Chapter Summaries

The Five Great Demon Saints argued over lost profits and planned to retaliate against the demons controlling the Heaven-Reaching River. In the Heavenly Court, Chen Wei tried to ease Yang Niansan’s frosty mood by asking her to make tangyuan.

• Lion Camel King complained that two immortal officials had ruined the demons’ Flower-Fruit Mountain operation, and Tamarin King urged the group to avoid drawing Sun Wukong’s attention.
• Flood Dragon King refused to hand over their merit and said their urgent problem was the Heaven-Reaching River blockade and the seized Flying Boats.
• Lion Camel King proposed plugging the river’s Water Eye, and Tamarin King hesitated as the brothers argued over confronting their rivals.
• Chen Wei noticed Yang Niansan acting coldly after returning from leave, while Ma Muzhi suggested she was jealous of the Third Holy Mother.
• Yang Niansan reported that three new immortal official positions had been approved, and Chen Wei asked whether she had made tangyuan so she could share some with him and Ma Muzhi.

Chen Wei gave Yang Niansan a Jade Pendant and assigned her the entire task of recruiting Immortal Officials. After the bureau’s recruitment notice drew no applicants, a young Loose Immortal named Xiao Yan arrived for an interview.

• Chen Wei presented Yang Niansan with a Jade Pendant, and she accepted it after he framed it as a token of concern between colleagues.
• Chen Wei entrusted Yang Niansan with drafting and posting the recruitment notice and conducting interviews.
• Yang Niansan grew frustrated when no Loose Immortals came to the Folk Customs and Morals Inspection Bureau to apply.
• Xiao Yan arrived at the bureau and announced that he had come for an interview.

Chen Wei and Ma Muzhi hired the unaffiliated Loose Immortal Xiao Yan, who nearly offered them gifts before Ma Muzhi taught him to keep quiet and follow their rules. As Yang Niansan waited for more applicants, Chen Wei secretly tested her and was interrupted by a visitor greeting the office.

• Yang Niansan eagerly moved closer to Chen Wei, then discreetly shifted back when she noticed her lack of decorum.
• Ma Muzhi brought Xiao Yan to the office, and Chen Wei hired him after learning he had no sect, master, lineage, or immortal connections.
• Xiao Yan offered three Storage Bags, but Chen Wei denounced the gifts and declared the office's rules; Ma Muzhi advised Xiao Yan to listen, watch, and speak less.
• After six hours without another applicant, Chen Wei encouraged Yang Niansan to rest and advised her to arrive late and leave early.
• Chen Wei sent divine sense toward Yang Niansan, who noticed and challenged him, before an unfamiliar immortal's greeting sounded from outside the office.

Master Ling visited Chen Wei’s newly established office with a message from Taibai Jinxing about a problem troubling the Sandalwood Merit Buddha. On Mount Hua, Liu Yanchang sought the Holy Mother’s favor, but Yang Jian appeared, ordered his execution in accordance with heavenly destiny, and sent a divine general to deal with the Daoist who had misled him.

• Master Ling gave Chen Wei Taibai Jinxing’s token and said he had come to discuss a trouble plaguing the Sandalwood Merit Buddha.
• Liu Yanchang went to the Holy Mother Temple and prayed for help advancing his ambitions.
• A thunderclap transformed the statue into the appearance of a beautiful female immortal, but a second thunderclap brought Yang Jian into the temple.
• Yang Jian said Liu Yanchang was fated to die beneath the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder and ordered a divine general to pursue him.
• Yang Jian also ordered the divine general to find the wandering Daoist who had revealed heavenly secrets and deal with him.

Chen Wei and Yang Niansan investigated the Sandalwood Merit Buddha’s old romantic entanglement in Western Liang, only to discover that the Mother-Child River had dried up and a great tribulation was bound to Queen Yulin’s longing. Yulin refused to abandon her love for Xuanzang, leaving Yang Niansan’s moral rebuke answered by a question about whether immortals knew what love was.

• Chen Wei and Yang Niansan traveled to Western Liang to persuade Queen Yulin to remove the gilded images of Xuanzang and end the obsession troubling the Sandalwood Merit Buddha.
• Yang Niansan discovered that the Mother-Child River had dried up and its underground water source had been sealed, threatening the kingdom’s future descendants.
• Yang Niansan proposed restoring the river in exchange for Yulin giving up her longing, and Chen Wei agreed to the bargain.
• Chen Wei told Yulin that the river could be restored if she accepted their conditions, but she refused to relinquish her love for Xuanzang.
• Chen Wei saw tribulation aura within Yulin and realized her obsession was entangled with a great calamity.
• Yang Niansan accused Yulin of endangering her kingdom for selfish desire, and Yulin asked whether Yang Niansan knew what love was.

Yang Niansan left to invite the Sandalwood Merit Buddha to resolve Yulin’s obsession, while Chen Wei investigated the dried Mother-Child River. He discovered that True Immortal Ruyi, the Bull Demon King’s brother, was likely draining the river as revenge tied to old events involving Xuanzang and Sun Wukong.

• Yulin’s question about love unsettled Yang Niansan, who left with Chen Wei after failing to persuade her to abandon her obsession with Xuanzang.
• Yang Niansan decided to invite the Sandalwood Merit Buddha to the mortal realm, then flew toward Spirit Mountain while Chen Wei investigated the dried Water Eye.
• Chen Wei found a fish demon guarding the riverbed, subdued him, and learned that True Immortal Ruyi had ordered him to guard the area.
• Chen Wei asked Ma Muzhi to investigate Ruyi and learned that he was the Bull Demon King’s blood brother and had once clashed with Sun Wukong.
• Chen Wei connected Ruyi’s old grudge to the drying of the Mother-Child River and realized the assignment had become a complicated historical dispute.

Chen Wei visited True Immortal Ruyi at the Miscarriage Spring to investigate the dried-up Mother-Child River. After threatening an official investigation, he got Ruyi to admit he remembered the river and reveal that he wanted a legitimate reason to gain official status and receive incense offerings.

• Chen Wei brought spirit fruit from Flower-Fruit Mountain to meet True Immortal Ruyi at Jieyang Mountain.
• True Immortal Ruyi welcomed Chen Wei warmly after seeing his Heavenly Court credential and accepted the fruit.
• Chen Wei asked Ruyi about the dried-up Mother-Child River, but Ruyi first denied knowing anything and proclaimed his loyalty to the Heavenly Court.
• Chen Wei threatened to report the matter and bring heavenly officials to search Jieyang Mountain, warning that the Miscarriage Spring could be disturbed.
• True Immortal Ruyi stopped Chen Wei from leaving, claimed he remembered the river, and argued that he lacked the authority to intervene without a proper reason.
• True Immortal Ruyi revealed that he wanted an official status that would let him receive incense offerings.

Chen Wei pressured True Immortal Ruyi to restore the Mother-Child River, then the Sandalwood Merit Buddha and Zhu Bajie arrived at Jieyang Mountain with Yang Niansan. The scripture pilgrims reunited, while Xuanzang lingered to clean his shoes before their visit to West Liang City.

• Chen Wei implied he would petition for True Immortal Ruyi’s official recognition if Ruyi first resolved the Mother-Child River’s troubles.
• Chen Wei showed Ruyi Taibai Jinxing’s command token, and Ruyi agreed to restore the river within two hours.
• Buddhist radiance arrived at Jieyang Mountain, prompting Ruyi to flee toward West Liang City with the fruit basket.
• Yang Niansan landed with the Sandalwood Merit Buddha and Zhu Bajie, reuniting the scripture pilgrims.
• Zhu Bajie smashed the stone stele, and Chen Wei addressed him as Marshal Tianpeng, earning Bajie’s favor.
• Yang Niansan urged the group to visit West Liang City, but Xuanzang stopped to clean his shoes and told Bajie to do the same.

Xuanzang reluctantly reunited with Queen Yulin in West Liang Palace, where he rejected her love and accused her of neglecting the kingdom. As Yulin awaited his answer, Yang Niansan pressed Chen Wei on how he would respond to a woman devoted to him.

• Xuanzang stalled before going to West Liang City, and Yang Niansan used spatial translocation to take him, Zhu Bajie, and Chen Wei to the palace.
• Queen Yulin saw Xuanzang and tearfully called him "Royal Younger Brother," while he avoided meeting her gaze.
• Yulin asked whether she meant anything special to Xuanzang, and he blamed her lovesick resentment for endangering West Liang and its people.
• Yang Niansan asked Chen Wei whether Yulin was devoted in love, and he called her hopelessly foolish.
• Yang Niansan asked Chen Wei how he would react if a woman spoke to him that way.

Chen Wei and Yang Niansan realized Yulin’s tribulation aura would not fade through Xuanzang’s comforting words, so they persuaded Zhu Bajie to take her to Spirit Mountain. Zhu Bajie reluctantly agreed, deciding that the Victorious Fighting Buddha could take the blame if the plan went wrong.

• Yang Niansan asked Chen Wei what he would do if a female immortal loved him but had an overbearing elder brother, and Chen Wei advised winning the brother over.
• Xuanzang embraced Yulin and comforted her, urging her to return to ruling Western Liang for the sake of its people.
• Chen Wei observed that Yulin’s tribulation aura remained and concluded that comforting her could not resolve Western Liang’s old grievance.
• Chen Wei and Yang Niansan decided Zhu Bajie should take Yulin to Spirit Mountain, then flattered and pressured him to accept the task.
• Zhu Bajie refused at first, but after Yang Niansan whispered to him, he agreed to take Yulin to Spirit Mountain and said the Victorious Fighting Buddha could take the blame.

Yulin renounced her throne to follow Xuanzang into the Buddhist fold, resolving Western Liang’s lingering resentment and completing the assignment. Chen Wei collected a precious Jade Pendant and returned to the Heavenly Court, while True Immortal Ruyi decided to rename himself Niu Aitian to display his loyalty.

• Zhu Bajie offered to take Yulin to Spirit Mountain, and Xuanzang pretended not to hear the plan before fleeing through the hall’s roof.
• Zhu Bajie assured Yulin that he would blame the Victorious Fighting Buddha if the Buddhas questioned her arrival, and Yulin abdicated and joined him on the journey west.
• Chen Wei and Yang Niansan celebrated completing their assignment, and Yang Niansan forced Chen Wei to accept a treasured Jade Pendant before returning to the Heavenly Court.
• True Immortal Ruyi reported that he had cleared the Mother-Child River’s formation nexuses and said he would return to seclusion.
• Chen Wei advised True Immortal Ruyi to choose a more impressive name, and the demon decided to call himself Niu Aitian.

Chen Wei reported the successful resolution of the West Liang Kingdom case to Taibai Jinxing, who praised him and ordered Li Yin to add him to Bright Hall’s immortal officials’ competition roster. Back at the Folk Customs Censorate, Chen Wei distributed the approved merit, while Yang Niansan unexpectedly repaid a supposed loan and left him chasing after her.

• Chen Wei credited Taibai Jinxing with his success in reconnecting the Mother-Child River’s waterways and clearing the West Liang case of resentment.
• Li Yin tried to present the competition arrangements and objected when Taibai Jinxing ordered him to add Chen Wei to the sealed roster.
• Chen Wei returned to the Folk Customs Censorate, where Ma Muzhi reported that Bright Hall had awarded five thousand years of merit for the case.
• Chen Wei distributed the merit among himself, Ma Muzhi, Yang Niansan, Xiao Yan, and the office’s public expenses, prompting Xiao Yan to vow to work hard.
• Yang Niansan claimed Chen Wei had lent her a thousand years of merit, repaid it, and left as Chen Wei chased after her.

Chen Wei discovered that his ninth-place painting prize had earned him one hundred thousand years of merit, a reward secretly arranged by Yang Niansan through Taibai Jinxing. As Yang Niansan fled from her arriving second brother, Yang Jian, Taibai Jinxing began briefing him on turmoil in the Heaven-Reaching River.

• Chen Wei learned that his painting had placed ninth and earned a hundred thousand years of merit.
• Ma Muzhi explained that Taibai Jinxing had declared ninth place the grand prize after the Great Heavenly Venerable took nine steps.
• Taibai Jinxing told Yang Niansan that Chen Wei's merit would secure the Dao fruit of a True Immortal, and warned her not to arrange such a favor again.
• Yang Niansan spotted her second brother, Yang Jian, and fled with the Treasure Lotus Lamp.
• Li Yin escorted Yang Jian to Taibai Jinxing, who showed him a Jade Slip about the turmoil in the Heaven-Reaching River.

Yang Jian accepted the Great Heavenly Venerable’s assignment to suppress the rebellion at the Heaven-Reaching River after realizing the campaign would secure military merit for him. Chen Wei became a True Immortal, and Yang Niansan fled the office after Chen Wei questioned why a male immortal wore rouge and acted coy.

• Yang Jian agreed to lead the suppression of the rebellion at the Heaven-Reaching River, while Taibai Jinxing promised to arrange troops and commanders.
• Chen Wei absorbed a hundred thousand years of merit and formed his True Immortal Dao fruit.
• Ma Muzhi and Yang Niansan congratulated Chen Wei, and Ma Muzhi credited Yang Niansan as his lucky star.
• Chen Wei praised Yang Niansan, then asked why she was a male immortal who wore rouge and behaved coyly.
• Yang Niansan claimed her inactive voice-transmission talisman had lit up and vanished in golden light, cracking another office floor tile.
• Ma Muzhi sent Xiao Yan to request replacement basalt tiles while Chen Wei wondered about Yang Niansan’s identity.

Yang Chan was captured by Yang Jian and confined after he warned her to stop causing trouble in the Heavenly Court. When she learned he was marching to the Heaven-Reaching River, she persuaded him to consider Chen Wei as an adviser in exchange for staying quietly in her room for three days.

• Yang Niansan flew over the Bright Hall on her seven-colored Auspicious Cloud, and a veteran Heavenly Soldier stopped a recruit from challenging her.
• Yang Jian ambushed Yang Chan with the Heaven-Sweeping Cloak and brought her to the Hall of Justice.
• Yang Chan mocked Yang Jian’s lecture and tried to soften his anger, but he immobilized her with the Body-Binding Spell.
• Yang Jian ordered Yang Chan confined for three days while he marched to the Heaven-Reaching River to suppress a rebellion.
• Yang Chan recommended Chen Wei as an accompanying adviser, and Yang Jian agreed on the condition that she stay in her room for three days.

Chen Wei received orders to join the campaign at the Heaven-Reaching River, where the three demons of Lion Camel Ridge and the five Demon Sages had blockaded the waterway from opposite sides. Their competing sieges trapped a third force between them.

• Chen Wei ordered Ma Muzhi and Xiao Yan to join the expedition but stay behind the front lines, while Yang Niansan remained on leave.
• Ma Muzhi suspected that Yang Niansan was actually Yang Caiwei in disguise, but decided not to reveal his suspicion.
• The Green-Haired Lion, White Elephant, and Golden-Winged Great Peng occupied the Heaven-Reaching River and sealed its inner channels.
• The five Demon Sages led a hundred thousand demon soldiers to seize the waterway, and the Dragon Demon King ordered them to blockade its outer waters.
• The two demon forces sealed the river from within and without, trapping a third force between their blockades.

Yang Jian’s army waited for the demons at the Heaven-Reaching River to weaken one another, while Chen Wei avoided drawing attention and Li Yin’s reckless plan earned him a reprimand. The meeting ended with Yang Jian continuing his patient strategy.

• Yang Jian held the Heavenly Court’s army back so the three inner-river demons and five outer Demon Sages would exhaust one another before the army attacked.
• Li Yin proposed using a One-Line Long Snake Formation for a frontal assault, then backed down when Yang Jian ordered him to lead fifty thousand soldiers.
• Yang Jian dismissed Li Yin and called on Chen Qingquan to offer a plan.
• Chen Wei praised Yang Jian’s existing strategy of waiting, and Yang Jian adjourned the meeting.

Chen Wei realized Yang Niansan was a woman, though he mistakenly concluded she was the Third Holy Mother's personal maid, and told her Yang Jian had praised him. Meanwhile, Yang Jian learned the Third Holy Mother had helped Chen Wei advance and angrily rejected the idea that Chen deserved her support.

• Chen Wei and Ma Muzhi hurried back to the Censorate's Flying Boat, where they found Yang Niansan waiting for Chen Wei after ending her leave.
• Ma Muzhi took Xiao Yan away to give Chen Wei and Yang Niansan privacy.
• Chen Wei praised Yang Niansan, then brought up the Third Holy Mother and concluded that Yang Niansan was her personal maid in disguise.
• Chen Wei told Yang Niansan that Yang Jian had praised his proposal to hold position, and she congratulated him.
• Kang Anyu reported to Yang Jian that the Third Holy Mother had helped Chen Wei gain recognition, attain the True Immortal Dao Fruit, and receive a recommendation to Taibai Jinxing.
• Yang Jian declared that Chen Wei did not deserve the Third Holy Mother's personal support and that the arrangement was unacceptable.

Chen Wei welcomed Pang Long, a talented new recruit from the Bright Hall, into the Folk Customs Censorate. Pang Long proposed a plan to sow discord among the demons at the Heaven-Reaching River, and Yang Niansan urged Chen Wei to present it to the True Lord of Manifest Divinity.

• Ma Muzhi recommended Pang Long, a former Records Copying Office immortal, for a position in Chen Wei's bureau.
• Chen Wei welcomed Pang Long, and Yang Niansan promised to handle the transfer paperwork, earning Pang Long's wholehearted loyalty.
• Chen Wei asked Pang Long how the bureau should respond to the conflict at the Heaven-Reaching River, and Pang Long presented a detailed Cloud Map of the waterways and enemy forces.
• Pang Long proposed spreading false rumors between the Three Demons and the Five Demon Sages so they would distrust and attack one another while the Heavenly Court threatened them.
• Yang Niansan praised Pang Long's scheme and urged Chen Wei to present it to the True Lord of Manifest Divinity, while Chen Wei wondered whether his team could really quell the demon threat.

Yang Niansan defied Yang Jian’s confinement and brought him Pang Long’s plan to prolong the war by stirring conflict among the demons. She persuaded Yang Jian to let her stay and asked to borrow troops for Chen Wei, leaving with instructions to bring him for a private talk.

• Yang Niansan left Chen Wei before he could stop her from volunteering their office for Pang Long’s plan, while Pang Long and Ma Muzhi exchanged a silent signal.
• Yang Jian used his heavenly eye to discover that Yang Niansan had escaped confinement and ordered her to return to the Heavenly Court.
• Yang Niansan explained Pang Long’s scheme to force negotiations through fighting and secretly sow discord among the demons, but Yang Jian rejected it because he wanted the war to continue slowly.
• Yang Jian tried to send Yang Niansan away, but she used the Treasure Lotus Lamp to block his spell and won permission to stay.
• Yang Niansan asked to borrow troops for Chen Wei, and Yang Jian agreed only if she brought Chen Wei to meet him face-to-face.