Chapter Summaries

Fang Weiyan encountered a female ghost in the mountains and was saved by the weakening Earth God, who warned him to flee at dawn. He vanished from the mountain and returned to his hometown, where sunlight drove a strange chill from his body and made him pass out.

• Fang Weiyan tried to evade a female ghost who pursued him through the mountains and threatened to dig out his heart and liver.
• Fang Weiyan crawled to an Earth God shrine, where the Earth God drove the ghost away but warned that his divine power would soon run out.
• Fang Weiyan spent the night beside the spirit tablet, then vanished as he started down the mountain at dawn.
• The headless white robe searched the shrine for Fang Weiyan but found no trace of him.
• Fang Weiyan returned to his hometown and passed out when sunlight began to draw a numbing chill from his body.

Fang Weiyan took the Earth God’s image with him when he was pulled back into the eerie world, hoping it would protect him from the female ghost. The image supplied Fude with powerful Incense Offering Qi, restoring his divine station just as the ghost confronted them.

• Fang Weiyan sensed he was about to return to the eerie world and hurried to the village shrine to grab the Earth God’s image.
• A villager discovered the missing image and cried out in alarm after Fang Weiyan vanished.
• Fang Weiyan arrived in the grove holding the image and offered it to Fude in exchange for protection from the female ghost.
• Fude absorbed the image’s high-grade Incense Offering Qi, regained his divine power, and drove away some of the surrounding Yin Qi.
• The female ghost appeared and questioned how Fude had recovered; Fude credited Fang Weiyan, prompting her to turn her resentment toward him.

After the female ghost left, Fude offered Fang Weiyan the post of county magistrate in Linbei County, and Fang agreed on the condition that the Earth God protect him from demons. Fang returned to Earth with the spirit tablet and realized he could travel between the two worlds, leaving him eager to explore the opportunities there.

• The female ghost warned that humanity and the Divine Dao would eventually perish, and Fude wondered whether Fang Weiyan’s high-grade Incense Offering Qi could change their fate.
• Fude asked Fang Weiyan to become county magistrate of Linbei County, and Fang agreed after securing Fude’s promise to protect him from demons.
• Fude explained that he could appoint Fang through the Underworld Administration and planned to reveal Fang’s appearance to the county’s people in their dreams.
• Fude began assimilating Fang’s Incense Offering Qi while Fang waited in the shrine and complained about the cold.
• Fang felt the sensation of traveling between worlds, grabbed the spirit tablet, and returned to Earth.
• Fang realized he could travel between the worlds and suspected that his visits to the other world were required at regular intervals.

Fang Weiyan traveled back to the other world, prepared to become Linbei County’s magistrate with the Earth God’s protection. He reached a ruined town filled with starving people and realized he needed to find food despite having little money.

• Fang Weiyan bought a stun baton, a stab-resistant vest on credit, and glass marbles before returning to the other world.
• The Earth God mistook Fang Weiyan’s sudden arrival for a Daoist art and promised to protect him from demons and monsters as he went to Linbei County.
• Fang Weiyan walked down the mountain and found a nearly collapsed town where hundreds of people were starving.
• Fang Weiyan worried that he could not afford to feed the townspeople and considered asking about local gentry so he could trade his glass marbles for food.

Fang Weiyan learned that the Jiang Kingdom was collapsing, leaving its people exposed to demons as the gods who once protected them lost their power. He gave the starving townspeople water and rice porridge, and the chapter ended with them bowing to him in gratitude.

• Fang Weiyan drew water from the town well after the Land God manifested and shared it with the townspeople.
• Fang Weiyan heard that the Jiang Kingdom had lasted 218 years and that its decline had weakened the gods while demons overran the land.
• Fang Weiyan learned that humans held only a corner of a world surrounded by demon kingdoms.
• Fang Weiyan returned with half a sack of rice and cooked thin porridge for the starving townspeople.
• The townspeople knocked their heads against the ground after receiving bowls of porridge, leaving Fang Weiyan deeply moved.

An Weiyan needed food to keep the starving common people alive, so he asked Su Qingyun to lend him money. Su Qingyun transferred him a hundred thousand, far more than the ten thousand he requested, leaving him struck by her trust in him.

• An Weiyan watched the common people share a little rice water and decided to find more food for them.
• An Weiyan found he had no money or Huabei credit left and messaged Su Qingyun to ask for help.
• Su Qingyun was delighted to hear from An Weiyan and quickly told him she would help if she could.
• An Weiyan asked to borrow money, and Su Qingyun offered a million before he clarified that ten thousand would be enough.
• Su Qingyun transferred a hundred thousand to An Weiyan and told him he could borrow more if needed.
• An Weiyan stared at the unexpected sum and realized how much Su Qingyun trusted him.

An Weiyan arranged for a hundred bags of rice to be brought from Earth to Linbei County and promised the starving residents disaster relief in exchange for cleaning the yamen and tidying the county. The people gratefully accepted, and An Weiyan set out to help them survive and rebuild.

• Su Qingyun asked An Weiyan to treat her to a meal, but he said he was busy and left her furious.
• An Weiyan bought a hundred bags of rice, brought them to the other world, and recruited residents of Linbei County to carry them to the yamen.
• An Weiyan saw that the yamen was filthy and damaged, then had the residents clear a room to store the grain.
• An Weiyan announced that he would provide disaster relief from his own pocket and asked the residents to clean the yamen and tidy Linbei County.
• The residents thanked An Weiyan and agreed to do the work in exchange for food.

An Weiyan watched over the rice storehouse after distributing congee and suspected some townspeople might try to steal the relief grain. A group led by Lin Xiangyou was caught by Uncle Fu and the young men, who seized them before An Weiyan had to intervene.

• The townspeople helped clean the government office, and An Weiyan made them wash their hands before serving them thick rice congee.
• An Weiyan stayed beside the rice storehouse overnight to guard the grain.
• Lin Xiangyou and several men climbed into the government office to steal sacks of rice, arguing that the relief would not last.
• Uncle Fu and several young men confronted Lin Xiangyou's group near the storehouse and rebuked them for stealing.
• Uncle Fu ordered the young men to seize the thieves quietly, and they dragged the men away after striking them with wooden clubs.

An Weiyan fed the starving townspeople and organized them to grow vegetables and staple crops so they could support themselves. After sowing seeds with fertilizer, he left the townspeople working to reclaim the abandoned land.

• An Weiyan returned to town and told the residents to wash before eating as rice was prepared for them.
• An Weiyan bought vegetable seeds and fertilizer in the main world, then returned to find the residents waiting for his permission to eat.
• After the townspeople finished their meal, An Weiyan assigned some residents to clear land and others to repair and clean the town.
• An Weiyan taught the residents how to spread fertilizer, and they planted vegetables, corn, and sweet potatoes across a large plot.

An Weiyan visited Linbei County’s Land God after Uncle Fu urged him to resume offerings, and learned how incense grades depended on the people’s prosperity. He offered to secure better offerings in exchange for divine power, but the Land God could only grant him the ability to tell fortunes and divine good or ill fortune.

• Uncle Fu told An Weiyan that demons were increasingly threatening Linbei County and urged him to restore offerings to the Land God.
• Uncle Fu explained that Linbei County had a Land God Temple and mountain shrines, many of which had fallen into disuse as the Land God’s power waned.
• At the temple, An Weiyan spoke with the Land God, who explained the five grades of incense offerings and said An Weiyan’s earlier offerings had been upper third grade.
• The Land God worried that the impoverished people could offer only fifth-grade incense, which would not support his divine power.
• An Weiyan offered to help obtain better offerings if the Land God gave him divine power, hoping for an ability such as invisibility.
• The Land God offered him the power to tell fortunes and divine good and ill fortune, leaving An Weiyan disappointed that he could not use it for invisibility.

An Weiyan learned from the Earth God that reading could sharpen his senses and help him attract supernatural women, though it might also make him appealing to evil creatures. He decided to seek an empty Taoist temple in the main world, and Su Qingyun agreed to help him find one.

• The Earth God told An Weiyan that his divine arts were limited and advised him to read more because he would become magistrate of Linbei County.
• An Weiyan learned that reading could improve his abilities but might attract evil creatures, and he decided to test whether books in this world would affect him.
• An Weiyan returned to the main world and asked Su Qingyun to help him find an unoccupied Taoist temple where he could stay.
• Su Qingyun worried that something was wrong with An Weiyan, but he reassured her, and she agreed to help while planning to visit him.

An Weiyan fed Linbei County’s residents white rice and resolved to help them live prosperous lives. He learned that Pingshui City was dangerous to reach and heard how the Dragon King of the Wu River had once threatened the region, leaving him unable to travel there for now.

• An Weiyan served white rice to the people of Linbei Town, who thanked him on their knees, and he resolved to help the county’s residents find enough food and warm clothes.
• An Weiyan asked Uncle Fu whether Linbei County had any books, but learned that only a few account books remained.
• Uncle Fu explained that Pingshui City had once been called Zhenjiang City and that the Jiang Kingdom renamed it Pingshui City after negotiating with the Dragon King of the Wu River.
• Uncle Fu told An Weiyan that Pingshui City was about a hundred and fifty li away and that travel had become dangerous since the Underworld Administration’s protection had weakened.
• An Weiyan worried that he could not reach Pingshui City to exchange glass beads for money, then asked Uncle Fu whether the Wu River’s dragon king was truly a dragon.

An Weiyan was the only one who could see the pursuing female ghost, and he later began reciting classical poetry in the other world. As he read, his voice changed and the Earth God sensed a new quality in it.

• An Weiyan learned that the townspeople had no incense or candles for offerings, but decided to postpone the matter.
• An Weiyan saw the female ghost in white watching him from the distant woods, while a nearby man could not see her.
• An Weiyan returned to the main world, heard villagers discussing the Earth God's spirit tablet, and was relieved that he had put it back.
• An Weiyan took an old poetry collection, a candle, and matches to the other world and began reciting classical poems.
• An Weiyan became absorbed in reciting, his voice took on a different quality, and the Earth God praised his talent.

After reading classical poems, An Weiyan noticed his vision had improved and found that the “A bright mirror hangs on high” plaque had become brighter. He began documenting Linbei County’s people and property, and named two young boys whose father had died while hunting.

• An Weiyan woke after reading poems and noticed that his eyes seemed clearer than before.
• An Weiyan fed the gathered commoners in Linbei County, then saw that the yamen’s plaque had grown brighter.
• An Weiyan returned with a pen and notebook to record the commoners, houses, and reclaimed fields, and confirmed that he could read the local ledger.
• Uncle Fu brought Lady Liu and her two young sons to An Weiyan, who learned that a tiger had carried off her husband a year earlier.
• An Weiyan named Lady Liu’s sons Lin Jiaxu and Lin Jiaqi and recorded their names.

An Weiyan accepted a place as a lay practitioner at Cloud-Stilling Temple and received the Land God’s power to perform divinations, learning that a vicious female ghost might grow far stronger by claiming a peach tree demon’s corpse. The chapter left the peach tree demon surrounded by predators as its tribulation drew near.

• An Weiyan agreed to stay at Cloud-Stilling Temple as a lay practitioner, and Su Qingyun grew angry when he stopped replying to her messages.
• The Land God granted An Weiyan the ability to divine, warning that it consumed divine power and would last only while that power remained.
• The Land God told An Weiyan that the female ghost following him was far stronger than he was and could become nearly a thousand years old if she claimed the peach tree demon’s corpse.
• An Weiyan learned that vicious creatures had gathered to wait for the peach tree demon’s tribulation, while the white-robed female ghost watched from a branch.
• The peach tree demon refrained from driving away the gathered creatures, conserving its Demon Power to survive the coming tribulation.

An Weiyan tested his new ability to see people’s essence, Qi, and spirit, then returned to the main world and arranged to leave for the temple. Back in Linbei County, he saw the crops sprouting but worried that he lacked enough money to keep bringing rice to the town, so he decided to handle the temple’s affairs and prepare for the female ghost.

• An Weiyan learned from the Earth God that the wisps above people’s heads showed their essence, Qi, and spirit, and he suspected they were connected to the nation’s condition and incense offerings.
• An Weiyan returned to the main world, saw that his parents had medium-cyan essence, Qi, and spirit, and told them he planned to leave for work at the temple.
• After his parents agreed, An Weiyan packed his luggage and booked a ticket, hoping to promote Cloud-Stilling Temple and attract more worshippers.
• An Weiyan secretly returned to Linbei County and saw that the newly planted seeds had sprouted while Lady Liu and other villagers continued reclaiming land.
• An Weiyan worried that his money would not cover the rice the town needed, and decided to settle the temple’s affairs and prepare for the female ghost.

An Weiyan traveled to Frost Crimson Peak and settled into Cloud-Stilling Temple while balancing the needs of Linbei County and the depleted Earth God. The next morning, he opened the temple to visitors, but no one came.

• An Weiyan left home with three thousand yuan from his father, traveled by train and bus, and observed that many people in the city appeared to have higher grades of essence, Qi, and spirit.
• An Weiyan climbed to Cloud-Stilling Temple, put away his luggage in the yamen, and cleaned the temple before setting up his bedding.
• An Weiyan returned to Linbei County, confirmed that all was well, and heard the Earth God warn that its divine power was running low and it needed incense offerings.
• An Weiyan read poetry at the temple and went to sleep, then opened the gates the next morning in a Taoist robe but saw no visitors.
• An Weiyan lit candles and offered incense in the deserted temple.

An Weiyan used divination to locate seven wanted fugitives and reported their whereabouts to Officer Liang, who sent Xiao Zhou to check one location. Back in Linbei County, An Weiyan met terrified villagers who had escaped after nearby evil things vanished, and he realized the area had grown safer because the spirits had left to fight over the peach tree demon’s corpse.

• An Weiyan divined the locations of seven wanted fugitives and called Officer Liang with the leads.
• Liang Lijian doubted the information but sent Xiao Zhou and several people to investigate a nearby location.
• An Weiyan returned to Linbei County, noted that he had only three uses of his divine power left, and saw that the plaque had grown brighter.
• An Weiyan found frightened villagers who had fled nearby villages and learned that evil things around their homes had disappeared.
• An Weiyan recalled that the female ghosts had gone to fight over the peach tree demon’s corpse and concluded that the surrounding area was safer.

An Weiyan took in about a hundred disaster refugees in Linbei County and fed them rice congee, leaving him with dwindling supplies. Meanwhile, Zhou Yinghuan arrested a fugitive using Liang Lijian’s intelligence, and Liang sent officers to arrest the other suspects at addresses An Weiyan had provided.

• A refugee begged An Weiyan to let his elderly mother stay, and An Weiyan agreed to take in all the displaced villagers from areas under Linbei County’s jurisdiction.
• An Weiyan ordered rice congee for the refugees and counted about a hundred new arrivals, leaving only around fifty sacks of rice in the storehouse.
• Zhou Yinghuan’s team recognized and arrested a fugitive they had been searching for.
• Liang Lijian saw the arrest and sent additional officers to apprehend other suspects using the addresses An Weiyan had provided.

After recruiting thirty men to establish the yamen’s three classes, An Weiyan learned that Liang Lijian had arrested everyone he had identified. He arranged for Liang to bring his bounty money and reporters to the Daoist temple the next day, hoping the publicity would spread its name.

• An Weiyan recruited thirty men for the black-clad, arresting, and strongman classes, assigning Cheng Feng to the black-clad class and Lin Liyun to train the recruits.
• An Weiyan returned to the Daoist temple and saw Liang Lijian’s message and missed calls.
• Liang Lijian told An Weiyan that he had followed the leads and arrested every target.
• An Weiyan asked Liang Lijian to bring the bounty money and reporters to the Daoist temple, accepting the risk of revealing his identity.
• Liang Lijian agreed to visit with media representatives the next day, and An Weiyan waited to see whether the publicity would succeed.