Chapter Summaries

Chen Liang learned he owed Sifang Gambling House a thousand taels, while Fang Yue returned to Xiahe County Town, recovered and stronger, to collect his Yamen benefits. He left Zhang Jiu panicking after the official tried to scare him away with the threat of conscription penalties.

• Chen Liang protested his thousand-tael debt, and Shopkeeper Qi decided to wait until after the Martial Scholar examination before pressing him.
• Zhou Fangwu led his Yamen runners and convoy back to Xiahe County Town, postponing the collection of silver from the Fang and Zhou families.
• Fang Yue visited Master Zheng, who discovered he had recovered and reached Marrow Refining; Fang Yue arranged to take Tea Trees at market price.
• Fang Yue went to the Yamen storehouse to collect his customary silver and Secret Medicine, but Zhang Jiu admitted nothing and tried to frighten him away with the threat of losing his title.
• Fang Yue offered to report Zhang Jiu to the County Magistrate, and Zhang Jiu panicked and begged him not to go.

Fang Yue recovered his withheld Imperial Martial Candidate benefits by confronting Zhang Jiu and Huang Yuangui, then registered his advance to Marrow Refining. He later learned Huang Yuangui was selling five hundred mu of tea gardens and told Zhou Fangwu to buy them for him, promising to repay him after next year’s tea harvest.

• Zhang Jiu admitted that Huang the Storehouse Clerk had ordered him to embezzle Fang Yue’s stipend silver and Secret Medicine, and Huang Yuangui arrived to resolve the matter.
• Fang Yue demanded the benefits for his Marrow Refining stage, forcing Huang Yuangui to provide the increased stipend and Secret Medicine.
• Fang Yue registered as a Marrow Refining martial artist at the Yamen, then ate breakfast and reassured the stall owner that the disaster would soon pass.
• Fang Yue overheard Zhou Fangwu and the Yamen runners discussing Huang Yuangui’s tea gardens, then revealed that he had recovered and made Zhou apologize.
• Fang Yue learned Huang Yuangui wanted to sell five hundred mu of tea gardens and instructed Zhou Fangwu to buy them for him on credit.

Fang Yue returned to Daliushu Village with tea saplings and prepared the villagers to replace their crops with tea trees despite the drought. He forced households that refused to honor their agreement to return their grain or land, and most villagers began planting tea trees, unsure whether the saplings would survive.

• Fang Yue returned to Daliushu Village with tea saplings after buying a thousand mu of tea gardens, with Zhou Fangwu advancing the payment.
• Chen Shi served Fang Yue and Father Fang homemade moon cakes, and Fang Yue reassured Father Fang that the disaster would pass.
• At the village square, villagers objected that tea trees would not survive without water, but Fang Mu reminded them of their agreement.
• Fang Yue offered households the choice of planting tea trees or returning the grain or fields they had received; several households returned their land deeds and silver.
• That afternoon, most villagers cleared their crops and planted tea trees, though the water shortage left them uncertain whether the saplings would live.

As Daliushu Village planted tea saplings without water, nearby villagers mocked Fang Yue’s decision, while Fang Yue assured his father that the disaster would soon end. Huang Lie revealed that the drought was ending, leaving Huang Yuangui devastated after selling his tea garden, and rain finally fell across the region.

• Zhou Fugui visited Daliushu Village and mocked Old Man Liu for planting tea trees, while Old Man Liu worried that the saplings would die.
• Fang Yue told Fang Mu that rain would come the next day, citing a letter from Fang Hu saying the Mo Shan Tribe had fallen and the disaster was about to pass.
• Huang Lie learned that Huang Yuangui had sold the family tea garden and ordered him to buy it back because the disaster was ending.
• Huang Yuangui realized he had sold the tea garden to Fang Yue and fainted from distress, then later fought Zhen Dongxi after taking his congratulations as mockery.
• Rain fell at the Fang Family residence, and Fang Mu realized the two-year disaster had passed.

Fang Yue’s martial arts practice coincided with rain ending the drought across Shanyang Prefecture, vindicating his decision to have Daliushu Village plant Tea Trees. In the Prefecture City, Scholar Liu realized the rain came too late to save the family land they had sold.

• At Yuchun Tower, Liu Chuanzhi hosted Bai Xingqiu and discussed selling his family’s fields, while Zhang Wen praised his decisiveness.
• Hui Hengli mocked Liu Chuanzhi and Zhang Wen for selling their land, then wagered with Zhang Wen that rain would fall soon.
• The Madam told Liu Chuanzhi’s party that Miss Xiangjun could not attend, and Liu Chuanzhi accepted a meal credit as compensation.
• Fang Yue practiced White Tiger Fist with Secret Medicine by the Xiahe River when sudden rain began falling around him.
• Daliushu Village’s farmers celebrated the rain and concluded that Fang Yue had known it would come when he ordered them to plant Tea Trees.
• Rain spread across Shanyang Prefecture, and Scholar Liu realized that his family had sold its fields cheaply before the drought ended.

Hui Hengli’s rain prediction proved right, forcing Liu Chuanzhi and his companions to face the consequences of their wager, while Chen Liang lost the Martial Scholar examination and was seized over his gambling debt. After the rain restored the Xiahe River and lifted the villagers’ fortunes, Fang Yue considered how to use his Golden Finger and resolved to advance through the Martial Examination to uncover the world’s secrets.

• Rain fell across Shanyang Prefecture, and Hui Hengli confronted Liu Chuanzhi, Zhang Wen, and the others over their wager; Bai Xingqiu backed him, but Hui Hengli left after Miss Xiangjun arrived.
• Chen Liang lost his Martial Scholar examination after following a costly martial booklet, then tried to flee the Gambling House’s debt collectors and fainted when they demanded fifteen hundred taels.
• Three days later, the Xiahe River and village wells had returned to normal, tea seedlings were growing, and villagers regarded Fang Yue with greater awe.
• Fang Yue gained one aptitude point while training, judged that improving his aptitude would take many years, and resolved to pursue the Martial Examination to gain status and discover greater paths of cultivation.

Shopkeeper Qi led the Sifang Gambling House’s men to seize Fang Yue’s family over debts, while Fang Yue learned his father and elder brother had been taken. At the village entrance, the villagers confronted the gang, but the Sour Scholar produced promissory notes and invoked the Village Chief, leaving the crowd hesitant.

• Shopkeeper Qi ordered his men to keep Chen Liang alive, seize his father, and then go to the Fang Family with forged debt papers.
• At breakfast, Chen Shi told Fang Yue that Chen Liang wanted to borrow meat for a feast if he passed the Martial Scholar examination, and she sent Father Fang and Fang Cheng to deliver it.
• That evening, villagers told Fang Yue that his father and elder brother had been tied up and brought to the village entrance, so he went there while Chen Shi returned home.
• Fang Yue found villagers surrounding Sifang Gambling House thugs who held Fang Mu and Fang Cheng, and the Sour Scholar claimed the Fang Family owed money.
• The Sour Scholar showed promissory notes bearing handprints and pointed out the Village Chief, causing the villagers to hesitate.

Fang Yue arrived at his family’s home to find Shopkeeper Qi and his men using a forged debt claim to seize his family’s farmland, with Village Chief Chen and Fang Yue’s relatives backing them. Fang Yue revealed he was healthy and powerful enough to defeat the three Bone Forging Martialists, leaving Shopkeeper Qi terrified and pleading for his life.

• Shopkeeper Qi used a debt note bearing Father Fang’s and Fang Yue’s elder brother’s marks, along with testimony from Chen Liang and Chen Kang, to pressure the villagers and threaten the family with the Yamen.
• Fang Yue arrived, frightened the gambling house thugs with his killing intent, and revealed that he was not crippled.
• Fang Yue struck Sour Scholar and sent him flying, while Shopkeeper Qi ordered three Bone Forging Martialists to surround him.
• Fang Yue defeated one martialist with a single punch, and the other two surrendered, paid five thousand taels, and each took a punch that broke an arm.
• Shopkeeper Qi panicked as his hired fighters were defeated and begged Fang Yue not to kill him, claiming he was from the Wei Family.

Wei He learned that Fang Yue had detained Sifang Gambling House’s shopkeeper and men, while Fang Yue kept them working in his family’s fields rather than risk sending them to the authorities. The Wei Family had not yet responded, and Fang Yue waited to see what it would do.

• Wei He secretly met with his father's pregnant concubine in the Wei Family estate.
• Wang Quan told Wei He that Fang Yue had detained Shopkeeper Qi and more than thirty people from Sifang Gambling House in Daliushu Village.
• Wei He ordered Wang Quan to investigate the incident again, then returned to his courtyard.
• Sour Scholar whipped Shopkeeper Qi as the detained men were forced to plow Fang Yue’s family fields.
• Fang Yue told Father Fang that detaining the men was safer than killing them or handing them over to the Yamen, given the Wei Family’s influence.

Wei He learned that Shopkeeper Qi had targeted Fang Yue and arranged to have the authorities retrieve the gamblers held in Daliushu Village, while Fang Yue comforted his grieving mother and planned the tea business with Fatty Bai. In Shanyang Prefecture City, Liu Chuanzhi failed to bribe an official into helping with his father's case because Young Master Bai had made him untouchable.

• Wei He learned Shopkeeper Qi had gone after Fang Yue and ordered Wang Quan to report a supposed bandit threat so the Yamen would take the men from Daliushu Village.
• Wei He privately resented Fang Yue's recovery and growing martial skill, then wrote a letter to his father.
• Fang Yue visited Chen Shi, persuaded her to eat, and agreed to consider meeting a prospective bride.
• Fang Yue wrote to Fatty Bai about the recovering tea trees and plans for their partnership's first tea harvest.
• Liu Chuanzhi offered a middle-aged official another five hundred taels to help with his father's matter, but the official rejected him because Young Master Bai had forbidden anyone from assisting.

Liu Chuanzhi was beaten and robbed after failing to secure help at the prefectural yamen, while Fang Hu and Zhang Boyang discussed Fang Hu’s uncertain promotion. The yamen took Shopkeeper Qi and the Sifang Gambling House thugs from Daliushu Village, but Qi and Sour Scholar were still plotting revenge three days later.

• Liu Chuanzhi left the prefectural yamen, was ambushed by men posing as courtesan enforcers, and had his thousand taels of silver stolen.
• Fang Hu told Zhang Boyang he expected to be passed over for a military appointment, and Zhang consoled him as they drank together.
• Fang Hu learned from Zhang Boyang that Fang Yue had recovered and felt relieved that taking Fang Yue as his disciple had been a success.
• A fat man overheard Fang Hu and Zhang Boyang’s connection to Fang Yue and decided he had a gift to bring Fang Yue.
• Fang Yue let Xiahe County yamen runners take Shopkeeper Qi and the Sifang Gambling House thugs away from Daliushu Village.
• Three days later, Qi Yishou complained about Fang Yue and threatened revenge, while Sour Scholar flattered him and was rebuked.

Sour Scholar killed Shopkeeper Qi and took his place, while Fang Yue discovered that Qi had hidden a fortune in a residence near his own. Fang Yue found the secret chamber’s entrance, but the chapter ended before he learned what it contained.

• Sour Scholar carried Shopkeeper Qi away from camp, killed him, and forced him to reveal that he had hidden seventy or eighty thousand taels in one of two residences.
• Sour Scholar returned to camp disguised as Shopkeeper Qi and told the others that Sour Scholar had gone away.
• Fang Yue, who had followed the group intending to kill Shopkeeper Qi, witnessed Sour Scholar’s actions and decided to investigate the hidden wealth.
• Fang Yue went to his residence in Old Alley and entered the neighboring courtyard after a young woman invited him inside; he knocked her unconscious and searched the property.
• Fang Yue found a concealed door behind a bookshelf and opened the entrance to a secret chamber.

Sour Scholar disguised himself as Shopkeeper Qi and went to meet the gambling house’s Boss, while Fang Yue found and took the silver and valuables hidden beneath Shopkeeper Qi’s residence. Fang Yue left with the fortune, leaving the unconscious young woman tied up in the kitchen with a cartload of coal delivered to her.

• Sour Scholar changed his appearance to match Shopkeeper Qi and followed a visitor to meet the gambling house’s Boss.
• Fang Yue counted twelve chests containing about sixty thousand taels of silver in the underground chamber and decided to take them as compensation from Shopkeeper Qi.
• Fang Yue found nine Origin Stones among the valuables, including three Wutu Origin Stones, and took them.
• The young woman woke, panicked at Fang Yue, and fainted again; Fang Yue tied her up and put her in the kitchen.
• Fang Yue loaded the valuables onto a horse carriage, left the residence, and arranged for a cartload of coal to be delivered into the kitchen.

Fang Yue returned home, hid the silver he had taken, and used Wutu Origin Stones to sense a first trace of Wutu Qi. He then set the Wei Family against the Sour Scholar, who began suspecting someone in his organization had betrayed him.

• Gao Shide mocked Fang Hu and offered him a false promise of a deputy post, but Fang Hu refused to cooperate with him.
• Fang Yue returned to Daliushu Village, reassured Chen Shi, and hid his silver in the cellar before sharing lunch with his family.
• Fang Yue absorbed power from two Wutu Origin Stones and sensed a faint current of Wutu Qi within his body.
• Fang Yue arranged for Wei He to hear that the Sour Scholar had disguised himself as Shopkeeper Qi, hoping the Wei Family would investigate him.
• The Sour Scholar beat someone for information about the missing silver, then suspected that another member of his organization had betrayed him.

Wei He’s men searched for the missing Gambling House silver while Sour Scholar secretly infiltrated Wei Mansion as Wang Quan. In Shanyang, political scheming shaped the military appointments, while Fang Yue prepared to market the tea harvest in three grades.

• Wei He ordered Wang Quan to keep searching for the escaped impostor and missing silver, then asked about Wang Quan’s supposed son.
• After leaving Wei Mansion, Wang Quan revealed himself as Sour Scholar, who had disguised himself to use the Wei Family’s resources to find the silver.
• Zhang Youde advised Fang Hu to trade military merit for favors, then reported Fang Hu’s lack of scheming to Gao Shide, who was seeking a military appointment.
• Bai Xingqiu gave Inspector Wang more than three thousand taels in silver notes, and Inspector Wang changed the appointment list to favor Bai Xingqiu’s candidate.
• Fang Yue received word that the tea harvest was ready and instructed the Tea Estate to produce and package three grades, reserving Biyou Spring for the finest tea.

Huang Yuangui sought Liu Zheng’s help in reclaiming the Tea Garden, while Huang Lie believed Liu Zheng would support them for the benefits. At the Shanyang Prefecture Guard Army appointments, Fang Hu was named Xiahe County Commandant, leaving Zhang Youde regretting his choice to follow Gao Shide.

• Huang Yuangui accused Fang Yue of seizing the Tea Garden and offered Liu Zheng a share of its profits in return for help reclaiming it.
• Liu Zheng questioned Huang Yuangui about taking Fang Yue’s stipend silver and Secret Medicine, then dismissed him without promising anything.
• Huang Lie assured Huang Yuangui that Liu Zheng would choose the more profitable offer and that Fang Yue would not compromise with the County Magistrate.
• Gao Shide tried to recruit Fang Hu, but Fang Hu rebuked one of Gao Shide’s lackeys, who fell before the crowd jeered.
• Inspector Wang read the appointments, and Fang Hu was named Xiahe County Commandant.
• Zhang Youde, who had just joined Gao Shide, regretted his choice when Fang Hu received the appointment.

Fang Hu was selected for an official post while Gao Shide and Zhang Youde failed to win his favor. Fang Yue accepted County Magistrate Liu’s invitation and was preparing to leave when Fatty Bai arrived with tea-garden business and lavish gifts for Fang Yue’s family.

• Gao Shide checked the Red List, found that he had not been selected, and congratulated Fang Hu before leaving.
• Zhang Youde tried to attach himself to Fang Hu’s new post, but Fang Hu dismissed him after realizing his intentions.
• Fang Yue accepted County Magistrate Liu’s invitation to meet at the Guest Welcome Tower five days later.
• Fatty Bai arrived at Fang Yue’s home with a carriage, bruises, and a claim that he had come to inspect the Tea Garden and collect its first tea leaves.
• Fatty Bai presented gifts to Fang Yue’s parents and said Fang Yue had arranged for some of them to be bought.

Fang Yue brought Bai Xingqiu to inspect the Fang Family’s Tea Gardens and prepare for their tea business, then headed to Xiahe County Town to meet County Magistrate Liu Zheng. At the county Tea Garden, they heard that someone was assaulting the gatekeepers and claiming to be its real owner, and went to confront the intruder.

• Chen Shi worried that Bai Xingqiu’s lavish gifts were too valuable, and Fang Yue explained who he was and promised to return the favor.
• Bai Xingqiu charmed Chen Shi with praise for her cooking, ate heartily, and eagerly explored the Fang Family’s village Tea Garden with Fang Yue.
• Fang Yue and Bai Xingqiu rode to Xiahe County Town, where a waiter recognized them as the Imperial Martial Candidates whose past examinations had made the Wine House’s firewood room famous.
• Fang Yue showed Bai Xingqiu the thousand-mu Tea Garden and its Pan-fried Tea workshop, and Bai Xingqiu predicted their tea business would succeed.
• A man at the county Tea Garden entrance assaulted the gatekeepers and claimed to be its real master, so Fang Yue and Bai Xingqiu went to investigate.

Bai Xingqiu defended Fang Yue's Tea Garden from hired troublemakers and corrupt yamen runners, but Huang Yuangui's companion Huang Lie stepped in and overpowered him. Fang Yue recognized Huang Lie as a powerful Marrow Refining martial artist, leaving Bai Xingqiu in serious danger.

• Bai Xingqiu knocked down the black-clothed men who were attacking the Tea Garden and demanded to know who had sent them.
• Captain Zhang led yamen runners to the gate and tried to arrest people from both sides, but Bai Xingqiu defeated the runners and seized Captain Zhang.
• Huang Yuangui arrived with Huang Lie, pleased that Bai Xingqiu had struck government officers and might give them grounds to target Fang Yue.
• Huang Lie attacked Bai Xingqiu with a vicious move aimed at his eyes, and Fang Yue recognized him as a Bone Marrow Cleansing Great Accomplishment martial artist.
• Bai Xingqiu fell into Huang Lie's disadvantage and was knocked backward after their fists collided.

Fang Yue defeated Huang Lie’s attack on Bai Xingqiu and refused County Magistrate Liu Zheng’s attempt to take control of the Tea Garden. The chapter ended with Bai Xingqiu praising Fang Yue’s loyalty and insisting on introducing him to his cousin.

• Huang Lie attacked Bai Xingqiu, but Fang Yue intervened and revealed strength that frightened Huang Lie.
• Huang Lie fled after throwing two yamen runners at Fang Yue, while Bai Xingqiu detained Huang Yuangui and later left him bruised.
• Liu Zheng invited Fang Yue to a private meeting and urged him to void his Tea Garden contract in favor of a Tea Guild.
• Fang Yue refused to break his agreement with Bai Xingqiu, and Liu Zheng left after masking his displeasure with a smile.
• Bai Xingqiu praised Fang Yue and offered to introduce him to his beautiful cousin, then pulled him back to share the untouched meal.