Chapter Summaries

Fang Yuan kept watch as Tu Lie attacked an escort and was rebuked by Qin Mang, then received a warning that the night might bring trouble. Wang Yushuang sent him a padded coat, while Tu Lie watched him with hostility.

• Fang Yuan declined Zhang Shun's offer of liquor because he expected the night to be dangerous.
• Tu Lie grabbed an escort by the throat for refusing his wine, but Qin Mang arrived and ordered him to leave the others alone.
• Tu Lie, Shi Zhen, and Han Qi apologized to Qin Mang and withdrew, though Tu Lie continued to glare at Fang Yuan.
• Qin Mang warned Fang Yuan not to sleep too deeply, and Fang Yuan touched the Chopping knife at his waist as Tu Lie watched him.
• Wang Yushuang sent Fang Yuan a padded coat through Qin Yue, who told him that the miss had sent it.

Fang Yuan received a padded coat from Wang Yushuang’s party, then used his concealed strength to stop an assassin from reaching her carriage. The attack continued as Qin Mang fought the enemy leader and the guards rallied around Wang Yushuang.

• Qin Yue gave Fang Yuan the padded coat, while Zhang Shun and the camp hands speculated about his connection to Wang Yushuang and Tu Lie watched suspiciously.
• Fang Yuan initially set the coat aside, but wore it later when the night grew colder.
• Black-clad assassins attacked Wang Yushuang’s carriage, and a Second-grade Martial Artist engaged Qin Mang to keep him occupied.
• Fang Yuan sprang from the carriage’s shadow and used the Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique to wound and drive off an assassin threatening Wang Yushuang.
• Qin Mang continued fighting the Second-grade assassin as the guards regrouped around the carriage and the attacker’s plan began to fail.

Fang Yuan fought off the assassins and chased down a wounded attacker after Wang Yushuang promised him four hundred taels, but he killed the man instead of capturing him. Back at the caravan, Tu Lie tried to attack Fang Yuan, and their clash revealed that both men wielded extraordinary strength.

• Qin Mang offered Fang Yuan three hundred taels to protect Wang Yushuang, and Fang Yuan intensified his attack on the wounded assassin.
• Wang Yushuang promised Fang Yuan another hundred taels to catch the fleeing assassin, so Fang Yuan pursued him at full speed.
• The assassin tried to bribe Fang Yuan and attack him with lime powder, but Fang Yuan killed him, found no banknotes, and took his dagger.
• Tu Lie approached Fang Yuan with false friendliness, but Fang Yuan struck at Tu Lie's wrist before he could touch him.
• Tu Lie and Fang Yuan exchanged blows, and each recognized that the other's strength rivaled that of a veteran First-grade Martial Artist.

Fang Yuan defeated Tu Lie, recovered the assassin’s corpse, and returned to the caravan, where Wang Yushuang recognized his combat skill and confirmed the promised reward. The caravan settled after the attack, while Qin Yue suggested inviting Fang Yuan to the carriage to discuss what happened.

• Fang Yuan exploited a hesitation in Tu Lie’s saber technique and killed him in their fight.
• Fang Yuan searched Tu Lie’s corpse, took his supplies and saber, and dragged the body away before returning to camp with the assassin’s corpse.
• Wang Yushuang and Qin Yue assessed the attackers as experienced martial artists as the caravan gathered around the bonfire.
• Fang Yuan presented the assassin’s corpse and asked Wang Yushuang whether it was worth a hundred taels; she confirmed that it was.
• Wang Yushuang calmed the caravan and sent everyone back to rest, while Qin Yue suggested inviting Fang Yuan into the carriage.

After an attack on the caravan, Wang Yushuang suspected an insider and decided not to approach Fang Yuan too quickly. The next morning, Tu Lie was found dead, and Qin Mang suspected Shi Zhen and Han Qi while quietly wondering whether Fang Yuan had killed him.

• Wang Yushuang concluded that the attack likely involved a mole in the caravan and chose to observe Fang Yuan before drawing close to him.
• Shi Zhen and Han Qi realized Tu Lie had vanished and noticed Qin Mang watching them with suspicion.
• Qin Mang confronted Shi Zhen and Han Qi about Tu Lie, then learned that guards had found Tu Lie's body in a grove.
• Wang Yushuang kept Shi Zhen and Han Qi from following Qin Mang to the grove while Fang Yuan stayed apart and reflected on how combat had strengthened him.
• Qin Mang examined Tu Lie's clean, fatal neck wound and wondered whether Fang Yuan had killed him, but dismissed the idea as guesswork without evidence.

Fang Yuan returned to Qinghe County, collected his escort payment, and left to focus on his cultivation. Wang Yushuang learned that Tu Lie had drugged the convoy’s wine and ordered Han Qi and Shi Zhen watched, suspecting her Eldest Uncle of involvement.

• The convoy returned safely to Qinghe County, and Fang Yuan declined Zhang Shun’s invitation to celebrate.
• Qin Yue paid Fang Yuan six hundred taels on Wang Yushuang’s behalf, and he left without waiting for her to invite him to stay.
• Han Qi and Shi Zhen departed after Wang Yushuang dismissed them, while Qin Mang reported that Tu Lie’s wine had caused drinkers to become mentally hazy and their blood and qi sluggish.
• Wang Yushuang ordered Qin Mang to have capable men monitor Han Qi and Shi Zhen and report their movements and conversations.
• Wang Yushuang suspected her Eldest Uncle and cracked a wooden corridor pillar with her hand.

Fang Yuan returned to Qinghe County with six hundred taels and found constables arranged by Zhao Tie keeping watch near his home. He reunited with Liu Wanwan, Little Bean Sprout, and the Little Purple Sable, then invited his family to eat out.

• Fang Yuan walked home with the silver Wang Yushuang had paid him and thought of his family.
• Fang Yuan recognized two constables Zhao Tie had sent to watch over the alley and silently thanked his senior brother.
• Little Bean Sprout and Liu Wanwan waited anxiously until the Little Purple Sable sensed Fang Yuan approaching.
• Fang Yuan returned to the courtyard and reunited with Liu Wanwan, Little Bean Sprout, and the Little Purple Sable.
• Fang Yuan stopped Liu Wanwan from cooking and invited his family to celebrate by eating out.

Fang Yuan returned home to Liu Wanwan and Little Bean Sprout, then set out for Zhengyang Martial Arts School the next morning to report what he knew about Liu Chengfeng. His growing strength and killing intent left the city gate constables shaken as he passed.

• Fang Yuan returned to the alley with Liu Wanwan, Little Bean Sprout, and Little Purple Sable, receiving warm greetings from his neighbors.
• Liu Wanwan and Little Bean Sprout persuaded Fang Yuan to eat at a lamb soup stall, where the family shared a hearty meal.
• Fang Yuan woke refreshed the next morning, dressed as a Martial Arts School disciple, and headed for the Inner City to alert the school about Liu Chengfeng.
• The city gate constables sensed Fang Yuan's oppressive presence and marveled at how much he had changed since they last saw him.

Fang Yuan returned to Zhengyang Martial Arts School and discovered that Liu Chengfeng had become a disciple after apparently saving Chen Zhengyang’s daughter from bandits. Though Fang Yuan recognized Liu as the bandit leader from Fang Family Village, he kept his suspicions to himself while trying to understand how Liu had gained the school’s trust.

• Fang Yuan practiced the Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique, felt his qi and blood nearing a breakthrough, and decided he needed a new blade.
• Zhao Tie praised Fang Yuan’s progress and led him into the inner courtyard, where Fang Yuan asked about Liu Chengfeng’s background.
• Liu Chengfeng appeared at the school, and Fang Yuan recognized him as the bandit leader, noticing his pallor, stiff steps, and faint medicinal scent.
• Fang Yuan concealed his accusation and asked Zhao Tie why Liu had joined the school.
• Zhao Tie explained that Chen Zhengyang had followed his warning note and rescued his daughter after bandits took her hostage, while Liu Chengfeng had been gravely wounded protecting her.
• Fang Yuan suspected Liu’s injury might have been a ruse, then reconsidered and concluded that Liu had likely suffered real wounds to win the school’s trust.

Fang Yuan became Chen Zhengyang’s true disciple, and Chen Zhengyang prepared to guide his breakthrough into Qi Gathering using a treasured martial arts diagram. The chapter left Fang Yuan alone with the painting, focused on comprehending its martial intent.

• Fang Yuan followed Zhao Tie to meet Chen Zhengyang, who praised his battle-hardened bearing and offered to accept him as a true disciple.
• Fang Yuan accepted Chen Zhengyang’s inheritance and pledged his loyalty to the master and the Martial Arts School.
• Chen Zhengyang judged Fang Yuan ready to break through into Qi Gathering and ordered Zhao Tie to fetch the Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique’s Fundamental Diagram.
• Chen Zhengyang explained that understanding the fierce tiger painting’s intent could help Fang Yuan comprehend a Qi Gathering Method suited to himself.
• Chen Zhengyang and Zhao Tie left Fang Yuan alone with the painting, and Fang Yuan began concentrating on its meaning.

Fang Yuan comprehended the Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain Picture and reached the limit of his qi and blood, then drew both Tiger Lord's Energy and Essence of Five Grains into his body. The two kinds of qi balanced and refined his qi and blood as Chen Zhengyang and Zhao Tie waited outside, unsure whether he had succeeded.

• Fang Yuan immersed himself in the Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain Picture, and his system warned that his qi and blood had reached their limit.
• The system identified Tiger Lord's Energy and Essence of Five Grains as two compatible options for Fang Yuan's Qi Gathering Method.
• Fang Yuan's system initiated the drawing of both kinds of qi into his body.
• Tiger Lord's Energy and Essence of Five Grains balanced each other, condensing Fang Yuan's qi and blood and easing the strain on his body.
• Chen Zhengyang and Zhao Tie waited outside the chamber as Chen Zhengyang asked whether Fang Yuan could comprehend a method of drawing qi.

Fang Yuan emerged from the quiet room weakened but having successfully comprehended the Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain Picture and entered the Qi Induction Realm. After Chen Zhengyang protected the secrecy of Fang Yuan’s personal method and gave him Old Ginseng, Fang Yuan began recovering and felt the two distinct streams of qi strengthening within him.

• Chen Zhengyang explained to Zhao Tie that the Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique’s five stances tested disciples’ comprehension and coordination from the start.
• Fang Yuan emerged from the quiet room pale and unsteady, leading Zhao Tie to assume he had failed.
• Chen Zhengyang sensed the restrained power within Fang Yuan and confirmed that he had successfully entered the Qi Induction Realm.
• Fang Yuan admitted he had not failed, and Chen Zhengyang stopped Zhao Tie from asking about his personal method of Qi induction.
• Chen Zhengyang gave Fang Yuan Old Ginseng to restore his depleted mind and blood and qi.
• Fang Yuan consumed the Old Ginseng and felt two different streams of qi growing stronger within his body.

Chen Zhengyang publicly named Fang Yuan his Direct Disciple, provoking Zhang Meng to challenge Fang Yuan’s right to the position. Fang Yuan accepted, leaving the Martial Arts School waiting for their match.

• Chen Zhengyang announced that Fang Yuan had become his Direct Disciple, and Fang Yuan thanked him before greeting the other disciples.
• Wang Pangzi, Zhou Chen, Chen Yin, and Zhao Tie welcomed Fang Yuan, while Liu Chengfeng watched with resentment.
• Zhang Meng objected to Chen Zhengyang’s decision and revealed that he had reached the First-grade Martial Artist realm.
• Zhao Tie stepped in to defend Fang Yuan, but Zhang Meng challenged Fang Yuan to prove he deserved to be a Direct Disciple.
• Fang Yuan stepped past Zhao Tie and accepted Zhang Meng’s challenge.

Fang Yuan defeated Zhang Meng in a single exchange at the Zhengyang Martial Arts School, revealing his mastery of the Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique. His decisive victory established his authority as Chen Zhengyang’s personal disciple and left the other disciples rethinking their place in the school.

• Fang Yuan arrived at the Training Ground with a sickly-looking gait that Chen Zhengyang recognized as a sign of his insight into the Fundamental Diagram.
• Fang Yuan borrowed a refined steel saber from an admiring disciple and invited Zhang Meng to draw first.
• Zhang Meng attacked with the Five Tiger Severing Gate Saber Technique, but Fang Yuan evaded his strike and countered with a precise blow at Zhang Meng’s throat.
• Fang Yuan withdrew his saber after defeating Zhang Meng in one exchange, stunning the disciples and impressing Chen Zhengyang and Zhao Tie.
• Fang Yuan returned the borrowed saber and stood beside Chen Zhengyang as the disciples recognized his strength and personal-disciple status.

After Fang Yuan became Chen Zhengyang's Direct Disciple, the core disciples worried that the Wuyou Alliance might threaten Qinghe County and resolved to support one another. Zhang Meng watched them gather and felt excluded because he was not a Direct Disciple.

• Zhao Tie praised Fang Yuan's rapid growth, while the disciples worried over Chen Zhengyang's troubled demeanor.
• Zhou Chen raised the possibility that the Wuyou Alliance was moving toward Qinghe County, warning that the Martial Arts School might be unable to resist it.
• Zhou Chen apologized for arriving without a congratulatory gift, and Zhao Tie explained that Chen Zhengyang had kept Fang Yuan's appointment quiet to protect him.
• Zhou Chen urged the disciples to unite against threats like the Wuyou Alliance and Black Tiger Hall, and the group formed an unspoken understanding to support one another.
• Zhang Meng watched Fang Yuan and the other core disciples talk, regretted that he had no place in their circle, and turned to see Liu Chengfeng smiling beside him.

Liu Chengfeng tempted the defeated Zhang Meng with an alternative path to the second grade, while Fang Yuan examined his cultivation and considered the dangers of incomplete Qi Gathering Methods. Wang Pangzi then shared his suspicions about Liu Chengfeng, and Fang Yuan hinted that he had encountered him before.

• Liu Chengfeng told Zhang Meng that another path to the second grade might be available if he was willing to hear Liu's insights.
• Fang Yuan reviewed his status, noted his perfect compatibility with Essence of Five Grains and Tiger Lord's Energy, and suspected that degraded Qi Gathering Methods were trapping martial artists at the first grade.
• Fang Yuan wondered what conditions would let his Basic Footwork advance and considered testing his conjecture about his golden finger.
• Wang Pangzi told Fang Yuan that Liu Chengfeng seemed hypocritical, though Master and Wang Pangzi's family physician had confirmed that Liu's chest wound was genuine and nearly fatal.
• Fang Yuan told Wang Pangzi that Liu Chengfeng was not the first time he had seen Liu, leaving Wang Pangzi shocked.

Fang Yuan told Wang Pangzi that Liu Chengfeng was the bandit leader behind the raid on Fang Family Village, prompting them to plan discreet surveillance while avoiding a premature confrontation. Fang Yuan also asked Wang Pangzi to find him a Lightness Skill to study, and Wang Pangzi agreed.

• Fang Yuan revealed that Liu Chengfeng had led the bandits who raided Fang Family Village, and Wang Pangzi believed him and warned him to keep the secret.
• Wang Pangzi asked whether Liu Chengfeng recognized Fang Yuan, and Fang Yuan said he probably did not but feared that investigators could trace his origins.
• Fang Yuan asked Wang Pangzi to arrange discreet surveillance of Liu Chengfeng, and Wang Pangzi agreed to notify him if Liu Chengfeng left the Martial Arts School alone.
• Fang Yuan asked Wang Pangzi to look for a decent Lightness Skill for sale, explaining that he wanted to study its techniques after nearly being caught by a fast-moving assassin.
• Wang Pangzi accepted Fang Yuan's explanation and promised to find a suitable Lightness Skill.

Fang Yuan went to Qinghe Forging Shop to find a saber heavy and durable enough for his powerful strikes, but even the shop’s finer weapons felt too light. He was still searching when a muscular customer tested one of the sabers and studied him with surprise.

• Fang Yuan reflected that his status and strength gave him more confidence in asking Senior Brother Wang for help obtaining a movement technique.
• Liu Chengfeng appeared in the inner courtyard after Fang Yuan left and watched him with cold killing intent, fingering the Jade Pendant at his waist.
• Fang Yuan traveled to Qinghe County’s East Market to buy a replacement saber, carefully keeping his old Chopping knife wrapped at his waist.
• At Qinghe Forging Shop, Fang Yuan rejected several standard sabers as too light, so Shopkeeper Li invited him into the inner room to inspect finer weapons.
• Fang Yuan tested a thick-backed saber in the inner room but found it insufficient, and a muscular customer picked it up and questioned Fang Yuan’s remarkable strength.

Fang Yuan examined a massive Ghost Head Saber that Shopkeeper Li offered to give to anyone who could lift it and perform three moves. After two men failed to raise it, the saber’s strange weight left the gathered martial artists wary.

• Fang Yuan asked Shopkeeper Li for a saber heavier than eighty jin, and Shopkeeper Li unveiled a 128-jin Ghost Head Saber made from rare metals.
• Shopkeeper Li announced that the saber was not for sale and would go to anyone who paid one hundred taels and lifted it for three moves.
• The bearded burly man paid to try first but could barely raise the saber before dropping it back into the box.
• A second man paid for an attempt but also failed to lift the Ghost Head Saber.

Fang Yuan overcame the Ghost Head Saber's mysterious Yin Cold force and lifted it with ease, winning it under Shopkeeper Li's offer. After Shopkeeper Li failed to lift it himself, he realized the saber was sound and began to doubt Fang Yuan's true strength and origins.

• After two strong warriors failed to lift the Ghost Head Saber, Shopkeeper Li invited Fang Yuan to try and promised not to break his word.
• Fang Yuan paid a hundred taels and gripped the saber, then used Tiger Lord's Energy to drive back the Yin Cold force trying to invade him.
• Fang Yuan lifted the 128-jin saber effortlessly, swung it, and claimed it as his own.
• When Shopkeeper Li called him back, Fang Yuan warned him not to renege, and Shopkeeper Li returned the hundred-tael banknote in exchange for one more look at the saber.
• Shopkeeper Li tried to lift the saber but could not move it, leaving him convinced the saber was fine and wondering about Fang Yuan's strength and origins.