Chapter Summaries

Xu Qi'an visited the Directorate of Astronomy to ask Chu Caiwei to assess an inner-city residence, and learned that Alchemy Masters needed the common people's recognition to advance. The warlocks urged Chu Caiwei to help him, and after choosing a suspiciously cheap residence near the Imperial Music Bureau, Xu Qi'an asked the broker what had happened there.

• Xu Qi'an asked Chu Caiwei to help him find a residence, but she initially refused because she was focused on studying alchemy.
• Song Qing explained that warlocks followed the Way of Humanity and that Chu Caiwei needed to create alchemy recognized by the common people to advance.
• Xu Qi'an hinted that he had an idea to help Chu Caiwei, prompting the warlocks to send her with him to view properties.
• Xu Qi'an chose a three-courtyard residence priced at fifty-five hundred taels because it was near the Imperial Music Bureau.
• The broker warned Xu Qi'an and Chu Caiwei that the residence was uncanny and people could not live there, so Xu Qi'an asked for the details.

Xu Qi'an and Chu Caiwei investigated a haunted house, where her feng shui array failed to stop black Qi rising from the well, so they planned to return at night. Meanwhile, Wei Yuan went to the imperial study and faced Emperor Yuanjing’s furious accusation.

• The broker told Xu Qi'an and Chu Caiwei that a woman’s ghost had haunted the house and brought misfortune to its owners, and Xu Qi'an chose to inspect it.
• Chu Caiwei found resentment Qi rising from the well and used a Pure Yang Feng Shui Array, but the black Qi returned after they prepared to leave.
• Xu Qi'an tried a hometown exorcism chant, and Chu Caiwei proposed returning that night to investigate the well’s source.
• Wei Yuan told Nangong Qianrou that a secret letter could weaken the Qi Faction, then answered Emperor Yuanjing’s summons.
• Emperor Yuanjing hurled a memorial at Wei Yuan and accused him of betraying the trust placed in him.

Wei Yuan faced a corruption inquiry after Zhu Yang reported him, while Xu Qi'an learned the case could threaten him too. Xu Qi'an and Chu Caiwei investigated a haunted well and encountered a grotesque ghost at its bottom.

• Wei Yuan confessed to the charges in Zhu Yang’s memorial, and Emperor Yuanjing ordered the Ministry of Punishments, the Court of Judicial Review, and the prefectural office to investigate.
• The chief minister of the Court of Judicial Review sought a list of implicated Nightwatchers and asked to transfer Zhu Yang, while Wei Yuan refused to trade the list for secret letters.
• Wei Yuan told Nangong Qianrou to warn Xu Qi'an to lie low, as Xu Qi'an learned through the jade mirror that Zhu Yang’s report had implicated dozens of Nightwatchers.
• Xu Qi'an and Chu Caiwei went to the haunted house at night and descended into its well to investigate what lay beneath it.
• At the bottom of the well, Xu Qi'an and Chu Caiwei saw a bloodied female ghost raise her head toward them.

Xu Qi'an and Chu Caiwei investigated a haunted residence, and Xu Qi'an learned that the ghost’s murder was tied to a possible treasonous scheme involving the Ministry of Works, Yunzhou, and the Shaman God Cult. He went to the Nightwatchers’ office to report his discovery and learned that several colleagues had been arrested, but Wei Yuan refused to receive him that night.

• Chu Caiwei captured the vengeful spirit and discovered that a yin vein beneath the residence had nourished it.
• Xu Qi'an empathized with the ghost and saw that she had been abducted, abused, murdered for overhearing a conversation, and thrown into a well.
• Xu Qi'an recognized the important figure in the ghost’s memory as the Qi Faction’s Minister of Works and suspected collusion with the enemy involving Yunzhou and the Shaman God Cult.
• Xu Qi'an told Chu Caiwei what he had learned, reclaimed his mirror, and headed with her to the Nightwatchers’ office.
• Copper Gongs told Xu Qi'an that the Ministry of Punishments and the Court of Judicial Review had arrested Jiang Lyuzhong, Li Yuchun, Min Shan, and Yang Feng, among others.
• Xu Qi'an tried to see Wei Yuan at the Righteous Qi Tower, but the guards refused to admit him because Wei Yuan had retired for the night.

Xu Qi'an told Wei Yuan that a secret brothel was tied to the Qi Faction and the Shaman God Cult, prompting a Nightwatcher raid that uncovered murdered women and a sealed, inscribed well. The raid’s aftermath was interrupted by screams from the front hall.

• Xu Qi'an brought Chu Caiwei to the Righteous Qi Tower and told Wei Yuan about the female ghost’s memories and the Minister of Works’ dealings with the Shaman God Cult and Yunzhou.
• Wei Yuan issued an arrest warrant, and Zhang Kaitai assembled Nightwatchers to raid the residence Xu Qi'an had discovered.
• Xu Qi'an led the Nightwatchers through the residence, where they subdued guards and arrested officials, guests, and the owner.
• Xu Qi'an revealed that a well in the rear courtyard contained women’s corpses, and Chu Caiwei detected a sealing formation around it.
• Zhang Kaitai identified incantations carved into the well as the work of the Shaman God Cult, and Xu Qi'an confirmed the residence’s connection to the cult.
• A commotion and screams erupted from the front hall.

Zhang Kaitai and Xu Qi'an discovered that a Shaman God Cult shaman had used ghosts and a curse to kill a prisoner, while Minister Sun pursued the Nightwatchers’ corruption case and searched for grounds to implicate Xu Qi'an. The chapter left Minister Sun summoned to the palace after vowing to manufacture evidence against Xu Qi'an.

• Zhang Kaitai found the prisoner dead from a shaman’s Curse Killing Technique, and Xu Qi'an realized the paper figures had been sent by a Shaman God Cult ghost-raiser.
• The hidden shaman watched the commotion from nearby, then sent a paper figure to the Minister of Works, who killed his sleeping concubine after reading its message.
• Minister Sun inspected the imprisoned Nightwatchers and found that Li Yuchun had only fifty taels of silver and a modest home.
• Jiang Lyuzhong and another imprisoned Gold Gong discussed their likely dismissal and plans for life afterward.
• Minister Sun learned that Xu Qi'an’s property included imperial gifts and that courtesans claimed they had served him for free, so he vowed to fabricate a weakness for him.
• A palace clerk summoned Minister Sun, who ordered a sedan chair prepared.

Wei Yuan and Xu Qi'an exposed Minister Liu's crimes through a female ghost's memories, turning the court against him and securing Xu Qi'an's reprieve from arrest. Xu Qi'an returned home to reassure his family and invited Aunt, Lingyue, and Lingyin to see the house he had chosen.

• Wei Yuan told the court that Nightwatchers had raided a trafficking den and linked its owner to Minister Liu and the Shaman God Cult.
• Xu Qi'an recounted how he found the residence, and Chu Caiwei used the Feng Shui Compass to let the senior eunuch experience the female ghost's memories.
• The senior eunuch identified Minister Liu as the man who had discussed cannons and equipment with the foreigner Tamuraha before the ghost was murdered.
• Emperor Yuanjing and the ministers condemned Minister Liu, while Wei Yuan told Xu Qi'an that the Ministry of Punishments would no longer arrest him.
• Xu Qi'an returned home, told Aunt the matter was settled, and invited her and his younger sisters to see his chosen house.

Xu Qi'an took Auntie and his sisters to inspect a haunted house, then discussed Yunzhou’s bandit supply lines and the Mulberry Lake case with the Heaven and Earth Society. The group linked the Shaman God Cult to both investigations, while Xu Qi'an’s family remained wary of the house despite his assurance that the ghost was gone.

• Xu Qi'an showed Auntie and his sisters a rundown house, and they toured it before he revealed that a ghost had haunted its well.
• Auntie fled the house with her daughters, but Xu Qi'an paid a deposit and assured them that the female ghost had been dealt with.
• At Laurel Moon Tower, Xu Qi'an told Number Two that the Shaman God Cult might be backing Yunzhou’s bandits and explained its ties to the Minister of Works.
• Number One connected the Shaman God Cult to the Mulberry Lake case, and Daoist Jinlian identified a paper man as the likely means used to ignite the explosives.
• After lunch, Xu Qi'an bought Xu Lingyin malt candy, and she corrected his warning that it might crack her teeth.

The released Nightwatchers learned that Xu Qi'an had helped secure their freedom by exposing the Minister of Works' collusion with the Shaman God Cult. Meanwhile, Xu Qi'an bought a haunted residence for his family and made a crude chicken seasoning, preparing to test it at dinner.

• The Nightwatchers left the Ministry of Punishments and returned to their office, where Wei Yuan told the four Gold Gongs that Xu Qi'an had earned their release through his role in the case against the Minister of Works.
• Jiang Lyuzhong regretted not recruiting Xu Qi'an earlier, but refused to explain what he knew about the young Copper Gong.
• Xu Qi'an bought the haunted residence after his aunt and Xu Lingyue approved of it, then arranged for Xu Pingzhi to hire craftsmen to repair it.
• Xu Qi'an bought shiitake mushrooms, stewed them with an old hen, and combined the resulting broth and mushroom juice to make a crude chicken seasoning.
• Xu Qi'an carried a bowl of the savory liquid into the main residence at dinnertime, intending to get his family's feedback.

Xu Qi'an introduced a concentrated seasoning to the Xu household, delighting his family with its effect on their food. On patrol, he encountered Monk Hengyuan, initially refused to lend him money, then called him back to ask how much he needed.

• Xu Qi'an added his secret seasoning to the cooks’ dishes, and the Xu family marveled at how delicious the meal tasted.
• Xu Lingyin climbed onto the dining table and declared that the food was all hers.
• Xu Qi'an told Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng that he was nearing the peak of the Qi Refining Realm and planned to pursue a breakthrough.
• Monk Hengyuan approached Xu Qi'an outside the constabulary, but Xu Qi'an assumed he wanted to borrow money and refused.
• After seeing Hengyuan’s torn shoes and remembering his father, Xu Qi'an called him back and asked how much he wanted to borrow.

Xu Qi'an visited Hengyuan at the Nourishing Life Hall, agreed to seek an arcanist’s help for a dying child, and learned Hengyuan’s Lion’s Roar technique. He returned to the Star Observation Tower to find Chu Caiwei and Song Qing, but neither was available.

• Xu Qi'an followed Hengyuan to the Nourishing Life Hall and saw the slum conditions surrounding it.
• Hengyuan showed Xu Qi'an the dying child he had rescued, and Xu Qi'an promised to ask an arcanist to examine him and offered Hengyuan silver.
• Hengyuan taught Xu Qi'an about Lion's Roar and demonstrated how it could stun an enemy before a follow-up attack.
• Xu Qi'an and his colleagues donated silver to the Nourishing Life Hall, and Song Tingfeng gave the old clerk his purse before arguing with Xu Qi'an on the way out.
• Xu Qi'an went to the Star Observation Tower, learned that Chu Caiwei was with the Eldest Princess and the Director, and that Song Qing was conducting research with a death-row prisoner.

Xu Qi'an cooked noodles for Chu Caiwei, Princess Huaiqing, and Yang Qianhuan, then used his savory seasoning recipe to motivate Caiwei to pursue advancement in Alchemy. He asked Yang Qianhuan to treat the sick child at the Nourishing Life Hall, and Hengyuan discovered the child had improved after an arcanist visited.

• Xu Qi'an prepared hand-pulled noodles with his homemade chicken seasoning, and Chu Caiwei and Princess Huaiqing joined him and Yang Qianhuan for a meal.
• Xu Qi'an told Chu Caiwei that learning to make his seasoning could help her advance to Alchemy Master, and gave her a manual describing the method.
• Xu Qi'an asked Yang Qianhuan to help treat the child at the Nourishing Life Hall, explaining that the child might not survive three days.
• Yang Qianhuan visited the Nourishing Life Hall at night and left a prescription and porcelain bottle beside the child.
• Hengyuan found the child breathing steadily and realized that a fourth-rank arcanist from the Directorate of Astronomy had treated him.

Xu Qi'an settled his family into their new home, where a supposed ghost at the well turned out to be Xu Lingyin looking for food. After easing everyone’s fears, he was asked to keep Xu Lingyue and Aunt company because they were too frightened to sleep.

• Song Qing considered using alchemy to study the human body and praised Xu Qi'an after hearing about Chu Caiwei’s attempt to make chicken bouillon powder and MSG.
• Xu Qi'an helped his family move into their new residence, and Xu Lingyue insisted on living near him in the western wing.
• Xu Lingyin waited beside the well, hoping to lure out a ghost she could eat.
• A maid screamed after seeing what looked like a head in the well, but Xu Qi'an found Xu Lingyin there searching for food.
• Xu Qi'an fed Xu Lingyin pastries and settled the household, then Xu Lingyue asked him to keep her and Aunt company because they were scared.

Xu Qi'an guarded his family through the night, then worried that Hengyuan might uncover his identity as Number Three while visiting the Nourishing Life Hall. He later confirmed Song Qing and Chu Caiwei had produced MSG, while Wei Yuan and Emperor Yuanjing exchanged veiled political challenges before the emperor sent Wei Yuan to check on the empress.

• Xu Qi'an stayed awake guarding his aunt and sisters, then heard his aunt warn Xu Lingyue to be careful around him while bathing.
• Xu Pingzhi returned from duty, and Xu Qi'an explained that Xu Lingyin had slept beside the well because she was hungry for a fried ghost.
• Xu Qi'an visited the Nourishing Life Hall, where Hengyuan questioned how he had recognized the child; Xu Qi'an claimed Number Three had told him.
• Song Qing and Chu Caiwei showed Xu Qi'an their MSG, and Song Qing offered him ten percent of the proceeds, estimated at several thousand to ten thousand taels within the capital.
• Emperor Yuanjing and Wei Yuan argued indirectly about what should endure, then the emperor told Wei Yuan to visit the empress, who had lost her appetite.

Wei Yuan obtained Xu Qi'an’s chicken essence to help the empress regain her appetite, and she eagerly ate after tasting food made with it. Princess Huaiqing later confronted Xu Qi'an about Wei Yuan sending her mother half a jar, leaving him surprised and silent.

• Wei Yuan visited the empress, who misunderstood his lack of concern, and learned from Princess Huaiqing that Xu Qi'an’s secret seasoning might help her appetite.
• Xu Qi'an gave Wei Yuan a jar of chicken essence, and Wei Yuan tested it in noodles before keeping the jar and giving Xu Qi'an a small bottle.
• The empress tasted soup made with chicken essence, finished it, and asked for more food.
• A palace eunuch told Wei Yuan that the empress had eaten more than usual and was looking forward to lunch.
• Princess Huaiqing asked Xu Qi'an for chicken essence, then said Wei Yuan had sent her mother half a jar, leaving Xu Qi'an stunned.

Xu Qi'an discussed court factions and corrupt clerks with Princess Huaiqing, impressing her with his political advice. He then visited Princess Lin'an, traded chicken essence for a reward, and began telling her a story about Great Sage Sun and Princess Iron Fan.

• Xu Qi'an reflected on the profits of mass-producing chicken essence and focused on cultivating while supporting Wei Yuan.
• Princess Huaiqing explained that the Emperor had stopped Wei Yuan and Grand Secretary Wang from sweeping away the court factions, and Xu Qi'an argued that three balanced factions would stabilize the court.
• Xu Qi'an told Huaiqing that factional infighting and the Emperor's neglect of government had enabled clerks to exploit the people, and he recommended centralizing power.
• Xu Qi'an left Huaiqing's palace and visited Princess Lin'an, who asked him to take her outside the palace; he refused and offered her chicken essence to exchange for silver.
• Lin'an asked Xu Qi'an to continue Journey to the West, and he began telling her how Great Sage Sun sought Princess Iron Fan's Plantain Fan and how the Bull Devil King witnessed their encounter.

Xu Qi'an gave Lin'an chicken essence, which delighted the imperial family and gave her a chance to taunt Huaiqing. Wei Yuan then assigned Xu Qi'an to travel to Yunzhou with Jiang Lyuzhong to protect a Censorate inspector and uncover evidence of a military commissioner’s collusion with bandits.

• Lin'an invited Xu Qi'an to visit her residence, and he gave her a bottle of chicken essence before leaving.
• The crown prince, Noble Consort Chen, and Lin'an tried the chicken essence and argued over who would keep the bottle.
• Lin'an visited Huaiqing and gleefully showed off her chicken essence, telling her that Xu Ningyan had given it to her.
• Wei Yuan told Xu Qi'an that Yunzhou’s regional military commissioner, Yang Chuannan, was secretly supplying bandits and that the Nightwatcher who reported it had been killed.
• Wei Yuan assigned Xu Qi'an to accompany Jiang Lyuzhong to Yunzhou, protect a Censorate inspector, and find evidence of the collusion.

Xu Qi'an prepared to leave the capital for Yunzhou, said his farewells, and spent the evening with Princess Lin'an. As he departed the next day, the Director secretly ordered Yang Qianhuan to go to Yunzhou and warned him to keep a low profile.

• Xu Qi'an packed his valuables, told his aunt and younger sister he was accompanying the provincial governor to Yunzhou, and visited Fuxiang to say he would be gone for a while.
• Xu Qi'an visited Chu Caiwei, took her chicken essence when she could not travel, and was refused an audience with Princess Huaiqing.
• Xu Qi'an visited Lin'an's residence, taught her five-in-a-row, and stayed after the imperial city's gates closed.
• Xu Qi'an arranged dinner on a boat with Lin'an and recited the poem about a boatful of clear dreams beneath the stars.
• The Director secretly sent Yang Qianhuan to Yunzhou to watch over matters and warned him to keep a low profile.

Princess Lin'an learned that Xu Ningyan had stayed awake transmitting Qi to keep her warm, and she hurried to see him off before deciding against it to protect his reputation. As Xu Qi'an traveled toward Yunzhou with Jiang Lyuzhong and the delegation, he learned about canal taxes and their harm to merchants, then joined the others anticipating fresh fish soup.

• Princess Lin'an awoke on a boat and learned that Xu Ningyan had held her hand and transmitted Qi through the night to keep her warm.
• Lin'an decided to see Xu Ningyan off, but her palace maid warned that doing so could damage both their reputations, so Lin'an ordered the witnesses to keep the night's events secret.
• Xu Qi'an traveled by official ship with Jiang Lyuzhong, who explained their route through Qingzhou and the overland journey to Yunzhou.
• Jiang Lyuzhong told Xu Qi'an how canal taxes forced merchants to burn cargo or sell goods cheaply to merchant associations, leaving Xu Qi'an to reflect on the sources of Emperor Yuanjing's wealth.
• The boatmen caught river fish, but the inspector rejected the fish soup and scolded the Copper Gongs for their noise.

Xu Qi'an improved the government ship’s fish soup with chicken bouillon powder and shared it with the Tiger Guards, while Xu Erlang returned to find his family had moved without telling him. After spending the night outside the old residence, Xu Erlang reunited with Second Uncle Xu and declared that he had no family; aboard the ship, Xu Qi'an was summoned by Governor Zhang’s attendant.

• Xu Qi'an added chicken bouillon powder to the fish soup, impressing the cooks and the Nightwatchers with its flavor.
• Xu Qi'an arranged for the Tiger Guards to receive fish soup, and Governor Zhang’s attendant came to request some for his master.
• Xu Xinnian found the Xu Residence empty and padlocked, realized his family had moved, and missed the city gates before they closed.
• Second Uncle Xu found Xu Erlang shivering outside the old residence and learned that he had run out of silver and missed the gates.
• Xu Erlang told Second Uncle Xu, “Sir, I have no family,” after learning the family had forgotten to tell him about the move.
• Governor Zhang’s attendant knocked on Xu Qi'an’s shared cabin room and requested that he come see his master.