Chapter Summaries

After breaking through to Muscle Strengthening, Chen Mu celebrated, continued training, and earned money painting portraits, but Sheng Hong tracked him down and demanded six hundred taels for his life. The chapter ended with Chen Mu trapped at home after Sheng Hong knocked out his guards.

• Chen Mu celebrated his breakthrough at Ruyi Abode and heard a storyteller describe the turmoil across the Daliang Kingdom.
• Jie Jia delivered medicinal herbs, and Chen Mu discovered some were fake before paying him for the genuine ones.
• Chen Mu visited the Zuo Residence for a portrait commission, where he encountered Sheng Hong teaching martial arts to Eldest Young Master Zuo.
• Sheng Hong recognized Chen Mu and later appeared at his home, where he demanded six hundred taels and revealed that Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan were unconscious.

Chen Mu killed Sheng Hong when the criminal tried to rob him, then hid the body and left Qingshan County for Chen Family Village. After a week of guilt and fear, Chen Mu accepted that he had acted in self-defense and resolved to meet future threats more decisively.

• Chen Mu wounded Sheng Hong with Flying Locust Stones, then killed him when the effects of drugged food slowed his movements.
• Chen Mu found Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan drugged rather than injured, hid Sheng Hong's body, cleaned the scene, and sent the two guards home with braised pig trotters.
• After confirming that Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan had noticed nothing unusual, Chen Mu left Qingshan County for Chen Family Village with his belongings and hens.
• After seven days of troubled sleep, Chen Mu concluded that Sheng Hong had deserved to die for threatening and robbing him, and resolved to root out future threats decisively.

Chen Mu worried about rising prices and the loss of portrait commissions, so he decided to sell the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique to fund his training. Jie Jia arranged a meeting at the Ghost Market, but Chen Mu caught him adulterating the medicine he had brought.

• Chen Mu returned to Qingshan County, ordered Iron Lotus Seeds, and found that grain and meat prices were rising amid turmoil across Great Liang.
• As portrait commissions dried up and his savings dwindled, Chen Mu decided to sell the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique for money.
• Chen Mu asked Jie Jia to find a buyer, and Jie Jia demanded a twenty-percent cut and arranged a meeting at the Ghost Market for the next evening.
• Before paying Jie Jia, Chen Mu inspected the medicine and discovered that Jie Jia had adulterated it.

Chen Mu tried to sell his illustrated copy of the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique at the Ghost Market, then decided to wholesale it to more buyers. His plan reached Young Master Zuo, who revealed that he too had acquired a copy, leaving a masked reseller stunned by the flood of manuals.

• Chen Mu brought his illustrated Body Tempering Technique to the Ghost Market, where the Masked Man revealed that Sheng Hong's version was already widely available and bought Chen Mu's copy for eighty taels.
• Chen Mu sold another copy for one hundred and twenty taels and decided to produce more, while Jie Jia named several likely buyers, including Young Master Zuo, Zhu Yi Pavilion, and the White Stream Gang.
• A ghost-masked reseller sold Young Master Zuo a copy of the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique for one thousand taels, praising Chen Mu's detailed illustrations.
• Young Master Zuo pulled out another illustrated copy of the technique, and the reseller realized that Chen Mu was wholesaling it throughout the Ghost Market.

Chen Mu stockpiled supplies as reports of bandit attacks drew closer to Qingshan County, then continued improving his throwing skill at home. His Iron Lotus Seeds grew powerful enough to pierce thick wood, and reaching Tier 3 in throwing strengthened his physique.

• Chen Mu paid Jie Jia his twenty-percent share from selling copies of the Body Tempering Technique and studied a medical text to improve his Medicine Crafting Proficiency.
• Chen Mu dug a cellar and stockpiled food, fuel, and medicinal herbs, then spent his days practicing and studying.
• At the Eight Directions Pavilion, Chen Mu heard that Defeated Soldiers had slaughtered Shao Family Village and worried that Qingshan County might be attacked; he briefly encountered Zuo Sheng.
• Chen Mu practiced throwing his carved Iron Lotus Seeds, which spun through the air and blasted apart a chopping block.
• Chen Mu reached Tier 3 in throwing, and the breakthrough visibly strengthened his muscles.

After bandits plunged Qingshan County into chaos, Chen Mu stayed behind his barricaded gates and kept training. When Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan came to rob him, he killed them, buried their bodies, and kept their swords to use after learning swordsmanship.

• Chen Mu watched fires and fighting consume Qingshan County, then sealed his residences and waited out the unrest while training.
• Two days later, Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan decided to rob Chen Mu after finding other wealthy shops and homes already looted.
• Zhou Liang climbed over Chen Mu’s wall and discovered him displaying extraordinary strength; Chen Mu killed Zhou Liang and Zheng Huan as they tried to attack him.
• Chen Mu carried the two bodies to an abandoned residence, buried them, and removed traces of the killings.
• Chen Mu sorted the pair’s possessions, kept their Short Swords, and considered visiting the Ghost Market for a swordsmanship manual.

After the authorities restored order in Qingshan County, Chen Mu ventured out to gather news and learned the city had been devastated by the uprising. He visited the Ghost Market seeking another Body Tempering Technique, only to find the True Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique being sold there again.

• Chen Mu stayed home for two days after hearing the authorities announce that they were restoring order, then went out and saw the damage and funerals in East Market.
• At Eight Directions Pavilion, Chen Mu heard conflicting reports about the attack, including that Zuo Sheng had defeated the Ai Mountain Bandits' second-in-command, and then briefly encountered Zuo Sheng.
• Chen Mu visited Jie Jia's new coffin shop and bargained the Ghost Market entry fee down from twenty taels to two taels.
• On April 23rd, Chen Mu found the Ghost Market unusually crowded and went to buy a Body Tempering Technique.
• The Smiling Masked Person offered Chen Mu a scroll of the True Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique for 188 taels.

Chen Mu bought the Sleeve Sword manual at the Ghost Market and settled into a steady routine of training, studying medicine, and cooking as his Proficiency increased. He heard that Assistant Magistrate Li had effectively taken control of Qingshan County, while food shortages continued to trouble him.

• Chen Mu haggled over a Body Tempering Technique scroll, suspected Old Man Jie had copied and sold far more of them, and bought a suitable sword manual.
• Chen Mu wandered through the Ghost Market, considered selling White Wheat, bought medical books, and noticed a stall selling Qingfeng Temple Exorcism Talismans.
• Chen Mu trained in the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique, Flying Locust Stones, and Sleeve Sword while studying medicine and improving his cooking.
• Chen Mu found his meat stores nearly depleted because Butcher Zheng could not obtain meat, and refused to sell back his air-dried ham.
• Chen Mu listened at the Eight Directions Pavilion as patrons said Assistant Magistrate Li controlled the yamen and city forces, and that the Zuo Family had narrowly avoided destruction.

Chen Mu developed a medicinal bait to catch fish and hauled in a large catch from the Bailang River, but his attempt to smoke the fish failed. He disguised himself as a fisherman and went to East Market to sell the salted fish.

• Chen Mu searched Chen Family Village Back Mountain for game but caught only a small bird, then bought two rabbits from local hunters.
• After spotting an angler with no catch, Chen Mu realized he could use Medicine Crafting to make bait that would drug fish without killing them.
• Chen Mu studied medical books until his Medicine Crafting reached the second tier and he gained insight into combining medicinal ingredients.
• Chen Mu poured his Drunken Bait into the Bailang River and scooped up a basketful of stunned fish.
• Back home, Chen Mu stored the surviving fish in water jars and tried to smoke the dead ones, but the fish turned out poorly.
• Chen Mu disguised himself as a fisherman, set up at East Market, and began selling smoked salted fish for thirty copper coins each.

Chen Mu sold fish to earn money, then focused on training until his Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique advanced to Tier 3 and strengthened his bones. After hearing reports of mysterious deaths in Qingshan County, he suspected a Malevolent Spirit was responsible, possibly including the previous owner of his body’s death.

• Chen Mu sold smoked salted fish in East Market, chased off a thief, and decided to sell dead fish while keeping live ones for food.
• Chen Mu reviewed his skills, adjusted his training schedule, and later disguised himself to catch fish at a different Deep River Bend.
• Chen Mu sold his fresh catch in East Market and returned home as unrest grew outside.
• After half a month of training, Chen Mu advanced his Body Tempering Technique to Tier 3, entering the Bone Strengthening Realm and gaining much greater strength and speed.
• Chen Mu visited Eight Directions Pavilion and heard that people had died in strange, withered conditions, leading him to suspect a Malevolent Spirit.
• Chen Mu realized the previous owner of his body might also have died because of a Malevolent Spirit.

After learning how dangerous Yinhun were and how few ways he could resist them, Chen Mu tried to find protection and decided to move beside Jie Jia. The chapter left Jie Jia confronting Chen Mu over his suspiciously convenient new home.

• Chen Mu visited Jie Jia at Tianyi Hall, bought a Peace Talisman, and learned that the County Office had an Exorcism Mirror while stray Yinhun could still slip past it.
• Jie Jia explained that Yinhun could take frightening forms and that Exorcism Artifacts, mastered Body Tempering, or certain special martial arts could offer protection.
• Chen Mu heard that a person had died horribly in Guluo Alley, then asked Jie Jia for help; Jie Jia offered Exorcism Talismans at a discount but did not confirm that they worked.
• Chen Mu returned home and tried to comfort himself by avoiding places where Malevolent Spirits might appear.
• Jie Jia followed a familiar, enticing food scent to a nearby courtyard and found Chen Mu cooking there.
• Chen Mu claimed he had moved into the feng-shui Treasure Land, but Jie Jia suspected he had chosen the residence to use him as protection from Yinhun.

Chen Mu secured safer lodging near Jie Jia and the Zuo Family Compound, then relied on fishing for income while training and enjoying the speed granted by his Body Tempering Technique. Half a month later, he advanced Sleeve Sword to its second tier and demonstrated its concealed, lightning-fast strike.

• Chen Mu refused to pay Jie Jia rent for the residence behind Tianyi Hall, and Jie Jia agreed to let him stay for a reduced fee after enjoying his cooking.
• Chen Mu rented a large courtyard beside the Zuo Family Compound, trusting Jie Jia and Zuo Sheng to serve as passive protection from Yinhun.
• Chen Mu resumed selling fish and used his enhanced speed from the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique to carry his catch back to Qingshan County.
• Chen Mu settled into a routine of daytime training, nighttime stays near the Zuo Family Compound, and fishing trips every few days.
• Half a month later, Chen Mu raised Sleeve Sword to its second tier and pierced a wooden pillar with a concealed, rapid strike.

Chen Mu sold live fish in Qingshan County, drew the attention of the White Wave Gang, and used his martial skills to escape their men. After learning about the gang from Jie Jia, he realized they wanted the secret behind his Medicated Bait and faced the threat of their retaliation.

• Chen Mu disguised himself as a Fisherman and sold two baskets of live fish at the East Market.
• Two White Wave Gang members tried to take Chen Mu to Anle Ward, but he used the crowd and the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique to shake them off.
• Chen Mu suspected the gang had targeted his Medicated Bait because his fish catches were unusually large.
• Chen Mu returned home to find Jie Jia waiting for a meal and making silver beads, then asked him about the White Wave Gang.
• Chen Mu studied a note about the gang's leader, Zhang Ye, its territory, and its base in Xinyou Alley, and concluded the gang wanted to force out his fishing secret.

Chen Mu used Spirit-Disturbing Incense to incapacitate the White Wave Gang so he could sell fish without interference, then tricked them again when they prepared to catch him. He later learned Jie Jia had collected the gang's money while they were unconscious, and regretted leaving it behind.

• Miao Bai and two gang members found the White Wave Gang headquarters full of incapacitated people, then collapsed after breathing Chen Mu's Spirit-Disturbing Incense.
• Chen Mu sold fresh fish in East Market after using the incense to clear Xinyou Alley.
• Zhang Ye and the three Hall Masters prepared antidotes and patrols to catch the thief, but Chen Mu's incense incapacitated them again.
• Chen Mu followed patrol teams through Xinyou Alley, knocking out the gang members as he went.
• Jie Jia told Chen Mu he had picked up the gang's money pouches in Xinyou Alley, and Chen Mu realized he had forgotten to loot them.

Chen Mu repeatedly used improved Spirit-Disturbing Incense to rob the White Wave Gang while quietly advancing his martial arts. After two months, he demonstrated rapid Sleeve Sword thrusts and learned that rising Yinhun incidents might stem from a stolen or faulty Exorcism Mirror, leaving Qingshan County without any reliable higher authority to help.

• Chen Mu searched sleeping White Wave Gang members after drugging them, found only a little silver, and chose not to enter the inner rooms.
• Chen Mu kept dosing scattered White Wave Gang hideouts with stronger Spirit-Disturbing Incense, forcing the gang to split up and focus on defending itself.
• Chen Mu trained the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique, Iron Lotus Seeds, and Sleeve Sword for two months, shifting more practice toward Sleeve Sword.
• Chen Mu pierced the same spot in a brick with nine rapid sword thrusts, and Jie Jia offered to recommend him to Zhu Yi Pavilion.
• Chen Mu declined to pay Jie Jia to learn who had once hired an assassin against him.
• Chen Mu asked Jie Jia about the growing number of Yinhun incidents, and Jie Jia suggested the Exorcism Mirror might be compromised or missing.

As Malevolent Spirit incidents worsened in Qingshan County, Chen Mu weighed fleeing to Nanyang Prefecture but decided to stay after learning Qingfeng Temple could offer protection. He counted his savings and planned to visit Gang Leader Zhang, while the White Wave Gang's Minor Leader and his men were ambushed by the Poisoner.

• Chen Mu awoke to a terrified scream and later saw a nearby alley blackened as if by an enormous fire, while the Zuo Family's eldest young master inspected the scene.
• Jie Jia explained that Yin Souls varied in strength, that Assistant Magistrate Li was seeking warding treasures, and that Qingfeng Temple could hold out against Malevolent Spirits for a few days.
• Chen Mu considered leaving for Nanyang Prefecture, but after Jie Jia offered to escort him, he chose to rely on his supposed connection with Master Cheng Yi at Qingfeng Temple instead.
• Chen Mu counted his savings and decided he might need to hire Jie Jia after all, so he planned to approach Gang Leader Zhang for money.
• The White Wave Gang's Minor Leader joked with his men about using the Poisoner as an excuse for losing his pay, then he and his subordinates collapsed after the Poisoner struck again.

After robbing the White Wave Gang Leader and saving money through fishing, Chen Mu prepared to leave Qingshan County because Yin Soul Monsters still appeared. A Qingfeng Temple Prayer Altar offered hope of protecting the city, but Jie Jia warned that artifacts demanded energy and that Feng Ren could not afford to protect everyone.

• Chen Mu found only a few taels of silver and a Ghost-Head Saber when he searched the White Wave Gang Leader's residence.
• Zuo Sheng urged Zuo Quan to move the Zuo Family to Nanyang Prefecture, and Zuo Quan agreed to make arrangements while placating Daoist Qianshan.
• Chen Mu earned over twenty taels by selling fish to restaurants and prepared clothes, food, and a mount for a possible journey.
• A yamen runner announced that Qingfeng Temple was hiring workers for a Prayer Altar, prompting Chen Mu to ask Jie Jia whether the temple could stop Yin Soul Monsters.
• Jie Jia explained that artifacts required different forms of energy and said Feng Ren could not afford to protect the entire city, while Chen Mu returned to practicing the Sleeve Sword rather than pay for more information.

Chen Mu robbed the White Wave Gang’s trading partners and overheard Daoist Qianshan plot against the Zuo family, only to be discovered and forced into a fight. He killed Qianshan’s disciple with an Iron Lotus Seed, while Daoist Qianshan and the blood-red Paper Man remained in the courtyard.

• Zhang Ye refused the Ai Mountain Bandits’ cash payment and demanded that the money be deposited at Datong Money House, then awakened to find the Dark-Faced Man’s payment and his Ghost-Head Saber gone.
• Chen Mu counted his stolen silver, decided it was time to leave Qingshan County, and overheard Daoist Qianshan and his pale-faced disciple plotting to cripple Zuo Sheng.
• Daoist Qianshan summoned a Paper Man marked with the character “Xia” and made his disciple feed it blood before giving him an Ascension Pill.
• The Paper Man spotted Chen Mu sneaking along the wall, and the Pale-Faced Youth approached him with a sword while Daoist Qianshan watched.
• Chen Mu fired an Iron Lotus Seed into the Pale-Faced Youth’s chest and followed with two more shots to his head and face.

Chen Mu fought Daoist Qianshan after discovering the Daoist had used his disciple as a medicine man and unleashed a blood-draining paper effigy. Chen Mu killed Qianshan with a poison trap and a series of attacks, though Qianshan struck him in return.

• The Blood-Red Paper Effigy drained the Pale-Faced Youth's blood, and Chen Mu attacked Daoist Qianshan with Iron Lotus Seeds.
• Chen Mu tried to escape, but the paper effigy wounded him and forced him into a desperate fight.
• Chen Mu pierced the paper effigy's chest with his Sleeve Sword, then learned that Daoist Qianshan could block Iron Lotus Seeds with his bare hand.
• Chen Mu threw his remaining hidden weapons and silver at Qianshan, then used poison smoke from a crushed gourd to make him drowsy.
• Chen Mu stabbed Qianshan through the skull with Heaven-and-Earth Strike, but Qianshan struck Chen Mu across the chest before he fell.
• Chen Mu hurled broken stones at Qianshan, riddling his thrashing body with holes.

After killing Daoist Qianshan, Chen Mu escaped and learned from Jie Jia that Soul Force could make a martial artist impervious to blades and bullets. Badly injured, he decided to recover before traveling away from Qingshan County.

• Zuo Sheng arrived at the courtyard, mistook Chen Mu’s scavenging for his business, and left without confronting him.
• Chen Mu collected the scattered money, grabbed Daoist Qianshan’s and the Pale-Faced Youth’s corpses, and escaped over the wall; Zuo Sheng returned and decided to move because Qianshan had approached his home with ill intent.
• Jie Jia found Chen Mu badly injured, offered to kill his attacker for a fee, and explained that Body Tempering mastery could produce a Roaming Soul and Soul Force.
• Jie Jia tempted Chen Mu with an advanced Body Tempering Technique, but Chen Mu declined to switch from the Red Falcon Body Tempering Technique because he trusted his Proficiency Cheat.
• Chen Mu assessed his injuries and decided to recover before traveling farther from Qingshan County, noting that reaching Tier 3 in Sleeve Sword had helped him survive.