Chapter Summaries

Ou Peng and the Misty Sect settled the Secret Realm’s rewards, while Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing reported their herbs and Xue Qing’s decision to leave the sect token with Zhang Cai’s family. The mysterious box was placed in the Library Pavilion, and Situ Ping was pressured to surrender her herbs to Wan Jian Peak as Wan Chengjiu hinted at a reward for her service.

• Ou Peng’s Water Severer rebounded from the mysterious box and nearly struck him, so he ordered Zhang Chengyue to store the unopened box in the Library Pavilion.
• Ou Peng and the others agreed to wait for Eldest Brother and Second Brother before discussing Hermit Yanming’s next gathering, and Zhang Chengyue placed the box on a table in the Library Pavilion.
• Wen Wenhai and Xue Qing gave Ou Peng their six medicinal herbs, and he told them to have the Medicine Hall refine them into pills while postponing their rewards.
• Xue Qing told Ou Peng that she had left the sect token with Zhang Cai’s family, and he praised her choice rather than punishing her.
• Ou Peng learned that Situ Ping had also taken three medicinal herbs in the Secret Realm and asked whether she had surrendered them.
• Wan Chengjiu told Situ Ping there had been no agreement allowing her to keep her herbs, and she reluctantly handed them over before he hinted at a reward from Wan Jian Peak.

Situ Ping joined Wan Jian Peak after accepting Wan Chengjiu’s offer, while the Zhang family welcomed Liu Qian into their home as she cared for the recovering household. Guo Sufi and Grandmother tried to uncover Liu Qian’s feelings for Zhang Xiaolong, leaving Liu Qian embarrassed and Zhang Xiaolong anxious.

• Wan Chengjiu offered Situ Ping a place in Elder Yun Feng’s school and access to a high-level cultivation method, and she accepted and greeted Ma Xiangyang as her junior brother.
• Liu Qian arrived at the Zhang family with food, helped Guo Sufi manage the household, and began caring for the injured Zhang Xiaolong.
• Zhang Xiaolong and Liu Qian grew close as she fed him and tended to his needs, while both fell in love with each other.
• Guo Sufi worried that Liu Qian’s family was wealthier and more scholarly than theirs, and wondered how to learn the young woman’s intentions.
• Grandmother prompted Guo Sufi to discuss finding Zhang Xiaolong a wife, then praised Liu Qian and said she would not accept a daughter-in-law who was less suitable.
• Liu Qian fled inside in embarrassment, while Zhang Xiaolong protested that his family had frightened her and Zhang Xiaohua admired Grandmother’s matchmaking.

Liu Qian escaped an awkward conversation at the Zhang family home by taking Zhang Xiaohua to see his hillside farmland and well. On their way back, she warned him that valuable discoveries could attract danger, and he asked whether Great Hero Wen would have been able to keep a treasure safely.

• Guo Sufi sent Zhang Xiaohua to bring Liu Qian out, and Liu Qian agreed to visit his farmland with him.
• As Liu Qian and Zhang Xiaohua walked through Guo Village, villagers treated her as a likely match for Zhang Xiaolong, deepening her embarrassment.
• Liu Qian admired Zhang Xiaohua's reclaimed hillside plot and examined the unusually smooth, warm stone he had dug from the well.
• Zhang Xiaohua drew the well's sweet water for Liu Qian to take home, and he told her about the trouble at Mr. Wu's home in the neighboring village.
• Liu Qian explained that people who possess valuable things can become targets for others, and Zhang Xiaohua asked how the situation would differ if Great Hero Wen found treasure.

Liu Qian explained to Zhang Xiaohua how martial arts helped people protect their possessions, then shared tea with the Zhang family. Guo Sufi learned that Grandmother feared her life was nearing its end and wished to see Zhang Xiaolong marry, leaving Guo Sufi distressed and Liu Qian wondering what had happened.

• Liu Qian explained to Zhang Xiaohua that a person's ability to protect treasure depended on their martial arts and warned him to keep some skills hidden.
• Zhang Xiaohua and Liu Qian returned home, where Liu Qian brewed tea with well water for the Zhang family.
• The Zhang family enjoyed Liu Qian's tea, but most of them stayed awake late after drinking it.
• Guo Sufi visited Grandmother and learned she hoped Zhang Xiaolong would marry Liu Qian before her health worsened.
• Guo Sufi left Grandmother in tears and returned to her room without explaining her distress to Liu Qian.

Liu Qian and Guo Sufi shared their grief and worries in a late-night conversation, discussing their mothers and the Zhang family. Guo Sufi asked whether Liu Qian would consider Xiaolong, but Liu Qian remained uncertain and left the question for another day.

• Liu Qian noticed Guo Sufi's troubled behavior and lay awake wondering what had happened.
• Guo Sufi asked about Liu Qian's mother, and Liu Qian described her mother's sacrifice and early death.
• Guo Sufi praised her sons, while Liu Qian defended their kindness and courage despite their limited education.
• Guo Sufi admitted she regretted not speaking more openly with her own mother, and Liu Qian comforted her.
• Guo Sufi asked Liu Qian whether Xiaolong was right for her, but Liu Qian hesitated and postponed answering.

Oupeng gathered the Misty Six Tigers in the Council Hall to reveal the outcome of a secret search for a legendary treasure. After confirming no outsiders were listening, the brothers asked him to explain what the treasure was.

• Oupeng told the Misty Six Tigers that A Hai and Qing'er had gone with Hermit Yanming to divide the treasure, while trusted people guarded Yanming's family and Oupeng sent Yan'er to help.
• Oupeng explained that Qing'er beat Hermit Yanming at rock paper scissors, and that the group brought back medicinal herbs as an extra reward.
• Liu the Fifth joked that he wanted the Pangu Axe, but Oupeng revealed that the true treasure was something legendary, not the herbs.
• Shangguan Fengliu hinted that Liu the Fifth had guessed correctly, prompting Li Jian to search the Council Hall's surroundings for eavesdroppers.
• After Li Jian confirmed the area was clear, Hu Yunyi asked Oupeng to describe the treasure in detail.

Ou Peng revealed Longevity Pills, Qi Boosting Pills, and Bone-Strengthening Pills recovered from the Secret Realm, prompting the Misty Sect brothers to debate their dangers and value. He asked Hu the Eldest to decide how the pills should be distributed, hoping the brothers would preserve their unity.

• Hu the Eldest urged Ou Peng to keep the Longevity Pill sealed and disclose it only if danger forced them to give it up.
• Shangguan the Fourth, Li the Second, and Xu the Sixth agreed that the brothers should leave the Longevity Pill untouched for now, while Liu the Fifth joked about wanting a share.
• Ou Peng revealed Qi Boosting Pills that could grant internal martial artists twenty years of cultivation and Bone-Strengthening Pills that could strengthen external martial artists.
• Hu the Eldest praised Ou Peng for obtaining the pills and said they could greatly increase the Misty Sect's strength.
• Ou Peng asked Hu the Eldest to decide how to distribute the pills, stressing that the brothers should not let the decision damage their harmony.

Ouyang Peng revealed a new Qi Augmenting Pill and distributed the sect’s pills among the Misty Six Tigers. The brothers divided the Qi Boosting Pills and Bone-Strengthening Pills, leaving one Bone-Strengthening Pill for Ouyang Peng to assign.

• Ouyang Peng explained that Hall Master Bai had made a batch of Qi Augmenting Pills from herbs recovered from the Secret Realm, and Hu the Eldest welcomed them as a way to cultivate more disciples.
• Shangguan the Fourth proposed that Ouyang Peng take the sole Qi Boosting Pill, but Ouyang Peng opened the bottle and discovered three pills, which Hu the Eldest assigned one each to Ouyang Peng, Li the Second, and Shangguan the Fourth.
• Hu the Eldest declined a Qi Boosting Pill, but Li the Second offered his share; Hu the Eldest insisted they split it, and Li the Second cleanly cut the pill in half with a dagger.
• Liu the Fifth and Xu the Sixth each received a Bone-Strengthening Pill after Hu the Eldest opened the bottle and found three inside.
• Hu the Eldest gave the final Bone-Strengthening Pill to Ouyang Peng to distribute, and Ouyang Peng set it on the table.

Ouyang Peng and the Misty Six Tigers took their newly obtained pills in the mountain’s secret chambers, gaining major increases in cultivation. Shi Niu emerged transformed and proved strong enough to overpower Liu the Fifth in a fistfight before Liu took him off to drink.

• Ouyang Peng and the others agreed to give Shi Niu the Bone-Strengthening Pill and distribute the Qi Augmenting Pills among promising disciples, then entered the mountain chambers to cultivate.
• Ouyang Peng took the Qi Boosting Pill and found that his cultivation had more than doubled after circulating his qi eighty-one times; Hu the Eldest, Li the Second, and Shangguan the Fourth also reported major gains.
• Liu the Fifth and Xu the Sixth emerged from seclusion with greatly improved External Martial Arts, while Shi Niu remained inside practicing the Great Strength Vajra Hand.
• Ouyang Peng saw that Shi Niu was still completing the pill’s eighty-one rounds of practice and waited with the others until Shi Niu emerged much larger and stronger.
• Shi Niu beat Liu the Fifth in a test of strength, and Liu admitted Shi Niu had improved greatly before taking him to drink.

As the Misty Sect’s leaders entered seclusion, Zhang Xiaohua grew certain that his grandmother was dying and sought Liu Qian’s advice about saving her. The chapter ended with Liu Qian weeping alongside him, unable to reassure him that his grandmother would recover.

• Ouyang Peng assigned Zhang Chengyue to manage the sect while he and the Misty Five Tigers entered ten days of seclusion.
• A maid, a grocery shop owner, and an accountant carried out a covert chain of errands, after which two carrier pigeons flew out of Pingyang City.
• Zhang Xiaohua sensed that his grandmother’s worsening cough was draining her vitality, though she hid her worry from his mother.
• After tasting the morning sun, Zhang Xiaohua felt a warm current enter his body and wondered about the sensation.
• Zhang Xiaohua asked Liu Qian whether people could live forever and how someone near death could be saved.
• Zhang Xiaohua told Liu Qian that he believed his grandmother was dying, and Liu Qian held him as they both cried.

Liu Qian comforted Zhang Xiaohua about Grandmother’s approaching death, and the family brought Grandmother to town after her illness worsened. The doctor could not cure her, but his discovery that she had recently eaten something like ginseng left the family wondering what had sustained her.

• Liu Qian explained to Zhang Xiaohua that birth, aging, illness, and death were part of life, and urged him to keep Grandmother company.
• Grandmother’s illness worsened, so Guo Sufi took her to town by donkey cart while Zhang Xiaohua stayed home.
• The family helped Grandmother into the main room after she returned, and she said the doctor’s visit had wasted money because her illness could not be cured.
• Zhang Cai told Guo Sufi that the doctor had said Grandmother was too old and weak to travel farther, so the family should let her rest and spend her remaining time as she wished.
• Zhang Cai revealed that the doctor had found a small thread of vital essence sustaining Grandmother and suspected she had recently eaten ginseng, leaving the family bewildered.

Zhang Xiaohua’s family suspected that hillside well water was helping Grandmother and their injuries, but decided to keep it secret to avoid attracting danger. As the household continued using the water, Zhang Xiaolong recovered rapidly, leaving Liu Qian uncertain about whether she could bear to leave the family.

• Zhang Xiaohua worried over Grandmother’s worsening cough, then dreamed of a flickering world and felt heat enter his throat after biting at the rising sun again.
• Liu Qian reasoned that the hillside well water might be the ginseng the doctor had detected, since the family had recently begun using it for drinking and cooking.
• Zhang Cai warned that testing the water could expose a valuable resource and endanger the family, so Guo Sufi ordered everyone to keep it secret.
• The Zhang family replaced their household water with well water, while Grandmother remained weak and Zhang Cai, Zhang Xiaolong, and Zhang Xiaohu healed quickly.
• Old Chen was astonished by Zhang Xiaolong’s recovery, and Liu Qian wondered whether she had any reason to remain with the Zhang family now that Zhang Xiaolong was healed.

The Liu family visited the Zhang family, where Liu Qian and Liu Yueyue discussed whether to choose the hardworking Zhang brothers or hold out for scholarly husbands. The visit ended with Mr. Liu discovering that the tea Liu Qian had brought from home tasted extraordinarily good.

• Liu Qian welcomed her father, Liu the Butcher, and Liu Yueyue, and the families exchanged greetings over the Zhang brothers' recovery.
• Liu Qian defended Zhang Xiaolong when Liu the Butcher tried to examine his newly healed arm, and Liu Yueyue teased her about her feelings for him.
• Liu Yueyue warned Liu Qian against marrying a farmer, while Liu Qian admitted that Zhang Xiaolong had made a deep impression on her but said she had not chosen yet.
• Mr. Liu tasted the tea Liu Qian had brought, praised its remarkable flavor, and asked her where it came from.

Liu Qian realized that her connection with Zhang Xiaolong and the miraculous well water convinced her they were bound by fate, and she chose to stay in Guo Village until he recovered. Mr. Liu and Liu the Butcher returned to Baligou with Liu Yueyue, leaving Liu Qian behind.

• Mr. Liu praised the tea brewed with Guo Village's water, and Liu Qian carefully avoided revealing the well's secret.
• Mr. Liu joked about settling in Guo Village, prompting Liu Qian to reconsider her doubts about marrying far from home and see her bond with Zhang Xiaolong as fate.
• Mr. Liu explained that he and Liu the Butcher had come to take Liu Qian home and bring Liu Yueyue to replace her, but Guo Sufi said the family no longer needed help.
• Liu Qian decided to remain in Guo Village until Zhang Xiaolong fully recovered, and Liu Yueyue revealed that Mr. Liu had predicted her choice.
• After lunch, Mr. Liu, Liu the Butcher, and Liu Yueyue left for Baligou, while Liu Qian accompanied them partway down the road.

Ouyang Peng and the Misty Sect’s leaders planned to expand the sect, recruit disciples, and prepare for their meeting with three other factions at Wutong Mountain. They aimed to keep the Secret Realm hidden through a limited alliance and left the sect preparing to strengthen its forces.

• Ouyang Peng questioned Zhang Chengyue about intelligence on the other factions and ordered him to improve the Misty Sect’s espionage and recruit more disciples.
• Ouyang Peng told the leaders to send their personal disciples to cultivate with newly refined pills, select promising younger disciples, and build elite teams for expansion.
• Shangguan the Fourth proposed expanding into nearby territory, and Ouyang Peng chose the Luoshui Gang as the Misty Sect’s target while ruling out action against the Xinrong Sect and the Golden Crow Gate for now.
• Ouyang Peng and the leaders discussed the upcoming Wutong Mountain meeting and favored a private alliance among the four faction leaders to protect the Secret Realm’s secret.
• Ouyang Peng asked Li the Second about a sword manual and instructed him to guide newly recruited disciples who would learn it.

Great Gang Leader Ou traveled with Madam Ou and Shi Niu to Dragon God Temple in Yucheng, then climbed Wutong Mountain to meet old friends for their annual gathering. The chapter ended as Hermit Yanming and Tan Yefeng arrived at the summit to join him and Wan Chengjiu.

• The Misty Sect leaders arranged for Great Gang Leader Ou to travel discreetly with Shi Niu as his driver and protector.
• Great Gang Leader Ou and his party journeyed to Yucheng without trouble and offered incense at Dragon God Temple.
• Great Gang Leader Ou took Shi Niu and provisions to Wutong Mountain while Madam Ou and the maidservants rested at an inn.
• Great Gang Leader Ou and Wan Chengjiu met on the summit and waited for their other companions.
• Hermit Yanming arrived at the summit with Tan Yefeng just before noon.

Ou Peng, Wan Chengjiu, Tan Yefeng, and Hermit Yanming discussed how to return to the Secret Realm and formed an alliance limited to their search for its treasures. They agreed to send disciples there at the end of the month, while Wan Chengjiu revealed that Situ Ping was being absorbed into Wan Jian Peak.

• Tan Yefeng and Hermit Yanming arrived first after racing up the mountain, and Ou Peng introduced them to Shi Niu before the group shared wine.
• Hermit Yanming argued that the Secret Realm might be accessible before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, while Wan Chengjiu and Ou Peng urged caution about exposing its location.
• Tan Yefeng revealed he also wanted to scout the Secret Realm early, and Ou Peng proposed an alliance among the four leaders limited to the Secret Realm.
• The four leaders sealed their alliance by drinking Blood Wine and agreed to send disciples to the previous location at the end of the month, with Hermit Yanming leading them.
• Shi Niu reported tourists on the mountain path, and Ou Peng allowed them to pass while warning that others might be watching.
• Ou Peng asked about Situ Ping, and Wan Chengjiu said she had remained at Wan Jian Peak and would soon become one of its members.

Wan Jian Peak sent Qu Xiangfeng to deliver a letter from Situ Ping to the Fierce Tiger Gang, prompting Situ Liang to summon the gang’s leaders. After discovering a hidden message on Situ Ping’s token, Situ Liang quietly considered his next move as he went to meet them.

• Wan Chengjiu told Ouyang Peng that Wan Jian Peak had taken over the Fierce Tiger Gang’s affairs while Situ Ping remained away, and the assembled leaders parted after their gathering.
• Worried by Situ Ping’s month-long absence, Situ Liang and Hall Master Zhao discussed how to keep the gang steady as the New Year ended.
• Qu Xiangfeng arrived with six companions, showed Situ Liang Situ Ping’s token, and delivered her letter; Situ Liang and Hall Master Zhao read it and requested time to discuss their reply.
• After Qu Xiangfeng’s party was shown to their quarters, Situ Liang and Hall Master Zhao sent the gang’s emergency summons to gather its senior members.
• Alone in his room, Situ Liang used a hidden solution to reveal the words “Ping An Ren” on Situ Ping’s token, then concealed his discovery.
• When Elder Chu, Hall Master Xing, and Hall Master Zhang returned, Situ Liang waited, made a decision, and walked toward the main hall.

Situ Liang and the Fierce Tiger Gang leaders questioned the letter claiming that Situ Ping had joined Wan Jian Peak and that its disciples should manage the gang. Qu Xiangfeng offered few details, then defeated Hall Master Xing in a spar, demonstrating Wan Jian Peak’s strength.

• Situ Liang told Elder Chu and the hall masters that Situ Ping was safe but could not return, then showed them her letter about joining Wan Jian Peak.
• Elder Chu and the hall masters questioned why Wan Jian Peak wanted to oversee the Fierce Tiger Gang, while Hall Master Zhao insisted Situ Ping should return and explain.
• Qu Xiangfeng said Situ Ping was training in seclusion as Elder Yun’s disciple and stated that he had come to take temporary charge of the gang.
• Hall Master Xing challenged Qu Xiangfeng to prove Wan Jian Peak’s swordsmanship, and they agreed to spar in the hall.
• Qu Xiangfeng struck Hall Master Xing’s spear twice with his greatsword, knocked him down, and left him with injured hands; Hall Master Xing admitted defeat.

Qu Xiangfeng took control of the Fierce Tiger Gang on Wan Jian Peak’s behalf but left its daily affairs to Situ Liang and the elders while his group awaited further orders. Meanwhile, Situ Liang secretly sent three carrier pigeons, and Grandmother’s worsening cough continued to trouble the Zhang family.

• Qu Xiangfeng defeated Hall Master Xing in three moves, and the Fierce Tiger Gang agreed to accept Wan Jian Peak’s temporary leadership.
• Qu Xiangfeng said Elder Chu, Hall Master Situ, and the others would continue handling gang affairs, then ordered two Junior Brothers Wang to watch Lu Town and the rest to keep practicing.
• Situ Liang wrote a tiny letter, concealed it in a metal ring, attached the ring and two blank-message rings to carrier pigeons, and released all three toward the same destination.
• Grandmother spent the night suppressing a worsening cough so she would not wake Zhang Xiaohua, then waited outside until Guo Sufi found her in the morning.
• Guo Sufi helped Grandmother into the main room, where Liu Qian wondered whether the spring water could help as Grandmother’s condition deteriorated.