Chapter Summaries

Zhou Wanwan followed Zhao Lili to Pleasure City and then to a cinnabar mine that Zhao Lili had seized. When Zhou Wanwan touched a piece of ore, she discovered it absorbed her energy and could increase it.

• Zhao Lili took Zhou Wanwan's restaurant and had Hei Niu take her to Pleasure City.
• Zhao Lili showed Zhou Wanwan her mountain palace and declared her ambition to lead the Jianghu Alliance.
• Zhao Lili brought Zhou Wanwan to the cinnabar mine she had surrounded and explained the ore's many uses.
• Zhou Wanwan picked up cinnabar ore, felt her energy surge into it, and realized the ore could increase her energy.

Zhou Wanwan and the Old Scholar Tree captured Jianghu Alliance fighters at a cinnabar mine, then healed Water Ghost and recruited him. She proposed using the tree’s roots and medicinal power to open people’s meridians and train martial arts experts in batches.

• Zhou Wanwan supplied the Old Scholar Tree with cinnabar energy, and it fed several Earth Ranking experts to nearby trees to create more Earth Ranking trees.
• Hei Niu and his helper attacked Water Ghost over the cinnabar vein, but vines dragged them and other fighters into the darkness, forcing Zhao Lili’s group to flee.
• Zhou Wanwan offered to heal Water Ghost’s severed meridians in exchange for his loyalty, and the Old Scholar Tree restored him.
• Thousands of trees and tumbleweeds surrounded the cinnabar mine, and Water Ghost promised to keep the events secret.
• Zhou Wanwan suggested using the Old Scholar Tree’s roots and medicinal power to open meridians and acupoints, allowing them to train large numbers of martial arts experts.

Zhou Wanwan’s group harvested the cinnabar ore and moved their restaurant, while Zhao Lili discovered that Pleasure City and the restaurant had vanished and learned that Earth Ranking experts had been killed at the mine. Zhou Wanwan avoided confronting Zhao Lili’s powerful family and went to the Earth Ranking Courtyard with Long Aotian and Water Ghost to claim her rewards and take missions.

• The Old Scholar Tree explained how medicinally empowered fighters could build stable foundations through training and real combat, and Zhou Wanwan’s group quickly hauled all the cinnabar ore to Black Wind Stronghold.
• Zhao Lili returned to find Pleasure City and its warehouse gone, then sent three thousand elite soldiers to investigate but found no footprints.
• Zhao Lili told Zhao Laoda that Earth Ranking experts, including Hei Niu, had been pulled away and killed by something like a tree vine at the cinnabar vein.
• Zhao Laoda warned Zhao Lili to stop investigating and stirring up trouble, but she later found that Zhou Wanwan had also moved the restaurant away.
• Zhou Wanwan opened another restaurant elsewhere and took Long Aotian and Water Ghost to the Earth Ranking Courtyard, where she claimed her rewards and began taking missions.

Zhou Wanwan accepted five missions targeting people on the Heavenly Demon Ranking and traveled with her companions to Heavenly Demon City. There, Princess Liuli forced Zhou Wanwan to become her maid, leaving Zhou Wanwan in the princess’s custody.

• Zhou Wanwan ignored the female deacon’s advice and registered missions to hunt five people near the bottom of the Heavenly Demon Ranking.
• Old Scholar Tree took Zhou Wanwan, Long Aotian, and Water Ghost to Heavenly Demon Ridge, where Water Ghost warned them about the dangers of Heavenly Demon City.
• Zhou Wanwan entered the city and admired stones at a stall while learning that the crowded outskirts served as a trading hub between three countries.
• Princess Liuli arrived and ordered her subordinates to take Zhou Wanwan’s jewelry, threatening her with two Heavenly Demon Ranking fighters.
• Zhou Wanwan agreed to become Princess Liuli’s maid, and the princess ordered the stallholder to send the stones Zhou Wanwan liked to her residence.

Zhou Wanwan discovered Princess Liuli’s cruelty and turned the princess’s torture plot against her. After defeating Liuli’s guards, Zhou Wanwan left her alive and went with Old Scholar Tree to raid the residence’s storeroom.

• Zhou Wanwan learned from the flowers that Princess Liuli abused people and that ten Heavenly Demon Ranking experts protected her.
• Zhou Wanwan absorbed energy from the jade furnishings and used it to revive the tulips and recharge Old Scholar Tree.
• Princess Liuli ordered Shi Po and Tian Jing to torture Zhou Wanwan, but vines seized them and dragged them away.
• Zhou Wanwan told Liuli she would deal with her the way Liuli had treated her, while Old Scholar Tree revealed that Xue Ya and Xue Lang were already dead.
• Zhou Wanwan and Old Scholar Tree entered Princess Liuli’s storeroom to search for valuables.

Zhou Wanwan uncovered Princess Liuli’s mine maps, collected amber and crystal from two deposits, and left a Gobi agate field untouched because its stones held little energy. In Heavenly Demon City, she enjoyed the lively teahouses and planned new businesses before deciding to bring back some local clothing.

• Zhou Wanwan searched Princess Liuli’s storehouses, learned from the flowers about hidden mines, and had Old Scholar Tree open the locked drawer containing maps to three locations.
• Old Scholar Tree took Zhou Wanwan to an amber mine, where the trees and desert plants harvested the ore before she replenished their energy.
• Zhou Wanwan and Old Scholar Tree’s subordinates collected crystal from the second deposit, but left the Gobi agates in place after Zhou Wanwan found them of little use.
• Zhou Wanwan visited a teahouse in Heavenly Demon City and considered opening fried chicken, milk tea, and bar businesses there.
• Zhou Wanwan admired the city’s Western Regions-style clothing and decided to take a few extra pieces home to give away.

Zhou Wanwan escaped a citywide hunt for the person who attacked Princess Liuli, while Old Scholar Tree and his companions dealt with the pursuers. Back at the Cui residence, Zhou Wanwan rejected plans to make her Cui Hongyuan’s concubine as Madam Nie and Madam Cui schemed over her wealth.

• Princess Liuli wept over her injuries and demanded that her attacker be found, while Zhou Wanwan revealed she had sent the gift that caused them.
• Soldiers spotted Zhou Wanwan and pursued her for a fifty-thousand-tael reward, but Old Scholar Tree’s roots trapped and killed more than thirty Heavenly Demon Ranking experts.
• Zhou Wanwan woke at the Cui residence and rebuked Madam Nie and Madam Cui the Younger for trying to arrange her marriage to Cui Hongyuan.
• Madam Nie said she had summoned Zhou Wanwan’s parents, while she and Madam Cui discussed securing Zhou Wanwan’s wealth through the match.
• Madam Nie brought Madam Cui and other noblewomen to admire her grand residence, where they flattered her and asked to visit again.

Zhou Wanwan rejected Nie Rou and Cui Yingying’s assumptions that she would become a Cui family concubine, then planned to seize grain from merchants exploiting the disaster victims. Madam Cui the Younger proposed that Zhou Wanwan become her family’s concubine, and Liu Su'e and Zhou Fusheng angrily refused.

• Madam Nie welcomed her guests and described plans to enjoy the pavilion and host opera performances at her new home.
• Zhou Wanwan delayed Old Scholar Tree’s proposed move, then hid Zhao Muyuan and more than fifty ministers in her bedroom when Nie Rou arrived.
• Nie Rou and Cui Yingying mocked Zhou Wanwan as a future Cui family concubine and demanded a meal, but Zhou Wanwan charged them fifty taels per person and served an elaborate feast.
• After Nie Rou and Cui Yingying left, Zhao Muyuan told Zhou Wanwan that other grain shops were buying up her stores’ cheap stock, and she ordered him to track them so they could take the merchants’ grain.
• Madam Cui the Younger told Liu Su'e and Zhou Fusheng that she wanted Zhou Wanwan as a concubine, and both parents rejected the proposal.

Zhou Wanwan rejected the Cui Family’s attempt to force her into being a concubine and returned to Black Wind Stronghold. She led more than 50,000 trees in a raid on over sixty grain shops, and the county magistrates were left searching for the stolen goods.

• Madam Nie and Madam Cui the Younger threatened Zhou Wanwan, but Zhou Wanwan left with Liu Su'e and Zhou Fusheng rather than accept the Cui Family’s demand.
• Zhou Wanwan reassured her parents and returned home, then learned that more than sixty grain shops had been fleecing her four shops.
• Zhou Wanwan sent more than 50,000 trees to seize grain and other supplies from the shops and their warehouses, carrying over a hundred warehouses back to Black Wind Stronghold.
• The grain shop managers discovered their stores were empty and reported the thefts to the counties.
• The county magistrates ordered investigations, but the yamen runners found no clues.

Zhou Wanwan denied involvement in the widespread grain thefts when Prefect Fang questioned her, then returned home to find her family ready to confront the Cui Family over Cui Hongyuan’s demand that she become his concubine. That night, she took her brothers to Lingyun Pavilion, where Cui Hongyuan and Xie Cheng'en insulted her and Cheng Chao.

• Prefect Fang questioned the county magistrates about the grain thefts and asked Zhou Wanwan to return the stolen grain, but she denied responsibility and asked him to help with the Cui Family.
• Zhou Wanwan returned home and found her family eager to retaliate against Cui Hongyuan for wanting her as his concubine.
• Zhou Wanwan took her brothers to the Lingyun Pavilion gambling house that night.
• Xie Cheng'en mocked Zhou Wanwan over becoming Cui Hongyuan’s concubine, and Cui Hongyuan scolded her for being at the gambling house.
• Cui Hongyuan insulted Cheng Chao and threatened to make him serve as his dog, while Xie Cheng'en urged them to test whether Cheng Chao would obey.

Zhou Wanwan faced Xie Cheng'en, Xie Yan, and a group of capital gamblers who challenged her to gamble, and she appeared to lose ten rounds in a row. She then produced an even larger stash of banknotes, leaving the crowd stunned as Xie Cheng'en insisted she would still come to grief.

• Cheng Chao returned Zhou Wanwan's banknotes, while Cui Hongyuan demanded that she become his concubine and Zhou Wanwan refused.
• Xie Cheng'en arrived with Xie Yan and other gamblers from the capital, and Xie Yan challenged Zhou Wanwan while mocking her age.
• Zhou Wanwan revealed banknotes worth over a million taels and accused Xie Cheng'en of plotting to make her a concubine.
• Zhou Wanwan bet against the crowd for ten rounds and lost each time, while Xie Yan and the capital gamblers celebrated their apparent winnings.
• Zhou Wanwan asked Zheng Xing'an for another bag and revealed hundreds more banknotes, stunning the onlookers as Xie Cheng'en warned that she would still lose.

Zhou Wanwan won a massive dice bet against the capital’s young heirs after they wagered their fortunes and Cui Hongyuan’s betrothal gifts. The chapter ended with Xie Cheng'en accusing her of cheating after another triple six cost them everything.

• After ten straight losses, Zhou Wanwan bet two million taels on small while Xie Cheng'en, Xie Hongyuan, and others wagered on big.
• The dealer revealed triple sixes, earning Zhou Wanwan twenty-two million taels and prompting her to rebuke the capital group for mocking her.
• Xie Cheng'en demanded another contest, and Cui Hongyuan brought his estates and two-million-tael betrothal gifts to wager after signing a contract with Zhou Wanwan.
• The capital group staked more than four million taels, while Zhou Wanwan bet her full twenty-two million and let them choose their side.
• The dealer revealed another triple sixes, raising Zhou Wanwan’s total to 242 million taels as Xie Yan collapsed and Xie Cheng'en accused her of cheating.

Zhou Wanwan won Cui Hongyuan’s betrothal gifts in a gambling match and refused to return them, then defended herself against accusations of theft by showing the signed contract. Madam Cui the Younger left to confront her son, while Zhao Wanting offered to help Zhou Wanwan enter the Cui Family as a concubine.

• Zhou Wanwan refused Cui Hongyuan’s request to return the betrothal gifts he had lost gambling and told him to stop ruining other women’s lives.
• Madam Cui the Younger brought dozens of people to Zhou Wanwan’s door and accused her of taking the gifts and plotting to marry into the Cui Family.
• Madam Nie called Zhou Wanwan’s family thieves and mountain bandits, prompting the crowd to turn against them.
• Zhou Wanwan showed the crowd Cui Hongyuan’s signed contract and sent her subordinates to distribute copies throughout the city.
• Madam Cui the Younger left to question Cui Hongyuan, while Zhao Wanting offered to help Zhou Wanwan become his concubine and Zhou Wanwan rejected the offer.

After Cui Hongyuan gambled away the betrothal gifts, he and Zhao Wanting plotted to force Zhou Wanwan into becoming his concubine so he could claim her wealth. They lured Zhou Wanwan to a banquet at the Cui residence, where she met Xie Yan and Zhao Wanting.

• Zhou Wanwan mocked Zhao Wanting by comparing her to Wang Baochuan, and Zhao Wanting insisted Cui Hongyuan would still marry her.
• Madam Cui the Younger confronted Cui Hongyuan about gambling away the betrothal gifts, and he said he would beg Zhao Wanting to understand.
• Cui Hongyuan told Zhao Wanting he wanted Zhou Wanwan's money, and Zhao Wanting agreed that taking Zhou Wanwan as a concubine could help fund their marriage.
• Cui Hongyuan told Lord Cui the Younger that he planned to trick Zhou Wanwan into the water and rescue her to ruin her reputation and force her to marry him.
• Madam Cui the Younger held an engagement banquet, and Nie Rou and Cui Yingying persuaded Zhou Wanwan to attend and join them on a boat.
• At the banquet, Zhao Wanting introduced Xie Yan, the eldest young lady of the Xie Family, to Zhou Wanwan.

Zhou Wanwan escaped a plan to make her fall into the lake, and the boat capsized, leaving Cui Hongyuan to rescue several young ladies. Their families confronted Madam Cui the Younger over the ruined reputations, while Madam Zhao insisted that the Zhao-Cui engagement remain in place.

• Xie Yan and Zhao Wanting plotted to humiliate Zhou Wanwan, but when Nie Rou shoved her from the boat, Zhou Wanwan pulled her in and the boat tipped over.
• Old Scholar Tree brought Zhou Wanwan and Zheng Xing'an ashore, and Zhou Wanwan changed clothes while he arranged for Cui Hongyuan to rescue the others.
• Cui Hongyuan rescued Cui Yingying, Nie Rou, Zhao Wanting, Xie Yan, Lu Lan, and Wen Zhiyu, while Zhou Wanwan appeared and pretended not to know how the boat had capsized.
• Madam Nie and Madam Xie confronted Madam Cui the Younger, and Zhou Wanwan pointed out that Cui Hongyuan had touched the rescued young ladies.
• Madam Zhao reminded Madam Cui the Younger that the Zhao-Cui marriage had already been settled and asked whether the Cui Family meant to break the engagement.

After the Cui Family forced Zhou Wanwan to become Cui Hongyuan’s concubine, she calmly went to the courtyard and planned to make their wedding festivities memorable. By morning, she and Old Scholar Tree had stripped the Cui estates, shops, and storeroom, then set off a huge barrage of firecrackers.

• News spread that Cui Hongyuan had saved several young ladies, and their families argued over the marriages being forced on them.
• Madam Nie and Madam Cui the Younger agreed that Nie Rou would be Cui Hongyuan’s principal wife and Zhao Wanting his co-wife, while Zhou Wanwan would become his concubine.
• Madam Cui the Younger had servants escort Zhou Wanwan to a courtyard, and Zhou Wanwan agreed to go without resisting.
• Zhou Wanwan and Old Scholar Tree raided more than ten Cui estates, taking their crops and livestock, then cleared out several shops and the family storeroom.
• Old Scholar Tree set off two warehouses’ worth of firecrackers as Zhou Wanwan left the Cui residence.

Zhou Wanwan’s revenge left the Cui Family’s home, estates, shops, and hidden treasure destroyed or stolen, while the family believed she had died in the explosions. The Nie Family moved back into its home, but Madam Nie woke among graves and was found after hours of fleeing in terror.

• A massive firecracker explosion wrecked the Cui Family’s home, and the family discovered Zhou Wanwan was missing and assumed she had been blown to death.
• The Cui Family learned its estates and shops had been looted, then Lord Cui the Younger dug up the courtyard seeking his father’s hidden treasure and found it gone.
• Zhou Wanwan planned to rob the Nie Family’s newly furnished home that night.
• Madam Nie urged Nie Rou to marry Cui Hongyuan despite the lack of betrothal gifts, and Nie Rou lamented that Zhou Wanwan might be dead.
• Madam Nie dreamed that trees beat her for cursing Zhou Wanwan, then woke among graves beside a coffin and fled until Lord Nie’s people found her.

Zhou Wanwan toured Black Wind Stronghold’s growing workshops and arranged to send its wine to Heavenly Demon City, where she wanted the water ghost to open a bar. The water ghost agreed after Zhou Wanwan proposed opening his acupoints to strengthen him, though the result was left unresolved.

• Zhou Wanwan admired the house taken from the Nie family and discussed developing more mountain peaks with Zheng Xing'an.
• Zhou Wanwan inspected the stronghold’s workshops, where artisans showed her armor-piercing repeating crossbows, cloud-patterned brocade, and double-sided embroidery.
• Zhou Wanwan tasted the brewery’s wines, praised Zhao Qingxi’s beer, and learned that tree folk helped meet demand.
• Zhou Wanwan had tree folk carry several hundred jars of wine and proposed that the water ghost open a bar in Heavenly Demon City.
• The water ghost worried he lacked the strength to protect himself, but agreed to let Zhou Wanwan try opening his acupoints.

The Old Scholar Tree opened the Water Ghost’s meridians and infused him with medicinal power, greatly increasing his strength, then cautiously opened Zhou Wanwan’s Baihui acupoint. Zhou Wanwan introduced Tai Chi to the stronghold, where the Old Scholar Tree opened acupoints for the martial artists, and she left the story by offering jewelry from Heavenly Demon City to her family.

• The Old Scholar Tree opened the Water Ghost’s key meridians and channeled ginseng and heavenly treasures into him, leaving him much stronger.
• Zhou Wanwan asked the Old Scholar Tree to test the method on her, and it safely opened her Baihui acupoint.
• Zhou Wanwan practiced Tai Chi and explained that she wanted the stronghold’s people to learn it for health and self-defense.
• The Old Scholar Tree opened the acupoints of Gu Sinian and the other martial artists, who felt stronger and more comfortable.
• Zhou Wanwan taught the group Tai Chi, and they planned to teach it to Father and Mother.
• Zhou Wanwan offered jewelry she had found in Heavenly Demon City for her brothers to give to their wives.

Zhou Wanwan visited the Nie Family after their residence vanished overnight, then refused to leave until the sweet potatoes were harvested. Nie Shi'an sent her to the Cui Family, where he learned they had also lost their home and asked Lord Cui what had happened.

• Zhou Wanwan's brothers chose gold hairpins, and Gu Sinian gave her a ruby-set hairpin he had designed himself.
• Zhou Wanwan admired the stronghold's flourishing fields and went to visit the Nie Family.
• Madam Nie blamed Zhou Wanwan for the family's misfortunes, while Zhou Wanwan insisted she would stay until the sweet potato harvest.
• Nie Shi'an sent Zhou Wanwan to the Cui Family, but found their former residence ruined and their family living in a shabby rented house.
• Lord Cui wept to Nie Shi'an about his family's hardship, and Nie Shi'an asked how the Cui residence had been destroyed.