Chapter Summaries

Ding Ling and Duàn Yì watched the Herbal Tea Stall as a Black-Clad Swordsman suddenly killed four men with a single precise sword strike. Ding Ling judged his swordsmanship might surpass Duàn Yì’s, leaving Duàn Yì curious but unconvinced.

• Duàn Yì and Ding Ling debated why Hundred Flowers Valley had dared to attack the Southern Demonic Cult, then agreed to watch the Black-Clad Swordsman face Elder Kang.
• Elder Kang entertained the four thieves in the Herbal Tea Stall by spinning a teacup across his fingers.
• The Black-Clad Swordsman drew and sheathed his sword in one motion, killing all four thieves with invisible sword qi.
• Old Man Wang dropped his platter of buns and collapsed in terror when he saw the four men dead.
• Ding Ling told Duàn Yì that the Black-Clad Swordsman’s swordsmanship might be stronger than his, and Duàn Yì doubted her assessment.

Yan Jiu challenged Elder Kang to a direct fight after killing four thieves, then launched a layered attack at the Herbal Tea Stall. Elder Kang countered the table and teaware, but Yan Jiu’s true killing move was still concealed and ready to strike.

• Elder Kang praised Yan Jiu’s One-Word Electric Sword and asked why he had killed the four thieves.
• Yan Jiu said Elder Kang was his target and explained that the killings had strengthened his Killing Intent and warned Elder Kang to prepare.
• Elder Kang laughed, asked Yan Jiu’s name, and resolved to capture him to learn who had sent him.
• Yan Jiu named himself and launched the table at Elder Kang while keeping the teaware perfectly still on its surface.
• Elder Kang broke the table apart and caught the flying teapot and teacups, while Yan Jiu’s real killing move remained poised behind the deception.

Yan Jiu nearly killed Elder Kang with a deadly sword combination, but Elder Kang survived by using the Bone Shrinking Skill, a roar, and a powerful palm strike. The two remained alive after the exchange, and Duàn Yì watched the fight from afar through the Thousand-Mile Eye.

• Yan Jiu attacked Elder Kang with a sinister sword art infused with Killing Intent, catching him off guard and forcing him to defend himself.
• Elder Kang used the Bone Shrinking Skill to evade Yan Jiu’s first thrust, losing only a lock of hair.
• Yan Jiu shifted seamlessly into the One-Word Electric Sword and slashed at Elder Kang’s face.
• Elder Kang roared to interrupt Yan Jiu, then struck with a dark hand seal that shattered the sword attack and forced him to retreat.
• Duàn Yì watched the duel through the Thousand-Mile Eye and excitedly struck the earthen slope.

Duàn Yì watched Yan Jiu and Elder Kang’s duel through the Thousand-Mile Eye, assessing their techniques and gaining insights into combat. He realized Yan Jiu’s weak internal cultivation left him in grave danger and considered intervening with Ding Ling.

• Duàn Yì analyzed Yan Jiu’s swordsmanship and Elder Kang’s concealed-weapon, body-forging, and Black Hand Demonic Skill techniques.
• Ding Ling pinched Duàn Yì in frustration after he took the Thousand-Mile Eye, but he endured it by tensing his waist with his cultivation art.
• Elder Kang recovered from Yan Jiu’s opening attack, abandoned his contempt, and identified a flaw in Yan Jiu’s strength.
• Duàn Yì noticed Yan Jiu’s sword qi lacked depth and that the clash had left him badly hurt, while Elder Kang remained steady.
• Duàn Yì told Ding Ling that Yan Jiu’s weak internal cultivation could cost him his life and sought her opinion on whether they should intervene.

Yan Jiu used a forbidden martial art to unleash a final, thunderous sword strike against Elder Kang, but Elder Kang crushed him with a single palm. Duàn Yì watched the decisive clash and recognized that Yan Jiu’s skill could not overcome Elder Kang’s overwhelming strength.

• Ding Ling decided to hold position and observe, suspecting Yan Jiu’s assassination attempt concealed another plan.
• Yan Jiu activated a forbidden martial art, burning his potential to launch a desperate attack on Elder Kang.
• Yan Jiu unleashed an intricate, lightning-charged One-Word Electric Sword that formed a dark-blue net around Elder Kang.
• Elder Kang countered with a giant palm of true qi, destroying the cold-tea stall in the collision.
• Duàn Yì saw that Elder Kang remained unharmed while Yan Jiu and his sword lay shattered, and concluded that Elder Kang’s strength had prevailed.

Elder Kang killed the Black-Clad Swordsman and reassured Old Man Wang, compensating him for the damage and sharing one last cup of tea. As Elder Kang turned to leave, his internal energy suddenly stalled, and he realized something was wrong with the tea.

• Elder Kang laughed over the Black-Clad Swordsman's death while Old Man Wang crawled out of the dirt in terror.
• Old Man Wang promised to protect Elder Kang from the authorities, and Elder Kang assured him he would not cause him harm.
• Elder Kang gave Old Man Wang fifty taels to compensate him for the destroyed stall, and Old Man Wang prepared more tea.
• Duàn Yì and Ding Ling watched from the slope and wondered whether the seemingly ordinary Old Man Wang and his grandson were connected to a hidden scheme.
• Elder Kang drank the tea, said farewell to Old Man Wang, and felt his internal energy seize up as he turned to leave.

Old Man Wang revealed that he had poisoned Elder Kang for a payment, leaving the weakened elder furious and wary. From a distance, Duàn Yì and Ding Ling watched the confrontation and considered whether another threat would finish Elder Kang.

• Elder Kang realized that Old Man Wang's herbal tea had poisoned him and demanded to know the old man's connection to Yan Jiu.
• Old Man Wang admitted that someone had paid him five hundred taels to add medicine to Elder Kang's tea.
• Elder Kang raged at Old Man Wang but held back from attacking while he tried to assess the poison and the old man's intentions.
• Duàn Yì noticed Elder Kang's condition and discussed the poisoning with Ding Ling as they watched from afar.
• Ding Ling took the Thousand-Mile Eye from Duàn Yì and continued observing Elder Kang while keeping him under guard.

Duàn Yì rested while mentally studying Yan Jiu’s sword technique, as Elder Kang realized the Herbal Tea Stall had been the site of a carefully planned assassination. Old Man Wang’s grandson revealed himself as a monstrous swordsman, leaving Elder Kang shaken and his poison flaring again.

• Duàn Yì stopped watching the Herbal Tea Stall and lay back to reconstruct Yan Jiu’s killing-intent sword strike.
• Elder Kang deduced that Old Man Wang’s grandson was the hidden assassin behind the attack.
• Old Man Wang’s grandson retrieved a black short sword and transformed from a timid-looking man into a sinister, emotionless figure.
• Elder Kang recognized the assassin’s monstrous nature as a product of an extraordinarily terrifying sword technique.
• Elder Kang’s fear disrupted his internal power, and the poison he had suppressed began spreading again.

The real Yan Jiu revealed that the assassin Elder Kang killed was only Number 132, then advanced on the poisoned elder with overwhelming killing intent. From the hillside, Duàn Yì recognized how the assassins used implanted sword intent and watched Yan Jiu unleash a death-driven sword strike.

• The real Yan Jiu identified himself and said the dead assassin had been Number 132, while Elder Kang inferred that a powerful organization might be targeting the marriage alliance between the Guō and Zhuang families.
• Ding Ling used the Thousand-Mile Eye to show Duàn Yì the confrontation and suggested Hundred Flowers Valley might be behind the assassins.
• Duàn Yì realized the Black-Clad Swordsman had been a Death Warrior whose strange sword art came from sword intent implanted by someone else.
• Yan Jiu slowly approached the poisoned Elder Kang, gathering Killing Intent and Qi Aura into his sword.
• Yan Jiu merged with his sword and attacked with a death-filled strike that Duàn Yì recognized as a terrifying form of Man-Made Sword Control.

Yan Jiu’s mysterious sword defeated Elder Kang’s demonic blood technique and killed him. Yan Jiu beheaded the fallen elder, while Duàn Yì watched in shock.

• Duàn Yì felt the destructive intent of Yan Jiu’s sword and realized the technique was incomplete but terrifying.
• Elder Kang used Divine Blade Blood Transformation, Demonic Blood Great Method to attack Yan Jiu with a blade formed from his blood.
• Ding Ling recognized Elder Kang’s demonic art and explained its origins and deadly power.
• Yan Jiu’s sword tore through the blood blade and pierced Elder Kang’s heart, killing him.
• Yan Jiu beheaded Elder Kang and held up his head as Duàn Yì shuddered at the scene.

Duàn Yì recognized the assassin’s terrifying swordplay as likely belonging to the lineage of Thirteen Fatal Sword Strikes, while Ding Ling explained its connection to the Golden Silver Den. The pair were left wondering whether Elder Kang’s killers had been hired or ordered to act, and Duàn Yì speculated about the sword art’s master and his skill.

• Ding Ling reflected on Elder Kang’s death and marveled that his Demonic Cult martial arts had fallen to a single sword strike.
• Duàn Yì told Ding Ling that Elder Kang might have survived the swordplay at his peak, since the assassin had weakened him through a scheme and poison.
• Duàn Yì traced the swordplay’s characteristics to the Gu lineage and suspected it was related to Thirteen Fatal Sword Strikes.
• Ding Ling said Thirteen Fatal Sword Strikes belonged to the Lord of the Golden Silver Den, a feared assassin whose organization might have killed Elder Kang for money or under orders.
• Duàn Yì speculated that the Lord of the Golden Silver Den had likely reached the Fourteenth Sword, but not the nearly invincible Fifteenth Sword.

Duàn Yì and Ding Ling reconsidered their plans after seeing Yan Jiu bow to the seemingly ordinary Old Man Wang, whose perception also revealed their hiding place. In Hebei, Hundred Flowers Valley denied any Marriage Alliance with the Zhuang family, and Elder Kang’s assassination led local forces to hold back from aligning with the Zhuang family and the Southern Demonic Cult.

• Yan Jiu respectfully bowed to Old Man Wang after killing Elder Kang, making Duàn Yì realize the old man was an unexpected variable.
• Old Man Wang sensed Duàn Yì and Ding Ling hiding on a distant slope, and Duàn Yì urged Ding Ling to investigate the people involved before they considered building ties with them.
• Duàn Yì and Ding Ling withdrew from the wilderness as the sun set.
• Hundred Flowers Valley sent letters to more than fifteen Hebei forces denying any Marriage Alliance with the Zhuang family and warning that Elder Kang had acted under false pretenses.
• News spread that Elder Kang had been assassinated outside Heyin County, prompting the Hebei forces to postpone any alignment with the Zhuang family and the Southern Demonic Cult.

Ding Ling gave Duàn Yì information confirming that the Golden Silver Den assassinated Elder Kang, including details about its assassins and their swordsmanship. Duàn Yì realized Yan Jiu’s power came from a fragment of the Golden Silver Den Lord’s Fourteenth Sword intent.

• Ding Ling brought Duàn Yì intelligence confirming that the Golden Silver Den assassins had killed Elder Kang.
• Duàn Yì read profiles identifying Yan Jiu as a Gold Rank Assassin and the familiar middle-aged man as a Bronze Rank Assassin who had died during the same mission.
• Ding Ling explained that Yan Jiu and the other top assassins had received names and martial guidance from the Lord of the Golden Silver Den.
• Ding Ling revealed that the Lord had divided the Fourteenth Sword’s sword intent among ten assassins to empower their Thirteen Fatal Sword Strikes.
• Duàn Yì realized that Yan Jiu’s swordsmanship had carried a fragment of the complete Fourteenth Sword’s intent.

Duàn Yì and Ding Ling discussed seeking the Golden Silver Den’s cooperation against the Zhuang family, but their plans shifted when Chen Yong delivered the Den’s conditions. Chen Yong demanded Duàn Yì be sent to meet them, and Ding Ling reacted coldly as Chen Yong’s jealousy toward him became clear.

• Duàn Yì asked Ding Ling about the mysterious old man from the Herbal Tea Stall, and she said his origins were unknown but he was likely a former Golden Silver Den killer or instructor.
• Ding Ling revealed that she had sent a letter to the Golden Silver Den and proposed that Duàn Yì use Hundred Flowers Valley to pressure them into cooperating against the Zhuang family.
• Chen Yong arrived and reported that the Golden Silver Den would consider cooperation if Duàn Yì were sent to them, and that they wanted to see him immediately.
• Chen Yong gave Duàn Yì a smug look, while Ding Ling became stern and displeased at the demand.
• The narration explained that Chen Yong was Ding Ling’s trusted subordinate, harbored unrequited love for her, and resented Duàn Yì for attracting her attention.

Duàn Yì agreed to meet Golden Silver Den despite the danger, while Ding Ling weighed the organization’s possible ties to Hundred Flowers Valley and decided Chen Yong’s hostility toward Duàn Yì made him a liability. The chapter ended with Chen Yong reporting that Golden Silver Den’s people were waiting in Heyin County’s western fish market.

• Chen Yong expressed gloating hostility toward Duàn Yì, who concealed his disgust and considered whether Golden Silver Den meant him harm.
• Ding Ling judged that Golden Silver Den might be connected to Hundred Flowers Valley and told Duàn Yì he could try meeting them.
• Duàn Yì agreed to go, hoping to encounter the Lord of the Golden Silver Den and see the Thirteen Fatal Sword Strikes.
• Chen Yong secretly hoped Golden Silver Den would kill Duàn Yì, while Ding Ling noticed his gloating and resolved to use him until his remaining value was spent.
• Ding Ling asked where Golden Silver Den’s people were, and Chen Yong said they were waiting in the western fish market of Heyin County and would find Duàn Yì when he arrived.

Duàn Yì went to the fish market to meet the Golden Silver Den’s people and investigate their connection to Hundred Flowers Valley. After a powerful assassin escorted him away, Duàn Yì’s lightness skill impressed the man, who recognized why Boss Yan valued him.

• Duàn Yì disguised himself as a fisherman, sold his fish at the market, and waited in the shade for the Golden Silver Den’s people.
• A burly man approached and said his master wanted to meet Duàn Yì, and Duàn Yì agreed to follow him.
• Duàn Yì assessed the man as a highly skilled ambidextrous swordsman and likely assassin whose aura-concealing martial art resembled the old man’s technique.
• The pair swiftly left the market, ignoring a wealthy young master who ordered his servants to beat them.
• In a quiet alley, the burly man raced ahead using lightness skill, but Duàn Yì kept pace with ease and impressed him.

Duàn Yì met Boss Yan, a mysterious and powerful figure in the Golden Silver Den who tested him by asking him to choose a sword and demonstrate his swordsmanship. The chapter ended with Duàn Yì facing the challenge, unsure of Boss Yan’s intentions but sensing no hostility.

• Duàn Yì followed the burly man into a courtyard filled with swords and found Boss Yan beneath the eaves, petting a puppy.
• The burly man introduced Duàn Yì to Boss Yan, then left after being told to keep others away.
• Duàn Yì judged Boss Yan to be a peerless master whose strength surpassed Wang Xiong, Jue Ming, and Zhang Qingshan.
• After silently observing Duàn Yì, Boss Yan told him to choose a good sword so he could see Duàn Yì’s swordsmanship.

Duàn Yì faced a masked swordsman who challenged his right to court Guō Qíng, while Duàn Yì suspected the man might be her missing father. Their duel began, and Duàn Yì revealed his Sword Aura, astonishing his opponent.

• Duàn Yì reflected on how his swords had been destroyed as his martial skill advanced, and chose an iron sword for the coming duel.
• Duàn Yì studied the two enormous bronze statues in the courtyard, sensing a powerful force within them.
• The Iron Masked Man challenged Duàn Yì to prove his strength and questioned his right to court Guō Qíng.
• Duàn Yì suspected the masked man might be Guō Qíng's father and respectfully agreed to fight.
• The Iron Masked Man unleashed a sword wind that surrounded Duàn Yì with invisible sword qi.
• Duàn Yì cut apart the attack with a foot-long Sword Aura, and the Iron Masked Man exclaimed that Duàn Yì had cultivated it.

Duàn Yì recognized the Iron Masked Man’s Sword Aura as the rare power born from the Songyang Iron Sword, while the man revealed astonishing sword mastery and challenged him. The man unleashed the Thirteen Fatal Sword Strikes, leaving Duàn Yì trapped in a deadly sword intent.

• Duàn Yì considered the different kinds of Sword Aura and recognized his own as the rare form that could pierce defenses and empower a sword.
• The Iron Masked Man confirmed that Duàn Yì’s Sword Aura came from the Songyang Iron Sword and praised his talent, though he said he wanted to teach him a lesson.
• Duàn Yì suspected the Iron Masked Man was connected to Guō Nuǎn and feared the man might kill him.
• The Iron Masked Man’s devotion to the sword transformed his bearing, and he attacked Duàn Yì with twelve flowing, shifting strikes.
• Duàn Yì recognized the attack as the Thirteen Fatal Sword Strikes as its lethal Sword Momentum ensnared him.

Duàn Yì endured the Iron-faced Mysterious Person’s Twelve Deadly Swords and countered with a sword art evolved from the One Yang Finger, but was badly shaken and forced to retreat. Afterward, he lamented that he had not seen the Fourteenth Sword, and the Iron-faced Mysterious Person scolded him for risking his life, especially since his daughter might be widowed.

• The Iron-faced Mysterious Person’s sword intent and Death Aura began to overwhelm Duàn Yì, who used Primordial Vital Energy and Buddhist power to resist them.
• Duàn Yì shouted “Break!” and met the Twelve Deadly Swords with a sword technique transformed from the One Yang Finger.
• The clash shattered Duàn Yì’s iron sword and drove him back, while he expelled the remaining sword qi through intricate footprints.
• Duàn Yì recovered and asked why the Iron-faced Mysterious Person had used only twelve strikes instead of revealing the Fourteenth Sword.
• The Iron-faced Mysterious Person rebuked Duàn Yì, warning that the Fourteen Deadly Swords would kill him and leave his daughter a widow.