Chapter Summaries

Xu Yi sold off unwanted treasures from Old Ancestor Shui's Sumeru Ring, then told Gao Junmo about the Four Great Families' defeat and enlisted him in a plan to seize their wealth. The two agreed to act together, and Xu Yi left the Patrol Division.

• Xu Yi gave Fang Bao unwanted weapons and equipment to sell, earning more than 330,000 gold and bringing his total fortune above 1,080,000 gold.
• Xu Yi disguised himself in Dark Robes and went to the Patrol Division, where Gao Junmo escorted him into White Tiger Hall.
• Xu Yi explained that his soul was injured during the battle at Qixia Mountain and questioned Gao Junmo about why he had not attended.
• Xu Yi told Gao Junmo that the leaders of the Four Great Families, including Old Ancestor Shui, had been wiped out.
• Xu Yi proposed taking the Four Great Families' accumulated wealth, and Gao Junmo agreed after Xu Yi suggested involving the Prefect.
• Xu Yi gave Gao Junmo a bottle of pills and left the Patrol Division.

Xu Yi coordinated the destruction of the Shui family and set the other great families up as targets for rival forces. After the Shui family fell, he reflected on avenging Qi Ming and watched the plan provoke a new rush toward the remaining families.

• Xu Yi recruited Zhao Baling and his trusted men to join the raid, supplying them with pills and weapons.
• Zuo learned that Gao Junmo and Xu Yi had helped destroy the Shui family, then ordered his men to mobilize against the remaining families.
• Xu Yi and Gao Junmo’s forces overwhelmed the Shui family in successive attacks, and Xu Yi went to search the estate for valuables.
• Xu Yi remembered Qi Ming and admitted that he had engineered the raid to avenge him and expose the Four Great Families’ weakness.
• Xu Yi’s plan drew other forces toward the Feng, Lei, and Yun families as they sought to seize the remaining spoils.

Xu Yi searched Old Ancestor Shui’s hidden cultivation chamber, but Shui Qingchen escaped with its treasures after striking him with a Heavenly Thunder Pearl. He found a red jade slip in a sealed compartment and continued searching the chamber.

• Xu Yi found a concealed passage beneath an artificial hill and used Old Ancestor Shui’s Jade Token to open it.
• Xu Yi detected three men waiting in ambush and killed them with three Cloud Burst Arrows.
• Xu Yi entered the cultivation chamber and saw Shui Qingchen shrink and store a treasure cauldron before she fled toward an underground river.
• Shui Qingchen summoned a strange fish and threw a Heavenly Thunder Pearl at Xu Yi, then escaped underwater as the blast destroyed his disguise.
• Xu Yi opened a hidden compartment with the Jade Token and took the red jade slip inside.

Xu Yi copied the First Turn of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body technique before its jade slip burned, then escaped as the Three Great High Gates raided the Shui Household. He returned to the Patrol Division and delivered one million in banknotes to Gao Junmo for the Prefect.

• Xu Yi read Old Ancestor Shui’s jade slip without first removing its restriction, then copied the First Turn of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body method onto a robe as the slip burned away.
• Xu Yi tested Jiang Nanxun’s golden jade slip with the Five Elements Flags and regretted losing the chance to preserve the full technique.
• Xu Yi hid from Gui Guanglin and the other sect disciples at the Shui Household, then escaped through the underground river and bought Little Belly Zhai’s food ingredients and recipes.
• Gao Junmo complained that Gui Guanglin’s forces had stormed the Shui Household, and Xu Yi reminded him that they had already secured a large share of its wealth.
• Xu Yi and Fang Bao finished tallying the spoils, and Xu Yi brought Gao Junmo exactly one million in banknotes for the Prefect.

Xu Yi and Gao Junmo divided the spoils from the Shui family raid, then discussed the powerful patrons behind Guang'an’s families. Gao Junmo arranged for Xu Yi to become Deputy Ten Households and serve with the Imperial Guards in the capital.

• Xu Yi divided the seized gold among Fang Bao, Gao Junmo, the Guang'an Prefect, and Zhao Baling, who received weapons, armor, pills, and 100,000 gold pieces.
• Gao Junmo explained that the Four Great Families had powerful patrons and that the Three Great High Gates would likely take control of their property.
• Xu Yi asked for a few more days off, and Gao Junmo told him he had been selected to serve among the Imperial Guards ahead of the capital’s grand competition.
• Gao Junmo said the Guang'an Prefect would promote Xu Yi to Deputy Ten Households while keeping his official affiliation with the Capital Guard Department.
• Gao Junmo and the prefect arranged Xu Yi’s appointment using Guang'an Prefecture’s only Deputy Ten Households quota for the next three years in exchange for the agreed 800,000 gold pieces.

Xu Yi received a Deputy Ten Households post and decided to go to the capital, where he hoped to find resources for his cultivation and healing. After studying the Nine Revolutions Golden Body formula, he reunited with Yuan Qinghua and Yan Zi and revealed the injuries to his face and soul.

• Gao Junmo explained the privileges of Xu Yi's new Deputy Ten Households post, and Xu Yi decided to travel to the capital.
• Xu Yi memorized the Nine Revolutions Golden Body formula, realized he had relied too much on external aids, and postponed cultivation until he could obtain the required materials.
• Yuan Qinghua and Yan Zi returned home, and Xu Yi told them that his soul and spirit were injured and his face was ruined.
• Xu Yi docked Yuan Qinghua's salary for leaving Guangwu Pavilion before completing his training, while Yan Zi took responsibility for his return.
• Xu Yi removed his bamboo hat to eat, and Yuan Qinghua dropped his chopsticks at the sight of his two-sided face.

Xu Yi prepared Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua for the journey to the capital, received an official travel pass from Gao Junmo, and slipped into Tianshan Sect to visit Xue Zihan. He reunited with Qiu Wa, who had recovered and transformed back into a little girl.

• Xu Yi told Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua to prepare for the journey, then gave them magic robes, weapons, and pills.
• Xu Yi met Gao Junmo at the Patrol Division and received a jade ring that would serve as his pass throughout Great Yue.
• Gao Junmo told Xu Yi to meet the Yellow Dragon Escort Banner on Central Avenue five days later, and the two exchanged farewells.
• Xu Yi secretly entered Tianshan Sect and found Xue Zihan training in the Purple Bamboo Forest; she told him she had researched his injuries and asked about Qiu Wa.
• Xue Zihan revealed that Qiu Wa was at Xu Yi's feet, and Qiu Wa transformed from a green foxtail flower into a little girl.

Xu Yi reunited with Qiu Wa, who had forgotten her past after being reborn and now called Xue Zihan her sister. After spending three days with her, he left her in Xue Zihan’s care with gifts and money, promising to return when his affairs were finished.

• Qiu Wa failed to recognize Xu Yi and bound him with Green Vines until Xue Zihan explained that she had no memories of her former life.
• Xu Yi gave Qiu Wa sweets and played with her for three days, accepting that forgetting might be best for her.
• Xu Yi gave Qiu Wa toys and supplies, then gave Xue Zihan a voice-transmission orb so she could call him if Qiu Wa was in danger.
• Xu Yi entrusted Xue Zihan with a hundred thousand gold to spend on Qiu Wa and gave Qiu Wa a golden ring that became her storage treasure.
• Qiu Wa begged Xu Yi to stay, but he told her he had things to do and began another game of hide-and-seek before leaving.

Xu Yi left Qiu Wa with Xue Zihan and traveled to the Ancient Post Station to search for the Precious Scripture and the monster that had killed Liao Chen. He began luring the creature through a vast marsh with a Dragon Saliva Fruit.

• Xu Yi thanked Xue Zihan for protecting Qiu Wa, asked her to use the Voice Transmission Pearl if Qiu Wa was in danger, and left; Qiu Wa cried when Xue Zihan told her he had gone.
• Fairy Yuqing explained that she had allowed Xue Zihan to protect Qiu Wa to forge goodwill with Xu Yi, then warned Xue Zihan to focus on the Main Gate's upcoming examination and avoid romantic distractions.
• Xu Yi rode a Thousand Feather Crane to the Ancient Post Station and headed south to fulfill Liao Chen's request to find the Precious Scripture.
• Xu Yi located a sprawling marsh that he suspected concealed the monster, then used a Dragon Saliva Fruit to lure it out.
• Poisonous frogs and one-horned pythons attacked Xu Yi as he flew low over the marsh, and he killed them with Finger Sword.

Xu Yi encountered a powerful Snake Demon in the marsh and identified it as a high-ranked Heavenly Demon that likely killed Liao Chen. After its tail overpowered him, Xu Yi tricked it into a contest of strength and attacked with a green staff.

• Xu Yi killed more than a hundred marsh monsters before a hidden creature struck and destroyed the Thousand Feather Crane.
• Xu Yi evaded the creature’s tail and soul-shaking cry, then fled to shore and fought back with the Tide Listening Sword.
• Xu Yi recognized the creature as a Snake Demon and suspected it had killed Liao Chen.
• The Snake Demon struck Xu Yi through his magic robe and sent him crashing through a pine tree.
• Xu Yi challenged the Snake Demon to a contest of pulling strength, and the Snake Demon coiled its tail around him.
• As the Snake Demon began to drag him in, Xu Yi produced a green staff and thrust it into the creature’s body.

Xu Yi killed Snake Demon and discovered a bead that he believed was the Precious Scripture, then returned to Guang'an and prepared to leave for the capital. The chapter ended with Xu Yi waiting for Gao Junmo, who failed to appear for their agreed meeting.

• Xu Yi killed Snake Demon by thrusting the Wailing Stick into his mouth, then stored the demon corpse and recovered a black bead from it.
• Xu Yi discovered that sunlight revealed the character "Zen" on the bead and suspected it was the Precious Scripture associated with Liao Chen and Tianchan Temple.
• Xu Yi returned to Guang'an and said farewell to Elder Song, Steward Xie, Fang Bao, and Zhao Baling, who each offered assistance or expressed reluctance at his departure.
• Xu Yi returned home to Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua, then led them to Central Avenue before dawn the next day.
• Xu Yi waited for Gao Junmo at their agreed fifth-watch meeting, but Gao Junmo did not show up.

Xu Yi joined Master Zuo’s party for the journey to the capital and defied Master Zuo and Li Zhongshu when they tried to put him in his place. At their first camp, Xu Yi anticipated trouble while Master Zuo and Li Zhongshu secretly arranged to kill him.

• Xu Yi yanked Li Zhongshu from his horse after Li Zhongshu accused him of arriving late, then took the saddle and challenged Master Zuo’s authority.
• Xu Yi ordered two riders to give their horses to Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua, and Master Zuo allowed them to dismount.
• The party rode more than a thousand li and camped in a mountain valley, where Master Zuo’s men served him as attendants.
• Xu Yi rested beneath an ancient pine and told Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua to wait because a good show might soon begin.
• Master Zuo asked Li Zhongshu whether the plan against Xu Yi had been arranged carefully, and Li Zhongshu assured him their men would handle it without leaving traces.

Xu Yi waited for the night ambush arranged by Master Zuo and Li Zhongshu, then killed the attackers and confronted the conspirators. He struck down Master Zuo, Li Zhongshu, and their guards, leaving Li Zhongshu alive but helpless on the ground.

• Master Zuo learned that Xu Yi had seized his roasted game and agreed with Li Zhongshu to wait for their planned attack.
• Xu Yi shared the food with Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua, then told them to remain beneath the tree while he waited through the night.
• When Dulong Village's raiders attacked, Xu Yi used Finger Sword to kill them while Master Zuo's soldiers stayed motionless.
• Xu Yi confronted Master Zuo and Li Zhongshu, accusing Li Zhongshu of tracking him and arranging the ambush.
• Xu Yi crushed Master Zuo's head with his staff, struck Li Zhongshu down, and killed the armored guards with Finger Sword.

Xu Yi killed Li Zhongshu after learning that Master Zuo had arranged the attack, then used an Imprint Pearl to document the evidence and reported the matter to Gao Junmo. After reaching Luzhou Prefecture, Xu Yi decided to take Yuan Qinghua and Yan Zi through a Space Gate to the capital, despite the steep cost.

• Xu Yi forced Li Zhongshu to reveal Master Zuo's schemes, then killed him with the Wailing Stick.
• Yan Zi defended Xu Yi's actions, while Yuan Qinghua worried about the Prefect's gift and the consequences of killing Master Zuo.
• Xu Yi showed Yuan Qinghua the Imprint Pearl recording and collected the spoils before the group buried the bodies and rode to Luzhou Prefecture.
• Xu Yi contacted Gao Junmo through a transmission station, and Gao Junmo confirmed that the Prefect had been informed and the gift still had to reach Marquis Wu Cheng.
• The next day, Xu Yi woke late, then took Yuan Qinghua and Yan Zi to a golden tower and paid to travel to the capital through a Space Gate.

Xu Yi, Yan Zi, and Yuan Qinghua traveled through a spatial gate to the outskirts of Great Yue’s capital. Xu Yi used his official credentials to board a free flying boat, which revealed the vast capital as it approached.

• Xu Yi bought three dark iron plates and led Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua through the spatial gate, arriving more than fourteen thousand li away in half an hour.
• At the destination, Yan Zi explained the transport services and entry requirements for the capital, and Xu Yi chose a flying boat.
• A guide verified Xu Yi’s official jade ring and let him bring Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua aboard without charge.
• The flying boat rose, revealing the capital’s enormous walls and buildings, and its guide described the city’s history, size, and population.

Xu Yi arrived in the capital with Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua, registered them, and explored the city by rail train. He decided to start a business and postponed reporting for his Imperial Guard assignment, while Yuan Qinghua suggested visiting Marquis Wu Cheng’s residence.

• Xu Yi and the others reached the capital, where officials checked his token and issued Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua residence plaques.
• Xu Yi, Yan Zi, and Yuan Qinghua rode a rail train through the capital, and Yuan Qinghua described the city’s extensive railway system.
• Xu Yi realized Yuan Qinghua’s knack for business could help them earn money in the expensive capital.
• Xu Yi visited the Guard Department office but left without registering because he had more than ten days before he had to report.
• Yuan Qinghua suggested that Xu Yi visit Marquis Wu Cheng’s residence, where he still served as steward.

Xu Yi rented the finest cultivation cave on Futuo Mountain in the divine capital, eager to use its pure earthfire for forging artifacts. He arrived at the renowned mountain residence after paying fifteen thousand gold in annual rent.

• Xu Yi decided to rent a mansion and went with Yuan Qinghua to a housing agency.
• Xu Yi intimidated a rude agent, then learned from the round-faced fat man about Futuo Mountain’s cultivation cave abodes.
• Xu Yi qualified to rent a cave abode as an official and chose the vacant one with the purest earthfire despite its high rent.
• Xu Yi paid fifteen thousand gold for a year’s rent, and the round-faced fat man quickly completed the paperwork.
• The round-faced fat man escorted Xu Yi and his companions by airship to Futuo Mountain, a former royal garden renowned for its cave abodes.

Xu Yi settled into his cave dwelling and sent Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua to sell seized artifacts and buy pills. He began studying Jiang Nanxun’s Stars Shift and Heavens Turn, discovering its immense potential but finding that the jade slip lacked the practical cultivation formulas he needed.

• Shen showed Xu Yi the cave dwelling’s living quarters, alchemy room, earthfire, and adjustable-weight training chamber.
• Xu Yi gave Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua storage rings and instructed them to sell the seized artifacts and buy Essence Restoration Pills and Qi Replenishing Pills.
• Xu Yi gave Yan Zi a Linglong Pavilion token and asked Shen to guide the stewards to the treasure pavilions.
• Xu Yi studied the golden jade slip and memorized the principles of Stars Shift and Heavens Turn.
• Xu Yi realized the art could convert True Qi, weapon energy, and Qi weapons, but the jade slip did not explain how to cultivate its nine meridians.

Xu Yi took stock of his resources after Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua sold off surplus weapons and armor to buy pills, then resolved to strengthen himself. He tested the cave abode’s weighted room and found he could move only under 3,000 catties, leaving his training limits clear.

• Yan Zi and Yuan Qinghua returned with the proceeds and pills, explaining that Fatty Shen had helped them secure a better price at Duobao Pavilion.
• Xu Yi tallied his remaining wealth and equipment, noting that selling surplus goods had brought in more than 900,000 gold, which was spent largely on pills.
• Xu Yi concluded that his combat strength had fallen with his reduced supply of Cloud Burst Arrows and prioritized cultivating the First Turn of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body and the second level of the Overlord Strength Art.
• Xu Yi entered the weighted room, struggled to move under 10,000 catties, and found that he could manage only 3,000 catties with difficulty.

Xu Yi visited Linglong Pavilion in the capital, where Shopkeeper Luo gave him a Yin Corpse Skin Cover that restored his former appearance and made it easier to go out in public. Xu Yi asked Luo to procure equipment and materials for his plans, but learned that Heavenly Thunder Pearls and weapon-firing devices might be difficult to obtain.

• Xu Yi thanked Fatty Shen for helping him settle in, and Fatty Shen gave him a detailed map of the capital.
• Xu Yi went to the capital's Linglong Pavilion and met Shopkeeper Luo, who explained that Fang Bao had asked him to treat Xu Yi with courtesy.
• Shopkeeper Luo gave Xu Yi a Yin Corpse Skin Cover, which fitted to his face and restored his appearance before his disfigurement.
• Xu Yi asked Shopkeeper Luo to find furnaces, weapon-firing devices, five-element materials, Heavenly Thunder Pearls, and a prescription.
• Shopkeeper Luo agreed to help, but said the Heavenly Thunder Pearls and weapon-firing devices could be difficult to procure.