Chapter Summaries

Su Fei confronted Kong Hai over the Moon Wheel Temple’s crimes and demanded that he surrender Jia Lun and Zhen Ding and face trial. Kong Hai attacked, but Su Fei broke two of his techniques and wounded him, leaving the Grandmaster astonished.

• Jia Lun blamed Su Fei for injuring her and Zhen Ding and taking the Gilded Sarira, but Kong Hai rebuked her for disturbing his seclusion.
• Kong Hai demanded that Su Fei return the sarira and cripple his martial arts, while Su Fei accused the Moon Wheel Temple of massacring the Vajra Temple and stealing the relic.
• Su Fei refused to back down and demanded that Kong Hai surrender Jia Lun and Zhen Ding and return to the imperial capital to stand trial.
• Kong Hai unleashed the Great Hand Seal, but Su Fei used the moon wheel fragments as a saber and shattered the attack with his God of Slaughter's Blade Slash.
• Kong Hai attacked with the Moon Wheel Seal, but Su Fei broke it with his Thunderous Saber and wounded Kong Hai.

Su Fei defeated Kong Hai and incapacitated Jia Lun, Zhen Ding, and the three monks who had destroyed Vajra Temple. As he tried to leave Moon Wheel Temple with the Gilded Sarira and his captives, dozens of monks surrounded his carriage, and he cut through their ranks.

• Kong Hai unleashed his Buddha Net Finger Technique, but Su Fei shattered it with the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms and injured him.
• Kong Hai admitted defeat and fled Moon Wheel Temple, leaving Jia Lun and Zhen Ding behind.
• Jia Lun's three senior brothers attacked Su Fei, who destroyed the dantians of all three monks, Jia Lun, and Zhen Ding.
• Su Fei put the five captives in a carriage, secured the Gilded Sarira, and prepared to leave Moon Wheel Temple.
• Seventy or eighty monks surrounded Su Fei's carriage, and he killed nearly thirty with a single God of Slaughter's Blade Slash.

Su Fei returned to the Southern Commandery Investigation Department with the Gilded Sarira and five captured suspects, having uncovered and avenged the Vajra Temple massacre. Lei Chongxiao confirmed the treasure and suspects, ordered their interrogation, and was astonished by Su Fei’s account of defeating Kong Hai and escaping the Moon Wheel Temple.

• Su Fei killed the Moon Wheel Temple monks who tried to stop him, then left with the five captured suspects and the Gilded Sarira.
• After six days of travel, Su Fei brought the suspects and treasure to Lei Chongxiao at the Southern Commandery Investigation Department.
• Su Fei identified Zhen Ding, Jia Lun, and her three senior brothers as the masterminds behind the Vajra Temple massacre, and Lei Chongxiao confirmed the Gilded Sarira was genuine.
• Lei Chongxiao ordered the five suspects taken to the Imperial Guard’s Heavenly Prison for interrogation.
• Su Fei recounted how he traced the clues to the Moon Wheel Temple, discovered its poisonous red lotuses, and learned how Jia Lun and Zhen Ding had enabled the massacre.
• Lei Chongxiao praised Su Fei for wounding Kong Hai and returning with the treasure and suspects.

After Su Fei helped expose the Vajra Temple massacre, Lei Chongxiao praised him and promised a first-class merit. Su Fei claimed his system rewards, advanced to grandmaster realm third layer, and was summoned by Lei the next morning for the interrogation results.

• Lei Chongxiao praised Su Fei for defeating a grandmaster and promised to report his accomplishments to His Majesty.
• Su Fei returned to his quarters and claimed the Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture and one hundred and fifty years of cultivation from the system.
• Su Fei broke through to grandmaster realm third layer, stabilized his new strength, and assessed how much more powerful he had become.
• Su Fei waited for evidence from the interrogation of Jia Lun and the other prisoners, then went to a brothel before returning to work the next morning.
• A clerk told Su Fei that Lei Chongxiao wanted to see him immediately.

After the Moon Wheel Temple confessed to its crimes, Su Fei received imperial recognition for solving the Vajra Temple case and clearing numerous old cases. He was promoted to full Thousand Households Commander and left with substantial rewards and a new honorary office.

• Lei Chongxiao told Su Fei that Jia Lun and the monks had confessed to the Moon Wheel Temple's crimes, including massacres of more than a dozen sects and Lineages.
• Lei Chongxiao left for the palace with the confessions and recovered sarira, promising to request the foremost credit for Su Fei.
• The emperor's decree promoted Su Fei to fifth rank full Thousand Households Commander, awarded him ten thousand taels of gold and a fifth rank Flying Fish Robe, and named him Silver-and-Azure Grand Master of Splendid Happiness.
• Su Fei accepted the decree and rewards, vowed to serve Great Xuan, and received congratulations from Zhang Lie and the others.

Su Fei celebrated his promotion to Fifth Rank Thousand Households Commander while Thousand Households Commander Li led the destruction of the Moon Wheel Temple. Although the temple was burned and its monks captured, its escaped abbot Kong Hai swore revenge on Su Fei, who spent his days off attending banquets.

• Lei Chongxiao promoted Su Fei to the Southern Commandery Investigation Department's youngest Thousand Households Commander and gave him several days off.
• Su Fei invited his subordinates to drink at Emerald Embrace Pavilion, then led them to the brothel that evening.
• Thousand Households Commander Li's force arrested the Moon Wheel Temple's monks, confiscated its valuables, and burned the temple.
• Kong Hai watched the temple burn from afar, blamed Su Fei, and escaped after vowing to repay the blood debt.
• The Investigation Department's other eight Thousand Households Commanders and two Vice Thousand Households Commanders took turns hosting Su Fei at brothel banquets during his days off.

Su Fei accepted the Imperial Guard’s investigation into the disappearance of more than five million taels in South of the River tax silver after his system offered a powerful martial art and cultivation as a reward. Lei Chongxiao approved his request for records, water-skilled guards, a warship, and support from canal naval forces as Su Fei prepared to pursue the case.

• After days of entertaining his colleagues, Su Fei returned to presiding over his Thousand Households Office.
• Lei Chongxiao announced that three government ships carrying over five million taels in tax silver had vanished while traveling through Guangling Commandery, along with their Palace Guard escorts.
• Ouyang, Hong, and the other Thousand Households Commanders declined to take the investigation, citing its difficulty and their existing duties.
• Su Fei volunteered for the case after receiving a system mission to recover the tax silver, identify the robbers, and arrest them in exchange for the Six Proud Frost Arts and 180 years of cultivation.
• Su Fei requested the escort roster, a route map, water-skilled Imperial Guards, and naval assistance, and Lei Chongxiao promised him fifty guards and a warship.

Su Fei accepted Lei Chongxiao’s order to investigate the missing tax silver and traveled to Guangling Commandery after the navy’s search of the Grand Canal found nothing. He arrived at the landing and faced an arrogant demand for mooring fees from the Raft Gang.

• Lei Chongxiao gave Su Fei his personal token and ordered him to recover the tax silver as soon as possible.
• Su Fei reviewed the case files and concluded that ordinary bandits could not have stolen more than five million taels and killed an imperial army Grandmaster Attendant.
• Su Fei met Miao Tianqi, who said the navy had searched the Grand Canal’s main channel twice without finding clues, and decided to investigate Guangling Commandery.
• Su Fei’s warship reached Guangling Commandery after two days and two nights of travel, and he disembarked with several Imperial Guards.
• A scar-faced Raft Gang member demanded a mooring fee and threatened Su Fei and his men when they identified themselves as Imperial Guards.

Su Fei investigated the disappearance of the official vessel carrying tax silver in Guangling Commandery, but the records showed no signs of tampering. He accepted Ren Daowei’s invitation to attend a salt merchant’s birthday banquet, where his arrival drew everyone’s attention.

• Su Fei defeated five Raft Gang men at the dock and ordered an Imperial Guard to request the vessel records and dock registers.
• Ren Daowei welcomed Su Fei at the commandery government office and provided the requested records, which Su Fei examined without finding evidence of forgery.
• Ren Daowei described Guangling Commandery’s powerful gangs and salt merchants, then asked Su Fei to attend Salt Merchant Liang’s birthday banquet in his place.
• Su Fei arrived at Liang Garden with two Imperial Guards, and the doorman announced his name and rank, silencing the entrance.

Su Fei attended Liang Yuanzhi’s lavish birthday banquet, where the salt merchant offered to help with the tax silver case and invited him to talk privately. After the guests departed, Liang Zhong came to escort Su Fei to Liang Yuanzhi in the inner hall.

• Liang Zhong welcomed Su Fei and escorted him to a reserved seat at Liang Garden’s birthday banquet.
• Su Fei noticed Canal Transport Gang members among the guests and wondered why no one from the Salt Gang had attended.
• Liang Yuanzhi began the banquet, gave each guest a gold bar, and hosted an extravagant feast with music and dancing.
• Liang Yuanzhi praised Su Fei’s work at Vajra Temple and invited him to discuss the tax silver case privately; Su Fei agreed.
• After the banquet ended and most guests had left, Liang Zhong came to lead Su Fei to Liang Yuanzhi in the inner hall.

Su Fei met Liang Yuanzhi and Guo Tianlong in Liang Garden, where they tried to bribe him into easing his investigation of the tax silver case. He rejected their silver, women, and promised profits, leaving Liang Yuanzhi stunned.

• Liang Zhong escorted Su Fei to the Pavilion of Distant Longing, where Su Fei sensed a Grandmaster inside and entered alone.
• Liang Yuanzhi introduced Su Fei to Guo Tianlong, who looked down on the young Imperial Guard commander.
• Liang Yuanzhi offered Su Fei silver notes and two Guangling slender horses as a welcoming gift.
• Liang Yuanzhi asked Su Fei to handle the tax silver investigation lightly and promised annual salt-business dividends.
• Su Fei realized Liang Yuanzhi wanted him to abandon the investigation, but refused the offer and said solving the case mattered most.

Su Fei defeated Guo Tianlong with one palm and learned that the Canal Transport Gang had bribed Liang Yuanzhi to stop the tax silver investigation. As Su Fei left Liang Garden, a Salt Gang steward invited him to a banquet on the gang leader’s orders.

• Guo Tianlong attacked Su Fei, but Su Fei shattered his palm strike and knocked him unconscious with Twin Dragons Draw Water.
• Su Fei questioned Liang Yuanzhi about the tax silver case, and Liang admitted the Canal Transport Gang had offered him three hundred thousand taels to persuade Su Fei to abandon the investigation.
• After confirming Liang Yuanzhi was telling the truth, Su Fei let him go and accepted three hundred thousand taels in silver notes as an apology.
• Su Fei left Liang Garden with two Imperial Guards, and Zhen Zuojia of the Salt Gang stopped him with an invitation to a banquet.

Su Fei accepted an invitation to the Literary Flourishing Pavilion, where Jing Chucai of the Canal Transport Gang tried to bribe him into dropping the tax silver case. After Su Fei refused, Jing revealed he had poisoned the incense, but Su Fei began countering the poison with the Nine Yang Divine Art.

• Su Fei followed Zhen Zuojia to the Literary Flourishing Pavilion while using the God-tier Insight Technique to watch for hidden sentries.
• Su Fei found Jing Chucai waiting at the pavilion and realized he was not the Salt Gang's leader.
• Jing Chucai offered Su Fei three hundred thousand taels and stakes in two transport ships if he stopped pursuing the tax silver case.
• Su Fei asked whether the Canal Transport Gang was involved and refused Jing Chucai's offer.
• Jing Chucai revealed that the incense contained poison that slowed Grandmasters' true essence, and Su Fei found his own true essence had slowed before activating the Nine Yang Divine Art.

Su Fei resisted Jing Chucai’s poison, but the Canal Transport Gang trapped him in the Literary Flourishing Pavilion with Li Changfeng, Kong Hai, and over a hundred elites. The three grandmasters launched a combined assault, which Su Fei blocked with an unbroken wall of true essence.

• Su Fei burned away Jing Chucai’s poison and challenged him to use any other tricks.
• Jing Chucai signaled for help, and the walkway to the Literary Flourishing Pavilion was destroyed as five boats surrounded it.
• Li Changfeng and Kong Hai revealed their grudges against Su Fei, while Jing Chucai threatened him with the Canal Transport Gang’s forces.
• Jing Chucai, Li Changfeng, and Kong Hai attacked Su Fei together with a spear thrust, Flowing Cloud Kick, and Moon Wheel Great Hand Seal.
• Su Fei formed a five-foot-thick wall of true essence that stopped all three attacks without cracking and sent Li Changfeng stumbling back.

Su Fei repelled three Canal Transport Gang Grandmasters, killed them, and began destroying the gang’s boats when its members tried to flee. The battle remained underway as he unleashed another palm strike.

• Su Fei blocked the three Grandmasters’ attacks with his true essence and then counterattacked with three saber strikes.
• Su Fei killed Jing Chucai and Kong Hai, while Li Changfeng survived with severe injuries and pleaded for his life.
• Li Changfeng offered to lead Su Fei to the Heavenly Mystery Sect, but Su Fei rejected the offer and killed him with Finger Flicking Divine Ability.
• Su Fei demanded that the Canal Transport Gang’s core members explain the tax silver case, but they tried to flee in their boats.
• Su Fei destroyed the leftmost fast boat with Dragon Fights in the Wild and followed with Dragon Appears in the Field.

Su Fei slaughtered the Canal Transport Gang members who ambushed him, then visited the Salt Gang to seek evidence in the tax silver case. Jiang Botian revealed that Guangling prefect Ren Daowei was colluding with the Canal Transport Gang, which had hidden the stolen silver and government boats in an abandoned canal-side warehouse.

• Su Fei destroyed the Canal Transport Gang's boats and killed the gang members who tried to escape across the lake.
• Su Fei decided to question the rival Salt Gang and went to its headquarters, where its guards said Jiang Botian was expecting him.
• Su Fei joined Jiang Botian by the lake, then used the Dragon Catching Skill to fill his fish basket before asking about the five million taels of stolen tax silver.
• Jiang Botian told Su Fei that Canal Transport Gang leader had secretly met Guangling prefect Ren Daowei a month earlier and that the prefect was backing the gang.
• Jiang Botian revealed that the Canal Transport Gang had hidden the stolen tax silver and three government boats in an abandoned warehouse beside the canal.

Su Fei learned from Jiang Botian that the Canal Transport Gang had hidden the missing tax silver at Wind Ridge Ferry and went to investigate in disguise. He found the stolen government ships and five million taels of silver guarded inside the warehouse, then held back rather than attack alone.

• Jiang Botian told Su Fei that the Canal Transport Gang was colluding with Ren Daowei and gave him the location of the Wind Ridge Ferry Salt Warehouse.
• Su Fei promised to deal with the Canal Transport Gang if Jiang Botian's claims proved true and took the location slip.
• Su Fei bought black nightwear in Guangling Commandery's western market, changed, and traveled to Wind Ridge Ferry.
• Su Fei spotted Canal Transport Gang guards outside the repaired warehouse and found more than twenty disciples inside with dismantled government ships and over a hundred chests of tax silver.
• Su Fei overheard two Mortal Transformation Realm leaders discussing the gang's plans and quietly withdrew, deciding not to attack without help.

Su Fei found the missing tax silver and government ship in a salt warehouse at Wind Ridge Ferry, where the Canal Transport Gang was guarding them. After killing the gang members who resisted, he left Imperial Guards to secure the evidence and raced toward the Grand Canal.

• Su Fei summoned fifty Imperial Guards and ordered them to surround the salt warehouse, where the stolen silver and government ship were hidden.
• Su Fei silently killed four guards at the warehouse entrance, then entered and identified himself as an Imperial Guard commander investigating the theft.
• Two Mortal Transformation Realm leaders attacked Su Fei, but he killed them with his saber.
• The remaining Canal Transport Gang disciples fled, and Su Fei killed them before any could escape.
• Su Fei ordered the Imperial Guards to guard the silver and ship components, clear the bodies, and clean the battlefield.
• Su Fei left the warehouse and raced toward the Grand Canal.

Su Fei recruited Admiral Miao Tianqi and the Grand Canal Navy to arrest Ren Daowei and attack the Canal Transport Gang after recovering the stolen tax silver. Miao agreed to take part under the Imperial Guard Pacification Office token’s authority, and his troops began surrounding the governor’s residence.

• Su Fei went to the naval docks and asked to meet Admiral Miao Tianqi.
• Su Fei told Miao Tianqi that the Canal Transport Gang and Ren Daowei had stolen the tax silver, which he had recovered from an abandoned salt warehouse.
• Su Fei asked Miao Tianqi to arrest Ren Daowei and lead an assault on the Canal Transport Gang’s island headquarters.
• Miao Tianqi hesitated over attacking the gang without written court orders, but Su Fei showed him a Pacification Office token that authorized local troops to assist.
• Miao Tianqi agreed to the operation and ordered two deputy generals to surround the Guangling Commandery Governor’s Residence and prevent anyone from leaving.

Miao Tianqi led the navy to surround Lakeheart Island and attack the Canal Transport Gang over the stolen tax silver. The Gang’s warships suffered under the navy’s cannon fire, but its fast boats rushed in to board the government ships.

• Miao Tianqi ordered the navy to sail to Lakeheart Island and destroy the Canal Transport Gang.
• Pang Wanchun challenged Miao Tianqi’s accusations and demanded a court arrest warrant, but Miao ordered the navy to attack.
• The navy’s cannons struck and set fire to a Canal Transport Gang ship, while the Gang returned fire without hitting a naval vessel.
• The navy’s accurate cannon fire destroyed several Gang boats and opened a gap in its defensive line.
• Pang Wanchun sent dozens of fast boats carrying fighters toward the naval warships, and Miao Tianqi ordered the cannons to target them.
• The fast boats evaded the cannon fire, and the leading boat closed to within thirty meters of a government ship.