Chapter Summaries

The Black Flood Dragon began expanding his Cliffside Medicine Field by collecting and replanting herbs from the forest. He sensed unfamiliar visitors approaching Pillowstar Mountain and hid in the forest while an eagle circled overhead.

• The Black Flood Dragon decided to look for more medicinal herbs and remembered he could gather wild plants rather than buy seeds at the Rogue Cultivator market.
• He descended from the cliff, collected ordinary and poisonous herbs, and replanted some in the expanded field using Three Presses, One Tug.
• As he set off to gather more herbs, the Black Flood Dragon sensed an unfamiliar aura ascending the mountain and hurried into the forest.
• Xiao Yu spotted two visitors at the Mountain Gate and reported that a white-and-gold eagle with a two-zhang wingspan circled nearby.
• The Black Flood Dragon watched from cover as two Daoists met the visitors, while Xiao Yu observed Pillowstar Mountain growing hazy and indistinct.

Jin Si learned that the visitors and their eagle were connected to the man-eating lion and might target the mountain’s Path-Guarding Spirit Beasts, but he postponed any attack. As autumn advanced, he discovered the city’s wealthy were fleeing, and the Village School closed amid warnings of coming trouble.

• Xiao Yu returned from confronting the eagle and reported that its aura resembled the man-eating lion’s; a letter confirmed the visitors sought revenge and might target the Path-Guarding Spirit Beasts.
• Jin Si decided there was no safe opportunity to ambush the visitors, then continued his routine of cloud breathing and attending the Village School.
• After several peaceful days, Jin Si saw carts carrying supplies as wealthy households secretly left the city, and he suspected it might fall during winter or early spring.
• The teacher closed the Village School temporarily and warned Jin Si to stay in the Medicine King Temple; a classmate gave him pastries before leaving.
• Jin Si visited the barracks and gave a minor officer a silver ingot, which the officer later found in his clothes despite thinking the encounter had been a dream.

Jin Si gathered medicinal herbs and seeds, then crossed the Spirit Realm during successive Mist Tides and returned to Azure Cloud Monastery. He stored the herbs in his old cave and tended an old grave, leaving himself beside it.

• Jin Si harvested medicinal plants and seeds while Xiao Yu gathered branches, leaves, vines, and Pine Cones, filling six sacks.
• Jin Si waited for the Mist Tide, then carried the sacks through the mist and hid them during each retreat.
• Jin Si continued traveling through the third Mist Tide and reached the Mortal Realm near Azure Cloud Monastery at dawn.
• Jin Si brought the sacks into his old cave and emptied them, then carried Pine Cones to an old grave nearby.
• Jin Si cleared the grave, added earth to its mound, and lay quietly beside it.