Chapter Summaries

After sharing roasted carrots and flower-petal jelly with the little ones, Xie Juanhan arranged a produce-for-ingredients trade with the water demons. He and Telingewei began harvesting the vegetables, with the Companion Beasts helping in the field.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei shared roasted orange sweet carrots with the Companion Beasts and messenger owl.
• Xie Juanhan gave the little ones and Telingewei portions of the water demons’ jelly pastries.
• Xie Juanhan wrote the water demons a letter proposing to trade fruits and vegetables for ingredients from the water, and the owl delivered it.
• Xie Juanhan and the water demons agreed on ingredients to exchange, and he decided to harvest out-of-season vegetables and plant autumn and winter crops.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei harvested and sorted baskets of vegetables while the Companion Beasts helped and little sprites watched from a distance.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei learned of a dangerous fragment of the Inner Land and set out to explore it at dawn. On the way, Xie Juanhan calmed a group of Perytons, and they hurried onward as the dawn clouds appeared.

• Xie Juanhan brought vegetables to trade with the water demons, who revealed that their waters led to a fragment of the Inner Land with rare ingredients and ancient spirits.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei agreed to enter the Inner Land without their Companion Beasts, and the water demons offered them their blessings.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei set out at dawn with the water demons, and Telingewei stopped when a group of Perytons charged at them.
• Xie Juanhan recognized the Perytons, soothed them with Dragon Power, and persuaded them to let the group pass.
• Xie Juanhan urged Telingewei onward as the dawn clouds appeared.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei entered a river fragment of the Inner Land, where a Peryton guided them to gather edible aquatic plants and Spicy Clams. The Peryton competed for Xie Juanhan’s attention, but a brief handhold from Xie Juanhan eased Telingewei’s irritation as they continued their search.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei joined hands with the water demons and entered a river-filled fragment of the Inner Land.
• Telingewei pulled Xie Juanhan aside as a Peryton landed nearby, and Xie Juanhan learned it wanted to guide them to food.
• Xie Juanhan persuaded the Peryton to carry both dragons, and it led them along the river to edible aquatic plants.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei gathered the aquatic plants, while the Peryton showed Xie Juanhan a Spicy Clam.
• The Peryton eagerly helped Xie Juanhan find Spicy Clams and repeatedly shoved Telingewei aside, making Telingewei want to fight it.
• Xie Juanhan briefly took Telingewei’s hand underwater, calming him before they resumed gathering clams.

Xie Juanhan, Telingewei, and Peryton explored the underwater world and caught several schools of fierce fish. They divided their haul into three fair shares before stopping for the day.

• Xie Juanhan found a silver fish with a Demonic Core outside its heart, froze it, and packed it away.
• Peryton carried Xie Juanhan and Telingewei downstream, then lured a school of sharp-toothed fish out of a deep river bend.
• Xie Juanhan froze half the school after several fish wounded Peryton, and he and Telingewei collected the fish from the riverbed.
• Peryton led them to several more schools of fish, drawing attacks that left additional tooth marks on his wings and backside.
• Xie Juanhan divided the fish from all six schools into three equal shares for himself, Telingewei, and Peryton.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei returned from the water with fish, and Peryton soaked the waiting Companion Beasts before flying off. Back at the cabin, Xie Juanhan cooked a meal of fried fish, Spicy Clams, and aquatic plants while the little ones waited eagerly to eat.

• Peryton offered to lead Xie Juanhan and Telingewei to ancient gods’ treasures, but Xie Juanhan declined and they returned through the water with the fish.
• Peryton splashed the Companion Beasts as it flew away, and Telingewei stopped them from chasing after it by promising they could eat fish and meet again at the cave.
• Xie Juanhan froze most of the fish and sent Harper and the other little ones to deliver some to the water spirits, with Little Moli carrying the basket.
• Xie Juanhan asked Telingewei to tend the fire while he fried fish and prepared Spicy Clams and aquatic plants.
• The Companion Beasts and Little Moli crowded the kitchen as the food cooked, and Xie Juanhan finally served them fish topped with sauce.

Xie Juanhan shared an intensely spicy meal with Telingewei and the little ones, then spent the night caring for the little Demon Wolf after it ate too much. By dawn, the little Demon Wolf had recovered and proudly showed Xie Juanhan that it could hold its ears upright.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei tried the Spicy Clam, while the little ones ate their portions and struggled with the heat.
• Xie Juanhan gave the little ones iced milk and Dragon Power, then discovered Harper, Moli, the Companion Beasts, and the little Demon Wolf had eaten all the leftovers.
• Telingewei caught the Companion Beasts sneaking into his cave and wondered whether they should have a human-style house like Xie Juanhan's.
• Xie Juanhan kept the little Demon Wolf in the hallway overnight and repeatedly helped it when the spicy food upset its stomach.
• At dawn, the little Demon Wolf showed Xie Juanhan that it could raise its ears upright.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei built a pond to raise fish and Spicy Clams, while Little Moli's demonic wolf elders visited him that night. They praised his growth and began teaching him how to track and hunt goblins.

• Xie Juanhan planned to raise fish, Spicy Clams, and water plants in a pond near the rice paddy, and Telingewei offered to dig it.
• Telingewei dug a pond the size of a small lake, laid sand and gravel on its bottom, and invited water spirits to purify it.
• Little Moli's demonic wolf elders arrived at night and happily greeted him, pleased with how well he had grown in Xie Juanhan's care.
• The elders learned Little Moli had been watching goblins without attacking them and taught him to follow their scent and find their air holes.
• The demonic wolves showed Little Moli a hole with a peculiar smell and told him to plug it up.

The little demon wolf and the Companion Beasts hunted goblins with help from the grown demon wolves, then hung their captives on Xie Juanhan’s thorn-covered fence. After releasing the goblins, Xie Juanhan prepared food to thank the grown wolves and agreed to let the little fellows deliver it through the Magic Forest.

• The grown demon wolves taught the little demon wolf to track goblins by sealing their breathing holes, and the Companion Beasts joined the hunt.
• At daybreak, the wolves and Companion Beasts forced the goblins above ground and captured them, then carried them back to hang on Xie Juanhan’s fence.
• Xie Juanhan praised the little fellows, who guarded the goblins for a day and a night before letting them down.
• Xie Juanhan baked the little fellows a reduced-sugar cake, then prepared baskets of food to thank the grown demon wolves.
• The little fellows volunteered to deliver the food, and Xie Juanhan agreed after Telingewei reassured him they could go.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei followed Moli and the Companion Beasts through the Magic Forest to visit the little Demon Wolves, where Moli happily reunited with his friends. Later, while Xie Juanhan and Telingewei were away, the Tata Fish sprayed the sleeping animals, soaking Moli and provoking the others to attack.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei followed the little ones through the Magic Forest as they searched for the Demon Wolves' territory.
• Moli reunited with the little Demon Wolves, and the two groups shared the food in their baskets and played together.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei watched Moli grow closer to his companions before the group returned home with empty baskets.
• The little Demon Wolves began visiting Xie Juanhan's home often and playing with the Companion Beasts.
• The Tata Fish sprayed water at the sleeping animals under the eaves, soaking Moli and making the Companion Beasts charge at them.

The Companion Beasts befriended the Tata Fish by feeding them, then learned they had spent nearly all their secret gold coins buying food. The next morning, the Tata Fish offered to take the dispirited beasts fishing, and all the Companion Beasts climbed onto their backs while the little demon wolf hesitated on the bank.

• The Companion Beasts traded vegetables with the hungry Tata Fish, then brought them prepared dishes from the water demons' restaurant.
• Xie Juanhan returned from hunting, exchanged fish meat for five buckets of fish milk, and let the exhausted Tata Fish rest in the river.
• That night, the Companion Beasts discovered they had spent nearly all their gold coins feeding the Tata Fish and mourned their loss.
• The next morning, Xie Juanhan left to check on the silverfish, Spicy Clams, and water plants while the Companion Beasts lay listlessly around the courtyard.
• The Tata Fish offered to take the Companion Beasts to catch tasty fish, and Habu and the others climbed onto their backs.
• The little demon wolf hesitated on the bank, too afraid to jump onto a Tata Fish.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei rescued the Companion Beasts, the little Demon Wolf, and the Tata Fish after they became lost at sea, then caught Greystone Fish and headed home together. The next morning, Xie Juanhan heard the little creatures scratching at his door and got up to let them in.

• The little Demon Wolf joined the Companion Beasts on the Tata Fish, and they swam away from the riverbank.
• Xie Juanhan realized the creatures were missing and searched downstream with Telingewei, who helped him locate them at sea.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei found the frightened creatures and Tata Fish, and Xie Juanhan comforted the little ones while Telingewei learned how they had become lost.
• Telingewei led the group to Greystone Fish, and Xie Juanhan caught three large fish before they set off for home.
• The following morning, Xie Juanhan heard paws scratching at his door and got up to open it.

Xie Juanhan taught Telingewei how to prepare and fry fish liver, then shared it with the little ones for breakfast. After they enjoyed the meal, Xie Juanhan proposed making a simple malatang-style soup pot for lunch.

• Xie Juanhan found the Companion Beasts, the little demon wolf, and the Tata Fish waiting for breakfast, then asked Telingewei to help prepare pan-fried fish liver.
• Telingewei cleaned the fish while Xie Juanhan soaked and marinated the livers, explaining the preparation as they worked.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei fried the fish liver and served portions to the little ones and the Tata Fish, who eagerly ate it with crisp bread.
• After breakfast, Xie Juanhan suggested making a simple soup pot with fish and Spicy Clams for lunch, and asked Telingewei to slice the fish for marinating.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei gathered vegetables, river shrimp, and Alf Mushrooms with their Companion Beasts and Tata Fish, then bought more ingredients from the water sprites. Xie Juanhan cooked a rich, milky malatang, and the hungry little ones received their servings.

• Harper led the Companion Beasts through the fields while the Tata Fish caught fish and plump river shrimp in the stream.
• Xie Juanhan gathered Alf Mushrooms and prepared marinated Greystone Fish for malatang.
• Harper and the other little ones carried Xie Juanhan’s shopping note and gold coins to the water sprites’ restaurant, where they returned with baskets full of food.
• Xie Juanhan cooked the ingredients in a spicy broth made with Tata Fish milk and water.
• Telingewei portioned out the finished malatang, and the little ones eagerly began eating.

Xie Juanhan and the little ones discovered that silverfish had eaten the shrimp in their pond, then learned that harvest work would interrupt Orfrey’s milk deliveries. He agreed to visit the busy Star Market with Telingewei and the little ones, and the chapter ended as they arrived among its crowds and many stalls.

• Xie Juanhan found that the pond’s silverfish had eaten the river shrimp and decided he would need demon shrimp to raise shrimp there.
• Orfrey told Xie Juanhan that harvest season would prevent him from delivering milk for a while and mentioned that the Star Market would be open the next day.
• Xie Juanhan agreed to visit the Star Market with Telingewei and the little ones after hearing it offered local specialties.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei set out before dawn with the little ones and reached the crowded Star Market, where stalls spread to the outskirts and beings of many races gathered.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei shopped at the Star Market, where Xie bought pumpkins for fried pumpkin cakes. After discovering that some pumpkins contained unusual green seeds, they failed to find the vendor and returned home, where Xie saved the seeds to try planting them next year.

• Xie Juanhan browsed the Star Market with Telingewei and the little ones, buying food, supplies, and toys before giving the little ones gold coins as pocket money.
• Xie Juanhan bought three golden-red pumpkins and planned to make fried pumpkin cakes at home.
• Xie Juanhan cut into a pumpkin and found plump green seeds unlike ordinary pumpkin seeds.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei returned to the closed Star Market to question the vendor, but could not locate them; a housewife gave Xie ordinary pumpkin seeds for comparison.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei cut open the remaining pumpkins and found one with green seeds and one with ordinary seeds.
• Xie Juanhan saved the green seeds to plant next year and consider pressing into oil.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei fried pumpkin cakes, which the little ones and messenger birds eagerly ate. The next day, the messenger birds led them to a valley full of ripe pumpkins, where Telingewei asked whether they should start picking.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei prepared crispy pumpkin cakes, and Xie Juanhan fried them for the little ones and messenger birds.
• After they ate all the cakes and shared the leftover ingredients, the messenger birds told Xie Juanhan they had found a pumpkin valley.
• Xie Juanhan gathered Telingewei, the Companion Beasts, and the little demon wolf, then rode with them to the valley guided by the birds.
• The group landed among golden-red pumpkins, and the little demon wolf fell on his face after copying the others' jump.
• Xie Juanhan inspected a ripe pumpkin, and Telingewei came over and asked whether they should start picking.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei harvested wild pumpkins and discovered a magical Golden Pumpkin, sharing it with their companions and saving seeds and cuttings to grow at home. After preparing pumpkin seed oil and drying the harvest, Xie Juanhan invited Telingewei to dinner to taste dishes made with the oil.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei picked two-thirds of the wild pumpkins and found a magical Golden Pumpkin growing among them.
• Telingewei told Xie Juanhan a legend linking the Golden Pumpkin to a Golden-Horned Deer, and they divided the pumpkin among the creatures while Xie Juanhan saved its seeds.
• Xie Juanhan cut two side shoots from the golden vine, then loaded seven bags of pumpkins onto Telingewei in his dragon form for the journey home.
• Xie Juanhan planted the cuttings, stored more than two hundred Golden Pumpkin seeds, and dried the harvested pumpkins on his roof.
• Xie Juanhan had pumpkin seeds pressed into oil at the town mill and invited Telingewei to taste pumpkin seed oil in cream soup and salad.

After Telingewei confessed his feelings and kissed Xie Juanhan, Xie Juanhan spent the night thinking about their future. He woke Moli before dawn and flew to the Demon Wolves’ territory to hunt a level-four Demon Crocodile.

• The Weaving Fairies returned Telingewei’s gold coins after discovering he had already paid Xie Juanhan’s clothing bill.
• Telingewei told Xie Juanhan he liked him and kissed him, leaving Xie Juanhan flustered.
• The Companion Beasts and the little Demon Wolf interrupted the dragons’ intimate moment, and Xie Juanhan later lay awake thinking about becoming lovers.
• Before dawn, Xie Juanhan woke Moli and carried him through the air toward the Demon Wolves’ territory to find a Demon Crocodile.
• The big Demon Wolves spotted Xie Juanhan and Moli, confirmed the nearby Demon Crocodile was level four, and offered to lead Xie Juanhan to it.

Xie Juanhan hunted a demon crocodile to repay Telingewei with its level-four Demonic Core, then asked him to date and walked home with him hand in hand. While Xie Juanhan slept, demon birds descended on the little demon wolf’s farmland and left it alarmed by the damage.

• Xie Juanhan killed a demon crocodile, took its Demonic Core, and let the adult demon wolves keep the carcass.
• Xie Juanhan returned the sleepy little demon wolf to its den, then visited Telingewei and offered him the Core as repayment before asking him to date.
• Telingewei accepted, and the two dragons walked hand in hand to Xie Juanhan’s cottage before agreeing to meet for dinner.
• The little demon wolf slept through most of the day as demon birds gathered around its den and disturbed it.
• The little demon wolf woke near sunset, ran to patrol its farmland, and found a huge flock of full demon birds flying away from its fields.

Moli became upset after Demon Birds damaged the crops while he slept, and Xie Juanhan comforted him with a feast. After dinner, Moli resumed patrolling the farmland and caught a sleeping Demon Bird, leaving him ready to defend the crops again.

• Demon Birds ate vegetables and rice while Moli napped, and he chased them away before the Companion Beasts came to comfort him.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei learned what had happened and reassured Moli that the crop damage was not a major loss.
• Xie Juanhan promised fish balls and bird dishes, and Telingewei hunted a white bird so they could prepare dinner for Moli and the Companion Beasts.
• After eating, Moli returned to patrolling the farmland and tracked a Demon Bird to a tree at its edge.
• Moli leaped up and caught the sleeping Demon Bird in his jaws.