Chapter Summaries

A mysterious Old Monk offered Liang Qu the Dragon Subduing Tiger Taming Vajra Sutra, claiming it perfectly suited his Dragon Tendons Tiger Bones and could lead him to True Image. Liang Qu refused to become his disciple but accepted the cultivation art as payment for a meal, then learned the monk himself had reached True Image.

• The Old Monk approached Liang Qu at night and offered to accept him as a disciple, promising the sutra could help him reach True Image and perhaps become a Martial Saint.
• Liang Qu declined because he already had a master, but invited the Old Monk inside to eat.
• While Liang Qu prepared vegetable porridge, the Old Monk split a wooden board into pages and wrote the Dragon Subduing Tiger Taming Vajra Sutra on them.
• The Old Monk gave Liang Qu the sutra in exchange for the meal, and Liang Qu found its Buddhist teachings difficult to understand despite sensing they suited him.
• The Old Monk explained that he had investigated Liang Qu’s good deeds and believed the sutra matched his Martial Bone, but Liang Qu still refused discipleship.
• When Liang Qu asked the Old Monk’s realm, the Old Monk answered that he had reached True Image.

Liang Qu learned that the Old Monk had come to Ping Yang County to hunt the last surviving Heretical Monk from Great Snow Mountain and invited him to stay at his residence. He then watched Jian Zhongyi take office as the new County Magistrate, leaving the academy assessment still ahead.

• The Old Monk told Liang Qu he was pursuing a Heretical Monk who had escaped to the area around Huaiyin Prefecture, and Liang Qu offered him a room in his residence.
• The Old Monk accepted, and Liang Qu instructed Aunt Zhang to prepare a large vegetarian meal for him.
• Aunt Zhang warned Liang Qu that the Old Monk's strong yang energy could endanger the household's male heir, but Liang Qu dismissed her concern.
• Liang Qu went to the government office to watch Jian Zhongyi arrive and perform the formal rites for taking office as County Magistrate.
• After Jian Zhongyi completed his circuit of the government office, he led its staff toward the City God Temple, while Liang Qu left without following and planned to attend the academy assessment later.

Liang Qu sought help understanding a Buddhist cultivation method, and Headmaster Zhao Ji guided him to books that explained Buddhism through Confucian thought. The new County Magistrate, Jian Zhongyi, visited Shanghu Academy, rewarded the academy and Liang Qu, and then discovered that Liang Qu could not write a proper examination essay.

• Liang Qu told Zhao Ji he had found a Buddhist cultivation method he could not understand, so Zhao Ji selected three books to help him study it.
• Zhao Ji told Liang Qu that Jian Zhongyi would arrive at the academy and advised him to return.
• Jian Zhongyi toured Shanghu Academy, donated five hundred taels to it, and praised Liang Qu before giving him a hundred-tael Silver Note for inventing the Pinyin Method.
• Jian Zhongyi inscribed a stone stele and gave the students an essay prompt for their examination.
• Jian Zhongyi inspected Liang Qu's essay and was appalled by its confused, unstructured writing.

Liang Qu balanced his daily cultivation and work while learning about Cockscomb Fruit and the Old Monk’s Buddhist studies. He finally reached the Spirit-Settling level of Myriad Victory Embracing Oneness, allowing the method to circulate automatically.

• Liang Qu refined through seven checkpoints over three days, gathered Marsh Essence, and submitted a new lotus root variety for assessment.
• Liang Qu asked Li Shoufu about cultivating Cockscomb Fruit, and Li Shoufu warned him that Prince Zhou had been punished for growing it.
• Liang Qu returned home and found the Old Monk absent, then continued reading Buddhist scriptures and reflected on the monk’s intentions.
• Liang Qu practiced Myriad Victory Embracing Oneness in the Quiet Room and reached the Spirit-Settling level.
• Liang Qu discovered that his Qi and blood continued cultivating automatically even when he was not deliberately guiding them.

Liang Qu practiced Myriad Victory Embracing Oneness, and the Old Monk recognized how its principles combined with the Dan Yuan Art and the Hundred Battles Method. The Old Monk offered to teach Liang Qu the Dragon Subduing Tiger Taming Vajra Sutra if he became his disciple, but Liang Qu refused; afterward, he opened the newly finished pool to the underground river.

• Liang Qu practiced his spearwork, and the Old Monk recognized that Myriad Victory Embracing Oneness combined the Dan Yuan Art with the Hundred Battles Method.
• The Old Monk praised Liang Qu's settled spirit and suggested that the Dragon Subduing Tiger Taming Vajra Sutra suited him even better.
• The Old Monk offered Liang Qu the sutra's true transmission if he became his disciple, but Liang Qu refused because he did not want to become a monk.
• A mason told Liang Qu that the pool was ready, and Liang Qu shattered the boulder blocking its underground water source.
• Liang Qu let the water fill the pool, where Bitterling Fish swam in from the well, connecting his residence to the Jiang Huai River.

Liang Qu showed Old Monk his water beasts, then joined Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang’s feast to celebrate their success as Martial Artists. At the end of the night, Secretary Li assigned him to investigate a water monster in a neighboring county, and Liang Qu agreed to leave Ping Yang County.

• Liang Qu let his water beasts emerge through the well passage and told Old Monk not to mistake them for Spirit Monsters.
• Liang Qu brought a Tiger Head Grouper to Li LiBo and Chen Jiechang’s feast and congratulated them on becoming true Martial Artists.
• Liang Qu spoke with Hu Qi and Xiang ChangSong about his work at the River Conservancy Office and his upcoming breakthrough.
• Secretary Li gave Liang Qu a mission to deal with an ordinary Spirit Monster causing trouble in a neighboring county, and Liang Qu accepted.

Liang Qu prepared to investigate a human-shaped Water Demon in Wu Shui Town, Feng Bu County, after receiving valuable Water Submergence Gold and inner armor. He left Round Head to watch over his home and Fish Gang, then set out by boat with four Water Beasts.

• Li Shoufu registered Liang Qu's assignment and explained the procedures and compensation in case he went missing or died, so Liang Qu named Yang Dongxiong as his beneficiary.
• Liang Qu witnessed another starving thief beaten to death and decided to get a dog to guard his house.
• Fat Catfish brought Liang Qu a thirty-jin blade fragment made mostly of Water Submergence Gold, which Liang Qu gave to Lu Gang to repair his broken Spirit Weapon.
• Lu Gang gave Liang Qu the inner armor made from Sturgeon Fish Demon hide, and Liang Qu packed his weapons and gear for the journey.
• Liang Qu left Round Head at home to protect Little River Porpoise and manage the Fish Gang, then departed for Feng Bu County with four Water Beasts to investigate the Water Demon.

Liang Qu navigated the river toward Feng Bu County using a makeshift compass and encountered Whale Gang lookouts waiting for someone to arrive. He caught and ate a powerful Bullhead Fish, strengthening his blood and Qi, then continued his journey, expected to reach Feng Bu County the next morning.

• Liang Qu realized he had no compass, made a needle-and-leaf compass, and guided Fat Catfish and Cannot Move along the river.
• Whale Gang men guarding the waterway complained about waiting for their target and discussed orders to bribe River Conservancy Office officials rather than kill them.
• Liang Qu captured a twelve- or thirteen-jin Bullhead Fish that surfaced beside his houseboat.
• Awei drained the Bullhead Fish's blood, and Liang Qu cooked and shared its remains with his beasts.
• Liang Qu gained 42 points of Marsh Essence and increased his fusion rate by half a point after eating the Bullhead Fish.
• Liang Qu harnessed his beasts again and continued toward Feng Bu County, which he expected to reach the next morning.

Liang Qu investigated the Water Demon attacks in Feng Bu County and uncovered the Whale Gang’s exploitation of local fishermen. After learning more about the gang’s leader and locating a suspicious hut in the reeds, he prepared to wait for the creature to appear.

• Liang Qu learned from a fisherman that the Whale Gang controlled every fishing wharf in Feng Bu County and took sixty percent of fishermen’s earnings.
• Liang Qu read that fourteen fishermen from Wu Town had gone missing or died recently, and learned that Water Demons had plagued the area for years.
• Liu Jie offered his concubine Xiao Chun’er to Du Wenchang and asked him to recommend Liu Jie’s son for the Patrol Inspector position.
• Liang Qu followed Fat Catfish to a hut in the reeds and found evidence supporting his suspicion about the Spirit Monster’s human-like form.
• Liang Qu waited underwater as fishermen set out at midnight, and someone announced that the fish had arrived.

Liang Qu ambushed three men disguised as spirit monsters and captured the two survivors, who were confidants of Liu Jie. He began interrogating them separately to learn how the Whale Gang had become rich.

• Liang Qu and his beasts waited in the reeds for the disguised men to enter the water.
• Liang Qu killed the first man with his spear, and Fat Catfish and Cannot Move subdued the other two.
• Fist carried the unconscious men ashore, where Liang Qu revived them and threatened them until they agreed to talk.
• Liang Qu sent Fist away with one prisoner and made the other prepare an account of the Whale Gang's rise while he ground ink.

Liang Qu interrogated two Whale Gang members and learned how Liu Jie had built a countywide fishing-wharf racket by using staged Water Demon attacks and corrupt officials to control fishermen. He decided to delay confronting the gang until he broke through the Blood Barrier and could fight Liu Jie on favorable ground.

• Liang Qu forced the second prisoner to add to his confession, took his fingerprint, and compared the account with the first man's testimony.
• Liang Qu learned that Liu Jie led the Whale Gang with his brother Liu Yi and Zheng Tianfu, and that the gang had seized control of Feng Bu County's fishing wharves.
• The confessions revealed that Liu Jie had used staged Water Demon attacks, help from corrupt officials, and travel permits to trap fishermen and profit from their earnings.
• Liang Qu realized that destroying the Whale Gang could earn him Great Merit, but that Liu Jie and his three Galloping Horse Martial Masters posed a serious threat.
• Liang Qu decided to break through the Blood Barrier before attacking and to make water the battlefield so he could use his advantage.

Liu Jie’s gang waited for officials to arrive while struggling to secure an official post, and Liang Qu continued refining his blood and preparing his beasts for battle. Liang Qu sensed he was close to breaking the Blood Barrier and weighed his options for evolving the beasts.

• Liu Jie explained that the merchant ships belonged to the powerful Heng Ren Merchant Group, rewarded his men, and arranged a shift change.
• Liu Jie told Liu Yi and Zheng Tianfu that Fatty Du had only tentatively agreed to recommend Wen Yang for a ninth-rank post, while the River Conservancy Office official had yet to appear.
• Fat Catfish caught a Blue-Striped Fish for Liang Qu, who ate it and used the resulting Marsh Essence to improve his fusion rate and refine his blood twice.
• Liang Qu sensed that two or three more rounds of blood refinement could break the Blood Barrier and checked the Marsh Essence needed to evolve each beast.
• Liang Qu divided his last two Cockscomb Fruits among the four beasts and resolved that Liu Jie would drown in the Jianghuai marshes.

Liang Qu fed the Cockscomb Fruits to his four Water Beasts, completing their evolution into Galloping Horse Martial Masters, then prepared to break through the Blood Barrier. After taking the Blood Invigoration Pill and Greater Blood Exchange Pill, he began the dangerous Three Surges and Three Coagulations on his guarded houseboat.

• Liang Qu divided the Cockscomb Fruits among Fat Catfish, Cannot Move, Fist, and Awei, and the Ze Cauldron transformed them.
• Awei gained blade-like wings for short-distance flight, while the other beasts also grew stronger and changed in appearance.
• Liang Qu checked the Ze Cauldron and saw that evolving each beast again would require about eight thousand points of Marsh Essence.
• Liang Qu sent the beasts to catch Treasure Fish and cultivated in the water until Fist returned with a Bullhead Fish split in two.
• Liang Qu gathered his beasts to guard the houseboat, ate the Bullhead Fish, and took the Blood Invigoration Pill followed by the Greater Blood Exchange Pill.
• Liang Qu began Three Surges and Three Coagulations as blood and Qi surged through him, drawing carnivorous fish that his beasts kept away.

Liang Qu completed the Breaking Blood Barrier by using three Blood Exchange Pills and three Blood Coagulation Pills, surviving repeated near-death trials and greatly strengthening his blood and qi. After testing his enhanced Water Control and cleaning his houseboat, he prepared to claim his reward.

• Liang Qu swallowed Blood Coagulation Pills after each blood exchange and endured three cycles of near-death weakness as his breath grew stronger.
• Liang Qu completed the Blood Barrier, and his blood gained a fragrant scent associated with innate talent.
• Liang Qu washed himself and his houseboat, then discovered he could control more than three hundred and sixty tons of water.
• Liang Qu reflected on the four Spirit Monster Water Beasts and his breakthrough, then set out to claim the reward.

Liang Qu met with the Whale Gang’s leaders aboard their Painted Boat and revealed that he knew they had created the Spirit Monster. After pretending to negotiate a bribe, he demanded their heads, leaving the gang leaders facing a direct threat.

• During a storm, Liu Jie and the Whale Gang intercepted Liang Qu on the river and invited him aboard their Painted Boat.
• Liang Qu ignored Liu Yi and Zheng Tianfu’s greeting before accusing the Whale Gang of creating the Spirit Monster and spreading Fishing Wharves.
• Liang Qu told the gang leaders that he understood their attempt to bribe him and asked how much they would pay.
• Zheng Tianfu offered three thousand taels in Silver Notes, and Liu Jie later offered twenty percent of the Whale Gang’s profits, but Liang Qu rejected both.
• Liang Qu declared that what he wanted was the Whale Gang leaders’ heads.

Liang Qu’s negotiations with Liu Jie and the Whale Gang collapsed into a fight when the painted boat was attacked by Water Beasts. As the boat sank, Liang Qu overwhelmed the gang’s fighters, while Liu Jie, Liu Yi, and Zheng Tianfu were left battling the beasts and trying to reach him.

• Liu Yi signaled the attack, and Zheng Tianfu overturned the table as Liu Jie drew his blade and struck at Liang Qu.
• The painted boat lurched repeatedly, then broke apart and sank after Water Beasts attacked it.
• Liang Qu caught Fubo, crossed the water, and smashed through the Whale Gang’s formation, killing and injuring numerous core members.
• A Crab Monster blocked Liu Jie, and Awei wounded his neck before escaping into the water.
• The roof was torn away, and Liu Yi and Zheng Tianfu fought three beasts as Liu Jie plunged into the water and charged toward Liang Qu.

Liang Qu fought the Whale Gang leaders and their men underwater, using Water Prison to trap Liu Jie and severing his arm. He killed Liu Jie and left the remaining gang members and their allies defeated aboard the Painted Boat.

• Liu Jie attacked Liang Qu with the Wave Cutting Saber, but Liang Qu used Water Prison to immobilize him and thrust with his spear.
• Liu Yi hurled his weapon to save Liu Jie, but the attack only deflected Liang Qu's spear; Liang Qu severed Liu Jie's arm while Liu Yi was grievously wounded by the Crab Monster.
• Liu Jie ordered the Whale Gang's core members to attack Liang Qu, who fought them in the blood-mist-filled boat while his three beasts battled Zheng Tianfu and Liu Yi.
• Liang Qu kept Liu Jie underwater and battered his saber until it shattered.
• Liang Qu beheaded Liu Jie, and Liu Yi cried out as his brother's headless body collapsed.

Liang Qu defeated Whale Gang Leader Liu Jie beneath the river and killed Liu Yi, leaving Zheng Tianfu alive. He then emerged among the drifting corpses and confronted the Whale Gang members who had watched the wreckage float ashore.

• Liang Qu reflected on the strength of Galloping Horse Extreme Realm expert Liu Jie, whom he had killed after first severing his arm and using Water Control.
• Liang Qu approached Liu Yi and asked him questions, but Liu Yi refused to answer and attacked him with a broken blade.
• Liang Qu killed Liu Yi by twisting apart his spine, then told him that Yellow Springs was also a river.
• Whale Gang members saw the painted boat's wreckage and corpses drift to shore, including the bodies of Liu Jie and Liu Yi.
• Liang Qu appeared atop floating wood with Zheng Tianfu in hand and asked the Whale Gang members if they belonged to the gang.

After defeating the Whale Gang, Liang Qu oversaw the recovery of survivors and property, recorded his accomplishments, and considered the rewards his official position could bring. He found the former Gang Leader’s powerful black-iron greatbow and struggled to draw it fully.

• Liang Qu ordered the Whale Gang members to retrieve corpses, search for survivors, and bring the living to him.
• Liang Qu tended to Awei’s wounds while Fist brought the injured men and the houseboat ashore.
• Liang Qu recorded the events of the battle and inspected the recovered weapons and belongings.
• Liang Qu considered how his official status would let him claim rewards while preventing him from personally taking the Whale Gang’s property.
• Liang Qu picked up the former Gang Leader’s black-iron greatbow and found it difficult to draw despite his strength.

Liang Qu tested his ability to use Gang Leader Liu Jie’s enormous Black Iron Great Bow and showed that the River Master Emperor’s favor had made archery feel as natural as spear practice, though he could not yet hold the bow at full draw. Meanwhile, Li Shoufu realized Liang Qu had been missing for seven days, and Xu Yuelong learned about the situation at the Records Room.

• Liang Qu explained how martial arts skill and training affected combat strength, then tried drawing Liu Jie’s Black Iron Great Bow.
• Liang Qu fully drew the bow but could not hold it for three breaths, and he concluded that his strength still depended on underwater conditions.
• Liang Qu collected the bow and its arrows, ordered the gang members to pack everything, and told them to head to the county town.
• Li Shoufu told Huang Pingchang that he had assigned a Feng Bu County Spirit Monster task to a River Earl surnamed Liang, who had not returned in seven days.
• Xu Yuelong overheard them, confronted Li Shoufu, and demanded to know exactly what had happened.