Chapter Summaries

Li Hanshan investigated Zhang Shun’s death and suspected the killer might also have attacked Li Wuhen at Wangjiang Restaurant. Meanwhile, Fang Yuan returned home and planned to keep his family away from Qinghe County’s growing unrest.

• Li Hanshan examined Zhang Shun’s fatal wound and sensed that the killer had used a swift blade infused with Blade Intent.
• Xu Feng failed to trace the killer, explaining that Zhang Shun’s death and the wind had scattered the scent and that the killer left no clear footprints.
• Li Hanshan realized Zhang Shun likely had not caused the Wangjiang Restaurant massacre and privately considered whether the mysterious bladesman was responsible for both incidents.
• Fang Yuan returned to the main street, saw the White Lotus Sect’s growing public activity, and decided to focus on the Qinghe Arena so he could eventually move his family to the prefectural city.
• Fang Yuan returned to Liu Wanwan and Little Bean Sprout at the martial arts school and decided to send Little Bean Sprout to learn characters and rules once the Wangjiang Restaurant turmoil subsided.

Fang Yuan discovered that the ordinary cowhide concealed a second layer beneath nearly invisible stitches. Meanwhile, Huangfu Ying waited for the Wang Family to answer his request to enter the Qinghe Arena, unaware of the wider attention and activity surrounding martial artist arenas.

• Fang Yuan found fine stitching in the cowhide, carefully undid it, and lifted a hidden layer inside.
• Huangfu Ying looked down on the White Lotus Sect followers preaching in the street below Drunken Moon Restaurant.
• Huangfu Ying asked Steward Fu whether the Wang Family had replied to his offer to enter the Qinghe Arena as their distant relative.
• Steward Fu assured Huangfu Ying that the Wang Family should welcome the honor, while privately suspecting the arena drew broader attention for reasons beyond experience.
• A restaurant attendant entered Huangfu Ying's private room after a cautious knock.

Wang Shouye rejected Huangfu Ying’s request to use the Wang Family’s name, choosing instead to show full support for Fang Yuan. Meanwhile, Fang Yuan uncovered a tiny, exquisitely painted scroll depicting a vast snowfield.

• An attendant told Huangfu Ying that the Wang Family had already chosen a candidate, enraging him and leaving him demanding an explanation.
• Outside the restaurant, Wang Fugui questioned Wang Shouye’s decision to send only a cryptic message, but Wang Shouye said he would not risk Fang Yuan misunderstanding the family’s intentions.
• Huangfu Ying stopped Steward Fu from retaliating and vowed to enter the Qinghe Arena and see what the Wang Family’s chosen candidate could do.
• Fang Yuan carefully drew a nearly transparent scroll from a hidden cowhide compartment and unrolled it to reveal a boundless snowfield painting.

Fang Yuan discovered that the Snow Scene Painting contained a complete Fundamental Diagram for Treading Snow Without Trace and gained a deeper understanding of the lightness skill. He left exhausted but exhilarated, carrying the painting with him to study further.

• Fang Yuan recognized the snowfield in the painting as a likely Martial Dao Fundamental Diagram for Treading Snow Without Trace.
• Fang Yuan meditated on the painting and experienced himself drifting and landing among the snow without leaving a trace.
• Fang Yuan's Basic Footwork proficiency increased and underwent its second advancement.
• Fang Yuan judged the painting's inheritance to be complete and self-consistent, and reflected on how Fundamental Diagrams could convey entire Cultivation Method inheritances.
• Fang Yuan rolled up the painting, wrapped it carefully, and stored it close to his body.

Fang Yuan agreed to help Liu Wanwan find a gentle Health Preservation Fist so she could protect herself, while Li Hanshan learned why the Carefree Sect had pursued Zhang Shun so relentlessly. The chapter ended with Li Hanshan discovering that Zhang Shun had stolen a Fundamental Diagram for a middle-grade lightness technique.

• Liu Wanwan asked Fang Yuan to teach her proper fist-and-foot martial arts, and he recommended a gentle Health Preservation Fist instead of dangerous combat techniques.
• Fang Yuan promised to ask Senior Brother Wang to find a suitable Health Preservation Fist for Liu Wanwan.
• Li Hanshan criticized Qinghe County's officials for allowing White Lotus Sect followers to proselytize openly.
• Li Hanshan asked Xu Feng why the Carefree Sect had devoted so much effort to hunting Zhang Shun.
• Xu Feng revealed that Zhang Shun had stolen a Fundamental Diagram for a middle-grade lightness technique, surprising Li Hanshan.

Xu Feng told Li Hanshan that the Carefree Sect’s foundational Snow Scene Painting had been stolen, and Li Hanshan proposed tracing the skilled swordsman who killed Zhang Shun. At home, Fang Yuan realized the painting he held was likely the missing diagram and that the man he killed was probably Zhang Shun, pursued by the Carefree Sect.

• Xu Feng explained to Li Hanshan that the Snow Scene Painting had been given to the Carefree Sect’s founder by a mysterious beggar and formed the basis of the sect’s cultivation technique.
• Li Hanshan urged Xu Feng to investigate skilled blade-users in Qinghe County, using records and local informants to identify who killed Zhang Shun.
• Fang Yuan relaxed at home with Liu Wanwan, Little Bean Sprout, and Little Purple Sable before examining the Fundamental Diagram he carried.
• Fang Yuan connected the brocade pouch’s prediction of a second opportunity to the Snow Scene Painting and reflected on the warning to choose his path to the fourth rank carefully.
• Fang Yuan recognized that the man he killed in the alley resembled the masked Black Market seller and concluded he was probably Zhang Shun, with the Carefree Sect likely pursuing him.

Fang Yuan decided to keep the Fundamental Diagram of Treading Snow Without Trace despite the danger of the Carefree Sect, and planned to grow stronger and prepare for the Qinghe Arena. In the prefectural city, Black Heart Tiger emerged from seclusion having reached Fourth Rank, while Li Hongxiu struggled to tell him that Li Wuhen had been killed.

• Fang Yuan kept the Snow Scene Painting and resolved to conceal his possession of the Fundamental Diagram until he became strong enough to protect it.
• Fang Yuan planned to digest the diagram, strengthen his realm, help Liu Wanwan find a Health Preservation Fist Technique, and prepare for the Qinghe Arena and the prefectural city.
• Li Hongxiu waited anxiously outside Black Heart Tiger's chamber after learning that Li Wuhen had been killed in Qinghe County.
• Black Heart Tiger emerged from seclusion and told Li Hongxiu that the Iron Step Pill had helped him break through to the Fourth Rank.
• Black Heart Tiger outlined plans to bring Li Wuhen to the prefectural city, but Li Hongxiu's grief and fear made him suspect something was wrong.

Li Zhan learned that his son Wuhen had been killed and vowed revenge against Zhang Shun and everyone connected to the death. Meanwhile, Fang Yuan prepared for an elaborate Apprenticeship Ceremony that Chen Zhengyang had arranged to raise his profile before the Qinghe Arena.

• Li Hongxiu told Li Zhan that Wuhen was dead, and Li Zhan erupted in grief and rage.
• Li Hongxiu recounted what she knew, and Li Zhan blamed Zhang Shun and vowed to punish everyone he suspected of being connected to Wuhen's death.
• Madam Zhou heard Li Zhan's roar and privately hoped that Wuhen's death would weaken the Li family.
• Fang Yuan cultivated in Qinghe County, consolidated his Third-Rank strength, and received medicinal herbs from the Wang Family.
• Zhao Tie told Fang Yuan that the Apprenticeship Ceremony was about to begin and gave him a new set of clothes.
• Fang Yuan realized Chen Zhengyang had arranged an elaborate ceremony to establish him as a Direct Disciple and build momentum for the Qinghe Arena.

Fang Yuan attended the Apprenticeship Ceremony at the Zhengyang Martial Arts School as Qinghe County’s leading figures gathered to witness Chen Zhengyang accepting him as a disciple. The ceremony had not yet begun, and Luo Sihai and Liu Ting were already judging Fang Yuan’s appearance and Chen Zhengyang’s choice.

• Liu Wanwan teased Fang Yuan about his striking black outfit, and he playfully threatened to discipline her.
• Chen Yin blushed when she saw Fang Yuan, while Zhou Chen and Wang Fugui greeted him and Wang Fugui urged him not to be nervous.
• Canal Gang leader Luo Sihai and Green Wood Gang leader Liu Ting arrived, followed by the County Lieutenant and other prominent guests.
• Fang Yuan calmly watched the powerful guests arrive, regarding them without awe after his recent trials and gains.
• Liu Ting asked Luo Sihai what he thought of Fang Yuan, and Luo dismissed him as a frail-looking choice for Chen Zhengyang.

At Chen Zhengyang’s Apprenticeship Ceremony, the County Education Official Yan Shou Zheng arrived with an arrogant young relative who requested a martial exchange. Fang Yuan sensed that the seemingly ordinary servant accompanying them was likely a formidable Fourth-Rank Martial Artist.

• Luo Sihai and Liu Ting discussed the danger at Luoshui Village and the decline of Qinghe County’s fighting ranks.
• Fang Yuan heard Luo Sihai mention Luoshui Village and silently resolved to remember the name.
• The County Education Official Yan Shou Zheng arrived uninvited at Chen Zhengyang’s ceremony with a brocade-robed young man.
• Yan Shou Zheng said the young man wanted to exchange pointers, provoking anger and dismay among the martial artists present.
• Fang Yuan sensed a dangerous, perfectly restrained aura from the old servant and judged him likely to be a powerful Fourth-Rank Martial Artist.

At Chen Zhengyang’s Apprenticeship Ceremony, Huangfu Ying humiliated the martial artists by defeating Sun Meng with one casual kick. Wang Fugui identified Huangfu Ying as a candidate from the prefectural city, and Fang Yuan realized the ceremony was becoming a contest over his presence.

• Yan Wen Zheng arrived with Huangfu Ying, claiming he was a distant relative who had come to broaden his horizons at the ceremony.
• Sun Meng challenged Huangfu Ying on behalf of the Canal Gang, but Huangfu Ying dodged his saber and kicked him off the stage without drawing his sword.
• When Sun Meng demanded to know his identity, Huangfu Ying replied, “You are not worthy of knowing.”
• Wang Fugui told Fang Yuan that Huangfu Ying was a powerful collateral descendant of the Huangfu Family and one of the candidates his father had observed.
• Yan Wen Zheng recalled that Huangfu Ying had arranged a local identity to enter the Qinghe Arena, then taunted Chen Zhengyang and the gathered martial artists about Huangfu Ying’s victory.

At his Apprenticeship Ceremony, Fang Yuan stepped forward to face Huangfu Ying, a noble young swordsman, and unsettled Yan Wen Zheng by asking whether he remembered him. After drawing their weapons and introducing their martial arts, Fang Yuan launched the first attack.

• Chen Zhengyang warned Fang Yuan that Huangfu Ying was skilled and offered him a way to decline the challenge, but Fang Yuan said he was ready.
• Fang Yuan asked Yan Wen Zheng if he remembered him; Yan Wen Zheng denied knowing him and warned him not to offend Huangfu Ying and his allies.
• Fang Yuan displayed impressive lightness skill as he floated onto the stage, while Huangfu Ying mocked the Wang Family's judgment of talent.
• Zhou Chen worried that either outcome could bring trouble, while Huangfu Ying's old servant hoped Fang Yuan would serve as a useful whetstone.
• Fang Yuan drew his Ghost Head Saber and introduced his Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique; Huangfu Ying drew his sword and announced his Falling Water Sword.
• Fang Yuan moved as soon as their introductions ended.

Fang Yuan decisively defeated Huangfu Ying in a sparring match, demonstrating that he could have killed him with his final slash. Huangfu Ying accepted the loss but vowed to return after improving, while Fang Yuan privately noted that he had also kept his trump card hidden.

• Fang Yuan and Huangfu Ying exchanged a fierce flurry of attacks, with Fang Yuan's strength and steady blade work gradually overwhelming Huangfu Ying's agile swordsmanship.
• Fang Yuan ended the exchange by cutting a lock of hair from Huangfu Ying's forehead, proving how easily he could have struck a fatal blow.
• Huangfu Ying admitted defeat, and Steward Fu reminded him that the match was only a sparring session and that he had not used his family's killing move.
• Huangfu Ying recovered his fighting spirit, acknowledged Fang Yuan's superiority, and vowed to challenge him again after improving his swordsmanship.
• Fang Yuan suspected Huangfu Ying was treating him as a whetstone and reflected that he, too, had not revealed his trump card.

Fang Yuan carefully controlled his victory over Huangfu Ying to establish his strength without attracting excessive attention, then completed his apprenticeship ceremony and became Chen Zhengyang’s Direct Disciple. Afterward, guests flocked to congratulate him and build connections, while Huangfu Ying left without speaking to him.

• Fang Yuan defeated Huangfu Ying with a measured display of saber skill, convincing the gathered guests of his strength and potential.
• Chen Zhengyang restarted the ceremony, and Fang Yuan presented him with apprenticeship tea before being declared a Direct Disciple of Zhengyang Martial Arts School.
• Academic Official Yan offered a cold congratulations and left, prompting the County Lieutenant to call him petty-minded.
• Huangfu Ying watched Fang Yuan briefly before leaving with his servant without speaking.
• Local martial artists and representatives of merchant guilds and escort agencies approached Fang Yuan to congratulate him and offer to stay in contact.

After Fang Yuan defeated Huangfu Ying, Zhou Chen warned him that the Qinghe Arena had drawn attention because the Martial Saint Ancestor had authorized an extraordinary reward for the commandery tournament’s top three. Fang Yuan set his sights on advancing through the selections to reach the Imperial City Security Department’s outer armory and pursue even greater heights.

• Fang Yuan exchanged courteous greetings with local martial artists as Zhou Chen warned him to expect challenges after his victory.
• Wang Fugui suggested Huangfu Ying had targeted Fang Yuan because the Wang Family supported him, while Zhou Chen said Huangfu Ying’s real aim was likely the Qinghe Arena.
• Zhou Chen revealed that the Martial Saint Ancestor valued the competition and that the commandery tournament’s top three could enter the Imperial City Security Department’s outer armory.
• Zhou Chen explained that the Qinghe Arena was only a county-level preliminary, with its top three advancing to the Wushui Commandery Grand Tournament.
• Fang Yuan decided to aim for the commandery tournament’s top three and tightened his grip on his sword.

Zhou Chen and Wang Fugui discussed their families’ ability to support Fang Yuan, and Wang Fugui promised the Wang Family would provide him with cultivation resources. Meanwhile, Five Tiger Sect Elder Li Hanshan observed Fang Yuan’s spar and suspected he had deliberately concealed the full extent of his saber skill.

• Zhou Chen admitted that the Zhou Family’s troubles limited its support for Fang Yuan, though he offered help from his own resources.
• Wang Fugui assured Fang Yuan that the Wang Family would not let him lack cultivation resources.
• Li Hanshan and Xu Feng watched Fang Yuan from a distant tavern roof while secretly searching for the Snow Scene Painting.
• Xu Feng judged Fang Yuan’s victory over Huangfu Ying to be narrow, but Li Hanshan noticed that Fang Yuan had repeatedly passed up chances to end the fight.
• Li Hanshan recognized Fang Yuan’s Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique and concluded that Fang Yuan had concealed his true skill.

Fang Yuan drew the attention of Qinghe County’s gang leaders after his match, while learning about the County Lieutenant’s Stone Camp and the county’s power structure. The chapter left him alarmed when Liu Ting revealed that a Green Wood Gang member had died in a way resembling the survivors of Luoshui Village.

• Li Hanshan watched Fang Yuan’s swordsmanship and decided to observe him longer before considering recruiting him into the Five Tiger Sect.
• Fang Yuan sensed a hidden watcher, reviewed his fight with Huangfu Ying, and resolved to be more careful in public.
• Luo Sihai and Liu Ting praised Fang Yuan and invited him to join or visit their gangs, while Fang Yuan considered their motives.
• Fang Yuan learned that Stone Camp was a force of more than a hundred trained martial artists under the County yamen’s command.
• Luo Sihai told County Lieutenant Wu that he feared trouble after the group’s trip to Luoshui Village, and Liu Ting revealed that a Green Wood Gang member had recently died in a similar state to those who had returned from the village.

At the Martial Arts School, County Lieutenant Wu and the local leaders shut themselves away to discuss the danger tied to Luoshui Village. Wu revealed that two teams of constables and a scout sent to investigate had disappeared after entering the village.

• Luo Sihai warned Chen Zhengyang that a monstrous threat was coming soon and demanded they stop hiding the truth.
• County Lieutenant Wu dismissed everyone except the trusted leaders and core disciples, then brought them to the Martial Arts School’s Main Hall.
• Chen Yin was stopped from joining the meeting, while Wang Fugui asked Fang Yuan what was happening; Fang Yuan said the problem could no longer be concealed or delayed.
• County Lieutenant Wu recounted that two teams of constables sent to conscript men in Luoshui Village had failed to return.
• Wu said a veteran team investigated and found the constables had last been seen entering the village; the young scout they sent in afterward also vanished without a trace.

County Lieutenant Wu recounted the strange deaths tied to Luoshui Village and dismissed the younger martial artists before Qinghe County’s leaders discussed how to handle the threat. After leaving, Fang Yuan asked Wang Fugui to investigate Yan Wen Zheng.

• County Lieutenant Wu described how constables who entered Luoshui Village vanished or died, while Luo Sihai confirmed that he and Liu Ting had barely escaped the village themselves.
• County Lieutenant Wu sent Fang Yuan, Wang Fugui, Sun Meng, Zhao Tie, and the other juniors away, warning them to remember that the Master had not spoken of strange powers or spirits.
• Fang Yuan and the others discussed the danger outside the Main Hall, and Zhao Tie urged Sun Meng not to investigate the matter.
• Sun Meng returned to the Canal Gang, Zhao Tie went to arrange the Martial Arts School’s affairs, and Fang Yuan stopped Wang Fugui to ask him to investigate Yan Wen Zheng.

Fang Yuan began investigating Yan Wen Zheng while Huining served porridge at the county gates and the county leaders held a secret meeting. Chen Zhengyang warned Fang Yuan that if he failed to return from Luoshui Village, Fang Yuan must take his Junior Sister, Wanwan, and the others to the commandery city and never come after him.

• Fang Yuan asked Wang Fugui to investigate Yan Wen Zheng and privately vowed to collect the debts owed to him.
• Huining, a monk from Formless Temple, continued serving porridge to refugees at a White Lotus Sect shed and refused to eat before the work was done.
• Luo Sihai and Liu Ting left the Martial Arts School after a grave secret discussion, followed by Chen Zhengyang and the County Lieutenant.
• The County Lieutenant questioned Chen Zhengyang about the Health Cultivation Method and suggested he pass it to Fang Yuan, but Chen Zhengyang declined.
• Chen Zhengyang told Fang Yuan that if he did not return from Luoshui Village, Fang Yuan must take his Junior Sister, Wanwan, and the others to the commandery city and never search for him.