Chapter Summaries

Chen Fei noticed that Medical Hall steward Sun Shu carried an unusually strong Light Spirit Pill scent, and Zhang Sinan promised him the pill recipe if the suspicion was confirmed. After refining Grass Return Pills in a new rented courtyard, Chen Fei studied the Thunderclap Sword Force manual while considering how to accelerate his cultivation.

• Chen Fei told Zhang Sinan that Sun Shu’s strong Light Spirit Pill scent suggested he might be taking the expensive pills regularly, and Zhang Sinan agreed to have Lao Qin verify it.
• Chen Fei met Chi Defeng in the Black Market, identified four portions of fake medicinal herbs, and paid only for the six genuine portions.
• Chen Fei returned to a separate rented courtyard and refined six portions of herbs into fifteen Grass Return Pills.
• Chen Fei checked his cultivation panel, noted that reaching the Bone Forging Realm could take more than a year without better pills or breathing techniques, and took out the Thunderclap Sword Force manual.

Chen Fei fused the Startling Word Incantation with his Wind Suspension Breathing Technique to create Startling Suspension Force, then resumed selling pills and cultivating. As tensions around Zhang Sinan’s plans grew, Chen Fei took time away from the medical center to explore Pingyin County and later found Chi Defeng had again supplied fake herbs.

• Chen Fei simplified the Thunderclap Sword Force into the Startling Word Incantation and fused it with his Wind Suspension Breathing Technique to create Startling Suspension Force.
• Chen Fei simplified Startling Suspension Force into the Wind Suspension Breathing Technique, allowing him to gain proficiency by practicing it.
• Chen Fei sold Grass Return Pills to a night-market stall owner and negotiated a price of eight taels per pill.
• Chen Fei saw Physician Qin visit North City Medical Center and decided to take sick leave while Zhang Sinan prepared to make her move.
• Chen Fei explored Pingyin County and enjoyed its food and entertainment before meeting Chi Defeng in the Black Market.
• Chi Defeng offered Chen Fei medicinal herbs, but Chen Fei found that forty percent of them were fake again.

Chen Fei discovered Sun Shu had escaped after killing Zhang Family guards and Physician Qin, then encountered Sun Shu outside his courtyard. Sun Shu chased him, but Chen Fei’s speed shocked him as the distance between them widened.

• Chen Fei caught Chi Defeng mixing fake herbs into his supplies, refined ten portions into thirty-one Grass Return Pills, and planned to sell them to simplify Immortal Guides the Way.
• Liu Jun told Chen Fei that Sun Shu had escaped through a hidden tunnel after killing two of the five Zhang Family guards sent to detain him.
• Chen Fei learned that Sun Shu had killed Physician Qin in the street, prompting the Zhang Family to double its reward for Sun Shu.
• After leaving the medical center that night, Chen Fei found Sun Shu waiting on his courtyard wall, where Sun Shu accused him of helping expose his crimes.
• Chen Fei fled when Sun Shu attacked, and Sun Shu was stunned when Chen Fei’s movement technique quickly left him far behind.

Chen Fei lured Sun Shu toward the Zhang Family Residence but failed to get him close enough for the guards to catch him. After reporting Sun Shu’s location for a reward, Chen Fei visited the Black Market, where a stall owner proposed trading for higher-grade pills.

• Sun Shu chased Chen Fei, but Chen Fei kept him at a distance with a staged display of exhaustion and speed.
• Sun Shu realized they were nearing the Zhang Family Residence and stopped pursuing Chen Fei.
• Chen Fei revealed his act, then reported Sun Shu to the Zhang Family and received twenty taels of Reward Silver.
• Chen Fei changed his appearance, went to the Black Market, and sold his pills to the stall owner.
• The stall owner asked Chen Fei to provide Light Spirit Pills or Ever Floating Pills, but Chen Fei said he needed the Pill Recipes first.

Chen Fei earned nearly six hundred taels selling Grass Return Pills, then simplified Immortal Guides the Way and raised it to Proficient Level overnight. At the Zhang Family Residence, Zhang Sinan refused to give him the Light Spirit Pill recipe and offered sword manuals instead, but Chen Fei secretly learned all four by reading them.

• Chen Fei shook off the people following him after selling Grass Return Pills and returned to the Pill Room with nearly six hundred taels of silver.
• Chen Fei simplified Immortal Guides the Way into Tap Finger and gained enough insight overnight to bring the sword move to Proficient Level.
• Chen Fei went to the Zhang Family Residence for the Light Spirit Pill recipe, but Zhang Sinan said the clan elders would not grant it while Sun Shu's matter remained unresolved.
• Chen Fei asked for sword techniques instead, and Zhang Sinan let him choose from four secret manuals.
• Chen Fei read all four manuals in fifteen minutes each and left with one, while his Panel recorded all four sword techniques as Not Yet Initiated.

Chen Fei improved his pill-refining skill and searched the Black Market for the Light Spirit Pill recipe, finding it at Chi Defeng's stall. He also bought a stack of Thunderclap Sword Force manuals and annotations, leaving with more work to fit into his schedule.

• Chen Fei fused the Green Mountain Sword and Gale Wind Sword into the Fierce Mountain Sword, then simplified it back into the Green Mountain Sword to improve its proficiency.
• Chen Fei promoted Liu Jun at the North City Medical Center and reached Great Perfection in the Grass Return Pill.
• Chen Fei learned that high-grade pill recipes were costly and difficult to obtain, then considered reverse engineering the Light Spirit Pill recipe.
• Chen Fei asked Chi Defeng for the Light Spirit Pill recipe and an Ever Floating Pill recipe, and Chi Defeng found both at his stall.
• Chen Fei bought Chi Defeng's Thunderclap Sword Force Annotation and more than a dozen related manuals, then returned home to weigh his many competing tasks.

Chen Fei reached Great Perfection in Immortal Guides the Way, then met Zhang Yuezhen, the new manager of North City Medical Center, who demanded that he greatly increase his pill production. He refused to commit to her quota, and Zhang Yuezhen left determined to treat him as an obstacle to her plans for the medical center.

• Chen Fei completed Immortal Guides the Way and tested its Sword Qi in his courtyard.
• Liu Jun told Chen Fei that Zhang Yuezhen had become the new manager and was summoning the medical center’s staff.
• Zhang Yuezhen announced that she wanted North City Medical Center to match or surpass Qingzheng Medical Center.
• Zhang Yuezhen demanded that Chen Fei refine thirty furnaces each of Qi Blood Pills and Healing Pills daily, but he said he could not and offered to increase his Qi Blood Pills to five furnaces.
• Zhang Yuezhen left angry, while Dan Xiang criticized Chen Fei and said she would report him to Zhang Sinan.

Chen Fei reached Great Perfection in the Startling Suspension Force as a Weird and a series of killings brought refugees into Pingyin County and spread fear through the city. He identified a mountain bandit in the Black Market, tracked him to his residence, and alerted the County Government Office by throwing a stone toward it.

• Chen Fei completed the Startling Suspension Force, which increased his daily cultivation progress.
• After a Weird killed dozens of refugees outside the city, the County Government Office let refugees settle in Pingyin County.
• Nineteen people were killed in the city, and Chen Fei suspected mountain bandits had disguised themselves as refugees.
• Chen Fei recognized one of Jian Liang's mountain bandits in the Black Market and followed him to his residence.
• Chen Fei threw a stone toward the County Government Office to draw attention to the danger.

Chen Fei’s quiet day ended when the County Government Office’s assault on the bandits failed, driving Jian Liang and two bandits into his courtyard. Chen Fei killed the two bandits and fought Jian Liang, then fled after bluffing with a sword technique, leaving Jian Liang close behind as a flash of light appeared.

• Chen Fei practiced swordsmanship and studied the Light Spirit Pill while waiting to see whether the County Government Office would investigate his warning.
• A failed raid sent fleeing bandits and pursuing Yamen Runners through Pingyin County, and three bandits vaulted into Chen Fei’s courtyard.
• Jian Liang ordered his two companions to kill Chen Fei, but Chen Fei revealed his composure and killed them with his sword.
• Jian Liang attacked Chen Fei, who wounded him with Sword Qi before being slammed into the courtyard wall.
• Chen Fei shouted the name of a sword technique to distract Jian Liang, then fled over the wall, and Jian Liang caught up as a flash of light appeared.

Chen Fei killed Jian Liang and took his cultivation method, but Ling Hanjun and the other bandits forced him to flee. He later failed to track them and returned to his courtyard, where he examined Jian Liang’s Oxhide sheet.

• Chen Fei pierced Jian Liang’s chest, killed him, and found a densely written piece of cowhide on his body.
• Ling Hanjun arrived, found Jian Liang dead, and charged Chen Fei with the other bandits, but Chen Fei escaped across the rooftops.
• Chen Fei considered helping the Yamen Runners surround the bandits but avoided them, then disguised himself and tried to follow the fleeing group.
• Chen Fei lost the bandits and returned to the courtyard, where he burned Jian Liang’s money pouch and unfolded the Oxhide sheet.

Chen Fei studied the mysterious Suppress Dragon Elephant method, dealt with the threat posed by Jian Liang’s surviving bandits, and continued refining pills and practicing swordsmanship. Just as his Light Spirit Pill experiments began to show promise, Zhang Yuezhen ordered him to go to the Zhang Family Residence.

• Chen Fei found the oxhide containing Suppress Dragon Elephant nearly indestructible, but the Panel showed that simplifying the method would cost fifty thousand taels of silver.
• Jian Liang’s head was displayed at Pingyin County’s north gate, and Ling Hanjun ordered his bandits to identify and kill Jian Liang’s slayer while sending most of his men out of the city.
• Chen Fei found that the bandits had placed a bounty on his disguised face, later rising to eight thousand taels, and he avoided a follower after leaving the Black Market.
• Chen Fei discovered that the Suppress Dragon Elephant text faded from paper, recorded it for safekeeping, and decided to keep the oxhide as a heart-protecting mirror.
• Chen Fei continued practicing swordsmanship and experimenting with Light Spirit Pills until Zhang Yuezhen interrupted his work and ordered him to go to the Zhang Family Residence.

The Zhang family offered a substantial bounty for Sun Shu after two of its direct-line members were killed, while Chen Fei stayed cautious about getting involved. In the North City slums, Zhou Shi and Zhou Li suspected a strange recluse was Sun Shu, only for Sun Shu to appear behind them and attack.

• Zhang Ting gathered the Zhang family members and announced a reward for capturing or killing Sun Shu.
• Zhang Sinan explained that Sun Shu was hiding nearby and had killed two direct-line members of the Zhang family; Zhang Yuezhen vowed she could kill him.
• The Zhang family's bounty spread through Pingyin County, offering money, work in its shops, and protection for useful information.
• Zhou Shi suspected a motionless man in the North City slums was Sun Shu and persuaded Zhou Li to report him for the reward.
• Sun Shu appeared behind Zhou Shi and Zhou Li, acknowledged that their talk concerned him, and lunged at Zhou Li, pressing both hands onto his head.

Sun Shu killed Zhou Li and Zhou Shi, then discovered Zhao Qi watching and pursued him. Ten days later, as the Rebel Army advanced and the Zhang Family hunted Sun Shu, Zhang Yuezhen led Chen Fei and the Medical Hall guards to attack the injured fugitive.

• Sun Shu killed Zhou Li and Zhou Shi after confronting them about spying on him.
• Zhao Qi witnessed the murders through a hole in the wall, and Sun Shu spotted him.
• Chen Fei failed to refine the Light Spirit Pill, gave silver to a handyman whose family had been killed, and continued his training and research.
• Over the next ten days, the Imperial Court's army retreated before the Rebel Army, the Zhang Family continued pursuing Sun Shu, and Chen Fei advanced his Fire Pattern Sword to Perfection.
• Zhang Yuezhen gathered the Medical Hall guards and Chen Fei, then followed Zhang Qiang's lead to reach the injured Sun Shu before others could arrive.

Chen Fei realized the ruined temple held a Weird while Zhang Yuezhen forced the guards to attack it. After killing Zhang Yuezhen and sending her into the temple, Chen Fei fled, unsure whether he could escape the Weird.

• Zhang Yuezhen offered the guards a share of the bounty and sent them into the ruined temple to kill the wounded Sun Shu.
• Chen Fei noticed his Bone-Attached Gangrene mark acting strangely and realized the battle sounds inside were repeating.
• Zhang Yuezhen ordered Chen Fei to enter, but he warned her something was wrong and refused.
• Zhang Yuezhen attacked Chen Fei, and he pierced her chest with a sudden sword strike.
• A scarlet gaze appeared in the temple, and Chen Fei kicked the dying Zhang Yuezhen inside before fleeing.

Chen Fei escaped a group of Weirds that included the transformed Sun Shu and reported the deaths of Zhang Yuezhen and the guards to the Zhang Family. He received permission to choose movement technique manuals as a reward and recorded three new techniques before leaving.

• Chen Fei encountered Zhang Yuezhen and the others as bloodied pursuers, then escaped toward Pingyin County using Swift Movement.
• After reaching safety, Chen Fei injured himself to make his survival seem plausible and went to the Zhang Family to report what had happened.
• Zhang Sinan brought Chen Fei to Zhang Ting, who blamed Zhang Yuezhen for the failed search and rewarded Chen Fei for bringing back the news.
• Chen Fei asked for a movement technique manual and bribed Dan Xiang for more time to study the three manuals she brought him.
• Chen Fei recorded One Leaf Crossing, Cloud Ascending Steps, and Wind Walking Three Folds on his Panel before leaving the Zhang Family.

Chen Fei cultivated with Light Spirit Pills, perfected the Fire Pattern Sword, and considered seeking refuge at the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect amid rumors of war. After asking Chi Defeng how to survive encounters with Weird, Chen Fei explained that he had worn one down and fled from another.

• Chen Fei used a Light Spirit Pill to cultivate and estimated he needed about a year to reach the Bone Forging Realm, while stronger techniques and Ever Floating Pills remained out of reach.
• Chen Fei achieved Great Perfection in the Fire Pattern Sword, which also slightly increased the power of Immortal Guides the Way.
• The Zhang Family gathered men from the yamen and headed to the forest after learning Sun Shu had become nearly like a Weird, while Chen Fei stayed out of their conflict.
• Chi Defeng warned Chen Fei that the Imperial Court's army was retreating toward Pingyin County, and Chen Fei asked whether he could reach the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect.
• Before leaving the Black Market, Chen Fei asked Chi Defeng how to survive a Weird and said he had worn one down with qi, blood, and inner strength and escaped another.

Chen Fei obtained the Heart Cleansing Art and found that cultivating it steadied his mind, while he continued improving his movement skills and refining Grass Return Pills for the Zhang Family. The Imperial Court army arrived in Pingyin County, then withdrew days later when the Rebel Army approached.

• Chi Defeng gave Chen Fei the Heart Cleansing Art, and Chen Fei simplified it into Cold Water Head Wash.
• Chen Fei continued merging Movement Techniques and cultivating the Heart Cleansing Art, which helped him feel calmer.
• The Zhang Family had Chen Fei temporarily handle the medical center manager's duties and refine Grass Return Pills.
• The Imperial Court army arrived in Pingyin County, and the county's families hosted its general and supplied the troops with provisions and recruits.
• The army withdrew from Pingyin County on its fifth day there, and news arrived that the Rebel Army was advancing toward the county.

The Rebel Army entered Pingyin County after the Imperial Court's forces fled, and Tan Zhen'an demanded money and supplies from the county’s Noble Families under threat of death. Chen Fei stayed in his courtyard and continued cultivating as the families returned home to gather the demanded tribute.

• The Imperial Court's army withdrew from Pingyin County, and Tan Zhen'an led the Rebel Army toward the undefended city.
• Rebel Army members infiltrated Pingyin County, killed several Yamen Runners, and opened the southern city gate.
• Chen Fei stayed in his courtyard rather than seek shelter with the Zhang Family, and he cultivated the Heart Cleansing Art while listening to the unrest.
• Tan Zhen'an ordered the Noble Families to provide large amounts of silver and military supplies.
• Hua Shizhong killed members of the Zhou Family and Zheng Family after they protested the demands.
• Tan Zhen'an gave the families two days to hand over the money and ten days to provide the supplies, and they returned to their clans to comply.

Chen Fei endured the Rebel Army’s growing oppression in Pingyin County while refining pills for the Zhang Family and strengthening his skills. On the eleventh day, he briefly gained a new level of sword control, performed Immortal Guides the Way three times in an instant, and then lost the sensation amid a wave of dizziness.

• Tan Zhen'an ordered Hua Shizhong to seize secret manuals from the Zhao, Li, and Zhang Families by joining forces with other Noble Families.
• Chen Fei agreed to refine Grass Return Pills for the Zhang Family, kept the leftover herbs, and asked Chi Defeng about ways to leave Pingyin County; Chi Defeng said there were no caravans and planned to wait out the Rebel Army.
• As the Rebel Army’s soldiers and local people began robbing and killing, Chen Fei cultivated harder and, on the fifth day, learned to refine Light Spirit Pills.
• On the eighth day, Chen Fei fused three Movement Technique Secret Manuals into Ascending Cloud Travel and improved his movement speed.
• On the eleventh day, Chen Fei briefly gained extraordinary control over himself and used Immortal Guides the Way three times in an instant, but dizziness struck and the sensation disappeared.

After the Zhang Family and two other Noble Families were destroyed, Chen Fei was summoned to the Zhao Family’s residence. There, he learned that Ling Hanjun was searching for the enemy who had killed his brother, unaware that Chen Fei was the man he sought.

• Chen Fei reflected on the brief combat-enhancing state triggered by his Great Perfection Heart Cleansing Art and the Three Immortals Sword it helped him use.
• Liu Jun told Chen Fei that the Zhao Family and the Rebel Army had destroyed the Zhang Family and seized its resources, while two other Noble Families had also been swallowed up.
• Zhao Xia summoned Chen Fei to the Zhao Family’s residence, where Chen Fei reassured Liu Jun and encountered Zeng Defang.
• Zhao Chengji welcomed the former medical center and rice shop workers, while Chen Fei noticed that Ling Hanjun was an honored guest of the Zhao Family.
• Ling Hanjun told Zhao Chengji he was seeking the enemy who killed his brother and suspected that the man had used a Disguise Technique.