Recaps

Song Changming advanced from Night Watchman to patrol guard and then deputy while strengthening his martial arts, moving his family, and surviving gang and assassination conflicts. The arc ended with Song Changming overpowering the Ghost-faced Bandit in an alley.

• Song Changming found the Soul Severing Saber and Great Strength Bull Demon Art manuals, rejected a black ring’s offer, and began training with the saber.
• After killing the wounded wanted criminal Chen Beihu, Song Changming accepted Liang Chuanshan’s offer to become a patrol guard and began tempering his body with the Great Strength Bull Demon Art.
• Song Changming gained One Ox’s Strength, confronted threats to his parents, and joined the Patrol Guards in the raid that destroyed the Qinghe Gang.
• Song Changming kept the Azure Water Silkworm Rearing Method, bought a residence on Houli Street, and moved his family there.
• After Sun Wenyen and several patrol guards were murdered, Song Changming and Lu Gang helped capture three assassins, and Lu Gang became Patrol Captain while Song Changming was appointed temporary deputy.
• The three assassins died by poison before the case was resolved, and Song Changming remained a deputy for nearly another year.
• When the Ghost-faced Bandit fled across Houli Street, Song Changming fought him in an alley, knocked away his twin blades, and split his mask.

Song Changming rose to Patrol Captain under Liang Chuanshan and helped destroy the Nine Bends Society. The victory brought him a reward and greater respect, but also revealed the bandit army’s ties to the society and a new threat against his life.

• Song Changming backed Liang Chuanshan in his bid to become Director and helped defend a prisoner convoy during an ambush, where Liu Xiangnan was captured.
• Song Changming learned the Flying Swallow Style and Flying Swallow Light Body Technique from Liu Xiangnan, then secretly let him escape during a later rescue attempt.
• Liang Chuanshan became Director and appointed Song Changming to temporarily fill his former Patrol Captain post, while Song strengthened his body through his annual evaluation reward.
• Song Changming confronted Nine Bends Society members at Spring Breeze Garden, and Liang Chuanshan later enlisted Zhou Sixin’s help to destroy the society.
• Song Changming led his team in the raid on the Nine Bends Society, killing Wu Fei, Fu Lu Lai, Zhu Changyi, and Scarface as the Patrol Guards crushed the gang.
• After the battle, Song Changming learned Scarface was Cao Fushan, a wanted leader of the Tengya Mountain Bandit Army, and that the army might have directed the society’s growth.
• Song Changming received nine hundred silver from Liang Chuanshan, while a spy reported his role in Cao Fushan’s death to Flag Lord He, who ordered Song killed.

Song Changming survived an assassination attempt, grew stronger, and won a place in the General Security Department, where he established himself through a series of dangerous missions. He strengthened his family ties and training, then ended the stretch facing the wanted swordsman Liu Luo’s sudden attack.

• Song Changming killed Wang Xianwen and fought off masked attackers before Lu Gang’s patrol captured the survivors and tied the attack to the Tengya Mountain bandits.
• Song Changming advanced his martial arts, captured the Night Haunter Sun Meng, and impressed Xiao Yanli enough to attract an offer of patronage from the Xiao family.
• Song Changming accepted Xiao Shuyun’s support, took a Three Gold Pill, and won the General Security Department position by defeating He Xuan in the selection competition.
• Song Changming arranged Zhao Huaiming and Song Yu’s remarriage, joined the General Security Department, and asserted his authority over the seventeenth Patrol Guard Team.
• Song Changming and Lu Zheng captured an Incense Lighting Cult Beast Tamer and exposed the gang’s use of Mist Gold to create Mist Beasts.
• Song Changming arranged Song Yu’s wedding, recommended Zhao Huaiming for a Patrol Captain position, and chose the Saber Practitioner trait as his annual reward.
• Song Changming helped Xiao Shuyun recruit Luo Meng, cultivated the Spirit Monkey Art, and advanced his body-refinement training.
• Song Changming recognized the wanted Southern Tiger Swordsman Liu Luo at Flower Full Tower, where Liu Luo drew his saber and attacked.

Song Changming defended the Xiao Family, weathered the political collapse in Donglai Commandery, and stayed behind to protect his family as the authorities changed hands. He joined the campaign against the resurgent Dinghai Water Gang, where he faced the Sixth Realm fighter A Liu.

• Song Changming helped repel the Three Dragons of Dongcang’s attack on Xiao Manor, protected Xiao Shuyun from Luo Haolin, and gained Potential Unleashed, which let him improve his martial arts.
• Song Changming found a treasure-map fragment after fighting the Dinghai Water Gang, then kept it secret while the gang withdrew from Donglai Commandery.
• Gu Wenhui warned Song Changming that the struggle over succession threatened the Xiao Family, and Xiao Jingchuan later defied the Imperial Court and defeated an invading force from three commanderies.
• Song Changming defeated Shi Lie and Li Wenye at a banquet, but refused to flee Donglai with Xiao Jingchuan and stayed to care for his parents.
• After Xiao Jingchuan fled and the city fell into chaos, Song Changming defended his residence, helped suppress unrest, and passed the Imperial Court’s investigation of the General Security Department.
• Song Changming bought century-old ginseng to accelerate his body-refinement training, then joined Zhuang Ren’s force to retake a harbor from the Dinghai Water Gang.
• The governor’s black-armored cavalry attacked the gang at the harbor, and Song Changming fought A Liu while Liang Zhaolong led the Patrol Guard Team against the remaining gang members.