Junhao is impressed by Luo’s power but remains protective of Jun and feels responsible for inviting him into an uncomfortable situation.
• Wang Baiwan shifts from uncertainty to overconfidence after seeing Luo’s demonstration, treating Jun’s skepticism as insolence.
• Master Luo presents himself as a powerful expert, but his repeated need to belittle Jun reveals arrogance and insecurity.

Character interactions and themes

• Luo and Wang jointly demean Jun, while Huang pushes back against their judgments and later apologizes for them.
• Jun answers provocation with restrained, cryptic remarks rather than anger, emphasizing the contrast between genuine confidence and boastful display.
• The chapter explores appearance versus ability, arrogance and underestimation, and the gap between spectacle and true skill.

Plot points and events

• Jun Wangchen, Huang Junhao, Wang Baiwan, and Master Luo reach Weiming Lake, whose beautiful, tranquil scenery is overshadowed by unusually dense yin energy—evidence of a prepared trap.
• Wang Baiwan rewards Master Luo in advance with an extra twenty million, confident the Taoist can handle the threat.
• Jun warns that their enemy has arrived. Master Luo confirms it just as the sky darkens and the lake begins to churn.
• Qiu Sen emerges over the water. He blames Wang Baiwan for exposing his drug trafficking, which cost him his career, appearance, and family. Wang insists he merely gave evidence to the police.
• Qiu vows revenge for his wife and child and threatens to kill Wang. Master Luo steps forward to confront him.
• Master Luo uses a talisman to expose the water ghost beneath Qiu’s feet, winning the group’s admiration. Jun, however, recognizes that the water ghost is not Qiu’s true trump card.
• Qiu snaps his fingers, summoning a far larger, terrifying water ghost from the lake. Its appearance reveals the scale of the danger and ends the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character developments and interactions

• Jun Wangchen remains observant and composed, recognizing Qiu’s arrival before the others and understanding that Master Luo has misjudged the threat.
• Master Luo is confident in his Taoist abilities and pleased by Wang’s lavish payment. His initial success in exposing the smaller water ghost strengthens the others’ faith in him, though Jun doubts his assessment.
• Wang Baiwan appears self-assured because of Master Luo’s presence, but his history with Qiu and the emergence of the giant ghost expose his vulnerability.
• Qiu Sen is revealed as a vengeful, embittered enemy. He frames Wang’s actions as the cause of his ruin and his family’s destruction; Wang counters that Qiu brought consequences on himself through criminal activity.
• Huang Junhao watches Master Luo with admiration, but becomes frightened when the larger ghost appears.

Significant themes

• Revenge and responsibility: Qiu’s grief fuels his vengeance, while the dispute over who caused his downfall highlights conflicting ideas of blame.
• Appearance versus reality: The serene lake conceals a supernatural trap, and Master Luo mistakes the visible ghost for the real danger.
• Overconfidence and misjudgment: Master Luo’s confidence—and the group’s admiration—contrasts with Jun’s quieter, more accurate reading of the situation.
• Power and money: Wang tries to secure protection through generous payment, but wealth cannot remove the danger awaiting them.

Plot points

• Qiu Sen reveals he can control three enormous water ghosts, overwhelming Wang Baiwan, Huang Junhao, and Master Luo.
• Master Luo’s protective barrier holds off one ghost, but the combined attack of two shatters it and leaves him gravely injured.
• Master Luo admits he is outmatched and reflects that his comfortable, profitable work fighting minor ghosts left him poorly prepared.
• Qiu Sen gives Wang Baiwan one minute to speak. Wang offers him half his company and begs forgiveness for the past, but Qiu Sen rejects the deal and prepares to kill him.
• As Qiu Sen moves to feed Wang to a ghost, an unknown voice offers to save him for a hundred million.

Character developments and interactions

• Qiu Sen demonstrates his formidable power and revels in the revenge he has pursued for years. Wang’s desperate pleas only deepen his sense of triumph and cruelty.
• Wang Baiwan loses his former arrogance, first bargaining and then groveling for his life.
• Master Luo is defeated and recognizes both Qiu Sen’s superior skill and his own failure to train through hardship; his collapse leaves Wang without protection.
• Huang Junhao is reduced to terrified helplessness and hopes only to be spared.
• The chapter ends on the sudden intervention of an unidentified potential rescuer.

Significant themes

• Strength and vulnerability: Those who once wielded power can become helpless when confronted by someone stronger.
• Consequences and revenge: Qiu Sen’s confrontation with Wang brings his years of suffering and desire for retribution to a head.
• Complacency versus discipline: Master Luo’s defeat underscores how comfort and easy gains can weaken real ability.

Key plot points and events

• Qiu Sen holds Wang Baiwan hostage and demands money, but Jun Wangchen steps in, offering to save him and provoking Qiu Sen with his confidence.
• Qiu Sen releases Wang and advances on Jun, while Master Luo and Huang Junhao fear the confrontation will get them all killed.
• Jun reveals golden Buddhist runes and unleashes the Heavenly Thunder Art, demonstrating that he is a grandmaster-level Ghost Catcher.
• A massive lightning blade destroys Qiu Sen’s three water ghosts and tears open the ground. Qiu Sen loses an arm and flees.
• Jun refuses to let Qiu Sen escape and begins casting the Fire Cloud Spell.

Character developments and interactions

• Jun Wangchen shifts from silent observer to commanding protector. His calm bravado proves justified, and his immense power shocks everyone present.
• Qiu Sen, initially menacing and confident, becomes terrified once he recognizes Jun’s abilities. He abandons his pride and runs for his life.
• Wang Baiwan moves from desperation to stunned relief after Jun saves him.
• Master Luo and Huang Junhao go from fearing Jun’s provocation will doom them to witnessing a level of power beyond their understanding.
• Jun’s exchanges with Qiu Sen escalate from a hostage bargain into a direct challenge; the other characters watch, largely helpless.

Significant themes

• Overconfidence versus true strength: Qiu Sen’s arrogance collapses when he faces a vastly stronger opponent.
• Power and hierarchy: Jun’s mastery of heavenly forces places him far above ordinary ghost tamers and their ghosts.
• Protection and courage: Jun intervenes despite the danger to save Wang Baiwan, while the others can only hope he succeeds.

Key plot points and events

• Jun Wangchen traps Qiu Sen with Purgatory True Fire after using the Heavenly Thunder Art to defeat his water ghosts. The fire destroys Qiu Sen’s ghost-commanding power, leaving him unconscious and no longer dangerous.
• Relieved, Wang Baiwan offers Jun a 200-million check: the amount owed plus an extra 100 million as an apology. Jun accepts only what he is owed, making clear he helped because Huang Junhao asked him to.
• Jun prepares to leave the manor with Huang escorting him. Before departing, he teases Master Luo for mocking him earlier, then demonstrates a genuine Ghost-Commanding Technique. Countless ghosts rise from across the manor and bow to Jun before he leaves.
• In a comic twist, Jun immediately trips over a stone and curses whoever “ambushed” him.

Character developments and interactions

• Jun Wangchen confirms his extraordinary command of ancient exorcism arts, while remaining cool and unimpressed by Wang Baiwan’s belated generosity. He offers Master Luo instruction, displaying both confidence and a capacity to teach.
• Wang Baiwan shifts from dismissive skepticism to profound gratitude and regret. He recognizes that judging Jun by appearances cost him a chance to build a friendship.
• Huang Junhao is delighted that Jun helped partly out of regard for him. He sees Jun’s new status as a powerful ghost-catcher as an unexpected advantage for their professional relationship.
• Master Luo is humbled by Jun’s abilities. His earlier contempt gives way to fear, then awe and eagerness to learn.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus true ability: Jun’s power exposes the folly of judging him by his looks or status.
• Respect and opportunism: Wang Baiwan’s sudden deference shows how quickly people’s attitudes change when power becomes undeniable.
• Mastery and humility: Jun’s lesson demonstrates overwhelming skill, while his pratfall punctures the scene’s grandeur with humor.

Plot points and events

• Jun Wangchen returns to his university dorm, where Zhang Zhengxiao and Wang Nuli are furiously playing Honor of Kings and joking about their disastrous gaming records.
• Ke JiusI reminisces with a former classmate about old games and a simpler, pre-smartphone era. Jun joins in reflecting on childhood and social change, then dismisses his nostalgia and gets ready for dinner.
• Mo Li calls to cancel their dinner because she has been assigned a serious, difficult case. Jun offers help, but she insists she can handle it.
• His three roommates tease him with deliberately bleak “life advice” after the cancellation. Jun responds with a crude joke, which earns their enthusiastic approval.
• Zhou Rou’er calls and invites Jun to visit the Zhou family. He accepts once she confirms she is waiting outside campus and dinner and transportation are covered. He leaves, prompting his roommates to launch into increasingly absurd sexual boasts and insults.

Character developments

• Jun Wangchen shows a reflective, nostalgic side, but quickly returns to his practical, playful manner. He is considerate toward Mo Li and willing to help, though he respects her refusal; he is also easily persuaded by the promise of a ride and dinner.
• Mo Li is committed to her police work and confident about handling the case, despite acknowledging that it is tricky.
• Zhou Rou’er is eager and somewhat nervous about Jun accepting her invitation, especially after her father’s invitation was previously declined.
• The roommates are established as crude, irreverent comic foils: Zhang and Wang are competitive gamers, while Ke is sociable and fond of wordplay.

Significant themes

• Nostalgia and social change: Jun and Ke recall a more innocent, less technologically saturated childhood and contrast it with modern life.
• Friendship through banter: The roommates’ outrageous teasing and shared jokes provide comic companionship.
• Duty and personal plans: Mo Li’s casework takes priority over dinner, while Jun readily adjusts his evening plans.

Character interactions

• Jun listens to Ke’s nostalgic conversation and shares his own memories.
• He offers Mo Li assistance, but she reassures him and postpones their dinner.
• The roommates tease Jun about the cancellation, and he answers with a joke that wins their approval.
• Zhou Rou’er’s polite, hopeful invitation persuades Jun to visit; his roommates react with envy and exaggerated vulgarity after he leaves.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Rou’er has recovered quickly after Jun Wangchen treated her illness, and she picks him up at Jinling University to take him to the Zhou family residence.
• In the car, she thanks him and asks why someone with his abilities still attends university. Jun says he studies to stay grounded and keep himself from losing his way as his power and influence grow.
• At the Zhou residence, they find Zhou Rou’er’s aunt, Zhou Ruomei, and Huo Feixing, the son of Jinling’s chief appraiser. He has come with his father to discuss the upcoming Antique Appraisal Competition and to visit Rou’er.
• Huo Feixing greets Rou’er familiarly and offers his hand, but she declines to shake it. When he asks who Jun is, Rou’er takes Jun’s arm and introduces him as her boyfriend.

Character developments and interactions

• Jun Wangchen reveals a thoughtful, self-disciplined side: despite his exceptional abilities, he keeps his student identity as a way to remain connected to ordinary life and preserve his values. His inner monologue, however, comically attributes Rou’er’s admiration to his irresistible looks.
• Zhou Rou’er is grateful to Jun for saving her and increasingly admires him. She also maintains clear boundaries with Huo Feixing, then boldly presents Jun as her boyfriend, leaving the true nature of that claim unresolved.
• Zhou Ruomei welcomes Rou’er but seems insincere. Her introduction of Huo Feixing and the circumstances of his visit suggest possible matchmaking or other family intentions.
• Huo Feixing behaves politely but assumes a degree of familiarity that Rou’er does not welcome. His awkwardly withdrawn handshake highlights her distance from him.

Significant themes

• Self-restraint and integrity: Jun believes power must be balanced by humility and principles.
• Boundaries and choice: Rou’er controls how others approach her and openly defines her connection to Jun.
• Romantic rivalry and uncertainty: Huo Feixing’s arrival creates tension, while Rou’er’s “boyfriend” introduction raises questions about whether she means it or is using Jun to deflect him.
• Comic self-importance: The narrator’s playful commentary contrasts with Jun’s sincere reflections and the emerging social tension.

Plot and key events

• Zhou Rou’er introduces Jun Wangchen as her boyfriend, catching him, Huo Feixing, and her aunt Zhou Ruomei completely off guard. Jun agrees to play along after noticing Rou’er’s silent plea.
• Rou’er and Zhou Ruomei argue over the aunt’s sudden concern. Rou’er suspects her aunt has ulterior motives, recalling that Zhou Ruomei ignored her while she was ill but has now reappeared and grown close to Huo Feixing.
• Zhou Ruomei interrogates Jun about his family, job, and wealth. He says he is a student from a modest household: his mother used to work in sanitation and now runs a restaurant.
• Zhou Ruomei mocks Rou’er for choosing someone she considers poor and unworthy of the Zhou family’s status. Rou’er insists her father will support her choice and that no one else’s approval matters.
• Huo Feixing challenges Jun’s ability to provide for Rou’er. Jun’s response is that he could simply become her “kept man,” ending the exchange with a provocative joke.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Rou’er is assertive and protective of her autonomy. She openly distrusts Zhou Ruomei and refuses to let her aunt dictate her romantic choices.
• Jun Wangchen outwardly supports Rou’er’s story while privately finding the sudden pretend-boyfriend role absurd. He stays composed under scrutiny and counters Huo Feixing with humor.
• Zhou Ruomei presents herself as a concerned elder but reveals contempt for Jun’s humble background and a desire to influence Rou’er.
• Huo Feixing remains interested in Rou’er and uses Jun’s finances to undermine the supposed relationship.

Significant themes

• Autonomy versus family control: Rou’er asserts her right to choose whom she loves.
• Class and status prejudice: Zhou Ruomei judges Jun by his family background and wealth.
• Hidden motives and appearances: Rou’er suspects her aunt’s concern is not genuine, while Jun’s ordinary self-description contrasts with his impressive abilities.
• Humor amid tension: Jun’s “kept man” remark punctures the family’s serious interrogation.

Plot and events

• In the Zhou family hall, Jun Wangchen casually claims that he is happy to live off Zhou Rou’er if it means being with her. His closeness makes Rou’er visibly shy and flustered.
• Zhou Ruomei, who wants Rou’er paired with Huo Feixing for the sake of the family’s wealth, separates the young couple by asking Rou’er to show Huo around. Rou’er resists but eventually agrees.
• Left alone with Jun, Ruomei offers him money to break up with Rou’er. She raises her offer from 200,000 to two million, which he accepts—though he has no intention of leaving Rou’er.
• Jun then uses divination to infer that Ruomei has missed her period and that her husband left on business six months earlier. He ends the chapter by asking why she is two months pregnant if her husband has been away that long.

Character developments and interactions

• Jun Wangchen uses humor and feigned greed to deflect Huo’s insults and exploit Ruomei’s attempt to buy him off. His knowledge of Ruomei’s circumstances gives the exchange a sudden, serious edge.
• Zhou Rou’er shows growing affection for Jun, responding warmly to his embrace while remaining openly cold toward Huo.
• Zhou Ruomei is determined to control Rou’er’s romantic future for financial gain. Jun’s pregnancy question unsettles her and threatens to expose a private secret.
• Huo Feixing maintains a polished manner in public, but his private thoughts reveal a predatory desire to possess Rou’er.

Significant themes

• Money and integrity: Ruomei assumes anyone can be bought; Jun’s speeches mock that belief, even as he accepts her money.
• Love versus manipulation: Ruomei tries to steer Rou’er toward Huo for material advantage, while Rou’er’s feelings for Jun appear genuine.
• Appearance versus reality: Jun pretends to be a shameless freeloader, Huo hides his intentions behind courtesy, and Ruomei’s family arrangements may conceal a deeper scandal.

Plot and events

• Jun Wangchen reveals that he knows Zhou Ruomei is pregnant and has been involved with Huo Feixing. He uses this knowledge to make her promise to stop helping Huo Feixing pursue Zhou Rou’er and to support his relationship with Rou’er.
• To secure his silence, Zhou Ruomei gives Jun another million yuan in addition to an earlier two-million check. He jokingly claims he has “amnesia” about her secrets.
• Zhou Rou’er returns with Huo Feixing. Zhou Ruomei abruptly praises Jun and urges Rou’er to treat him well, confusing Rou’er and angering Huo Feixing.
• Jun leaves to take a phone call. Zhou Fangzun and Huo Sanjian then join the gathering, and Huo Sanjian praises a brilliant young appraiser he recently met—Jun Wangchen—whose skill includes sensing the “soul aura” of antiques.
• Huo Feixing is stunned when his father names Jun as the prodigy. Jun returns at the chapter’s end and asks who called his name.

Character developments and interactions

• Jun Wangchen shows himself to be perceptive, medically knowledgeable, and willing to use leverage for money and romantic advantage. His playful, self-mocking inner commentary contrasts with his calculated behavior.
• Zhou Ruomei shifts from opposing Jun to backing him after he exposes her secrets. Her fear and financial loss make clear that she is acting under pressure, not genuine approval.
• Huo Feixing becomes increasingly frustrated: Zhou Ruomei stops helping him, and he learns that his father considers Jun far superior in appraisal.
• Zhou Rou’er notices the sudden change in her aunt’s attitude but does not know why it happened.
• Huo Sanjian establishes Jun’s reputation as an exceptional appraiser, while Zhou Fangzun and the others react with surprise.

Significant themes

• Secrets and coercion: Private misconduct becomes leverage, reshaping alliances and relationships.
• Appearances versus reality: Zhou Ruomei’s public praise hides her fear, while Jun’s modest jokes mask his confidence and opportunism.
• Rivalry and status: Huo Feixing’s pride is challenged both romantically and professionally.
• Exceptional talent: Jun’s ability to detect soul aura marks him as far beyond ordinary appraisers and sets up a likely confrontation or revelation.

Key plot points and events

• Jun Wangchen arrives at the Zhou residence, where Zhou Fangzun and antique appraiser Huo Sanjian greet him warmly. Zhou Rou’er explains she invited Jun that afternoon.
• Zhou Fangzun reveals that Jun once cured Rou’er’s serious illness, impressing Huo Sanjian and shocking Huo Feixing, who had assumed Jun was merely an ordinary rival for Rou’er’s attention.
• The group discusses the upcoming citywide Antique Appraisal Competition. The Zhou family had planned to send Huo Feixing, but Huo Sanjian now believes Jun’s proven skill would give them a better chance.
• Huo Feixing protests that he deserves a chance to compete. Jun says he has no wish to represent the Zhou family and suggests letting Huo Feixing enter.
• Huo Feixing accuses Jun of manipulating his father and challenges him to an appraisal contest. Huo Sanjian slaps his son and demands an apology, but Huo Feixing remains hostile.
• Jun initially rejects the contest as pointless, then agrees to discuss it after Huo Feixing taunts him. He proposes that the loser run naked around the Zhou residence.

Character developments

• Jun Wangchen remains modest about his abilities and reluctant to seek recognition. He tries to defuse the dispute, but Huo Feixing’s provocation draws him into a contest; his final wager shows a mischievous, confident side.
• Huo Feixing shifts from hopeful confidence to jealousy and anger when he fears losing both the competition opportunity and Zhou Rou’er’s favor. He disregards his father’s authority and lashes out at Jun.
• Huo Sanjian praises Jun’s talent and puts the Zhou family’s interests ahead of his son’s ambitions. Though he rebukes Huo Feixing, he ultimately lets the challenge proceed, hoping a setback may teach him.
• Zhou Fangzun and Zhou Rou’er express respect for Jun and disapproval of Huo Feixing’s behavior, but avoid intervening directly in the father-son conflict.

Significant themes

• Merit versus entitlement: Huo Sanjian favors Jun’s demonstrated skill over his son’s claims of ability.
• Pride and self-control: Huo Feixing’s temper undermines his case and makes a contest seem necessary.
• Modesty and recognition: Jun’s talents are repeatedly praised, though he does not seek a public role.
• Family loyalty and responsibility: Huo Sanjian must balance concern for his son with his duty to the Zhou family.

Character interactions

Jun’s respectful rapport with Zhou Fangzun and Huo Sanjian contrasts sharply with Huo Feixing’s hostility. Huo Sanjian’s public reprimand of his son intensifies their conflict, while Zhou Fangzun and Rou’er watch in uneasy silence. The chapter ends with Jun accepting Huo Feixing’s challenge on deliberately humiliating terms.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• In the Zhou family’s main hall, Jun Wangchen and Huo Feixing agree to an antique-appraisal contest. The loser must run naked around the estate, making the wager deliberately humiliating.
• At Huo Feixing’s suggestion, Zhou Fangzun brings them to his antique room and presents a rolled painting.
• Before it is unrolled, Jun identifies it as a Tang Bohu painting, then names it as Wang Shu Palace Courtesans. He explains his conclusion through the painting’s coloring, composition, and the lingering scent of the sandalwood ink used to create it.
• Jun then correctly predicts that Zhou has a second Tang Bohu painting, Withered Tree and Magpie, in another desk drawer. He identifies it by the distinctive poplar-ink fragrance.
• Huo Feixing, unable to match Jun’s expertise, protests that identifying paintings does not prove skill at choosing valuable antiques. Zhou proposes a second round: each contestant has ten minutes to select the most valuable object in the room.
• Both accept the new challenge, and Jun intends to win decisively.

Character developments

• Jun Wangchen displays exceptional knowledge of paintings and antiques, along with unusually sharp sight and smell. He remains calm and does not taunt Huo, though he privately welcomes the chance to prove his superiority again.
• Huo Feixing begins confident but is visibly outclassed. Rather than accept defeat, he shifts the contest’s criteria and insists on another chance.
• Zhou Fangzun is impressed by Jun’s expertise and manages the contest tactfully, partly to spare Huo Sanjian embarrassment.
• Huo Sanjian recognizes that his son has lost and feels frustrated by the gulf between Huo Feixing and Jun.
• Zhou Rou’er admires Jun’s skill and is left speechless by Huo Feixing’s refusal to concede.

Character interactions

• The contest pits Jun’s composure and demonstrated expertise against Huo Feixing’s pride and excuses.
• Zhou Fangzun praises Jun while trying to keep the proceedings diplomatic toward the Huo family.
• Huo Sanjian acknowledges the result to his son, while Zhou Rou’er silently signals her disapproval of Huo Feixing’s behavior.

Significant themes

• Expertise and perception: Appraisal requires more than visual judgment; knowledge, close observation, and even smell can reveal an object’s identity.
• Pride and sportsmanship: Huo Feixing’s refusal to accept an apparent loss contrasts with Jun’s calm confidence.
• Proof and reputation: Jun’s detailed explanations make his claims convincing, while the proposed second round gives him a chance to demonstrate his broader appraisal ability.