Chapter Summaries

Liang Qu paid Chen Qingjiang’s missing Autumn Tax and helped bring Chen Renxing to a clinic after a clerk’s whip wounded him. On the way home, Chen Qingjiang called Liang Qu’s recent transformation a sudden awakening, while Liang Qu let the explanation stand.

• Liang Qu stopped Chen Qingjiang from making Xiao Shunzi kowtow after paying the one-shi grain shortfall that would have sent Chen Qingjiang to dig the Canal.
• Liang Qu asked Li LiBo to carry the exhausted Xiao Shunzi home while he and Chen Qingjiang took Chen Renxing to a clinic for treatment.
• At the clinic, Liang Qu noticed suspicious medicine chunks and had Little Physician Zhang replace them before Chen Qingjiang borrowed money to cover the bill.
• Chen Qingjiang asked how Liang Qu knew about the medicine, then decided he had experienced a sudden awakening.
• Liang Qu told Chen Qingjiang to repay the clinic debt first and not let the children go hungry as winter approached.

Liang Qu helped Chen Qingjiang save his father from being taken for Canal labor, then returned to fishing and martial arts training. At the school, he learned Hu Qi was nearing a breakthrough, noticed his new instructor’s disdain, and saw Zhao Xueyuan before Chen Jiechang arrived.

• Chen Qingjiang and A Di thanked Liang Qu for helping save Chen Qingjiang’s father, then served Liang Qu and Li LiBo a simple meal.
• Liang Qu caught fish with A Fei and sold them to Lin Songbao, who paid him extra for his catch.
• Liang Qu returned to the Martial Arts School and learned that Hu Qi had taken leave and Lu Shaohui had replaced him as instructor.
• Li LiBo told Liang Qu that Hu Qi might soon break through, and the two discussed Lu Shaohui’s reluctance to teach them.
• Li LiBo pointed out Zhao Xueyuan, the Zhao Family’s Third Master, and Liang Qu resolved to keep his distance from him.
• Xiang ChangSong introduced two junior brothers from Yi Xing City, and Li LiBo recognized Chen Jiechang.

Liang Qu, Li LiBo, and Chen Jiechang supported one another at Yang Martial Hall while Chen Jiechang faced poor instruction. In Ping Yang Town, Zheng Xiang learned that Liang Qu had begun martial arts training and decided to wait before acting against him.

• Xiang ChangSong left Liang Qu and Li LiBo to help Chen Jiechang, who had joined Yang Martial Hall after admiring Liang Qu's actions during the Autumn Tax.
• Chen Jiechang struggled with the instructor's poor guidance, so Liang Qu promised to teach him after completing Crane Fist, and Li LiBo also helped him practice.
• A Quan told Zheng Xiang that Liang Qu had caught a valuable Bullhorn Pomfret, joined Yang Martial Hall, and helped Chen Qingjiang pay his Autumn Tax debt.
• Zheng Xiang blamed Lin Guiyong for sending him away during the old master's birthday and worried that targeting Liang Qu could bring trouble to the Zhao Residence.
• Zheng Xiang asked how many commoners had succeeded through martial arts and decided to wait another two months before making a move.

Liang Qu rushed back to the Lotus Root Waters after Fat Catfish and Cannot Move warned him that a huge creature was attacking his Treasure Lotus Root bed. After confirming the Water Beasts were safe and learning they had saved five roots containing Marsh Essence, he prepared to confront the intruder.

• Liang Qu reflected on how bodily compatibility and other hidden talents affected martial arts aptitude, then waited at the Yang Martial Hall for Master Yang while short on money.
• Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang discussed the missing LaiTou Zhang before Liang Qu received urgent messages that the Treasure Lotus Root bed was under attack.
• Liang Qu left the martial arts school and hurried to the Lotus Root Waters, where he found Fat Catfish and Cannot Move unharmed.
• Fat Catfish spat out five lotus roots containing Marsh Essence that it and Cannot Move had moved out of danger.
• Liang Qu picked up his wooden spear and headed into the water to confront the creature attacking his lotus roots.

Liang Qu discovered that a Spirit Monster had taken over the lotus-root bed and decided to risk fighting it to reclaim his territory. Meanwhile, Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang were bullied at Yang Martial Hall, where Lu Shaohui ignored their humiliation.

• Liang Qu returned to the lotus-root bed with Cannot Move and Fat Catfish and found a rock-like crustacean Spirit Monster occupying it.
• Liang Qu considered the creature’s weaknesses and the potential reward, then resolved to gamble on defeating it and take back his territory.
• Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang practiced their fighting method at Yang Martial Hall while discussing their hopes of breaking through a barrier and improving their prospects.
• Lu Tingcai and his companions mocked Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang, and Xue Dingyi joined in instead of defending them.
• Lu Tingcai demanded two taels of silver from each of them as payment for letting them stay, while Lu Shaohui continued lifting his stone lock without intervening.

Li LiBo struck Lu Tingcai with a stone after Lu Tingcai tried to force him and Chen Jiechang to pay for fermented milk, triggering a brawl at the Martial Arts School. Underwater, Liang Qu faced a disguised Crab Monster whose sudden attack he barely dodged, and the creature charged again as mud and sand reached for its eyes.

• Lu Tingcai tried to intimidate Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang into paying for fermented milk, but Lu Shaohui refused to intervene and left the Martial Arts Field.
• Li LiBo hit Lu Tingcai on the back of the head with a stone, and Xue Dingyi and the others called for a fight as Chen Jiechang pulled Li LiBo away from a wooden stick.
• Liang Qu spotted the Crab Monster's eye stalks and watched it rise from the silt into a nearly one-meter-seventy-tall shape.
• Liang Qu sensed a huge threat overhead and dodged the Crab Monster's pincer strike by controlling the current, while Zhu Po Long and Fat Catfish failed to stop its charge.
• The Crab Monster charged through the silt cloud, and the scattered mud and sand gathered into fine hands that spread toward its eyes.

Liang Qu, Fat Catfish, and Zhu Po Long injured the Crab Monster in a desperate riverbed battle, while Liang Qu narrowly escaped its attacks. At Yang Martial Hall, Chen Jiechang and Li LiBo fought Lu Tingcai’s group in a brutal brawl.

• Liang Qu blinded the Crab Monster in one eye by using the current to help Fat Catfish bite it, then severed one of its legs with his spear.
• The Crab Monster broke Liang Qu’s spear and nearly crushed him, but Zhu Po Long ambushed it and bit off a second leg.
• Fat Catfish swallowed the Crab Monster’s remaining eye and helped Zhu Po Long escape before Liang Qu and the two beasts regrouped.
• At Yang Martial Hall, Chen Jiechang seized Xue Dingyi’s wooden stick and tackled him, while Li LiBo joined the fight against Lu Tingcai’s group.
• Chen Jiechang fought through the blows and focused on beating Xue Dingyi half to death.

Liang Qu returned to the riverbed and killed the Crab Monster by driving his broken spear into its vulnerable underside. Badly wounded and exhausted, he recovered in his skiff and left the Zeye River feeling newly confident.

• Liang Qu surfaced with a severe wound at his waist, bandaged it with strips of clothing, and dove back down to stop the Crab Monster from healing.
• Liang Qu found the Crab Monster eating lotus roots and used a vibration to lure it into exposing its underside.
• Liang Qu dodged the Crab Monster's pincer and thrust his short spear into its navel, killing it.
• Zhu Po Long and Fat Catfish watched in awe as Liang Qu escaped the cloud of silt and returned to the skiff.
• Liang Qu rested while blood continued to flow from his wound, then laughed as he realized he had slain a Spirit Monster.

After healing his wounds, Liang Qu dismantled the Crab Monster with Cannot Move and Fat Catfish, discovering thirteen fertilized Crab Seeds beneath its belly. He ate the crab roe and meat for Marsh Essence and considered controlling the hatchlings.

• Liang Qu washed his wounds, ate lotus root, and waited for them to heal before returning underwater for the Crab Monster’s remains.
• Liang Qu and the two beasts dismantled the Crab Monster, with Cannot Move tearing off its legs and Fat Catfish gathering meat.
• Cannot Move showed Liang Qu thirteen fertilized Crab Seeds beneath the Crab Monster’s belly, and Liang Qu wondered if he could control the hatchlings.
• Liang Qu cooked the crab roe and meat, gained Marsh Essence from eating them, and fed some meat to the two beasts.

Liang Qu ate the Crab Monster to gain Marsh Essence, strengthening his Water Monkey Marsh Spirit and his body as he practiced boxing. After checking the reduced evolution costs for his beasts, he chose a promising Crab Seed and began drawing a Water Talisman on it.

• Liang Qu fed Cannot Move and the Fat Catfish crab meat while blanching and drying the rest of the Crab Monster for storage.
• Liang Qu absorbed Marsh Essence as he ate, raising the Water Monkey Marsh Spirit's fusion rate and causing the beasts to sense a powerful presence around him.
• Liang Qu practiced Ape Fist through a surge of heat and energy, and his Chest Qi thickened from the size of a chopstick to larger than his index finger.
• Liang Qu checked the Ze Cauldron and found that the Crab Monster had provided nearly a hundred points of Marsh Essence, while his Water Monkey fusion rate had reached 36.6%.
• Liang Qu learned that the reduced Marsh Essence costs could evolve the Taihua Crocodile into a Jiaomu Crocodile and the Six-Whiskered Catfish into a Tiger-Head Catfish.
• Liang Qu examined his remaining Crab Seeds, chose a strong male, cut his finger, and drew a Water Talisman on its back.

Liang Qu commanded and hatched a Stone Turtle Crab, naming it Fist, then harvested fish and returned to shore. He left Fist with A Fei and Cannot Move before heading back to class, while worrying that the young crab might hibernate through winter.

• Liang Qu used the Ze Cauldron to command a Stone Turtle Crab and watched the juvenile crab break out of its Crab Seed.
• Liang Qu named the fist-sized male crab Fist and learned it would take 800 points of Marsh Essence to evolve into a Stone Turtle Crab King.
• Liang Qu cooked the remaining Crab Seeds, gained little Marsh Essence from eating one, and gave the rest to Cannot Move and A Fei.
• Liang Qu sent Fat Catfish and Cannot Move fishing, then left Fist with them in the water before rowing back to the dock.
• Lin Songbao weighed Liang Qu's fish and paid him, and Liang Qu set off for class at the Martial Arts School.

Liang Qu learned that Lu Tingcai and his allies had beaten Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang and demanded ten taels of silver from them. He confronted the seven bullies in the Martial Arts Field and declared that he would defeat them all by himself.

• Liang Qu jogged to Ping Yang Town and bought steamed buns for Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang at Yang Martial Hall.
• Chen Jiechang told Liang Qu that Lu Tingcai's group had demanded two taels from each of them, then beaten them when they resisted; the group now demanded ten taels altogether.
• Liang Qu gave Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang the food parcels and walked into the center of the Martial Arts Field.
• Liang Qu pointed at Lu Tingcai, Xue Dingyi, Yu Weilong, Xiang Quji, and three others and challenged all seven to fight.
• Liang Qu declared that he alone would defeat them all.

Hu Qi celebrated becoming a Martial Master with his fellow disciples before they headed to the Martial Arts School, where they discovered a confrontation involving Liang Qu. Liang Qu stood alone against Lu Tingcai and his six companions, determined to smash their teeth.

• Hu Qi celebrated his breakthrough with Yang Dongxiong and the other disciples at Lang Yun Wine Shop.
• Yang Dongxiong and the disciples went to the Martial Arts School to teach and discuss Hu Qi's breakthrough.
• They heard Liang Qu shouting and learned that trouble had broken out on the Martial Arts Field.
• Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang tried to pull Liang Qu away from Lu Tingcai and his six companions.
• Liang Qu sent his friends aside and declared that he would smash the others' teeth one by one.

Liang Qu fought Lu Tingcai and six others at the Martial Arts School, defeating them despite being badly injured. After the fight, an old man from the rooftop asked Liang Qu to become his disciple.

• Liang Qu returned to the center of the Martial Arts Field and faced Lu Tingcai and six other youths.
• Liang Qu disarmed Lu Tingcai, slapped him twice, and struck him down with a wooden stick.
• Liang Qu fought off the other six attackers, using his blood-control ability once while enduring repeated blows.
• Liang Qu defeated all seven youths and stood exhausted among them as the apprentices watched in silence.
• An old man leapt down from the rooftop, confirmed Liang Qu's identity, and asked him to become his disciple.

Liang Qu accepted Yang Dongxiong’s offer and became his Ninth Disciple after fighting off seven apprentices. As Xiang ChangSong and Hu Qi led him and his injured companions away to recover, Yang Dongxiong resumed instructing the Martial Arts School apprentices.

• Yang Dongxiong arrived with Hu Qi and Xiang ChangSong and offered to take Liang Qu as his Personal Disciple.
• Liang Qu knelt to acknowledge Yang Dongxiong as his master and became his Ninth Disciple.
• Yang Dongxiong praised Liang Qu’s character and talent, while advising him to learn fighting methods as well as the refining method.
• Yang Dongxiong sent Xiang ChangSong and Hu Qi to help Liang Qu, Li LiBo, and Chen Jiechang wash up and find rooms.
• Yang Dongxiong ordered the apprentices to line up and demonstrate what they had learned, leaving the injured Lu Tingcai and his companions on the ground.

Liang Qu, Li LiBo, and Chen Jiechang settled into comfortable academy lodging after their bullies were expelled, learning they would receive compensation and free accommodation. Hu Qi also provided medicinal baths and clothes to treat their injuries, leaving the three soaking together in relief.

• Xiang ChangSong showed Liang Qu, Li LiBo, and Chen Jiechang their room and explained that their lodging normally cost eight taels a month.
• Xiang ChangSong told them they could stay for free and receive about thirty-six taels each from the expelled students’ forfeited fees.
• Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang chose to use the compensation to upgrade their lodging and take a chance on improving their martial arts.
• Hu Qi brought clothes and medicinal baths to treat the three junior brothers’ injuries, and apologized for not having been there to protect them.
• Liang Qu, Li LiBo, and Chen Jiechang laughed together, then climbed into the hot medicinal baths.

After recovering from their injuries at the Martial Arts School, Liang Qu learned that Master Yang would formally accept him as a Personal Disciple. He left with Xiang ChangSong for the Apprentice Ceremony, while Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang stayed behind to rest.

• Liang Qu told Chen Jiechang and Li LiBo that his innate talent had helped him defeat seven opponents, and they accepted his explanation.
• The three soaked in medicinal baths, then talked excitedly about their improved prospects before falling asleep.
• Liang Qu rose early while Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang continued sleeping.
• Xiang ChangSong told Liang Qu that Master Yang had ordered him to bring Liang Qu to the residence for the Apprentice Ceremony.
• Liang Qu eagerly agreed to go with Xiang ChangSong.

Liang Qu completed the apprenticeship rites and became Yang Dongxiong’s Ninth Disciple. Yang Dongxiong gave him a waist token and ten taels of silver, and his senior brothers began presenting their own gifts.

• Liang Qu borrowed three taels from Xiang ChangSong and bought pastries and dried meat strips as an Apprentice Ceremony gift for Yang Dongxiong.
• At the Yang Residence, Yang Dongxiong accepted Liang Qu as his disciple after Liang recited the school’s rules and offered him tea.
• Liang Qu presented his modest gift, and Xu Shi and Yang Dongxiong praised his thoughtfulness and sincerity.
• Yang Dongxiong gave Liang Qu a waist token identifying him as a disciple and ten taels of silver for personal expenses.
• Yu Dun and the other senior disciples announced that they had prepared meeting gifts for Liang Qu.

Liang Qu’s senior brothers and sisters presented him with a complete set of fine winter clothing and gear, including a promise from Lu Gang to forge him a great spear. After changing into the gifts, Liang Qu admired his transformed appearance in the mirror.

• Yu Dun gave Liang Qu a Canine Bear Fur Cloak, and Lu Gang offered to forge him a weapon after Liang Qu chose a great spear.
• Xu Zishuai, Zhuo Shaoqin, Cao Rang, Hu Qi, and Xiang ChangSong each gave Liang Qu a different piece of protective clothing or gear.
• Yang Dongxiong sent Nan Di to escort Liang Qu to a guest room so he could try on the gifts.
• Liang Qu laughed at his reflection and reflected on how much his circumstances had improved in two months.
• Liang Qu put on the robe, boots, belt, jade pendant, arm guard, and cloak, then admired his new appearance in the mirror.

Liang Qu reunited with Yang Dongxiong’s disciples, learned more about his cultivation and the martial realms, and visited Evergreen Medical Hall. The chapter left him eager to advance after discovering that Yang Dongxiong was a Hunting Tiger-level martial artist.

• Yang Dongxiong and the other disciples welcomed Liang Qu, and Xu Zishuai explained that the senior disciple had joined the Western Army and could not return.
• Liang Qu told Yang Dongxiong and his senior brothers that his Chest Qi had grown to index-finger thickness after eating a crimson eel with an ox tail, a fish he had invented.
• Yang Dongxiong reassured Liang Qu that his thick Chest Qi would not hinder his breakthrough, arranged for Hu Qi to guide him, and said he would find him a private-school teacher.
• Hu Qi and Xiang ChangSong took Liang Qu to Evergreen Medical Hall, where Shopkeeper Chen welcomed him and offered the disciples discounted medicine.
• Hu Qi explained the Four Gates and Seven Paths of martial cultivation, and Liang Qu learned that Yang Dongxiong had reached the Hunting Tiger Realm.