Chapter Summaries

Huang Shaojie captured two Japanese spies, earned a Great Return Pill, and then went with Xiao Qiuyue to arrest another spy leader, Oda Taro. He attacked Oda Taro in his clinic, leaving Oda and his subordinates to face the Imperial Guard.

• Huang Shaojie searched Huimei's soul, found no valuable leads, and ordered her and Xiongfei locked in the Eastern Pacification Office dungeon.
• The system rewarded Huang Shaojie with a Great Return Pill for capturing the two spies, and he stored it in his Spatial Storage Ring.
• Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue returned to the Eastern Pacification Office after breakfast and received a year of cultivation for reporting late.
• Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue led several Hundred-Household Officers to Kohara's clinic in Minshun Quarter and surrounded it.
• Huang Shaojie struck Oda Taro, exposing their raid as the patients fled and Oda's clerk demanded to know who they were.

Huang Shaojie captured Japanese spies at a medical clinic and learned that Fan Jian, a powerful Golden-Robed Constable of the Six Gates, was secretly a Japanese operative named Hirano Naoki. He set out with Xiao Qiuyue and two Deputy Commanders to stake out Fan Jian’s residence and capture him when he returned.

• Huang Shaojie killed Oda Taro’s subordinate, crippled Oda Taro, and sent Xiao Qiuyue to seize the Japanese spy in the rear courtyard.
• Xiao Qiuyue crushed the rear-courtyard spy’s limbs, and Huang Shaojie’s men brought the captured spies back to the Eastern Pacification Office.
• Huang Shaojie searched Oda Taro’s soul and discovered that Fan Jian was Hirano Naoki, the Japanese spy organization’s Number Three Figure and a Beginner Heavenly Ninja.
• Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue discussed the Japanese spies’ infiltration and decided to capture Fan Jian to learn more about the organization’s leaders.
• Huang Shaojie, Xiao Qiuyue, Deputy Commander He, and Deputy Commander Liu went to Fan Jian’s residence, where Huang ordered the two Deputy Commanders to hide in nearby alleys and await his signal.

Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue captured Hirano Naoki, a Japanese spy posing as Fan Jian, and Huang Shaojie received a Lifespan Fruit that added 500 years to his life. After searching Hirano Naoki’s soul, Huang Shaojie still could not identify the Japanese spy among the Thirteen Protectors.

• Xiao Qiuyue presented her Imperial Guard token and Huang Shaojie exposed Fan Jian as Hirano Naoki, prompting the spy to flee.
• Hirano Naoki fought Deputy Commanders He and Liu with Wind Release techniques, but Huang Shaojie caught up and defeated him.
• Huang Shaojie crippled Hirano Naoki, sealed his acupoints, and ordered Xiao Qiuyue and the deputy commanders to take him away.
• The system rewarded Huang Shaojie with a Mysterious Tier Lifespan Fruit that added 500 years to his lifespan, and he stored it in his Spatial Storage Ring.
• Huang Shaojie searched Hirano Naoki’s soul but learned no identity for Number Two among the spies or the Japanese spy among the Thirteen Protectors.

Huang Shaojie revealed that he had uncovered all seven of Japan’s intelligence bases in the Capital City, shocking Azure Dragon and the Imperial Guard officers. Azure Dragon ordered simultaneous raids on Fragrant Flower Brothel and the Taihe Merchant Association.

• Huang Shaojie told Xiao Qiuyue that the Taihe Merchant Association was a Japanese intelligence base, and she realized Fragrant Flower Brothel was the seventh base.
• Xiao Qiuyue sent the half-dead Hirano Naoki to the Imperial Prison as she and Huang Shaojie returned to Huang Manor.
• Huang Shaojie reported to Azure Dragon that he had destroyed five of the seven bases and uncovered the remaining two.
• Azure Dragon summoned the Imperial Guard officers and announced that Fragrant Flower Brothel and the Taihe Merchant Association were Japanese spy bases.
• Azure Dragon ordered Huang Shaojie to raid Fragrant Flower Brothel with five hundred Imperial Guards, then led another force to surround the Taihe Merchant Association.

Huang Shaojie led Imperial Guards in a raid on the Fragrant Flower Brothel, capturing its Japanese spy leaders and killing everyone else inside. Azure Dragon then surrounded the Taihe Merchant Association and smashed its gates, beginning a second raid.

• Huang Shaojie and five hundred Imperial Guards surrounded the Fragrant Flower Brothel and stormed inside.
• Huang Shaojie defeated Inoue, crippled his dantian, and had him captured alive after Inoue wounded Deputy Commander Liu while trying to escape.
• Huang Shaojie knocked Mother Xue unconscious, and the Imperial Guards killed everyone else in the brothel while capturing several leaders, including Natsumi.
• Huang Shaojie ordered a search of the Fragrant Flower Brothel and led the captured Japanese spy leaders toward the Eastern Pacification Office.
• Azure Dragon led over a thousand Imperial Guards to surround the Taihe Merchant Association and shattered its guards, gates, and stone lions with one palm strike.

Azure Dragon and the Imperial Guards destroyed the Taihe Merchant Association, one of Japan’s intelligence outposts, while interrogations confirmed that Sakamoto remained unidentified. For uncovering all seven spy organizations in the Capital City, Huang Shaojie became the Eastern Pacification Office’s First Commander of a Thousand, and Xiao Qiuyue was promoted to Deputy Commander of a Thousand.

• Azure Dragon led the Imperial Guards in storming the Taihe Merchant Association, killing or capturing its Japanese spies and taking President Jia Taihe prisoner.
• Huang Shaojie soul-searched Inoue, Mother Xue, and Natsumi, but learned little about Sakamoto’s identity; Jia Taihe and the other captured members also could not identify him.
• Azure Dragon reported the operation to Ling Xiaotian, who approved Huang Shaojie’s promotion to Commander of a Thousand and awarded him fifty thousand taels of silver.
• Azure Dragon announced Huang Shaojie’s promotion to First Commander of a Thousand and presented him with his reward, uniform, and token.
• Azure Dragon promoted Xiao Qiuyue to Deputy Commander of a Thousand for assisting Huang Shaojie.

Huang Shaojie received the Heavenly Frost Fist and demonstrated its freezing power to Xiao Qiuyue before teaching her another form of the Wind God Leg. He gave her a Mysterious Rank Body Tempering Elixir, which she refined, and the chapter ended with her inviting him to test her newly strengthened body with a punch.

• Huang Shaojie received the Heavenly Frost Fist from the system and learned its twelve forms.
• Huang Shaojie demonstrated the sixth form, Accumulated Frost Marks, freezing and shattering a small artificial mountain as Xiao Qiuyue watched.
• Huang Shaojie taught Xiao Qiuyue the fifth form of the Wind God Leg, Wind Sweeping Through Decaying Buildings, and she quickly grasped its essence.
• Huang Shaojie gave Xiao Qiuyue a Mysterious Rank Body Tempering Elixir, which she refined while enduring intense pain and expelling impurities.
• Xiao Qiuyue felt stronger and more nimble after refining the elixir, then told Huang Shaojie not to hold back when he tested her with a punch.

After testing Xiao Qiuyue’s resilience following her use of the Body Tempering Elixir, Huang Shaojie received an imperial reward and was ordered to help Vermilion Bird find a Japanese spy hidden among the Imperial Surveillance Bureau’s Thirteen Protectors. He suspected the spy was one of the three Ninth Rank Grandmasters and decided to investigate Blood Monk Wangxin that night.

• Huang Shaojie struck Xiao Qiuyue with increasing strength, and she withstood a blow of several hundred thousand jin with only slight pain.
• Xiao Qiuyue and Huang Shaojie bathed together after she washed away the impurities expelled by the elixir.
• Huang Shaojie went to his new Commander's duty hall, where a guard summoned him to meet Ling Xiaotian.
• Ling Xiaotian told Huang Shaojie that the Emperor had praised his work on the Japanese spy case and awarded him one thousand taels of gold.
• Ling Xiaotian ordered Huang Shaojie to assist Vermilion Bird in finding the Japanese spy among the Thirteen Protectors.
• Huang Shaojie identified Sakamoto as the likely spy and decided to investigate Blood Monk Wangxin's residence that night.

In Western Shu, Xuan Wuji learned that Princess Mingyue was Prince Ning’s adopted daughter and vowed to bring her back. In the Capital City, Huang Shaojie investigated Blood Monk Wangxin and watched a highly skilled woman sneak into his residence.

• Xuan Wuji received a message identifying Princess Mingyue as Xiao Qiuyue, Prince Ning’s adopted daughter, and announced that he would personally bring her back from Chang'an.
• Huang Shaojie went in disguise to Blood Monk Wangxin’s residence to investigate the suspected Japanese spy.
• Huang Shaojie secretly watched Wangxin abusing two maids and suspected that the monk was Sakamoto, Japan’s Number Two spy.
• A woman with exceptional Lightness Skill entered Wangxin’s residence, and Huang Shaojie wondered whether she was Vermilion Bird.

Huang Shaojie and Vermilion Bird were discovered spying on Blood Monk, and Huang Shaojie fought him with powerful martial arts. The chapter left Blood Monk badly injured and his acupoints sealed by Huang Shaojie.

• Huang Shaojie and Vermilion Bird recognized each other while hiding behind the rockery and joined forces to investigate Blood Monk.
• Vermilion Bird accidentally made a noise, alerting Blood Monk, who smashed the rockery and attacked her.
• Huang Shaojie struck Blood Monk from behind with Wind God Leg, Sixth Form: Divine Wind's Furious Howl, sending him flying.
• Blood Monk attacked Huang Shaojie with a poisoned short sword, but Huang Shaojie froze him with Heavenly Frost Fist, Tenth Form: Proud Snow and Defying Frost.
• Huang Shaojie struck Blood Monk through a pavilion and then sealed his acupoints.

Huang Shaojie discovered Blood Monk was a notorious criminal rather than a Japanese spy, crippled him, and concealed what he had done from Vermilion Bird. Vermilion Bird claimed to be injured and had Huang Shaojie carry her to her residence, where she kissed him.

• Vermilion Bird told Huang Shaojie not to arrest Blood Monk without evidence and searched his residence while Huang Shaojie watched him.
• Huang Shaojie searched Blood Monk’s soul and learned that he was Kuda, a former lama who had slaughtered martial arts sects and abused his maids.
• Huang Shaojie crippled Blood Monk’s martial arts, then told Vermilion Bird that Blood Monk had shattered his own dantian while trying to break through his sealed acupoints.
• Vermilion Bird accepted Huang Shaojie’s explanation and said Blood Monk’s condition would keep him from harming the maids again.
• Vermilion Bird pretended to be seriously injured and asked Huang Shaojie to carry her to her residence without alerting the household.
• Vermilion Bird kept her arms around Huang Shaojie’s neck and kissed him in the pavilion.

Huang Shaojie and Vermilion Bird became lovers, though he still insisted that Xiao Qiuyue was the woman he wanted to marry. He returned to Huang Manor late and concealed his affair from Xiao Qiuyue, who offered to help him bathe.

• Huang Shaojie and Vermilion Bird spent an hour together, and he discovered she had been a virgin.
• Vermilion Bird confessed that she had admired Azure Dragon and White Tiger but now wanted Huang Shaojie as her secret lifelong confidante.
• Huang Shaojie accepted Vermilion Bird's proposal despite telling her he loved Xiao Qiuyue, then left for Huang Manor.
• Vermilion Bird playfully kicked Huang Shaojie off the bed, and he spanked her before departing.
• Xiao Qiuyue noticed a woman's scent on Huang Shaojie, and he claimed it came from a masked woman he had fought for nearly an hour.
• Xiao Qiuyue believed his story and led him to the bathing room, offering to help him bathe.

Huang Shaojie arranged to travel to Suzhou under the pretext of investigating the Thirteen Protectors spy, intending to bring his family to the Capital City and arrange his marriage to Xiao Qiuyue. Before leaving, he visited Vermilion Bird to say farewell.

• Xiao Qiuyue asked Huang Shaojie to return to Suzhou and bring his parents to the Capital City so they could arrange a marriage proposal.
• Huang Shaojie told Xiao Qiuyue he would ask Azure Dragon for permission to travel to Suzhou, and she agreed to stay behind.
• Huang Shaojie told Azure Dragon he needed to investigate Situ Wuzui's contact with an unidentified person in Suzhou, and Azure Dragon ordered him to depart at once.
• Huang Shaojie told Xiao Qiuyue that his trip had been approved and promised his father would propose marriage after the family reached the Capital City.
• Huang Shaojie visited Vermilion Bird at the Western Pacification Office and told her he was going to Suzhou to bring his parents to the Capital City.

Huang Shaojie left the Capital City for Suzhou to bring his parents back, while Xiao Qiuyue reconciled with her family at Prince Ning’s estate. Xiang Qingyang learned that Huang Shaojie had destroyed seven Japanese spy organizations in three days and called him a monster.

• Huang Shaojie told Lu Changkong to protect Xiao Qiuyue and cultivate while he traveled to Suzhou, then rode out of the Capital City with four guards and gifts for his parents.
• Xiao Qiuyue returned to Prince Ning’s estate, where Xiang You welcomed her and brought her to dine with Prince Ning and the Princess Consort.
• Xiao Qiuyue told Prince Ning that Huang Shaojie had gone to Suzhou and would ask for her hand after bringing his parents to the Capital City.
• Vermilion Bird reported that the Imperial Guard had not found the Western Shu Remnants, and Xiang Qingyang proposed searching for their lair in Western Shu.
• Vermilion Bird told Xiang Qingyang that Huang Shaojie had wiped out seven Japanese spy organizations in three days, astonishing Xiang Qingyang and the old woman.

Xiang Qingyang learned that Huang Shaojie had gone to Suzhou to bring his parents to the Capital City, while the red-clad Imperial Consort investigated the destruction of her intelligence network and placed a restriction in Sakamoto's mind. Ten days later, Huang Shaojie reached Suzhou and stopped at the Imperial Guard office.

• Vermilion Bird told Xiang Qingyang that Huang Shaojie had left for Suzhou, and Xiang Qingyang planned another chance encounter with him.
• Xiang Qingyang questioned how Vermilion Bird knew Huang Shaojie's plans, but accepted her explanation and dismissed her.
• The red-clad Imperial Consort met Sakamoto beneath a pagoda and suspected the Imperial Guard had used the Soul Searching Technique to destroy seven intelligence outposts.
• The Imperial Consort placed a restriction in Sakamoto's mind to prevent anyone from searching his soul and warned him to avoid the Imperial Guard and Imperial Surveillance Bureau.
• Ten days later, Huang Shaojie arrived in Suzhou with four guards and dismounted outside the Suzhou Imperial Guard office.

Huang Shaojie returned to Suzhou as a Capital City Imperial Guard Commander and received an deferential welcome from Niu Ren and his former colleagues. After announcing that he would bring his parents to live in the Capital City, he left the yamen and rode to Huang Manor.

• Huang Shaojie arrived at the Suzhou Imperial Guard yamen, where a guard learned he had been promoted to Commander and apologized for addressing him by his former rank.
• Niu Ren hurried out to welcome Huang Shaojie and invited him to take the seat of honor in the main hall.
• Huang Shaojie told Niu Ren that he had returned mainly on official business and would bring his parents to the Capital City.
• Niu Ren summoned the officials of Little Banner rank and above, who bowed to Huang Shaojie as Commander.
• Zhu Shi remembered accepting two thousand taels from Huang Baiwan to arrange Huang Shaojie's entry into the Imperial Guard and decided to return the money.
• Huang Shaojie left the yamen with four guards and rode toward Huang Manor to see his parents.

Huang Shaojie returned to Huang Manor after two months in the Capital City, delighting Xiao He and his parents. The chapter ended with Ah Gui announcing his arrival to Huang Baiwan and Madam Huang.

• Xiao He and Ah Gui waited outside Huang Manor while Eight Lord teased Ah Gui and dodged his broom.
• Huang Shaojie arrived at the manor on horseback with four guards, and Xiao He ran to greet him.
• Huang Shaojie teased Xiao He, while Eight Lord embarrassed her by revealing how much she had missed him.
• Huang Baiwan and Madam Huang talked about Huang Shaojie's time in the Capital City and the prospect of buying him a residence there.
• Ah Gui rushed into the main hall and announced that Huang Shaojie had returned.

Huang Shaojie returned to Huang Manor after two months in the capital as a First Thousand Household in the Imperial Guard’s Eastern Pacification Office, delighting his family and the household. Later, he learned that Xiao He had begun training in martial arts, and they went to bathe together.

• Huang Baiwan and Madam Huang welcomed Huang Shaojie home, and his four personal guards revealed his new rank as First Thousand Household.
• Huang Baiwan celebrated Huang Shaojie’s promotion and planned a feast and renovations to the Huang family ancestral graves.
• Huang Shaojie walked around Huang Manor with Xiao He, then checked Wu Zhen’s martial arts progress and found him nearing mastery of the Wind God Leg.
• Xiao He told Huang Shaojie that Wu Zhen had taught her martial arts, then demonstrated her skills in the courtyard.
• Ah Gui announced that the bath was ready, and Huang Shaojie invited Xiao He to bathe with him; she helped him remove his clothes.

Huang Shaojie began teaching Xiao He the Heavenly Frost Qi inner cultivation method after they spent the night together. The next morning, his parents learned Xiao He had stayed in his room, and Madam Huang worried about how this would affect Xiao Qiuyue’s place as his future wife.

• Huang Shaojie comforted Xiao He and secretly used his true qi to heal her injuries.
• The next morning, Xiao He felt recovered and asked Huang Shaojie about learning true qi, so he began teaching her the Heavenly Frost Qi method.
• Xiao He quickly mastered the introductory breathing practice, memorized the mnemonic verses, and began cultivating under Huang Shaojie’s guidance.
• Qiuju came to wake Huang Shaojie for breakfast, saw Xiao He in his room, and realized the two had spent the night together.
• At breakfast, Huang Baiwan accepted Xiao He as Huang Shaojie’s bed-warming maid, while Madam Huang worried that Xiao He might become pregnant before Xiao Qiuyue joined the family.

Huang Shaojie told his parents that he and Xiao Qiuyue were living together and that he planned to bring them to the Capital City to propose to her, Prince Ning’s adopted daughter. After easing his parents’ worries about the match and the cost of moving, he said he had already bought a five-courtyard residence there, and Huang Baiwan decided they would soon set out.

• At breakfast, Huang Shaojie told Madam Huang that Xiao Qiuyue served with him at the Eastern Pacification Office and that they shared a bed.
• Huang Shaojie revealed that he had returned to Suzhou to take his parents to the Capital City and have Huang Baiwan propose at Prince Ning’s residence.
• Huang Baiwan and Madam Huang worried that Prince Ning might reject the marriage, but Huang Shaojie assured them that the prince welcomed the proposal.
• Huang Baiwan worried about the cost of betrothal gifts and a Capital City home, and Huang Shaojie said he had bought a five-courtyard residence from Prince Ning for fifty thousand taels.
• Huang Baiwan decided not to sell the Suzhou residence and said the family would prepare to leave for the Capital City soon.