Recaps

Chu Qing completed the Eagle Claw Technique’s first requirement and sought secret medicine from Chief Constable Shi, who refused to see him. He went to the Black Market that night, where practicing the Toad Technique seemed to restore his strength and repair damage.

• Chu Qing trained with jade stone balls until he completed the Eagle Claw Technique’s first requirement, while Madam Jin inferred that he had cultivated at least two Iron Sinews and planned to help him enter the Martial Academy.
• Chu Qing went to the yamen to buy Eagle Claw secret medicine, but Chief Constable Shi refused to meet him and Constable Li told him to come directly to him in the future.
• A yamen runner reported the refusal to Hall Master Liu, whose men began distancing themselves from Chu Qing as Hall Master Liu plotted to ruin his Martial Academy exam and demand three thousand taels.
• Chu Qing changed his clothes, covered his face, and traveled to the Black Market, reaching it in a little over an hour.
• While waiting outside the Black Market, Chu Qing practiced the Toad Technique and sensed it restoring his strength and repairing hidden injuries.

Chu Qing cultivated the Eagle Claw Technique to Perfection and began tempering its thirty-two Iron Sinews, while two men secretly watched him in the grove. After accidentally killing one man and discovering the other, Chu Qing killed him too.

• Chu Qing used the Secret Transmission Toad Skill to sharpen his senses and conceal his presence before entering Black Harbor to buy Eagle Claw secret medicine.
• Chu Qing consumed the medicine and advanced the Eagle Claw Technique to Perfection, then began cultivating Iron Sinews in his fingers and hands.
• Two men hiding in the grove watched Chu Qing and speculated that he was not the killer their lord sought.
• Chu Qing returned with more secret medicine, completed the Eagle Claw Technique's thirty-two Iron Sinews, and discovered that his claws had punctured one of the hidden men.
• Chu Qing found the second man hiding behind a tree and killed him when the man tried to explain himself.

Chu Qing bought more Iron Cloth Shirt secret medicine in the Black Market, strengthened his defenses, and continued training while staying wary of those seeking the Toad Skill. After visiting Madam Jin, he left to retrieve the prepared Toad secret medicine and attempt a breakthrough that night.

• Chu Qing returned to the Black Market and bought thirty portions of Iron Cloth Shirt secret medicine from the frightened medicine vendor, who chose not to report the sale.
• The Chief Subordinate found two companions dead, then sent a carrier pigeon to summon reinforcements and report the murders.
• Chu Qing consumed the thirty portions and strengthened his Iron Cloth Shirt until his Mantis Fist bounced off his arm; he decided to prioritize the technique.
• In the days before the Martial Academy Preliminary Exam, Chu Qing trained his hand techniques and visited Madam Jin, then told her he would skip the opera and return home to cultivate.
• Chu Qing recalled the warning about an old man searching for toad catchers and planned to retrieve the Toad secret medicine from Pharmacist Li's house for a breakthrough.
• Fatty Jin arrived after Chu Qing had left, while Madam Jin toyed with a flower and said he had departed long ago.

Chu Qing tested Pharmacist Li’s Toad Secret Medicine, advanced his Toad Skill, and discovered its Iron Sinews could link with those from his other techniques. As the storm began, Chu Qing and Zhao Wuji’s group set out for Hall Master Liu’s home to kill him.

• Chu Qing visited Pharmacist Li, tested the secret medicine, and advanced his Toad Skill to Great Accomplishment, learning that its Iron Sinews could link with those from other techniques.
• Chu Qing consumed eleven portions of secret medicine, bringing his total Iron Sinews to 119 and increasing the power of his Mantis Fist.
• As a storm broke, Chu Qing decided to attack Hall Master Liu, while Pharmacist Li agreed to prepare one jin of toad venom in exchange for the secret medicine formula.
• Zhao Wuji told Zhao Hongxiu that he and the other Hall Masters planned to kill Hall Master Liu and wipe out his family, then led the group into the storm.
• Chu Qing activated Grass on Wings and headed for Hall Master Liu’s home.

Chu Qing broke into Hall Master Liu’s home and fought him through the storm, enduring the Eight Hammer Strikes before killing him. The fight ended with Hall Master Liu dead and his unfinished saber manual left behind.

• Hall Master Liu deduced a blade technique and resented Chu Qing for his financial troubles before someone knocked at his door.
• Hall Master Liu attacked Chu Qing, who blocked the blade with his steel gloves and demonstrated his Mantis Fist, Iron Hand, and Red Snake Leg.
• Hall Master Liu’s blade broke against Chu Qing’s fingers, but Hall Master Liu struck back with the Eight Hammer Strikes and left Chu Qing badly injured.
• Chu Qing endured all eight blows, then counterattacked with his martial skills and shattered Hall Master Liu’s breastbone.
• Chu Qing used Eagle Claw Skill to pierce Hall Master Liu’s chest, crush his heart, and kill him.

Chu Qing killed Hall Master Liu, but the other gangs and local authorities misread or concealed the circumstances as they searched for explanations. Meanwhile, Sister Lan suspected the killings were connected to a lost Rebel Army secret transmission manual, and Young Master He Qi ordered a discreet search for it.

• Chu Qing fled after masked men found him at Hall Master Liu's home, then returned when Zhao Wuji and the other hall masters came back and burned Liu's corpse; the hall masters later scattered in fear.
• Zhao Wuji inspected the scene and concluded the killer had formidable strength and defensive skills, while the hall masters feared they might be targeted next.
• Chief Constable Shi blamed Zhao Wuji and the others, ordered the Liu estate confiscated, and declined to investigate because no one had filed a complaint or offered silver.
• Gang Leader Qin investigated the scene and suspected a Martial Academy student, possibly an Inner Court student, had killed Hall Master Liu.
• After Liu's death frightened his subordinates into serving Young Master He Qi, Sister Lan speculated that the killer was pursuing the Blood River Gang's Head-Slicing Hall because it might possess a secret transmission manual lost by the Rebel Army.
• Young Master He Qi ordered a search for the secret technique, and Sister Lan warned him to keep it discreet so the Martial Academy would not discover their efforts.

After recovering and strengthening his martial arts, Chu Qing sought secret medicine from Madam Shi to prepare for the Martial Academy Preliminary Exam. He provoked her into revealing her secret love of opera, and the chapter ended with his praise enraging her maids.

• Chu Qing recovered from his injuries, cultivated Dragonfly Touching Water to Great Completion, and raised his Iron Sinews to 123, but could not buy more secret medicine because the Black Market was flooded.
• Chu Qing visited Madam Jin, then asked whether Madam Shi would attend the opera and explained that he needed secret medicine for his cultivation.
• At the opera house, Madam Shi scolded Chu Qing for neglecting his training and insisted he become a groom, while Chu Qing said he still intended to take the Martial Academy Preliminary Exam.
• Chu Qing whispered that Madam Shi wanted to sing opera but lacked the courage, provoking her to clear the hall and sing onstage for him.
• Madam Shi finished her song, and Chu Qing praised her loudly; Wind Flower Snow Moon became furious that he had treated their mistress like an opera performer.

Chu Qing provoked Madam Shi into singing opera onstage, then set out for Maple Leaf County to forge a two-handed greatsword and obtain Mantis Secret Medicine. A storm forced him to shelter in a Mountain God Temple, where he treated a feverish scholar.

• Madam Shi sang opera for Chu Qing, who tipped her with broken silver and demanded secret medicine; she left delighted by her newfound freedom, though she vowed to make him pay next time.
• Chu Qing told Madam Jin that Madam Shi would sing for him again, then decided to forge a two-handed greatsword so he could pursue Mantis Secret Medicine.
• At the Shi Residence, Chief Constable Shi told Madam Shi that Senior Brother Zhang had asked him to investigate a killing, and she ordered him to leave before whipping him after he begged for punishment.
• Chu Qing prepared supplies and traveled through the storm toward Maple Leaf County, leaping over boulders with Dragonfly Touching Water as the roads flooded and grew treacherous.
• Chu Qing took shelter in a Mountain God Temple and treated a feverish scholar, who woke and thanked him for saving his life.

Chu Qing rescued Tang Wuming and learned secrets about martial cultivation and the Martial Academy's entrance exam. When the swordsmen pursuing Tang arrived demanding the Stone Bamboo Pearl, Chu Qing defeated them, then asked Tang for the pearl, only to learn it was not in his possession.

• Chu Qing and Tang Wuming shared food and introduced themselves, and Tang explained that swordsmen from Stone Rock County were hunting him.
• Tang warned Chu Qing that the Martial Academy's reformed exam favored candidates who paid silver or signed a contract, and that assessors could overpower ordinary cultivation methods.
• Tang told Chu Qing about the 365 Iron Sinew limit, higher-grade Copper, Silver, and Golden Sinews, and the value of secret transmission cultivation methods.
• Swordsmen arrived at the ruined temple demanding the Stone Bamboo Pearl, and Chu Qing went out to confront them while Tang stayed inside.
• After Chu Qing killed the swordsmen, he demanded the pearl from Tang, who said Chu would have to cut open his belly to search for it.

After Chu Qing rescued Tang Wuming, Tang revealed that another Stone Bamboo Pearl was with a stonecutter in Stone Rock County and traveled with Chu Qing to Maple Leaf County. There, their conversation about officials and power ended with Chu Qing strengthening his steel-gloved hands and frightening Tang Wuming.

• Tang Wuming explained that Stone Bamboo Pearls could strengthen the body and help martial artists cultivate stronger sinews, then told Chu Qing where to find the remaining pearl.
• Chu Qing warned Tang Wuming that he would pursue and kill anyone who lied to him, then carried him through the rain to Maple Leaf County.
• At an inn, Chu Qing restored his energy by cultivating the Toad Skill while Tang Wuming wondered at his recovery.
• Tang Wuming described his family’s generations of official service and argued that officials held power over martial artists and commoners.
• Chu Qing said that being emperor was better than being an official, then strengthened his steel-gloved hands and left Tang Wuming horrified.

Chu Qing returned to Stone Rock County with a flower for Madam Jin and faced a terrifying old man at the Mantis Martial Arts Hall, concealing his secrets. After the old man left, Chu Qing went to deliver the flower, while Zhao Wuji suspected the elder had come specifically for him.

• Chu Qing ordered the blacksmith to make his complicated Greatsword with the best materials and traveled through storm damage toward Stone Rock County.
• Chu Qing found a purple flower in the mountains and brought it along for Madam Jin, then learned that gang members were searching the county.
• At the Mantis Martial Arts Hall, Chu Qing denied catching toads and explained his absence by telling the old man about his trip to find flowers and his encounter with Tang Wuming.
• The old man warned Chu Qing to stop eating toads and departed without getting caught in the rain, leaving Zhao Wuji and Zhao Hongxiu shaken.
• Chu Qing delivered the flower to Madam Jin, brooded over his weakness and hidden secrets, and learned from Xiao Taohong that he should call Madam Jin his godmother.

Chu Qing pursued secret medicine and the Stone Bamboo Pearl while Qinghe County faced flooding, then agreed to recruit disaster victims for the Blood River Gang. The chapter left him training through the night as he prepared for the recruitment and continued to build his martial arts.

• Madam Jin planted the violet Chu Qing brought, and his training completed the second requirement of Eagle Claw Skill, leaving him short of secret medicine for a breakthrough.
• Madam Shi arrived in opera costume and makeup, but Chu Qing refused to listen until she brought secret medicine, so he left while she sang.
• Chu Qing searched for the Daughter of Stonemason Xu at Stone Ridge Mountain, learned her father had died and she had disappeared, and found no trace of her.
• Chu Qing discovered Black Harbor had vanished beneath floodwaters and heard that officials had already fled Qinghe County.
• Fatty Jin ordered Chu Qing to recruit disaster victims for the Blood River Gang and warned him not to compete with Fortified Village Disciples or wealthy households.
• Chu Qing trained late into the rainy night, completing the first requirement of Iron Hand and Iron Fist.

Chu Qing advanced Iron Hand and Iron Fist to Perfection, reaching 149 Iron Sinews, then joined Fatty Jin to recruit disaster victims at the east gate. There, he spotted Stonemason Xu’s birthmarked daughter on He Fortified Village’s platform and hoped to obtain the Stone Bamboo Bright Pearl she represented.

• Chu Qing used secret medicine to advance Iron Hand and Iron Fist to Perfection, then trained them until he had 149 Iron Sinews.
• Chu Qing assessed his remaining training options and planned to visit Maple Leaf County to retrieve his greatsword.
• Chu Qing went with Fatty Jin to the east gate and began recruiting disaster victims for the Blood River Gang.
• Chu Qing spotted Stonemason Xu’s birthmarked daughter being examined on He Fortified Village’s platform and recognized her connection to a Stone Bamboo Bright Pearl.

Chu Qing tried to free Daughter of Stonemason Xu from the He Family, but Head Steward He humiliated him and Madam Jin. After Madam Jin urged her husband Jin Yiren to kill the steward, Chu Qing waited for nightfall and prepared to attack the He Family himself.

• Chu Qing followed Daughter of Stonemason Xu to the He Family residence and asked Madam Jin to help free her.
• Madam Jin and Chu Qing went to the He Family, where Head Steward He rejected their request, insulted Madam Jin, and threatened them.
• Chu Qing took Madam Jin home and told her there was no need to hold grudges against the dead, then left before Fatty Jin returned with news of a deal to retrieve the servant the next day.
• Madam Jin learned Jin Yiren had paid Head Steward He one hundred taels and ordered him to kill the steward, but Jin Yiren resisted.
• Chu Qing waited for night to deepen and resolved to attack the He Family because he could no longer endure the insult.

Chu Qing raided the He residence to avenge Head Steward He’s humiliation of him and Madam Jin, killing He Qi and the household before leaving with Daughter of Stonemason Xu. He found Nirvana Qi Grass among He Qi’s belongings, which he believed would let his Secret Transmission Toad Skill reach Perfection.

• He Qi learned that Liu Hai might have obtained the secret transmission manual and decided to have the Blood River Gang kill Chu Qing and send Madam Jin to him.
• Chu Qing entered the He residence at night, killed the guards, and hid the unconscious Daughter of Stonemason Xu in a rockery.
• Chu Qing cleared the residence room by room, killing Head Steward He and the household guards.
• He Qi calmly offered Chu Qing money, medicine, manuals, and other treasures, but Chu Qing said he wanted He Qi’s life.
• Chu Qing defeated He Qi with his Eagle Claw Technique, Iron Fist, and Iron Palm, killing him and the two women in the bed.
• Chu Qing searched the estate, found Nirvana Qi Grass in He Qi’s study, took his spoils, and left carrying Daughter of Stonemason Xu.

Chu Qing used the Stone Bamboo Pearl to push Mantis Fist beyond its limits, reaching 180 Iron Sinews and gaining a devastating fist wind. After taking Xu Qing'er to Maple Leaf County, he left her at an inn, where she reunited with Tang Wuming and described Chu Qing's strength.

• Chu Qing took Nirvana Qi Grass and silver to Pharmacist Li, then carried Xu Qing'er toward Maple Leaf County and retrieved the Stone Bamboo Pearl she had hidden in her clothes.
• Chu Qing used the specially prepared pearl to promote Mantis Fist and refined thirty-six Iron Sinews, bringing his total to 180.
• Chu Qing demonstrated that his fist wind could split an arm-thick log and resolved to grow stronger before entering the Martial Academy.
• Chu Qing brought Xu Qing'er to an inn, gave her money, and sent her to find Tang Wuming in the provincial capital.
• Xu Qing'er reunited with Tang Wuming and told him about Chu Qing's power; Tang Wuming feared his guards could not withstand one of Chu Qing's punches.

Chu Qing returned to Stone Rock County with a newly forged greatsword, grew more confident in his strength, and visited Madam Jin as disaster victims gathered outside the city. A sudden commotion and cries that the sky was falling erupted in the city, leaving Chu Qing to guard Madam Jin as a frightened servant rushed in.

• Chu Qing collected his specially forged fire-imbuing greatsword and discovered that holding it steadily increased his Sword Mastery progress.
• Chu Qing found another Purple Flower and returned to Stone Rock County, where his intimidating presence made a gate guard too afraid to stop him.
• Chu Qing gave Madam Jin the flower and learned that the Blood River Gang had summoned him, but he dismissed the gang as a shackle he would handle later.
• Madam Jin warned that worsening floods and the Rebel Army could bring chaos to Stone Rock County, while Chu Qing promised to protect her.
• Urgent hoofbeats and screams broke out in the city, and Chu Qing told Madam Jin to hide while he stood guard before a servant rushed in shouting that the sky was falling.

After He Qi and more than three hundred people were killed in Stone Rock County, the Fortified Village, local families, and He Family launched investigations and feared the deaths could spark a wider conflict. He Qi Dog reconstructed the killer’s actions and recognized him as a ruthless, highly capable murderer, but the killer’s identity remained unknown.

• Sister Lan and the Fortified Village Disciples discovered He Qi’s slaughtered household, ordered a citywide manhunt, and sealed Stone Rock County while debating whether several recent crises were connected.
• Stone Rock County’s great families feared that He Qi’s death would give the Rebel Army an excuse to intervene, and they vowed to defend the county against the fortified villages.
• The He Family Head dismissed He Qi’s death as one son lost among many and sent He Qi Dog with twenty iron cavalrymen to find and butcher the killer.
• He Qi Dog arrived in Stone Rock County, examined the crime scene, and reconstructed how the killer had cleared the guards and defeated He Qi.
• After inspecting He Qi’s room and the kitchen, He Qi Dog concluded that the killer had acted without hesitation, looted valuables, and erased traces, but he did not identify Chu Qing.

While Stone Rock County remained tense after the He Family’s destruction, Chu Qing stayed at Jin Family Manor and completed the conditions to promote his Dual Mantis Sword. He practiced the newly initiated skill and learned that he and Madam Jin might be able to leave the manor the next day.

• Madam Jin suspected Chu Qing had killed the He Family members, but he reassured her while remaining at Jin Family Manor under her protection.
• Armored knights questioned Chu Qing about his visit to the He Family, then dismissed suspicion after accepting his explanation and ten taels of silver.
• After three days, Chu Qing completed the Dual Mantis Sword’s first condition, swallowed ten doses of Mantis Secret Medicine, and successfully promoted the weapon skill.
• Chu Qing practiced the Dual Mantis Sword and sensed that its moves mobilized the Iron Sinews he had already cultivated, though the technique quickly exhausted him.
• Chu Qing rapidly flicked the sword with all ten fingers to build Sword Finger progress, while Madam Jin joined him and said the inspections had eased enough that they might go out the next day.

Chu Qing received secret medicine from Madam Shi and trained to improve his Copper Sinew, then discovered Pharmacist Li had been taken away. He completed Dual Mantis Sword’s conditions by slaying three thousand mantises and returned to Stone Rock County, where the refugees’ desperation was growing.

• Madam Shi gave Chu Qing two doses of secret medicine and sang opera for him, then asked him to listen again the next day without putting on an act.
• Chu Qing found that secret medicine barely improved his Copper Sinew and decided to keep training rather than give up.
• Chu Qing found Pharmacist Li’s home empty and learned from the neighbors that a group had taken him away two nights earlier.
• Chu Qing traveled to Stone Ridge Mountain, caught mantises, and completed Dual Mantis Sword’s promotion conditions.
• Chu Qing spent the day slaying mantises until he had killed three thousand with his sword, completing the next condition.
• Chu Qing returned to Stone Rock County and saw that refugees were dying, gathering beneath recruitment platforms, and growing resentful.

Chu Qing returned to Jin Family Manor as Madam Shi arrived, then left to confront the Fortified Village Disciples who had tried to summon him for Miss Lan. He killed them with his Greatsword and returned to the manor, leaving the Wind Flower Snow Moon maids suspicious of the smell of blood.

• Chu Qing learned that pharmacists had been taken from several pharmacies and found Madam Jin worried about Madam Shi's arrival.
• Burly Fortified Village Disciples barged into Jin Family Manor and demanded that Chu Qing come see Miss Lan, but Madam Shi ordered them out.
• After Madam Shi and Madam Jin went to the study, Chu Qing left the manor and encountered the burly men outside.
• Chu Qing drew his Greatsword and killed the burly men, using their blood to test and consecrate the blade.
• Chu Qing returned to the manor, and Feng Nü and the other maids noticed a smell of blood on him.

Chu Qing misread Madam Shi’s intentions, failed to overpower her, and received ten portions of Eagle Claw secret medicine, which helped him break the technique’s limit and reach two hundred Iron Sinews. Meanwhile, Sister Lan abandoned the search for Chu Qing, and He Qi Dog continued investigating the killings and the secret transmission; ten days remained before the Martial Academy Preliminary Exam.

• Chu Qing watched Madam Shi perform, then tried to force her down and struck her back, but her strength rebounded his blow and she ordered him out.
• Madam Shi sent Wind Flower Snow Moon to give Chu Qing a gilded box containing ten portions of Eagle Claw Technique secret medicine.
• Sister Lan learned that her men had been killed while searching for Chu Qing and told her servant to bury them without investigating the killer or sending more people after Chu Qing.
• He Qi Dog connected Liu Hai’s secret martial art, the Black Market deaths, and He Qi’s murder, then ordered an investigation into whom Liu Hai had contacted before his death.
• Chu Qing used the secret medicine to break through the Eagle Claw Technique’s limit, gaining twenty Iron Sinews and bringing his total to two hundred.
• Chu Qing discussed Madam Shi’s puzzling behavior with Madam Jin and said he wanted to learn more techniques before the Martial Academy Preliminary Exam.

With the Martial Academy Preliminary Exam only days away, Chu Qing learned the missing pharmacists were being held at Worry-Free Temple, where a gang of fake monks had taken over. After scouting the temple and finding its patrols too alert for a stealthy entry, he prepared to break in himself.

• A member of Medicine Seeker told Chu Qing that all the missing pharmacists were at Worry-Free Temple.
• Chu Qing accompanied the pharmacists’ families to the temple, where armed monks threatened them and drove them away.
• Chu Qing left the group and resumed training, frustrated that his search for Pharmacist Li had delayed his progress before the Preliminary Exam.
• After nightfall, Chu Qing went to Worry-Free Temple and observed its orderly patrols, which he suspected might belong to rebels or regular troops.
• Chu Qing identified a heavily guarded side room as a possible place where Pharmacist Li and the other pharmacists were held, then prepared to force his way inside.

Chu Qing helped the sabermen defeat the fake monks outside the temple, then forced them to enter the side room where a powerful monk was waiting. He killed the monk with his Mantis Sword, leaving the temple cleared of its defenders.

• Chu Qing watched the sabermen attack the fake monks, then used his Two-handed Greatsword to shatter their formation and kill their Squad Leader.
• Chu Qing pursued the fleeing fake monks, and the sabermen joined him in clearing the temple grounds.
• The sabermen rushed into the side room and were killed by the powerful monk, so Chu Qing forced the survivors to charge him instead.
• Chu Qing entered the side room and killed the monk with repeated Mantis Sword strikes.

Chu Qing rescued Pharmacist Li from Worry-Free Temple, burned the temple, and recovered secret medicine, pearls, and other valuables. He returned to the medicine shop and planned to use the medicine while seeking Madam Jin’s help to refine the pearls.

• Chu Qing collected the pharmacists’ promised rewards, learned Pharmacist Li had hidden the secret medicine at home, and set Worry-Free Temple on fire after leaving with him.
• The Rebel Army’s Chief Subordinate sent a carrier pigeon for reinforcements, while families and residents reacted to the temple fire and the pharmacists’ return.
• He Qi Dog inspected the temple and concluded that the killer likely matched the one who murdered Young Master He Qi and might have sought a secret blade art.
• Chu Qing opened the boxes at the medicine shop and found 108 portions of Toad Secret Medicine, more than seventy thousand taels in Silver Notes, seven Stone Bamboo Pearls, and other valuables.
• Chu Qing decided to use the secret medicine to advance his Toad Skill and considered asking Madam Jin to refine the pearls.