Chapter Summaries

Chen Zhengyang watched the disciples practice and recognized Fang Yuan’s unusual grasp of the Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique, while privately judging the strengths and flaws of his other students. Worried that Black Tiger Hall was preparing to disrupt Qinghe County, he decided to advance his plans to protect the Martial Arts School.

• Fang Yuan practiced the five forms of the saber technique in a continuous sequence, and Chen Zhengyang admired his comprehension and control.
• Chen Zhengyang assessed Zhao Tie, Zhou Chen, Wang Pangzi, and Chen Yin, concluding that none seemed ready to inherit his mantle.
• Chen Zhengyang reflected that Fang Yuan might follow the forgotten path of the technique, but questioned whether he had enough time to develop.
• Chen Zhengyang considered Black Tiger Hall’s recent restraint and feared it signaled a greater threat to Qinghe County.
• Chen Zhengyang resolved to move some plans forward to prepare the Martial Arts School for the coming turmoil.

Fang Yuan arrived at Zhengyang Martial Arts School and found Chen Zhengyang furious over Chen Yin’s relationship with Liu Chengfeng. After Liu Chengfeng asked to marry Chen Yin, Chen Zhengyang condemned the secret courtship, and Liu Chengfeng appealed to him to let his daughter find happiness.

• Fang Yuan continued training the Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique and found that Black Tiger Hall had made no major moves.
• Fang Yuan entered the unusually quiet training ground and learned from Wang Pangzi that Chen Yin had fallen for an outsider.
• Chen Yin pleaded with Chen Zhengyang to approve her marriage to Liu Chengfeng and threatened to go on a hunger strike.
• Zhou Chen and Zhao Tie urged Chen Zhengyang to meet Liu Chengfeng, and Chen Zhengyang agreed to receive him.
• Liu Chengfeng introduced himself and asked Chen Zhengyang to consent to his marriage with Chen Yin.
• Chen Zhengyang reprimanded Liu Chengfeng for courting Chen Yin secretly, and Liu Chengfeng replied that Chen Yin loved him and deserved happiness.

Liu Chengfeng asked Chen Zhengyang for Chen Yin’s hand, but Chen Zhengyang distrusted his unverifiable claims of being from war-torn Hanshan Commandery and had him escorted out. Chen Yin was confined, while Fang Yuan remained troubled by Liu Chengfeng’s familiar appearance and the school’s growing rumors.

• Liu Chengfeng said he was descended from the Liu Clan of Linyuan County in Hanshan Commandery, prompting Zhao Tie and the others to question his background.
• Chen Yin tried to shield Liu Chengfeng, but Chen Zhengyang ordered Zhao Tie to take her to her room and keep her confined.
• Liu Chengfeng left the Martial Arts School, and Chen Zhengyang’s disciples whispered about his origins and the threat of war before Zhao Tie silenced them.
• Fang Yuan wondered where he had seen Liu Chengfeng before, while Zhao Tie went to check on Chen Zhengyang and Chen Yin.
• Wang Pangzi complained to Fang Yuan about Chen Yin’s choice, and Zhou Chen appeared to ask whether they thought he was a better match than Liu Chengfeng.

Fang Yuan rejected Wang Pangzi’s offer of silver and asked for work that would let him earn money without interrupting his martial arts training. Wang Pangzi recommended caravan escorting and offered to arrange a place for him on an upcoming trip to Linyuan County.

• Zhou Chen warned Fang Yuan and Wang Pangzi that the Rebel Army used spies who seduced young women, then left while lamenting Chen Yin’s interest in an unknown outsider.
• Wang Pangzi told Fang Yuan that Zhou Chen had once pursued Chen Yin and was now jealous of her new acquaintance.
• Fang Yuan asked Wang Pangzi for advice on earning money to cover the costs of martial arts training.
• Wang Pangzi offered Fang Yuan a pouch with about a hundred taels, but Fang Yuan refused to preserve their friendship and his independence.
• Wang Pangzi explained that martial artists could earn money as household guards or by escorting merchant caravans, and recommended the latter for its flexible schedule and higher pay.
• Wang Pangzi offered to recommend Fang Yuan for the Baimao Merchant Guild’s upcoming trip carrying medicinal ingredients to Linyuan County, and Fang Yuan accepted.

Wang Pangzi brought Fang Yuan to Zui Xian Lou to meet his cousin, the Baimao Merchant Guild’s Third Master, who was choosing guards for a medicinal-herb escort. Fang Yuan waited with Wang Pangzi, uneasy that she might recognize him and expose questions about his past.

• Fang Yuan met Uncle Zhang, a formidable Second-grade Martial Artist guarding Wang Pangzi, outside the Martial Arts School.
• Wang Pangzi explained that his cousin, the guild’s Third Master, was overseeing the selection of guards for a trip to Linyuan County.
• Fang Yuan worried that the Third Master might recognize him and draw attention to his unexplained ability to recover from being crippled.
• Wang Pangzi brought Fang Yuan to Zui Xian Lou, where the steward said the Third Master was meeting guests in Ting Xue Ge.
• Wang Pangzi and Fang Yuan waited in Mei Xiang Ge while the steward went to announce them.

Wang Yushuang rejected Li Wuhen’s marriage proposal and Black Tiger Hall’s escort offer, choosing to lead the Baimao Merchant Guild’s caravan to Linyuan County herself. She planned to rely on the guild’s own recruited fighters as Black Tiger Hall grew more domineering.

• Li Wuhen offered to escort the Baimao Merchant Guild’s medicinal herbs to Linyuan County for a reduced fee, then tried to secure Wang Yushuang’s agreement by proposing marriage.
• Wang Yushuang refused Li Wuhen and told him the guild would handle the escort mission itself.
• Li Wuhen warned that the route passed through Black Wind Stronghold and left after Wang Yushuang ordered Qin Yue to see him out.
• Wang Yushuang told Qin Yue that Black Tiger Hall was amassing resources because Li Kuang might be nearing a breakthrough to the Fourth Rank.
• Wang Yushuang decided to escort the caravan herself and end the guild’s dependence on Black Tiger Hall.
• Qin Yue suggested deploying the talented fighters the guild had secretly recruited to test their mettle.

Fang Yuan waited with Wang Pangzi at Zui Xian Lou for Wang Yushuang to receive them, but she never came. After Fang Yuan left, Wang Pangzi stormed into Mei Xiang Ge to confront her.

• Wang Yushuang learned that Wang Pangzi had arrived with an unfamiliar young man and found the visit troublesome.
• Fang Yuan waited as the evening passed and realized Wang Pangzi's influence at the trading house was limited.
• Fang Yuan declined Wang Pangzi's offer of dinner and left Zui Xian Lou without meeting Wang Yushuang.
• Wang Pangzi grew furious over Wang Yushuang's refusal to see him and kicked open the door to Mei Xiang Ge.
• Wang Pangzi demanded to know what business had kept Wang Yushuang too busy to meet him.

Fang Yuan met Chen Zhiyuan in the city and learned about his post at Qinglin Academy, then asked whether the Chen Family had experienced anything like the strange events in Fang Family Village. Chen Zhiyuan denied knowing of the Scarface guard, leaving Fang Yuan stunned.

• Fang Yuan reflected on Wang Pangzi's precarious position in his family's inheritance struggle as he returned to the Outer City.
• Fang Yuan ran into Chen Zhiyuan, who said he had become an instructor at Qinglin Academy through his family's connections.
• Fang Yuan asked about elementary tuition at Qinglin Academy and considered sending Little Bean Sprout there, with Chen Zhiyuan offering to make an introduction.
• Fang Yuan asked whether the Chen Family had suffered strange trouble like Fang Family Village, and Chen Zhiyuan reacted with alarm.
• Fang Yuan mentioned the Scarface guard from their caravan, but Chen Zhiyuan insisted there had been no such guard.

Fang Yuan learned that Chen Zhiyuan had no memory of the scarred storyteller, deepening the mystery of the encounter. After returning home, he practiced the Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique and used a Crimson Sun Fruit to strengthen his body and foundation while delaying his breakthrough.

• Fang Yuan asked Chen Zhiyuan about the scarred man who had told stories by the fire, but Chen Zhiyuan denied that such a person had traveled with the caravan.
• Fang Yuan parted from Chen Zhiyuan and returned home, where Liu Wanwan and Little Bean Sprout welcomed him to dinner.
• Fang Yuan practiced all five stances of the Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique and felt close to becoming a First-grade Martial Artist.
• Fang Yuan suppressed his surging qi and blood to widen his body's capacity, then swallowed a Crimson Sun Fruit.
• Fang Yuan realized the fruit strengthened his physical body and foundation of qi and blood rather than merely adding strength.

Fang Yuan continued refining his saber technique while Wang Pangzi secured him a place on an upcoming caravan escort. Zhao Tie then arrived with more good news for Fang Yuan, but the chapter ended before he explained it.

• Fang Yuan practiced the Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique as the students watched, while Zhang Meng grew resentful of his progress.
• Fang Yuan checked his cultivation and chose to keep suppressing his breakthrough, and Chen Zhengyang judged that he was nearing the final barrier.
• Wang Pangzi told Fang Yuan that his cousin had agreed to include him in the caravan escort departing in a few days.
• Fang Yuan considered why Chen Zhengyang had suppressed the uproar over Chen Yin, then set aside speculation about the man who had pursued her.
• Zhao Tie arrived to tell Fang Yuan he had good news, but after Fang Yuan asked whether Chen Yin would marry Liu, Zhao Tie clarified that the news concerned Fang Yuan himself.

Fang Yuan learned that he could become the Hall Master's true disciple and receive the complete Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique if he continued tempering his foundation. Meanwhile, Wang Yushuang planned a dangerous caravan journey through Black Wind Stronghold territory and selected experienced fighters to protect it, leaving Fang Yuan's place in the caravan uncertain.

• Zhao Tie told Fang Yuan that continued restraint and cultivation could earn him true-disciple status and the complete Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique.
• Fang Yuan accepted Zhao Tie's advice and returned to focused saber practice, determined to temper his Qi and blood.
• At Zui Xian Lou, Qin Mang warned Wang Yushuang that the caravan route crossed Black Wind Stronghold territory, where Li Kuang and other dangerous fighters posed a threat.
• Wang Yushuang decided Qin Mang would accompany the caravan and named Shi Zhen, Han Qi, and Tu Lie as experienced fighters to recruit.
• Wang Pangzi vouched for Fang Yuan's strength, but Wang Yushuang cautioned that the caravan could not afford to carry a burden and told Qin Mang to finalize the other fighters' terms.

Chen Yin secretly gave Fang Yuan a note for Liu Chengfeng, but Fang Yuan handed it to Chen Zhengyang instead. After Chen Zhengyang praised his choice, Fang Yuan arranged to leave with a Baimao Merchant Guild shipment, hoping to avoid Chen Yin’s anger.

• Chen Yin slipped Fang Yuan a note asking him to deliver it secretly to Liu Chengfeng at Yuelai Inn.
• Fang Yuan immediately gave the note to Chen Zhengyang and truthfully explained how Chen Yin had passed it to him.
• Chen Zhengyang praised Fang Yuan and ordered him and Zhao Tie to leave while he handled Chen Yin’s secret contact with Liu Chengfeng.
• Zhao Tie praised Fang Yuan for avoiding a dangerous mistake, and Fang Yuan asked permission to escort a Baimao Merchant Guild shipment south for a few days.
• Zhao Tie approved Fang Yuan’s leave, and Fang Yuan began to ask him for one more favor.

Fang Yuan prepared to leave Qinghe County by asking Zhao Tie to protect Liu Wanwan and Little Bean Sprout, then trained and consumed his last Crimson Sun Fruit. Meanwhile, Liu Chengfeng met a man in black who warned him not to question their Young Master's actions.

• Fang Yuan told Zhao Tie about his feud with Black Tiger Hall and asked him to watch over his family while he was away; Zhao Tie agreed to patrol near their home and alert trusted constables.
• Liu Wanwan prepared food for Fang Yuan's journey while Little Bean Sprout and Little Purple Sable watched him train in the courtyard.
• Fang Yuan practiced the complete Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique, consumed his final Crimson Sun Fruit, and resolved to grow strong enough to protect his family and find Little Bean Sprout a school.
• At Yuelai Inn, Liu Chengfeng questioned the caution surrounding the message delivered to Chen Yin, and the man in black struck him and warned him not to criticize their Young Master.

Liu Chengfeng learned that Fang Yuan came from Fang Family Village and resolved to flee Qinghe County, while Black Tiger Hall plotted to keep Fang Yuan from becoming another genius disciple of Chen Zhengyang. The next morning, Fang Yuan left to join the Baimao Merchant Guild’s caravan, where Wang Pangzi introduced him to Wang Yushuang and Qin Yue.

• A black-clad man told Liu Chengfeng that the Young Master would take his place at the meeting and ordered him to watch Fang Yuan, who came from Fang Family Village.
• Liu Chengfeng hid his fear when he heard Fang Yuan’s origins and decided to leave Qinghe County as soon as possible.
• At dawn, Liu Wanwan saw Fang Yuan off as he set out for the city gates with a bundle and a sharpened chopping knife.
• Fang Yuan arrived at the Baimao Merchant Guild’s caravan and greeted Wang Pangzi, who introduced him to Wang Yushuang and Qin Yue.
• Wang Pangzi began introducing Fang Yuan as a man from beyond the city, prompting both women to appraise him.

Fang Yuan joined the Baimao Merchant Guild’s escort caravan and learned that the guild had fallen out with Black Tiger Hall, making the journey dangerous. After the guild agreed to pay three ruthless martial artists’ higher fees, Tu Lie mocked Fang Yuan’s chopping knife, and their confrontation threatened to escalate.

• Fang Yuan kept a low profile as Wang Pangzi introduced him to Wang Yushuang, Qin Yue, and Uncle Qin, then observed the varied guards in the caravan.
• A steward told Wang Yushuang that the escort’s hired martial artists had raised their price after learning of the guild’s dispute with Black Tiger Hall, and she agreed to their terms to protect the shipment.
• Shi Zhen, Han Qi, and Tu Lie emerged from hiding after the guild accepted their demands, revealing that they had watched the negotiations.
• Tu Lie ridiculed Fang Yuan for carrying a chopping knife, and Fang Yuan answered with a pointed insult that angered Tu Lie and put them on the verge of a fight.

Fang Yuan confronted Tu Lie before Qin Mang stopped their clash and assigned Fang Yuan a protected place in the convoy. As the Baimao Merchant Guild convoy traveled past growing numbers of refugees, Fang Yuan grew wary when fallen trees blocked the road.

• Fang Yuan insulted Tu Lie, who threatened him, until Qin Mang intervened and invoked the Merchant Guild's rules.
• Wang Yushuang reassessed Fang Yuan's courage, while Qin Yue worried that Tu Lie would make him suffer on the journey.
• The convoy departed Qinghe County with Fang Yuan stationed beside Wang Yushuang's carriage.
• Fang Yuan observed refugees lining the road and suspected the growing numbers signaled worsening conflict.
• Qin Mang halted the convoy at several fallen trees blocking the road, and Fang Yuan suspected they had been placed there deliberately.

Routed soldiers ambushed the Baimao Merchant Guild caravan, and Tu Lie’s provocation turned Qin Mang’s attempted negotiation into a bloody fight. Tu Lie, Han Qi, and Shi Zhen killed the soldiers’ leader and routed the attackers, leaving the road strewn with bodies.

• More than twenty routed soldiers emerged to demand money, wine, and food from the caravan, while Wang Yushuang told Fang Yuan to stay near her carriage and sent word to Qin Mang to offer payment.
• Qin Mang offered the soldiers fifty taels of silver, but Tu Lie insulted and threatened them, provoking the soldiers to attack.
• Qin Mang ordered the guards to protect the carriages as the two sides clashed, and Fang Yuan noticed Tu Lie repeatedly watching the carriage with a calculating look.
• The routed soldiers’ leader fired a poisoned crossbow bolt at Tu Lie, who dodged it and charged him.
• Han Qi and Shi Zhen joined Tu Lie in killing the leader, and the three martial artists defeated the remaining soldiers, with only a few escaping into the forest.

Tu Lie asserted his influence over the convoy after attacking a group of routed soldiers, while Qin Mang struggled to keep him in check. Fang Yuan recognized Tu Lie as Liu Chengfeng, the bandit chief who had attacked the Chen Family, and began to suspect that the ambush had been staged for a hidden purpose.

• Tu Lie boasted about defeating the routed soldiers, and the Mighty Prestige Escort Agency escorts worried that his reckless conduct endangered the convoy.
• Tu Lie challenged Qin Mang's authority, approached Wang Yushuang's carriage, and threatened Fang Yuan, who remained silent.
• Qin Mang warned Fang Yuan to take care on the road ahead, and the convoy resumed its journey.
• Fang Yuan recognized Tu Lie as Liu Chengfeng, the bandit leader who had attacked the Chen Family, and suspected he was secretly targeting Zhengyang Martial Arts School.
• Fang Yuan questioned why Tu Lie's group had attacked just as the caravan was about to settle with the routed soldiers, suspecting the ambush was not what it seemed.

Fang Yuan warned Wang Yushuang that Tu Lie and the other escorts might be plotting to attack the caravan, and she grew uneasy despite Qin Yue's initial dismissal. As the caravan entered the territory of Black Wind Stronghold, Fang Yuan learned about its Second-grade Martial Artist chief before Qin Mang signaled the group to stop.

• Fang Yuan warned Qin Yue that Tu Lie and the other two might have designs on the caravan.
• Wang Yushuang took Fang Yuan's warning seriously and admitted she felt uneasy about the situation.
• Zhang Shun told Fang Yuan that Black Wind Stronghold was led by a Second-grade Martial Artist and that merchants avoided confronting it.
• Qin Mang raised his fist and whistled sharply as the caravan reached Black Wind Stronghold's territory.

The Hundred Prosperity Caravan passed through Black Wind Gorge without encountering the Black Wind Stronghold, but the silence and the caravan’s suspiciously smooth journey left Wang Yushuang uneasy. Exhausted travelers finally camped on a sheltered rise, despite her concern about stopping near a forest.

• Wang Yushuang ordered the caravan to tighten its formation and stay alert as it approached Black Wind Gorge.
• The caravan crossed the gorge without being stopped, and Qin Yue wondered why the Black Wind Stronghold had not demanded protection fees.
• Wang Yushuang warned everyone to remain vigilant, while Tu Lie, Han Li, and Liu Chengfeng exchanged a knowing glance and Qin Mang ordered the caravan to hurry onward.
• After the caravan ran more than ten li beyond the stronghold’s territory, Qin Mang slowed the pace, and the exhausted travelers asked to camp.
• Wang Yushuang agreed to camp on a sheltered rise after Qin Yue warned that a nearby forest would make a dangerous campsite, and the caravan formed a defensive ring with its carriages.