Chapter Summaries

The little magic wolf and the Companion Beasts hunted magic birds through the night and brought them to Xie Juanhan’s cabin, where they hung them on the fence. After Xie Juanhan praised their efforts, the exhausted little ones slept while he began combing Habu’s fur with new essential oil.

• The little magic wolf caught magic birds and hung them on the thorns by Xie Juanhan’s cabin while he slept.
• The little magic wolf woke the Companion Beasts, and they hunted birds together through the night, following their scents and crop-eating droppings.
• Xie Juanhan woke to find the fence covered with captured birds and told one that its release depended on Little Moli and the others forgiving it.
• The little ones returned with another batch of birds, and Xie Juanhan thanked them and promised to make them something delicious.
• After the little ones fell asleep in the corridor, Xie Juanhan offered to comb their fur with essential oil, and Habu lay down first.

Xie Juanhan broke up a playful brawl between the Companion Beasts, the little demon wolf, and a Griffin that had delivered dried fish. After Telingewei arrived, he explained that his Gargoyle friend had sent the fish, leaving the Griffin waiting outside the courtyard.

• Xie Juanhan brushed the fluffy creatures and the little demon wolf, then went outside after hearing a loud thud in the courtyard.
• A Griffin carrying a bundle of dried fish landed, and the Companion Beasts and little demon wolf attacked it in a rough, bloodless brawl that scattered the fish and frightened the demon birds.
• Xie Juanhan transformed into a white dragon, pulled the Griffin out of the courtyard, and stopped the fighting by threatening to freeze the Griffin and tell Telingewei on the Companion Beasts.
• Xie Juanhan freed the demon birds, fed the Griffin, and cleaned up the scattered fish, feathers, and damaged plants while he waited for Telingewei.
• Telingewei arrived near dark and explained that his Gargoyle friend had sent the Griffin with that year's dried fish.

Xie Juanhan learned why the Companion Beasts disliked the Griffin and proposed visiting the place where it gathered their dried fish so they could eat it fresh. The group agreed to finish their fish before traveling, while the Griffin stayed overnight and Xie Juanhan teased Telingewei about the taste.

• Telingewei told Xie Juanhan that the Griffin annoyed the Companion Beasts by delivering dried fish each year.
• Xie Juanhan discovered the Companion Beasts disliked eating the dried fish, though Telingewei made them eat it to protect their eyes.
• Xie Juanhan suggested traveling to eat the fish fresh and bringing some frozen fish back, and the Companion Beasts agreed to finish their dried fish first.
• Xie Juanhan thanked the Griffin and invited it to sleep outside overnight before deciding whether to travel with them.
• Xie Juanhan watched Telingewei clean the dishes with Dragon Flame and asked whether he could still taste the dried fish.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei shared a kiss to help Telingewei overcome his aversion to dried fish, then Xie Juanhan harvested and milled rice and invited Telingewei to dinner. The chapter ended with Telingewei praising the meal and Xie Juanhan explaining how he had cooked it.

• Xie Juanhan kissed Telingewei and asked if it helped cover up his aversion, and Telingewei requested another kiss.
• Xie Juanhan harvested the rice with wind blades, threshed it, and took it to be milled.
• Telingewei arrived at Xie Juanhan's cottage with Tata Fish milk, and the two prepared to eat together.
• Telingewei revealed that he had practiced using chopsticks for more than ten days so he could better understand Xie Juanhan.
• Telingewei praised the rice and dishes, and Xie Juanhan explained his cooking techniques.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei traveled with the little ones to the highlands to visit the Gargoyle, where they met Eermirisi, an ancient guardian bound to the ruined castle. As evening fell, Eermirisi invited them to share a meal.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei took the excited little ones on a three-day journey to the highlands, while the Griffin followed behind.
• They reached the ruins of a former city-state, and Telingewei’s roar awakened Eermirisi, the Gargoyle guarding the castle.
• Xie Juanhan introduced himself to Eermirisi, who greeted Telingewei and the Companion Beasts and arranged to meet them that evening.
• Telingewei told Xie Juanhan that Eermirisi was bound to the castle by a contract and had nowhere else to go.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei held hands as they talked by the fireplace, and Eermirisi later invited them to eat roast meat.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei stayed at Eermirisi’s ruined castle, enjoyed his cooking, and explored the highlands to gather Tammi Grass seeds and other wild foods. While the little ones played with a Griffin, Xie Juanhan and Telingewei found a Griffin cub hidden in the grass and realized the adult Griffin had brought it there.

• Eermirisi roasted meat seasoned with Tammi Grass and served it with sweet fruit wine, and Xie Juanhan asked Telingewei to help gather the seeds the next day.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei followed Eermirisi’s directions into the wilderness, gathered Tammi Grass seeds, and collected wild fruit and edible greens with the Griffin as their guide.
• The little ones and the Griffin played on the highland slopes while Xie Juanhan and Telingewei kissed behind a shrub.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei heard a cry in the grass and discovered a young Griffin cub hidden there.
• Xie Juanhan suspected the adult Griffin had brought the cub, and Telingewei said Griffins were about as intelligent as magic wolves.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei accepted a male Griffin cub from the flock and brought it back to the castle. While they were away, the little Demon Wolf and Companion Beasts discovered Pixies carrying supplies through the cellar, and the cub woke to find itself alone.

• Xie Juanhan caught the Griffins and questioned them, then confirmed that their cub was male.
• Telingewei suggested keeping the cub to keep Moli company, and Xie Juanhan agreed.
• The group brought the Griffin cub back to the castle, where it imitated Telingewei and clashed with the Companion Beasts.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei went to explore the highlands while the little ones stayed behind to sleep.
• The little Demon Wolf led the Companion Beasts to the cellar, where they saw Pixies bringing gathered goods and carrying away a jar of wine.
• The Griffin cub woke up alone in the room and cried for the others.

The little Griffin tumbled down the castle stairs and joined the other beasts in drinking spilled wine. That evening, Xie Juanhan and Telingewei found the wine-drunk companions underground, where Eermirisi explained the Pixies’ annual trade and offered them yeast for Tammi Golden Mead.

• The little Griffin rolled down the stairs and startled the Pixies, who fled and dropped a wine jar.
• Habu tasted the spilled wine, and the Companion Beasts and little Griffin drank it all.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei searched the castle cellar and found the little ones sprawled on the floor, too drunk to stand.
• Harper showed them a nut the Pixies had brought, and Eermirisi explained that the Pixies traded nuts for wine each year.
• Xie Juanhan asked about the wine’s distinctive flavor, and Eermirisi identified it as Tammi Golden Mead made with selected yeast.
• Eermirisi offered Xie Juanhan and Telingewei old jars containing the yeast so they could brew Golden Mead themselves.

After apologizing to the highland castle’s little elves, Xie Juanhan and his companions received their blessing on empty wine jars and discovered their fragrant wine. Five days later, they left the castle with Eermirisi and the Griffins seeing them off.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei disciplined the little ones after they frightened the elves, then gave them small pieces of cake when they admitted their mistake.
• Xie Juanhan, Telingewei, and Eermirisi visited the little elves’ altar with cakes and wine, and the elves accepted their apology.
• Eermirisi asked the little elves to bless empty wine jars, and they agreed; Xie Juanhan smelled the fragrant wine inside afterward.
• After five days at the highland castle, Xie Juanhan and the others set off before sunrise on Telingewei’s back with their gathered goods and gifts.
• Eermirisi and the nearby flock of Griffins came to see them off.

After returning home, Xie Juanhan and Telingewei made spicy barbecue seasoning, and Telingewei got into a scuffle with the sneezing Companion Beasts. Near dawn, the little ones snuck into the Magic Forest to have the little Demon Wolf track an animal by its poop, where the little Griffin accidentally sniffed it and nearly fell face-first into it.

• Xie Juanhan returned home with Telingewei, planted the gathered seeds, and tended the fields while postponing brewing wine until the mountain berries ripened.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei ground Spicy Clams and grass seeds into barbecue seasoning, and Telingewei secretly scattered powder until Haxi and the other Companion Beasts tore his pants.
• Xie Juanhan sealed the seasoning in jars and promised the little ones they could hunt and roast meat after gathering berries.
• Habei woke hungry under the moonlight, and the Companion Beasts slipped out of the dragon's cave with Harvey and the little Demon Wolf while the giant dragon watched them leave.
• The Companion Beasts found animal poop in the Magic Forest and urged the little Demon Wolf to track its owner's scent, but the little Griffin copied its sniff and retched from the smell.

The Companion Beasts and the little Demon Wolf hunted Erteme Demonic Beasts, which Xie Juanhan had roasted for them, and then asked to hunt more. Xie Juanhan and Telingewei set out with the fluffy creatures to gather autumn foods and hunt in the Magic Forest.

• The little Demon Wolf led the Companion Beasts to a cave, where they blocked hidden entrances and caught a little beast as it emerged.
• The Companion Beasts brought their prey to Xie Juanhan, and Telingewei identified it as level-one Erteme Demonic Beasts.
• Xie Juanhan marinated the prey and had Telingewei grill it, and the fluffy creatures eagerly ate the meal.
• The next day, the little ones longed for more Erteme Demonic Beast, so Xie Juanhan proposed another hunt and gathering trip with Telingewei.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei set off hand in hand with the little ones, who carried baskets into the Magic Forest.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei hunted Erteme Demonic Beasts with the little ones, sparing pregnant and young beasts and testing Xie Juanhan’s Blessing Magic. Back home, they prepared the three beasts as crispy-skinned roast meat, and Xie Juanhan opened one to release its juices as everyone waited to eat.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei joined the little ones in hunting Erteme Demonic Beasts, but released a pregnant female and used Blessing Magic to improve her condition.
• Xie Juanhan blessed the giant tree, and Telingewei explained that the tree shed its leaves because its strengthened vitality let it reclaim their substances.
• Xie Juanhan and the little ones caught three old or weak Erteme Demonic Beasts, while he blessed other beasts they encountered.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei prepared the beasts with seasonings and crispy-skin glaze, then hung them to dry overnight.
• Xie Juanhan cooked a sweet-and-sour fruit sauce while Telingewei roasted the beasts until their skin was golden and crisp.
• Xie Juanhan cut into a rested beast to let its juices flow as the little ones eagerly waited to eat.

Xie Juanhan arranged to trade the Perytons’ rice plants for down to make a larger quilt, then tried to keep the deal secret from Telingewei. Telingewei discovered the secret and bargained with the Companion Beasts to keep quiet.

• Xie Juanhan let the Perytons eat the rice plants he had saved and proposed trading them for down to make a large quilt.
• Xie Juanhan asked the Companion Beasts, the little Demon Wolf, and the little Griffin to hide the trade from Telingewei, and they agreed after he gave them nut bread.
• Xie Juanhan took Telingewei on a walk to the closed lakeside restaurant, where the two dragons kissed.
• Telingewei caught Habu and read his memories, discovering Xie Juanhan’s deal with the Perytons.
• Telingewei offered the Companion Beasts two gold coins in total to keep them from telling Xie Juanhan that he knew.

Xie Juanhan discovered that the Companion Beasts had accepted gold coins from Telingewei and suspected they were playing both sides. Later, a herd of Perytons took him to a snowy mountain range to show him magic berries, but he chose to return and wait for Telingewei before picking them.

• Telingewei paid Haxi and Habu two gold coins, and the Companion Beasts went to sleep after completing their deal.
• The Companion Beasts joined Xie Juanhan for breakfast, where the little Griffin ate eagerly while he watched and petted the others.
• Xie Juanhan realized Telingewei had given the Companion Beasts gold coins and suspected they were keeping the arrangement secret from him.
• A herd of Perytons visited Xie Juanhan and carried him west to a snowy mountain range where magic berries grew.
• Xie Juanhan thanked the Perytons but said he wanted to return with Telingewei, then invited them to his home for bread.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei ventured into the high mountains in search of the magic berries, first turning back when the other young beasts became ill from the altitude. They reached a secluded mountainside together, where Xie Juanhan spotted the berries growing among the grass.

• Xie Juanhan calmed the Perytons and the companion beasts with Dragon Power honey nectar, then agreed to pick magic berries with the Perytons the next morning.
• The Perytons led Xie Juanhan and Telingewei deep into the snowy mountains, but Telingewei found that the companion beasts and little Demon Wolf were suffering from the altitude.
• Telingewei carried the little ones down to a warm valley while he and Xie Juanhan continued higher to search for the berries.
• Telingewei flew with Xie Juanhan above the clouds, and they admired the view and talked about their worlds and the magic mountains.
• Telingewei dove to a green mountainside, where Xie Juanhan spotted sparse, translucent magic berries scattered through the grass.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei harvested Star Berries on a snowy mountainside and returned to share them with their companions and the Perytons. After Xie Juanhan ate one, its seed sprouted rapidly in his mouth, revealing a powerful magic plant, while several Perytons had already swallowed their seeds.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei picked the level-two berries, named them Star Berries, and planned to bring back magic-rich soil to try growing them.
• Xie Juanhan scattered nuts and jerky across the slope for animals and Demon Birds that might rely on the berries for food.
• Telingewei carried Xie Juanhan back to Harper, the companions, and the Perytons, and Xie Juanhan shared the Star Berries with them.
• Xie Juanhan tasted a Star Berry, and its seed absorbed his Dragon Power, split open, and grew into a silver-glowing seedling.
• Xie Juanhan learned that the companions had not sprouted seeds, but several Perytons had swallowed theirs and tried to retch them up.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei helped the Perytons expel swallowed Star Berry seeds, then prepared fruit bowls and planted the seeds near the hot springs. After the seedlings sprouted, they picked ripe forest berries and mashed them with the Star Berry skins to begin making wine.

• Telingewei tossed the Perytons into the air until they vomited up the Star Berry seeds, and Xie Juanhan fed them berry flesh instead.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei peeled and seeded the Star Berries, saving the skins for wine, then made fruit bowls for the family.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei cleared a plot by the hot springs, where Xie Juanhan planted the seeds and used Dragon Power to sprout a bed of seedlings.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei took the Companion Beasts into the Magic Forest and picked ripe berries.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei mashed the forest berries with the Star Berry skins to make a fragrant, magical berry mixture.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei tasted the dragon wine that had fermented for more than half a year, then shared a little with the Companion Beasts. After learning about suitable woods for wine barrels, they planned a trip to the Magic Forest, and Telingewei flew Xie Juanhan and the little ones there the next morning.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei poured berry juice into jars with Golden Mead yeast and sampled Xie Juanhan’s older, fragrant dragon wine.
• Harper and the other Companion Beasts caught the dragons tasting wine, so Telingewei gave each of them a mouthful.
• Telingewei learned that the little ones were talking about dwarven wine barrels and told Xie Juanhan that blossom wood and goddess wood suited their berry wine.
• Xie Juanhan agreed to gather the woods in the Magic Forest the next day and promised to bring beast-meat bread for the trip.
• The Companion Beasts carried baskets of food, and Telingewei transformed into a giant dragon and flew the group toward the forest.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei harvested a Goddess Wood tree to make barrels, and Pixies blessed the freshly cut boards. With the Pixies' help, Xie Juanhan learned to cast a silver dragon's blessing himself.

• Harper and the other Companion Beasts led Xie Juanhan and Telingewei to several Goddess Wood trees, and they chose the one with the weakest vitality to fell.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei cut the tree into boards and stacked them by the river to mature.
• The little Demon Wolf brought Pixies to the cabin, where they searched for barrels to bless.
• The Pixies explained that their blessings gave the wood a special fragrance and taught Xie Juanhan how to trace their magical runes.
• Xie Juanhan used Dragon Power to bless a board, and the Pixies cheered at his silver dragon's blessing.

Xie Juanhan fed the Companion Beasts a fragrant steamed meal and later discovered magical herbs in the Magic Forest with Telingewei’s help. He brought Telingewei to a sheltered pool to make Demon Bird soup with the herbs, leaving the bird meat to poach in the pot.

• Telingewei agreed that the dwarves could sort fragrant wood for wine barrels, and Xie Juanhan noticed his changed attitude toward them.
• Xie Juanhan steamed seasoned Demonic Beast meat with rice flour and shared it with the Companion Beasts and messenger birds.
• Haxi showed Telingewei memories of the strange scent on Xie Juanhan’s hand, but Telingewei chose not to investigate further.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei met in the Magic Forest, where Xie Juanhan asked Telingewei to help identify magical herbs he had dug up.
• Xie Juanhan led Telingewei to a pool, simmered magical herbs and Demon Bird bones, then added the bird meat to poach.