Chapter Summaries

Su Fei used the Dragon Catching Skill to redirect the navy’s cannonballs and destroy the Canal Transport Gang’s fast boats, turning the battle in the navy’s favor. After three hours, the navy surrounded Pang Wanchun’s flagship, and Pang asked Su Fei how the cannonballs had changed course.

• Pang Wanchun boasted that the Canal Transport Gang’s fast boats would let his warriors board the navy’s ships and capture Miao Tianqi.
• Su Fei used the Dragon Catching Skill to redirect missed cannonballs and destroy the charging fast boats.
• Miao Tianqi ordered the navy to attack, and the fleet overwhelmed the Canal Transport Gang’s outer warships over three hours.
• Miao Tianqi and Su Fei boarded Pang Wanchun’s surrounded flagship and offered him leniency if he surrendered and shared information.
• Pang Wanchun refused to surrender and asked how Su Fei had made the cannonballs turn toward the fast boats.

Su Fei defeated Pang Wanchun in a saber contest, then turned the Canal Transport Gang leader’s deadly Heavenly Thunder Pellet back on him. Pang Wanchun and dozens of gang fighters died in the explosion, while the gang’s flagship was badly damaged and began to sink.

• Miao Tianqi revealed that Su Fei had uncovered the Canal Transport Gang’s schemes and controlled cannonballs with his true essence, prompting Pang Wanchun to challenge him.
• Su Fei accepted Pang Wanchun’s wager and shattered his Purple Lightning Frenzied Saber with God of Slaughter's Blade Slash, sending a massive wave crashing over the flagship.
• Pang Wanchun pretended to surrender, then threw a Heavenly Thunder Pellet at Su Fei and Miao Tianqi, declaring that he would die rather than submit to the court.
• Su Fei used Dragon Catching Skill to stop the pellet and hurl it back at Pang Wanchun, where it exploded and killed him and dozens of Canal Transport Gang fighters.
• The blast severely damaged the five-masted flagship, which began taking on water as Miao Tianqi lamented the loss of the ship.

Miao Tianqi and Su Fei led their troops across Lakeheart Island, where they confronted Canal Transport Gang leader Pang Feilong. Pang Feilong confessed to stealing tax silver and plotting rebellion before Miao Tianqi challenged him, and their clash began.

• Miao Tianqi returned to the naval command ship with Su Fei as the five-masted ship sank, then ordered troops to land on Lakeheart Island.
• Miao Tianqi's deputy generals defeated or captured several patrols of Canal Transport Gang members as the troops advanced inland.
• Miao Tianqi confronted Pang Feilong at a waterfall and accused him of stealing tax silver and resisting the imperial navy.
• Pang Feilong recounted how a county commandant had murdered his family, then admitted he stole the tax silver with Ren Daowei to fund a rebellion against Great Xuan.
• Su Fei urged Pang Feilong to surrender, but Miao Tianqi challenged him and attacked with Frost Palm as Pang Feilong drew his sword.

Su Fei confronted Pang Feilong after the gang leader defeated Miao Tianqi and tried to escape. Su Fei broke Pang Feilong’s sword with a devastating saber strike, but Pang Feilong rose into the air with his renowned lightness skill, leaving the others fearing he would get away.

• Pang Feilong defeated Miao Tianqi with the Meteor Sword Technique and prepared to escape through a route behind the waterfall.
• Su Fei challenged Pang Feilong despite Miao Tianqi urging him to let the gang leader go.
• Pang Feilong attacked Su Fei with a powerful sword strike, but Su Fei’s God of Slaughter's Blade Slash broke his sword and knocked him back.
• Pang Feilong revealed his exceptional lightness skill and rose thirty feet into the air, prompting Miao Tianqi and his guards to fear he would escape.
• Su Fei spoke calmly as Pang Feilong hovered above them.

Su Fei captured Pang Feilong and led naval troops to arrest Ren Daowei at the Guangling Commandery Governor's Residence. The residence was searched and its occupants and valuables were gathered, but Ren Daowei challenged Su Fei's authority as dawn approached.

• Su Fei caught Pang Feilong in midair, struck him down, and left him unconscious on Lakeheart Island.
• Miao Tianqi ordered his guards to bind Pang Feilong and clear the island while Su Fei left by fast boat to apprehend Ren Daowei.
• Su Fei reached the governor's residence, joined the troops surrounding it, and led more than five hundred soldiers inside.
• Su Fei ordered the soldiers to gather everyone in the residence and confiscate its valuables for inventory.
• As dawn approached, the soldiers brought Ren Daowei and more than a hundred others to the hall, along with chests of valuables worth an estimated million taels.
• Ren Daowei arrived in nightclothes and demanded to know why Su Fei had arrested his household without court authorization.

Su Fei captured Ren Daowei and gathered the Canal Transport Gang prisoners, the recovered tax silver, and the governor’s illicit wealth at the governor’s residence. As he prepared to return to the capital, Miao Tianqi pointed out that Su Fei’s ship could not carry everyone and everything, and offered navy warships to help.

• Su Fei confronted Ren Daowei with Pang Feilong’s confession and evidence of Ren’s illicit wealth, then ordered Ren, his family, and his servants detained.
• Su Fei sent orders for Miao Tianqi to bring the Canal Transport Gang prisoners and for the Imperial Guard to transport the tax silver to the governor’s residence.
• Miao Tianqi arrived with Pang Feilong and more than a hundred Canal Transport Gang offenders, while fifty Imperial Guard members brought carts carrying the five million taels of tax silver.
• Su Fei inspected the prisoners and secured funds, then told Miao Tianqi he intended to leave immediately for the Imperial Capital Pacification Office.
• Miao Tianqi offered navy warships to escort Su Fei and carry the prisoners and property after warning that Su Fei’s ship lacked sufficient capacity.

Su Fei returned to the imperial capital with the recovered tax silver and prisoners, where Zhang Xiongfei and Ministry of Revenue officials warmly thanked him. Zhang gave Su a token granting him access to the ministry.

• Miao Tianqi arranged four naval warships to carry Su Fei, the prisoners, and the recovered valuables toward the imperial capital.
• Su Fei and his party traveled along the Grand Canal for three days without incident.
• At the capital's ferry landing, Zhang Xiongfei and Ministry of Revenue officials greeted Su Fei and thanked him for recovering the five million taels of tax silver.
• Su Fei promised the Imperial Guard and Ministry of Revenue would jointly count and hand over the sealed tax silver.
• Zhang Xiongfei gave Su Fei a token that would let him enter the Ministry of Revenue without being barred.

Su Fei returned to the Southern Commandery Investigation Department after recovering the stolen tax silver and capturing the Canal Transport Gang’s leaders and corrupt governor. He began recounting the Guangling case to Lei Chongxiao, who was shocked to hear Su Fei had killed three Grandmasters alone.

• Su Fei handed Zhang Xiongfei the token and coordinated the handover of the tax silver, prisoners, and seized valuables with Lei Chongxiao and the other Thousand Households Commanders.
• Zhang Xiongfei promised to praise Su Fei before the emperor, while Lei Chongxiao brought him back to the Pacification Office to report on the case.
• Su Fei received a system notification awarding him the Flame Blade martial art and one hundred and eighty years of cultivation for completing the tax silver robbery mission.
• Su Fei told Lei Chongxiao that Liang Yuanzhi had tried to bribe him and Guo Tianlong had attacked him at the Salt Gang’s banquet.
• Su Fei recounted how the Canal Transport Gang lured him to the Literary Prosperity Pavilion, where he faced three Grandmasters and over a hundred gang members and killed all three Grandmasters.

Su Fei recounted how he recovered the tax silver and crushed the Canal Transport Gang, earning Lei Chongxiao’s admiration and a promise of a report to the Emperor. Back at his office, Su Fei used his rewards to master Flame Blade and began improving the Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture.

• Su Fei told Lei Chongxiao how he recovered the five million taels of tax silver, destroyed the Canal Transport Gang, and captured Pang Feilong and Ren Daowei.
• Lei Chongxiao praised Su Fei’s achievements and left to report them to the Emperor and seek a reward.
• Su Fei returned to his residence and received Flame Blade and one hundred and eighty years of cultivation from the system.
• Su Fei used fifty years of cultivation to reach the perfection realm of Flame Blade, then tested its silent, powerful blade energy on a table and an old locust tree.
• Su Fei spent his remaining cultivation on the Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture, advancing it to the late stage of the fourth level.

Su Fei received the results of 130 years of cultivation, reaching grandmaster realm seventh layer and mastering the seventh layer of the Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture. After visiting the newly opened Flying Snow Pavilion with Zhang Lie and other commanders, he encountered three arrogant young gentlemen who complained that no seats remained.

• Su Fei absorbed the cultivation results and advanced to grandmaster realm seventh layer, stabilizing the seventh layer of the Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture.
• Zhang Lie, Li Shan, Wang Yue, Zhao Qing, and Zhou Ping invited Su Fei to the Flying Snow Pavilion to celebrate solving the tax silver case.
• Su Fei and the commanders changed into casual clothes, took a window-side tea table, and watched a pipa performance and dancing.
• Three young gentlemen arrived with their servants and complained that there were no seats, with one claiming the Three Young Masters of West City should not have to stand.

Su Fei stopped the Three Young Masters of West City from taking his table and revealed a token connected to Minister of Revenue Zhang Xiongfei. Zhang Tianxing realized he had offended someone with powerful ties and begged Su Fei for forgiveness.

• A red-robed gentleman offered Su Fei and his companions a hundred taels to leave their table, then ordered his guards to drag them away when they ignored him.
• Su Fei flicked four drops of tea at the guards, breaking both their knees and silencing the hall.
• The frightened red-robed gentleman warned Zhang Tianxing that Su Fei's group had real skills, but Zhang Tianxing dismissed his fears and approached the table.
• Zhang Tianxing threatened Su Fei by invoking his father, Zhang Baokun, a fifth-rank section chief of the Ministry of Revenue.
• Su Fei handed Zhang Tianxing a token bearing Minister of Revenue Zhang Xiongfei's name, and Zhang Tianxing returned it with both hands and begged for forgiveness.

After Su Fei revealed his Imperial Guard rank, Zhang Tianxing and his companions begged for mercy, and Su Fei let them go. The next morning, an imperial decree ennobled Su Fei as Viscount of Eternal Peace County and awarded him silver, silk, and a residence in the capital.

• Su Fei told Zhang Tianxing he was an Imperial Guard thousand households commander and had received Minister Zhang’s token.
• Zhang Tianxing and his two companions knelt and begged Su Fei to spare them, and he warned them not to abuse their family influence again.
• Su Fei arrived at the Southern Commandery Investigation Department the next morning as an imperial envoy came to proclaim a decree.
• The envoy announced that the emperor had ennobled Su Fei as Viscount of Eternal Peace County for recovering five million taels of tax silver and defeating the Canal Transport Gang.
• The decree granted Su Fei one hundred thousand taels of silver, twenty thousand bolts of silk, and a detached residence on Vermilion Bird Street, astonishing and envying the other commanders.

Su Fei received a viscountcy, silver, and a residence on Vermilion Bird Street for his service, then discussed the rewards and his priorities with Lei Chongxiao. He planned to settle into his new residence and continue investigating cases for the Pacification Office.

• Su Fei accepted the imperial decree granting him a viscountcy, silver, and a residence, while the palace attendant urged him to keep serving the emperor and Imperial Guard.
• Cheng and Qiu congratulated Su Fei, and he credited Lei Chongxiao and Admiral Miao's navy for supporting his achievements.
• Lei Chongxiao explained that Su Fei's rank had not risen to avoid resentment, and Su Fei said he cared more about investigating cases than promotion.
• Lei Chongxiao praised Su Fei's dedication and promised the Pacification Office would give him major cases to handle.
• Lei Chongxiao told Su Fei he could move into his new residence that day and offered him access to personnel and resources for future investigations.

Su Fei completed the registration of his viscount title and took possession of his luxurious residence on Vermilion Bird Street, then decided to spend his day off at an entertainment house. Elsewhere, a rider carrying important documents stopped to drink from a stream and was suddenly attacked by a gray-robed figure.

• Su Fei presented the Imperial Decree and his identification token at the Imperial Household Department, where Director Li completed his title registration and residence transfer.
• Su Fei inspected the three-courtyard residence at No. 13, Vermilion Bird Street, and admired its size and facilities.
• Su Fei considered the wealth he had received and decided to visit an entertainment house instead of returning to the Pacification Office.
• A rider carrying official documents galloped along a mountain road and stopped at a stream to drink.
• A gray-robed figure burst out of the stream and attacked the rider.

Su Fei learned that Fang Wenhan, the prefect of Heaven-Answering Prefecture, had died under suspicious circumstances and that nine guards carrying the case files had been killed. After a quest appeared calling for him to uncover the truth and arrest the culprits, Su Fei accepted the investigation and earned Lei Chongxiao's admiration.

• A gray-robed assassin killed a rider carrying official papers, took the document pouch, and disposed of both the pouch and corpse in an underground river.
• Lei Chongxiao told Su Fei that Fang Wenhan had died suddenly at his private residence and that his mistress, Liu Niang, had disappeared.
• Su Fei learned that nine of the ten guards sent with the case files had vanished, while the lone survivor remained unconscious at the Imperial Medical Bureau.
• Lei Chongxiao suspected the case might involve remnants of the previous dynasty and asked Su Fei to investigate Heaven-Answering Prefecture.
• A quest prompted Su Fei to uncover the truth and arrest the culprits, and he accepted the case.
• Lei Chongxiao praised Su Fei for taking on the dangerous investigation.

Su Fei accepted Lei Chongxiao’s assignment to investigate a case in Heaven-Answering Prefecture and traveled there alone. After arriving, he learned that Prefect Fang had died mysteriously and the local authorities were concealing his death.

• Lei Chongxiao praised Su Fei’s sense of duty, ordered him to investigate quietly and alone, and let him keep the Pacification Office token.
• Su Fei arranged duties at his office, changed into a blue robe, and rode day and night to Heaven-Answering Prefecture, arriving on the fifth day.
• Su Fei entered the city and went to the Drunken Immortal Tower to listen for local news before visiting the prefecture office.
• Su Fei overheard Brother Zhang tell Brother Li that Prefect Fang Wenhan had died mysteriously at an out-of-city residence and that officials were hiding his death.
• Su Fei inferred that Fang’s enemies and the prefecture office’s fear could offer leads, including possible involvement by remnants of the former dynasty.

Su Fei used his Imperial Guard authority to enter the prefectural offices and took Associate Prefect Gao Feng to inspect the separate residence where Fang Wenhan was killed. At the residence, he learned that Fang’s mistress Liu Niang had disappeared and began examining the carefully preserved rooms.

• Su Fei presented his Imperial Guard chiliarch token to the gatekeepers, who apologized and summoned Associate Prefect Gao Feng.
• Gao Feng greeted Su Fei as the Viscount of Eternal Peace County, and Su Fei ordered him to go inspect Fang Wenhan’s separate residence immediately.
• Gao Feng explained that Fang had bought the bamboo-surrounded residence for Liu Niang, who disappeared after Fang’s death.
• Su Fei entered the sealed residence and noticed its spotless courtyard, cold tea, and undisturbed furnishings.

Su Fei searched Prefect Fang’s residence for clues about his death and Liu Niang’s disappearance but found no signs of violence. Gao Feng later reported that Liu Niang had entered the brothel after losing her family in a flood and failing to find her aunt, leaving Su Fei to investigate her background further.

• Su Fei examined Prefect Fang’s residence and rear courtyard but found no evidence of a struggle, murder weapon, or Liu Niang.
• Su Fei ordered Gao Feng to preserve the cosmetics and quilt and investigate Liu Niang’s past and connections.
• Su Fei reminded the Heaven-Answering Prefecture guards to keep the office gates open around the clock.
• Gao Feng reported that Liu Niang had been bought from the Sleeping Fragrance Pavilion after her village flooded and her parents died.
• Su Fei found Liu Niang’s account of entering the brothel plausible but continued to consider the case unresolved.

Su Fei and Gao Feng investigated Liu Niang’s past at the Sleeping Fragrance Pavilion and learned that the Hai Family had burned to death after its eldest son pursued her. Su Fei returned to the prefecture office with the Hai Family fire records, leaving the suspicious case ready for closer examination.

• Su Fei decided to visit the Sleeping Fragrance Pavilion in plain clothes to investigate Liu Niang’s past.
• Gao Feng told the madam that they were Liu Niang’s relatives, and Su Fei pressured her into revealing what she knew.
• The madam said Eldest Young Master Hai had pursued Liu Niang, but his entire family later died in a fire before Prefect Fang bought Liu Niang’s freedom.
• Su Fei gave the madam a hundred-tael silver note and hurried back to the Heaven-Answering Prefecture Office with Gao Feng.
• Gao Feng retrieved the Hai Family fire case files, and Su Fei began reading them carefully.

Su Fei realized the Hai Family’s fatal fire had been deliberate and confronted Judicial Staff Officer Yang Yinglong for closing the case as an accident. After Su Fei subdued and threatened him, Yang Yinglong agreed to reveal the truth.

• Su Fei noticed that all thirteen Hai Family members had died in bedrooms locked from within, while the family’s main gate had also been locked.
• Su Fei and Gao Feng suspected the fire was a murder and summoned Judicial Staff Officer Yang Yinglong, who had ruled the case an accident.
• Yang Yinglong claimed he had closed the case quickly because the fire had destroyed clues, but Su Fei pointed out the suspicious evidence recorded in the file.
• Su Fei dislocated Yang Yinglong’s arm and used his Grandmaster Realm aura to pressure him into confessing.
• Yang Yinglong fell to his knees and promised to tell Su Fei everything.