Chapter Summaries

Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai arrived in Wantou Village with Li Ping'an to deal with a demon that had been frightening villagers at night. After sharing a feast with the villagers, they heard the demon’s eerie cry as darkness fell, and Wen Ruohai rose with his sword.

• The village chief told Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai that a demon had appeared in Widow Liu’s cellar two months earlier and had since haunted the village with strange cries.
• Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai agreed to eliminate the demon, then joined a feast prepared by the villagers.
• Li Ping'an entertained the village youths with stories of the Jianghu while Wen Ruohai enjoyed the attention and promised to defeat the demon.
• As the feast ended and the sky darkened, the demon’s cry rang out, and Wen Ruohai stood with his sword and called to Xuan Ruo.

Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai discovered that the village’s supposed monster was an ordinary giant salamander, while Li Ping'an continued traveling and used his abilities to treat a tea-stall attendant’s illness. The chapter ended with someone rushing into a Mountain God Temple and urgently calling for Senior Sister.

• Xuan Ruo recognized the creature in the pond as an unintelligent giant salamander, and she explained the villagers’ mistake.
• Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai stayed overnight in the village, then learned the blind man in blue had already left.
• Li Ping'an and Old Ox traveled toward Ningyuan County and stopped at a roadside tea stall.
• Li Ping'an used droplets of tea and his Dharma Eye to clear the attendant’s blocked acupoints, then left payment for the refreshments.
• Li Ping'an cultivated in a Mountain God Temple during the rain, then heard someone shove open the door and call for Senior Sister.

Li Ping'an treated Xuan Ruo’s Corpse Poison at the Mountain God Temple, then killed the Hairy Stiff that pursued her and Wen Ruohai. After remarking that he had encountered many zombies that day, he heard another unexpected voice.

• Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai fled into the Mountain God Temple and found Li Ping'an there.
• Li Ping'an recognized Xuan Ruo’s wounds as Corpse Poison and used rice wine and restorative pills to save her.
• Li Ping'an learned that a Hairy Stiff had pursued the pair and warned them when it reached the temple.
• Li Ping'an killed the Hairy Stiff with a single sword strike.
• Li Ping'an heard a mysterious voice and remarked that he had encountered many zombies that day.

Li Ping'an defeated a powerful Flying Stiff that had threatened Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai, then shared a meal with them at the Mountain God Temple. He learned that their master was Pan Jun, whom he recognized, leaving the connection between them unresolved.

• Xuan Ruo identified the approaching zombie as a formidable Flying Stiff, and Li Ping'an killed the two zombies it summoned.
• The Flying Stiff fled, but Li Ping'an caught up with it and cut it in two with his short sword.
• Old Ox gathered the Flying Stiff's treasures, and Li Ping'an collected its body parts for medicinal use.
• Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai thanked Li Ping'an and ate with him at the Mountain God Temple, where he advised them to travel cautiously.
• Wen Ruohai asked Li Ping'an about cultivation and the Jianghu, then said he reminded him of a gentleman his master had once met.
• Xuan Ruo named their master as Pan Jun, who preferred to be called Pang Jun, and Li Ping'an recognized the name.

Li Ping'an climbed to Chaolong Temple with Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai and reunited with Pang Jun. Over dinner, Pang Jun explained how his hopes for a grand life had faded into an ordinary existence at the temple.

• Li Ping'an climbed the mountain with Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai, stopping to gather water and catch a fish for Pang Jun.
• Pang Jun saw Li Ping'an arrive at Chaolong Temple and rushed over to embrace him, soaking his robe with tears.
• Pang Jun and his disciples prepared a meal for Li Ping'an at the temple.
• Pang Jun told Li Ping'an that after graduating from Huailu Academy, he traveled through the world, returned to find his parents dead, and eventually stayed at Chaolong Temple.
• Pang Jun explained that he had taken in Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai to preserve the temple and teach them cultivation.

Li Ping'an shared wine and a long meal with Pang Jun at Chaolong Temple, using the wine to heal and strengthen his old friend. After resting at the temple, Pang Jun woke with his true qi flowing freely, while Xuan Ruo and Wen Ruohai each sought Li Ping'an for help and guidance.

• Li Ping'an examined Pang Jun and gave him a bowl of wine that caused him to fall into a deep sleep.
• Li Ping'an, Old Ox, Xuan Ruo, and Wen Ruohai continued eating and drinking while Pang Jun slept, and Li Ping'an offered to try making Xuan Ruo a pill to preserve her looks.
• Li Ping'an stayed at Chaolong Temple, learned about its history, and prepared millet porridge and cornmeal buns for breakfast.
• Pang Jun woke that evening with heat in his chest and his true qi flowing without obstruction, then went to find Li Ping'an.
• Xuan Ruo went to ask Li Ping'an about the Youth-Preserving Pill, while Wen Ruohai sought his guidance.

Li Ping'an refined Youth-Preserving Pills for Xuan Ruo, who accidentally took both at once and suffered an urgent bout of diarrhea. At the well, Wen Ruohai met a young Taoist master who divined that a penniless Confucian scholar had usurped Chaolong Temple's authority.

• Pang Jun welcomed Li Ping'an and Old Ox staying at the temple longer.
• Li Ping'an and Old Ox refined two Youth-Preserving Pills using Spirit Stones, and Li Ping'an gave them to Xuan Ruo.
• Xuan Ruo swallowed both pills at once, learned she should have taken them in five doses, and hurried to the privy when her stomach began to rumble.
• Old Ox recorded notes about the pill-refining process.
• Wen Ruohai drew water at the well and met a young Taoist master who divined that a penniless Confucian scholar had taken over Chaolong Temple's authority.

Li Ping'an visited Chaolong Temple’s well with Wen Ruohai and calmly fished while a young Taoist and two children watched. After the boy tried to interfere with his catch, Li Ping'an gave him a fish and left, while the young Taoist remained unable to discern who he was.

• Wen Ruohai grew wary of the young Taoist and two children, then relaxed when Li Ping'an arrived at the well.
• Li Ping'an and Old Ox drank from the well, and Li Ping'an began fishing while Wen Ruohai waited to see his abilities.
• As he fished, Li Ping'an read a pill-refining book, practiced the Gentle Fire Breathing Method, and ate Gangzitou.
• Wen Ruohai left with the water, while the young boy used magic to shake a fish off Li Ping'an's line.
• Li Ping'an caught another silverfish, gave the boy's fish back to him, and departed with Old Ox.
• The young Taoist asked whether Li Ping'an was a Taoist of Chaolong Temple, and Li Ping'an said he was merely an idler staying there.

A young Daoist and two children stayed at Chaolong Temple, where the young Daoist got to know Li Ping'an. The temple then received Liu Er, who asked the Daoists to save him from his wife, whom he suspected was a monster.

• The young Daoist arrived at Chaolong Temple with Li Ping'an and Old Ox, and Pang Jun welcomed him and explained how he had come to lead the temple.
• Wen Ruohai found Xuan Ruo rushing repeatedly to the privy and was startled by her suddenly fairer, smoother skin.
• The young Daoist spent several days seeking Li Ping'an out to discuss the Dao, while Li Ping'an gradually grew tired of his constant talking.
• Liu Er came to Chaolong Temple and told Li Ping'an and the others that he had seen his wife swallow a large black dog whole.
• Liu Er said his wife often disappeared during the day, that the City God had not answered his plea for help, and begged the Daoists to save him.

Li Ping'an and his companions discovered that a demon had possessed Liu Er's wife, Xiu Lian, and watched the Day Patrol Gods take it away. Afterward, Li Ping'an suspected something was wrong with the convenient arrival of the gods and used his Dharma Eye to examine Liu Er again.

• Liu Er led Pang Jun, Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and the young Daoist to Hequan County, where they spent the night eating fish at an inn.
• Li Ping'an learned the innkeeper's braised-fish recipe, while Old Ox recorded it in the Ingredient Notebook and the young Daoist secretly copied it.
• Liu Er brought the group to his home, where Xiu Lian collapsed and demonic energy burst from her body.
• The young Daoist struck down the demon, and Pang Jun explained that it had possessed Xiu Lian before her marriage to Liu Er.
• Two Day Patrol Gods arrived on the City God's orders and took the demon away; Li Ping'an then questioned the timing and used his Dharma Eye to inspect Liu Er.

Li Ping'an discovered that Liu Er was Liu Rui, a nephew of the reigning sovereign, and learned how he had fallen into obscurity. Meanwhile, a young Daoist confronted the demon occupying Hequan County’s City God, and both entered the City God’s Underworld domain.

• Li Ping'an used his Dharma Eye to detect Liu Er’s imperial lineage and asked him about it in private.
• Liu Er revealed that he was Liu Rui, the son of the defeated Second Prince, and had escaped with a servant after his father lost a struggle for the throne.
• Pang Jun told Li Ping'an that the young Daoist had gone to the City God Temple to vanquish a monster.
• The young Daoist summoned the City God, discovered that a demon had taken over his body, and recognized the demon’s formidable power.
• The false City God invited the young Daoist inside and transported him into the City God’s domain in the Underworld.

A young Daoist from the Zhengwu Sect confronted the Fake City God over his attempt to possess Liu Er, and Li Ping'an arrived to support him. After both sides briefly set aside their tensions to drink tea, Li Ping'an accused the Fake City God of killing the local City God and wiping out the Underworld officials, leaving peaceful resolution unlikely.

• The young Daoist identified himself as belonging to the Zhengwu Sect and learned that the Fake City God came from beyond the borders.
• The young Daoist and the Fake City God weighed the risks of fighting until Li Ping'an and Old Ox entered the Underworld.
• The Fake City God recognized that Li Ping'an was an unfathomable ally of the young Daoist, and the group drank tea together.
• The Fake City God said he would stop trying to possess Liu Er's body and seize his fortune.
• Li Ping'an accused the Fake City God of killing the local City God and eliminating the Underworld officials, and the Fake City God concluded the matter could not end peacefully.

Li Ping'an and the young Daoist defeated the false City God, who was sealed in a treasure vase for the Zhengwu Sect to destroy. After sharing a farewell meal at Chaolong Temple, Li Ping'an and Old Ox departed, leaving Pang Jun behind.

• The false City God offered compensation and protection for the underworld officials’ descendants, but warned he would fight if challenged.
• Li Ping'an, the young Daoist, and the false City God clashed in the Underworld, and Li Ping'an and the young Daoist brought the demon down.
• The young Daoist sealed the false City God in a pure-water treasure vase to take back to the Mountain Gate for eradication.
• Li Ping'an reported the incident to the local earth god, leaving Liu Er’s involvement out of the public account.
• Li Ping'an cooked a farewell feast at Chaolong Temple, and the young Daoist left with Wen Ruohai and Xuan Ruo the next morning.
• Two days later, Li Ping'an and Old Ox departed Chaolong Temple after saying goodbye to Pang Jun.

Li Ping'an and Old Ox took shelter from a storm in an abandoned Taoist temple, where they met a white-robed swordsman and his big yellow dog. When lightning revealed a black monster in a mirror, Li Ping'an warned that the temple was not peaceful.

• Li Ping'an and Old Ox traveled south, gathered Milk Fruit, and hurried through a downpour toward a nearby Taoist temple.
• At the temple, Li Ping'an met a white-robed swordsman riding a white horse with a big yellow dog on his shoulders.
• The white-robed swordsman was astonished to see Li Ping'an carrying Old Ox on his back.
• Li Ping'an cooked a large meal, and Old Ox offered a chicken leg to the swordsman's hungry dog.
• Lightning revealed a black monster in a mirror, and Li Ping'an remarked that the Taoist temple was not peaceful.

Li Ping'an explained the Mirror Ghost to the white-robed swordsman, who fought and killed the fiend. After the swordsman left the Taoist temple, he still wondered whether Li Ping'an was the man who had inspired him as a child.

• Li Ping'an told the white-robed swordsman that the Mirror Ghost healed illnesses but devoured those who looked into it afterward.
• The white-robed swordsman recounted how a mysterious gentleman had inspired his childhood swordsmanship and chose to face the fiend instead of fleeing.
• The white-robed swordsman fought the Mirror Ghost and cut it in two with his sword.
• The white-robed swordsman tested the mirror and found that its healing power had vanished after the fiend died.
• The white-robed swordsman woke to find Li Ping'an gone, then left with Big Yellow Dog while Li Ping'an and Old Ox continued on at a leisurely pace.

Li Ping'an and Old Ox traveled toward Bear Valley City, where they earned money by selling goods and performing acrobatics. After their stall drew a crowd, they noticed a returning mercenary company that seemed to have suffered heavy casualties.

• Li Ping'an and Old Ox wandered the roads, foraging and making baskets while encountering frequent bandits.
• A bandit leader ordered his men to clear the road, deciding that the calm, lone traveler was too dangerous to rob.
• Li Ping'an and Old Ox reached Bear Valley City, a busy trading town beside Sunset Forest.
• Li Ping'an sold baskets, chili sauce, wild fruit, and wooden swords while Old Ox entertained the crowd with an acrobatics performance.
• After the stall was cleared out, Li Ping'an and Old Ox saw a commotion as a mercenary company returned with heavy casualties.

Li Ping'an and Old Ox spent a quiet evening in Bear Valley City before joining the Revitalization Mercenary Corps for a journey to Sunset Forest. Li Ping'an learned the corps’s preparations and collected local recipes, and the group was getting ready to set out.

• Li Ping'an and Old Ox watched a badly wounded mercenary corps enter Bear Valley City, then spent the evening drinking tea, eating grilled meat, and studying a fragmentary text for refining Haoyuan Medicine.
• At dawn, Xiaokui hung red lanterns outside the Revitalization Mercenary Corps before its planned trip to Sunset Forest.
• Li Ping'an asked to travel with the corps, and leader Zhang Long instructed Xiaokui to look after him.
• Li Ping'an and Old Ox enjoyed a meal with the corps, then Li Ping'an visited the cook to learn how the dishes were prepared.
• The next morning, Li Ping'an had filled his notebook with local recipes.

Li Ping'an traveled with the Revitalization Mercenary Corps toward Sunset Forest, where he met Ge Erdan and experienced a mysterious change in his sight. The group entered the forest and camped for the night, while some rogue persons began considering how to fleece the newcomer.

• Li Ping'an and Old Ox watched the Revitalization Mercenary Corps hold a ceremony before setting out from Bear Valley City.
• Li Ping'an shared mushroom soup with Ge Erdan, who offered to guide him through Sunset Forest.
• At the Autumn Equinox, Li Ping'an sensed the world’s spiritual rhythms and found his eyes had turned entirely pale.
• The Revitalization Mercenary Corps entered Sunset Forest the next morning, and Ge Erdan kept Li Ping'an company along the way.
• After rain spoiled the forest’s expected sunset, the group camped, and some rogue persons considered fleecing Li Ping'an.

Zhang Long led the Revitalization Mercenary Corps through a worsening storm in Sunset Forest, while Li Ping'an and Old Ox followed. After reaching a wayside lodge, the drenched party warmed themselves by its fires, and Ge Erdan asked to try Li Ping'an’s Gangzitou.

• Zhang Long urged the Revitalization Mercenary Corps to hurry toward a wayside lodge as a storm gathered.
• The rain poured for hours as the party struggled through overgrown paths, and a Rogue Person tried to sell Li Ping'an a secret route.
• Ge Erdan warned Li Ping'an not to trust the Rogue Person, but Li Ping'an remained calm and predicted they might soon reach the lodge.
• The party spotted the wayside lodge and hurried inside, where they lit fires and gathered to warm themselves.
• Li Ping'an ate Gangzitou with hot soup, and Ge Erdan asked what it was and accepted his offer to share.

Li Ping'an traveled into Sunset Forest with the Revitalization Mercenary Corps to gather medicinal ingredients and herbs to sell. He and Ge Erdan worked together to identify valuable plants, while Li Ping'an’s Dharma Eye detected something in the mountains after night fell.

• Li Ping'an used a breathing method to warm himself in the mortuary as Zhang Long questioned him about his origins.
• After the rain stopped, Li Ping'an set out for Sunset Forest with the Revitalization Mercenary Corps to collect ingredients and earn money.
• Ge Erdan asked Li Ping'an to identify medicinal herbs, and Li Ping'an explained their grades and uses.
• Two men tried to trick Li Ping'an into investing in a supposed valuable fruit, but Ge Erdan drove them away.
• Li Ping'an and Ge Erdan spent several days locating herbs together, and Li Ping'an asked the corps to look for particular ingredients.
• At night, Li Ping'an opened his Dharma Eye and stared toward a direction in the mountains, frowning.