Chapter Summaries

Luo Jun used a fabricated Water of Truth test to establish that none of the thirty-two Central Plains suspects had killed the Great Shaman, then reviewed the assassination case with Lord Lu and the others. The group prepared to investigate the crime scene, while Luo Jun noticed a major inconsistency in the case file.

• Luo Jun had the thirty-two prisoners write their names or leave fingerprints and claim they had not killed the Great Shaman, then burned the papers after concluding the culprit was not among them.
• Luo Jun used the Dice of Heavenly Secrets to identify the true culprit's fingerprint, but the test did not reveal it because the prisoners were innocent.
• Lord Lu agreed to bring suspects identified by the Southern Borderlands People for verification and arranged for the group to visit the crime scene.
• Lord Lu's investigation files revealed that Wujida was murdered in his bridal chamber after A Li screamed for help, while a man in black escaped through a window.
• Lord Lu and Hou Song explained why they doubted the Highlanders were responsible, and Luo Jun questioned why Wujida had been allowed to bully Central Plains people.
• Luo Jun learned that the Southern Borderlands People had taken the dagger and identified a major point of doubt in the case materials.

Luo Jun and the Hundred Rivers Sect investigated the Great Shaman Wujida’s murder while the bride A Li faced execution under the Manyin Tribe’s burial customs. At the crime scene, Luo Jun used the Dice of Heavenly Secrets to seek a clue, and the leaf landed on Wujida’s head.

• Luo Jun questioned the account of A Li’s screams and the attempted assault, while Lord Lu explained that she would be killed if the murderer was not found before Wujida’s burial.
• Lord Lu arranged for Officer Zhang to take Luo Jun and the Hundred Rivers Sect to the Southern Borderlands settlement to investigate the murder.
• The Fifth Elder let Luo Jun inspect Wujida’s body and request lists of suspects and wedding guests, with Sanji assigned to accompany the investigators.
• The Fifth Elder showed Luo Jun and the others Wujida’s body and explained that he had been killed by a single chest wound.
• Luo Jun activated the Dice of Heavenly Secrets to find a clue, and the leaf he tossed landed on Wujida’s head.

Luo Jun and the investigators discovered that the Great Shaman had been poisoned before his death, raising the possibility that the killer came from the Luo Yue Tribe. After the group left the morgue for the crime scene, Luo Jun used his last dice roll and learned that the handkerchief’s landing was a Mandatory Event.

• Luo Jun drew attention to the Great Shaman’s hair, and the Fifth Elder found yellowing near the roots that indicated a rare poison.
• The investigators concluded that the poison had left the Great Shaman defenseless, while Officer Zhang explained that the yellow section had grown after death.
• The Fifth Elder suspected the Luo Yue Tribe and left to investigate, while Hou Song and Luo Jun urged the group to examine the victim’s food, drink, and utensils and restrict the Luo Yue People’s movements.
• Sanji showed the investigators the dagger used in the murder and explained that its curse had revealed no suspects.
• Luo Jun used the Dice of Heavenly Secrets as the group left for the crime scene and received a message that the handkerchief landing was a Mandatory Event, consuming his final use.

Luo Jun questioned the bride and reviewed the murder scene, then obtained lists of guests, servants, suspects, and Luo Yue Clan members. He planned to study them overnight and continue investigating the next day, while hinting that he had noticed another suspicious detail.

• Luo Jun asked Officer Zhang to recount the scene findings and questioned the bride about the masked killer, but she offered no new information.
• Luo Jun suggested that the killer might have been a woman, prompting Sanji to add female Luo Yue Clan members to the investigation.
• Sanji gave Luo Jun lists of the wedding guests, servants, detained suspects, and Luo Yue Clan members, and Luo Jun took them to study.
• Luo Jun told Hou Song, Tie Jingang, and Liu Si that he had used up his Water of Truth and had requested the lists partly to reassure the Southern Borderlands people.
• Luo Jun said he would search the lists for clues and revealed that he had noticed another suspicious point besides the poison clue.

Luo Jun investigated the Great Shaman Wujida’s murder, suspecting the bride A Li and a Genesis Art impostor, but his dice revealed the culprit was someone outside the obvious suspects. With the burial approaching and few dice attempts left, he slipped into the Southern Borderlands residential district at night.

• Luo Jun pointed out that A Li’s intact makeup suggested she had not cried much, and he theorized that the murderer may have used a fake person created through Genesis Art.
• Luo Jun and the others returned to the Hundred Rivers Sect branch, where Hou Song reported that the sect had sent tools for a possible rescue and updates on the virus investigation in Shannan Town.
• Luo Jun studied the suspect records and learned that Wujida had victimized many people, then used the Dice of Heavenly Secrets to confirm that the culprit’s name appeared somewhere among the gathered lists.
• Luo Jun’s dice showed that neither A Li and the identified suspects nor the Luoyue People contained the culprit, leaving the other guests and servants as the likely group.
• With the burial imminent and only three dice attempts remaining, Luo Jun left the branch secretly and headed toward the Southern Borderlands residential district.

Luo Jun secretly searched the bridal chamber and found clues that contradicted A Li’s testimony, but he had not yet determined the case’s truth. He left the room considering whether the blood spatter had another source.

• Luo Jun disguised himself, entered the guarded Council Hall at night, and accepted the Restore the Case Truth mission.
• Luo Jun used the Dice of Heavenly Secrets to locate a clue on the bed and found a split-ended strand of hair that appeared to belong to the Great Shaman.
• Luo Jun inferred that the Great Shaman must have gotten onto the bed before his death, contradicting A Li’s account of how the murder happened.
• Luo Jun searched the room for another clue and examined the bloodstain, reasoning that its spatter might not have come from the Great Shaman.

Luo Jun found evidence that the Great Shaman had been poisoned during a kiss with A Li, but he still could not explain why the dice and curse did not identify her as the murderer. He entered A Li’s room disguised as the Great Shaman to question her, only for her to awaken and seize his wrist.

• Luo Jun found a faint red mark on Liu Si’s handkerchief and traced it to lipstick on the Great Shaman’s lips, leading him to suspect A Li had poisoned him with a kiss.
• Luo Jun reasoned that A Li may have summoned a fake killer after poisoning the Great Shaman, but unresolved clues kept him from completing the investigation.
• Luo Jun put the Great Shaman’s appearance onto his Imposter Mask and used the Tomb King and a pendant to lure the guard away from A Li’s courtyard.
• Luo Jun entered A Li’s room, set up a soundproofing device, and approached her bed in the Great Shaman’s guise.
• A Li opened her eyes and grabbed Luo Jun’s wrist as he reached to wake her.

Luo Jun confronted the bride in her room and traded questions with her under a game whose answers depended on her willingness to tell the truth. He left with confirmation that the Man in Black was not a real person, while the bride's next question was about his zodiac sign.

• The bride recognized Luo Jun despite his disguise and explained that she could identify people by traits that imitation could not replace.
• The bride asked how Luo Jun discovered the Great Shaman had been poisoned, and he said Fifth Elder found it while he noticed something unusual about the Great Shaman's hair.
• Luo Jun asked who murdered the Great Shaman, and the bride answered that it was the person who wanted him dead.
• The bride asked whether Luo Jun had figured out how the Great Shaman was poisoned, and Luo Jun concealed his suspicion about the Great Shaman's lips by pretending to think the banquet was responsible.
• Luo Jun asked whether the Man in Black was a real person, and the bride said he was, convincing Luo Jun that the figure was not real.
• The bride asked Luo Jun what his zodiac sign was.

Luo Jun discovered that the Bride was a Polluter from the Main World who had become aligned with the [Martial World]. She offered to help him uncover the truth behind the Great Shaman’s assassination, and he ended by asking why she stayed after the Great Shaman died.

• The Bride recognized Luo Jun as an intern from Ningdong Academy and revealed that she had not returned to the Main World in six or seven years.
• Luo Jun realized the Bride was a Polluter, and she explained that Polluters had changed sides and depended on the worlds that transformed them.
• The Bride said she did not want the Great Shaman’s death to harm innocent people and offered to tell Luo Jun the truth if he performed well.
• Luo Jun answered that his zodiac sign was Taurus, and the Bride said she was Scorpio.
• Luo Jun saved his final Dice of Heavenly Secrets roll and asked why the Bride had stayed after the Great Shaman died.

Luo Jun confronted the bride about the Great Shaman’s murder and uncovered that she had stayed behind to help the real A Li. He signed a time-limited contract with her, then left after learning the hour of Wei marked when A Li’s beloved’s soul would depart the mortal world.

• Luo Jun deduced that the bride was a Polluter impersonating A Li and had stayed behind to buy time for the real A Li to escape.
• The bride refused to confirm whether she had killed Wujida and asked Luo Jun to keep her identity and his deductions secret until the hour of Wei.
• The bride offered Luo Jun a Limited-Time Contract, and they agreed not to reveal information about A Li or the murder case and not to leave the Council Hall until the hour of Wei.
• The contract activated with a punishment that would seal both parties’ Vital Energy for one year if either violated it.
• The bride explained that the hour of Wei marked when A Li’s beloved’s soul would leave the mortal world, and Luo Jun left the room and vanished into the night.

Luo Jun questioned the prison suspects and completed the task of restoring the truth about the Great Shaman’s murder. After strengthening his abilities, he told Lord Lu that he had solved the case, though the culprit’s identity was not yet revealed.

• Luo Jun found that the Fate Dice could not identify the culprit from smaller groups of suspects, leading him to suspect the judgments were not truly contradictory.
• Luo Jun asked Tie Jingang to take him to the Governor’s Residence prison so he could question the suspects again.
• Luo Jun spoke with Old Man Wang about the night of the murder, his feelings toward Wujida, and how he felt after learning of Wujida’s death.
• Luo Jun questioned the remaining suspects, and their answers clarified his theory until the task was completed and he received 640 chips and an upgrade.
• Luo Jun drew the Refresh skill, gained attribute points, and then told the Warden to notify Lord Lu that the case had been solved.

Luo Jun exposed the Great Shaman’s bride as an impostor who had poisoned and murdered him, then watched her escape after she revealed her formidable power. The Fifth Elder ordered the Southern Borderlands Warriors to pursue her, while Luo Jun and his allies were left to face the mystery of her identity and her promised return.

• Luo Jun presented evidence that the bride had kissed the Great Shaman, poisoned him with Luo Yue Poison, and lied about where he had fallen.
• The bride attacked when the Fifth Elder ordered her to be given the Heartbreak Gu, and Luo Jun revealed that the real bride, Miss A Li, had been killed and replaced.
• The bride sent the Southern Borderlands Warriors flying, overpowered the Fifth Elder, and charged at Luo Jun as Tie Jingang protected him.
• Ling Xin fired golden blades at the bride, cutting apart her sleeve and forcing her to dodge.
• The bride tore off her Human Skin Mask, transformed into red mist, and vanished after promising Luo Jun they would meet again.
• The Fifth Elder ordered the Southern Borderlands Warriors to chase the escaped demoness.

After Luo Jun helped solve the Yunzhou City murder case, the Hundred Rivers Sect released the suspects and prepared to investigate the Polluter who had committed the crime. Hou Song rewarded Luo Jun with an Epic Qi Breaking Cone, and the group celebrated before setting out for Medicine King Valley the next morning; someone then knocked on Luo Jun’s door.

• Lord Lu released the detained suspects and promised rewards for the Hundred Rivers Sect after the case was solved.
• Tie Jingang warned that the murderer might target the sect, and Ling Xin revealed that the woman was a Polluter.
• Hou Song gave Luo Jun a Substitute Straw Man, an Invisibility Talisman, and an Epic Qi Breaking Cone as thanks for his help.
• Luo Jun realized the Qi Breaking Cone suited his Body Refinement Realm because it suppressed Vital Energy without weakening abilities he did not yet possess.
• The Hundred Rivers Sect held a celebratory dinner, where Luo Jun received praise for uncovering the clues in the murder case.
• Luo Jun returned to his room to rest before the journey to Medicine King Valley, and a sudden knock sounded at his door.

Luo Jun pieced together how the Polluter bride used the victims’ shared resentment to kill Great Shaman Wujida and help them escape their hatred. Ling Xin warned him not to get involved with Polluters, while Luo Jun kept his suspicions and sympathy to himself.

• Ling Xin visited Luo Jun and questioned whether he had met the murderer before, then warned him against involvement with Polluters.
• Luo Jun realized the Dice of Heavenly Secrets had identified every person who hated Wujida as a true culprit because their collective resentment had killed him in their dreams.
• Luo Jun concluded that the Polluter had stopped A Li from killing Wujida herself, then summoned the victims’ resentment to wield the dagger and kill him.
• Luo Jun inferred that the victims’ fading hatred came from finding release through the dream killing, and reconsidered the Polluter as someone whose actions might come from compassion.
• Luo Jun decided not to tell the Association what he had deduced about the Polluter.

Luo Jun joined the Hundred Rivers Sect party as they hauled their carts to Medicine King Valley for the Valley Master’s birthday celebration. After reaching Ten Thousand Medicines Market Town, they met Medicine King Valley disciple Ming Qing, who hinted that the gathering would include a major announcement.

• Luo Jun woke late, ate the breakfast Xu Yiming had saved for him, and joined the party preparing to depart.
• Tie Jingang assigned the forty-five students to five cart-pulling groups and urged them to reach Medicine King Valley before the deadline.
• The party traveled for four days and arrived at Ten Thousand Medicines Market Town, where Li Xinyu explained the history and organization of Medicine King Valley.
• Song Qian and Li Xinyu greeted Ming Qing, who arranged lodging for the Hundred Rivers Sect party.
• Ming Qing explained that the platform being built in the town square was an arena and revealed that Medicine King Valley had another major announcement to make.

Ming Qing told the Hundred Rivers Sect group about the Spirit Gathering Gu and the upcoming Spirit Gu Assembly, where the top three competitors would win rare Gu that greatly accelerated cultivation. After settling into their lodgings, the group discussed the Gu’s uncertain safety, and Tie Jingang led a delegation into Medicine King Valley to deliver gifts and meet the Valley Master.

• Ming Qing explained that Medicine King Valley had developed Spirit Gathering Gu in three grades and would hold an assembly during the Valley Master’s birthday celebration, awarding First Grade Gu to the top three.
• Ming Qing arranged rooms for the Hundred Rivers Sect and agreed to find horses to carry their birthday gifts into the valley.
• Tie Jingang warned the students that the Gu’s safety was uncertain and advised them to treat the assembly as experience rather than pursue its prizes.
• Luo Jun considered whether he would accept a Gu implantation if he won, then decided to wait for his master’s return and a later batch.
• Ming Qing introduced Hu Xin as the group’s guide, and Tie Jingang took Li Xinyu, Qian Dong, and Ling Xin into Medicine King Valley to meet the Valley Master.

Tie Jingang brought Ling Xin to Medicine King Valley to seek treatment for her mysterious Evil Toxin, and Sun Yichen recognized it as resembling a condition he had treated decades earlier. The Gu Master Elder agreed to use a Spirit Gathering Gu to speed the toxin purge, saying Ling Xin could recover within three days.

• Lu Fei told Zhao Jian and Xu Yiming that Ling Xin's strength might surpass Tie Jingang's, and Luo Jun suspected her lingering contamination was limiting her power.
• Sun Yichen examined Ling Xin and recognized her condition as similar to that of a young man Yuan Shouzhen had brought to him decades earlier.
• Sun Yichen led Tie Jingang and Ling Xin to the Gu Master Elder's secluded courtyard, where they learned that her disciple Qing Lian was a gifted Gu practitioner.
• A failed Spirit Gathering Gu experiment filled the Elixir Room with smoke, and the Gu Master Elder emerged with Qing Lian's help.
• The Gu Master Elder offered Ling Xin a first-grade Spirit Gathering Gu, which she said would help clear the toxin within three days, and promised to remove the Gu afterward.

Tie Jingang returned from Medicine King Valley and tested Luo Jun, who proved skilled enough to earn permission to enter the Spirit Gu Assembly. Over a late-night meal, Luo Jun asked about cultivation-enhancing Treasure Tools, and Tie Jingang hinted at illegal markets while warning him away from the West Suburbs of Ningdong.

• Tie Jingang returned to Ten Thousand Medicines Market Town with Li Xinyu and Deng Qian after the Valley Master promised to gather elders to detoxify Ling Xin within three days.
• Tie Jingang found Luo Jun training in the courtyard and challenged him to prove he deserved to participate in the Spirit Gu Assembly.
• Luo Jun outmaneuvered Tie Jingang and forced him to brace outside a marked circle, winning their bet and earning permission to compete.
• Tie Jingang promised to mark Luo Jun's internship as excellent if he won a match, and Luo Jun asked to replace his Treasure Tool reward with one that could speed up cultivation.
• Tie Jingang explained that Marrow Cleansing Pills and similar Treasure Tools were rarely available through the official Exchange Platform, then hinted that illicit channels existed while warning Luo Jun not to visit the West Suburbs of Ningdong.

Medicine King Valley revealed the Spirit Gathering Gu and held a martial arts contest whose top three contestants would win one. Despite his low cultivation, Luo Jun entered the contest and began his match by shaking hands with his opponent before filling the arena with purple smoke.

• Lin Xiaomo announced that the Spirit Gathering Gu could accelerate cultivation and restore sealed vital energy, and explained that the contest’s top three would receive one.
• Lu Fei hesitated to enter the contest while Luo Jun insisted that the Body Refinement Realm could prove formidable.
• Tie Jingang allowed Luo Jun to compete, confident that he had tricks to surprise the crowd.
• Lin Xiaomo introduced Luo Jun as a Hundred Rivers Sect contestant, and he faced a Medicine King Valley disciple in the opening match.
• Luo Jun shook his opponent’s hand, let him probe his meridians, then released a smoke bomb that engulfed the arena.

Luo Jun used smoke, feints, and a kick to defeat the Medicine King Valley Ring Leader, then explained that he planned to build a reputation as a resourceful fighter who relied on tools. As his classmates admired his victory, Lei Tianyang stepped up to challenge, setting up a contest between the two standout first-years.

• Luo Jun disoriented the Medicine King Valley Ring Leader with purple smoke and maneuvered him to the arena’s edge, where a kick sent him tumbling off.
• Lin Xiaomo declared Luo Jun the winner, and the Ring Leader concealed the humiliating details by praising Luo Jun’s strength.
• Luo Jun reflected that he wanted his classmates to recognize his combat ability before his true strength was revealed, and he aimed to be known for clever tactics and tools.
• Luo Jun showed the Hundred Rivers Sect students the many Treasure Tools stored in his expanded Hundred Treasure Box, and they praised his victory.
• Lei Tianyang registered for a challenge, and Zhao Jian and Xu Yiming told Luo Jun that his rising reputation had drawn Lei Tianyang’s attention.