Chapter Summaries

Li Xiao dismantled Flying Tiger Stronghold and learned that Black Wind Stronghold’s Righteous Army had grown into a disciplined force of nearly a thousand men. He reached its heavily guarded gate and calmly asked to meet its leaders.

• Li Xiao found only a little over two hundred taels of silver in Flying Tiger Stronghold after Scarface explained that Black Wind Stronghold regularly collected tribute.
• Li Xiao killed the stronghold’s two remaining First Turn martial masters, disbanded the bandits, distributed their supplies, and burned the stronghold down.
• Li Xiao took Scarface as a guide and learned that Black Wind Stronghold had annexed seven or eight strongholds, gathered nearly a thousand men and at least thirty martial masters, and might have a Fourth Turn Great Martial Master.
• Li Xiao reached Black Wind Stronghold and saw its formidable defenses and disciplined guards conducting orderly patrols.
• Li Xiao sent Scarface away, approached the gate alone, and asked the guards to inform the stronghold that he had come to pay his respects.

Li Xiao confronted Black Wind Stronghold alone and swiftly subdued its Third Chieftain, Hu Kui, while testing whether a Fourth-Turn Great Martial Master was stationed there. Hu Kui revealed that no such master was present, leaving Li Xiao facing the stronghold’s remaining fighters and two Third-Turn Martial Masters.

• Li Xiao waited at Black Wind Stronghold’s gate as guards went inside to report his arrival.
• Hu Kui came out, demanded that Li Xiao remove his disguise, and ordered two subordinates to seize him.
• Li Xiao used his movement technique to slip past the two men and seize Hu Kui by the throat.
• Li Xiao restrained Hu Kui and asked whether a Fourth-Turn Great Martial Master was stationed at the stronghold.
• Hu Kui denied that one was there and warned Li Xiao that the stronghold had two Third-Turn Martial Masters and many other fighters.

Li Xiao entered Black Wind Stronghold after Lu Meng apologized for Hu Kui and invited him to a banquet, where Lu tried to recruit him as Third Chieftain. Li Xiao refused and asked to borrow silver, leaving Lu Meng and his men to respond.

• Lu Meng came out with his martial masters, apologized for Hu Kui, and invited Li Xiao into the stronghold.
• Li Xiao accepted Lu Meng's invitation and entered Black Wind Stronghold under escort.
• At the banquet, Li Xiao pretended to drink while discreetly soaking up most of the wine in his sleeve.
• Lu Meng praised Black Wind Stronghold's strength, probed Li Xiao's background, and offered him the position of Third Chieftain.
• Li Xiao declined the offer and asked to borrow silver from the stronghold.

Li Xiao demanded a loan of one thousand taels from Lu Meng and fought Black Wind Stronghold’s Martial Masters when Lu Meng refused. After recognizing Iron Wire Fist techniques among his attackers, Li Xiao realized the stronghold was tied to something beyond ordinary banditry.

• Li Xiao asked Lu Meng to lend him one thousand taels, provoking Lu Meng and the Martial Masters in the hall.
• Lu Meng offered a smaller sum and warned Li Xiao to reconsider, but Li Xiao stood firm, so Lu Meng ordered his men to attack.
• Li Xiao evaded two Second-Turn Martial Masters, struck one back, and knocked the other away.
• Li Xiao recognized Iron Wire Fist in the first Martial Master’s defense and demanded to know who the stronghold’s men were.
• Lu Meng ordered a subordinate to fetch Senior Disciple Brother and prepared to fight Li Xiao himself as Li Xiao suspected Black Wind Stronghold had hidden connections.

Li Xiao fought Lu Meng and his Iron Wire Fist companions in the stronghold, then captured Lu Meng after Wu Tieshan joined the battle. With the other Martial Masters held back, Li Xiao said he bore no ill intent and demanded a proper talk.

• Lu Meng and two Second-Turn Martial Masters surrounded Li Xiao and attacked him with coordinated Iron Wire Fist techniques.
• Li Xiao used his perfected Iron Sand Palm to badly injure one Martial Master, and Wu Tieshan arrived and joined the fight.
• Li Xiao clashed with Wu Tieshan, evaded the others’ attacks, and incapacitated the remaining Second-Turn Martial Master.
• Li Xiao struck Lu Meng, seized his throat, and sealed his Qi and Blood, forcing Wu Tieshan and the stronghold’s reinforcements to stop.
• Li Xiao held Lu Meng as a shield and told Wu Tieshan that he bore no ill intent and wanted to talk.

Li Xiao defeated Black Wind Stronghold’s fighters, captured Lu Meng, and forced Wu Tieshan to pay him one thousand taels in exchange for his departure and silence. He left the stronghold under the name Li Feiyu, while Wu Tieshan ordered the incident concealed and reported to his Master.

• Wu Tieshan ordered the gathered Martial Masters and stronghold soldiers to withdraw and keep the confrontation secret.
• Wu Tieshan threatened Li Xiao with the stronghold’s forces, and Li Xiao released Lu Meng.
• Li Xiao demanded one thousand taels and promised not to reveal Black Wind Stronghold’s connection to Iron Wire Fist.
• Wu Tieshan agreed to pay on the condition that Li Xiao swore to leave and keep silent; Li Xiao accepted and gave his name as Li Feiyu.
• Li Xiao left Black Wind Stronghold with the silver, and Wu Tieshan ordered the injured treated and the incident reported to his Master.

Li Xiao took one thousand taels from Black Wind Stronghold and arranged to obtain a Black Iron Heavy Bow without exposing himself. His actions alarmed Qian Li, who ordered his plans accelerated, while Li Xiao retrieved the bow from an abandoned temple.

• Li Xiao retrieved his hidden money and hurried toward Willow City to buy the Black Iron Heavy Bow.
• Qian Li learned that a mysterious Third-Turn Martial Master had extorted Black Wind Stronghold and decided to launch his plans early with the Yellow Robe Cult Master.
• Li Xiao entered the Inner City and threatened a First-Turn Martial Master into buying the bow and keeping the transaction secret.
• The middle-aged man bought the Black Iron Heavy Bow and delivered it beneath the shrine altar of an abandoned temple.
• Li Xiao collected the bow and its specially made arrows from the temple.

Li Xiao used a heavy bow to launch a surprise assassination against Zhao Kun at the Golden Sand Gang headquarters. Zhao Kun was badly wounded, but Li Xiao fired a second arrow at him as the gang’s fighters tried to shield and move him.

• Li Xiao returned home with the Jade Pillow, shared dinner with Li Youde and Li Yu, then prepared for a night raid.
• Li Xiao traveled in disguise to the Golden Sand Gang headquarters with the Black Iron Heavy Bow and Armor-Piercing Arrows.
• Zhao Kun praised Zhao Wenfeng’s martial arts and mocked Wang Hai while watching his son train.
• Li Xiao shot Zhao Kun from a nearby rooftop, piercing his protective Internal Force and badly wounding him.
• Zhao Wenfeng and Zhao Kun’s Confidant Martial Masters rushed to protect Zhao Kun, but Li Xiao fired a second arrow at him.

Li Xiao assassinated Zhao Kun and Zhao Wenfeng with three arrows, then fled the Golden Sand Gang’s core area. He was confronted by Wang Jinshan, whose approach had escaped his detection.

• Li Xiao’s arrow pierced Zhao Kun and the Martial Master carrying him, killing both.
• Zhao Wenfeng fled toward a nearby room, but Li Xiao predicted his dodge and shot him dead against the door.
• After killing the Zhao father and son, Li Xiao escaped across rooftops and through alleyways using Dragon-Snake Illusory Body.
• Wang Jinshan appeared less than twenty zhang behind Li Xiao, and Li Xiao realized Wind Listening Power had failed to detect the Fourth Turn Great Martial Master.

Li Xiao escaped after assassinating Zhao Kun and his son, but Wang Jinshan caught up with him and offered him a place in the Golden Sand Gang instead of seeking revenge. The chapter ended with Wang Jinshan defending his offer and promising to handle the gang members’ reaction.

• Wang Jinshan revealed that he had let Li Xiao kill Zhao Kun because Zhao Kun’s death solved his political problem with the Golden Sand Gang and County Lieutenant Zhu He.
• Wang Jinshan pursued Li Xiao, then called for them to talk rather than attack him.
• Li Xiao stopped and recognized that Wang Jinshan feared his archery and movement technique.
• Wang Jinshan said he wanted to make a deal and offered Li Xiao the position of Vice Gang Leader.
• Li Xiao questioned whether the gang would accept the recruitment after he killed Zhao Kun and his son, and Wang Jinshan said he would manage the gang’s reaction.

Li Xiao refused Wang Jinshan’s offer to become Vice Gang Leader and escaped Willow City after killing Zhao Kun and Zhao Wenfeng. The next morning, he heard the Golden Sand Gang was searching for the killer, but continued toward the martial arts hall without concern.

• Li Xiao declined Wang Jinshan’s offer, and Wang questioned him about the similarities between his movement technique and the Spirit Snake Steps.
• Li Xiao left Wang Jinshan and hurried out of Willow City, remaining alert for pursuit until he reached the city walls.
• Outside the city, Li Xiao tested Moon Chaser and his Chasing Wind Arrow Technique, striking a distant dead branch with precision.
• The next morning, Li Xiao found that Golden Sand Gang Disciples were searching the streets after Zhao Kun and Zhao Wenfeng were killed.
• Li Xiao listened to townspeople discuss the murders and continued toward the Iron Clothes Martial Arts Hall, unconcerned by the gang’s search.

Li Xiao heard Wang Hai celebrate Zhao Kun and his son’s deaths, then warned him that County Lieutenant Zhu He could threaten the Golden Sand Gang. Wang Hai explained his father’s plans to stabilize the gang and toasted their prospects at a lavish feast, leaving him basking in his newfound influence.

• Li Xiao arrived at the Iron Wire Fist Martial Arts School’s Inner Courtyard and found Wang Hai celebrating Zhao Kun and his son’s deaths with several Martial Master disciples.
• Wang Hai told Li Xiao that his father feared Zhu He might retaliate, but expected the County Lieutenant to weigh the costs and avoid acting openly.
• Wang Hai explained that his father planned to purge the gang, signal cooperation to Zhu He, and wait for his injuries to improve.
• Wang Hai invited Li Xiao and the other disciples to a feast, while disciples who had backed Zhao Wenfeng avoided him.
• At a restaurant, Wang Hai ordered an extravagant meal and entertainment, then led everyone in a toast to Zhao Kun’s deaths and the Golden Sand Gang’s recovery.

Wang Hai recruited Li Xiao as a nominal Hall Master of the Golden Sand Gang, offering him two hundred taels of silver each month. Meanwhile, Zhu He planned to exploit Zhao Kun’s death to weaken the gang and ordered his son to uncover the mysterious archer’s identity.

• Wang Hai offered Li Xiao the Golden Sand Gang Hall Master position, a monthly stipend of two hundred taels, and freedom to focus on cultivation.
• Li Xiao accepted the nominal position, and Wang Hai celebrated by promising regular payment and support from the gang.
• Zhu Wenhuan confronted Zhu He about Zhao Kun and his son’s deaths, while Zhu He explained that their assassination had destroyed years of efforts to infiltrate the Golden Sand Gang.
• Zhu He ordered Zhu Wenhuan to pressure Wang Jinshan publicly, undermine the gang’s businesses and recruit its dissatisfied members in secret.
• Zhu He also ordered an investigation into the mysterious archer, intending to recruit him if possible or eliminate him if he threatened their plans.

Zhu Wenhuan invited Li Xiao to Yuelai Inn and tried to mediate the Li Family’s grudge with the Lin Family. Li Xiao rejected the proposed reconciliation and left, refusing to involve the Zhu Family in his private feud.

• Li Xiao accepted an invitation from an unidentified old acquaintance and went to Yuelai Inn.
• Zhu Wenhuan introduced himself as the County Lieutenant’s son and praised Li Xiao’s talent before offering to mediate with the Lin Family.
• Zhu Wenhuan asked Li Xiao to let the past grievances go in exchange for compensation from the weakened Lin Family.
• Li Xiao condemned the Lin Family for humiliating and injuring him and breaking his father’s leg, and said he would never forget the feud.
• Zhu Wenhuan warned Li Xiao not to take matters too far, but Li Xiao refused the meal and left.

Zhu Wenhuan tried to recruit Li Xiao into an alliance by promising him control of the Iron Wire Fist Martial Arts School and revenge against the Lin Family. Li Xiao pretended to accept while secretly resolving to destroy both the Zhu and Lin Families after reaching the Fourth Turn.

• Zhu Wenhuan apologized for raising Li Xiao's painful past and warned him that other disciples could compete with him for influence in the martial arts school.
• Zhu Wenhuan offered Zhu Family support to help Li Xiao become Master of the Hall in exchange for his cooperation.
• Zhu Wenhuan promised that the Zhu Family would deliver Lin Yue's head and destroy the Lin Family, despite Lin Yue carrying Zhu Wenjun's child.
• Li Xiao feigned hesitation before agreeing to discuss cooperation, and Zhu Wenhuan celebrated the apparent alliance.
• Li Xiao privately rejected the Zhu Family's scheme and resolved to wipe out both the Lin and Zhu Families after breaking through to the Fourth Turn.

Zhu He weighed the Prince of Nanyang’s recruitment against his plans to consolidate Willow City and advance his own power. After Zhu Wenhuan reported that Li Xiao had agreed to cooperate, Zhu He treated him as a tool against Qian Li and urged his son to move quickly.

• Zhu Wenhuan dismissed Li Xiao after their meeting and resolved to use their grudge with the Lin Family to target Qian Li and the Iron Wire Fist Martial Arts School.
• Shi Gandang urged Zhu He to join the Prince of Nanyang’s side and offered help if Zhu He faced trouble in Willow City, but Zhu He gave no clear answer.
• After Shi Gandang left, Zhu He reflected that he needed to accelerate his plans to unify Willow City’s resources and secure a stronger position.
• Zhu Wenhuan told Zhu He that Li Xiao had agreed to help take control of the martial arts hall and seek revenge against the Lin Family.
• Zhu He said Li Xiao could serve as a spy against Qian Li, dismissed Lin Yue’s value beyond the Zhu Family’s plans, and ordered Zhu Wenhuan to watch Wang Jinshan and the martial arts halls.

Zhu He planned to lure Willow City's major factions into a trap at Black Wind Stronghold and recruit the Yellow Robe Cult to help him seize the city. The Yellow Robe Cult Leader agreed to the plan but ordered that Black Wind Stronghold be warned, intending to exploit the ensuing conflict.

• Zhu He told Zhu Wenhuan he would use a bandit-suppression campaign to draw out Willow City's elites, destroy them with Shi Gandang and the Yellow Robe Cult, and take the Feng Family's territory.
• Zhu Wenhuan questioned whether the Yellow Robe Cult would cooperate, but Zhu He ordered him to offer the cult half of Willow City and permission to spread its teachings.
• The Yellow Robe Cult Leader read Zhu He's letter and explained to his confidants that Zhu He intended to ambush Willow City's factions under the pretext of attacking Black Wind Stronghold.
• The Cult Leader's confidants warned that Zhu He's promises were untrustworthy and that attacking Black Wind Stronghold would violate the cult's alliance with it.
• The Cult Leader agreed to cooperate with Zhu He, then ordered a confidant to send the details of Zhu He's plan to Black Wind Stronghold so the cult could profit from the resulting chaos.

Qian Li learned that Zhu He planned to use the bandit-suppression operation to ambush Willow City's major factions, so he sought an alliance with the Yellow Robe Cult Master. Meanwhile, Li Xiao went to guard the Golden Sand Gang’s southwest stronghold against a threatened attack by the Wild Dog Gang.

• Qian Li received details of Zhu He's plan to ambush the major factions and realized it could destroy his plans and leave him vulnerable.
• Qian Li decided to contact the Yellow Robe Cult Master and sent an invitation for a discussion at Black Wind Stronghold.
• Wang Hai sent Li Xiao silver, Golden Thread Eel meat, and other gifts, while Li Xiao refused a match arranged for him.
• After the Wild Dog Gang threatened retaliation against the Golden Sand Gang’s southwest stronghold, Li Xiao arrived to stand guard.
• Li Xiao listened through the window with his Wind Listening Power as the stronghold’s defenders waited for the Wild Dog Gang.

Li Xiao reassured Zhang Kui that he would face the Wild Dog Gang rather than flee, partly to secure the gang’s future protection for his family. When the gang arrived, Li Xiao confronted its leader, Liu San, alone.

• Zhang Kui explained that the Wild Dog Gang would seek revenge and admitted that his own position in the Golden Sand Gang was precarious, but promised to hold the attackers off so Li Xiao could escape.
• Li Xiao asked the supervisor’s name and learned he was Zhang Kui, then declared that he would stay and fulfill his duty as a Golden Sand Gang Hall Master.
• Li Xiao reflected that he would eventually need to leave Willow City but wanted the Golden Sand Gang to protect his father and sister, Li Yu.
• Zhang Kui warned that the Wild Dog Gang might send several Second-Turn Martial Masters, and Li Xiao welcomed the prospect while ordering his men to hold their positions.
• Li Xiao sensed the attackers, leaped through a window, and appeared alone before dozens of Wild Dog Gang members led by Mad Dog Liu San.
• Liu San taunted Li Xiao for standing alone, but Li Xiao remained silent and faced him in the darkness.

Li Xiao refused Liu San’s offer to withdraw and claimed responsibility for defending Zhang Kui and the Golden Sand Gang stronghold. Liu San ordered Iron Claw Song Rong to attack, and Zhang Kui rushed to intercept him as the chapter ended.

• Liu San’s men recognized Li Xiao as Qian Li’s personal disciple and recalled his reputation as a Second-Turn Martial Master.
• Liu San offered Li Xiao a way out, arguing that the dispute was between the gangs and warning that four Second-Turn Martial Masters stood with the Wild Dog Gang.
• Zhang Kui stepped forward and urged Li Xiao to leave, accepting responsibility for his earlier actions.
• Li Xiao refused to abandon his subordinate and challenged the four Wild Dog Gang Second-Turn Martial Masters to test themselves against him.
• Liu San ordered his men to attack, and Iron Claw Song Rong charged Li Xiao with his claw techniques.
• Zhang Kui surged forward with Split Mountain Palm, trying to block Song Rong’s strike and shouting for Li Xiao to run.