Chapter Summaries

After robbing a bank, Jiang Hao learned how the system calculated Robbery Value and set his sights on a larger score. In Stanford Town, he heard about a planned ambush on a mine’s gold shipment and decided to see whether they could rob the robbers.

• Jiang Hao opened the bank safe, and he, Bill, and Peter escaped with $21,756.
• Jiang Hao received 217 Robbery Value, inferred that the system awarded one point per $100 stolen, and resolved to exceed his mission target.
• Jiang Hao agreed to a 30/30/40 split with Bill and established that they would revise the shares if more members joined.
• Jiang Hao, Bill, and Peter reached Stanford Town, where Jiang Hao finished carving the Celestial Master Seal while the others gathered information.
• Bill told Jiang Hao that a gang planned to ambush soldiers escorting a mine’s valuable shipment at Wild Horse Slope.
• Jiang Hao told Bill and Peter to keep watch and said they would assess the escort and rob the robbers if an opportunity arose.

Jiang Hao, Bill, and Peter ambushed a bandit gang after it attacked a cavalry escort at Wild Horse Slope. They killed the surviving bandits and opened the safe, discovering bags of gold coins.

• Jiang Hao, Bill, and Peter waited in ambush at Wild Horse Slope after spotting a cavalry unit arrive in Stanford Town.
• A bandit gang planted explosives and split into two groups to attack the cavalry escort as it passed through the canyon.
• The bandits killed the escort but suffered heavy losses before seizing a large safe from the carriage.
• Jiang Hao shot the bandit leader, then led Bill and Peter in killing the remaining bandits.
• Jiang Hao opened the safe, and Bill found it packed with bags of gold coins.

Jiang Hao, Bill, and Peter rode west with gold and captured horses, choosing the road to Jeddah by coin toss. They encountered Jenny fleeing Zachary, who had tried to force her to become his mistress, and the chapter ended as she began telling Jiang Hao about her life in Chicago.

• Jiang Hao and his companions loaded gold onto their horses, took four of the bandits’ mounts, and earned 698 Robbery Value for the robbery.
• The three riders continued west and flipped a coin to choose between the roads to Jeddah and Snyder; heads sent them toward Jeddah.
• Jiang Hao, Bill, and Peter heard a struggle inside a covered wagon and saw Jenny escape from it, followed by Zachary.
• Jenny accused Zachary of trying to rape her and make her his mistress, while Zachary claimed she was his cousin and warned her against trusting strangers.
• Jiang Hao asked Jenny to tell him her story, and she began by saying she had lived in Chicago with her father.

After Jenny’s father died on the journey west, her distant cousin Zachary tried to force her into becoming his mistress. Jiang Hao’s gang killed Zachary, and Jenny chose to be taken along with the robbers rather than remain alone in the wilderness.

• Old Fried died of dysentery after arriving in Black Rock, and Zachary took Jenny toward his ranch.
• Zachary threatened Jenny and tried to assault her, but she fought back and injured him.
• Jenny asked Jiang Hao to take her with him, and Jiang Hao admitted that his group were robbers.
• Zachary reached for his gun, and Jiang Hao and Peter shot him dead.
• Jenny gathered her luggage and accepted Jiang Hao’s offer to take her along, joking that she chose to be kidnapped.

Jiang Hao, traveling under the name Jon Hall, took Jenny Connelly into his robber gang and helped her buy clothes, a horse, and a revolver in Jeddah Town. After studying a map, he planned their journey across the Guadalupe Mountains into Mexico, leaving the group to prepare supplies for their departure.

• Jiang Hao introduced himself to Jenny as Jon Hall, assured her the gang would not hurt women, and agreed to take her in on probation.
• The group reached Jeddah Town, where Jenny bought cowboy clothes, a horse, and a Colt revolver while Jiang Hao bought a crossbow and knives.
• Jiang Hao and Jenny recognized Zachary's corpse in a carriage being brought into town.
• Jiang Hao studied a map and told the group they were at the Texas border and would cross the Guadalupe Mountains into Mexico.
• Jiang Hao ordered Bill and Peter to stock up on supplies, and the group planned to leave early the day after tomorrow.

Jiang Hao taught Jenny to shoot and practiced with his crossbow while Peter and Bill watched and joined in. The group ended the evening training together in the wilderness.

• Jiang Hao demonstrated his quick-draw marksmanship to Jenny, then coached her until she hit a stone on the boulder.
• Bill and Peter discussed Jiang Hao's closeness with Jenny and Peter's hopes of finding love.
• Jiang Hao practiced with his new crossbow, continuing despite missing the target.
• Peter began practicing quick-draw shooting after watching Jiang Hao, and Bill joined them soon afterward.

Jiang Hao trained Jenny, Bill, and Peter in shooting as the group traveled toward California, while improving his own weapon skills. He tamed a young Grey Eagle to scout their route, and Jenny reflected that their journey might be magical.

• Jiang Hao massaged Jenny’s injured wrist with spiritual power and relieved her pain.
• Jiang Hao trained Jenny, Bill, and Peter in shooting while practicing with bows, crossbows, and throwing knives.
• Jiang Hao shot a wild goat and planned to roast it for dinner.
• Jiang Hao used Animal Communication Ability to lure a Grey Eagle down and tame it.
• Jenny emerged from hiding, believed Jiang Hao could communicate with animals, and watched him return to camp with the Grey Eagle.
• Jiang Hao cooked roasted lamb for the group, and Jenny said she was glad she had chosen to join the journey.

Jiang Hao and his companions crossed into Mexico, where he used his Grey Eagle to scout ahead and hunted an antelope for their camp meal. After dinner, he held Jenny beneath a shared blanket as the group endured the cold desert night.

• Jiang Hao explained that he communicated mentally with the Grey Eagle as Bill, Peter, and Jenny rode west with him into Mexico.
• Jiang Hao chose a campsite and sent the Grey Eagle ahead to scout, while Bill, Peter, and Jenny gathered firewood, tended the horses, and prepared for dinner.
• Jiang Hao followed the Grey Eagle to a herd of pronghorn antelope and shot one for food.
• Jiang Hao fed the Grey Eagle and sent it west to find the nearest town as the group roasted and ate the antelope.
• Jiang Hao held Jenny beneath his blanket to keep her warm, and Bill teased Peter about cuddling him too.

Jiang Hao and his companions reached Artisia Town, where Mayor Evans and Sheriff Turner asked them to help wipe out a bandit gang in exchange for a $20,000 reward. Jiang Hao left the offer undecided, with Bill and Peter pointing out its danger and excitement.

• Grey Eagle spotted Artisia Town, and Jiang Hao led Bill, Peter, and Jenny there by the following evening.
• Jiang Hao decided the group would rest for two days and learn about the area before choosing their next move.
• Mayor Evans and Sheriff Turner visited Jiang Hao and asked whether his group would help protect the town.
• Evans explained that a gang of around sixty or seventy bandits raided nearby settlements, and offered $20,000 in addition to their bounties and any recovered treasure.
• Jiang Hao said he would consider the offer and give an answer by the next evening, while Bill and Peter left the decision to him.

Jiang Hao tried to unite the bounty hunters by challenging anyone who wanted to lead them, then won a marksmanship contest against Chris Adams. After a huge bounty hunter challenged him to a fight, Jiang Hao tripped the man, who demanded a rematch.

• The mayor supplied the bounty hunters and announced their mission, while Sheriff Turner told them to eliminate the bandits on their own.
• Jiang Hao introduced himself as Jon Hall and proposed that the bounty hunters form a team under whoever could defeat him in a useful contest.
• Chris Adams challenged Jiang Hao to a shooting contest, and Jiang Hao shot five ravens in quick succession, earning Chris's support.
• A huge bounty hunter challenged Jiang Hao to fight, but Jiang Hao sidestepped his charge and tripped him into the dirt.
• The big man got back up and angrily demanded that Jiang Hao stop dodging and fight him properly.

Jiang Hao took command of the bounty hunters and organized an intelligence-gathering effort to locate Calvera's gang. After learning the bandits might be based near West River Canyon, he and Jenny found a farm visited by a gang leader and left it under surveillance.

• Jiang Hao defeated Wayne in a fight, then secured the other bounty hunters' agreement to make him their leader.
• Jiang Hao divided the team into pairs to gather information while he and Jenny rested at the inn.
• The returning bounty hunters reported that Calvera had around sixty or seventy men and that the gang often fled south through West River Canyon.
• Jiang Hao and Jenny searched West River Canyon with Grey Eagle's help and recognized Shay, a minor gang leader, riding past them.
• Jiang Hao sent Little Eagle to follow Shay, learned that he had gone to a farm, and ordered the eagle to keep watching the farm.

Jiang Hao found Calvera’s hideout in an abandoned mine and led a coordinated attack using gunfire, explosives, and an ambush. Calvera and his bandits were killed, and Jiang Hao ordered his group to search the area for survivors.

• Jiang Hao used Little Eagle to track Shay and confirmed that Calvera’s gang was hiding in an abandoned mine in the mountains.
• Jiang Hao and his group planned an assault, placing explosives along the road while he prepared to draw the bandits out.
• Jiang Hao killed several bandits with his crossbow and rifle, then escaped as Calvera sent his men after him.
• Grey Eagle dropped a bundle of explosives into the mineyard, killing more than twenty bandits and injuring others.
• Jiang Hao’s group detonated the road bombs and fired on the pursuing bandits, while Jiang Hao shot Calvera as he tried to flee.
• Jiang Hao ordered his group to search the area and leave no one alive.

Jiang Hao and his companions collected Calvera’s loot and bounty corpses, then rode back to town to claim their reward. Suspecting the Sheriff and Mayor Evans would betray them, Jiang Hao confronted them, and a gunfight erupted outside the Sheriff's Office.

• Jiang Hao found Calvera’s money in the bandit camp and earned 264 Robbery Value after telling the old man that they were robbing him.
• Jiang Hao warned the bounty hunters that town officials might be conspiring with the bandits and persuaded them to prepare for betrayal.
• Jiang Hao left Jenny with the packhorses and led the men into town with Calvera’s body and ten other bounty corpses.
• The Sheriff tried to lure the group inside, but Jiang Hao shot him when he backed toward the office, and Mayor Evans ordered his men to open fire.
• Jiang Hao and the bounty hunters scattered and returned fire as deputies and rooftop ambushers attacked them.
• Jiang Hao lit two tied firecrackers and threw them toward the Sheriff's Office.

Jiang Hao and the bounty hunters attacked the Sheriff’s Office, collected their promised bounty and robbed Mayor Evans before killing him. After meeting Jenny outside town, Jiang Hao proposed forming a group, and the bounty hunters all agreed to follow him.

• Jiang Hao ordered the bounty hunters to storm the Sheriff’s Office, where they captured Mayor Evans.
• Jiang Hao collected the bounty money from Mayor Evans, tortured him into revealing a second safe, then shot and killed him.
• Jiang Hao led the bounty hunters out of town with the stolen money and received 629 Robbery Value from the system.
• Jiang Hao’s group met Jenny in the wilderness, where he proposed forming a group and promised to divide the earnings fairly either way.
• Wayne and Chris Adams agreed to follow Jiang Hao, and the rest of the bounty hunters joined them.

Jiang Hao and his gang robbed the bank in Messiah Town, then posed as wealthy customers to enter a Duncan bank vault. The chapter left Jiang Hao preparing to crack the vault’s locks with Jenny’s help.

• Jiang Hao, Bill, Chris, Peter, and the others used a cattle herd to tear down the rear wall of the Messiah Town bank vault and threatened the guards into surrendering.
• Jiang Hao picked open the safe, Bill filled sacks with money, and Peter blew up the safe to conceal Jiang Hao’s lockpicking ability.
• The gang escaped before the Sheriff arrived, and Jiang Hao received 156 Robbery Value points.
• Jiang Hao and Jenny entered the Duncan bank posing as clients who wanted to store 15,000 US Dollars in gold coins, and Jiang Hao claimed he was a gold mine owner named Bill.
• Jiang Hao bound and knocked out the bank manager, then opened his tools and prepared to pick the vault’s locks.

Jiang Hao and his gang robbed a bank and a train before continuing west to evade capture. After several days on the road, they learned that a nearby settlement was called Blackwater Town.

• Jenny chose a treasure chest at the bank, and Jiang Hao and Jenny gathered valuables worth more than eighty thousand US Dollars.
• Jiang Hao and Jenny left the bank with the loot, then met Bill and the others outside Duncan City.
• Jiang Hao and his gang stopped a train, robbed the passengers, and took the money from the Pacific mail car's safe.
• Jiang Hao's group traveled west while posing as merchants, and Cobain reported that Blackwater Town lay nearby.

Jiang Hao arrived in Blackwater Town and learned from Joe that the town was controlled by two rival outlaw gangs. He stayed to watch the coming gold shipment, positioning his men to wait for an opportunity while Joe’s plans remained unknown.

• Jiang Hao’s convoy entered Blackwater Town, where Sheriff Baxter and Raymond separately heard about the newcomers.
• At dinner, Jiang Hao recognized Joe and invited him to explain the town’s fearful atmosphere and the rival gangs led by Raymond Rojo and Sheriff Baxter.
• Jiang Hao told Joe that he and his group might stay for a few days, giving Jenny the excuse that she was unwell.
• The next day, Jiang Hao sent his men out in pairs to gather information about the gold shipment and ordered them not to intervene in any robbery.
• Jiang Hao released Grey Eagle to scout the area and planned to wait for the rival gangs to act before taking advantage of the gold shipment.

Jiang Hao arranged with The Gunslinger to use news of Raymond’s gold robbery to provoke a fight between Raymond’s gang and Sheriff Baxter’s men, then move against them at the right moment. Peter told Sheriff Baxter that Raymond’s gang had hidden the gold at Raymond’s estate, leaving the sheriff eager to act.

• Sheriff Baxter questioned Jiang Hao about his group and warned him not to interfere in the town’s troubles.
• Peter reported that Raymond’s gang had robbed a military gold wagon and returned to Blackwater Town with the gold.
• Jiang Hao told The Gunslinger that Raymond’s gang had the gold and persuaded him to join forces against Raymond’s gang and Sheriff Baxter.
• Jiang Hao asked The Gunslinger to warn Raymond that Sheriff Baxter planned to attack, and The Gunslinger agreed.
• Peter demanded fifty US Dollars from Sheriff Baxter for information, then told him that Raymond’s gang had taken the gold to Raymond’s estate.

Sheriff Baxter recruited Jiang Hao to help him eliminate Raymond’s gang, while both men secretly planned to betray the other. The Gunslinger met Raymond and offered to sell him life-or-death information for five hundred US Dollars.

• Sheriff Baxter decided to enlist Mr. Hall and his men, offering them a share of the gold to help destroy Raymond’s gang.
• Jiang Hao negotiated for half the recovered gold, and he and Baxter shook hands while each secretly planned to betray the other.
• The Gunslinger arrived at Raymond’s manor and insisted that his information concerned Raymond’s life and death.
• The Gunslinger offered to sell Raymond the information for five hundred US Dollars.

The Gunslinger sold Raymond information about Sheriff Baxter’s plans, then gave Raymond misleading details that prompted him to act first. Jiang Hao warned Baxter of an alleged attack and persuaded him to gather his men at the Sheriff’s Office, leaving Raymond on course for a planned ambush.

• Raymond paid The Gunslinger 500 US Dollars for news that Sheriff Baxter planned to seek army reinforcements, then offered him more money to learn the Sheriff’s movements.
• The Gunslinger left Raymond and reported their conversation to Jiang Hao, who told him to return the next day with information.
• The Gunslinger falsely told Raymond that several deputies would leave that night, leading Raymond to believe he had to strike immediately.
• Jiang Hao told Sheriff Baxter that Raymond planned to attack the town and kill the Sheriff and his deputies that night.
• Jiang Hao convinced Sheriff Baxter to gather his men at the Sheriff's Office while Jiang Hao’s forces waited to attack Raymond from behind.