Recaps

Fang Yuan faced a growing supernatural threat linked to Luoshui Village, while protecting his family and tracing the danger to the village. The arc left him at Wang Laogen’s house, suspicious that Sect Leader Hu had no shadow.

• Chen Zhengyang rode north with Luo Sihai and Liu Ting, while Fang Yuan stayed behind and trained for the danger ahead.
• Li Hanshan challenged Fang Yuan to a saber duel, then invited him to seek the Five Tiger Sect’s recruitment at the Qinghe Arena.
• Green Vine warned Fang Yuan that Black Heart Tiger had reached Fourth Rank and might target him, but Fang Yuan focused on strengthening his ties with the Five Tiger Sect.
• A ghostly beggar haunted Fang Yuan’s home, terrified Liu Wanwan and Little Bean Sprout, and escaped after Fang Yuan attacked it.
• Fang Yuan connected the beggar phantom to deaths with missing hearts and warned Sun Meng and Sect Leader Hu not to spread news of Luoshui Village.
• Fang Yuan, Sun Meng, and Sect Leader Hu rode north, became trapped in a looping mountain path, and followed Wang Laogen to Xiahe Village.
• Fang Yuan’s Basic Health Preservation Method unlocked Five Tigers Regulating Viscera, while Sun Meng reported seeing Sect Leader Hu without a shadow.
• Fang Yuan and Sun Meng watched Sect Leader Hu avoid the moonlight, and Hu asked whether they thought he was a wraith.

Fang Yuan escaped the supernatural Luoshui Village, learned more about Black Calamities and the danger in his cultivation method, then accepted Qin Wan’s request to deal with Black Heart Tiger. He uncovered County Lieutenant Wu’s secret communication and prepared to investigate the midnight meeting.

• Fang Yuan navigated the suspicions surrounding Sun Meng, Sect Leader Hu, and Wang Laogen, then escaped Luoshui Village at dawn while Sun Meng and Hu remained trapped.
• Fang Yuan learned that seven days had passed outside the village, arranged support for Sun Meng’s family, and returned to Zhengyang Martial Arts School.
• Huining explained that fear and stories fed Black Calamities, warned Fang Yuan about the danger in his Five Tiger Health Cultivation Method, and identified his Door-Breaking Effect as a possible form of Blade Intent.
• Fang Yuan refused Huining’s offer to enter the Formless Temple and later met Prefect Zhao’s First Madam, Qin Wan, who asked him to kill Black Heart Tiger.
• Fang Yuan refused the Iron Cloth Pill, accepted the Lesser Nourishing Origin Method, and obtained information about Black Heart Tiger and the Military Supply Case.
• Fang Yuan secretly entered the county yamen and overheard Qin Wan and Uncle Qin discuss the danger of confronting Black Heart Tiger directly.
• Fang Yuan intercepted County Lieutenant Wu’s carrier pigeon, read its message arranging a midnight meeting at Willow Street Lane, and scouted the meeting place before returning to Zhengyang Martial Arts School.

Fang Yuan killed County Lieutenant Wu and uncovered the White Lotus Sect’s influence, while Qinghe County’s officials and visiting nobles maneuvered around Stone Camp and the coming arena. Huining warned Fang Yuan that the White Lotus Guardian had arrived, just as Wang Fugui rushed in with news of trouble at Shopkeeper Li’s home.

• Fang Yuan secretly overheard County Lieutenant Wu speaking with a mysterious contact about the Five Tiger Health Cultivation Method, then killed Wu when he attacked and learned the White Lotus Sect had entered the city under orders from Wu’s masters.
• Fang Yuan decided to avoid the organization and prepare for the Qinghe Arena, while Wu’s murder sparked panic and County Magistrate Liu ordered an investigation.
• Fang Yuan learned that the Qinghe Arena offered local martial artists a rare opportunity, and he resolved to make his name through his own strength rather than accept the Wang Family’s help for visiting noblemen.
• Prefectural scions and Manager Li organized a betting pool around the arena, but Fang Yuan defeated Huangfu Ying again with the Entangling Silk Saber Technique and planned to wager his savings on himself.
• Stone Camp entered Qinghe County, and Liu Wenhe and Captain Wang pressured local merchants to fund the troops while demanding that Zhengyang Martial Arts School surrender the Fundamental Diagram.
• Wang Shouye concealed Fang Yuan’s absence from Liu Wenhe, while Liu suspected the Wang Family was hiding Chen Zhengyang’s troubles and sought money before the county’s situation worsened.
• Huining identified Fang Yuan’s Lesser Nourishing Origin Method as a Shouyi Temple teaching and warned him that the White Lotus Guardian had arrived in Qinghe County.
• Wang Fugui rushed into Fang Yuan’s courtyard and reported that something had happened at Shopkeeper Li’s home.

Fang Yuan killed Captain Wang and stirred suspicion against Liu Wenhe as Eunuch Cao arrived to investigate Qinghe County. Liu Wenhe accused Fang Yuan of the murder, and Eunuch Cao ordered him held in prison while the investigation continued.

• Wang Fugui told Fang Yuan that Shopkeeper Li's household had been robbed after Captain Wang demanded the Fundamental Diagram, and Fang Yuan refused to hand it over.
• Fang Yuan killed Captain Wang in an alley, spared Foolish Egg and Third Brother, and sent word through Wang Fugui that the County yamen had robbed Shopkeeper Li.
• Fang Yuan recognized Ji Kun as a prisoner framed for County Lieutenant Wu's death, while Liu Wenhe learned Captain Wang had been killed and feared the incident might draw Imperial scrutiny.
• Eunuch Cao arrived in Qinghe County, confronted Liu Wenhe over the refugees, and ordered an investigation into Captain Wang's death and the uncooperative merchants and Martial Arts Schools.
• Liu Wenhe put Fang Yuan and several merchants on the arrest list, and Han Bao brought Fang Yuan to the County yamen for questioning.
• Fang Yuan challenged Liu Wenhe over the refugees, the grain-store robbery, and County Lieutenant Wu's death, then denied killing Captain Wang and argued that he lacked the strength to do it.
• Eunuch Cao rejected Liu Wenhe's demand to execute Fang Yuan without proper inquiry and ordered him held in custody while Liu Wenhe investigated Captain Wang's movements.
• Han Bao escorted Fang Yuan to a cleaner prison cell, where Fang Yuan heard a rustling sound from the neighboring cell.