Chapter Summaries

Wei Fan learned about expanding his dantian before breaking through and gained Su Xuerong’s promise to provide a suitable martial art. Back at the yamen, he learned that the E Shen Gang had beaten two of his subordinates for intervening in an extortion racket.

• Ning Xuan advised Wei Fan to expand his dantian before entering the Aperture Opening Realm, explaining that greater True Qi reserves could strengthen his future prospects.
• Su Xuerong agreed to give Wei Fan a martial art for expanding the dantian, and Ning Xuan said he would copy the manual for him to collect in two days.
• Ning Xuan and Su Xuerong told Wei Fan about the wider martial world, including the Great Chu Kingdom, the Demon Suppressing Division, martial arts sects and families, and demons.
• Liu Chengzhou reported that Zhou Qi and another yamen runner had been beaten while trying to stop a shop from being smashed up.
• Zhou Qi told Wei Fan that the attackers were collecting monthly payments for the E Shen Gang and had threatened to feed the runners to demons if they interfered again.

Wei Fan led a small group of yamen runners to arrest the E Shen Gang, refusing to back down despite its ties to the Lu Family and the Registrar. After killing the gang’s guards, he entered its courtyard, where Hu Qing and the others joined the fight.

• Wei Fan learned the E Shen Gang had taken over the old Fierce Tiger Gang courtyard and ordered the beaten yamen runners to join him in confronting it.
• Luo Wen warned Wei Fan against provoking the gang, but Wei Fan insisted that no one could cause trouble on his turf without consequences.
• Hu Qing told Wei Fan that the gang leader, Lu Mingjie, was connected to the Registrar through the Lu Family, but Wei Fan continued toward the gang’s base.
• Wei Fan told Hu Qing that the Demon Suppressing Division would soon take notice of Cloud City, then ordered the E Shen Gang guards to surrender.
• When the guards attacked, Wei Fan killed them and entered the courtyard, where Hu Qing and the other yamen runners drew their weapons against the gang members.

Wei Fan slaughtered the E Shen Gang members and killed Lu Mingjie before exposing and killing the Crocodile Demon hiding in the courtyard. The surviving constables were left stunned by Wei Fan’s strength and the demon’s presence in Cloud City.

• Wei Fan and Hu Qing killed the E Shen Gang members attacking the constables, and Wei Fan cut down Lu Mingjie when he arrived.
• Luo Wen confronted Wei Fan over Lu Mingjie’s death, but Wei Fan spotted a Crocodile Demon hiding in a room and forced it out.
• The Crocodile Demon revealed its human form and threatened to eat everyone so no one could report its presence in Cloud City.
• Wei Fan charged the Crocodile Demon and killed it with a single strike of saber aura from the Heavenly Gang Blood Burning Saber.

Wei Fan destroyed the E Shen Gang after discovering its alliance with a demon, then set out with Luo Wen to arrest the Lu Family. They reached the Lu Residence, where Luo Wen warned him about the household guard Zuo Qiu and urged restraint.

• Wei Fan pressured Luo Wen into condemning the Lu Family and ordering a raid after the Crocodile Demon’s corpse was found at the E Shen Gang.
• Wei Fan and Luo Wen displayed the demon’s corpse to residents, who praised Wei Fan for destroying the E Shen Gang.
• Luo Wen hurried Wei Fan back to the East District Yamen to gather a force before the Lu Family could flee.
• As they entered the inner city, Luo Wen warned Wei Fan not to kill indiscriminately and told him that the Lu Family’s guard Zuo Qiu might be a powerful martial artist.
• Wei Fan and Luo Wen arrived at the Lu Residence, whose entrance was guarded by four men.

Wei Fan and Luo Wen led the yamen runners to arrest the Lu Family for colluding with demons. Wei Fan killed Zuo Qiu, while Lu Tianming and two others died in the clash, and the raid continued with the Lu Family’s remaining members in custody.

• Wei Fan ordered the yamen runners to surround the Lu Family residence and entered after the guards and servants surrendered.
• Lu Tianming invoked his relationship with Wei Qingyuan to challenge the arrest, but Wei Fan and Hu Qing moved to seize him.
• Zuo Qiu attacked Wei Fan with the Three Moon Condensing Evil Finger, and their clash killed Lu Tianming and two other men with its aftermath.
• Wei Fan defeated Zuo Qiu with the Dragon's Roar Sky Shattering Finger and Flowing Cloud Chasing Wind Steps, then crushed his skull.

Wei Fan helped crush the Lu Family after killing Zuo Qiu, but the search uncovered no evidence that Wei Qingyuan had colluded with demons. The officials took over the investigation, and Song Jinsong chose to handle the case impartially while ordering Wei Qingyuan to leave.

• Wei Fan searched Zuo Qiu's body, and Hu Qing explained that Three Moon Condensing Evil Finger required killing and corpse rituals before helping search the Lu Family estate.
• Luo Wen warned Wei Fan to look for proof implicating Wei Qingyuan, then left to report the incident to the City Lord.
• Hu Qing secretly gave Wei Fan several books, but the search found no evidence proving Wei Qingyuan had colluded with demons.
• Wei Qingyuan arrived with other officials, confronted Wei Fan, and received a defiant reply before Wei Fan and Luo Wen departed.
• Song Jinsong recognized Wei Fan's strength, ordered the Lu Family members taken in for questioning, and told Wei Qingyuan to leave to avoid suspicion.

Wei Fan tested the limits of external training while learning several martial arts, and the Lu Family’s downfall continued to cause trouble for Wei Qingyuan. After helping Ning Xuan and Su Xuerong leave for Su City, Wei Fan learned that the City Lord had awarded him only five taels of silver, leaving him convinced that he was being deliberately suppressed.

• Wei Fan studied the Lu Family’s manuals, chose Thirteen Taibao, Three Yuan Return to One, Demon Slaying Saber, and White Rainbow Splits the Void Palm, and raised Thirteen Taibao to its ninth level with ten years of cultivation.
• Wei Fan realized that his external training had reached its limit at twenty thousand jin of single-arm strength and that further improvement required breaking through to the Body Tempering Realm.
• Wei Qingyuan rebuked Madam Wei Lu for her elder brother’s family’s crimes and sent a letter by carrier pigeon after worrying that the Lu Family’s actions might cost him his position.
• Su Xuerong gave Wei Fan a copy of the Mirror Lake Technique, and Ning Xuan and Su Xuerong left for Su City to seek another assessment task.
• Luo Wen told Wei Fan that the Lu Family’s property had been confiscated and that the East District runners would receive one tael each, while he and Wei Fan would receive five taels apiece; Wei Fan suspected the City Lord was suppressing him.

After the City Lord let Wei Qingyuan keep his post, Wei Fan focused on expanding his dantian with the Mirror Lake Technique until it could hold more than fifty years of True Qi. When a report came in that demons had attacked Three Mile Hamlet, Wei Fan set out with Liu Chengzhou and Hu Qing, suspecting the incident might be a trap.

• Luo Wen worried that Wei Qingyuan would retaliate against him, while Wei Fan insisted they should follow the rules and not fear him.
• Wei Fan used eighty years of cultivation on the Mirror Lake Technique, expanding his dantian to roughly five times its former capacity.
• Wei Fan concluded that his True Qi capacity now rivaled that of top Demon Suppressing Division geniuses.
• Liu Chengzhou and Hu Qing told Wei Fan that demons had eaten several people in Three Mile Hamlet.
• Although Hu Qing warned that the report might be a trap connected to the Tiger King, Wei Fan left with her and Liu Chengzhou, taking the villager Tian Qi with them.

Wei Fan exposed a demon disguised as Tian Qi and confronted Great Immortal Huang, who had come to avenge the Demon Race’s reputation. After killing Tian Qi, Wei Fan faced Great Immortal Huang’s attack and prepared to counterattack from within the demon’s corrosive black smoke.

• Tian Qi told Hu Qing and Liu Chengzhou that two giant weasels had eaten villagers in Three Mile Hamlet and led the group toward the village.
• Wei Fan drew his saber at the village entrance and revealed that Tian Qi was a demon disguised as a man.
• Tian Qi summoned Great Immortal Huang, a powerful demon who declared that he would kill Wei Fan to defend the Demon Race’s standing.
• Wei Fan beheaded Tian Qi and threatened to cut open Great Immortal Huang’s belly and cook his Demon Sac.
• Great Immortal Huang attacked Wei Fan with corrosive black smoke, but Wei Fan’s saber aura tore through it and slashed toward him.

Wei Fan killed Great Immortal Huang and his weasel followers, then returned to Cloud City with their corpses to claim a reward. Luo Wen discovered that Great Immortal Huang was dead and was left to handle the bodies and reward.

• Wei Fan killed Great Immortal Huang with a saber strike, killed the four weasels carrying his sedan, and took Great Immortal Huang’s Demon Sac, gaining 100 years of cultivation.
• Wei Fan told Hu Qing and Liu Chengzhou to borrow ox carts and bring the demon corpses back to Cloud City, while explaining that he had only tested Tian Qi out of caution.
• Wei Fan and the others returned to Cloud City with two carts of weasel corpses, drawing a crowd that recognized him as the chief constable.
• Luo Wen scolded Hu Qing and Liu Chengzhou for provoking Great Immortal Huang, then realized Great Immortal Huang was among the corpses and was dead.
• Wei Fan left the corpses and reward to Luo Wen, reminding him to include Hu Qing and Liu Chengzhou in the credit.

Wei Fan spent one hundred and fifty years of cultivation breaking through to Innate Body Refinement through Glazed Treasure Body, gaining Supreme True Qi and a dramatic increase in strength and defense. He ended with 107 years of cultivation remaining and a dantian able to hold one hundred years of true qi.

• Wei Fan chose to use his cultivation on Glazed Treasure Body so he could pursue Innate Body Refinement before becoming an Acupoint Opening martial artist.
• After fifty years of cultivation, Wei Fan’s body became fragrant and crystalline, but he had not yet reached Innate Body Refinement.
• Wei Fan spent another hundred years cultivating, expelled foul blood, shed his skin, and broke through to Innate Body Refinement.
• Purple Supreme True Qi filled Wei Fan’s widened meridians and dantian, driving out the earthy yellow true qi from Golden Bell Shield.
• Wei Fan found that one arm could wield one hundred thousand jin of strength and shattered a constable’s saber against his unharmed body.

Wei Fan received orders to help take Black Wind Stronghold while learning that an unknown demon was killing people at the City Lord's Manor. He refused the manor's summons to investigate, leaving the case unanswered.

• Wei Fan learned that Wei Qingyuan had ordered him and Luo Wen to capture Black Wind Stronghold within seven days or lose their positions.
• Wei Fan told Luo Wen to gather intelligence on the stronghold and went out on patrol with Hu Qing.
• Hu Qing told Wei Fan that a commander had been found dead at the City Lord's Manor, apparently killed by an unknown demon.
• A messenger from the City Lord's Manor ordered Wei Fan to assist with the investigation, but Wei Fan refused.

Wei Fan refused the City Lord’s summons and rejected a promotion to Constable Chief of the Inner City, openly criticizing the City Lord’s indifference to ordinary people’s suffering. After the City Lord did not press him again, Wei Fan returned home and learned that Zhang Caiwei was leaving Cloud City to study martial arts.

• Wei Fan told the City Lord’s messenger that he would prioritize the order to attack Black Wind Stronghold over the summons.
• The messenger returned with Wei Qingyuan and announced that the City Lord had promoted Wei Fan to Constable Chief of the Inner City.
• Wei Fan refused to take up the post, revealed that he knew a demon had killed a Constable Chief, and rejected Wei Qingyuan’s appeal to his sense of justice.
• Wei Fan said he wanted to watch the demon attack the City Lord’s family, then left the duty room without being stopped.
• Wei Fan met Zhang Caiwei and her martial arts master outside his home as Zhang Caiwei said goodbye before leaving to train.

The Cloud City Lord was mysteriously killed while guarded in the inner-city yamen, prompting Wei Fan to investigate the demon responsible. He arrived at the yamen and asked Song Jinsong to gather everyone who had been there during the night.

• The Cloud City Lord took shelter in the guard barracks and vowed to deal with Wei Fan after experts arrived from Su City.
• Song Jinsong and the other chief constables rushed into the Cloud City Lord's room after his concubine screamed and found him dead.
• Wei Fan decided to visit the inner-city yamen after Hu Qing argued that investigating could help his chances of entering the Demon Suppressing Division.
• Wei Fan arrived at the crowded yamen with Hu Qing, while onlookers discussed his past clashes with the City Lord and his reputation for killing threats.
• Wei Qingyuan tried to have Wei Fan arrested, but Song Jinsong stopped the argument and offered to cooperate.
• Wei Fan asked Song Jinsong to gather everyone who had guarded the room so he could search for the demon.

Wei Fan investigated the City Lord's Manor for the demon that killed the city lord and identified it hiding inside the city lord's concubine. After Wei Fan split the concubine's body, the demon emerged and was deflected into Wei Qingyuan.

• Wei Fan examined the city lord's corpse while Song Jinsong gathered people, and Pan Yun arrived demanding that Wei Fan be arrested based on Wei Qingyuan's accusations.
• Song Jinsong persuaded Pan Yun to let the investigation proceed, and Pan Yun struck Wei Qingyuan before changing his stance and telling Wei Fan to investigate.
• Wei Fan inspected the gathered servants and discovered through his panel that the city lord's concubine was possessed by a True Demon Second Rank evil thing.
• Wei Fan called the concubine slutty and cut her in two, revealing that she had no blood and was the demon.
• The demon left the concubine's body and attacked Wei Fan, who knocked its red phantom into Wei Qingyuan.

Wei Fan killed Wei Qingyuan and Pan Yun after directing the possessing demon into their bodies, then destroyed the demon with saber intent. Back at the Eastern District Yamen, he continued planning an attack on Black Wind Stronghold despite Wei Qingyuan's death.

• The constables attacked Wei Qingyuan after the demon possessed him, and Wei Fan beheaded him before driving the demon into Pan Yun.
• Wei Fan killed Pan Yun and used saber intent to tear the demon apart, gaining a hundred years of cultivation.
• Song Jinsong recognized Wei Fan's saber intent but kept quiet about his suspicions and ordered the bodies handled and the news spread.
• Wei Fan left with Hu Qing while the yamen runners praised him for killing the demon and avenging the dead.
• Luo Wen accused Wei Fan of deliberately getting Wei Qingyuan killed, but Wei Fan asked for the Black Wind Stronghold information and began reviewing it.

Wei Fan accepted a challenge from Cloud City's demon ancestor to fight at Five Ridges Mountain, then was ambushed by the Demon Suppressing Division's Reception Envoy while the envoy tested his abilities. The chapter ended as Wei Fan's Giant Bear Palm came down and the Reception Envoy shouted that they were on the same side.

• Wei Fan weighed the danger of attacking Black Wind Stronghold and noticed a demon’s stench when Xiong Wanxing approached him at a restaurant.
• Xiong Wanxing delivered the demon ancestor’s challenge: Wei Fan would fight him at Five Ridges Mountain at noon the next day, with Cloud City's demons’ fate at stake.
• Wei Fan agreed to the duel, saying he would take responsibility if Great Immortal Huang’s descendants came to attack the city.
• Ning Xuan introduced Wei Fan to Su Xuerong and the Demon Suppressing Division’s Reception Envoy, who decided to test Wei Fan’s combat skills.
• The Reception Envoy suddenly clawed for Wei Fan’s throat, but Wei Fan’s Giant Bear True Intent stopped him and Wei Fan retaliated with a crushing Giant Bear Palm.
• As Wei Fan’s palm bore down on him, the Reception Envoy cried out that they were on the same side.

Wei Fan nearly killed the Demon Suppressing Division's Reception Envoy, mistaking the assessor for an attacker, but learned he could qualify for the Division by completing a mission. The Reception Envoy agreed to assess Hu Qing as well and left after asking Ning Xuan and Su Xuerong to keep the incident secret.

• Wei Fan stopped just short of killing the Reception Envoy after Ning Xuan shouted that they were on the same side.
• Ning Xuan explained that the Reception Envoy had come to assess Wei Fan, and the injured envoy blamed Ning Xuan's inaccurate information for the surprise attack.
• At Wei Fan's home, Ning Xuan and Su Xuerong explained that Wei Fan's assessment would include a character check and an assignment in Cloud City.
• The Reception Envoy acknowledged Wei Fan's talent, said he would investigate his character, and explained that Wei Fan would go to Su City if he completed the mission.
• Wei Fan asked the Reception Envoy to assess Hu Qing, and the envoy agreed before leaving with Ning Xuan and Su Xuerong.
• Once away from Wei Fan's home, the Reception Envoy told Ning Xuan and Su Xuerong not to reveal that Wei Fan had nearly beaten him to death.

After Wei Fan’s overwhelming strength led the Reception Envoy and his companions to suspect he had achieved Innate Body Refinement, they kept the possibility secret. Wei Fan used his power to advance his Saber Intent and Golden Bell Shield, leaving him with a will-forged blade and a newly transformed protective art.

• Ning Xuan, Su Xuerong, and the Reception Envoy concluded that Wei Fan might have achieved Innate Body Refinement and agreed to keep the matter classified until he entered the Demon Suppressing Division.
• Wei Fan spent one hundred years of power advancing his Saber Intent to Minor Mastery and learned to form a blade with his will.
• Wei Fan infused the will-forged blade with Supreme True Qi, creating a violet treasured blade without holding a physical weapon.
• Wei Fan spent another one hundred years of cultivation on the Roaring Tiger Golden Bell Shield, awakening a dragon soul and transforming it into the Roaring Tiger Dragon's Cry Golden Bell Shield.

Wei Fan prepared to fight the giant bear outside Cloud City, refusing Luo Wen’s offer to gather reinforcements and planning to uproot the city’s demon-colluding forces after the duel. At Five Ridges Mountain, he met the solitary Bear Demon, a True Realm Fourth Grade, as his friends watched.

• The Golden Bell inside Wei Fan absorbed some of his Supreme True Qi and formed a golden dragon figure beside the tiger soul.
• Hu Qing told Wei Fan that the Demon Suppressing Division’s guide had arrived, while Luo Wen warned him that fighting the old bear could be dangerous.
• Wei Fan rejected Luo Wen’s offer to bring the constables and instructed him to prepare to purge the forces colluding with demons if the bear fell.
• Wei Fan left for Five Ridges Mountain with Hu Qing and Zhou Qi, where Ning Xuan and the others joined them to watch the duel.
• The group found the giant Bear Demon waiting alone, and Wei Fan identified it as a True Realm Fourth Grade opponent worth 160 years of cultivation.