Leaf cards

A historical Chinese card game, a precursor to mahjong, played with long, narrow cards. It was a popular gambling game during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Definition

A historical Chinese card game, a precursor to mahjong, played with long, narrow cards. It was a popular gambling game during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Story context

After the mountain’s horrors, this chapter feels like a slow, uneasy exhale—but don’t mistake the calm for safety. Li Huowang descends with a single-minded purpose, and his first act is to burn the group’s hard-won treasure. The quiet intimacy between Bai Lingmiao and Chun Xiaoman reveals raw emotional layers, while Xiaoman’s dawn sword practice plants a seed of agency. This is a chapter about love, loyalty, and the cold calculation of a man who has stopped caring about money because he’s thinking on a scale no one else can see. Get ready for a departure that feels less like travel and more like a slow-motion gamble.

Why it matters

- **Bai Lingmiao’s devotion** is laid bare. She doesn’t care about his madness—she cares that he accepts her. This is a fragile but vital anchor for Li Huowang. - **Xiaoman’s arc** takes a huge step. She is no longer just the silent, hirsute woman; she is actively seeking power. Her sword manual purchase is her first independent act of self-determination. Notice how she guards Bai Lingmiao even in sleep—her protectiveness runs deep. - **Li Huowang’s opacity** grows. He doesn’t explain himself, doesn’t apologize, and doesn’t ask permission. He is moving toward a goal that makes gold irrelevant. That should worry us—what makes a man so certain that he can afford to give away the group’s only wealth? - **The chapter’s final image**—the group stuck in a village, Li Huowang missing, everyone idle and playing cards—sets up a classic tension. Something is coming. The calm before the storm is never truly calm in this world.