Chapter Summaries

Fang Shuwen anticipated the Black Sha Cult’s hidden attacker and caught the black-robed man before he could strike his Qihai acupoint. He crippled the man with True Qi and seized him, while Feng Mantian and Guan Tianyue were still circling him.

• Feng Mantian and Guan Tianyue circled Fang Shuwen, feinting to draw his attention while Zuo Qingshuang cursed their shameless tactics.
• Xu Chongshan spotted the black-robed man rushing toward Fang Shuwen and shouted a warning.
• Fang Shuwen revealed that he had been watching the black-robed man and caught his finger as it aimed for his Qihai acupoint.
• Fang Shuwen shattered the black-robed man’s acupoints and meridians with True Qi, then seized his head and swung him toward Feng Mantian and Guan Tianyue.

Fang Shuwen stopped Feng Mantian from taking Zhou Qingmei and killed him after overpowering his attack. As the others noticed Guan Tianyue trying to escape, Xu Chongshan confronted him.

• Feng Mantian tried to seize Zhou Qingmei as a hostage, but Fang Shuwen stopped him and asked what he was going to do to his employer.
• Feng Mantian unleashed the [Black Sha Demonic Art] and charged Fang Shuwen, but Fang Shuwen held him in place and hurled him through the hall wall.
• Fang Shuwen caught Feng Mantian, slammed him into the ground, and killed him with three punches.
• Someone spotted Guan Tianyue escaping, and Guan Tianyue tried to leap away despite his injured leg.
• Xu Chongshan appeared in front of Guan Tianyue and looked down at him.

Fang Shuwen cured Zuo Qingshuang and Xu Chongshan of Qi-Severing Powder, allowing them to return to the battle against the Black Sha Cult. He then began treating the poisoned Pearl Pavilion disciples as Zhou Qingmei and Lu Xiaoqing looked after him.

• After searching Feng Mantian's corpse for an antidote and finding none, Fang Shuwen offered to treat Zuo Qingshuang.
• Fang Shuwen circulated his True Qi through Zuo Qingshuang, and she discovered that the poison had disappeared.
• Zuo Qingshuang rushed out to help fight, telling Zhou Qingmei and Lu Xiaoqing to take care of Fang Shuwen.
• Xu Chongshan asked Fang Shuwen to treat him, then hurried out once his poison was cured.
• Fang Shuwen began curing the poisoned Pearl Pavilion disciples, who each urged Zhou Qingmei and Lu Xiaoqing to look after him.

Fang Shuwen completed his mission to protect Zhou Qingmei and received Beiming Shengong, but he postponed claiming it while investigating the surviving hooded man. The man died in a burst of fire after uttering cryptic words, leaving the Pearl Pavilion unsure whether a hidden threat remained as Zuo Qingshuang returned from battle.

• The system notified Fang Shuwen that his mission to protect Zhou Qingmei was complete and rewarded him with Beiming Shengong at the great perfection realm.
• Fang Shuwen decided not to claim Beiming Shengong yet and went to question the hooded man, whom he suspected might be connected to another organization.
• Fang Shuwen used his internal-force thread to wake and torture the hooded man, who resisted until he uttered, “Ten thousand miles... shocked! Emperor... upon the throne!!”
• The hooded man ignited and exploded into flames after Fang Shuwen threw him outside, and Fang Shuwen warned that another stream of True Qi might have caused it.
• Zuo Qingshuang returned, praised Fang Shuwen, invited everyone to a feast, and asked about the flash of fire.

Fang Shuwen fused the internal arts [Muscle Tendon Change] and [Beiming Shengong], gaining the ability to switch between them and purify absorbed internal power. After the Pearl Pavilion rewarded him for saving it, Zuo Qingshuang led him to its treasure repository the next morning.

• Fang Shuwen claimed [Beiming Shengong], and the system fused it with [Muscle Tendon Change] into a formula that let him switch between the two arts.
• Fang Shuwen realized he could use [Muscle Tendon Change] to purify internal power absorbed with [Beiming Shengong].
• Zuo Qingshuang told Fang Shuwen that Lou Yuxiao had remained in seclusion after hearing the hooded man's final words.
• The Pearl Pavilion Pavilion Master gave Fang Shuwen a Pearl Pavilion Token and offered him a gift from the treasure repository.
• Zuo Qingshuang led Fang Shuwen to the treasure repository early the next morning.

Fang Shuwen chose a Ten-Year Dust-Shattering Pill from the Treasure Pavilion as a gift for his aging master, Zheng Sihai, after learning it granted ten years of internal power at the cost of hindering future cultivation. Zuo Qingshuang recounted Divine Pill Valley’s destruction and the conspiracy behind it, and the chapter ended as Fang Shuwen and Zuo Qingshuang left the pavilion and saw Zhou Qingmei waiting.

• Fang Shuwen asked Zuo Qingshuang about the Ten-Year Dust-Shattering Pill and learned its benefits and drawbacks.
• Fang Shuwen decided to take the pill for Zheng Sihai, and Zuo Qingshuang handed it to him.
• Zuo Qingshuang told Fang Shuwen how Divine Pill Valley was falsely accused of using human organs in its pills, destroyed, and later revealed to have been framed.
• Fang Shuwen and Zuo Qingshuang left the Treasure Pavilion and found Zhou Qingmei waiting outside.

Fang Shuwen left the Pearl Pavilion, then spent several days in Guangning City investigating the Fang family and trying to trigger a system assignment without success. As he decided to return to Julu City, he spotted his eldest senior brother, Mo Beidou, being pursued by two men in black.

• Fang Shuwen bid farewell to Zhou Qingmei and Zuo Qingshuang, then returned to Guangning City to investigate the Fang family and seek work.
• After finding nothing suspicious at the Fang residence and triggering no assignments, Fang Shuwen decided to return to Julu City and visit his master and senior brother.
• Fang Shuwen saw a muscular man carrying a conspicuous bundle enter an alley while two men in black pursued him.
• Fang Shuwen recognized the pursued man as his eldest senior brother, Mo Beidou.

Fang Shuwen found his eldest senior brother, Mo Beidou, being attacked by two members of the Fierce Tiger Gang. He killed both men, leaving Mo Beidou stunned by how powerful his junior brother had become.

• Two men in black cornered Mo Beidou in Guangning City and demanded that he reveal Lu Guiyan's whereabouts.
• Mo Beidou refused to betray the Lu'an Escort Agency, and Fang Shuwen arrived in the alley.
• Mo Beidou recognized Fang Shuwen as his junior brother and urged him to run from the Fierce Tiger Gang members.
• One attacker charged at Fang Shuwen, who slammed him against a wall and killed him.
• The second attacker tried to flee, but Fang Shuwen pulled him back and killed him with a palm strike.

Fang Shuwen reunited with Mo Beidou, learned that the Lu'an Escort Agency's young chief escort had been gravely wounded, and followed him to help. When Sun Qian tried to stop him from examining her, Fang Shuwen knocked him aside and entered the room as Mo Beidou defended his decision.

• Mo Beidou confirmed Fang Shuwen was still his junior brother and told him the Fierce Tiger Gang had destroyed the medicine meant for the wounded young chief escort.
• Fang Shuwen offered to help, and Mo Beidou led him through the streets to the Lu'an Escort Agency's secluded courtyard.
• Mo Beidou introduced Fang Shuwen to Sun Qian and the wounded escorts, then asked him to examine the young chief escort.
• Sun Qian tried to block Fang Shuwen, but Fang Shuwen sent him flying and walked into the room.
• Mo Beidou ordered the escorts to stand down and declared he trusted Fang Shuwen, accepting responsibility if the young chief escort died.

Fang Shuwen treated Lu Guiyan, forcing the poison from her body and tending her wound despite Sun Qian’s earlier obstruction. After Mo Beidou explained that the escort party had been ambushed by the Fierce Tiger Gang, Lu Guiyan asked Fang Shuwen to join the escort job, triggering a new protection mission.

• Fang Shuwen forced the poison from Lu Guiyan and removed the rotten flesh around her wound before treating and bandaging it.
• Lu Guiyan woke, learned Fang Shuwen had saved her, and regained enough strength to stand and leave the room.
• Mo Beidou demanded that Sun Qian apologize to Fang Shuwen for obstructing him, and Sun Qian bowed and asked for forgiveness.
• Mo Beidou explained that the Fierce Tiger Gang had ambushed the escort party while it protected two clients, and Lu Guiyan had been struck by a poisoned dart.
• Lu Guiyan asked Fang Shuwen to join the escort job and offered a generous reward, prompting a new protection mission.

Fang Shuwen accepted the Lu'an Escort Agency's dangerous mission to protect two clients on their way to Flying Snow City. As Lu Guiyan and her companions debated how to escape the Fierce Tiger Gang, Fang Shuwen asked where its headquarters was.

• Lu Guiyan explained that Wang Shouyan had hired the Lu'an Escort Agency to escort a master and servant carrying a Flying Snow City Lingxiao Token to Flying Snow City.
• Fang Shuwen accepted the mission despite Mo Beidou's warning and received a threefold boost to aptitude and comprehension for its duration.
• Lu Guiyan thanked Fang Shuwen and invited him, Mo Beidou, and Sun Qian to discuss how to proceed.
• Lu Guiyan and the others debated how to evade the powerful Fierce Tiger Gang, led by Qin Hu.
• Fang Shuwen asked Lu Guiyan whether she knew where the Fierce Tiger Gang's headquarters was.

Lu Guiyan and her companions planned to evade the Fierce Tiger Gang by sending decoys out of Guangning City while the real escort party escaped under cover of night. After slipping out and regrouping, they traveled onward until they encountered strange music and a distant firelight in the woods.

• Lu Guiyan, Fang Shuwen, Mo Beidou, and the others agreed to use decoys to distract the Fierce Tiger Gang while the escort party left Guangning City secretly.
• Mo Beidou warned Fang Shuwen not to risk his life, then teased him about matching with Lu Guiyan before Fang Shuwen declined.
• Mo Beidou returned after arranging the decoys, and the party altered their appearances and left the city in separate groups.
• Lu Guiyan's party regrouped five li outside the city, confirmed everyone was present, and continued through the dark night.
• Fang Shuwen noticed a faint firelight in the woods and heard intermittent cymbals, gongs, drums, and a distant song.

Lu Guiyan and her group encountered an old man performing a shadow puppet show in the woods, and Fang Shuwen insisted they stop to watch. As the show reached its climax, members of the Fierce Tiger Gang arrived, but Fang Shuwen told their leader to wait until the performance ended.

• Lu Guiyan led the group toward the strange music and discovered an outdoor shadow puppet show performed by an old man alone.
• Fang Shuwen slipped behind the screen, took a puppet from the old man, and persuaded Lu Guiyan and the others to watch the show.
• Fang Shuwen hinted that he had noticed something, leaving Lu Guiyan to suspect the Fierce Tiger Gang was waiting ahead.
• The old man performed The Rebellious Disciple Fang Huai for the group.
• Black-clad members of the Fierce Tiger Gang appeared, and Fang Shuwen told their leader to finish watching the show before acting.

Fang Shuwen and the Lu'an Escort Agency watched Ten Leisurely Elder perform a shadow play when Xu Yuqing attacked them and destroyed the stall. Ten Leisurely Elder fought off Xu Yuqing and Tong Tianba, while Fang Shuwen revealed he had anticipated the Fierce Tiger Gang's ambush.

• Xu Yuqing sliced apart Ten Leisurely Elder's shadow-play screen while threatening the Lu'an Escort Agency.
• Ten Leisurely Elder attacked Xu Yuqing with sound and flying cymbals, but Tong Tianba appeared and deflected the deadly strikes.
• Lu Guiyan recognized Ten Leisurely Elder as a renowned Eastern Region martial artist who had been absent from the jianghu for five years.
• Tong Tianba attacked Ten Leisurely Elder, who blocked his punch with iron rods before striking back among the Fierce Tiger Gang's disciples.
• Ten Leisurely Elder pierced a disciple with his rods and controlled him like a shadow puppet to attack Tong Tianba.
• Fang Shuwen told Lu Guiyan he had heard the ambush from afar and had waited for the Fierce Tiger Gang to come to them.

Fang Shuwen joined Ten Leisurely Elder against the Fierce Tiger Gang and swiftly overwhelmed its fighters. After killing Xu Yuqing, he faced Tong Tianba and launched a Demon-Subduing Dharma Seal at him.

• Ten Leisurely Elder controlled a Fierce Tiger Gang disciple to fend off Tong Tianba, while Lu Guiyan asked Fang Shuwen to help.
• Fang Shuwen charged into the fight and knocked down the Fierce Tiger Gang members with ease.
• Xu Yuqing attacked Fang Shuwen from behind with Sword Qi, but Fang Shuwen countered with a force that sent Xu Yuqing flying.
• Fang Shuwen used Beiming Shengong to drain Xu Yuqing's internal force and crushed his head without turning around.
• Fang Shuwen confronted Tong Tianba and struck him with a Demon-Subduing Dharma Seal.

Fang Shuwen effortlessly defeated and captured Tong Tianba, leaving Lu Guiyan stunned by his strength. Lu Guiyan questioned Tong Tianba about why the Fierce Tiger Gang wanted to kill the two people, and Fang Shuwen stopped him from laughing and ordered him to answer.

• Tong Tianba charged Fang Shuwen with a powerful punch, but Fang Shuwen's palm strike shattered Tong Tianba's arm and broke his fighting spirit.
• Fang Shuwen used the [Plum Blossom Loose Hands] and [Beiming Shengong] to disarm Tong Tianba, drain his strength, and force him to his knees.
• Fang Shuwen seized Tong Tianba by the spine, lifted him, and tossed him before Lu Guiyan, calling him pretty strong.
• Lu Guiyan realized Fang Shuwen had defeated Tong Tianba without help and asked why the Fierce Tiger Gang wanted to kill the two people.
• Tong Tianba laughed instead of answering, so Fang Shuwen slapped him and ordered him to respond properly.

Fang Shuwen tortured Tong Tianba until he revealed that Fourth Master Qin had ordered the attack, while the escort party exposed Sun Qian as the traitor who sold their route for silver. The chapter ended with Sun Qian admitting his motive and Tong Tianba denying that he knew about the bribe.

• Fang Shuwen used his thread technique on Tong Tianba, forcing him to endure intense pain until he answered questions.
• Tong Tianba said Fourth Master Qin had ordered the attack on the master and servant, though he did not know why.
• Sun Qian tried to flee when Tong Tianba looked toward the escort party, but Mo Beidou caught and subdued him.
• Sun Qian admitted that an unknown person had paid him three thousand taels to sell the escort route to the Fierce Tiger Gang.
• Sun Qian explained that he had wanted to leave the dangerous escort business and live comfortably, and Mo Beidou struck him for endangering Lu Guiyan.
• Tong Tianba said Sun Qian had sent the gang a message that evening but had not told them where the group was in Guangning City.

After Fang Shuwen killed Tong Tianba and Sun Qian, he and Lu Guiyan discussed the danger surrounding the escort job and agreed to continue toward its destination. The chapter ended with the old shadow-play performer asking to share the escort fee after Fang Shuwen wondered why he was still there.

• Sun Qian revealed what little he knew about the masked man who hired him, then killed himself, and Lu Guiyan promised to support his family.
• Fang Shuwen drained Tong Tianba's internal force, killed him, and found a [Fierce Tiger Fist] manual and silver on the bodies.
• Fang Shuwen took Sun Qian's fifteen hundred taels and Xu Yuqing's sword, while Lu Guiyan declined to claim any of the money.
• Lu Guiyan wondered why Qin Hu had targeted the master and servant carrying the Lingxiao Token, and Fang Shuwen reassured her that he would fulfill his promise to protect her.
• Lu Guiyan offered Fang Shuwen the full escort fee, and the old shadow-play performer asked her to give him a share as well.

Ten Leisurely Elder revealed that Ghost Scholar had been his treacherous disciple, and Fang Shuwen told him he had already killed Ghost Scholar at the Pearl Pavilion. The relieved elder gave Fang Shuwen the [Azure Cloud Step] manual and left, after which Fang Shuwen quietly summoned Mo Beidou to follow him.

• Ten Leisurely Elder confirmed that his former disciple had poisoned him and become the notorious Ghost Scholar.
• Lu Guiyan recognized Ghost Scholar’s name, and Fang Shuwen said he had killed him with a palm strike at the Pearl Pavilion half a month earlier.
• Ten Leisurely Elder accepted Fang Shuwen’s account and thanked him for easing his guilt over Ghost Scholar’s crimes.
• Ten Leisurely Elder gave Fang Shuwen the [Azure Cloud Step] manual and a note with his current address, then departed.
• Fang Shuwen woke Mo Beidou and led him away, with Mo Beidou following quietly.

Fang Shuwen taught Mo Beidou the Fierce Tiger Fist as the escort party continued its journey toward a tea house for shelter from the autumn rain. Once inside, a middle-aged man in blue warned that their tests could not prove the tea was free of poison, leaving a group of young people alarmed.

• Fang Shuwen taught Mo Beidou the Fierce Tiger Fist after finding that Mo Beidou could not manage the Great Black Heaven Divine Palm.
• Mo Beidou practiced the new moves each night despite the strain of traveling by day, while Fang Shuwen patiently helped him review them.
• Lu Guiyan led the escort party through a peaceful stretch of road, and Fang Shuwen saw that her Nine-Breath Scarlet Phoenix Saber Technique was formidable.
• When autumn rain interrupted their journey, Lu Guiyan chose to shelter the party at a crowded tea house to protect a master and servant from the cold.
• The escort hands tested the tea with silver needles and a mouse before drinking, but the middle-aged man in blue scoffed that their precautions could not rule out poison.
• The young people at nearby tables turned pale and stared at their teacups after hearing the man's warning.