Chapter Summaries

Lin He and Su Qiuran were abandoned in Emerald Mountain Village with almost no money after Lin Fu dismissed them from their households. As they faced their shared misfortune, they recalled how they had recognized each other as fellow transmigrators from Blue Star during their wedding.

• Lin Fu delivered Lin He and Su Qiuran to Emerald Mountain Village and gave them only five hundred copper coins and two pieces of silver instead of the promised fifty low-grade spirit stones.
• Lin He complained privately about Lin Fu’s theft and found Su Qiuran dusty but calm in her wheelchair.
• Lin He recalled that he had died from overwork on Blue Star before transmigrating as a mortal son of the Lin Household.
• Lin He reflected that Su Qiuran had also died from overwork on Blue Star and had been mistreated by the Su Household because she lacked a spirit root and had disabled legs.
• Lin He remembered how he and Su Qiuran recognized each other as fellow countrymen during their slapdash wedding by exchanging familiar catchphrases.

Lin He and Su Qiuran reached their rundown home in Emerald Mountain Village after a steward took most of their starting money. Their jokes lifted their spirits, and Lin He helped Su Qiuran free her wheelchair from a stone as they made their way to the door.

• Lin He joked that retreating from the stronger steward Lin Fu was a strategic choice, while Su Qiuran teased him about his missing system.
• Su Qiuran suggested they inspect their new home, and they found a dilapidated hut surrounded by weeds.
• Su Qiuran struggled to push her wheelchair along the uneven road toward the courtyard.
• The wheelchair became stuck on a stone, and Su Qiuran reluctantly asked Lin He for help.
• Lin He lifted the wheelchair over the obstruction and pushed it to the wooden door.

Lin He secretly brought Su Qiuran to a dilapidated house, where she mistakenly thought his serious precautions meant he had acquired a system. After he denied it, he began unwrapping a carefully concealed bundle, leaving its contents unrevealed.

• Lin He pushed Su Qiuran's wheelchair into the ruined house and blocked its door and windows to keep out peeping Toms.
• Su Qiuran teased Lin He about wanting to share the broken bed, but he told her he had something secret to reveal.
• Su Qiuran excitedly guessed that Lin He had a system and asked whether it could heal her legs or help her take revenge on the steward surnamed Lin.
• Lin He denied having a system and showed Su Qiuran a bundle he had secretly carried from the Lin Household.
• Lin He unwrapped several layers of cloth and snapped open an old silk handkerchief, but the chapter ended before its contents were shown.

Lin He revealed that his mother had left him a jade gourd, and he and Su Qiuran discovered it could absorb the essences of the sun and moon. They learned the essences could accelerate plant growth and improve plants, animals, and Spirit Roots, giving them a possible path to change their fortunes.

• Su Qiuran recognized Lin He's jade gourd as the Little Green Bottle and excitedly imagined its value.
• Lin He explained that his mother had passed the heirloom down to him and that he had kept it hidden from the Lin Household.
• Lin He and Su Qiuran tried to activate the sealed gourd, then dripped their blood onto it.
• The gourd absorbed their blood, glowed, and sent information about its abilities into both their minds.
• Lin He and Su Qiuran learned that the sun essence accelerated growth while the moon essence improved plants, animals, and Spirit Roots.

Lin He and Su Qiuran planned to grow spirit rice to improve their fortunes and help Su Qiuran’s health, but they lacked both seeds and money. At the village market, a traveling merchant told Lin He that Emerald Mountain Village’s poor spiritual conditions could not support spirit crops and that even the cheapest seeds cost far more than he could afford.

• Lin He and Su Qiuran found only a faint trace of silver mist in the jade gourd after leaving it in moonlight overnight, and Su Qiuran estimated that collecting one drop of moon essence would take at least half a year.
• Lin He proposed using the gourd’s sun essence to ripen spirit rice, but Su Qiuran reminded him that they had almost no money and no seeds.
• Lin He pushed Su Qiuran’s broken wheelchair to the village market and rejected the ordinary rice seeds sold there.
• Lin He asked an itinerant merchant where he could obtain spirit rice seeds, and the merchant said Emerald Mountain Village’s thin Spiritual Qi and barren soil could not sustain them.
• The itinerant merchant told Lin He that the cheapest low-grade Green Jade Spirit Rice seeds cost five low-grade Spirit Stones per tael, then questioned whether Lin He could afford them.

Lin He and Su Qiuran discovered they were too poor to buy spirit rice seeds, so they chose to earn money gathering green-ear grass with help from the jade gourd. After buying basic food and tools, they sharpened their sickles and set out for the mountain.

• Lin He showed Su Qiuran their meager savings and learned that spirit rice seeds cost five low-grade Spirit Stones per tael.
• Lin He suggested growing and selling daily vegetables, but Su Qiuran warned that doing so would attract dangerous attention.
• An old farmer told Lin He that green-ear grass grew in shaded mountain rock crevices and that Spring Restoration Hall bought it for five copper a catty.
• Lin He and Su Qiuran agreed to gather green-ear grass, use the jade gourd to cultivate it, and save for spirit seeds.
• Lin He bought two sickles, hemp rope, coarse rice, and salt, then sharpened the sickles as the jade gourd absorbed sunlight.
• Lin He and Su Qiuran left for the mountain to search for green-ear grass.

Lin He and Su Qiuran changed their plan from harvesting green spike grass to collecting its seeds, then used the Jade Gourd’s essence of the sun to grow a patch behind their hut. The grass sprouted rapidly, leaving them with a promising new source of income.

• Lin He struggled to harvest green spike grass on the rocky slope, earning only enough to replace his damaged sickle.
• Su Qiuran realized they could collect seeds and use the Jade Gourd’s essence of the sun to grow the grass themselves.
• Lin He gathered hundreds of green spike grass seeds with Su Qiuran’s help.
• They planted the seeds in the abandoned garden behind their hut and diluted a drop of essence of the sun in water.
• Lin He watered the soil, and the seeds rapidly grew into a lush patch of green spike grass.

After discovering that the jade gourd could make grass grow rapidly, Lin He and Su Qiuran learned of a dangerous cultivator mass grave and agreed to avoid it until they were stronger. Lin He secretly tested pure Essence of the Sun on himself and endured a brutal transformation that left his body much stronger.

• Lin He and Su Qiuran celebrated their rapidly growing grass, then welcomed Granny Zhao, who brought them flatbreads.
• Granny Zhao noticed Lin He's scratches and warned them that the hills held a miasma-filled mass grave where many immortals had died.
• Lin He excitedly considered searching the grave for treasures, but Su Qiuran persuaded him to stay alive and build strength first.
• Lin He discovered that diluted Essence of the Sun had healed the scratches on his arm and wondered whether the essence could strengthen a person.
• Without waking Su Qiuran, Lin He put a tiny amount of pure Essence of the Sun into his palm and suffered hours of intense pain as his body transformed.
• Lin He survived the ordeal, felt that his body had grown much stronger, and recognized the change as Body Tempering.

Lin He woke after absorbing a wisp of the essence of the sun and discovered that his body had grown dramatically stronger. After he revealed the painful body tempering to Su Qiuran, she scolded him for risking his life.

• Lin He woke from the agony of body tempering and felt newfound strength, while his wounds had healed without scars.
• Lin He lifted Su Qiuran and her wheelchair overhead to demonstrate his strength, frightening her before setting her down safely.
• Lin He explained that he had absorbed a wisp of the essence of the sun and described the painful transformation.
• Su Qiuran realized the wet patch on the quilt had been Lin He's cold sweat, not her wetting the bed.
• Su Qiuran angrily warned Lin He that his mortal body and lack of a Spirit Root made using the violent power dangerously reckless.

Lin He apologized to Su Qiuran for secretly using the Essence of the Sun, and she decided to try it herself, but it had no effect on her. She devoted the remaining essence to strengthening Lin He and planned his combat training, leaving him to check on the Green Spike Grass after teasing her.

• Lin He admitted he had been scared of the danger surrounding their treasure gourd and wanted to grow strong enough to protect Su Qiuran.
• Su Qiuran insisted on testing a tiny drop of Essence of the Sun, but it did not affect her.
• Lin He explained that the essence had painfully tempered his body and that he needed several days to recover before using it again.
• Su Qiuran decided to reserve the remaining Essence of the Sun for Lin He and planned daily training in archery, close combat, and weapons.
• Lin He teased Su Qiuran about nighttime training, then dodged her thrown teacup and went to check on the Green Spike Grass.

Lin He and Su Qiuran brought their unusually high-quality Green Spike Grass to Spring Restoration Hall to seek a fresh-herb deal. Shopkeeper Qian examined the grass and was visibly startled by its quality.

• Lin He harvested and bundled the lush Green Spike Grass, showing off the strength he gained through Body Tempering.
• Su Qiuran decided they would sell the grass fresh and arranged to borrow the village chief’s cart.
• Lin He loaded Su Qiuran and the sacks onto the cart, then ran with them to town.
• A dismissive assistant initially tried to drive them away, but Su Qiuran persuaded him to fetch the shopkeeper.
• Lin He showed Shopkeeper Qian the Green Spike Grass, and the shopkeeper’s pupils contracted at its quality.

Lin He and Su Qiuran sold their potent Green Spike Grass to Spring Restoration Hall for nearly a tael of silver, then bought weapons, food, and a quilt. They returned to Emerald Mountain Village with plans to keep growing the grass, strengthen Lin He, and begin combat training the next day.

• Su Qiuran bargained with Shopkeeper Qian until he agreed to buy their 120 jin of Green Spike Grass for eight copper coins per jin and promised them a silver tael.
• Lin He bought a powerful black bow, refined-steel arrows, and a chopping knife after demonstrating that he could draw the bow.
• Lin He and Su Qiuran spent their remaining money on flour, rice, pork, chickens, seasonings, and a thick new quilt.
• Su Qiuran laid out their plans to keep cultivating Green Spike Grass, use excess essence of the sun to temper Lin He, and start practical combat training the next day.
• Lin He practiced with his bow at home, missed his first shot, then struck a tree thirty paces away before joining Su Qiuran for dinner.

Lin He and Su Qiuran gathered Green Spike Grass seeds on the mountain and discovered a warm, marked red egg hidden in a rocky crevice. They brought the mysterious egg home, planning to use the Essence of the Sun to hatch it.

• Lin He practiced drawing his powerful bow while Su Qiuran urged him to build strength and expand their Green Spike Grass planting.
• Lin He pushed Su Qiuran up the mountain, and they split up to gather seeds.
• Lin He found a scorched patch beside a boulder and pulled a large, warm, dark-red egg from a crevice.
• Lin He showed the egg to Su Qiuran, who warned it might be an evil object from the nearby mass burial ground.
• Lin He and Su Qiuran returned to their hut with the seeds and egg, intending to try hatching it with the Essence of the Sun.

Lin He fed the mysterious red egg Essence of the Sun, and it hatched into a strange duck-headed, dog-bodied creature he named Goudan. After sowing Green Spike Grass seeds and setting out to practice hunting, Lin He met the village hunter Old Man Sun on the mountain path.

• Lin He dripped Essence of the Sun onto the red egg, which cracked open and hatched a furry creature with a duck's head and a dog's body.
• Lin He named the creature Goudan, and it followed him until he left it with Su Qiuran.
• Lin He sowed Green Spike Grass seeds across much of the backyard and watered them with Essence of the Sun.
• Su Qiuran agreed that Lin He could practice shooting at moving targets near the mountain, and he set out with his bow and arrows.
• Lin He met the experienced village hunter Old Man Sun on the path and greeted him.

Lin He joined Old Man Sun in Green Mountain and learned the basics of tracking and archery. After Lin He shot a pheasant, Old Man Sun ended their hunt and told him to keep practicing.

• Old Man Sun saw Lin He draw a powerful bow and invited him to learn hunting in the mountains.
• Old Man Sun taught Lin He to read animal signs, walk into the wind, and choose shooting positions.
• Old Man Sun told Lin He that his son had left the village to do menial work for cultivation lineages because he lacked a spirit root.
• Old Man Sun spotted a pheasant and had Lin He take the shot; Lin He killed it with an arrow through the neck.
• Old Man Sun ended the hunt and encouraged Lin He to keep practicing so he could make a living in the mountains.

Lin He and Su Qiuran discovered that the full moon made the jade gourd gather lunar essence quickly, and a drop awakened a dormant spirit root in Su Qiuran. Her legs remained paralyzed and Emerald Mountain Village had too little spiritual Qi for cultivation, so they planned to keep farming and use spirit rice while gathering more lunar essence.

• Lin He returned with a pheasant he had hunted and shared a hearty meal with Su Qiuran and Goudan.
• Lin He and Su Qiuran noticed that the jade gourd absorbed moonlight far faster on the full moon and produced a drop of silver liquid.
• Lin He found that the lunar essence did not affect him, but it melted into Su Qiuran's palm and enveloped her in silver light.
• Su Qiuran said her legs still felt numb but she could sense spiritual Qi and believed the essence had revived a dormant spirit root.
• Su Qiuran tried to cultivate but could not absorb the sparse spiritual Qi around them, so she and Lin He decided to keep farming and seek spirit rice while collecting more lunar essence.

Lin He hunted Fanged Rabbits with Old Man Sun and discovered that both essence of the sun and essence of the moon affected the rabbit. After Su Qiuran warned him not to attract attention by selling too much Green Spike Grass, Lin He set off for town with a rabbit and a small harvest.

• Lin He practiced archery, then joined Old Man Sun in the mountains to hunt for game.
• Lin He shot a Fanged Rabbit and returned to Emerald Mountain Village with half the meat and a live rabbit.
• Lin He and Su Qiuran fed the rabbit diluted essence of the sun and essence of the moon, observing that the sun essence healed it while the moon essence calmed it and improved its fur.
• Su Qiuran warned Lin He that selling too much Green Spike Grass could make Shopkeeper Qian suspicious, so Lin He harvested only about thirty jin.
• Lin He left for town carrying the live Fanged Rabbit and Green Spike Grass to sell.

Lin He sold superb green spike grass at Spring Restoration Hall, then discovered that his Fanged Rabbit matched the Li Household’s bounty notice offering one low-grade Spirit Stone per rabbit. After Shopkeeper Wu explained that the Li Household needed the rabbits for its guardian spirit beast, Lin He realized the bounty could be his chance to enter the cultivation world.

• Lin He sold thirty jin of superb green spike grass to Shopkeeper Qian for two hundred and forty wen.
• Lin He spotted a bounty notice at Drunken Immortal Pavilion offering one low-grade Spirit Stone for each Fanged Spotted Rabbit.
• Shopkeeper Wu recognized the rabbit Lin He carried and offered the bounty price plus one tael of silver.
• Shopkeeper Wu told Lin He that the Li Household needed the rabbits to extract bloodline essence for its guardian spirit beast.

Lin He sold a Fanged Spotted Rabbit to Shopkeeper Wu, earning a Spirit Stone and silver, then brought home a roast goose and told Su Qiuran about the Li Household’s urgent demand. Su Qiuran redirected their plans toward catching rabbits, selling their Green Spike Grass, and eventually farming spirit rice.

• Shopkeeper Wu explained that the Li Household urgently needed Fanged Spotted Rabbits and paid Lin He a Spirit Stone and silver for his rabbit, asking him to bring any more to the pavilion.
• Lin He bought a roast goose and returned home, where Su Qiuran questioned how he had gotten the money and Spirit Stone.
• Lin He told Su Qiuran about the rabbit bounty and Shopkeeper Wu’s ambition to improve his standing with the Li Household.
• Su Qiuran ordered Lin He to harvest and sell all their remaining top-quality Green Spike Grass, then focus their efforts on catching Fanged Rabbits.
• Su Qiuran explained that Qi Refinement cultivators could not directly absorb Spirit Stones and proposed using them to enrich soil for growing spirit rice.

Lin He and Old Man Sun entered Green Mountain to catch Fanged Spotted Rabbits for the Li Household’s Spirit Stone bounty. After Lin He caught three, the bearded hunter who had misdirected them ambushed him, but Lin He dodged and shot the attacker through the thigh, leaving the hunter pinned and exposed.

• Lin He persuaded Old Man Sun to join him in hunting Fanged Rabbits for one low-grade Spirit Stone each.
• Lin He and Old Man Sun searched Green Mountain, ignored the bearded hunter’s misleading directions, and tracked rabbits into an eastern stone forest.
• Lin He captured two Fanged Rabbits with arrows, then insisted on pursuing a third despite Old Man Sun’s warning to leave.
• As Lin He reached for the third rabbit, the bearded hunter shot a refined-iron bolt at his arm.
• Lin He dodged the bolt and retaliated with a wolf-fang arrow that pierced the bearded hunter’s thigh and pinned him to a tree root.