Chapter Summaries

Wei He moved Wei Ying into a new home, learned about the dangerous forces and worsening plague in Feiye City, and continued training as the city’s economy deteriorated. A month later, he reached the middle stage of Ox Hide.

• Wei He told Wei Ying that he had bought a nearby house, and the two moved their belongings there before he returned to the Huishan Fist Academy.
• Old Zheng had Zhao Hong warn Wei He and three other formal disciples about the plague, the Three Gangs, the Seven Families Alliance, and Hong Family Fort.
• Wei He asked Cheng Shaojiu about the Black Madman from the caravan route, and Cheng Shaojiu said it was an unfamiliar kind of fierce beast.
• Wei He inspected the Boundary-Breaking Pearl and continued Skin Grinding, while the city’s prices rose and merchants increasingly rejected silver.
• After another month of training, Wei He felt his blood and vitality advance to the middle stage of Ox Hide.

Wei He let Cheng Shaojiu arrange a marriage match, but Zhang Wanruo rejected him after learning more about his background and potential. He then tested himself against Cheng Shaojiu’s Stone Hide strength, saw how great the gap was, and asked how he compared with Cheng Jing.

• Cheng Shaojiu showed Wei He three portraits, and Wei He chose Zhang Wanruo as a potential match.
• After hearing that Wei He had only recently broken through vital blood and had few family connections, Zhang Wanruo rejected the match.
• Wei He declined Cheng Shaojiu’s later suggestions and focused on accumulating vital blood as the Boundary-Breaking Pearl neared completion.
• Cheng Shaojiu demonstrated the speed and strength of Stone Hide by defeating Wei He in two strikes during their sparring.
• Cheng Shaojiu told Wei He he planned to take a third concubine, then said Cheng Jing would likely defeat Wei He within thirty moves.

Wei He discussed the difficulty of breaking through Stone Hide with Cheng Shaojiu, then sparred with Cheng Jing and discovered her severe foot odor. Meanwhile, Cheng Shaojiu joined Jiang Su, Jiang Yan, and Xiao Ran at a flower boat parade in the Inner City, where they discussed the city’s grain supplies and celebrated Xiao Ran’s breakthrough.

• Cheng Shaojiu told Wei He that Cheng Jing was stronger than him and explained how difficult the Stone Hide breakthrough was, while Xiao Ran had recently beaten him by two moves.
• Cheng Shaojiu left for a gathering in the Inner City, and Cheng Jing challenged Wei He to spar in her new shoes.
• Cheng Jing’s embroidered shoe flew off during her kick, exposing her smelly foot; Wei He suggested she soak it in strong vinegar, and she left in embarrassment.
• Cheng Shaojiu watched the flower boat parade at Yunluo Wine House with Jiang Su, Jiang Yan, and Xiao Ran, who celebrated Xiao Ran’s breakthrough.
• Jiang Su questioned how the Inner City remained prosperous amid locust damage and plague, and Jiang Yan explained that the Ou Family had secured grain supplies for the Seven Families Alliance.

At a banquet, Cheng Shaojiu explained that he befriended Wei He sincerely, though Jiang Yan and Xiao Ran judged his approach foolish. A week later, Wei He bought a storefront for Second Sister’s steamed bun shop, prompting others in the courtyard to suspect he was calculating for influence.

• Jiang Yan told Jiang Su and Xiao Ran that Cheng Shaojiu was cultivating Wei He's loyalty by showing him kindness, and they agreed the strategy could win devoted followers.
• Cheng Shaojiu said he treated Wei He as a friend without ulterior motives, leaving Jiang Yan, Xiao Ran, and Jiang Su unimpressed.
• Jiang Yan told Xiao Ran that Cheng Shaojiu's equal treatment of the poor and wealthy would alienate the powerful, and Xiao Ran admired Jiang Yan's judgment.
• After collecting his wages, Wei He took Wei Ying to find a storefront and bought it for her steamed bun shop.
• Wei He arranged for Wei Ying to leave the courtyard and care for Old Zheng through her new shop, but Jiang Su and others suspected Wei He had planned to gain the old man's favor.

Wei He visited Wei Ying’s busy bun shop after training, while a neighbor brought a strange female cultivator to speak with her. The chapter ended as the cultivator began to tell Wei Ying about her birth, interrupted by a tall figure blocking the doorway.

• Wei He found that the Boundary-Breaking Pearl had filled, but it would not break through until his blood and qi were full.
• Wei He watched Wei Ying sell out her buns, helped her with the last customers, and asked whether she had considered marrying.
• Wei He and Wei Ying talked about their lives and their missing family before he left to resume training.
• Xu Chun visited Wei Ying with the Mengjin Female Cultivator, saying she hoped the cultivator could help ease Wei Ying’s grief over her missing family.
• The Mengjin Female Cultivator studied Wei Ying and began to tell her something about her birth, but a tall figure appeared at the doorway.

Wei He drove away two Incense Gathering Cult recruiters who targeted his sister Wei Ying, then secretly beat and robbed Xu Chun and her companion to make them leave. As food and water grew scarce and the academy lost students, Wei He remained focused on training, unaware of the departures until Ouyang Zhuang pointed them out.

• Wei He interrupted Xu Chun and the Mengjin Female Cultivator as they tried to recruit Wei Ying, warned his sister to avoid them, and returned to watch over her.
• Wei He ambushed Xu Chun and the Mengjin Female Cultivator in Xu Chun's courtyard, beat them, stole dried meat, and slipped back home unseen.
• Wei He intimidated the neighbors who came to investigate the disturbance, and Xu Chun did not appear again for more than ten days.
• As winter passed amid worsening shortages, Wei Ying rationed her baked goods and eventually stopped opening her shop, while Wei He continued training and building his qi and blood.
• Wei He prepared medicinal water for Skin Grinding at Huishan Fist Academy, where Ouyang Zhuang told him that many students had recently left.

Wei He accompanied Cheng Shaojiu to the Inner City, where they waited at Hundred Flowers Tower to see Hong Daoyuan arrive amid rising tensions between Hong Family Fort and the Seven Families Alliance. The chapter ended as weapons clashed and warhorses approached below the restaurant.

• Wei He learned that many older students had left to join Hong Family Fort, which was recruiting soldiers with promises of benefits and advancement.
• Cheng Shaojiu took Wei He to Hundred Flowers Tower in the Inner City and explained that Hong Daoyuan was due to meet the city governor after Hong Family Fort soldiers killed members of the Seven Families Alliance’s tax inspection team.
• Cheng Shaojiu pointed out Shanchuan Gang members and other groups gathered at the restaurant to witness Hong Daoyuan’s arrival.
• Wei He noticed a young man and woman in green robes with swords at their waists, while a clash of weapons and the pounding of warhorses sounded below.

Wei He saw Hong Daoyuan and his Black Cavalry, then trained relentlessly to perfect his qi and blood and attempt the Stone Hide breakthrough. He had not overcome the barrier through his own efforts and worried that time was running out.

• Wei He watched Hong Daoyuan lead the Black Cavalry through the Inner City and learned from Cheng Shaojiu about the general’s strength and his elite troops.
• Inspired by what he had seen, Wei He trained for more than two months until his qi and blood reached perfection.
• Old Zheng took Zhao Hong, Xiao Ran, and Cheng Shaojiu to the Inner City sparring event, while Wei He stayed behind to work on breaking through.
• Wei He tried to overcome the barrier without using the Boundary-Breaking Pearl but made no progress, even after several days of intense training.
• Ouyang Zhuang told Wei He that the barrier could take half a year or longer to overcome, and Wei He said he had little time before his qi and blood began to decline.

Wei He struggled to make progress without using the Boundary-Breaking Pearl, then learned that Li Huanhuan had improper relationships with several men. When Xu Wei confronted him over his injured sister, Wei He denied involvement, but he grew suspicious and tried to leave as Incense Gathering Cult members approached.

• Wei He decided to keep training for two more days before relying on the Boundary-Breaking Pearl.
• Wei Ying warned Wei He to avoid Li Huanhuan because she had been seen leaving several disciples' residences.
• Xu Wei questioned Wei He about the attack that had blinded his sister, noticed Wei He's pouch of quicklime, and accused him of being the culprit.
• Wei He and Xu Wei exchanged blows, then Wei He denied hearing anything during the attack and Xu Wei left to summon other Incense Masters.
• Xu Wei told two cult members to bring Incense Master Shangguan and Incense Master Hu to help him confront Wei He.
• Wei He climbed over the wall to escape and encountered two Incense Gathering Cult members in straw hats.

Wei He broke through to Stone Hide while pursuing Xu Wei, then killed Xu Wei and another Incense Gathering Cult member and concealed the bodies. The next morning he went to Huishan Fist Academy to report his progress, while Cheng Shaojiu argued with his uncle over keeping his friends on the Yonghe Escort Agency’s payroll.

• Wei He killed two Incense Gathering Cult members near his home, then broke through to Stone Hide as he chased Xu Wei.
• Wei He blinded Xu Wei with quicklime, pierced his palms, and killed him before killing a second man who tried to deceive him.
• Wei He dumped all four bodies into the Feiye River, returned home, and concealed the fight from Wei Ying by claiming he had a nosebleed.
• Wei He went to Huishan Fist Academy the next morning, intending to tell Old Zheng about his breakthrough and learn the next training methods.
• Cheng Zhengxing confronted Cheng Shaojiu about supporting his friends with the struggling Yonghe Escort Agency’s money, but Cheng Shaojiu refused to dismiss the remaining friends he considered loyal brothers.

After learning that Xiao Ran was severely injured in an ambush following his recruitment by the Zhao Family, Wei He decided to keep his own breakthrough secret for now. A month later, Xiao Ran had only partly recovered, Old Zheng had failed to find the attacker, and Wei He still needed the complete Stone Hide training method.

• Cheng Shaojiu left the escort agency and went to Huishan Fist Academy, where a junior disciple announced that Xiao Ran had been severely injured.
• Wei He learned from Ouyang Zhuang that Xiao Ran had chosen the Zhao Family over the Tian Family before being ambushed, and decided to conceal his own breakthrough from everyone except possibly Old Zheng.
• Zhao Hong, Cheng Shaojiu, Old Zheng, and other disciples returned with the unconscious Xiao Ran, while Wei He left the courtyard with Ouyang Zhuang without telling Old Zheng about his progress.
• Old Zheng searched for the attacker for more than half a month without success, while Xiao Ran recovered enough to walk but remained unable to train.
• Wei He continued saving Boundary-Breaking Pearls and practicing early Stone Hide methods, but still needed to ask Old Zheng for the complete training method.

Wei He secretly told Zheng Fugui that he had reached the Stone Hide level, and Zheng Fugui realized the cautious disciple had progressed quickly enough to have a chance at Iron Hide. Zheng Fugui agreed to give Wei He the next training method privately and announce his breakthrough two months later.

• Wei He slipped Zheng Fugui a letter asking for the training method after reaching Stone Hide.
• Zheng Fugui reflected on Xiao Ran's injury and worried that none of his other disciples could inherit Huishan Fist Academy.
• Zheng Fugui found Wei He's letter after returning to his room and learned that Wei He had reached Stone Hide in less than a year.
• Zheng Fugui summoned Wei He the next morning and praised his talent, caution, and temperament.
• Zheng Fugui agreed to teach Wei He the next method privately and make his breakthrough public two months later.

Zheng Fugui taught Wei He the Green Peak Tri-Color Diagram as he began training toward Iron Hide, while Wei He attended Cheng Shaojiu’s daughter’s birth and became her godfather. On the ride home, Wei He spotted thirteen blood-scented Seven Families Alliance riders returning toward the Inner City, their weakened qi and blood hinting that something was wrong.

• Zheng Fugui explained that Wei He needed to study the Huishan Fist Fundamental Diagram and use its artistic conception while training to reach Iron Hide.
• Cheng Shaojiu waited anxiously as his concubine gave birth safely to a daughter, whom he named Cheng He and asked Wei He to take as his goddaughter.
• Wei He reflected that he had spent a year and a half in this world and found that the Boundary-Breaking Pearl was accumulating qi and blood slowly as he trained toward Iron Hide.
• On the ride home, Wei He saw thirteen riders bearing the Seven Families Alliance mark and noticed their weakened qi and blood and the smell of blood.
• Wei He heard Old Huang remark that the Inner City masters had gone out in black cloaks and had now returned.

Wei He learned that Hong Family Fort and the Seven Families Alliance were maneuvering around the Incense Gathering Cult, and Zheng Fugui told him he would soon have to choose a side. Zheng then revealed Wei He had reached Stone Hide, startling the core disciples, before unexpectedly proposing that Wei He marry Jiang Su; both refused.

• Wei He spotted a blue-clad person carrying a plum-embroidered umbrella and worried the sight signaled trouble involving the Hong Family.
• Zheng Fugui told Wei He that Hong Daoyuan had visited Mingde Temple, an Incense Gathering Cult branch altar, and explained that Hong Family Fort and the Seven Families Alliance were competing for martial masters' support.
• Zheng Fugui said Wei He would soon be able to choose which faction to join and noted that his current supply of snake meat could no longer support his cultivation.
• Zheng Fugui summoned the core disciples and proposed that Jiang Su and Wei He marry, but both rejected the match.
• Zheng Fugui revealed that Wei He had reached Stone Hide, shocking Jiang Su, Jiang Yan, Cheng Shaojiu, and Zhao Hong.

After Wei He revealed his breakthrough to the Second Stage Qi and Blood, Zheng Fugui urged his seniors to look after him, and Cheng Shaojiu took him to celebrate at Zuihua Tower. There, Wei He saw the Inner City's wealth and strict security firsthand, and the chapter ended as he began eating a lavish meal of rare game.

• Jiang Yan and Cheng Shaojiu both offered to ensure Wei He received good treatment, while Zheng Fugui told them to look after their new junior brother.
• Jiang Su left the courtyard angrily, and Cheng Shaojiu congratulated Wei He before inviting him to Zuihua Tower.
• Cheng Shaojiu explained how the Seven Families Alliance controlled access to the Inner City and how nearby clan forts contributed to its prosperous trade.
• Wei He noticed the Inner City's vigilant patrols and crowded shops before returning to Zuihua Tower with Cheng Shaojiu.
• Cheng Shaojiu ordered a lavish meal and September Ninth Vintage, then told Wei He that the twice-cooked meat was Branch-Antlered Deer, a rare beast said to boost qi and blood.

Wei He ate costly Flower Branch Deer Meat and agreed to affiliate with the Yonghe Escort Agency, then faced Jiang Yan’s lucrative offer to join the Jiang Family and move into the Inner City. He chose to remain in the Outer City, though he admitted he had eaten Cheng Shaojiu’s entire monthly quota of deer meat while Cheng was away.

• Wei He learned that the rare meat cost four taels of gold per pound and shared a meal of it with Cheng Shaojiu.
• Cheng Shaojiu offered Wei He a flexible affiliation with the Yonghe Escort Agency, and Wei He accepted.
• Jiang Yan offered Wei He generous supplies, gold, and a safe home for him and his sister in the Inner City if he joined the Jiang Family.
• Wei He declined Jiang Yan’s offer and told Cheng Shaojiu he planned to stay in the Outer City.
• Wei He revealed that he had ordered and eaten four more plates of Flower Branch Deer Meat while Cheng Shaojiu was away.

Wei He rejected Jiang Yan’s offer because he did not want to bind himself to a faction, and asked Cheng Shaojiu about conditions beyond Feiye City. After learning that safer places were difficult to reach, Wei He joined Cheng Shaojiu for sparring, where their practice began with Huishan Fist.

• Wei He explained to Cheng Shaojiu that joining the Jiang Family would bind him for five years, while remaining at Huishan Fist Academy would let him train without pledging to either faction.
• Cheng Shaojiu paid for their meal, then left the restaurant with Wei He as Jiang Yan watched and accepted the rejection.
• In the carriage, Cheng Shaojiu told Wei He that Feiye City was relatively peaceful, Yun Province Prefecture was safer but hard to reach, and nearby Sucheng was controlled by gangs.
• Cheng Shaojiu invited Wei He to the training ground and offered to share his experience after Wei He’s breakthrough.
• Cheng Shaojiu and Wei He took Huishan Fist stances, and Cheng attacked with the Twin Flying Swallows move.

Wei He defeated Cheng Shaojiu in a spar, then fought Cheng Jing after she attacked him at the training ground. Cheng Jing revealed that pressure from her family and work had overwhelmed her, while Wei He left her with a blunt challenge to accept reality.

• Wei He and Cheng Shaojiu fought at full strength, and Cheng Shaojiu won with a decisive chain of attacks after Wei He’s strength began to fade.
• Cheng Shaojiu privately admitted that he might have lost without his uncle’s devised killing move and resolved to devote himself to training.
• Wei He stayed behind to study Cheng Shaojiu’s technique, and Cheng Jing arrived from an escort run and launched a series of attacks against him.
• Wei He blocked Cheng Jing’s attacks, defeated her, and asked whether something had happened during her escort run.
• Cheng Jing broke down and said she feared being forced to marry if she failed to break through; Wei He struck her once and told her to accept reality.
• Cheng Jing recalled her dangerous escort run, her mother’s grave illness, and the pressure on the escort agency, then vowed to change her fate and cure her smelly feet.

Wei He’s Stone Hide breakthrough changed how people treated him, and his presence drove off Thief Gang members threatening Yang Zhou’s family. Old Zheng then urged Wei He to build connections and learn his standing in Feiye City.

• Wei He noticed the Outer City growing desolate and felt his fellow disciples regard him with new respect after his breakthrough.
• Yang Zhou learned that the Thief Gang had attacked her younger brother and rushed to fight them with another youth.
• Wei He came out of Huishan Fist Academy, and the Thief Gang men fled after recognizing him as a newly revealed Second Stage Qi and Blood disciple.
• Yang Zhou thanked Wei He, who told her to practice so she would not be bullied again.
• Wei He sparred with Zheng Fugui, who advised him to meet more people and learn his position in Feiye City.

Wei He learned more about Feiye City’s martial hierarchy and continued training after reaching Stone Hide. Cheng Shaojiu offered to arrange a marriage with the Guan Family’s daughter and revealed that the Guan Family held the poisonous powder Wei He wanted, leaving Wei He to consider buying it himself.

• Zheng Fugui explained that Ou Chen’s Money Force made him Feiye City’s strongest martial artist and described how Wei He could eventually cultivate force.
• Zheng Fugui drilled Wei He in the Inner Court, while Cheng Shaojiu appeared exhausted and explained away his lack of training with a string of excuses and social obligations.
• Cheng Shaojiu offered to arrange a match between Wei He and the Guan Family’s daughter, but Wei He declined because he did not want the added ties amid growing tensions.
• Wei He asked how many Nine-Cloud Flowers Cheng Shaojiu had cultivated, and Cheng Shaojiu admitted he had reached only five.
• Cheng Shaojiu told Wei He that the Guan Family had the poisonous powder he was seeking and that Wei He would have to buy it from them.