Chapter Summaries

Chen Sanshi began organizing the 115 recruits under his command as Xiang Tingchun explained that he expected many to die before the next campaign. Meanwhile, Sun Li and Sun Buqi traveled to Poyang County on a mission tied to the vanguard selection and another investigation.

• Chen Sanshi counted 115 recruits, memorized their names and faces, and promised to teach them martial arts starting the next day.
• Luo Dongquan objected to Chen Sanshi gathering his own following, but Xiang Tingchun said the recruits would likely die in the coming campaign and warned that a new county magistrate appointed by the Emperor was coming with the prefect.
• Sun Li and Sun Buqi discussed the vanguard selection and the Sun family's military burdens as they rode toward Poyang County.
• Sun Buqi missed a rabbit with his bow, then killed it with his spear, prompting Sun Li to scold him for neglecting his duties.
• Sun Li and Sun Buqi reached Poyang County before nightfall.

Chen Sanshi studied military command and learned that Prefect Ji was pressuring him to leave Poyang County and serve as a guard in his residence. As Chen Sanshi prepared to respond, a woman invoked his registration with the Governor's Mansion to challenge the Prefect.

• Chen Sanshi practiced his spear, read military texts, and considered how training troops could improve his Troop Command skill.
• General Flag Fang summoned Chen Sanshi to the Training Ground for an inspection by Prefect Ji and the newly appointed County Magistrate.
• Commander Liu warned Chen Sanshi that Prefect Ji backed the Song family and might seek trouble over Chen's involvement in its destruction.
• Prefect Ji offered Chen Sanshi resources and a promise of reaching Transformative Force if he became a guard in his residence, while implying refusal could lead to a battlefield accident.
• A female voice objected that Chen Sanshi was a vanguard martial officer registered with the Governor's Mansion and accused Prefect Ji of trying to poach him.

Sun Li arrived in Poyang to select elites and questioned Chen Sanshi about his rapid progress and breathing technique. She recognized the Vast Exhalation Breathing Technique, asked about Wang Zhi, and went with Chen Sanshi to his home, while Ji Guangxian and Xiang Tingchun argued over Chen and an investigation into the Witch God Cult.

• Sun Li presented her Copper Token and challenged Prefect Ji's claim that he was merely offering Chen Sanshi another option, then took Chen aside to speak privately.
• Xiang Tingchun confronted Ji Guangxian over targeting Chen, and Ji ordered him to investigate suspected Witch God Cult followers in Poyang.
• Ji insisted he would keep Chen from serving Lord Governor, while Xiang warned him that Chen was ruthless and had ordered a Fifteen-stone Heavy Bow.
• Sun Li learned that Chen had reached Bone Tempering after two months and warned that an Inferior Grade breathing technique could lock his future potential.
• Chen told Sun Li that he practiced the Vast Exhalation Breathing Technique taught by Wang Zhi, prompting her to ask where Wang was.
• After learning Wang had gone to the prefectural city, Sun Li accompanied Chen to his home and asked him for tea.

Chen Sanshi welcomed Sun Li into his home and trained with her, while she investigated the Witch God Cult and the disappearances in Poyang County. Two days later, Chen began drilling his soldiers and awakened the Troop Command skill.

• Chen Sanshi answered Sun Li's questions about his background, and she invited him to join her in Liangzhou as a junior brother next spring.
• Sun Li stayed at Chen Sanshi's home and offered to train him; he sparred with her for hours and advanced his Indestructible Golden Snake Spear technique.
• Sun Li suspected the secret meeting between the emperor and barbarian envoys might be connected to the Witch God Cult.
• Chen Sanshi organized his soldiers' stance training and personally corrected their forms, awakening the Troop Command skill.

Chen Sanshi discovered that the Mainstay trait could help him build an unshakable army, then impressed Sun Buqi with his archery and agreed to teach him. Sun Li and Sun Buqi continued investigating the Witch God Cult, while Chen Sanshi prepared to advance his martial cultivation.

• Chen Sanshi recognized that becoming a Mainstay could help his soldiers stay calm under pressure and eventually forge an elite army.
• At the archery range, Chen Sanshi shot down two eagle vultures with one arrow from a distance of one hundred and fifty paces.
• Sun Buqi offered Chen Sanshi two hundred taels a month to teach him archery, and Chen Sanshi agreed to meet him at the Training Ground the next day.
• Sun Buqi reported to Sun Li that Chen Sanshi's background was clean and that he had risen from nothing to nearly Bone Tempering in just over two months.
• When Sun Buqi said the Witch God Cult could not be found in the city, Sun Li ordered him to search the mountains and the homes of officials and martial arts schools.
• Chen Sanshi bought Bone Nurturing Soup and a Medicinal Bath, saying he had encountered a rich young master, and prepared for a breakthrough.

Chen Sanshi tempered his sinews and discovered that he had the Nine Dragons Body, then earned promotion to Hundred Household Commander. After spotting Prefect Ji Guangxian, he planned a secret nighttime trip to the Medicine Valley and used Lan Jie'er to make Sun Li believe he stayed home.

• Chen Sanshi used Bone Nurturing Soup, Dragon Elephant Blood, and Sun Li's guidance to temper his sinews and awaken Nine Dragons Vitalizing Tendons.
• Sun Li identified Chen Sanshi's physique as the Nine Dragons Body and explained how it developed with each realm.
• Chen Sanshi reported his Bone Tempering breakthrough, and Xiang Tingchun promoted him to Hundred Household Commander.
• Chen Sanshi saw Prefect Ji Guangxian leave the Military Camp and decided to investigate the Medicine Valley that night.
• Chen Sanshi arranged for Lan Jie'er to help maintain the appearance that he stayed home, while Sun Li quietly left after hearing the bedroom commotion.

Chen Sanshi infiltrated the martial arts school’s medicine valley and discovered Liang Zhan using Spirit Grain and living victims to make powerful pills. After hearing Liang Zhan plot against him, Chen Sanshi attacked and burst into the residence, leaving Liang Zhan and the others wounded.

• Chen Sanshi sneaked into the medicine valley and silently put its eight guards to sleep with Plum Needle Arrows.
• Chen Sanshi spied on Liang Zhan, Pharmacist Li, and an old servant as they fed Spirit Grain to a captive and extracted a pill from the dead man’s body.
• Liang Zhan swallowed the pill and praised Pan Quan’s method of filtering Spirit Grain’s toxins through living people.
• Liang Zhan said the martial arts schools should pressure Prefect Ji to eliminate Chen Sanshi or drive him from Poyang County.
• Chen Sanshi shot the old servant, Liang Zhan, and Pharmacist Li with Armor-piercing Arrows, then crashed through the roof and confronted Liang Zhan.

Chen Sanshi interrogated Liang Zhan and uncovered the plot behind the immortal treasure and the experiments using spirit grain. He killed Liang Zhan and turned to the dying pharmacist, asking for sacks.

• Chen Sanshi shot and wounded Liang Zhan, then forced him to explain the immortal treasure and Xiang Tingchun's scheme.
• Liang Zhan recounted how the Tuoba prince stole the treasure, the four great martial halls tried to seize it, and the prince eventually died outside the city with the treasure passing to Chen Sanshi.
• Liang Zhan revealed that the treasure could refine cultivation medicine and that the martial halls had used captured peasants to extract spirit grain's essence.
• Liang Zhan offered Chen Sanshi wealth and the medicine garden, but Chen Sanshi rejected him and reminded him that he had come from the countryside too.
• Chen Sanshi killed Liang Zhan with a Plum Needle Arrow and asked the dying pharmacist whether there were any sacks.

After killing the people at the mountain apothecary and burning their bodies, Chen Sanshi hid his loot and returned to the military camp, where he expelled Zhao Jin and demanded discipline from his soldiers. At the academy, Liang Shengzhi and the other masters wrongly concluded that Xiang Tingchun had massacred the medicine garden to seize an immortal treasure.

• Chen Sanshi burned the apothecary’s corpses, hid the stolen goods in Yanbian Village, and returned to the Military Colony of the Thousand Household Office.
• Sun Li and Sun Buqi arrived at the burning medicine garden, realized someone had been there first, and left to investigate the other gardens later.
• Chen Sanshi dismissed Zhao Jin for shirking training and warned his soldiers that anyone else who slacked off would be sent home.
• Liang Shengzhi grieved over the charred bodies while Pan Quan and the Zhao academy master speculated about who had killed the medicine garden’s guards.
• Pan Quan and the Zhao academy master blamed Xiang Tingchun for seeking the immortal treasure, and Liang Shengzhi swore revenge against him.

Chen Sanshi taught Sun Buqi archery, then used costly medicinal baths to improve his cultivation. After his money ran low, he returned to his hidden supplies and began testing whether the immortal treasure’s strange flames could remove the toxins from Spirit Rice.

• Chen Sanshi coached Sun Buqi at the target range, and Sun Buqi revealed that Sun Li was his older sister and insisted on calling Chen Sanshi his master.
• Sun Li arrived, explained that she and Sun Buqi still had matters to attend to, and took her younger brother away.
• Chen Sanshi endured repeated medicinal baths and spear practice, raising his Indestructible Golden Snake Spear progress to 58/500 while spending most of his silver.
• After confirming nobody was watching him, Chen Sanshi retrieved his hidden medicinal materials, Spirit Rice, tools, and books from Yanbian Village.
• Chen Sanshi tried boiling Spirit Rice over lamp-oil flames, but the strange fire burned through the iron pot, so he decided to test scorching the rice directly.

Chen Sanshi tested spirit grain ash on animals and a Zhao Clan Martial Arts School disciple, then discovered it greatly accelerated his spear training while leaving dangerous toxins in his meridians. He returned home determined to learn medicine as the recruits’ assessment period approached its end.

• Chen Sanshi burned spirit grain into ash and found that feeding it to a rabbit and a cheetah caused severe agitation and fatal or near-fatal internal bleeding.
• Chen Sanshi captured a Zhao Clan Martial Arts School disciple, forced him to consume the ash and practice his blood-refining method, then killed him after confirming the method helped control its effects.
• Chen Sanshi consumed a tiny amount of ash and discovered it produced qi that entered his meridians, repaired injuries, and dramatically boosted his spear-training progress, though its toxins accumulated there.
• Chen Sanshi suspected the spirit grain and crimson-burning lamp oil could be part of an alchemy setup, then decided the immortal treasure would be blamed on Xiang Tingchun rather than himself.
• Chen Sanshi returned home, read medical books from Medicine Valley, and considered learning medicine while awaiting the end of the recruits’ assessment period.

Chen Sanshi inspected his recruits, received his promotion to Hundred Household Commander, and learned that he would take over Great Wall watch duty. After Xiang Tingchun demonstrated how a Viscera Refining Martial Artist could deflect his arrow and warned him about Prefect Ji Guangxian, Chen Sanshi suspected Xiang was encouraging an assassination but decided to improve his strength first.

• Chen Sanshi assigned temporary Squad Leader duties to Zhu Tong, Wang Li, and others, while Xu Wencai volunteered to train the troops.
• Ji Guangxian presented the soldiers with medicinal wine made from saber-toothed tiger blood, which could be exchanged for military merit.
• Chen Sanshi completed the promotion procedures and received his appointment as a Sixth Rank Hundred Household Commander; Luo Dongquan was promoted to Deputy Thousand Households.
• Xiang Tingchun told Chen Sanshi to take over Great Wall watch duty in two days and demonstrated that he could cut Chen's arrow out of the air.
• Xiang Tingchun warned Chen Sanshi that Prefect Ji Guangxian had ties to the Song family, gave him Ji's residence and mentioned his Viscera Refining guard.
• Chen Sanshi resolved not to act against Ji until he was stronger and went to find Officer Jiang at the medicine room.

Chen Sanshi began learning medicine while pondering the power of spirit grain and the possibility of immortals, then prepared for war with help from Sun Li. He left the Military Camp with more than a hundred men to take charge of Poyang County’s Great Wall defenses.

• Chen Sanshi studied medicinal herbs under Liuzi and raised his Medicine skill progress to 35/100.
• Chen Sanshi reasoned that spirit grain and an immortal treasure might explain the barbarians’ growing strength, and resolved to build an elite force while prioritizing survival in the coming war.
• Sun Li and Sun Buqi discussed the Thousand Household Office’s troop deployment with Chen Sanshi over dinner, and Gu Xinlan declined to discuss her family’s past exile.
• Sun Li lent Chen Sanshi three hundred taels, and he sparred with her to help absorb the spirit grain in his meridians.
• Chen Sanshi reported to the Military Camp and led more than a hundred men out under Zhao Kang’s guidance to take charge of Poyang County’s Great Wall defenses.

Chen Sanshi completed ten days of Great Wall watch duty while training his spear technique and helping at the pharmacy during rest periods. After returning to camp, he learned that Wang Zhi had changed his mind about asking Sun Li for help, and Chen Sanshi advanced his Medical Arts skill to the beginner stage.

• Chen Sanshi took over Great Wall watch duty and learned how the beacon system relayed warnings and intelligence.
• During ten days of patrols and pharmacy work, Chen Sanshi nearly spent his silver on Spirit Grain and raised his Indestructible Golden Snake Spear progress to 410/500.
• Commander Feng relieved Chen Sanshi, whose horsemanship progress had also risen to 150/200.
• Chen Sanshi told Wang Zhi that Sun Li said she did not know him, and Wang Zhi asked him not to mention him to Governor Sun before fleeing.
• Chen Sanshi returned to the pharmacy, where his knowledge of medicinal materials and formulas advanced Medical Arts to the beginner stage.

Chen Sanshi found a hidden cave to prepare medicinal ingredients and cultivate, then witnessed Sun Buqi confront Wang Zhi, who was revealed to be Tang Ruoshan, the former Main General of Xuanwu Camp. Sun Li spared Tang Ruoshan for the time being and ordered him to die on the battlefield in spring.

• Chen Sanshi discovered that his new ability let him identify every detail of medicinal formulas and decided to brew his own medicine.
• Chen Sanshi found a concealed cave on Tiger Head Mountain, prepared medicinal doses, and cultivated there.
• Sun Buqi attacked Wang Zhi, accusing him of being Tang Ruoshan and blaming him for his third brother's death.
• Wang Zhi admitted his identity and asked Sun Buqi to kill him.
• Sun Li stopped Sun Buqi, told Tang Ruoshan to keep his life and die on the battlefield in spring, and led Sun Buqi away.
• Chen Sanshi connected Tang Ruoshan to the defeat of Xuanwu Camp in Year 57 of Longqing, when Sun Buhui had been its Deputy General.

Wang Zhi told Chen Sanshi how court intrigue forced him to lead Xuanwu Camp and Sun Buhui into a doomed assault, costing Sun Buhui his life and leaving the camp wiped out. He also revealed that Governor Sun later killed the Minister of War and was rumored to have reached Above Martial Saint; Chen Sanshi still decided to go to the Governor's Mansion.

• Chen Sanshi helped Wang Zhi to his feet, and Wang Zhi admitted that his decisions had caused Junior Brother and the soldiers to die.
• Wang Zhi recounted how the court imprisoned Governor Sun and held back the Capital Army, forcing the Eight Great Camps to serve as its vanguard while the Sun family faced political threats.
• Wang Zhi explained that Sun Buhui's talent and ambition had alarmed the Emperor, and he had led Sun Buhui and Xuanwu Camp into an attack from which he alone inexplicably survived.
• Governor Sun later returned to the capital and killed the Minister of War, while rumors claimed he had broken through to Above Martial Saint.
• Chen Sanshi weighed the danger of the court's schemes and decided that the Governor's Mansion was still the best place for him to go.

Chen Sanshi learned about Wang Zhi’s ruined cultivation and the exceptional talents among the Eight Great Camps, then sparred with Sun Buqi to hone his spear technique. After watching, Ji Guangxian decided to try to win Chen Sanshi over by offering his family’s secret medicines and a path to the Crown Prince.

• Wang Zhi told Chen Sanshi that his meridians and organs were damaged, leaving him crippled at Bone Tempering Perfection, and offered to help him in Poyang.
• Sun Buqi explained that Sun Li had reached Bone Tempering Great Perfection after one year of training with her Fire Lotus Martial Body, and described how physiques and comprehension affected cultivation speed.
• Chen Sanshi asked Sun Buqi to spar, and the two exchanged dozens of spear blows as Chen Sanshi used the fight to temper his technique and qi and blood.
• Ji Guangxian watched Chen Sanshi spar and learned from Guard Shan that Chen Sanshi might become a Camp General, but was set on joining the Eight Great Camps.
• Ji Guangxian ordered Guard Shan to explain the political stakes and promised that his family’s ancestral secret medicines would be supplied if Chen Sanshi agreed to follow him.

Chen Sanshi broke through to the upper level of the Indestructible Golden Snake Spear and strengthened his bones while training with Sun Buqi. After refusing Yuan Danzhi’s offer to serve the Crown Prince, Chen became interested in Prefect Ji’s secret medicine and asked to try a dose before considering a change of allegiance.

• Chen Sanshi sparred with Sun Buqi and broke through to the upper level of the Indestructible Golden Snake Spear, gaining the Innate Vajra Body effect.
• Sun Buqi congratulated Chen Sanshi, and Chen asked Sun Li to practice with him in the future while the siblings discussed their investigation into the immortal treasure.
• Yuan Danzhi approached Chen and urged him to leave the Governor’s Mansion’s service and accept Prefect Ji’s patronage, including a future recommendation to serve the Crown Prince.
• Chen Sanshi rejected Yuan Danzhi’s argument about pledging allegiance to the Crown Prince and instead claimed he served the court and His Majesty.
• Yuan Danzhi offered Prefect Ji’s secret medicine, and Chen asked him to bring a dose for testing before he would consider changing masters.

Chen Sanshi disciplined his troops for defying Xu Wencai and learned that the Thousand Household Office planned a campaign against the Xihe Tribe. The chapter ended with Xiang Tingchun ordering three squads to scout enemy territory and report back in a month.

• Chen Sanshi watched Yuan Danzhi leave and resolved to build his cultivation and archery skills before facing him.
• Chen Sanshi found Wu Da leading the troops in mocking Xu Wencai, struck Wu Da down, and ordered him and the other hecklers punished unless they accepted Xu's authority.
• Chen Sanshi privately gave Zhao Qiao silver to buy medicine for Wu Da and warned Xu Wencai that he would be reassigned if his training failed.
• Xiang Tingchun announced that the Thousand Household Office would send troops against the Xihe Tribe in four months, with reinforcements bringing their force to about 1,600 men.
• Xiang Tingchun assigned Commander Luo to form three Night Watcher squads and obtain intelligence on the enemy within a month.

Chen Sanshi prepared for a dangerous Night Watcher mission while training to temper his skin, then noticed beacon smoke signaling an enemy attack. The military colony began assembling its soldiers as the chapter ended.

• Luo Dongquan assigned Liu Jinkui, Chen Sanshi, and himself to lead Night Watchers into the grasslands, and Wang Zhi insisted on accompanying Chen Sanshi.
• Xiang Tingchun rebuked Luo Dongquan for changing the assignment and ordered that Chen Sanshi remain alive until the main battlefield.
• Chen Sanshi selected five men for the mission and began training them for horseback riding while Wang Li stayed behind to drill military formations.
• Chen Sanshi endured Iron Sand skin tempering, treated his wounds with Black Jade Body Protection Ointment, and worried about his slow cultivation and scarce resources.
• Chen Sanshi returned home and recognized black beacon smoke among the cooking smoke, prompting the herald to call the soldiers to assemble for an enemy attack.