Recaps

Lu Chen visited the dying Wang Hu, who revealed hidden powers and conspiracies in Shahu County before offering him a deal to destroy the Black Pole Gang. Lu Chen accepted, and Wang Hu’s final suspicion linked the Flying Eagle Horse Gang to the Northwestern Border Army and the gangs’ attack to the Green Bamboo Gang’s iron mine.

• Wang Hu identified Lu Chen as the person behind recent killings and the discord among the gangs, then proposed a deal to have him destroy the Black Pole Gang.
• Wang Hu offered Lu Chen information about a complete cultivation method held by Registrar Wang Xiong and revealed that the Black Pole Gang operated beneath the Constables’ Barracks.
• Wang Hu named Hu Bufan, Li Ziren, and Meng Ping as powerful officials, explained Hu Bufan had been sidelined, and warned that the Black Pole Gang had branches across Great Qian.
• Lu Chen agreed to Wang Hu’s deal and offered to end his suffering with a quick death.
• Wang Hu guessed that the Flying Eagle Horse Gang included men from the Northwestern Border Army and said the gangs had attacked the Green Bamboo Gang over its iron mine.

After killing Wang Hu and looting the Green Bamboo Gang’s storeroom, Lu Chen learned that stronger forces remained in Shahu County. Unable to sleep, he abducted and mutilated Li Feng, then used him to lure out the Black Pole Gang at a concealed residence near the County Yamen.

• Lu Chen killed Wang Hu, gained Fate Value, and stole the Green Bamboo Gang’s cultivation books and valuables; a surviving gang member found the gang leader dead and the storeroom emptied.
• Lu Chen returned home but, haunted by Wang Hu’s warnings about the Black Pole Gang and angered by Li Feng’s past treatment of him, decided to target Li Feng instead.
• Lu Chen entered the Jade Pavilion through a window, found Li Feng asleep with two women, knocked the women unconscious, and carried Li Feng away.
• Lu Chen brought Li Feng to a hidden residence near the County Yamen, cut out his tongue and severed both hands, then threw him into the courtyard to draw out the Black Pole Gang.

Lu Chen used pebbles and a staged attack to make the Black Pole Gang kill Li Feng, then prevented Zhou Tiezhu from committing suicide. Kang Mao discovered Li Feng’s identity and suspected an unseen attacker, while Lu Chen learned Zhao Defu was absent.

• Lu Chen killed Old Wang and another Black Pole Gang member with pebbles while Li Feng crawled through the courtyard, and Zhou Tiezhu killed Li Feng with a saber.
• The gang members washed Li Feng’s face, recognized Young Master Li, and Zhou Tiezhu tried to stop two witnesses from reporting the death before attempting suicide.
• Lu Chen struck Zhou Tiezhu’s arm with a pebble to stop him from killing himself, and the other gang members knocked him unconscious and tied him up.
• Kang Mao arrived, questioned Zhou Tiezhu, and ordered him taken away while searching for the hidden attacker.
• Kang Mao examined the dead men and suspected the attacker had used hidden weapons in the deaths of Li Mantun, his enforcers, and Green Bamboo Gang members.
• Lu Chen overheard Kang Mao ask for the Gang Leader and realized Zhao Defu was not there.

Lu Chen fought his way through the Black Pole Gang’s underground torture chambers and killed its members while freeing a beggar who was searching for his son. He escaped a trap underground, but Zhao Defu ambushed him at the stairs, and Lu Chen prepared to face him after spending Fate and Luck points to break his limit.

• Lu Chen followed gang members into a hidden underground chamber and discovered mutilated children being kept in cages for the Black Pole Gang’s begging scheme.
• Lu Chen killed two men carrying corpses and a burly torturer, then freed a beaten beggar who continued searching the chambers for his son.
• Lu Chen confronted Kang Mao and his subordinates, killed the attackers and Zhou Tiezhu, and pursued Kang Mao to a locked iron door.
• Lu Chen escaped through the still-open entrance, leaving the beggar behind, but Zhao Defu struck him with a Ripe-Copper Staff and sent him crashing down the stairs.
• Lu Chen spent 1600 Fate Value and 10 Luck Value to break his limit, recovered from his injuries, and faced Zhao Defu as the gang leader descended toward him.

Lu Chen defeated Zhao Defu, whose strength had reached the Marrow Washing Realm, and wiped out the Black Pole Gang except for two injured survivors. He prepared to question them about the White Ape Staff Technique after gaining Fate Value and Luck Value.

• Zhao Defu confronted Lu Chen and attacked him with the Ripe-Copper Staff, but Lu Chen recognized his strength and fought back with the Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique.
• Lu Chen overpowered Zhao Defu, cut open his abdomen, and killed him with a strike to the chest.
• Lu Chen killed the Black Pole Gang members while Kang Mao fled, then struck Kang Mao in the back with a throwing knife and killed him.
• Lu Chen left two gang members alive with their tendons severed and searched the bodies, but found no cultivation method.
• Lu Chen gained 1,600 Fate Value and 16 Luck Value, then approached the survivors and promised not to kill them if they answered his questions.

Lu Chen rescued children from the Black Pole Gang’s base and sent Zhao Mancang to alert Hu Bufan, while arranging for Zhao Mancang and his son Xiao He to escape safely. After Hu Bufan found the children and vowed to pursue the gang’s allies, Lu Chen checked his gains and headed to loot their homes.

• Lu Chen questioned two Black Pole Gang members about Zhao Defu, the gang’s child trafficking, and its links to other groups, then killed them when they tried to flee.
• Lu Chen approached Zhao Mancang, whose son Xiao He had been tortured, and asked him to bring Hu Bufan to the gang’s base so the authorities could handle the rescued children.
• Lu Chen promised to protect Xiao He, gave Zhao Mancang money for a doctor and a swift departure, and watched him leave with his son.
• Hu Bufan found the children in cages and condemned Zhao Defu, Wang Xiong, Meng Ping, and Li Ziren, while Lu Chen escaped unseen.
• Lu Chen gained Fate Value and Luck Value for changing the children’s fates, then set out to loot the gang members’ homes.

After the Black Pole Gang was destroyed, Lu Chen searched Zhao Defu’s home and questioned his mistress, Xiao Cui, but found no Cultivation Method. He spared Xiao Cui and her son and returned to his courtyard with money and incomplete methods from the Green Bamboo Gang, intending to upgrade them with Luck Value.

• Lu Chen searched Zhao Defu’s residence but found only a few thousand taels and medicinal herbs, then went to look for a Cultivation Method at Zhao Defu’s mistress’s home.
• Li Ziren blamed the rescued children for his son Li Feng’s death and ordered Li Jun to investigate them and find out who had informed Hu Bufan.
• Hu Bufan sent secret letters to his superiors, while townspeople gathered at the county yamen and mourned the abused children.
• Meng Ping and Wang Xiong discussed the deaths of Zhao Defu, Wang Hu, Li Mantun, and Wang Bao, noting the hidden weapons and Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique before deciding to report the matter.
• Lu Chen questioned Xiao Cui, learned she knew nothing of Zhao Defu’s gang, and let her and her son leave Sand Lake County Town with travel money.
• Lu Chen returned to his courtyard, accepted that he had found no new Cultivation Method, and planned to practice the incomplete methods he had taken from the Green Bamboo Gang.

After learning several Cultivation Methods, Lu Chen decided to train his younger siblings and help the villagers become stronger and earn more. He explained his plan to Second Grandfather Lu Wei, who agreed to help him bring it to the village head.

• Lu Chen practiced six Cultivation Methods and gained Traits for them, with the Thrusting skill Trait merging with Formation-Breaking Spearmanship.
• Lu Chen agreed to teach Lu Ming and Lu Tang, recommending Linked Pearl Archery and Eight-Direction Footwork for them to learn first.
• Lu Chen planned to arm the village and find the villagers a profitable trade so they could protect themselves and improve their livelihoods.
• Lu Chen told Lu Wei, Lu Ting, and Lu Zhen that he wanted to teach martial arts to villagers who hunted in the mountains, citing dangers and troubling news from the county town.
• Lu Wei recalled the worsening times and Lu Jiang's service on the northwestern border, then agreed to go with Lu Chen to speak to Xian De.

Lu Chen organized the villagers to build a secluded training ground and raise livestock, then used the Fate Value gained from teaching to improve his skills and physical Traits. The system fused several Traits into an elementary Hunyuan Body, but unlocking it left him with no Fate Value and a Luck Value debt.

• Lu Chen and Lu Xiande agreed to teach Cultivation Methods to the villagers and arranged to recruit trainees and buy food.
• Lu Chen directed villagers to clear a secluded training ground near Great Green Mountain and had them build a shed and prepare the site.
• Lu Chen arranged for Lu Xiande and Lu Wei to oversee piglets and chicken and duck eggs while he continued teaching.
• The system rewarded Lu Chen with 34 Fate Value after his teaching changed the fates of villagers, and he used his accumulated points to perfect several skills and improve his Traits and Cultivation Methods.
• Lu Chen improved Normal Nutrition to Overflowing Qi and Blood, triggering the fusion of Rapid Recovery, Overflowing Qi and Blood, Strong and Sturdy, and Robust Strength into an elementary Hunyuan Body.
• The system required 1,000 Fate Value and 100 Luck Value to unlock the Hunyuan Body, leaving Lu Chen with no Fate Value and debts of 376 Fate Value and 41 Luck Value.

Lu Chen trained Qingshan Village’s villagers in Eight Directions Step and Formation-Breaking Spearmanship, then considered ways to make the village self-sufficient. In Sand Lake County, Li Ziren hired the Black Kill Pavilion to find the killer of his son Li Feng, and the old farmer promised results within three days.

• Lu Chen taught hundreds of villagers Eight Directions Step and Formation-Breaking Spearmanship, then fed them meat and medicinal soup; their changed fates earned him 326 Fate Value.
• Lu Chen continued training the children and villagers while considering possible industries to support Qingshan Village, but he could not settle on one.
• Hu Bufan gained influence in Sand Lake County Town after his role in investigating and wiping out the Black Pole Gang, while Meng Ping and Wang Xiong lay low.
• Li Ziren berated Li Jun for failing to identify Li Feng’s killer and ordered him to hire the Black Kill Pavilion.
• Li Jun paid the Black Kill Pavilion 3,500 taels to find Li Feng’s killer and bring the person to him alive, and the old farmer promised a result within three days.

The Black Kill Pavilion traced Li Feng’s murder to Lu Chen and sent Crippled Blade to capture him alive. Sensing that someone was watching him, Lu Chen left Qingshan Village alone for the county town, disguised as a scholar and prepared for trouble.

• The Black Kill Pavilion investigated Li Feng’s connections, put Lu Chen among three suspects, and assigned the nearby four-star assassin Crippled Blade to bring him back alive.
• Lu Chen taught the village children and martial arts students, then felt someone watching him from outside the schoolhouse.
• Lu Chen tested the sensation with Lu Ming and Lu Tang and concluded that a strong person might be spying on him.
• Lu Chen suspected his encounter with Li Feng had exposed him, arranged for Second Grandfather to look after Lu Ming and Lu Tang, and left Qingshan Village for the county town in disguise.

Lu Chen exposed Crippled Blade, an assassin sent by Elder Ning, and fought him on the road outside Qingshan Village. After injuring Crippled Blade and pursuing him into the woods, Lu Chen closed in and demanded to know why he had come.

• Crippled Blade followed Lu Chen out of Qingshan Village, disguised himself as a farmer, and approached him on the road.
• Lu Chen offered Crippled Blade water, then threw lime powder and a knife at him when Crippled Blade attacked with his chained broken blade.
• Crippled Blade underestimated Lu Chen, but Lu Chen's Iron Pellets badly injured him and revealed that Lu Chen had reached Marrow Cleansing.
• Crippled Blade forced Lu Chen back, tossed his luggage at him, and fled into the woods; Lu Chen dodged the luggage and pursued him.
• Lu Chen hit Crippled Blade with a throwing knife and caught up as Crippled Blade fled through the woods, then demanded to know why he had come.

Lu Chen captured Crippled Blade and interrogated him about the Black Kill Pavilion, learning that Li Jun had hired the assassin and that the organization had a branch in Shahu County. After silently watching his captive for half an hour, Lu Chen asked whether he could join the Black Kill Pavilion.

• Lu Chen crippled Crippled Blade, searched him, and found an iron Four-Star Black Kill Pavilion token and a detailed booklet about Lu Chen.
• Lu Chen forced Crippled Blade to answer by nodding or shaking his head, confirming that he belonged to the Black Kill Pavilion and that it had a branch in Shahu County.
• Crippled Blade indicated that Li Jun had hired him and that the Black Kill Pavilion would send another assassin if a mission failed.
• After watching Crippled Blade in silence, Lu Chen asked if he could join the Black Kill Pavilion.

Lu Chen decided to join the Black Kill Pavilion because he could not protect his family and village from its reach on his own. After bringing the injured Crippled Blade to the organization’s Shahu County headquarters, Lu Chen announced his intention to join and left Elder Ning stunned.

• Lu Chen told Crippled Blade that he wanted to join the Black Kill Pavilion and asked whether killing Li Jun would end the mission.
• Crippled Blade agreed to take Lu Chen to the branch, and Lu Chen gained 100 Fate Value after changing Crippled Blade’s fate.
• Crippled Blade told Lu Chen that the branch had about six members and led him to an inconspicuous courtyard in Shahu County.
• Ghost Hand let Lu Chen and Crippled Blade inside, while Elder Ning prepared to treat Crippled Blade and wondered whether the mission had failed.
• Lu Chen introduced himself to Elder Ning and said he had come to join the Black Kill Pavilion, leaving Elder Ning surprised.

Lu Chen sought to join the Black Kill Pavilion to avoid being killed, and Elder Ning offered him a trial mission targeting Li Ziren, the man who had hired the Pavilion. Elder Ning grew suspicious of Lu Chen’s strength and background, then tried to stall him while waiting for reinforcements.

• Elder Ning suspected Lu Chen wanted to join the Black Kill Pavilion because he feared for his life, and Lu Chen admitted he wanted to avoid dying.
• Elder Ning explained that Lu Chen had to complete a mission to become a One-Star Iron-Token Killer, then gave him files on Hu Bufan and Li Ziren.
• Lu Chen rejected the mission to kill Hu Bufan, a county magistrate, and accepted the mission against Li Ziren, the Pavilion’s employer.
• Elder Ning asked about Lu Chen’s cultivation and connection to the Bao Household, then concluded that some powerful force must be backing him.
• Lu Chen asked how many Pavilion members were in Shahu County so he could buy them gifts, while Elder Ning stalled him and waited for Swordsman and other allies to arrive.

Lu Chen met the Black Kill Pavilion’s assassins and learned that Li Jun had hired them to kill him. When Elder Ning exposed Li Jun’s suspicions about his father and offered a different deal, Li Jun refused, and Lu Chen prepared to act.

• Lu Chen asked Elder Ning about cultivation methods and learned that he would need Black Kill Coins and approval from Headquarters to study them at a Prefectural City branch.
• Xiong Pi and Lang Gou arrived, and Swordsman and Ghost Hand brought Li Jun into the courtyard.
• Li Jun demanded to know where Lu Chen was, then recognized him and accused the Black Kill Pavilion of deceiving him.
• Elder Ning revealed Li Jun’s secret investigation into his mother’s death and suggested killing his father instead, but Li Jun rejected the offer.
• Lu Chen recalled Li Jun’s violent crimes and turned to face him; Li Jun threatened him by invoking his father’s identity.

Lu Chen killed Li Jun after stopping his attempt to escape, then joined the Black Kill Pavilion assassins for wine while pretending to get drunk. As the gathering turned tense, Lu Chen spilled wine on the swordsman and struck Lang Gou with his elbow.

• Li Jun tried to flee by charging at Lu Chen, who caught his punch and killed him with two blows.
• Lu Chen asked Elder Ning to let him pursue Li Ziren, but Elder Ning told the others to celebrate the newcomer instead.
• Lang Gou and the others pressured Lu Chen to drink, and Lu Chen pretended to become drunk.
• Lu Chen insulted the group and asked to make amends with Crippled Blade, but Elder Ning said Crippled Blade was resting.
• Lu Chen tipped his wine over the swordsman's head, then drove his elbow into Lang Gou's chest.

Lu Chen fought off the Black Kill Pavilion branch members who had poisoned and ambushed him, killing several while resisting their attacks. Xiong Pi finally trapped Lu Chen in a crushing hold as Elder Ning approached with silver needles.

• Lu Chen ambushed Lang Gou, injured Swordsman and Ghost Hand, and evaded Xiong Pi’s attacks.
• Lu Chen killed Swordsman with a flying knife, stabbed Xiong Pi, and ruined Lang Gou’s crossbow while resisting Ghost Hand’s poison.
• Lu Chen killed Ghost Hand through the round table with an Iron Pellet, and Elder Ning realized Lu Chen was immune to poison.
• Lu Chen tore flesh from Xiong Pi’s waist, then killed Lang Gou with a kick to the neck.
• Xiong Pi seized Lu Chen in a crushing hold and called for Elder Ning to kill him, so Elder Ning emerged with silver needles.

Lu Chen killed the Black Kill Pavilion assassins who ambushed him, then looted their hidden base and found information about Li Ziren. He prepared for another attack and headed to Li Ziren’s residence to continue his trial mission.

• Lu Chen broke free from Xiong Pi’s hold, used him to knock Elder Ning aside, and killed Elder Ning and Xiong Pi.
• Lu Chen found that the person in the bed was gone and stabbed Crippled Blade as he tried to crawl away.
• Lu Chen received Fate Value and Luck Value, searched the corpses, and carried the Black Kill Pavilion’s valuables and intelligence back to his rented house.
• Lu Chen studied the information on Li Ziren, repaired his protective mirror, replenished his weapons, and dressed in black.
• Lu Chen visited the Black Kill Pavilion, then left for Li Ziren’s residence.

Lu Chen infiltrated Li Ziren’s home with another would-be assassin, and the two agreed to kill him after learning he had murdered children rescued by Lord Hu. After Lu Chen killed Li Ziren and looted the room, he blamed the Flying Eagle Horse Gang and led his uneasy companion to search the study.

• Lu Chen entered Li Ziren’s mansion at night and encountered a masked man sneaking in to kill Li Ziren.
• Lu Chen and the masked man agreed to cooperate after the man said Li Ziren had killed several children rescued by Lord Hu.
• The masked man filled Li Ziren’s bedroom with knockout smoke, and Lu Chen stabbed Li Ziren and cut his throat.
• Lu Chen searched the bedroom for valuables, and the masked man joined him after Lu Chen argued that he was returning stolen wealth to the people.
• Lu Chen wrote that the Flying Eagle Horse Gang had killed Li Ziren, then led the masked man to search the study.

Lu Chen escaped after killing Li Ziren and looting his study, while Hu Bufan investigated the fire and discovered that the Black Kill Pavilion had been wiped out. The next morning, Lu Chen prepared valuables and left Sand Lake County Town, leaving his siblings to attend class.

• Lu Chen and the gentleman on the wall searched Li Ziren's study, and Lu Chen took the Vajra Body cultivation method before fleeing amid the fire.
• The gentleman on the wall gave Lu Chen a jade pendant and left; Lu Chen returned home and sorted the intelligence, medicines, money, poisons, and other spoils he had taken.
• Hu Bufan learned that seven bodies, including Li Jun and members of the Black Kill Pavilion, had been found at the fire scene, where a blood-written message blamed the Flying Eagle Horse Gang.
• Hu Bufan ordered an investigation into why Li Jun had visited the Black Kill Pavilion as Meng Ping and Wang Xiong waited for Li Ziren.
• The next morning, Lu Chen packed valuables and Vajra Body and left Sand Lake County Town while Lu Ming and Lu Tang joined class.

After studying the Black Kill Pavilion’s intelligence, Lu Chen gained the Vajra Body Trait and tested its strong defensive power. In Shahu County, a prefectural inspection team arrived to investigate the murders, and Wang Xiong returned home to find a black-clad figure waiting in his study.

• Lu Chen learned about Great Qian’s weakening rule, unrest in the north, and the country’s borders from the Black Kill Pavilion’s intelligence.
• Lu Chen practiced the Vajra Body until he gained the entry-level Trait, then tested how well it resisted a dagger.
• Zhan Ping, Zhao An, and Song Qi arrived in Shahu County to investigate Li Ziren’s murder and were ordered to solve the case within seven days.
• Meng Ping hosted the inspectors at a banquet, while Wang Xiong noticed someone flash past and left early.
• Wang Xiong returned home, entered his study, and found a black-clad figure sitting there.

Wang Xiong received orders from the Azure Lord to find the Black Pole Gang’s killer, replace a missing quota of fifty children within five days, and rebuild the gang. Meanwhile, Zhou Chu’s Flying Eagle Horse Gang arrived in Shahu County and planned to take control, while two Black Kill Pavilion agents considered extorting them rather than pursuing the mysterious killer.

• The Azure Lord told Wang Xiong to identify who destroyed the Black Pole Gang, supply fifty children to Shanyang within five days, and establish a new gang in Shahu County.
• Wang Xiong decided to seek help from Hao Cheng in Yuncheng County and sent a trusted subordinate with a letter, while considering framing Zhuo Li if he could not find the real culprit.
• Ma Jun told Zhou Chu that the Black Pole Gang and Black Kill Pavilion had been destroyed, and that blood-written messages had framed the Flying Eagle Horse Gang for both attacks.
• Ma Jun reported that one person skilled with hidden weapons and the Bao Household’s Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique might have committed the killings, prompting Zhou Chu to consider whether the Bao Household was targeting his gang.
• Zhou Chu ordered his men to bring Shahu County’s gangs under his command, recruit blacksmiths and miners, restart the Green Bamboo Gang’s iron mine, and collect fees from shops and villages.
• Two Black Kill Pavilion agents judged that the killer might be Xiantian and decided to consider extorting Zhou Chu’s Flying Eagle Horse Gang instead of searching for the killer.

Zhou Chu paid the Black Kill Pavilion thirty thousand taels to keep it from interfering with the Flying Eagle Horse Gang’s plans for an iron mine, while Lu Chen received Fate Value from villagers’ martial arts progress but remained short on Luck Value. The chapter left Lu Chen unable to upgrade his Ox-Cleaving Saber Technique.

• Bai Sha and Hei Po accused Zhou Chu’s Flying Eagle Horse Gang of destroying the Black Kill Pavilion branch and demanded an explanation.
• Zhou Chu offered thirty thousand taels in exchange for the Black Kill Pavilion not interfering with the gang’s plans or reporting them to its superiors.
• Bai Sha and Hei Po accepted the silver and left, while Zhou Chu explained that he wanted to avoid a fight and intended to raise the money from Shahu County’s residents if needed.
• Zhou Chu warned his brothers not to act recklessly and said the iron mine was their priority.
• Lu Chen received 1,039 Fate Value as villagers advanced in martial arts, bringing his total to 3,803, but he lacked the Luck Value needed to upgrade his saber technique.

Lu Chen and the people of Qingshan Village confronted the Flying Eagle Horse Gang, which claimed Shahu County and demanded protection money. Lu Chen chose to have the village pay for now, intending to deal with the gang later after visiting a county seat.

• Lu Chen considered seeking Luck Value in neighboring counties while continuing his cultivation.
• Lu Chen heard riders approaching, warned Lu Huaiyi and the others, and rushed to the village entrance.
• Lu Xiande and the villagers blocked the Flying Eagle Horse Gang, led by Wang Feng, as its men threatened them and mocked their resistance.
• Wang Feng announced that the gang controlled Shahu County and demanded payment in exchange for protection.
• Lu Chen quietly spoke with Lu Xiande, who asked Wang Feng how much the village owed; Wang Feng demanded two taels per person, counting the village as having a thousand people.