Chapter Summaries

Yi Shuyuan received a bundle of letters and read one from Monk Wufa to the village elders, turning it into a vivid account of the monk’s past. The tale ended with the abbot’s death and his instruction for Wufa to leave the monastery and seek the Buddha.

• An old Postal Courier delivered a stack of letters to the Yi residence, and a servant brought them to Yi Shuyuan at the village threshing ground.
• Yi Shuyuan recognized letters from friends and acquaintances across the land, then chose a weathered letter written by a monk.
• Yi Shuyuan identified the writer as a monk from Xiangshan Monastery and began recounting the letter as a tale about Monk Wufa.
• In the Fourth Year of Hongxing, the dying abbot told Monk Wufa that his troubled heart would not find peace in seclusion and urged him to leave the mountain and seek the Buddha.
• After the abbot died, Monk Wufa closed his eyes, pressed his palms together, and told the weeping monks that the abbot had entered nirvana as he wished.

Monk Wufa left Xiangshan Zen Monastery to seek the Buddha among people suffering in Southern Yan. After finding a village emptied by war and returning to discover its elders dead, he confronted the bandits terrorizing it and prepared to make them awaken through force.

• Monk Wufa refused the monks’ nomination as abbot and left the monastery despite Monk Zhaoli’s attempt to persuade him to stay.
• Monk Wufa crossed into Southern Yan, where border guards confiscated most of his belongings, and continued north with only a gourd bowl.
• Monk Wufa reached a nearly abandoned village, shared the elders’ meager food, carried water for its nine households, and plowed their fields.
• Monk Wufa left to find seeds and returned eleven days later to find every villager dead.
• Monk Wufa confronted the bandits who had come searching the village and vowed to grant them an awakening.

Monk Wufa buried the villagers killed by horse bandits and continued his journey, struggling to understand the Nameless Sutra and find food. In a town, he intervened when an officer and his soldiers extorted a shopkeeper, then wondered where Buddha was.

• Yi Shuyuan explained to the children that the monk in his letter had offered the bandits an awakening through purgatory.
• Monk Wufa chanted over the dead villagers, buried them after a night of rain, and resumed his journey.
• In a town, Wufa discovered his seed grain had sprouted and begged unsuccessfully for food until a restaurant proprietor gave him a steamed bun.
• Wufa hurried toward a disturbance and stopped an officer from striking the restaurant proprietor by gripping the officer’s saber.
• The officer said the unpaid border army was collecting money to defend against the Grasslands and Great Yong, then demanded ten taels a month from the shop.
• After the troops left, Wufa heard the proprietor say he would sell the shop and wondered where Buddha was.

Yi Shuyuan recounts Monk Wufa’s journey through Southern Yan’s turmoil, then reunites with his family for a winter-solstice meal. Yi Baokang dies peacefully after watching over his family, leaving Yi Shuyuan grieving and reflecting on his brother’s life.

• Yi Shuyuan finishes reading Monk Wufa’s letter, which describes his travels through Southern Yan and his meeting with Chi Qinghu and Mai Lingfei.
• In the twelfth year of Hongxing, Yi A Bao and Yi Han return to West River Village for the winter-solstice reunion.
• The Yi family gathers for a meal, and Yi Baokang thanks Zhao for her years of hard work.
• After the meal, Netherworld Officials arrive to take Yi Baokang, who asks to stay briefly to watch his family before leaving peacefully.
• Yi Shuyuan sheds a tear as the family begins to understand that Yi Baokang has died.

After Yi Baokang died, Yi Shuyuan arranged for him to reincarnate with the chance to meet his parents from this life again, then secretly accompanied him along Yellow Springs Road. At the Bridge of Forgetfulness, Yi Shuyuan sent a mysterious light into Yi Baokang and began using the transformations of Heavenly Gang despite the Netherworld’s power surging around him.

• Yi Shuyuan left the grieving Yi Household and went to the Underworld Office, where he asked Xiang Changqing to help Yi Baokang reincarnate with a chance to meet his parents again.
• Xiang Changqing judged Yi Baokang and offered him the opportunity, and Yi Baokang agreed to be reborn after the seventh day following his death.
• On the seventh day, Yi Shuyuan disguised himself as an old farmer and accompanied Yi Baokang along Yellow Springs Road before they parted at the Bridge of Forgetfulness.
• Yi Shuyuan swallowed a Starwoven Pill and three Vital Essence Pills, then sent a sparkling object across the River of Forgetfulness and into Yi Baokang as he entered reincarnation.
• As the Netherworld’s power surged, Yi Shuyuan raised his Intent Realm Furnace and invoked the transformations of Heavenly Gang.

Yi Shuyuan left West River Village after bidding farewell to Yi Yong'an and traveled north toward Heaven-Bearing Prefecture. There, he witnessed Meng Shiming inscribe a bold declaration of Great Yong’s territory on a massive stone.

• Yi Shuyuan left a letter for his family and walked out of West River Village with Yi Yong'an, who asked whether he would return.
• Yi Shuyuan parted from Yi Yong'an, and Hui Mian asked Jiang Zhuer to help Yong'an catch more fish.
• Yi Shuyuan visited Wu Minggao in Yuanjiang County, then regained his youthful appearance as he traveled north.
• Yi Shuyuan descended into Heaven-Bearing Prefecture and watched workers raise a huge stone near the city gate.
• Meng Shiming wrote on the stone: “Twenty thousand li northwest from here—all is the territory of our Great Yong!”

Yi Shuyuan traveled from Heaven-Bearing Prefecture toward Southern Yan and saw how Great Yan’s decline had left its capital vulnerable to rebellion. As the palace fell, a guard commander rescued three young royals and fled with the Great Yan Imperial Seal.

• Yi Shuyuan left Heaven-Bearing Prefecture and flew northeast toward Southern Yan, reflecting on Great Yong’s rise and Great Yan’s collapse.
• Rebels stormed the palace in Zhongling Prefecture while eunuchs looted its treasures and captured the Ninth Prince, the Thirteenth Prince, and the Tenth Princess.
• A guard commander abandoned the palace defenses, found the emperor dead by suicide, and took the Great Yan Imperial Seal.
• The guard commander and his men killed the eunuchs, rescued the three children, changed their clothes, and escaped over the palace walls into Zhongling Prefecture.

Yi Shuyuan arrived at the house where Lu and his guards were hiding the three young Jian princes and princess, and offered to take the children away. After Lu betrayed and attacked him, Yi Shuyuan shattered Lu’s saber and killed him, leaving the other guards frozen in fear.

• Sixteen people fled the fallen palace with the three young Jian royals and valuables, then hid in a family’s home while rebels searched the city for them and the Imperial Seal.
• Lu injured Pan Wentang after Pan objected to abandoning the children, then claimed Pan had planned to betray them.
• A white crane flew over the city as Yi Shuyuan arrived and offered to take the three children away.
• Lu drew his saber and attacked Yi Shuyuan, who stopped the blade with one finger and shattered it into fragments that killed Lu.

Yi Shuyuan rescued the ninth prince and his siblings from treacherous guards and flew them out of Zhongling Prefectural City on summoned white cranes. He took them toward Yunlu Prefecture to reflect on the suffering of the age, while the Great Toad King recognized him and vowed to settle their score.

• Yi Shuyuan healed Pan Wentang, exposed the guards’ plot to betray the Jian children, and offered to take the children to safety.
• The ninth prince abandoned the jade seal after Yi Shuyuan warned that he would leave him behind, and Pan Wentang led the three children out of the courtyard.
• Yi Shuyuan summoned white cranes, transformed into one himself, and carried Pan Wentang and the children away from the storm-darkened city.
• The remaining guards rushed toward the Imperial Heirloom Seal after the cranes departed, while Hui Mian followed the flock as a gust of wind.
• Yi Shuyuan told Pan Wentang they were headed somewhere the children could reflect and witness the suffering of the age, then flew over Xichuan Province toward Yunlu Prefecture.
• The Great Toad King spotted Yi Shuyuan passing over Hele Mountain, recognized him as a monster posing as the Nation-Protecting Divine Crane, and vowed to settle the score.

Yi Shuyuan brought Pan Wentang and the three Jian Orphans to Great Autumn Temple, where Monk Wufa agreed to shelter them. After leaving the temple, Yi Shuyuan discovered that a giant toad had followed him into the mountains and was seeking him out.

• Yi Shuyuan brought Pan Wentang and the three children to Dao Xing Prefecture, refusing the Ninth Prince’s request to save Great Yan and leaving their future choices to them.
• Pan Wentang told the children to use the surname Pan, and Yi Shuyuan introduced himself to them as He Yunqiao as they reached Great Autumn Temple.
• Yi Shuyuan asked Monk Wufa to shelter the Jian Orphans, revealed their identities privately, and gave him a heavy bundle of gold and silver for food.
• A sudden gust and thunder-like crash interrupted them, and Yi Shuyuan leapt away from the temple while Wufa agreed to take the refugees in.
• Yi Shuyuan reached a mountain peak and realized that a giant toad had fallen from the sky and followed him there.

Yi Shuyuan fought the Great Toad King through a violent storm near Great Autumn Temple, then called a halt before the battle could endanger the people below. The two demons introduced themselves and shared wine, until Yi Shuyuan’s handsome appearance left Chanshang gritting his teeth.

• The Great Toad King arrived at Mount Great Autumn, and Yi Shuyuan transformed into a White Crane to meet his attack.
• Monk Wufa led refugees into Great Autumn Temple and steadied them as the storm intensified.
• Yi Shuyuan and the Great Toad King fought across the mountains and plains until Yi Shuyuan proposed stopping, and both withdrew their demonic auras.
• Yi Shuyuan returned to a peak near the temple, where the Great Toad King introduced himself as Chanshang and learned Yi Shuyuan’s name was He Yunqiao.
• Chanshang invited He Yunqiao to drink, and He Yunqiao offered a fine bottle of wine that made Chanshang grit his teeth at the handsome crane.

Yi Shuyuan shared wine with the Great Toad King, who confessed his unrequited affection for Spirit Carp Madam, then went to the Great Autumn Temple and spoke with Monk Wufa about compassion and Buddhist duty. His words helped Wufa confront his doubts about whether he was truly saving those who sought refuge.

• The Great Toad King learned that Spirit Carp Madam had given his wine to Yi Daozi through Dragon King Jiang and confessed that he had brewed it as a gift for her.
• Yi Shuyuan explained that Great Yan's claim that he was its Nation-Protecting Divine Crane had little real influence on his cultivation, and the Great Toad King drank himself to sleep.
• Yi Shuyuan heard temple residents complain about rising grain prices and saw the hardship facing refugees at the Great Autumn Temple.
• Yi Shuyuan met Monk Wufa and listened as he questioned whether he was saving or harming the people who had sought refuge.
• Yi Shuyuan told Wufa that all ordinary people were sentient beings and urged him to trust the Buddha within his own heart, leaving Wufa stunned.

Yi Shuyuan left Monk Wufa to oversee Great Autumn Temple, then secretly supplied its refugees with food as the temple organized farming and relief work. When soldiers arrived demanding the abbot and a woman went into premature labor, Yi Shuyuan took Mili’s form and hurried to deliver the baby, leaving Monk Wufa to face the cavalry.

• Yi Shuyuan asked Ru Qing to keep people from disturbing Monk Wufa, who sat outside the Great Buddha Hall through the night.
• Yi Shuyuan and Hui Mian supplied Great Autumn Temple with snacks and preserved food, and the grateful refugees received the treats.
• Monk Wufa organized grain purchases, fieldwork, and construction as thousands of refugees sought shelter at the temple.
• When a refugee woman went into premature labor and no midwife could be found, Pan Wentang volunteered to search for help.
• More than twenty soldiers arrived at the temple, and their officer demanded that the abbot come out to receive them.
• Yi Shuyuan changed into Mili’s form, offered to help deliver the baby, and ordered the people in the shack to prepare supplies after discovering the baby was breech.

Yi Shuyuan delivered a premature baby at Great Autumn Temple while Monk Wufa persuaded Qilin Army soldiers that the temple sheltered refugees rather than rebels. The child was born safely, and the Great Toad King heard its unusual cries and flew toward the temple.

• Yi Shuyuan soothed the woman in labor, helped restore her strength, and prepared to deliver her baby.
• Monk Wufa told the Qilin Army officer that Great Autumn Temple was sheltering refugees and invited him to inspect the temple.
• The officer and his men saw the refugees and learned that a woman inside a shack was struggling through a dangerous first birth.
• Monk Wufa and the people gathered outside chanted and prayed as Yi Shuyuan corrected the baby's position and delivered the child.
• Yi Shuyuan cut the umbilical cord and stimulated the unresponsive baby until it cried loudly, bringing relief and celebration to the crowd.
• The Great Toad King woke at the baby's cries, sensed the child was unusual, and flew toward Great Autumn Temple.

Yi Shuyuan delivered a healthy boy at Great Autumn Temple and brought him out to reassure the gathered refugees and soldiers. The birth eased the standoff with the soldiers, while the Great Toad King became captivated by Yi Shuyuan’s beauty.

• Yi Shuyuan washed and swaddled the newborn, then told the mother that she and her son were safe.
• The baby cried when the old woman tried to carry him, but Yi Shuyuan calmed him and brought him to the doorway to show everyone he was healthy.
• The Great Toad King saw Yi Shuyuan and became instantly smitten, wondering whether she was a demon, deity, or mortal.
• Monk Wufa convinced the general that Great Autumn Temple sheltered no rebels, and the general withdrew his troops.

Yi Shuyuan, disguised as Mili, helped deliver a baby at the Great Autumn Temple and taught Guan Xinghua and the other women about childbirth. After leaving, he confronted the Great Toad King, who pursued him until Yi Shuyuan ordered him to leave; the toad then realized he had mistaken Mili for Spirit Carp Madam.

• Yi Shuyuan left the delivery room with Guan Xinghua and taught her how to assist with childbirth as they prepared hot water in the kitchen.
• The temple women gathered around Mili to discuss childbirth, and Yi Shuyuan introduced himself as Mili from the south while Guan Xinghua gave her name.
• After the newborn’s husband came to collect hot water, Yi Shuyuan left the temple and stopped the Great Toad King’s mist-form with his sword.
• Yi Shuyuan questioned the Great Toad King about following him, then explained that he had come to investigate the demons’ disturbance near Mount Great Autumn.
• When the Great Toad King pursued him again, Yi Shuyuan ordered him to scram, and the fleeing toad later realized Mili was not Spirit Carp Madam.

Yi Shuyuan returned to the mountain and found the Great Toad King infatuated with Mili, while Mili’s disappearance at the Great Autumn Temple was explained as a divine manifestation. In Dao Xing Prefecture, General Lian defended the temple’s relief work, but a scholar accused it of corruption and the temple’s people of aiding rebels.

• Yi Shuyuan returned to the mountain, warned the Great Toad King that Mili was dangerous, and heard him vow to avoid cruelty and help living beings.
• Yi Shuyuan looked south toward Cang Mountain and thought that what must come would come.
• Guan Xinghua and others reported Mili missing, and Monk Wufa said she had departed after her manifestation ended.
• At the Qilin Army headquarters, General Lian described the Great Autumn Temple’s refugees and relief work, but a scholar accused the temple of harboring corruption.
• The scholar presented pearls found on people from the temple and accused them of supplying rebels, while Master Ru Xing said the pearls were donated to buy food.
• General Lian stopped the scholar from striking Master Ru Xing and urged their lord to inspect the Great Autumn Temple before acting against it.

A Snow Python’s unnatural blizzard swept toward the Great Autumn Temple just as soldiers arrived to seize control of it. Monk Wufa asked the frightened troops to spare the temple’s monks and commoners, then walked into the storm alone.

• A Snow Python’s Walking the Snowstorm spread ice and snow from Mo Mountain toward Dao Xing Prefecture, while Yi Shuyuan and the Great Toad King sensed the approaching calamity.
• A lord and an entire battalion arrived at the Great Autumn Temple, detained its people, and forced the monks and commoners out of their quarters.
• Monk Wufa confronted the soldiers and used his Wrathful Vajra Gaze to frighten them, but a dragon’s cry and the advancing blizzard interrupted him.
• As ice and snow engulfed the temple steps, Monk Wufa asked the lord to spare the temple’s monks and commoners, then walked into the blizzard.
• Yi Shuyuan mocked the Great Buddha for saving face as the gold leaf peeled from the remaining half of the Seated Buddha’s face.

Monk Wufa walked into the blizzard to confront Walking the Snowstorm, while the Great Toad King fought off the Flood Dragon overhead. After striking the Snow Python with a vajra-like punch, Monk Wufa invoked a new Buddhist seal and prepared to sacrifice his life and cultivation to deliver it.

• Monk Wufa sensed Buddhist essence and gained a new understanding as he approached Mount Great Autumn.
• The Great Toad King attacked the Flood Dragon to keep it from interfering, and Yi Shuyuan watched from the mountain.
• Monk Wufa continued through the blizzard as Walking the Snowstorm taunted him and emerged to devour him.
• Monk Wufa punched the Snow Python, shattering the icy tide and sending it tumbling into the snow.
• Bleeding pale gold, Monk Wufa formed an unfamiliar Buddhist seal and declared that he would grant Walking the Snowstorm deliverance.

Monk Wufa battled the transforming Snow Python while the Great Toad King drove off Flood Dragon Fengbu, who summoned three dragons to retaliate. As an old dragon joined the fight, Yi Shuyuan manifested his divine power and ordered the demons to stop, leaving both sides terrified.

• Monk Wufa chased the Snow Python through the frozen sea, caught its tail, and battered it as it grew all four claws.
• The Great Toad King used his tongue to fling Flood Dragon Fengbu toward the horizon, and Fengbu fled east before summoning three Flood Dragons with his cries and Dragon Pearl embryo.
• When the four dragons arrived to aid Fengbu, the Great Toad King revealed his true form and fought them, overpowering them until an old dragon appeared.
• Yi Shuyuan manifested a colossal version of his Three-Pointed, Two-Edged Blade, shattered the storm clouds, and commanded the demons to cease their fighting.