Chapter Summaries

Zhang Rongfang sparred with Zhao Dacong, who judged his Yue Type Talisman technique unusually refined, then taught him to condition his hands by striking Iron Wood Piles. Alone afterward, Zhang tested his Heavy Mountain Secret Skill and discovered it could hit harder than Zhao Dacong’s full-strength strike, though it injured him and quickly exhausted him.

• Zhang Rongfang and Zhao Dacong exchanged more than thirty Yue Type Talisman moves, and Zhao praised his skill and explained how martial arts grades, vital points, and Hard Qi Skills affected combat.
• Zhao Dacong led Zhang Rongfang to Iron Wood Piles and taught him to harden his fists and practice striking with real force.
• Zhang Rongfang trained with Zhao Dacong until nearly noon, then continued practicing alone after she left.
• Zhang Rongfang used Heavy Mountain against an Iron Wood Pile and found that the Secret Skill left his fist injured and made him tired after one strike.
• Zhang Rongfang compared the mark from Heavy Mountain with Zhao Dacong’s dent and confirmed the skill could unleash greater killing power than her full-strength blow, while his ordinary punch remained much weaker.

Huang Jude’s band of rebels prepared to ambush Xiao Rong’s group while Chen Wuyou lured Xiao Qingying out of Qinghe Temple with a secret message. Zhang Rongfang stopped an attacker from abducting her and carried her back, leaving Xiao Qingying unaware of Chen Wuyou’s plan.

• Huang Jude and Sima Guangtu marked a location near Qinghe Temple and planned to return at night to attack Xiao Rong’s group.
• Xiao Qingying received a note in Chen Wuyou’s handwriting asking her to meet him at Ascension Bridge, and she trusted him enough to sneak out during the storm.
• Chen Wuyou waited near the Mountain Gate while Xiao Qingying approached, but a shadow struck her and carried her away before he could intervene.
• Zhang Rongfang found Xiao Qingying unconscious in the rain and brought her around before carrying her back toward the Dao Palace.
• Xiao Qingying asked what had happened, and Zhang Rongfang claimed he had found her after she fell, then asked whether she had seen who struck her.

After Jiao Teng accused Zhang Rongfang of abducting Xiao Qingying, her silence left Zhang unable to clear his name. Xiao Rong dismissed Zhang from his position and ordered him to leave, while Jiao Teng was assigned to watch over Xiao Qingying.

• Zhang Rongfang rescued Xiao Qingying from a suspected attacker on the mountain path, but Jiao Teng arrived and attacked him before Zhao Dacong intervened.
• At Xiao Rong's pavilion, Jiao Teng accused Zhang Rongfang of trying to abduct Xiao Qingying, while Zhang explained that he had followed her after she sneaked out.
• Xiao Qingying stayed silent rather than reveal that she had planned to go down the mountain, leaving Zhang unable to defend himself.
• Xiao Rong ordered Zhang Rongfang to stop staying by Xiao Qingying's side and then dismissed him from his position.
• Zhao Dacong protested Zhang's dismissal, but Xiao Rong assigned Jiao Teng to watch over Xiao Qingying and sent everyone away.

After Xiao Rong expelled Zhang Rongfang from Qinghe Temple, Zhang Xintai stopped him from leaving and brought him to Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan accepted Zhang Rongfang as his disciple, keeping him at the temple under the protection of a renowned Fifth Grade Master.

• Zhang Rongfang packed his belongings and headed for the Mountain Gate after Xiao Rong expelled him from the sect.
• Zhang Xintai stopped Zhang Rongfang, heard how Xiao Rong had driven him out, and warned that leaving would stain his Daoist Registry and make it difficult to return.
• Zhang Xintai brought Zhang Rongfang to his Master, Zhang Xuan, and urged him to take Zhang Rongfang in so they could prove Xiao Rong had misjudged him.
• Zhang Xuan decided to accept Zhang Rongfang as his disciple, and Zhang Rongfang reluctantly kowtowed to him.
• Zhang Xintai revealed that Zhang Xuan had been a Fifth Grade Master in his youth, astonishing Zhang Rongfang.

Zhang Rongfang moved under Zhang Xuan’s instruction, proved he had reached Tendon Forging, and began learning the Vitality Talisman’s movement techniques. Meanwhile, Xiao Qingying met Chen Wuyou in the Back Mountain, where Jiao Teng betrayed her and knocked her unconscious.

• Zhang Xintai moved Zhang Rongfang to a new room and brought him to Zhang Xuan for training the next morning.
• Zhang Rongfang demonstrated the completed Yue Type Talisman, and Zhang Xuan confirmed he had reached Tendon Forging after about a year of practice.
• Zhang Xuan explained the Great Dao Sect’s seven martial talisman arts and demonstrated the Vitality Talisman’s Bewildering Smoke Step for Zhang Rongfang.
• Zhang Xuan trained Zhang Rongfang in the Vitality Talisman over the morning, correcting his movements as he practiced.
• Xiao Qingying went to the Back Mountain with Jiao Teng to meet Chen Wuyou, but Jiao Teng struck her neck and she collapsed.
• Jiao Teng turned to Chen Wuyou and asked whether he had brought everything, while Chen Wuyou angrily told him not to mention him.

Chen Wuyou and Jiao Teng arranged to smuggle the drugged Xiao Qingying off the mountain in a crate, while Zhang Rongfang sensed her scent and briefly suspected she was inside. He let the crate pass after Qi Shan warned him not to interfere, leaving Xiao Qingying convinced that her past betrayal of Zhang Rongfang had cost her her last chance of rescue.

• Chen Wuyou ordered two Daoists to hide the drugged Xiao Qingying in a transport crate and carry her down the mountain, while Qi Shan followed to guard the plan.
• Xiao Qingying realized Chen Wuyou had betrayed her and feared that Zhang Rongfang and her attendant had been driven away so no one could help her.
• Zhang Rongfang recognized Xiao Qingying's scented powder as the crate passed, but dismissed his suspicion until he noticed Qi Shan watching it.
• When Zhang Rongfang called for the carriers to wait, Qi Shan warned him not to interfere, and Zhang Rongfang chose to walk away with Zhang Xintai.
• Qi Shan allowed the crate to continue toward the Mountain Gate, while Xiao Qingying's brief hope faded into despair and regret.

Zhang Rongfang examined what his Life Attribute affected, then decided to broaden his physical abilities by studying other martial arts. He learned Dragon Snake Movement Technique and used his available attribute to raise it from Beginner to Mastered.

• Zhang Rongfang reasoned that Life likely affected longevity, while martial arts training accounted for his gains in strength and stamina.
• Zhang Rongfang asked Zhang Xintai for manuals, and Zhang Xintai lent him Taichang Eagle Claw Skill and Dragon Snake Movement Technique.
• Zhang Rongfang read both manuals and chose Dragon Snake Movement Technique because its footwork and Mind Method were easy to learn.
• Zhang Rongfang memorized the technique’s sixty-four foundational steps and successfully completed them, adding Dragon Snake Movement Technique (Beginner) to his skills.
• Zhang Rongfang spent his available attribute to raise Dragon Snake Movement Technique from Beginner to Mastered.

Zhang Rongfang improved his Dragon Snake Movement Technique while Xiao Rong’s group went to rescue Xiao Qingying, who had been abducted. After Zhao Dacong secretly warned Zhang Rongfang to beware of Chen Wuyou and his son, he realized she had gone down the mountain and hurried to find out what had happened; at the agreed meeting place, Xiao Rong was suddenly struck from behind.

• Zhang Rongfang used his Attribute Points to master the Dragon Snake Movement Technique, gaining stronger legs and faster, quieter footwork.
• Xiao Rong ordered Jiao Teng and Zhao Dacong to accompany him down the mountain to rescue Xiao Qingying, while Hong Da stayed behind to inform the Supervisor.
• Zhang Rongfang found a note in Zhao Dacong’s handwriting warning him to beware of Chen Wuyou and his son, then learned that she had gone down the mountain with Xiao Rong’s group.
• Zhang Rongfang hurried to find Hong Da after realizing Zhao Dacong’s note and sudden departure suggested trouble.
• Xiao Rong and his disciples met masked men at a pool, where they saw the captive Xiao Qingying; as Xiao Rong stepped forward, someone struck him in the back and made him vomit blood.

Xiao Rong’s group was ambushed by Chen Wuyou and the mountain bandits, and Xiao Rong realized he had trusted Jiao Teng and driven Zhang Rongfang away. As Zhao Dacong fled for help, Zhang Rongfang reached her in time to kill the bandit about to strike her down.

• Chen Wuyou revealed himself and joined Jiao Teng and the mountain bandits in attacking Xiao Rong’s group.
• Xiao Rong realized Jiao Teng had deceived him and that Zhang Rongfang had not been part of the scheme, then launched a desperate assault to help Zhao Dacong escape.
• Zhao Dacong fought through the bandits while Zhang Xintai led Qinghe Temple martial cultivators down the mountain and Zhang Rongfang secretly followed.
• Sima Guangtu shot Zhao Dacong in the shoulder, knocking her down as a bandit raised his saber to kill her.
• Zhang Rongfang sprang from the grass and killed the bandit with a swift sneak attack.

Zhang Rongfang rescued the gravely wounded Zhao Dacong as the mountain bandits withdrew, while Supervisor Tang Sha’s forces crushed the scheme of Chen Wuyou and his allies. After Huang Jude, Chen Wuyou, and Jiao Teng escaped the battle and crossed Zhang Rongfang’s path, Zhang killed Chen Wuyou and Jiao Teng.

• Zhang Rongfang pulled Zhao Dacong to safety with a snare, drove off Sima Guangtu’s bandits, and hurried her toward Qinghe Temple.
• Supervisor Tang Sha and the officers surrounded the mountain bandits and Chen Wuyou’s forces, revealing that Daoist Qi Shan had informed Tang Sha about the plot.
• Xiao Qingying realized that Tang Sha had used her and Xiao Rong as pawns, while Huang Jude, Chen Wuyou, and Jiao Teng escaped the encirclement.
• Zhang Rongfang hid Zhao Dacong when the three fugitives approached, then emerged and let Jiao Teng and Chen Wuyou pass him.
• Chen Wuyou attacked Zhang Rongfang from behind, but Zhang killed him with a palm strike and a punch to the head.
• Jiao Teng turned to fight Zhang Rongfang, but Zhang evaded his attack and broke his neck with a powerful blow.

After Chen Wuyou and Jiao Teng died and Xiao Rong’s betrayal came to light, Tang Sha took control of Qinghe Temple while Zhang Rongfang saved Zhao Dacong. The temple slowly recovered over the winter, and in the new year Zhang Rongfang continued training with Zhang Xintai while weighing the limits of his strength.

• Chen Zhihan found Chen Wuyou and Jiao Teng dead, realized Tang Sha had defeated his faction, and carried the bodies toward the county, hoping to seek help from his wife.
• Zhang Rongfang brought the badly wounded Zhao Dacong to the Elixir Room, where a Daoist priest later told him she was out of immediate danger.
• Zhang Xintai told Zhang Rongfang that Xiao Rong was dead, Xiao Qingying had been kidnapped, and Chen Wuyou and Jiao Teng were implicated in the events.
• Tang Sha purged Chen family loyalists from Qinghe Temple and reorganized its patrols and disciples as the temple began a slow recovery.
• In the new year, Zhang Rongfang sparred with Zhang Xintai, improved his Vitality Talisman, and acknowledged that he had not yet found the breakthrough for his Yue Type Talisman.

Zhang Rongfang wondered about his future while Zhang Xintai shared his plans to marry, and the Rice Gang plotted to ambush Zhang Xuan at the wedding. In Red Mountain Forest, Zhang Rongfang finally gained the Vitality Talisman skill and hurried back to Qinghe Temple to improve it.

• Zhang Xintai told Zhang Rongfang he planned to marry Yang Hongyan and explained that reaching Third Grade in martial arts could earn him a post with the Imperial Court.
• Shao Quanhu gathered Rice Gang allies and blamed Zhang Xuan for her son's death, ordering them to turn Zhang Xintai's wedding into a funeral for Zhang Xuan.
• Lao Ding agreed to help Shao Quanhu, while the White-Haired Old Woman offered a squad of Iron Slaves to support the attack.
• Zhang Rongfang completed the practice that unlocked the Vitality Talisman as a beginner skill, with four Attribute Points still unused.
• Zhang Rongfang hurried back to Qinghe Temple, eager to raise the Vitality Talisman to its maximum level.

Zhang Rongfang used his remaining Attribute Points to perfect Vitality Talisman and break through its limit, greatly increasing his Life and strength. He discovered that the breakthrough improved his Heavy Mountain technique, leaving him ready for a Second Grade assessment but worried about explaining his rapid progress.

• Zhang Rongfang spent one Attribute Point to raise Vitality Talisman to Mastered, enduring a painful transformation that increased his Life to 16-16.
• Zhang Rongfang spent another point to perfect Vitality Talisman, gaining strength and raising his Life to 20-22.
• Zhang Rongfang used his final two points to break Vitality Talisman’s limit, and his body grew denser as his Life rose to 24-25.
• Zhang Rongfang found that he could use Heavy Mountain five times before tiring and concluded that Vitality Talisman’s limit break had improved the technique.
• Zhang Rongfang realized he was ready for a Second Grade assessment, but worried that others would question how quickly he had advanced.

Zhang Rongfang left Qinghe Temple for his yearlong assignment in Huaxin County, settled into the local temple, and delivered Zhang Xintai’s letter to Yang Hongyan. On his way back, men with clubs surrounded him, leaving him facing an ambush.

• Xu Zhongchun assigned Zhang Rongfang to Huaxin County and gave him provisions and travel documents for the three disciples accompanying him.
• Zhang Rongfang and his companions left Qinghe Temple, reached the county, and took over Qinghe Temple from the departing Daoists.
• A clothing-store assistant overheard Zhang Rongfang asking for Qinghe Temple and sent a girl to report their arrival to the Rice Gang.
• Zhang Rongfang delivered Zhang Xintai’s letter to Yang Hongyan and headed back toward the temple before sunset.
• Several club-wielding men appeared ahead of Zhang Rongfang while more men blocked the road behind him.

Zhang Rongfang refused Chen He’s attempt to take him away, then returned to Qinghe Temple and suspected the Rice Gang’s men had targeted him because he had visited his sister-in-law. That night, he set out to investigate the area around her house again.

• Chen He and his men surrounded Zhang Rongfang, but Chen He eventually called them off and let him leave.
• Zhang Rongfang bought clothes and returned to Qinghe Temple, where he washed, changed, and rested after his practice.
• Zhang Rongfang wondered whether his sister-in-law was in trouble and considered how to avoid attracting attention from night patrols.
• Zhang Rongfang tied up his hair, took his bundle, and left Qinghe Temple to investigate near his sister-in-law’s house.

Zhang Rongfang investigated the men watching Yang Hongyan’s home and fought several Rice Gang fighters before clashing with the much stronger Chen He. He escaped and returned to the Daoist temple, resolving to grow stronger and ask his senior brother about the gang’s presence near Yang Hongyan’s home.

• Zhang Rongfang disguised himself and went to Yang Hongyan’s home, where he found men keeping watch nearby.
• Zhang Rongfang defeated three ordinary men and then overwhelmed two First Grade Rice Gang experts in the alley.
• Chen He confronted Zhang Rongfang and outmatched him in a fast exchange of blows, injuring his hands.
• Zhang Rongfang used Heavy Mountain to create an opening, threw a piece of black cloth at Chen He, and escaped through the alleyways.
• Zhang Rongfang returned to the Daoist temple, recognized how outmatched he was, and decided to raise his Attribute Points and ask his senior brother about the Rice Gang.

After warning Zhang Xintai about the Rice Gang, Zhang Rongfang searched Zhang Xuan’s manuals and chose several martial arts to study. The Rice Gang leader Shao Quanhu then revealed that Chen Zhihan planned to target Zhang Xuan’s family on the First Day of the Month, while Zhang Rongfang and Zhang Xintai remained unaware of the threat.

• Zhang Rongfang returned to Qinghe Temple and told Zhang Xintai about his encounter with Chen He and the suspected danger to Yang Hongyan.
• Zhang Rongfang asked about movement and weapon techniques, and Zhang Xuan sent him to inspect his collection of martial arts manuals.
• Zhang Rongfang selected Eight Steps Catching Cicadas, Wheel of Wishes Art, and Wooden Armor Art from the library.
• Zhang Xintai investigated near Yang Hongyan’s home and at the County Office but found no sign of the Rice Gang, then returned to prepare for his betrothal.
• Shao Quanhu told Chen Zhihan that Zhang Xuan and his son were the Qinghe Temple members who required attention, and Chen Zhihan planned to kill Zhang Xuan’s child first.
• Shao Quanhu proposed drugging the targets’ food with sleeping powder so Chen Zhihan and his allies could attack Zhang Xuan without facing his full strength.

Zhang Rongfang perfected the Dragon Snake Movement Technique and tested his improved stealth by sneaking into Chen He's home. After overhearing Chen He discuss a planned attack on Zhang Xuan's group on the first day of the month, Zhang Rongfang realized the Rice Gang's actions were tied to a larger plot.

• Chen Zhihan rejected plans to drug Zhang Xuan's group and agreed with Shao Quanhu to attack them during the betrothal feast, keeping a crossbow as a last resort.
• Zhang Rongfang reviewed his suspicions about the Rice Gang and used two attribute points to perfect the Dragon Snake Movement Technique.
• Zhang Rongfang discovered that combining the Dragon Snake Movement Technique with Bewildering Smoke Step made him faster and quieter, then went to Chen He's residence to test it.
• Zhang Rongfang approached Chen He's study but left when he heard someone coming and feared a fight might endanger the household.
• Chen He told his wife that the Rice Gang would kill Zhang Xuan's group on the first day of the month and that a weapon could ambush even a highly skilled opponent within thirty paces.
• Zhang Rongfang returned to the shadows and overheard Chen He's conversation, learning that the attack was planned because Zhang Xuan's group had to pay for the loss of a son.

Zhang Rongfang warned Zhang Xuan that the Rice Gang was plotting against Qinghe Temple, but Shao Quanhu secretly planned a real attack despite publicly demanding compensation. After ten days of training, Zhang Rongfang used two Attribute Points to push the Dragon Snake Movement Technique past its limit and gained the Ground Shrinking skill.

• Zhang Rongfang overheard the Rice Gang discussing a plan against Zhang Xuan and Zhang Xintai, then escaped and returned to the Daoist temple.
• Zhang Rongfang warned Zhang Xuan that the Rice Gang suspected them of killing Chen Wuyou, and Zhang Xuan decided to investigate and alert the Supervisor and Palace Master.
• Zhang Xuan reassured Zhang Rongfang that the Rice Gang might be using the threat to demand compensation, while Zhang Rongfang visited the Dao Palace and saw Xiao Qingying mourning her father.
• Shao Quanhu told Chen Zhihan to publicly demand compensation, then attack Zhang Xuan outside the city as he returned to the mountain.
• After ten days of training, Zhang Rongfang spent two Attribute Points to break the Dragon Snake Movement Technique's limit and gained the Ground Shrinking skill.

Zhang Rongfang fused his movement techniques and learned that the Rice Gang planned to ambush Zhang Xuan, while mistakenly blaming him for Chen Wuyou’s death. After overhearing the plot, he carried out a scheme at the County Office that led soldiers to raid Chen He’s home, leaving Chen He trapped under suspicion.

• Zhang Rongfang fused the Dragon Snake Movement Technique and Bewildering Smoke Step, combining their Breaking Limit Skills into Shrinking Step Heavy Mountain.
• Zhang Rongfang refused Chen He’s invitation to drinks, while Chen He and other Rice Gang experts planned to kill Zhang Xuan after his son’s engagement banquet and blame Huang Jude’s bandits.
• Zhang Rongfang overheard the Rice Gang’s plan at Chen He’s home and realized they had mistaken his use of Heavy Mountain for Zhang Xuan’s.
• Zhang Rongfang changed clothes, broke into the County Office, and escaped with a large sack after soldiers spotted him and fired crossbows.
• Soldiers raided Chen He’s home, identified him by his robe, and demanded that the stolen goods be found inside.