Chapter Summaries

Hu Yun gave Yin Qing a fox-made mask that let him transform into Yu Haishan, and Yin Zhaoxian learned that the emperor had arrived at Yin Manor with his wife and daughter. Yin Zhaoxian left his chess game with Ji Yuan to welcome the Third Young Master.

• Ji Yuan praised Hu Yun's first artifact, and Hu Yun took the mask to prepare it as a gift for Yin Qing.
• Hu Yun presented Yin Qing with the mask and explained how to use it, while Yin Chong envied his brother's gift.
• Yin Qing put on the mask and transformed into Yu Haishan on his first try, astonishing Yin Chong and Hu Yun.
• Yin Zhaoxian began a hand-talk chess game with Ji Yuan while the family admired Yin Qing's transformation.
• A eunuch arrived at Yin Manor and announced that the Third Young Master had come with his wife and daughter.
• Yin Qing recognized the visitor as His Majesty, and Yin Zhaoxian left with his sons to welcome him.

Emperor Hongwu, Consort De, and Princess Changping visited Yin Manor, where the emperor and Yin Zhaoxian raised Yin Qing’s unmarried status. Yin Qing took Princess Changping on a tour of the manor, while Yin Chong went to find Ji Yuan; the emperor then asked to meet Yin Zhaoxian’s old friend at dinner.

• Yin Zhaoxian welcomed Emperor Hongwu, Consort De, and Princess Changping into Yin Manor and invited them to dinner.
• Consort De and Princess Changping praised Yin Zhaoxian’s calligraphy and Yin Qing’s paintings, then Emperor Hongwu asked whether Yin Qing was engaged or had someone he loved.
• Emperor Hongwu and Yin Zhaoxian agreed that Yin Qing should marry, and Mother Yin arranged for him to show Princess Changping around the manor.
• Yin Chong left to find Ji Yuan, while Yin Zhaoxian told Emperor Hongwu that Ji Yuan was a learned friend from Ning'an County who had no interest in official life.
• Emperor Hongwu asked Yin Zhaoxian to invite Ji Yuan to dinner, despite Yin Zhaoxian’s concern that his friend might not know courtly etiquette.

Emperor Hongwu asked Yin Zhaoxian to bring Ji Yuan to meet him, but Yin Zhaoxian hesitated and offered to prepare Ji Yuan in etiquette first. Meanwhile, Yin Qing escorted Princess Changping around Yin Manor, where she admired his work, and Ji Yuan and Hu Yun speculated about the emperor’s reason for pairing them together.

• Emperor Hongwu recalled dreams of Emperor Yuande and Li Mushu that had deepened his trust in Yin Zhaoxian and his interest in the Yin Family.
• Yin Zhaoxian told Emperor Hongwu that Ji Yuan was peculiar and proposed teaching him basic etiquette before arranging a meeting.
• Yin Qing took Princess Changping through the gardens and his study, where she admired his paintings and insightful book annotations.
• Princess Changping asked Yin Qing to paint her portrait, and he led her toward the dining hall.
• Princess Changping noticed Ji Yuan in the courtyard, and Ji Yuan and Hu Yun guessed that she might become Yin Qing’s wife.

Hu Yun and Yin Chong revealed that Princess Changping had come to meet Yin Qing for a marriage match, and Emperor Hongwu invited Ji Yuan to join the banquet. The two families praised the young pair over dinner, leaving Ji Yuan to suspect that their marriage was being arranged without their say.

• Hu Yun guessed that Princess Changping was unmarried by her scent, and Ji Yuan identified her as an imperial princess.
• Ji Yuan let Hu Yun secretly follow Yin Qing and Princess Changping, while Yin Chong told him that she had come to meet Yin Qing for marriage.
• Yin Zhaoxian invited Ji Yuan to meet Emperor Hongwu, and Ji Yuan agreed to attend the banquet.
• Ji Yuan greeted Emperor Hongwu and joined the meal with the Yin Family, the emperor, Consort De, and Princess Changping.
• Both families traded stories praising Yin Qing and Princess Changping, while Ji Yuan thought their elders were arranging the match for them.

At dinner, Emperor Hongwu questioned Ji Yuan about his learning and tried to draw him toward official service, but Ji Yuan declined. As the meal continued, Hu Yun’s attempt to spy on the gathering was interrupted by the smell of fried chicken, while Yin Qing and Princess Changping grew closer.

• Emperor Hongwu asked Ji Yuan about his relationship with the Yin Family and his studies, but Ji Yuan said he had no interest in examinations or official service.
• Princess Changping privately asked Yin Qing what Ji Yuan did for a living, but the arrival of Crispy Fried Chicken interrupted their conversation.
• Hu Yun fell from his perch while spying through a window, then fled from the Guards after they spotted his red shadow.
• Yin Qing told Princess Changping that the red cat was greedy for chicken, and she praised his drawing as they chatted about a future portrait.
• Emperor Hongwu, Consort De, and the Yin Family watched Yin Qing and Princess Changping grow comfortable together, while Ji Yuan privately noted their harmonious aura.

Yin Qing painted Princess Changping’s portrait while their families encouraged a match between them, and Yang Ping began developing feelings for him. Back at the guest quarters, Hu Yun recounted Yin Qing’s charm, prompting Ji Yuan to send the teasing fox away to sleep.

• Emperor Hongwu and the Yin family arranged for Yin Qing and Princess Changping to spend time alone, and Yang Ping asked him to paint her portrait.
• Ji Yuan told Yin Chong that Yin Qing and Princess Changping were likely to marry, then warned him not to try spying on Yin Qing.
• Yin Qing let Yang Ping relax while he painted, and she asked him to call her Yang Ping as she watched him work.
• Yin Qing reassured Yang Ping that he would finish her portrait, and she left for the palace smiling as Consort De noticed her growing affection.
• Hu Yun told Ji Yuan and the others that Yang Ping had fallen for Yin Qing, and Ji Yuan rolled Hu Yun out of the guest quarters and ordered him to sleep.

Hu Yun visited Yin Qing while he painted a portrait of Princess Changping, then left with Ji Yuan after the Lantern Festival. Ji Yuan brought him to the Chunmu River, where Bai Qi recognized them and hurried out to welcome Ji Yuan.

• Hu Yun went to Yin Qing's study, admired his portrait of Princess Changping, and worried that his weak cultivation might keep him from staying close to Yin Qing.
• Yin Qing offered Hu Yun leftover crispy fried chicken, and Hu Yun ate some before returning to cultivate.
• After the Lantern Festival, Ji Yuan left Yin Manor with Hu Yun and set out from Jingji Prefecture on the twentieth day of the first lunar month.
• Ji Yuan descended toward Chunhui Prefecture to visit the Chunmu River and meet its river god, Bai Qi, while Hu Yun nervously wondered whether Bai Qi would eat him.
• Bai Qi stopped judging poems at the River God Temple when he sensed Ji Yuan approaching, then hurried to greet him by the river.

Ji Yuan toured the Chunmu River God Temple with Bai Qi and Hu Yun, discovering that some of its poems and paintings might eventually become fragile spirit monsters. As night fell, Bai Qi took them onto the river, where Old Turtle Wu Chong and the Big Green Fish surfaced to greet Ji Yuan.

• Bai Qi invited Ji Yuan and Hu Yun to view the poems and paintings in the River God Temple, using an Illusion Technique to keep other visitors from noticing them.
• Ji Yuan saw that some works on the temple walls carried a growing spirit and might become spirit monsters over time.
• Hu Yun noticed visitors damaging the murals, and Bai Qi explained that the paintings faced both danger and opportunity as they endured the world around them.
• After touring the temple, Bai Qi led Ji Yuan and Hu Yun onto a painted boat bound for the middle of the Chunmu River.
• Old Turtle Wu Chong and the Big Green Fish surfaced beside the boat, and Wu Chong greeted Ji Yuan and Bai Qi.

Ji Yuan visited Bai Qi, Wu Chong, and Big Green Fish on the Chunmu River, where he told them how the Xiao family had provoked a powerful fox demon. He urged Wu Chong to resolve his lingering resentment, and the chapter ended as Big Green Fish hurried to rescue a man who had fallen into the river, though Ji Yuan suspected something was amiss.

• Ji Yuan shared wine with Bai Qi, Wu Chong, and Big Green Fish and discussed their cultivation on the Chunmu River.
• Ji Yuan warned Wu Chong that the Xiao family he had once helped had provoked Hongxiu, a powerful fox demon connected to Jade Fox Cave Heaven.
• Bai Qi reacted to the fox demons’ power, while Ji Yuan encouraged Wu Chong to visit the Xiao family and resolve his resentment.
• A woman shouted that a man had fallen into the river, and Big Green Fish swam toward him to help.
• Ji Yuan frowned as he noticed the man was not very frightened and heard him tell the woman to shout louder.

Li Jinlai staged a drowning on the Chunmu River to lure the divine fish into saving him, hoping to gain wealth and rank as the Wei family had. The Big Green Fish rescued him despite a stool striking him unconscious, while Ji Yuan, Bai Qi, and the Old Turtle watched.

• Li Jinlai investigated reports of people rescued from the Chunmu River and concluded that a divine fish had saved them.
• Li Jinlai recalled the Wei family's story of a divine fish and sought a talisman and instructions from a powerful Master.
• Li Jinlai staged a drowning beside a painted boat, with Xiaoyu shouting for help as he struggled in the cold water.
• Xiaoyu threw a wooden stool that struck Li Jinlai in the forehead and knocked him unconscious.
• The Big Green Fish carried Li Jinlai to the surface and flung him onto the painted boat, where Xiaoyu tried to revive him.
• Ji Yuan called the scene a farce as he, Bai Qi, and the Old Turtle watched the Big Green Fish swim away.

Li Jinlai’s staged drowning drew the attention of Big Green Fish, and he brought the talisman back to the master who had given it to him. Bai Qi then confronted the master, Du Changsheng, whose claim to have studied under Ji Yuan left Bai Qi stunned.

• Big Green Fish rescued Li Jinlai after Xiaoyu accidentally struck him, and Li Jinlai discovered that his talisman had gained a faint azure glow.
• Li Jinlai promised to buy Xiaoyu’s freedom and take her home as his concubine, then hurried to visit his master the next morning.
• The master confirmed the talisman’s spiritual radiance and advised Li Jinlai to place it inside a carved fish statue and worship it.
• After Li Jinlai left, Bai Qi introduced himself as the Orthodox God of the Chunmu River, but the master laughed and dismissed his claim.
• The master identified himself as Du Changsheng and claimed to have studied under Ji Yuan, prompting Bai Qi to exclaim in surprise.

Bai Qi confronted Du Changsheng over the talismans he had given Li Jinlai and took him and his disciple Wang Xiao to meet Ji Yuan. Du Changsheng recognized Ji Yuan as his master, but Ji Yuan froze him after he eagerly claimed the relationship.

• Du Changsheng tried to send Bai Qi away, but Bai Qi used an Object Manipulation Divine Ability to take the talisman from his sleeve.
• Bai Qi revealed that he was the Orthodox God of the Chunmu River, and Du Changsheng and Wang Xiao saluted him.
• Bai Qi carried Du Changsheng and Wang Xiao through the air to a small boat where Ji Yuan was waiting.
• Du Changsheng recognized Ji Yuan, called him his honored master, and repeatedly bowed his head against the deck.
• Ji Yuan used the Immobilization Technique to freeze Du Changsheng, astonishing Bai Qi and Hu Yun.

Ji Yuan corrected Du Changsheng’s mistaken claim of a master-disciple bond, then heard how Du had become Great Zhen’s Celestial Master and advised him to cultivate while serving the dynasty. Du and Wang Xiao departed by boat, leaving Ji Yuan and Bai Qi to reflect on Du’s skill at navigating court life.

• Ji Yuan freed Du Changsheng from the Immobilization Technique and warned him not to call Ji Yuan his master or grandmaster.
• Du Changsheng explained that Ji Yuan had exchanged the Minor Practice method for his Strongmen Talisman, while Bai Qi questioned how Du had dared claim a bond with Ji Yuan.
• Hu Yun and Big Green Fish discussed Ji Yuan’s technique, and Du Changsheng and Wang Xiao noticed the enormous Old Turtle and Green Fish beside the boat.
• Du Changsheng recounted leaving the capital, struggling to support himself as a cultivator, and becoming involved in Li Jinlai’s effort concerning the Wei Family Divine Fish Statue.
• Ji Yuan advised Du Changsheng to tie his cultivation to Great Zhen’s fortunes and serve as its Celestial Master once his practice was secure; he also answered Du’s questions about cultivation.
• Du Changsheng and Wang Xiao returned by another Painted Boat, and Bai Qi called Du an old fox while Ji Yuan remarked on his ability to navigate court and public life.

Ji Yuan explained his self-created technique for commanding the inner heaven and earth of another person to Bai Qi and the others. After Du Changsheng and Wang Xiao reached Chunhui Prefecture City, brilliant Dharma Light filled the sky, and Ji Yuan flew off to investigate.

• Ji Yuan explained that his restraint technique commanded the inner heaven and earth within a target, and said he had devised it himself.
• A River Water Tribe boatman carried Du Changsheng and Wang Xiao to Chunhui Prefecture City, where Du Changsheng kept the Celestial Master Golden Token.
• Multicolored Dharma Light streaked across the sky, stunning the people in the city and drawing Du Changsheng and Wang Xiao's attention.
• Ji Yuan saw the lights coming from the southeast and concluded that immortal cultivators were traveling toward the region.
• Ji Yuan told Bai Qi to look after Hu Yun if he did not return soon, then flew after the lights on the Green Vine Sword.

Ji Yuan joined six elders and hundreds of Immortal Mist Island Cultivators as they hurried to reinforce a branch fighting Demons after a Geomantic Vein Malignancy broke out. After ten days of flight, they reached a mountain swallowed by black mist, and Ji Yuan cut a path through it with the Green Vine Sword so the cultivators could charge in.

• Ji Yuan followed the rosy clouds and learned that Immortal Mist Island Cultivators were rushing to help a branch besieged by Demons while sealing a Geomantic Vein Malignancy.
• Ji Yuan offered to join the group, and the six elders accepted him into their Mist Light Formation.
• Ji Yuan spoke with Chang Yi and learned that the six leaders commanded roughly three hundred Immortal Mist Island Cultivators.
• After flying for about ten days, the group reached a mountain shrouded in darkness and spotted flashes of battle in the deep mountains.
• At the leading elder's request, Ji Yuan drew the Green Vine Sword and split the black mist, clearing the way for the cultivators to attack the Demons.

Ji Yuan and Immortal Mist Island arrived to rescue the cultivators trapped by demons around the geomantic fissure. As Immortal Mist Island fought the demonic hordes, Ji Yuan’s sword and presence drew the attention of a devil lord, who withdrew with his companions while many enemies remained.

• Ji Yuan sent a sword strike through the mountains to clear the mist and signal the trapped cultivators that help had arrived.
• The cultivators in the Plum Blossom Formation realized the demons had been using their formation to suppress the poisonous geomantic malignancy, while demon laughter and taunts revealed that their branch sect might have been destroyed.
• Ji Yuan and Immortal Mist Island cultivators attacked the demons with mist light, magical treasures, and lightning, giving the trapped cultivators renewed hope.
• A giant bear demon struck down two Immortal Mist Island cultivators before elders trapped and killed it with earthen walls, lightning, and mist light.
• Ji Yuan remained on a peak as the Immortal Mist Island elders led the battle, and a devil lord identified him as the source of the opening sword strike.
• After Ji Yuan met his gaze, the devil lord ordered his companions to retreat with the malignancy they had gathered, though many great demons and devils stayed behind.

Immortal Mist Island’s elders activated a second formation to trap the demons and devils, while Ji Yuan used his sword to kill powerful foes and keep the enemy wary. The demons ruptured the suppressed Geomantic Vein fissures, shattering the formations and opening a path for survivors to escape.

• The six elders of Immortal Mist Island formed a wide perimeter and raised a second formation, filling the area with searing rosy light.
• A colossal azure wolf swallowed creatures from both sides, but Ji Yuan beheaded it with the Green Vine Sword and struck down other powerful demons and devils.
• Demons and devils discussed breaking through the formation and questioned why Northern Demon had not joined the battle.
• Demonic Shadows triggered the Geomantic Vein fissures, causing Poisonous Malignancy to erupt and shatter the Plum Blossom Formation and the inner formation.
• Great Devils and great demons fled upward along the pillar of Malignancy as the eruption disrupted the battlefield.

Ji Yuan used the Heavenly Inclination Sword Momentum to stop the demons and devils from escaping while the Geomantic Vein Poisonous Malignancy erupted. The sword’s pressure forced the hordes down and helped quell the eruption, leaving Ji Yuan exhausted but seated on the peak with wine as the Green Vine Sword returned to its sheath.

• Immortal Mist Island Cultivators urged Ji Yuan to escape the Geomantic Vein Poisonous Malignancy, but he stayed on the mountain peak and prepared to stop the fleeing demons and devils.
• Ji Yuan drew the Green Vine Sword and unleashed the Heavenly Inclination Sword Momentum, making the sky seem to collapse upon the escaping hordes.
• Demons and devils fell from the sky under the sword’s pressure, while even the Immortal Mist Island Cultivators were forced to descend onto nearby peaks.
• Ji Yuan’s sword momentum pressed down the Geomantic Vein Poisonous Malignancy until its eruption ceased and the malignancy began to recede.
• Exhausted, Ji Yuan sat on the peak and drank Dragon Saliva Incense as the Green Vine Sword returned to its sheath.

Ji Yuan’s Heavenly Inclination Sword Momentum devastated the demons and devils around the geomantic vein fissure, allowing the Immortal Mist Island cultivators to secure the area and treat their wounded. After learning that most of the escaped Earthly Sha had been purified, Ji Yuan stayed behind with Chang Yi to investigate nearby settlements for any remaining danger.

• Beimou and the other fleeing fiends felt Ji Yuan’s sword momentum from afar and hurried to escape, fearing he might pursue them.
• Ji Yuan recovered from the renewed pain in his injured left arm by drinking Dragon Saliva Incense while Immortal Mist Island’s cultivators surveyed the fallen demons and devils.
• The Immortal Mist Island elders raised their formation again and ordered their disciples to burn demonic corpses, imprison demon souls, and eliminate survivors.
• Ji Yuan asked about the branch cultivators and the escaped Earthly Sha, and the elders told him the wounded were being treated and most of the malignancy had been purified.
• After learning that mortal settlements lay six hundred li away, Ji Yuan agreed to investigate the surrounding area with Chang Yi while the other elders returned to Immortal Mist Island with the injured.

Ji Yuan and Chang Yi surveyed the mountains devastated by Earth Malignancy before the story shifted to Yuanzhao Kingdom, where villagers buried two dead soldiers. That night, the local Earth God learned that a powerful plague ghost had spread and feared many people would die.

• Ji Yuan and Chang Yi flew across the mountains, found animal carcasses throughout the area, and headed toward nearby mortal kingdoms to inspect the damage.
• After an earthquake in northwestern Yuanzhao Kingdom, Liao Daqiu and Old Zhang found two dead soldiers by a river and decided to bury them.
• Liao Daqiu gathered villagers, who carried the bodies to a burial ground and buried them after praying at the Land God Temple.
• A weasel arrived at the temple and warned the Earth God that a powerful plague ghost had spread beyond the Underworld Bureau's ability to suppress it.
• The Earth God watched the Ghost Fire at the burial ground and worried about how many people would die.