Chapter Summaries

Li Ping'an and Cat Immortal took on the job of catching a notorious rat demon, and Cat Immortal eagerly began hunting rats on the infested street. She returned with a bag full of rats but had not yet seen the demon, as more rats gathered nearby.

• A Confucian scholar told Li Ping'an about a powerful rat demon and its generous reward, and Cat Immortal insisted she could catch it.
• The next day, Li Ping'an and the scholar visited the rat-infested street, where the scholar explained the demon had attacked people and their families.
• Cat Immortal chased rats through the street while Li Ping'an and the scholar waited and ate lamb noodles.
• Cat Immortal returned carrying a bag full of rats and said she had not seen the rat demon.
• More rats gathered in a corner, and Cat Immortal ran toward them.

Kitten caught rats for money, then a rat horde tracked her home and overwhelmed her. Li Ping'an told her to find the rats’ leader, and Kitten set off after locating it.

• Kitten caught more than thirty rats, but the Confucian Scholar said they could only earn money by catching the Rat Demon.
• A group of attackers ambushed the young gentleman, whose guards fought them off while he kept eating noodles; he left without paying, so Li Ping'an settled the bill.
• Kitten brought her sack of rats home, where Old Ox discovered it contained rats instead of money, and Li Ping'an gave Flood Dragon no help getting food or money.
• A horde of sinister rats climbed toward Li Ping'an’s house, and Kitten fought them until their growing numbers forced her to retreat to the window.
• Li Ping'an advised Kitten to catch the rats’ king, and she said she had found their boss before leaping down.

Kitten and Old Ox chased and defeated the Rat Demon, then Kitten brought it back to Li Ping'an to claim the bounty. The Rat Demon had mentioned having a backer, but Li Ping'an planned to take it to the Confucian Scholar without paying the remark much attention.

• Kitten got stuck headfirst in a rat hole while chasing the Rat Demon, and Old Ox pulled Kitten free and helped pursue it.
• Old Ox sealed the Rat Demon's escape hole, and Kitten fought the demon through the streets of Wind and Snow City.
• A crowd gathered in the pleasure quarter to watch Kitten defeat the Rat Demon, and Kitten dodged a man who tried to take it.
• Kitten returned to Li Ping'an carrying the Rat Demon and asked whether it could be exchanged for money.
• Kitten told Li Ping'an the Rat Demon had mentioned having a backer, and Li Ping'an planned to take it to the Confucian Scholar for the bounty.

Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and Kitten celebrated the New Year with dumplings, gifts, and friends in Wind and Snow City. After Old Guo offered Li Ping'an caravan guard work, an unusual sound outside interrupted their gathering.

• The Confucian Scholar paid Li Ping'an and Kitten their reward for catching the Rat Demon, and they spent half the money on New Year supplies.
• A man demanded that Li Ping'an give him Kitten, but Li Ping'an refused and knocked him and his White-Haired Beast into the snow.
• Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and Kitten celebrated the New Year with red envelopes and a feast, and Kitten gave them mice as gifts.
• The Confucian Scholar and Old Guo joined the celebration, and Kitten fell asleep after eating dumplings in search of a lucky coin.
• Old Guo warned that Wind and Snow City's demons often had masters and offered Li Ping'an work guarding the caravan.
• A different sound came from outside, drawing the attention of Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and the Confucian Scholar.

After the owner of the Rat Demon confronted Li Ping'an, Master Wen drove him away and reassured Li Ping'an that he could rely on his name. The next day, Li Ping'an took Kitten and Old Ox to guard a caravan’s trade goods, and they headed toward a bustling black market.

• A man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks accused Li Ping'an of killing his Rat Demon and threatened him over Wind and Snow City's rules.
• Master Wen intervened, sent the man away, and told Li Ping'an to use his name if anyone else came after him.
• Li Ping'an gave Kitten a red New Year outfit, then told her he would guard a trading caravan with Old Guo.
• Li Ping'an, Kitten, and Old Ox joined Old Guo and about twenty workers; Old Ox eagerly agreed to carry goods after being fed beef jerky.
• The group set off with three carts of defective goods toward a crowded black market in Wind and Snow City.

Li Ping'an helped the caravan sell its goods at the Black Market and silently dealt with the men following them, earning more than the agreed pay for escorting the caravan safely back to Wind and Snow City. On the way home, he encountered the young gentleman who had once promised to treat him to noodles.

• Li Ping'an watched the caravan trade at the Black Market, played the Erhu for a stallholder, and shared drinks with him.
• As Li Ping'an escorted the caravan out through the snow, he noticed people following them and quietly incapacitated them before they could attack.
• Li Ping'an escorted the caravan safely back to the city, and Old Guo paid him more than they had agreed despite another guard's complaints.
• Li Ping'an carried the little girl home and joked with her about having to finish yesterday's leftovers before buying more food.
• A sedan chair stopped in front of Li Ping'an, and the young gentleman who had once promised to treat him to noodles stepped out.

Li Ping'an, Cat Immortal, and Old Ox accepted Young Master Chu’s invitation to dine at the luxurious Fortune Inn in Wind and Snow City. Young Master Chu tried to persuade Cat Immortal to stay with him, but she refused, and the group left as two strangers entered the inn.

• Young Master Chu recognized Li Ping'an and invited him to dinner to repay the meal he had failed to pay for earlier.
• Young Master Chu brought Li Ping'an, Cat Immortal, and Old Ox to the Fortune Inn, where they shared an elaborate feast.
• Young Master Chu showed special interest in Cat Immortal and offered her plenty of food if she stayed at the inn.
• Cat Immortal refused to stay, and Li Ping'an thanked Young Master Chu before leaving with her and Old Ox.
• Young Master Chu rebuked an attendant who suggested using force to take Cat Immortal.
• Li Ping'an stepped aside as two men in straw capes and bamboo hats entered the Fortune Inn.

Two assassins attacked the young master at the Fortune Inn, but Li Ping'an stopped them before they could kill him. The assassins fled after invoking Parting Hatred Valley, and Li Ping'an agreed to escort the shaken young master home.

• Two men in bamboo hats forced an attendant to lead them to the young master’s private room and killed his three guards during their attack.
• The young master escaped over the third-floor railing, shouted that assassins were after him, and ran through the inn as the attackers cut down six more guards.
• The young master burst into the room where Li Ping'an and the little girl were eating, with the assassins close behind.
• Li Ping'an stopped the attackers, disarmed them, and paralyzed one with a silver needle; the men named Parting Hatred Valley and then vanished.
• Li Ping'an helped the young master up and agreed to escort him home, while the little girl asked whether they could get another meal.

Li Ping'an and Cat Immortal returned home after saving a young gentleman, and Li Ping'an left Cat Immortal alone to practice writing while he and Old Ox went to chop firewood. When the young gentleman arrived with a crowd of visitors, Cat Immortal welcomed them and offered them tea and one dried mouse, while Li Ping'an remained away in the mountains.

• Li Ping'an declined the young gentleman’s invitation to enter his residence and took the hungry Cat Immortal home.
• Cat Immortal fell asleep without eating, while Li Ping'an studied pill refining and warmed an incense pellet through the night.
• Li Ping'an left Cat Immortal at home to practice writing while he and Old Ox went up the mountain to chop firewood.
• Cat Immortal avoided her writing practice to eat congee and dried mice while reading a picture-story book, then hurried back to her desk when visitors knocked.
• The young gentleman arrived with Old Guo and a crowd, and Cat Immortal let them in, served tea, and offered them a single dried mouse.
• Li Ping'an and Old Ox chopped trees in the mountains as Li Ping'an suggested gathering extra firewood.

Li Ping'an received the young gentleman’s gifts after saving his life and said he planned to travel north when the cold night ended. He also bid farewell to the Confucian Scholar, who asked him for another piece of calligraphy, and they parted without exchanging names, promising to share drinks if they met again.

• The young gentleman visited Li Ping'an with chests of rare treasures to thank him for saving his life and offered him a house, but Li Ping'an declined and said he would head north after the cold night.
• The cat burrowed into the gifts, while Li Ping'an explained that they could not carry the treasures north and reminded her that the Fairy had not finished writing.
• The Confucian Scholar came to bid Li Ping'an farewell and warned him that the far north was dangerous, but Li Ping'an said he had ways to protect himself.
• The Confucian Scholar asked Li Ping'an to write another piece of calligraphy, compared it with an authentic work, and said Li Ping'an could write better if he settled his heart.
• Li Ping'an and the Confucian Scholar promised to share drinks if they met again, then parted without learning each other’s names.

The Confucian Scholar returned to Great Sui and learned that the calligrapher he had met in Wind and Snow City was Li Ping'an. Meanwhile, Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and Cat Immortal continued traveling through the icy wilderness, where Cat Immortal began studying writing so she could learn spells.

• The Confucian Scholar reunited with Jing Yu at an inn and showed him the calligraphy and paintings he had collected.
• The Confucian Scholar described a man with a black ox whose calligraphy resembled Li Ping'an's, and Jing Yu recognized the man as Li Ping'an.
• The Confucian Scholar reacted with a loud cry of disbelief after learning the identity of the calligrapher he had met.
• Cat Immortal asked Li Ping'an to teach her spells, and he told her she would need to learn from Old Ox.
• Cat Immortal worked hard on her writing as Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and she traveled through the snow, camping in caves or a small tent at night.

Li Ping'an, Kitten, and Old Ox traveled through a brutal snowfield while Kitten learned spells and Li Ping'an kept her warm. They found a frozen cultivator carrying a letter for his beloved senior sister, and Li Ping'an decided to bury him and try to deliver it.

• Kitten proudly tried using her own warming Talisman, but the cold sent her rushing back into the tent for Li Ping'an's help.
• Li Ping'an, Kitten, and Old Ox endured fierce winds and deep snow as they traveled, and Kitten continued learning spells from Old Ox.
• A giant white bear charged at Li Ping'an, and the group killed it and roasted its meat.
• Li Ping'an made Kitten a warm white outfit from the bear's pelt as they continued across the snowfield.
• Kitten spotted a frozen corpse, and Li Ping'an and Old Ox found a letter asking a fellow cultivator to deliver it to the dead man's senior sister.
• Li Ping'an kept the letter and set out to bury the man, hoping to fulfill his request.

Li Ping'an and Old Ox traveled through the snowy north, where they encountered a White Dragon imprisoned by a Sage’s formation. When the White Dragon demanded Li Ping'an break the seal, he refused and fought it, leaving their battle unresolved.

• Kitten rode in a warm, talisman-lined basket as Li Ping'an and Old Ox pressed through the snowfields and survived encounters with demons and avalanches.
• Li Ping'an found a White Dragon in a snowy forest and brought out the White Jade Capital so the Third Young Master could see it.
• The White Dragon led Li Ping'an to a mountain marked with a character for “imprisonment” and asked him to erase it, claiming a Sage had promised freedom to a fated person.
• Li Ping'an realized the Sage’s seal was meant to make the White Dragon reflect on its actions, and he refused to free it before it had understood the Sage’s intentions.
• The White Dragon attacked, and Li Ping'an answered with powerful punches and blade strikes that shattered its silvery waterfall-like assault.
• The White Dragon brought forth another lifebound item and sent it crashing toward Li Ping'an, who swung his blade again.

Li Ping'an defeated the white dragon in their wager and asked it to draw a map, then spent three days talking with the lonely Dragon Lord before departing with Old Ox and Cat Immortal. The Dragon Lord remained trapped, but Kitten cheerfully said goodbye from her basket.

• Li Ping'an struck the white dragon with a powerful sword attack, and the Dragon Lord agreed to his wager.
• After the white dragon lost, it drew a map for Li Ping'an and offered treasures in exchange for one of his companions; Li Ping'an refused to leave Old Ox or Cat Immortal behind.
• Li Ping'an stayed with the Dragon Lord, while Kitten chatted with it and argued over whether her skills were special.
• After three days, Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and Cat Immortal left, and Kitten waved goodbye to the Dragon Lord.

Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and Kitten reached the boundary between northern and southern Yong Province, where Kitten caught a field mouse who invited them to his restaurant. They enjoyed a meal prepared by the field mice, though Kitten kept eyeing their host as a potential dish.

• Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and Kitten stopped to admire the snowy and sunlit landscapes at the boundary of northern and southern Yong Province.
• Kitten caught a plump field mouse, who introduced himself as a cultivator trained by a great Confucian master.
• The field mouse invited Li Ping'an and his companions to his home, and they followed him to an enormous restaurant filled with field mice.
• Kitten peeked into the kitchen, asked whether she could eat one of the field mice, and then wondered if they knew how to cook roast field mouse.
• The field mice served a variety of delicious dishes, while Kitten stared intently at the field mouse seated across from her.

Li Ping'an and his companions enjoyed a meal and overnight stay at a restaurant run by field mice, then he prepared medicine for himself and Cat Immortal. After asking about the Yikun Sect, Li Ping'an said he planned to deliver a letter there for a man who had died in the snowfields.

• Li Ping'an thanked the field mouse for the meal, and the field mouse explained that jealousy and false accusations had driven the mouse cooks from their city restaurant.
• Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and Cat Immortal stayed overnight; Cat Immortal tried to persuade a field mouse to let her lick him, but Li Ping'an interrupted and apologized.
• Li Ping'an brewed medicinal tonic for himself and Cat Immortal, who drank hers after he promised it would make her clever.
• Li Ping'an asked the field mouse about the Yikun Sect and said he planned to deliver a letter there for a man who had died crossing the snowfields.

Li Ping'an reached a peaceful town near the Yikun Sect with Old Ox and Kitten, then rescued the field mouse from a hostile cultivator. The next morning, he set out for the Yikun Sect with his companions.

• The field mouse guided Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and Kitten to the town below the Yikun Sect, then left after Li Ping'an gave it a Talisman.
• Li Ping'an and his companions stayed overnight at an inn while the field mouse headed home.
• A cultivator attacked the field mouse, and it used Li Ping'an's Talisman, summoning him to its side.
• Li Ping'an challenged the cultivator's reasoning, deflected his sword with a finger, and drove him away.
• Li Ping'an escorted the field mouse toward home, then paid for the inn and went up the mountain toward the Yikun Sect with Old Ox and Kitten.

Li Ping'an delivered Li Xuanzhi’s final letter and Storage Ring to Qian He at the Yikun Sect, where she mourned their last farewell. He stayed with Old Ox and Kitten as guests and explored the sect while awaiting its Seven Peaks Sword Gathering.

• Li Ping'an reached the Yikun Sect and waited for Qian He to return so he could deliver her letter in person.
• Qian He arrived with Zhang Yuan, who recognized Li Ping'an from their earlier encounter, and Li Ping'an revealed that he had come to deliver a letter from Li Xuanzhi.
• Qian He read the blood-written message, wept, and invited Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and Kitten into the sect.
• Li Ping'an told Qian He he had laid Li Xuanzhi to rest and gave her his Storage Ring; Qian He mourned their final farewell.
• Qian He hosted Li Ping'an and his companions while they explored the Yikun Sect, and Zhang Yuan grew resentful of Li Ping'an.
• The day of the Yikun Sect's Seven Peaks Sword Gathering arrived.

Li Ping'an attended the Yikun Sect's Seven Peaks Sword Gathering with Old Ox and Cat Immortal, where he encountered Zhang Yuan and Zhang Yuan's master. As the tournament continued, Li Ping'an explained its competition for resources to Cat Immortal, whose practical answer left his explanation unfinished.

• An Outer Sect Disciple guided Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and Cat Immortal to the Main Peak and warned Li Ping'an about Zhang Yuan's temper and conduct.
• At the Seven Peaks Sword Gathering, Li Ping'an reminisced about his years at Shushan while Cat Immortal stayed close to him amid the crowds.
• An old man questioned Li Ping'an about his origins and Cat Immortal; Li Ping'an defended her, and Zhang Yuan arrived and recognized him.
• Zhang Yuan told his master that Li Ping'an had stopped him from slaying a demon and delivered a letter for Qian He, while his master advised him not to let their encounter affect his matches.
• After watching several days of matches, Li Ping'an explained the competition for resources with a story about two cats and one mouse, and Cat Immortal said she would keep the mouse for herself.

After the Seven Peaks Sword Gathering, Li Ping'an left the Yikun Sect and went to find the field mice he had promised to help. He discovered that Zhang Yuan had burned down their restaurant and killed them, then set out for the Yikun Sect to confront him.

• Qian He lost the final match of the Seven Peaks Sword Gathering, and Li Ping'an said farewell before heading north with Kitten and Old Ox.
• Li Ping'an and his companions returned to the field mice’s restaurant and found it burned to ruins, with the field mice missing.
• Li Ping'an summoned the Lord of the Land, who revealed that a drunken Yikun Sect disciple had burned down the restaurant and killed the field mice.
• Li Ping'an guessed that the culprit was Zhang Yuan, and the Lord of the Land confirmed it while explaining that he had buried the field mice.
• Li Ping'an told Kitten and Old Ox to wait for him, then walked toward the Yikun Sect to confront Zhang Yuan.